the mysty and ambiguous clouds of that cavilling brabling heathenish Philosophy which they so adore and follow with their Master Aristotle as if he were another Jesus rained down from heaven to open unto mankind the treasures of the true wisdome But maâ—k a while I beseech you how the Apostle doth describe these wrangling Philosophers with their Sophisticall Philosophy and with what characters and colours he doth justly describe them Si quis aliter docet non acquiescit sanis sermonibus Domini nostri Jesu Christi saith he ei quae secundum pietatem est Doctrinae superbus est nihil sciens sed languens circa quaestiones pugnas verborum ex quibus oriuntur iuvidiae contentiones blasphemiae suspiciones mala conflictationes hominum mente corruptorum qui veritate privati sunt existimantium quaestum esse pietatem If any man teach otherwise and consenteth not unto the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and unto the doctrine which is according unto Godlinesse he is puffed up and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and contention of words whereof cometh envy strife rayling evil surmises froward disputations of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth which think that gaine is Godlinesse From such saith St. Paul unto Timothy Seperate thy self I could hartily wish that each Christian Peripatetick who spendeth his time in disputes and cavills after the Aristotelian manner and attempteth to draw out the endless bottome of truth or dive into the bowells or labyrinths of verity by subtle evasions I meane by an infinity of distinctions which doe rather distract then attract man unto the true wisdome which is but plaine and simple unity I could wish them I say to ponder this with patience and seriously to call to mind that in the Church of God and habitations or kingdoms of the true Sophia or if they please Philosophia there is no such custome as the Apostle teacheth us for this mixtion of multiform humane wisdome with the wisdome of God hath been the occasion of so many dissentions and discords as have sprung up among the Philosophers of this world whereupon every kind of this false Philosophy hath by stiffe cavillations and disputations maintained her Sect. This also hath been the occasion of errours in the Church of God as well among Christians as Turkes and Jewes For amongst us Christians it hath been the root of many Schisms and Heresies which have risen up in the re-search of one onely true God which is the eternall Unity And hereupon Convenientibus vobis in Ecclesia saith St. Paul si quis videtur esse contentiosus nos talem consuetudinem in Ecclesia non habemus If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome in the Church of God To conclude there are so many waies of deception in this our Christian world by reason of these Aristotelicall evasions and Protean Peripateticall distinctions and sophistications that the self-same thing may by them like a nose of waxe be turned and changed or altered in outward appearance which way a man list and so plain simple truth is abused and the silly man seduced The Apostle doth notably decypher or paint forth this kind of Aenigmaticall Philosophers of our Age which like glorious Thrasoes are puffed up in their own conceipts and think very well of themselves though they approach not neare the mark or Summum bonum which wise men do ayme at in these colours In novissinis diebus saith he instabunt tempora periculosa c. Erunt homines seipsos amantes cupidi elati superbâ— c. Semper dâ—scentes nunquam ad scientiam veritatis pervenientes quemadmodum autem Jamnes Mambres restiterunt Moysi ita hi resistuunt veritati homines corrupti mente reprobi circa fidem ultra non proficient insipientia enim eorum erit manifesta omnibus sicut illorum fuit Tu autem assequuntus es meam Doctrinam In the last daies shall come perilous times for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters high-minded and proud c. alwaies learning and never attaining unto the knowledge of the truth And as Jamnes and Mambres did resist Moses so do these withstand the truth being men corrupt in minde and reprobate concerning the faith But these shall prevail no longer for their foolishnesse shall be made manifest unto all men as theirs also was But thou hast fully known my doctrine c. Now his doctrine was concerning the true Philosophy whose foundation was Jesus Christ or the true wisdom and corner-stone which sustaineth all and is all in all and filleth all and acteth or operateth all in all which is contrary unto the tenour of the Ethnick doctrine seeing that it maketh an infinity of essentiall Agents in this world as Daemons Stars Elements Meteors Fire Water Cold Heat Man Beast Plant Minerall and such like the which they will have as subalternate essentiall Agents to act and operate of themselves not understanding that there is but one catholick and indivisible Agent in many mansions which doth operate by and in an infinity of organicall vehicles all in all and over all And this doctrine of theirs hath so infected our Christian Philosophers which are of their sect that they distinguish of Gods Beeing saying That he is present vertualiter and not substantialiter or essentialiter As who should say that Gods vertue can be without his essence or divided from his divinity which is indivisible and so they dream of some accidents to be in God which are distinguished from his essence Or else they distinguish and say that he operateth all principaliter and mediate as he is the first cause But say they there are an infinity of secundary causes which act and operate of themselves But I wonder if that were true how God can be said to fill all things and operate all in all if he be onely the first efficient cause and not the generall cause of all action in this world by his blessed Spirit which he sent out into the world to do the will of him that sent it as well in heaven as in earth What needs more words when the Apostle in plain tearms decideth this controversie in the Text before mentioned Etsi sunt saith he qui dicuntur Dij sive in coelo sive in terra siquidem sunt dij multi domini multi nobis tamen est unus Deus Pater ex quo omnia nos in â—llo unus Dominus Jesus Christus per quem omnia nos per ipsum Sed non in omnibus est haec scientia Though there be that are called Gods as well in heaven as on earth as there are many gods and many lords yet unto us there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him But every man hath not that knowledge By
and windy Angels as the Seraphins are fiery Spirits and so moveth upon the wings of the wind or aire which his Angelicall Cherubin doth animate So that in and by the windy Organ he is said to blow when and where he list It is I say the Eternall Spirit of Wisdome which is in brightness and vertue more noble then the Sun of Heaven as Solomon testifieth For as much as it also giveth life and splendor unto the Sun And therefore it is said to excell the Sun in brightness which is the onely efficient cause or formall and essentiall Agent in this business and consequently neither the Sun or any other of the created host of Heaven It is I say again the all-creating Spirit and not the created which is the generall act and onely formall mover in the Meteors whom his Angelicall Ministers which do ever stand before this Lord of all the earth that I may speak with the Prophet Zachary are ready to assist as Organs or instrumentall causes to execute his will It is I say the essentiall wind or Spirit which bloweth from the center of the cloud and moveth or inciteth his spirituall created Organs according unto his will For by it his Spirit also moveth in the Angels and winds causing them to effect his Command according unto David's assertion Wherefore we may see by this which is said how incongruous is this opinion of the Ethnick Peripatetick unto the Truth and how far it derogateth from the right of God's Word and consequently what an errour it is in our Christian Philosophers to follow and imitate his learning with such a devotion and fervency as if they were Theodidacti taught by God himself when in verity his doctrine doth rather disswade Christians from the knowledg of him in his works then instruct them therein being it perswadeth them that things are effected both in heaven above and in the earth and in the waters beneath by vain waies and accidentally that is to say meerly by naturall causes onely and so would blemish the honour and reputation of Him who in verity is all in all and operateth all in all and that not by constraint as the vain Peripatetick imagineth but according unto his Will as it is proved before CHAP. VI. The true and essentiall Definition or rather description of a Cloud is set forth in this Chapter WEll then will they reply Let us understand how you can better define or describe the nature of a clowd according unto that holy Philosophy and true Wisdom which you seem to profess To the which I answer that I am willing and that after a divers manner though agreeing in one unity of Essence A clowd is the revealing and making manifest of the invisible mundan spirit which is hidden in the treasury of God namely the heavens by the centrall operation of the divine wisdom and his windy ministers being incited thereunto by the will of God into a vaporous heap or clowdy substance which the said spirit of wisdom erecteth for his secret place or vehicle to move in and for the effecting of his will as well in heaven above as in the earth and waters beneath Or after this manner A clowd is the reducing of the invisible aire into a visible thick and gloomy consistence which is by the will of God effected through the concurrence or meeting together of opposite or transversall winds for the accomplishment of his secret will and pleasure Or else thus A clowd is a certain visible condensed heap of aire the which the Spirit of wisdom being expansed every wheâ—e doth make and compose as it were of nothing that is to say of an airy invisible somewhat which it extracteth out of his mysticall treasury to do and effect the will of God as well in heaven as in earth In which definitions or rather descriptions the materiall substance seemeth to be a coagulated mist or condensed masse or heap of aire the formall cause is set out in the shape and form of the clowd the efficient cause or centrall agent is the essentiall act of the divine wisdom who employeth and exciteth his windy ministers to work externally by the way of compression We have also the magazine or treasury out of which the substance of the winds is produced namely the heavens or aire which is termed Arca Dei thesauraria The chist or cabinet of Gods treasures To conclude the finall cause is manifested in this that the clowd is ordained to bring forth the effects as well of Gods clemency and benignity as of his severity and anger Now for the defence of the first part of these descriptions we find it thus written Deus sapientia suâ apt at pondus aeri appendit aquas in mensura facit pluviae statuta viam fulgetro tonitruum c. God doth by his wisdom proportionate the weight of the aire and hangeth the waters or clowds in measure assigneth lawes unto the rain and maketh a way unto the lightnings of the thunder That is to say according unto the will and ordination of the divine Spirit the aire or substance of heaven is changed from a lighter or thinner estate or weight unto a heavier or thicker the degrees of which mutation are expressed in the words following for first it was aire then clowds then rain or vulgar water Also the Text doth seem to make the lightnings internall or formall light of the clowd which is not revealed but by the violation or ruption of the compound and ablation of darkness Again it is said by Job as is already related Aer condensabitur in nubes ventus transiens fugabit eas The aire will be thickned into clowds And touching the clowds of snow Congregatio spiritus aspergit nivem The aire being gathered together doth scatter the snow on the earth Touching the efficient cause it appeareth to be God or the eternall Wisdom and therefore in the precedent Text it is said Deus sapientia sua aptat pondus aeri appendit aquas vel nubes in mensura God by his wisdom hangeth or ballanceth the waters or clowds in measure And again Nubibus densis obtegit Deus coelos God covereth the heavens with thick clowds But all this is sufficiently expressed before As for the finall cause set down in the foresaid definitions it is confirmed by Scriptures in this fashion Pro irrigatione fatigat Deus den sam nubem dispergit lucem nubis suae quodcunque praecipit illis faciendum in terra sive ad flagellum sive ad faciendam beneficentiam efficiet ut presiò sit God wearieth the thick clowd for the watering of the earth and he disperseth every where the light of his clowd whatsoever he commandeth them to be done upon the earth whether it be for a scourge or else in favour and benignity he maketh them to be ready to accomplish it And Baruch saith When God commandeth the clowds that they passe over the whole earth they
words Quis hominum cognoscit consilium Dei nam ratiocinationes mortalium sunt timidae instabiles cogitationes eorum Infestum enim corruptioni corpus aggravat animam deprimit terrena habitatio mentem plenam curis multis vix conjicimus ea quae in terra sunt quae autem in coelis sunt quis investigavit consilium tuum quis noverit nisi tu dederis sapientiam miseris sanctum Spiritum tuum è locis altissimis sie enim correctae sunt eorum quae in terris sunt semitae itaque sapientiâ fuerint salvati What man doth know the counsell of God for the reasonings of mortall men are doubtfull and unstable are their cogitations For the body being subject unto corruption doth aggravate the soul and an earthly habitation doth depresse the mind which is full of cares And we do scarcely guesse at the things which are upon the earth who is then able to find out the things which are in heaven Or who can know thy counsell unlesse thou shalt give wisdom and send thy holy Spirit from above for by that means were the waies of such men as were upon the earth corrected and amended and therefore were they saved or preserved by wisdom c. Out of which golden words I gather first That the heathen men were ignorant in the mysteries and abstruse operations of God because they wanted the true spirit of wisdom which God revealeth unto his Elect by the vertuous infusion and influxion of his holy Spirit Next that for this reason the subject of true Philosophy is not to be found in Aristotle's works but in the Book of truth and wisdom forasmuch as it is a copy of the revealed Word Thirdly that it is a great folly for Christians to seek for the truth where it is not to be found I mean in the works of the pagan Philosophers and that is made manifest forasmuch as it contradicteth altogether the verity of Scriptures and therefore it is pronounced by St. James to be terrene animal and diabolicall Verbum saepienti CHAP. XIII A conclusion of this work including an admonition unto all good Christians to beware of the Ethnick Philosophy and to stick and cleave fast unto that which is taught us by the Scriptures and that for reasons herein set down LEt it now be lawfull for me in the concluding of this Section O ye Europaeans who seem so seriously and zealously to spend your daies in the Christian Religion to turn the sharp edge of my pen and the rougher file of my speech unto you who being too too much seduced by the fals doctrin of Aristotle do think and imagine the meteors but especially lightning and thunder to be a common natural thing of little or no estimation at all as being onely produced of nature by reason of a hot distemper of the air I would request you as a true Christian ought unto his brethren to observe well and attend with diligence this admonition which I will for a Farewell bestow upon you beseeching you not to scorn or reject my precedent assertion whith hath told and sufficiently proved unto you that the lightnings and thunders yea and all other meteors are the immediate works of Gods hand being that by this endeavour of mine you may not onely bring a comfort and consolation unto your soules when you hear the terrible voice of the Lord and make you to call to mind your passed sins and iniquities and to pray him heartily to pardon you and not to call your offences unto an account in his anger but also give the honour and glory unto him who thundering from above worketh marvellously I would have you therefore to know that the worldly wise-men of this our Christian world who are as it were pages or followers of the Ethnick Philosophers have hitherto blindly or after the manner of lunatick persons erred in their imaginations forasmuch as they being instructed in the blind wisdom of this world by their Ethnick tutors and doctors will not be brought to believe that God doth work immediately all things in heaven and in earth onely by his word but mediately namely by other necessary natural or supernatural means as essential efficient causes when as the holy Text doth in plain terms instruct us that it is one the self-same essence which doth act and operate all in all by his word using each creature onely as his organ or instrument wherein and by the which he moveth and worketh his will Is not this their tenet or assertion I beseech you altogether opposite and contradictory unto the divine authority which saith Though there be that are called gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be many gods and many lords yet unto us there is but one God which is that Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him But every man hath not that knowledge c Out of which words we may gather that though we worldlings attribute this or that work unto angels or stars or winds or a created nature according unto the doctrine of the Ethnick wisdom yet such true Christian Philosophers as St. Paul was dâ—d acknowledge but one God of whom proceed all actions in this world and one Word by which onely and not by any creature in the world each thing is immediately effected in this world All which although unto reall Christians it seemeth verity and truth yet unto the Philosophers and wise men of this world this kind of doctrine issuing from the heavenly wisdom is rejected and derided And why Forsooth because as the Text doth teach us every man hath not this knowledge and the reason is because they respect more the wisdom of this world which is terrene and animal and as St. Paul saith meer foolishness before God then that which is from above namely from the Father of light Et sic evanuerunt in imaginationibus suis And so they did vanish in their imaginations I heartily wish you therefore which are brought up and made familiar in the holy Bible and nourished spiritually and guided by the law of our Lord Jesus Christ to conceive seriously and perpetually to revolve with your selves that God created the first consistence of things namely the humid and fluid waters by his word and they remain in the word and by the word in the self-same humid or moist estate as they did even unto this very day Also he framed out of this catholick water the heaven and the earth by his word as St. Peter saith Again he did produce by his said word the light in heaven the Sun the Moon the Starrs the day the night and all other creatures and did ordain them to serve for divers Organs by the which he might variously act or operate his volunty as well in heaven above as in the earth and waters beneath All which do move and work in and by the Word
suae God doth weary the thick clowds and disperseth abroad the light of his clowds for the watering of the earth Whereby it appeareth that God doth ordinarily gather together the clowds and maketh them his organicall instruments to utter his voice unto mortall men for the prospering of the annuall fruits upon the earth And therefore thus in another place Si consideraret homo extensiones densarum nubium fragores in tugurio illius exteâ—dâ—t super illud lucem suam cum his judicaturus est populum daturus cibum abunde Also in another place all this is more plainly expressed where it is said Vide arcum benedic eum qui fecit illum valde specio sus est in splendore suo gyravit coelum in circuiâ—u gloriae ejus manus Excelsi aptaverunt illum imperio suo accelerat nivem accelerat coruscationes emittere judicii sui Propterea aperti sunt thesauri evolarunt nebulae sicut aves in magnitudine sua posuit nubes confracti sunt lapides grandinis in conspectu ejus movebantur montes in voluntate sua spiravit Notus Vox tonitruum ejus reverberavit terram tempestas Aquilonis congregatio spiritus aspergit nivem c. Behold the rainbow and blesse him that made it it is wondrous beautifull in his brightnesse it did compasse the heaven in the circle of his glory the hands of him that is on high made it By his command he hastens the snow and maketh speed to send foâ—th the lightnings of his judgment Therefore are the treasurâ—es opened and the clowds fly forth like birds He placed the clowds in his greatnesse and the stones of the hail are broken In his sight the mountains did move and according to his will the south-winde hath blown and the voice of his thunder have reverberated the earth The tempest of the north and the congregation of spirits doth spread abroad or besprinkle the snow c. In this speech of the son of Syrach the Lord of lords is proved to be the sole essentiall and efficient cause of all meteors namely of the rainbow the snow the lightnings the clowds the hail the thunder the winds and tempests as also it sheweth that the matter of them is the aire Wherefore he saith in the conclusion The congregation of spirit doth spread abroad the snow Lastly it telleth us that the hands or Spirit of God are not idle in the effecting of such works as Aristotle termeth natural and therefore operateth not only primarily but also secundarily yea and catholically in and over all things as well in their generation as preservation and corruption To the last clause of his definition wherein he seemeth to aver that the lightnings move downward because the stuff of it is of a terrestriall compacted nature I answer that this reason is over weak considering the Gigantean author that alledged it for it may in the self-same manner be inferred that the Gun-powder which is of a far grosser stuff then is that of the lightnings must therefore strike downwards and yet we see by experience it riseth in spight of a mean resistance by its naturall inclination upward as we may perceive by places that are undermined and squibs which are violently carried upward I come therefore unto such true definitions of lightning and thunder as are maintained and allowed by the Book of Verity CHAP. XII How the lightning and the thunder oughtrightly to be described by the true Philosopher and that seriously according unto the tenour of holy Writ SInce therefore it hath been made manifest in the precedent Chapter that Aristotle hath utterly erred in his conceit touching as well the materiall as essentiall and formall cause of the lightnings let me gather as near as my weak capacity will give me leave what should be the true nature and originall essentiall cause of the lightnings according unto the harmonicall consent of holy Scriptures Lightning is a certain fiery aire or spirit animated by the brightness of JEHOVA and extracted out of his treasury which is the heavens or catholick aire to do and execute his will for the good or detriment of the creature Or else in this manner Lightning is a shining brightnesse proceeding out of the clowds being the pavilion of JEHOVA and is sent from the throne of God even down unto the earth covering the surface of the seas But if we would describe the lightning with all his accidents and consequently expresse the whole essence of the thunder which is a mixed nature we may effect it thus out of the testimony of the holy Bible Lightning is a fire burning from the face or presence of JEHOVA at the sight or contact of whose brightnesse the clowds do pass away and the Almighty doth thunder and utter his voice from heaven and sendeth forth his arrowes for the destruction of the wicked Or thus Lightning is a fire proceeding from JEHOVA being sent out of his dark tabernacle from above at the sight whereof the waters or clowds as being terrified and the abysse as it were troubled do haste away in which turmoil the voice of his thunder moveth circularly and the fiery or kindled coals are sent forth as arrowes sent out from a well bent bow to effect his will as well for benediction as for vengeance both in heaven and earth Or in this sort Lightning or coruscation is a clear and pure light in the clowds above the which the winde that passeth by doth purifie c. By the first of these descriptions the manifest materiall cause of the lightning is expressed to be a fiery aire the place out of which it is drawn is the treasure-house of God or the heavens Also the formall cause is expressed in that it is set down to be a fiery spirit or aire the efficient cause I said according unto the truths testimony to be the will or word of God on which dependeth that spirit of wisdom by which God operateth all things Lastly the finall cause is also noted forasmuch as it is said That it was created to do the will of him that ordained it either for the pain or pleasure of mortall men All which is evidently confirmed out of the places of Scripture mentioned before The second definition is confirmed out of the Revelation which saith Fulgura procedunt à throno Lightnings proceed from the throne Again he is said Fulgurare lumine suo desuper cardâ—nâ—sque maâ—is operire To lighten with his brightness from above and to cover with it the corners of the Sea And again prae fulgore in conspectu ejus nubes transierunt The clowds did move by reason of the Lightning and brightness which was in his sight or presence And again ignis ab ore ejus evolavit Fire flew out of his mouth And again Ab ore ejus velut taedae praeeuntes quasi halitus ejus carbones accenderent flamma â—x ore ejus prodicret From
worship him show I unto you c. Note by the way that he argueth by this speech that they knew not the true grounds of Philosophy being ignorant of the true God which is the fountain of the essentiall wisdom Then he proceedeth thus God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things c I would have you to mark the excellency of the true wise man namely how he speaketh unto the mundan Philosophers of Athens the divine wisdom and therefore the solid and essentiall Philosophy for he expresseth in the foresaid Text that the Spirit of God or Christ which is God dwelleth not in artificiall Temples but maketh every naturall thing his Sanctuary and above all creatures and by super-excellency he pointeth at Man as you shall see hereafter And therefore he affirmeth that the same divine spirit of wisdom giveth to every creature for his words are He giveth to all life breath and all things and therefore if to all things then there is not any thing that is naturated by it but liveth and breatheth or hath his existence from and in this wisdom the which is therefore rightly tearmed the Corner-stone forasmuch as on him all creatures rely and exist And therefore it is he onely who is that light of the world in whom is that life which doth vivifie all things as in another place the Apostle doth teach us and who is all and in all as we have it in another place where also it is said that in him is all things and he in every thing as well visible as invisible And in conclusion He filleth all things and worketh all and in all Doth not Solomon seem to assent unto all this where he saith that Gods Spirit is in all things Then the said Apostle proceedeth thus And he made of one blood all mankind to dwell on the face of the earth and hath assigned the seasons which were ordained before and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek the Lord if so be they might have groped after him and found him though doubtlesse he be not far from every one of us for in him we live we move and have our being For we are also his generation c. Lo here the infinite and admirable vertue of this divine Corner-stone which is Jesus Christ who is the essentiall subject and ground work of the true philosophy I meane that sacred wisdome which is so extolled and magnified by the old and new Testament And therefore the same Apostle said rightly in the foresaid place In Christo sunt omnes The sauri scientiaeet sapientiae absconditi In Christ are all the Treasures of Knowledge and Sapience hidden whereby in the first place it is made evident that there is no true philosophy which hath not this spirituall foundation namely Christ Jesus in whom is the plenitude of all divinity corporally and who is the head as well of the Angelicall nature as of all inferiour things else of what soever condition all which being so we may see how farre the Greekish philosophy doth differ from the truth and therefore me thinks it should not be so seriously followed being that the Scriptures have delineated unto us a more compleat and perfect path way unto wisdome Againe it appeareth evidently that the Greekish philosophers and consequently that kind of humane or mundane wisdome whereon it is built or established is-terrene animal and diabolical because it contradicteth the true wisdome or philosophy and therefore it is proved to be false as shall more at large be expressed unto you in the chapters following CHAP. II. Wherein the originall or beginning of the true wisdom and consequently of the essentiall Philosophy is opened and then the nature and power of it is really described WE purpose now in in the first place to search out the originall fountain of the true wisdom and therefore of the essentiall Philosophy And then in the second rank I will expresse the definition of it after that I will shew you that it is the foundation not onely of the true externall Philosophy with the sciences which depend thereon but also the discoverer of all mysteries and hidden secrets yea and the onely revealer of things as well past as those which are to come Concerning the originall or beginning of this sacred wisdom I will prove by the consent and harmony of the whole Bible that it is in God the Father of light and therefore it must be clean contrary in nature unto the wisdom of this world which is terrene and animal as the Apostle hath it Sapientâ—ae daetor inventor Deus est The giver and inventor of wisdom is God as the Prophets do intimate unto us Sapientia fortitudo Domini sint saith Daniel Sapience and fortitude be the Lord's Sapientia in antiquis est in multo tempore prudentia saith Job Wisdom is of antiquity and prudency of a long standing Again Sapientiam dat Dominus ex ore ejus prudentia scientia saith Solomon The Lord giveth wisdom prudency and science issue from his mouth And again Sapientiam possidet Deus in principio viarum suarum antequam quicquam faceret à principio ab aeterno ordinata est concepta erat cum nondum erant abyssi God did possesse wisdom in the beginning of his waies before he made any thing from the beginning even from eternity was she ordained she was conceived when there was no abysse Sapientia à Deo profecta est prior omnium creata saith the son of Syrach Wisdom came from God and was the first created of all things And again Ex ore Altissimi prodivi primogenita ante omnem creaturam saith she in her own person I came or issued out from the mouth of the most High being born before any creature Sapientia caelitus mittatur de sanctis coelis ut mecum sit mecum laboret saith Solomon in another place Let wisdom be sent from thy holy heavens to assist me and to labour with me And againe he expresseth the time of her election the manner of her exaltation and way to seperate her truth from falsehood in these few words which are golden ones Sapientiam dei ab initio nativitatis investigabo ponam in lucem nec praeteribo veritatem I will find out the wisdome of God even from the beginning of her nativity and I will put her into light neither will I passe over or omit the truth By all these places and many more which I could produce it is made manifest that this excellent spirit of which we intend to treat in this place is the true wisdome and withall it must needs follow that the philosophy which dependeth on it is the
are my seat and the earth my foot stool And Jeremy Coelum terram nunquid impleo Do not I fill the heaven and the earth Now that you may know more particularly how this is done hearken unto David In sapientia saith he omnia fecisti repleta est terra possessione tua Thou madest all things in wisdom and the earth is full of thy possession or riches he meaneth with his Spirit which replenisheth inacteth and informeth all things And therefore saith the son of Syrach Sapientiam effudit Deus super omnia opera sua super omnem carnem secundum datum suum God powred out his wisdom upon all his creatures and upon all flesh according unto the measure that he bestoweth it That is to say The Spirit of wisdom is more or lesse in all things according as it pleased God to impart it unto this or that creature And for this reason Solomon in another place Sapientia operatur omnia Wisdom worketh or acteth all things Which agreeth with this Text of the Apostle Deus operatur omnia in omnibus Why should we not infer then that this spirit is essentially and presentially in every thing To conclude therefore this general discourse of the true Philosophy Moses teacheth us that after the foundation of the Heavens and Elements every creature that was framed or composed of them and lived and moved in them did exist and was preserved by the self-same spirit namely the Sun Moon and other Starrs in heaven the seeds trees herbs and such like vegetables and the creeping and four-footed beasts of the earth and fishes of the seas And lastly Man was created by one and the self-same spirit but God imparted unto him a greater proportion of his Spirit that thereby he might excell in perfection all other creatures It were too infinite to expresse and set down the main scope of this businesse in writing as Scriptures do at large recite it for look into the works of Moses the books of Joshua and Judges the history of Kings or Chronicles the reports of Job the Psalms of David the Proverbs Ecclesiastes Cantiques and Wisdom of Solomon the monuments of the Prophets the subject of Ecclesiasticus and Maccabees and lastly the relations or stories of Christ and his Apostles and we shall find that this sacred wisdom with her essentiall vertues and acts in the vast cavity of this world both above and beneath is the ground and firm foundation of all their doctrine and science as well concerning naturall as supernaturall businesses or rather touching the acts of God in his naturall Tabernacles or watry and humid mantles which he assumeth or putteth off at his pleasure as Scriptures do testifie And yet I would have no man so far to mistake me as not to think that as God is not excluded from the creatures so he is not included by any of them I will now descend unto particularities and shew you how this eternall wisdom is the fountain or corner-stone first of the higher Arts namely of Theology Physick or the art of Curing Astronomy Musick Arithmetick Geometry Rhetorick and after that how the Meteoro-logicall Science onely dependeth on his act then how true Morall learning and Politick government is derived from the instructions and directions of this onely wise Spirit And lastly how all mysticall and miraculous Arts and discoveries are effected and brought to light by it confirming that place in Scripture where it is said Caeterae sunt ancillae hujus All sciences are but the handmaids unto this wisdom Of each of these therefore in order CHAP. III. In this Chapter it is proved that the true Sophia or wisdom is the ground of all Arts and therefore it being revealed or discovered unto man he may be taught and instructed by it as by the onely wise and essentiall School-mistress in all science and knowledge IN Christo saith the Apostle sunt omnes the sauri sapientiae scientiae absconditi All the treasures of wisdom and science are hid in Christ. And Solomon Sapientiam dat Dominus ex ore ejus prudentia scientia The Lord giveth wisdom and from his mouth is prudency and knowledge And Ecclesiasticus Thesaurabit super virum scientiam intellectum justitiae Wisdom will treasure up in man science and the understanding of justice And again Ego doctrinam quasi prophetiam effundam relinquam illam quaerentibus sapientiam I will powre forth doctrine or learning as prophesie and I will leav it upon such as seek wisdom And the incarnated Word or Christ Jesus said Spiritus sanctus vos docebit omnia The holy Spirit will teach you all things And again Cum venerit ille Spiritus veritatis docebit vos omnem veritatem When that Spirit of truth shall come it will teach you all truth Esdras tasted of that materiall wisdom in the form of a fiery drink and he was so full of sapience that he indited books of science and wisdom for the space of forty daies together which his Scribes did register as he uttered it by word of mouth And Solomon saith Sapientiam optavi data est mihi invocavi venit in me spiritus sapientis I wished for wisdom and understanding was given me I invocated and the spirit of wisdom came into me But lest the captious of this world should say that these words of Solomon were meant in another sense than in the conceiving of such sciences as are comprehended under Philosophy called Naturall I wish them for their better direction to listen unto Solomon who doth in this case sufficiently interpret himself and that to the simplest mans capacity in this sense Spiritus sapientis mihi datus est ut cognoscerem constitutionem mundi vim elementorum principium finem mediumque temporum solstitiorum mutationes varietates temporum seu tempestaium anni circuitus stellarum situs naturas animantium animos seu iras bestiarum ventorum seu spirituum vim cogitationes hominum differentias plantarum radicum facultates etiam cognovi quaecunque sunt occulta manifesta omnium enim artifex me docuit Sapientia By the spirit of wisdom I came to know certainly how the world was made and the power of the elements and the beginning end and middle of times the changing of the Solstices the variety of times and tempests the compasse or revolution of the year the scituation of the Starrs the natures of living creatures the dispositions and angry conditions of beasts the strength of the winds or spirits the cogitations of men the differences of plants and the faculties of roots Also I knew both what was hid and manifest for wisdom the work-mistresse of all things did teach me Out of which words we gather that by the revelation of this divine spirit he attained to the knowledge of all things For since wisdom is the center root or corner-stone of all things how should
vaine by nature who are ignorant of God and cannot understand him that truly is by such good creatures of his which they behold nor yet can acknowledge the workman by the consideration of his works It well behoveth therefore each Christian to be wary in his reading the Ethnick Philosophy and to consider seriously before he wade too far in it or give too much credit unto it the sayings of the two foresaid Sacred Philosophers which followed the rules of the true Wisdome And again let him call to minde the precepts which the first of them I mean St. Paul did impart unto the worldy Philosophers of Athens when he espied that they did adore and worship strange and unknown Gods and how he taught them a new Philosophy and new Wisdome namely Jesus Christ which was strange doctrine unto them And therefore they said Let us heare what this babler will say that bringeth in this strange doctrine of Christ. Whereby it appeareth that the true Wisdome never sounded into their eares or dived into their hearts Let him I say observe that it was at this kind of bastard Philosophers with their Philosophy that the Apostle pointeth where he saith in the place above cited Let no man deceive you in subtility and swasibility of speech Beware of Philosophy and vaine Fâ—llacy which are according unto the traditions of men and according unto the Elements or rudiments of this world and not after Christ c. In which words he distinguisheth the false Philosophy or wisdome from the true Sapience and he seemeth to intimate that the false Philosophy is but vaine Fallacy framed after the manner of men of this world namely as at Athens it was taught that is to say with vain Fallacie subtilties and seeming more in appearance and probability then it was indeed And for that reason it filled men fuller of doubts by inquiries made through misty and foggy passages then if they had gone the plain and simple way of teaching to wit after the true image of the reall and essentiall Philosophy or rather Sophia or Wisdome which as the Wiseman telleth us is Spiritus intelligentiae Sanctus unicus simplex modestus dâ—sertus suavis perspicuus amans bonum humanus benignus stabilis certus omnem habens virtutem amicos Dei constituens in animas sanctas se transferens The holy spirit of Wisdome is unique and simple in his essence modest eloquent sweet plaine and open without ambâ—guity Loving that which is good humane benigne stable sure comprehending in it selfe all vertue and an introductor of man unto the friendship of God by transferring it self into the souls of pious and godly men Lo here we see that in condition this description of the good and true Wisdome doth exactly agree with that Wisdome whose character is described by St. James as is said before For he termeth it modest benigne peacefull suasible without envy or emulation Again as St. James saith that it is from above namely from the Father of Light So also doth Salomon express her pedigree thus Sapientia saith he est vapor virtutis Dei emanatio quaedam seu fluxus claritatis omnipotentis Dei sinceri candor seu splendor lucis aeternae speculum sine macula Majestatis Dei imago bonitatis illius Wisdome is the vapor of the vertue of God and a certaine emanation or flux of the sincere shining forth of the Omnipotent God and the brightness of the eternall light and a mirrour without spot of the Majesty of God and the image of his goodness By the which definition it is evidently discerned First that it is that Wisdome which is from above next that it is not the vaine wisdome of this world which is nothing else but a plaine fiction or empty shadow in regard of this which is only truth lastly this wisdome bringeth good fruit with it for it imparteth unto men essentiall vertue and power to act as well naturally as miraculously and therefore the Apostle saith Signa Apostolatûs mei facta sunt super vos in omni potentia in signis prodigiis virtutibus The signes of mine Apostleship are upon you in all patience in signes prodigies and virtues And again Qui tribuit vobis Spiritum operatur virtutes seu miracula in vobis Who bestoweth upon you the Spirit who worketh also virtues or miracles among you Lo here our Christian Philosophers may see how this Wisdome bringeth forth power and vertue which St. James in the before-cited place doth call good fruits for he saith that Wisdome which is from above is full of good fruits But Paul seemeth to call the Ethnick Philosophy vaine fallacy and therefore if it be vaine then it is void of good fruit and consequently there is no true fructifying Philosophy nor truly fructifyed Philosopher but that which is grounded on that true and eternal Wisdome Jesus Besides all this the true Wisdom is peaceable not ambiguous nor apt to be cavilled with or contentiously to be disputed of neither needeth it an infinity of distinctions and quiddities framed out of mans braine which rather leadeth the disciple by the multiplicity thereof into ignorance then it doth elucidate the brightness of naked truth But the false Philosophy is so full of distinctions subtil and sophisticall evasions so subject to cavills and disputations and so contentiously composed and in fine so difficill and in effect so fruitless that instead of the true and essentiall graine we find but chaff instead of truth we gather but words instead of essentiall reality we collect scarce a type or shadow of Verity in lieu of sincerity we find but vanity and in conclusion is more in appearance overmasked over for the most part with a seeming probability then indeed really to be discerned and for this cause the Apostle saith Praedicatio mea non est in persuasivis humanae sapientiae verbis sed in ostensione spiritus virtutis My preaching is not in the perswasive words of humane wisdome but by the manifestation of the Spirit and of power For this reason therefore we find in the one of the two kinds of wisdome the fruits of power vertue and miracles such as the true and divine Philosophers did produce by the Omnipotent Corner-stone I mean the true Wisdome in times past and made them manifest unto the world Whereas the other can do nothing indeed but produce cavillings dispute contentions and fallacies the fruits whereof in the conclusion is naught else but vanity It is not I but the Spirit of truth that assureth you thus much And yet now even in this later age of the world in which Satan the prince of this world which is darkness hath the upper hand this terrene wisdome or vaine Philosophy which is dawbed over with dark ignorance hath the dominion or upper hand and so by that means Christ which is the true Wisdome is daily crucified among some Christian Philosophers and buried in darkness through
in natura causae proferri pâ—ssiâ—t tamen prodest videre quousque humanaratio progredi pâ—ssit Sacrae quidem literae dicut Deum ventos producere de thesauris suis unâ—â— ipsorum â—latus and 〈◊〉 sed unde venâ—um aut quo vadunt nescimus Although the whole disputation concerning the Winds as also touching the other 〈◊〉 be full of the marvells of God of the cause whereof there can be rendâ—ed no sufficient reason in nature yet it will be necessary to enquire into the cause of them so far as 〈◊〉 reason wilâ— permâ—t The holy Scriptures say that God doth produce the winds out of his treasury from whence we hear the noise of their breath but aâ—e ignorant of the place from whence they come and whither they will Again on the other side Margarita Philosophia a work I say that hath been highly esteemed of the Peripateticks themselves by reason of the Aristotelicall suck or sap that it containeth besides an epitomy of many other Arts after a strict search made into the nature of Thunder in the Physicks of her Master Aristotle and being put as it were to a nonplus through the want of skill which it observed in her Master to reveal such a secret which none is able really to effect but by the true wisdom for by it Solomon confessed That he knew the force or power of the winds and mutations of the elements And Job That it is the divine wisdom which giveth weight unto the aire and ordaineâ—h statutes unto the rain and maketh way unto the lightnings of the thunders That Philosophy I say so much respected of the Peripateticks is found in conclusion to utter these words Quidam philosophorum saith it considerantes mirabilem fulminis operationem ipsum non opus naturae sed summ Dei effectum immediatum arbitrati sunt Some of the philosophers considerâ—ng the marvellous operation of the lightning and thunder did imagine it to be no work of nature but the immediate effect of the highest God Again touching the beginning and originall of Fountains Johannes Velcurius who hath spent much time and labour in the Peripatetick doctrine and writ a Commentary upon Aristotles physicks groweth somewhat cold in his confidence which he had in his Master's doctrine concerning the true cause of fountaines which issue out of the earth Non consentiunt plane saith he Sacrae literae cum Physicis de ortu fontium et fluminum quae ex mari per varios alveos meatusque fluere ac ad suos fontes restuere Ecclesiastes 1. testatuâ— dicens Omnia flumina intrant in mare mare non redundat ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant Coeterum Aristoteles et Physici Peripatetici dicunt materiam istorum esse pariter vaporem resolutum in aquam liquefactum à frigore calore simul intra terram The holy scriptures do not consent with the Naturalists concerning the originall of fountains and rivers which do come out of the Sea through divers Channells or passages and flow or runne againe into their fountaines as Ecclesiastes 1. dâ—th testifie saying all Rivers do go into the Sea and the Sea is not the fuller And they return again unto the place from whence they came that they might flow from thence again But Aristotle and his Peripatetick Schollars affirm that the matter or substance of them is a vapour resolved into water and melted or liquified by cold and heat together wâ—thin the earth Thus judicious Reader you may discern out of the confession of Aristotle's own pupills how contradictory and opposite is the mind of their Master in his philosophy unto the wisdom of holy Writ and therefore mark the sentence that the Apostle pronounceth against it The wisdom saith he which contradâ—cteth the truth is not from above nameâ—y from the Father of light but terrene animal and diabolicall And the other Apostle speaketh thus If any man preach otherwise then that ye have received let him be accursed Now that this Prince of Peripateticks is most erroneous and averse unto the opinion of the holy Scriptures touching the generation or primary cause of Meteors I will most lively and at large demonstrate unto you in the last Book of this present Treatise where I will prove him a deceiver of the Christian world by such prestigious things as seem probable but in verity and by effect will prove nothing else in respect of the fruits which the true wisdom doth bring forth but deceit vain fallacy and an apparent kind of jugling which being rightly pondered it may seem very strange to such judicious persons as are unpartiall that the Christian world should be deluded thus long yea and in these latter daies with such Peripateticall figments and fables and be so addicted unto Aristotle's idle shadowes since that in conclusion they appear without true substance and reality Nay it may seem strange indeed unto every wise or understanding man that such as are devoted unto Christian zeal should all this while forsake the main fountain of wisdom and verity to seek of Pagans and Gentiles arts science and understanding as did the Agarens of whom the Prophet maketh mention and those which were in Theman who for that errour of theirs never attained unto the knowledge of true wisdom Of this main folly of Christians in future ages and of these our latter ages me-thinks the Apostle doth seem to prophesy in these words Erit tempus cum sanam doctrinam non sustinebunt sed ad sua desideria coacervaebunt sibi magistros prurientes auribus à veritate quidem auditum averient ad fabulas autem convertentur The time will come that they will not endure wholsome doctrine but having their ears itching after their own lusts get them a company of teachers or masters and shall turn their ears from the truth and shall be given unto fables Where he understandeth by a company of masters all erroneous teachers and especially the sputious Philosophers namely of the Epicureall Stoicall and Peripateticall doctrine which as they are framed out after the imaginations traditions and inventions of men and according unto the elements of this world and not after the true wisdom which is Christ Jesus are esteemed as foolishnesse vanity and fabulous before God and his Saints And therefore the Apostle in the foresaid speech doth point at such Christians in future ages as will leave the true wisdom or doctrine of Christ the Prophets and the Apostles and betake themselves to false Masters and such Philosophy which contradicteth the truth Again the said excellent and sacred Philosopher foretelleth that there will be many in future ages so puffed up in their own conceipts that they will contemn and scorn all counsell be it never so good if it be any way dissonant from their grounded opinion His words are these In novâ—ssimis diebus saith he instabunt tempora periculosa erunt homines seipsos amantes
cupidi elati superbi c. semper discentes nunquam ad veritaâ—em pervenientes Quemadmodum autem Jamnes Mambres restiterunt Mâ—yâ—â— ita hi resistunt veritati homines corrupti mente reprobi circa fidem ultrà non proficient In the last daies shall come perilous times for men will be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud c. ever learning and never attaining unto the truth And as IJamnes and Mambâ—es withstoâ—d Moses so do these resist the verity men of a corrupt mind and reprobates concerning the faith Out of which words we gather first That some men in these latter daies will be so wedded unto their own learning and conceipted in the worldly philosophy or science which they have been brought up in that whatsoeveâ— truâ—h it self shall proffer unto them that is opposite unto their intentions it will be scornfully rejected Secondly he seemeth to expresse the insufficiency of that learning or philosophy which they embrace in saying that they are semper discenteâ— sed nunquam ad veritatem vel perfectionem pervenientes Ever learning but never attainâ—â—g unto that high vertue and power at which the truly wise have aimed by Ethnick philosophy Thirdly it appeareth that he meaneth the mundane philosophists by the example which he maketh of Jamnes and Mambres who being worldly Sages or bred up in the human wisdom did resist that truth which Moses being instructed in the divine Philosophy did so stoutly maintain And lastly he seemeth to intimate that such as adhere so much unto the spurious wisdom are thereby corrupted in their imaginations and allured to erre concerning the faith and profit nothing And therefore it will be no marvell though I shall find this mine admonition rejected and repined at by many though perchance more acceptable unto such as are vertuously inclined unto the truth and are apt yea and sufficient in their purer discretions to distinguish and separate the errours of Aristotle from the infallible verity of sacred Writ and to carry their judgments so justly and sincerely that the All-hallowed honour of the one do not suffer any detriment or indignity by the paganish and unsanctified axioms or assertions of the other CHAP. VI. Here One great God IEHOVAH seemeth to call the false wisdome or Wisemen and Philosophers of this world unto an Account for their erroneous Doctrine touching the causes and manner of the Creation of the world and the Generation of the Meteors thereof I Have expressed unto you in the precedent Chapter that the great Master of the Peripatetick doctrine is not for nought termed by the Greeks themselves Cacodaemon or an evill spirit being that by his inventions he hath deceived the world and seduced it from the right path of Wisdome and directed it unto that way which leadeth and guideth unto assured error and ignorance and that by the painted mask of sophisticated reasons besmeared over with a false and outward shew of probability only faining those things to be accidentall and caused at hap-hazzard which in verity are from above that is to say essentially produced by the increated Spirit 's power which operateth all in all For according unto his doctrine the Earth the Stats the Elements were eternall and not created and he covereth this his false assertion with appearing naturall inventions framed out of his own brain saying ex 〈◊〉 nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made He giveth also a humane reason of life motion and limits or borders the Seas and faineth causes after his fancie of the generation and corruption of things And speaketh of a first matter and a form after his manner though he knoweth not essentially what they are He telleth us unreasonably the reason of the snow frost and ice hail rain clouds and mists saying that they are adventitiously caused of vapours which are drawn up by the heat of the Sun and Stars out of the earth and waters into the middle region of the Aire and are there condensed into those substances by the accidentall coldness of the place He inventeth and bringeth forth some sleight proofs to maintain his imaginations averring that the wind is made or caused by chance namely through the exalting or subliming of hot and dry exhalations out of the earth by vertue of the forementioned Agents the which exhalations after they approach the middle region of the Aire are repercussed and beaten down again And then in their motions downward they meeting with other exhalations which ascend are forced to move collaterally He presumeth to know the hidden causes of the Lightnings and Thunders making them to proceed also accidentally namely from a concourse of vapours mixed with exhalations and an infinite of such like frivolous inventions he hath erected All which he hath vailed over with his smooth words and subtill shews of externall or superficiall probabilities only instead of the reall and centrall visage of Truth But the God of Heaven and Earth which is the Author of all these things and doth mystically fashion them by his eternall power and calleth them out of his Treasury when and where he list seemeth to deride this inventor of lies with his obsequious followers in these very words which he spake unto Job Who is this saith JEHOVA out of the whirl-wind unto this bold abuser of his Works that darkneth the counsell of my Words without knowledg Gird up now thy loines like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding Who hath laid the measures thereof or who hath stretched the line over it whereupon are the foundations of them set or who layed the corner-stone thereof What were they eternall and without all beginning as thou vainly surmisest Who shut up the Sea with doores when it issued and came foorth as out of a wombe Have the gates of death been opened unto thee And hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death that thou assignest a reason so confidently of corruption and generation according unto thine imagination Hast thou entred into the Treasury of the Snow or hast thou seen the Treasuries of the Hail which I have hid against the time of trouble that thou after thy fancy darest to forge fain or assigne unto them such accidentall principles By what way is the Light parted which scattereth the East wind upon the Earth what is it by a hot and dry exhalation attracted on high by the Son and Stars and afterward repelled downward laterally as thou hast published Who hath divided the spouts of the raine or the way for the lightnings of the Thunders And who is the father of the raine or who hath begotten the drops of dew must the created Sun and Stars be the Actors and Authors in this business as thou dost erroniously imagine Out of whose wombe came the Ice who hath engendred the frost of the heaven Is it the
by degrees appear out explicitly namely in the sixt rank for it will be altered from humour to solidity with a certain distinction of the three principall Members in the seventh to an Embrionall shape and in the eighth which will make up a cube unto the materiall root 2. or the Square 4. which is characterized in the catholick Element by the impressions of the four winds into a perfect creature In like manner in the great world we see that the simple Element namely the generall aire appeareth externally plain simplicity and an invisible Nothing explicitly and yet it containeth complicitly a clowd water or rain Fire or Lightning and a ponderous stone with Salt and such like which by degrees do explicitly appear through the vertue of the four Winds So that a vapour possesseth the first rank the cloud the sixt the Lightning and clowd the seventh and the earthly Stone argueth an exact rotation of all the foure ventous forms into one mixtion which represents the eighth's place in Composition or Generation But when the man cometh to Corruption then his parts proceed in resolution backwards namely from 8. to 7. from 7. to 6. and from 6. to 5. untill it return unto the point of the simple Spermatick Element from whence it began and there it beginneth a new Generation in another form For the all-acting nature is never idle So also the Stone is resolved into water and water into a vaporous clowd and the clowd into aire from whenâ—e it came which is the simple catholick Element which admitteth no farther or proâ—ounder resolution by corruption Now the onely Operator in both these works is the Spirit of God for in Generation it shineth forth of the catholick Elements center or SpermS internall unto perfection and persevereth in his action till a perfect man be produced which Job confirmeth thus Nonne sicut Lac fudistime sicut caseum coagâ—â—asti me cute carne texisti me ossibusque nervis induisti me cum vita benignitatem exercuisti erga me Et visitatio tua conservavit spiritum meum Didst thou not poâ—â—e me forth like milk and like cheese didst crudle me Didst thou not cover me with skâ—n aâ—â— flesh Thou didst indue me with bones and sinews thou didest shew forth unto me thy benignity in my life and thy visitation doth preserve my spirit Contrariwise when the Spirit of God with-draweth his beames from the circumference of Generation and Composition unto the center of simplicity he leaveth to visite the Spirit of the creature and so it must fade ad decayingly return unto the principle from whence it came and from thence again if the same spirit is pleased to shine forth a new Generation beginneth where the Corruption or Resolution ended The Demonstration is such The Simple Square of the world's Composition where 2. that is to say Light and Water is the root The progression from the said Elementary Square unto the cube of Composition The root of Generation which is from the 4. Elements or the catholick Element four-foldly altered Where the four elements remain in their simplicity as they were created complicitely in one watry nature or rather catholick element called Aire which is the root from whence generation ariseth unto the period of perfect composition by four degrees or steps of alteration namely from the 4 to the 8. and whither tendeth retrogradely corruption namely from 8 to 4. CHAP. VII That God contrary unto Aristotle's assertion with the opinion of divers other Ethnick Philosophers doth not operate of necessity for the creation and continuation of his creatures but of his proper will and benigne inclination WE tearm that properly Necessary that can be no otherwise again we esteem that as well voluntary as fortuit or happening by chance which may be otherwise Now there hath risen and sprung up a great dispute among the Ethnick Philosophers whether God operateth in this world voluntarily or of necessity or as it were by compulsion the greater part therefore of them are flatly of an opinion that God acteth in this world as well in the generation and conservation of things as corruption of them by necessity and not by any voluntary motion whereby it must follow that he was enforced to do or effect what he doth from all eternity by some other nature which was either coeternall with him or pre-existent or else that he was excited or pushed forward against his will to effect this or that by some creature which he did make All which how erroneous and extravagant it is from the rules and center of truth I will in few words expresse unto you For first of all What I beseech you is of greater antiquity than God being that he was before any thing What is in Geometry before or in measure lesse then a point or which among all the numbers of Arithmetick is of so antient a standing as is the unity Wherefore it must needs follow that God is free and voluntary in his actions being that he was of himself and did exist without any respect had unto any other either precedent or coeternall principle from all beginning and therefore was sufficient in himself and of himself to work and operate by himself from all eternity But the principall reasons of the foresaid Ethnick opinion are two-fold first because God doth act and operate by his proper essence and not by any acquired vertue then forasmuch as the effects in the world seem to be necessary and hereupon they conclude that they cannot come or proceed from any contingent that is to say fortuit or voluntary occasion of another Unto the first me-thinks they seem to argue against themselves for as he acteth by his proper essence or substance it is evident that he is moved of his own accord and consequently not by any externall compulsion or internall necessity Moreover in the latitude of unity there can be no compulsion or coaction because that Unity cannot suffer Again it is not possible that he should be urged to work by any externall or alien efficient cause because that he remaining primarily fixed and stedfast in himself and of himself worketh as the originall fountain of all things by himself emitting his formall and vivifying beams of life at his pleasure and with-drawing them again when and where he pleaseth Unto the second I say that necessary effects do no way include any necessity in the first efficient cause because that secundary causes which Plato and other wise-men called Hand-maids or She-slaves do act at the command and inciting of him which is the unity of all multitude and therefore all in all or by a necessary order so that a necessity in worldly created things dependeth upon the volunty and command of him who made them the which order he accomplisheth and finisheth at his pleasure And therefore we find this written by the wise-man Ignem mitescit nè combureret modò ignem ille facit ardere inter aquas c. He
Ventus Nubes c. The Sun Moon Starrs Lightnings Winds Clouds c. do obey the Will and Command of God that is they are incited by his Word and of necessity provoked to effect his pleasure It followeth not therefore that he that commandeth must be constrained to do or act in that imperious manner being that he doth it as a first mover who hath not any other actor before it or co-eternall with it and consequently doth operate of a free will which is radically grounded in himself And hereupon the Apostle Voluntati Dei quis resistat Who is able to resist the will of God And the Prophet Consilium meum stabit omnis voluntas mea fiet My counsell shaâ—l stand and my will shall be accomplished And Job Deus quodcunque voluit hoc facit What God would have done that he effecteth And therefore he doth not act involuntarily or of necessity but voluntarily and according unto his free Will We conclude therefore that seeing what is Necessarium or necessary is that which cannot happen otherwise but must of necessity be so So that which is contingent may happen or be effected otherwise as is that thing which is either fortuit or voluntary Now that the Acts of God in this world are voluntary and therefore cannot be tied up with the bands of Necessity it is proved in this namely because it may happen otherwise then it is accustomed to be by the laws or rules of nature As when the will of God was that the Sun should stand still or move retrogradingly or that it should be eclipsed when the Moon was in none of the points of the animall intersection that is neither in the head or tayl of the Dragon c. The fifth BOOK of this present Section The Argument of this Book AFter that the Author had expressed the Originall nature of the two essentiall properties namely of Heat and Cold and had proved the main effects thereof to be Rarefaction and Condensation whereby the Heavens and Elements were framed He proceedeth now in this Book unto the mystery of Meteorologicall impressions being the first degree of Composition shewing that their Fabrick is the act of the Divine Spirit effected in the catholick Element of the world's lower region and consequently do not proceed from such accidentall and externall grounds or beginnings as the Peripateticks do fasly surmise For this reason therefore he hath compared the Meteorologicall doctrine of Aristotle with that of the holy Scripture And finally by producing the Pagan Philosophy touching these aiery impressions unto the Lidian tryall or touch-stone of Truth he findeth them to prove false spurious metal yea and meer dross in respect of the golden Truth CHAP. I. Herein you shall find in few words a Repetition of the precedent Discourse Also an Exposition upon the word Meteoron or Meteor And lastly the Method which the Author intendeth to observe in this Book is expressed IN my precedent discourse I have briefly pointed at first the Principles of things namely the Root of every thing that was viz. the Dark or potentiall unity from which sprung forth the Light or actuall unity And I told you that both of them were but one thing in essence forasmuch as Light was unto the eternall unity all one with darkness though unto our weak capacities they are opposite in property Then I signified that out of the first obscure unity by his other manifest property waters did appeare arguing thereby that of or from this unity by this unity and in this unity are all things After that I shewed how waters were the materiall or passive Principle of all things as the illuminating and formall Spirit was the actuall and informing beginning of every being both which issued as I said before out of one Root which for that cause is rightly said to be all in all Then I expressed unto you how that Cold was an essentiall adherent unto privative rest and the stout of-spring and Champion unto darkness As contrariwise Heat was the immediate issue and companion unto essentiall action or motion and the inseparable Champion or Assistant of Light And then I told you how Humidity and Siccity had their Originall from the mutuall presence or absence of the foresaid two active vertues or essentiall properties Cold and Heat Lastly I declared unto you the reason and manner of Condensation and Rarefaction and that the main matter or Subject thereof was the waters but the catholick Actor was and is the Word or Spirit of God who acteth first in his Angelicall Organs by the Starrs and especially the Sun in Heaven above and winds beneath upon the generall sublunary Waters or Elements according unto his volunty altering of it after a four-fold manner through the formall properties of the four Winds and that either by Condensation or Subtiliation into divers shapes and dispositions Now in this Book I will open unto you after a true and infallible manner forasmuch as it shall in all points agree with the contents of the holy History how the blessed Word or sacred Spirit of the Lord doth by Condensation and Rarefaction produce and bring forth in this our catholick sublunary Element all Meteorologicall bodies But before I enter into this my discourse it is fit for me to tell you what the Antients do mean by this word Meteor Those Apparitions which are seen in the aire are by the Greeks called Meteora not in regard of their naturall essences but by reason of their sublimity in position Others tearm them more naturally Impressions forasmuch as they are shaped and imprinted above in the catholick element called Air. But in respect of their essentiall consistence they are properly called Corpora imperfectè mixta aut composita Bodies that are imperfectly mixed or compounded and that either because of their unexpected generation being that they are procreated and appear suddainly and at a short warning or else because their composition appeareth not to be according unto the mutation or change of substance or alteration of quality or else in regard they are not so exactly composed as other animated bodies which are perfectly mixed Or lastly these impressions are so called forasmuch as they have not attained unto any perfect form neither seems there to be in this kind of composition any great alteration of parts seeing that the members of the element so altered are confused with one another Howsoever it appeareth that such names are assigned unto this kind of impression after the fancy or conceit of this or that Philosopher when in verity they are magnalia Dei a mysticall body I say framed and fashioned by the finger of God out of the bowels of the catholick sublunary element to effect his will upon the earth either to judgment or mercy as shall be more at large expressed hereafter So that in this sense they may rightly be tearmed the characters or signes of Gods benignity and misericord or vengeance and severity upon the earth
My purpose therefore in this Meteorologicall relation is to direct you into the path of true wisdom for the better scanning and decyphring-out of so great a mystery as is the meteorologicall act of the Spirit of God and to lead you by that means out of the mire and puddle of Ethnick or pagan Philosophy in which we Christians even unto our immortall shame do stick fast and like brutish swine do willingly wallow The which that I may the better effect I will compare the absurdities of the false Peripateticall Philosophy with the infallible verity of the holy Text that thereby each Christian pondering in the ballance of justice the contradiction which shall be expressed between the one and the other may open his intellectual eyes and follow sincerely that which is good and forsake the bad betaking himself unto the truth and flying from that which is prestigious and false and may by that means at the last discern with open eyes that main difference which is between the wisdom and Philosophy of this world which in verity for the Spirit of God hath pronounced it so is meer foolishnesse and that of God which is the reall and essentiall truth Thus therefore you may discern and that in few words the manner or order of my method in this Book not determining with my self to be over-tedious unto you in it but to finish briefly that Meteorologicall wisdom which in regard of its own worth deserveth to be enrolled in the everlasting monument of a far greater volume and to be polished or burnished over with the lustre of a more elegant style and refined manner of speech CHAP. II. In this Chapter the true mystery of the Winds is discovered and set down according unto the intention of the divine Spirit 's testimony and withall the false and prestigious spirit of Aristotle and his Peripateticall adherents touching that subject is unmasked and made manifest THat I may the better expresse that difference which is between the false wisdom and philosophy of this world and that which because it is of God must be true indeed nay verity and truth it self my minde and purpose is in the first place to set down the opinion of the Peripateticall faction and then afterward to compare and examine it with the touchstone of the divine Word or Scripture thereby to make a tryall whether it be right and sound or not that is whether it will bear water or shrinck in the wetting Now because as I said the four cardinall and collaterall winds of the heavens with their angelicall Presidents are the actors in the transformation of the catholick Mercuriall element or Protean sublunary waters from one shape into another I think it most necessary to begin this my story or discourse with the profound mystery of the winds in generall forasmuch as they are noted to be the principles of all the other Meteors And first I will expresse what the pagan Peripateticks and their Christian followers have and do determine concerning them The Peripateticall Philosophers are of opinion that the wind is a hot and dry exhalation being difficultly enflamed which ariseth out of the earth and soareth up unto the middle region of the aire from whence it being forthwith repelled downwards by reason of the coldnesse of that region and again it re-indeavouring upwards doth partly in regard of its levity and partly by other ascending exhalations which it meeteth in his violent and coacted descent move laterally in the lower region of the aire the which aire it doth ventilate and agitate lest that for want of motion or stirring it should putrifie This is the sum of their opinion concerning the generation of the winds I will therefore insist upon this Peripateticall or Aristotelian definition or rather description of the winds First because that the spurious Christian Philosophers as if they were incited thereunto by a kind of unbridled madnesse do not stick to defend and by their best endeavours uphold this his opinion as well in their publick Schools and private negotiations or studies as by their writings and that with such an assured obstinacy as if it had been divinely published unto worldlings or uttered and pronounced by the sacred Oracle of truth it self Secondly because the place wherein this imaginary exhalation is said to be ingendered and from whence it is derived is by it esteemed to be the earth and the seat unto which it coveteth to ascend is according unto their doctrin the middle region of the aire into the which by reason of the cold temper thereof it is not permitted to enter or penetrate but the medium or mean forsooth in the which it moveth naturally upward and by compulsion or against nature downwards and lastly by justling or strugling together of other ascending exhalations and the forcible descending fumes laterally that is to say towards the right or left hand is the lower region of the aire Thirdly for that they seem to averr as it appeareth by this definition that the agent mover or efficient causer of this exhalation as well downwards as laterally is double or two-fold namely the cold of the middle region of the aire which forceth and presseth downward towards the earth that scarce imaginable fume and the other is the troop of other ascending exhalations or subtle smoaks which successivly do rise out of the earth which in their motion upwards meeting with that fume which is forced to descend do strive and as it were wrestle with it and consequently by that means do make a noise in the aire which is called the Wind. And this is the Peripateticall Philosopher's windy fiction which in the conclusion after a due examination will prove to be but a bubble or vain puff of wind that is to say meerly words without any substance Now the finall end or cause why their nature hath ordained these windy motions in the aire is as their definition doth testifie that by this manner of ventilation the aire may be preserved cleared and purged from all putrefaction and corrupt disposition But whosoever will give credit unto this Ethnick definition especially if he be a true lover of wisdom I counsell him first to examine every particular member of it and having made a diligent enquiry therein let him see and discern whether they agree with the lawes of true reason and wisdom In the first rank and order therefore let us mark or observe whether in the former member of his description there be any probability of verity to be found By it we are told and taught that the materiall substance of the winde is a hot and dry exhalation arising and surging out of the earth But by holy Scripture which all true Christians ought to credit before all things we are taught that the winde hath his originall or beginning from the Spirit or breath of IEHOVAH A flatu narium tuorum saith Moses coacervatae sunt aquae flavisti vento tuo operuit eos mare By the breath of thy
Lightnings into rain and bringeth the wind out of his Treasury Or in this manner Thunder is the multitude of the sound of waters or the voice of the clowds being effected by the coruscations and Lightnings of the Almighty Or thus Thunder is a sound of the multitude of waters being troubled fearing and bâ—aying at the bright aspect or presence of JEHOVA In which description the materiall Organ of the voice is the clowds or waters being as it were afraid and troubled at the emission of the Lightnings whereupon they give a loud voice or sound by reason of that penetrative power which the bright and shining or fiery presence of JEHOVAH who is the worker of wonders doth effect Whereupon the royall David as is said prae fulgore in conspectu ejus nubes transierunt grando carbones ignis intonuit de coelo Dominus At the brightnesse of his presence the clowds did move or pass their way hail and coales of fire the Lord did thunder from heaven And again Viderunt te aquae Deus timuâ—runt turbatae sunt abyssi multitudo sonitus aquarum vocem dedeâ—unt nubes vix tonitrui tui in rota The waters have seen thee O God and were afraid and the abysse was troubled a multitude of the sound of the waters the clouds ecchoed forth a voice the noise of the thunders wheeled about c. Also the formall cause is explicated in that it was made by a great noise and Lightnings The efficient cause seemeth to be the Lightnings from God or rather the fiery aspect of God animating the Lightnings and directing them unto a determinated mark So that it appeareth that the Lightnings are as it were the Instruments of God in his Wrath no otherwise then a sword is the instrument of the man that striketh when we say that it is this or that man which did strike and not the sword And for this cause I say with the Apostle that as it is onely God who is the sole Actour in things So also is he the Father of the Thunders who sendeth out his Lightnings as arrows from his throne Lastly I say that the finall cause expressed in them is to accomplish the divine will of the Creator To conclude it may be defined thus Thunder is the voice speech or eloquence of the Almighty or a sound going out of the mouth of JEHOVA which is directed under the whole heavens with light dispersed over the face of the earth after the which there followeth a loud noise or rumbling or God thundereth with the voice of his excellency the which when it is heard is not found Audite saith Job cum tremore vocem seu loquelam vel eloq â—um abore ejus egrediens quod sub â—oto-coelo dirigit lucem super terminos vel oraâ— terrae Post eum rugit sonitus tonat voce excellentiae suae non investigatur cum audita fuerit vox ejus Hear with trembling he directeth the voice speech or eloquence proceeding from his mouth under the whole heavens and his light over the ends of the earth After him roareth a sound he thundereth with the voice of his excellency the which when it is heard is not found To conclude it is most apparent by this which is already said that the opinion of the Peripateticks as well Christian as Ethnick is most inconsiderate and erroneous in averring that the lightnings are hot and dry exhalations extracted out of the earth and elevated on high even unto the middle region of the aire by the attractive vertue of the Sun and that they being included into a clowd and kindled partly by the collision or knocking together of other clowds and partly by the coldness of the place do by the eruption of their flames cause the thunders I would have every wise Christian to observe duely by what hath already been said whether the mystery of a tempest and whirl-wind do consist and stand upon a thing of so small moment and poor esteem as Aristotle would make us believe or if it arise not out of a far more profound and inscrutable abysse or profundity seeing that the lightnings are reported by truth it self to be such fiery lights of God as issue or proceed from his throne and the thunders are justly termed the voice word and eloquence of JEHOVA And for this reason JEHOVA reprehending the boldness of these kind of worldly Philosophers which presume so far to censure his inscrutable actions or to dive into the depth of his mysteries touching the essentiall causes of these meteors without the warrant and assistance of Gods Spirit and falsly to make the world believe that his hidden and abstruse secrets are effected after their vain imaginations which vanish in the conclusion and become as nothing because indeed they are grounded on nothing else but foolish and self-conceited phantasies and vanities seemeth to utter unto them these speeches Auribus percipite considerate mirabilia Dei fortis Nosti cum disponat Deus de illis cum splendeat lux nubis suae Nosti-ne de libramentis densae nubis mirabilia Dei perfecti scientiis Quaenam est via qua in partes dissilit lux Cujus utero egressa est glacies Aut pruinam coeli quis genuit Quanam via itur ubi habitat lux tenebrarum ubi est locus Perceive with your ears and consider the marvellous works of the strong God Dost thou know when God disposeth of them when the light of his clowd doth shine forth Dost thou understand the marvails of God who is perfect in sciences touching the ballancing and pondering of the thick clowds Which is the way in which the lightnings do skip forth being divided into parts Out of whose womb doth the ice proceed or who hath begotten the frost of heaven Which is the way that directeth oâ— leadeth unto the habitation of lâ—ght and which is the seat of darknesse This saith JEHOVA I say the strong God in checking of the vain-glorious wise-men of this world for their presumption and especially he pointeth at the bold Peripateticks who presumptuously profess that they of themselves without the teaching of the true wisdom do know all these things And yet the wisest amongst men speaketh thus Animadverti totum opus Dei non posse hominem ass qui illud opus quod sit sub sole quam laboriose homo quaerat non tamen assecutum esse quinetiam si cogitet sapientissimus cognoscere non tamen posse assâ—qui I observed every work of God that man is not able to attain unto that work which is under the sun how laboriously soever he seeketh Yea verily if the wisest man thinketh to know it he will not be able to attain unto it By which words Solomon pointeth at the insufficiency of man in himself that is to say without the conduct of the spirit of wisdom to attain unto the knowledge of Gods mysteries which also he doth seem to intimate in these
being too wary and listning overmuch unto the Proverb Noli alium sâ—perâ— Câ—imbe not too 〈◊〉 have their regard more pronely namely upon the earth and her effects onely and of this ranck is Fracastorius who searching after the reason and beginning of this attracting faculty doth imagine that the Hyperboreall mountaines which abound with rocks of this nature do draw these Iron-natured subâ—â—cts unto them And this his figment seemeth so plausible unto divers persons of learning that they follow it as well in their Astronomicall writings as Geographicall tables or descriptions of the world and Sea-cards or maps which if it were tâ—ue they would easily draw unto them all such Ships as pass in the Northern Seas Olaus Magnus and some other that follow his traditions say that the attâ—active force cometh from some northern Islands which abound in that Magnetick subject But leaving their fancy unto the empty wind I pâ—oceed unto others Lucretius Caâ—us a poet of the Epicurean Sect dreameth that the attraction of Iron is caused of an effluxion of atoms For saith he according unto the Epicures opinions as most subtill atoms do emanate and â—â—ow out from every thing even so do atoms â—lie out of the Iron as Magneticall seeds by a certain coition of it with the Load stone into the interposed place or space that is between them and that by the union or complication of both bodies the iron is drawn c. Unto this sense also do Aphrodiseus Joannes Costâ—us Plutarch yea and Thomas Aquinas incline when indeed they ought to know that no attraction is made by emission from the Center unto the Circumference that is by dilatation but rather by sucking in and contracting from the Circumference unto the Center and therefore the emission of atomicall seeds out of the Iron can be no reason of its Union with or moving to the stone But it must be the Load-stone that must draw the beams or spirits out of the Iron For it appeareth that the Iron doth not draw it self unto the Load-stone but is drawn unto it Thales and Anaxagoras think that the Load-stone hath life in it because it attracteth a substance like it self as lively creatures do Lucâ—etiuâ— and Orpheus think there is that Sympathy between the Magnet and the Iron which is between the male and female and in this they erre not much Averroes Scaliger and the Cardinal Cusanus would have Iron to move unto the Load-stone as unto his originall Mattix Galen thinketh that it draweth by his substantiall form And now I must come unto the opinion of my renowned Fellow or Collegue D. William Gilbert for his Magnetick skill and deep search as well contemplative as experimentall touching this Subject His mind is that this attractive virtue in the Load-stone doth spring from formall actions or originall and primary Virtues or vigours For he concludeth that the Magnetick force proceedeth from a particular or singular form differing from that formall and specifick cause in mixt bodies mentioned by the Peripateticks but saith he it is a certain form which is the proper entity and existence of the starry Globes and their homogeniall incorrupted parts which he calleth the Primarie radicall and astreall Form namely such a one as is in the Sun the Moon and other celestiall Stars And he averreth that after a like manner there is one in the earth which is that true Magneticall Puissance which is called the first act or vigor And this he saith is not derived from the whole heaven affirming that it is procreated by Sympathy through influence or occult qualities neither is it from any peculiar starre For it hath its Magneticall virtue from the earth c. This is my learned quondam Fellow-Collegue his opinion whose pains and industry in the research of this Subject's practicall conclusions as I cannot but commend and extol So on the contrary side reason will not permit me to consent unto this his speculative foundation or root of the Load-stone's virtue in all For who can believe that the earth it self much less the particulars thereof can have any Virtue radically from it self when it is evident that as well the earth as the heavens came radically out of the waters And therefore as the heaven was before the earth it must needs follow that the formall Virtue of the earth did totally descend from heaven and consequently the earth had no such property from it self But of this hereafter more at large Among the Ethnick Philosophers Plato and of the Christians Scaliger and Fernelius do think that the cause of this Attraction is Divine and from above but how and after what manner they express not And therefore though in a generality they have spoken the truth yet in these common words they seem to expresse they know not what In particular I will conclude with the last opinion which is the most idle and insufficient of all the rest and therefore is worthy to be made the last and most unworthy part namely the tayl or excrement of them Franciscus Rucus maketh a great doubt concerning the wonderfull property in the Load-stone and because forsooth the pitch of his capacity can attain no higher then unto Superficiall things and such as are subject unto sense therefore he judgeth all effects beyond his reach to be Cacomagicall and consequently he maketh a doubt whether the cause of these actions in the Load-stone be not an impostury or subtill slight of the Cacodemons or evill spirits And yet this man is more to be born withall then such as do boldly averre that the act and wonderfull effects of the Weapon Salve is cacomagicall For he speaketh not absolutely as they do who without any farther doubting do seem to attribute all hidden effects unto the Divell and so deprive God of his due but onely this man maketh a doubt whether it be so or no. CHAP. II. In this Chapter the Author's Opinion touching the originall intermediate and immediate Action or Virtue of the Load-stone is enucleated and set down at large I Am sure you do remember how in my precedent discourse I have demonstrated that God in a generality doth operate all and in all and then after what manner the self-same Unity in the Divine essence is manifested in its property according unto the multiplicity of his sacred Volunty which is therefore proved to be manifold because the particular effects of his actions which are not put in execution but by his Volunty are infinite in Variety And for this cause I shewed unto you that there are attributed unto one and the same sacred essence Ten severall denominations or Attributes whereof some send out emanations of dilatation and extension by the which the waters were expansed and spread abroad by subtiliation and shaped into bright clear and transparent heavens and of such kind of influences are those which are emitted and infused into the world by HOCHMA through JAH or by the Spirit of Wisdome and those which spring forth from ELOAH
ignarus And therefore I will conceal the rest of his occult properties and their sympatheticall effects from such Criticks and lock it up in the treasury of truth Onely in a word I say that by it the Dropsie Pleurisie Gout Vertigo Epilepsie French-Pox Palsey Cancer Fistula foul Ulcers Tumors wounds Herniaes Fractions of Members superfluity and suppression of Menstrues in women as also sterility in them Feavors Hecticks Athrophy or wasting of members and such like may by this naturall magicall means be cured and that at distance and without any immediate contact And to conclude Paracelsus affirmeth that this magneticall kind of cure which is effected by naturall Magick doth excell in vertue all other Physicall secrets which may be extracted or separated either out of Herbs or Roots or Minerals I will now come to the second Part or Member of this Book which speaketh of the antipatheticall effects of this Mummiall experiment The Second Part or Member of this Book which handleth the practice of Antipathy CHAP. I. In this Chapter the Author expresseth how by the self-same internall spirit in the creature as wel Antipatheticall as Sympatheticall effects may be produced Herein is also set down the reason why a spirit that is infected and corrupted with a poyson some condâ—tion is most venomous and contagious unto his kind AS it is certain that like doth naturally affect his like for Nature doth rejoyce at the presence of his nature and nature doth correct and corroborate his nature if it be sound and full of vivifying and wholsome spirits So also nature if it be poysoned and infected by a venomous nature will by uniting it self unto a sound and wholsome nature quickly corrupt and inquinate it and so by such a kind of abortive and depraved union antipathy is placed insteed of sympathy Now how this is possible in nature I will in few words relate unto you As nature doth magnetically effect and allure unto it her like so if that like which it â—ucketh unto it be inquinated with corruption the said attracting spirit be it never so sound will quickly taste of the bitter with the sweet namely of the poyson and so will also be corrupt equally with that spirit which is homogeneall unto it in which the infection dwelleth being forced unawares to entertain strife dissention and antipathy into his tabernacle unawares even as we see a sound spirit in the Animal which thirsting after his like spirituall celestiall food which hovereth occultly in the aire to be refreshed by it doth unawares draw in an enemy with it namely a pestilent and corrupt fume whereby it is oppressed and inflamed with a putredinous fire so that it was not the appetite or desire of the sound spirit to draw in that poyson unto it but the spirit like it self that was poysoned And again each spirit which is incumbered with any antipatheticall and unnaturall accident desireth to shake off contentious antipathy and to re-assume that peacefull sympathy which it enjoyed before but finding it self unable it is apt to cleave and adhere unto good and sound spirits for its relief being that vis unita fortior and if more sound spirits of his like were joyned unto it then might it the easilier conquer and expell his antipatheticall adversary So also we see that one blear-ey'd person by darting his infectious beams for relief at a reasonable distance becommeth a flame which setteth on fire the sound spirit unto the which it applieth for spirituall poysons are like secret flames of malignant fire Wherefore as spirits are by union joyned together and multiplyed like oyle added unto oyle so doth the infectious flame increase and feed equally upon them both For as the sound spirit desireth the society of his like to comfort it and the corrupted spirit so desired doth also covet the sound spirit to assist it against his enemy So corruption is sucked in by them both and antipathy is forced to roust among them and forsaketh them not untill it hath penetrated and gnawed into even their bowells and poysoned their very entralls And we must note that there is no poysoned spirit that doth sooner take hold of a spirit then such as is specifick and of a homogeneal nature For that is the reason that one Mans spirit being infected with the Plague doth so multiply it in his kind chiefly as also the Murren doth chiefly rage in the spirits of Sheep and medles not with the spirits of Men. Do we not commonly see that a like nature being altered by putrefaction is most deadly unto his like So worms avoided out of the body and dried to pouder do by inward administration kill the worms Spitle that is avoided from the Pulmoniack cureth after preparation the Pâ—isick The Spleen of a Man prepared is an enemy unto the swelling and vegetable Spleen The stone of the Kidney or Bladder by calcination cureth and dissolveth the Stone The touch of a dead man's hand cureth the schirrous tumors The Scorpion being bruised or his body macerated in oyle cureth the wounds of the Scorpion and the oyle of the Viper as also the trochises of his flesh the bitings of the Adder or Viper dead and congealed blood and the salt excrescence out of man's bones is antipatheticall unto the flowing blood In conclusion there is nothing that is more powerfull to check or correct an impediment in a spirit then by applying of the same Specifick spirit being altered from his nature by a contrariety So also there is nothing that infecteth a sound nature sooner than a nature homogeneal unto it self which hath indued corruption and that is the reason that the infirm and corrupted Mummy of one man is so apt to putrify and corrupt that of another as we may not onely discern by these words of Paracelsus Corrupta Mummia corpus etiam sanum quod attingit cum quo unitur corrumpit ea autem sani corporis corruptio est corporis alterus ex quo Mummia sumpta est valetudo sanitas The corrupted Mummy doth also corrupt the sound body that it layeth hold of and is united unto and the corruption of the sound body is the health of the other body out of which the corrupt Mummy was extracted As for example If a man be Leprous and I extract by the Microcosmicall Magnet the Mummy out of him and give it to a sound man it will reduce the Leprous person unto his health again but it will filthily infect the sound man that took it with the same disease as shall be told you hereafter more at large But before we come unto the bulk of this business it will be most fit that I make an Apologeticall transgression lest some persons of more envy and indiscretion than profundity in the true naturall Magia may unworthily accuse me of Cacomagy and that onely because they are altogether ignorant in the mysteries of those lawfull Acts in nature which were taught unto Solomon and revealed unto the wise men of this
are arguments of the resistance and expulsive faculty of contagious antipathy suddenly appear and this is effected sometimes by the sound spirits conquest and sometimes by the vain attempt thereof 1. A Problematicall Demonstration derived from the Load-stone When a small piece of Iron is put into a small Boat with materialls of another loading to float upon the water and a Load-stone be placed in another vessell on the same water near one another the coition which will be made betwixt these two magneticall bodies will be depraved weak and unnaturall because the Magnet affecteth and draweth unto it most strongly his like or best-beloved when she is not laded or mixed with materialls of a contrary nature and consequently not agreeing in sympathy with it An Application To conclude A Mummy which hath an antipatheticall infection joyned unto it and applieth in conjunction unto a sound or strong and wholsome Mummy is like as if a portion of the stone called Theamides which is antipatheticall unto that of the Magnet foâ— it â—â—pelleth Iron or the Magnet it self as the Magnet doth attract them unto it were joyned in a little bark unto the Magnet or a piece of Iron also placed in it and that bark or boat so burthened were applyed unto a stronger Magnet in another bark in a bason of water the strong Magnet or Load-stone would partly attract his like namely the Magnet or Iron and partly resist and expell his enemy and so by reason of his attraction his expulsion would be the flower Therefore also the magneticall Philosophers hold this for a Maxim 2 Problem The coition or union betwixt two magneticall bodies is more quick and nimble than the flight or divorce from one another for experience teacheth that magneticall bodies are more sluggishly repelled then they are allured or drawn unto one another and the reason is because there is some antipatheticall invasion which causeth that hatred and maketh that irascible resistance between the homogeneall spirit of the Mummy and the heterogeniall poyson or infection in it for we ought to consider that magnetick bodies do covet sympatheticall union 5 Proposition Two Mummies of divers bodies whereof the one is sound and the other infected though in their first coition they seem to agree by reason of that homogeniall respect which is between them being in their purity but of one and the same essence yet for that the one is infected and for that cause hath endued a heterogeniall disposition contrary unto the essence of them both for that reason I say the second Mummy endeavoureth to be divorced from them both And this is proved thus by this problematicall Demonstration drawn out of the Load-stone's property 3 Problem If you shall set two small wiers on the poles of a Load-stone these wiers will be observed to adhere at the lower ends together upon the point of the pole but at their tops they will be at discord and averse unto one another at their upper ends so that they will be observed to make a fork as if one end did eschew and fly from the company and society of the other THE CONCLUSION I Could judicious Reader have made a whole Volume of experimentall Propositions with their problematicall proofs touching the infinite abyss of Symâ—heticall and Antipatheticall effects in the three Kingdoms namely Animal â—â—getable and Mineral both mutually between each species or kind as from the â—â—dividualls of one kind unto another But it is not my intention to express my â—ore bold and setled opinions touching the true Philosophy and his appendixes 〈◊〉 a larger English phrase considering the roughness and harshnesse of my pen 〈◊〉 reason of my defect and the insufficiency in the polished nature thereof Again know that filed words and phrases are but superficiall flashes and flying shaâ—owes of a wealthy and rich subject the which as they are Proteus-like changable â—nto an infinity of colours so also are mens fancies and judgments as variable beâ—ng the Proverb is So many men so many minds I do imagine and my minde giveth â—â—e that although I be never so curious in my inditing or laborious in the phrase â—f mine expression yet will my best endeavours appear faulty in the curious eyeâ—â—ght of some men though perchance acceptable enough unto others I esteem it â—ufficient therefore that I dare be hardy and bold in the fundamentall subject of the essentiall Philosophy being that it hath Truth it self to maintain and defend it without any adornation made by the gilded tresses of superficiall speeches or verball explication and therefore as veritas non quaerit angulos so also she needeth not the expression of eloquent words and refined sentences or phrases to illustrate it and make it more perspicuous in the eyes of wise and learned men being that it is not unknown unto them that she doth conquer all for she is the bright splendour or emanation which springeth from the omnipotent and eternall fountain she enlighteneth all she acteth essentially in all and over all and revealeth her self in effect to all and therefore she is so manifest in all her works that she needeth not any golden-tongued Oratour nor smooth and methodicall Rhetorician or lip-learned Philosopher to do her honour in the expression of her excellency and recording the perfection of her graces revealed unto all the world though the unworthy worldlings will not acknowledge or receive her with reverence as they ought to do but rather hide her perpetually by their best endeavours with the vail of obscure ignorance and thereby do not desist to persecute and crucifie daily that spirituall Christ which is the onely verity true wisdom corner-stone and essentiall subject of the true Philosophy whose Name be blessed for ever and ever who onely hath made the heavens and the earth and every thing therein and sustaineth and preserveth them by the vivification of his Spirit which operateth all in all and reigneth in power and glory with the Father for ever and ever Who will defend his servants from the oppression of evill-minded men and stand as a shield of defence to preserve the proclaimer of his truth from the Serpentine tongues of malitious back-biters and the venomous carpings of the Cynicall and Satyricall Momus It is he that saith unto the adorer of his truth Ego dabo vobis os sapientiam cui non poterant resistere contradicere omnes adversarii vestri And therefore I will say as the Prophet David did In alarum tuarum umbra canam I will sing the truth under the shadow of thy wings O Lord in thee do I put my trust keep and preserve me from mine enemies for thy mercie 's sake AMEN FINIS Wisd. 13.1 Rom. 1.20 Gen. 28.12 Ezek. 1.16 1 Cor. 12.11 1 Tim. 6.13 Ephes. 4.10 Wisd. 12.1 Joh. 1. Acts 17.25 Ephes. 4.6 Rom. 11.36 Judith 16.17 Isa. 42.5 Psal. 104.25 Colos. 1.16 Colos. 3.11 Heb. 1.3 Colos. 2.3 Job 28.25 Psal. 17 18. Job 38.1 Psal. 147.4 Job 37.10 1 Cor. 1.22