THe maine scope of the whole businesse is contained in this Question, which he propo •… h thus:

Question.

Whether the curing of wounds by the Weapon-Salue, bee Witchcraft, and vnlawfull to be vsed?

M. Foster confidently affirmeth it; and for my part I must as earnestly deny it. He offereth to proue it 2. manner of waies: First Naturally, and by Naturall Philosophy: Secondly, Supernaturally, namely, by Theologicall and Ecclesiasticall testimony. Let vs see therefore how he can proue it to be witchcraft by the Rules of Theology and Reasons of Nature.

His maine Arguments in his first Article. All lawfull Medicines produce their effect, either by Fo •… 〈◊〉 p. 4. Diuine Institution, as Naamans washing himselfe in the Riuer of Iordan to cure his leprosie. The Poole of Bethesda's curing such as entred in after the Angels stirring it; or else by naturall Operation, according to such vertues as God in the Creation indued such Creatures with, whereof the same Medicines are composed, as the lumpe of figgs to cure the Impostume of the King Ezekiah, as the Wine and Oyle, with the which the wounded man was cured by the Samaritan.

But this Weapon-Salue worketh none of these wayes:

Ergo the Cures done by it are not lawfull; but prestigious, Magicall and Diabolicall.

The minor is denied Fludd.

I proue it two manner of wayes. First, it is not by diuine Foster. Institution, because it is no where registred in Scripture. Secondly, it workes not naturally, because it worketh after a different manner from all naturall Agents: For it is a Rule amongst Diuines and Philosophers, that nullum agens agit ad distans: whosoeuer worketh na •… urally, worketh either by vertuall or naturall Contact; But this Weapon-Salue workes by neither, therefore it workes not Naturally. It worketh not by corporall Contact, for the bodies are disioyned some 20. miles or more, wherefore (if lawfull) it must needes be performed by a vertuall Contact. But not so neither, because all Agents working after this manner, worke within a certaine distant and limited sphaere of Actiuity. The Loadstone doth work but at a small distance.

Vnto your first reason I answer, that it doth not follow, that because it is no where registred in Scripture, therefore it is not of diuine Institution: what? because figgs, wine and oyle, yea, and clay tempered with Spittle, are noted in Scripture, for externall Medicines, therefore must the vse of causticke, vesicatory, healing, fluxing, and such like other externall Medicines daily vsed by christian Physicians, be reputed for vnlawfull Magicall & Diabolicall, because they are not registred in Scripture? Or is nothing instituted by God, but what Scripture maketh mention of how then can that saying of the Apostle be true, that God worketh all and in all? If all and in all, 〈1 line〉 then worketh hee also all Acts and operations, as well occult and mysticall, as those which are manifest and apparent vnto sense: and therefore all Acts are instituted by God. Because according to Scripture, Quod Deus non vult, non facit; what he will not he doth not; but when he list, and according vnto his will hee worketh in Heauen and in Earth. As therefore he instituteth nothing, but what must bee effected; so nothing is in the whole world effected, which hee doth not will, institute and decree. Whereupon the said Apostle concludingly saith: Of him, by him, and in him are all things. But I will Rom. 〈◊〉 . shew this more at large, where I will handle this very Question negatiuely, namely, where I prooue the weapon-oyntment lawfull and not cacomagicall.

Vnto your second I say, that it is of no more validitie then the first. The maine Axiom of the vulgar Philosophers, vpon which you ground your proofe for the excluding of this Salue out of the list of nature is this: Nullum agens agit ad distans. Vpon this you frame out this Argument.

Whatsoeuer worketh Naturally, worketh by corporall Foster. or vertuall Contact; But this worketh by neither: Ergo it worketh not naturally.

First, concerning that Axiome in Philosophy, I Fludd. know and can proue it by experience to bee false. For the fire heateth ad distans: The lightning out of the cloud blasteth ad distans. The Bay tree operateth against the power of thunder and lightning ad distans. The force of the canons bullet killeth without touching ad distans. The sunne and fire doe act in illuminating ad distans. The Loadstone doth operate vpon the Iron ad distans. The plague, Dysenterie, small pocks, infect ad distans, &c. But to make all this good you adde to the Axiome and say: agit vel per corporalem vel virtualem contactum, instead of Agit ad distans: I will answer first, that the Maior is vnfirme. For I would haue you know, that lightning may moue the Aire violently, and the Aire mooued by contact of the Agent, which is Lightning may stupifie, and strike dead: so that in this case, there is neither vertuall or corporall contact of the Agent, but an Accidentall comming betweene the vertuall Agent and the Patient. The like is euident in the Canons bullet, which flying by a person, without any vertuall or corporall contact, doth cast the person on the ground; for the Agent being the bullet, moueth the Medium or the Aire violently, and the Aire being so moued casteth downe the person: But though I let the Maior passe for currant; yet neuerthelesse the Minor is altogether halting. For I affirme, and it is euident to euery mans capacity, that this medicine doth cure by a vertual contact, namely, by a Simpathetical property, which doth operate inter terminum à quo & 〈◊〉 ad quem, betweene the beginning and end magnetically and occultly or mystically.

The Minor or Assu •… ption is proued thus. Foster.

All Agents working by a vertuall Contact worke within a certaine distance, and limited spheare of Actiuity. The Loadstone worketh vpon Iron by a vertuall Contact, but it workes but at a small distance. Fire is the most raging Agent of all, but a fire of 10. miles compasse cannot burne, heate or warme a man 2. miles distant from it. The Planets excell in virtuall operation all sublunarie Agents. The Sunnes light goes through the whole world; but yet a little cloud obscureth the light, and abateth the heate. The Earth keepeth the light from the Antipodes. The body of the Moone eclipseth the Sunne. Now then shall terrestriall Agents by distance or Interposition be totally, and celestiall partly hindred, and shall this weaponSalue worke from the weapon to the wound at all distances? Shall the interposition of neither aire, woods, fire, water, walls, houses, castells, citties, mountaines, heate, cold: shall nothing hinder or stay the deriuation of the vertue of it?

What a doe wee haue about little or nothing to Fludd. the purpose. I thought you would haue proceeded Syllogistically to the period of your proofes as you begunne; but I see that you finde such blocks in the way to proue your proposition, that like a tired Iade you giue ouer that manner of demonstration in the midway, wherefore I must teare this your long reply into textes, the more peculiarly to answer by piece-meale euery particular thereof.

All Agents working by vertuall contact, worke within Foster. a certaine distance and limited sphaere of Actiuity; The Loadstone worketh vpon Iron by a vertuall contact, but it worketh but at a small distance.

Who saith that any vertuall Contact can worke in 〈◊〉 infinitum, when the very world it selfe is limited? But by your eaue, Sr, the self same specifical vertue worketh her operation either further or nearer, as it is exalted in her actuall power and essence. As for example: one kin •… of gunne powder carrieth to a further marke then another: one lightning from aboue penetrateth deeper then another: In so much that it hath beene obserued, that by his subtility in p •… cing, and force in multiplication, it hath entred not only deepe into the hard rocke; but also strucke through the solidity of the sword in the scabord and melted it, whereas other fires or lightnings from aboue haue come short of their vertuall Contact. Also we find that one Loadst one is of a greater power and agi •… ity in working then an other: and therfore it draweth Iron vnto it, both at a further distance, and with a stronger force. Doth not the Scripture teach vs, that God hath giuen his gifts to some men more and to some lesse? As also some inferiour Creatures he hath made in the very same kind, more vertuous in working then another? For we ought to obserue euermore (because you speake of a spheare of Actiuity) that the more vertuous the centrall Agent is in any thing, the larger will his semidiameters be, and consequently his circumference. As for example; the more powerful the fire is, the further will it cast it's heate Circularly: So that the spheare of actiuity, of the very same agent in kind, will be no way certaine; but further or shorter, according vnto the power of the same Agent: And consequently obserueth no certaine limited spheare of Actiuity. To conclude, little doth Master Foster know the admirable power of mans vitall spirits being dilated or emitted; neither can it any way bee compared with the weake power of common Creatures or the Elementarie fire. It is a subtill influence in puritie and penetration, as piercing, yea and rather more then the influence of any star in Heauen, it is not hindered by clouds, or stopped by walls or mountaines, it is a power essentiall proceeding radically from God who animateth it, mouing alwayes in an airey medium; Doe not you acknowledge so much when with the Apostle you say: In •… od wee li •… e, mo •… e and haue our being. But to proceed.

The fire is the most raging agent of all; but a fire of 10. Fofter. miles compasse cannot burne, heate, or warme a man at two miles distance.

Truely, Master Foster, I can scarce beleeue you Fl •… . For I am sure, you would find a larger spheare of Actiuity in such a proportion of fire, then your bodie would be able to endure without roasting. For if, Vis vnita sit fortio •… r, if (I say) force added to force produceth a greater force, will you haue a fire of ten miles compasse, not to heate, nay, not to scortch & burne two miles •… ff? Againe, pardon mee, Sir, for I say, your artificiall fire is not the most ragingest Agent of all. For the lightning of heauen is more forcible in it's operation then our artificiall fire, for though it bee a of lesser compasse then the hundred part of 10 miles; yet, it so inflameth the aire for many miles compasse, that it maketh the Creature to sweat againe with heate. Moreouer the Olympicke and starrie fire excelleth this so farre, that it pierceth many degrees further then the Elementall fire can doe: for though the Elementall fire be full of Actiuity; yet, it is cloathed with so thicke a spirit, in which it is carried, that though it be subtile, and of the fountaine of celestiall Fire in it selfe, yet by reason it cannot mooue but in his medium or thick vehicle, namely, the artificiall fire beneath, without the thick fume or smoake of the thing combustible, and naturall, & elementall without the clouds and aire, in which it is carried, it is for that cause impedited or hindred for making so great a spheare or Diameter in his Actiuity, because the vehicle, being thick, cannot without some resistance of the Aire penetrate into the same. But the celestiall fire which is the fountaine of the fire of life, by reason of his subtile spirit, which is his Aetheriall vehicle, pierceth all things, being nothing else but a subtile influence, which according to the best Philosophers aduice, doth pierce without any resistance, thorow rocks and stones, euen to the very center of the earth, as experience it selfe doth witnesse. For else (say the Philosophers) this Influence could not by little and little produce in the bowels of the earth the formes of metalls and precious stones more or lesse noble, according to the worthinesse of that starrie spirit, which sent downe that influence and purenesse of that mercuriall vapour which it animateth. But yet the life of man, I meane, that refined spirit by which man liueth, is more subtile, pure, and exalted then it: And therefore of a greater Actiuity, as shall be manifested hereafter.

The Starres celestiall excell all sublunarie Agents: the Foster. Sunns light goeth through the world; but yet a little cloud obscureth the light and abateth the heate. The earth keepeth the light from the Antipodes: The body of the Moone eclipseth the sunne, &c.

If the starres celestiall excell the sublunarie Agents, Fludd. then was Master Foster to blame, to say before, that the terrestriall fire, was the most ragingest and powerfullest Agent of all. But in this hee commeth to me: for if the celestiall Agents be more potent then the sublunarie, it argueth that it hath a greater spheare of Actiuity, and can send out his Diametrall beames, further then either Loadstone, fire, or such like sublunarie things, in which, though the agent celestiall be, yet it is so cloied and encombred with a grosse spirit, or compacted body, that it cannot operat, as in the graine of corne it appeareth, whose internall and centrall fire, except it be set at libertie, will not moue from the superficies of the Earth vp toward heauen and multiplie. But to the purpose: what a story doth our Author tell vs of the Sunne, the Sunns light, the Eclipse, the Interposition of the Earth betwixt the Sunne in our Horizon, and the Antipodes, the impediting of the Sunns light by the interposition of a cloud? Verily, it is more to shew his small skill in Astronomy and Philosophie, then to touch truely any thing that is material to our argumēt. For, I am sure, he is not ignorant, that there are two things more besides light which are exactly by Philosophers to be considered (to wit) motion and influence. If he will say that influence can be stoped by clouds, by interposition of starres, by aire, by water, or by earth, he erreth and knoweth no Philosophy: motu, lumine, & influentiâ operantur stellae, & non solo lumine; The starres operate by motion, light, and Influence, not by light onely. The visible light may bee obscured to vs, but the Influence will flow without resistance. And to this purpose speake the wisest Philosophers. Foster.

Now then shall terrestriall agents by distance or interposition be totally, and celestiall be partly hindered, and shall this Weapon-salue worke from the weapon to the wound at all distances? Shall the interposition (I say) neither of ayre, woods, fire, water, walls, houses, castles cities, mountaine, &c: hinder the deriuation of the vertue of it.

First, I say that the originall act in this cure issueth Fludd. from the wounded person to the ointment, and not (as he saith) from the ointment to the wound. Next, I told this busie Gentleman before, that makes so much adoe now about nothing; that for asmuch as this spirit proceedeth from a celestiall influence animated by God, therefore it hath no such stopps and rubbes; neither is this subtill of all subtill creatures any way impedited in his descent to feed & nourish that species, vnto which, from the creation of the species it was ordained; but we must know thus much, that before it came downe it was Catholicke and generall; but after it did penetrate into bodies, it endueth a specificall and particular nature, and hath an especiall Sympathie with a nature like it selfe, and for this reason, the wounded mans spirit penetrateth through the vehicle of Aire, in which the bloud is conuayed vnto the ointment, and naturally affects the oyntment: so much the rather, because that bloud was ayre, and ayre is dilated bloud in his internall, and that I can ocularly demonstrate: and also the principall ingredient of the oyntment was of the bloud; wherefore as we see the Sunne by his beames doth send out his spirit into a graine of corne in the Earth, and hath his liuely influence or essentiall beames of Emission continuatēd with his like; nay, the very same that lurketh in the dead and corrupted graine, and so by little and little reuiueth, that which was as it were dead and buried in corruption, making it to thriue and vegetate with multiplication: euen so and no otherwise the Sunne of life in man liuing and mouing yet in man, as the Sunne in the great world, hath his liuely beame of influence continued vnto the spirituall sparke in the dead bloud, which is all one with the influēce emitting, but buried in a dead bloody corporall graine, namely, the dead blood conueyed to the oyntment, the which oyntment we compare vnto a good, a wholesome or a comfortable earth, most proper for the nourishing of such a hidden spirit as lurketh in the bloud, being that they, namely, the ointment and the bloud transferred or committed vnto it, are no strangers to one an other, but as homogeneall, or rather as well acquainted as one specificall body is vnto a Spirit of the same degree in nature, for as much as the body of the oyntment is compounded (according vnto my receipt) ofbloud, fat-flesh and the mosse or excresence of the bones of the same Microcosmicall Species, though not indiuiduum, all which are animated from that Spirit of life which abideth in mans bloud: The Influence therefore of life issuing from the Microcosmicall or humane Sonne and assisting reuiuifying and multiplying by little and little the hidden graine of life in the amputated bloud now in the oyntment, and also exciting the potentiall or sopified Spirit in the oyntment, no otherwise then we see the Sunne of Heauen to stirre vp, in the spring time, the Spirits of the earth which the cold winter had stupefied and benummed, leaueth not to operate betweene both extremes, vntill the party doth recouer.

This is the true Mystery of the Question, and I will stand to it, that the vse of the earth to rott, rayse vp, and multiplie the graine of wheat is Magicall, Diabolicall and vnlawfull, if it can be truely demonstrated, that the vse of this oyntment is witchcraft and vnsufferable; for their mysterie of multiplication, reviuification and coniunction of the viuifying spirit of the one, with the viuified spirit of the other, is all one and the same. It was a type by which St. Paul doth teach vs the Resurrection, namely, by the dying and rotting of corne in the earth; and as for the operation of the Sunne in the graines multiplication, euery plowman will instruct you in it. Now for a conclusion vnto this, we see that sometimes the Sunne is further off, and somtimes nearer, and yet more or lesse, he doth not cease to operate by vegetating and multiplying in Animals, vegetables, and mettalls: I must now heare his conclusion.

O Agent aboue all Agents, certainely the Angels of Foster. Heauen cannot worke at such a distance, onely God whose Essence is infinite, who is omnia in omnibus, All in all, can worke thus, because from him nothing is distant at all, 〈◊〉 in him we liue, moue and haue our being, Acts 17.

Leaue your admiration! It is nothing to this 〈◊〉 . our text; you haue opened your owne Absurdity, I would haue you now abandon the abolishing of our Weapon-Salue, and make vse of your Sponge, to wipe away the staines of your owne error, which you haue fully expressed in this your assertion; for by it you haue ouerthrowne your tenent: you say after your admiration aboue admiration, that the Angells of heauen cannot worke at such a distance: Therfore I conclude thus; Ergò much lesse the Angells of hell, for they are darker, and therefore of a lesse extension; Now you said before, that a cloud will take away the Sunnes Light, therefore surely the Diuell being an Angell of darkenesse, must be more impedited in his vertuall operations, and consequently in the extension of his power then the Angells of light. But (say you) it is the power of the Diuell that makes this oyntment to doe such feates at so farre a distance, for else it were not witch-craft nor diabolicall: Then you conclude thus for me, onely God whose Essence is infinite, and is all in all, can worke thus, &c: And can hee so indeed? And will Master Foster then attribute this act vnto the Diuell, the worst of Angells; and so commit worse then ordinary Idolatry, to arrogate that to the Creature, nay to the Diuell, which by his owne confession belongeth to God? Will you confesse that he is all and in all, and will you make the goodnesse more All in the goodnesse of healing then God himselfe? Will you acknowledge with the Apostle, that God operats all & in all, and will you attribute his worke (the fruits whereof is goodnesse) vnto the Diuell, whom he predestined and ordained to punish, destroy, and marre, and not to make and heale. Doe not you absolutely conclude for the Weapon Salue, in saying: In him we liue, moue, &c. Proh Deum at que hominū fidem! What an error is this, in so eminent an appearing Philosopher, nay, in a Theosopher? The world may perceiue by this, that Quaedam videntur & non sunt: But to proceed vnto the period.

Let the iudicious and Religious Reader iudge then if Foster. the weapon-curing mediciners make not a God of their vnguent, and commit not Idolatry in attributing that to a little smearing oyntment of their owne making, which is proper to God onely, the Maker of all things

You are deceiued, Sir, they make not a God of Fludd. the vnguent, but giue hearty thanks vnto him for that blessed gift of miraculous healing, he hath bestowed on the vnguent. Neither did the Iewes attribute the curing property vnto the Poole of Bethesdaes, but vnto Gods curing or salutiferous Angell, which imparted that gift vnto it. Wherefore I would haue you (good Sir) and all the world besides to know that all suspicion of Idolatry is in this case taken away from the mediciners, for asmuch as due acknowledgment and veneration is ascribed by them vnto God onely, for his grace in healing, manifested by this oyntment: Yea verily, rather the stile of an Idolater ought rightly to be imputed to your selfe (Sir) who so impiously dare to attribut these good healing blessings of God vnto the Deuill, the worst of creatures.

Againe, we deny that it is the artificiall composition, made with mans hands, that cureth, but the naturall ingredients of the composition, which God hath originally endued with such an occult and mysticall vertue in •… uring: To conclude this point, if the iudicious Reader will well ponder the words of M. Fosters Text, he shall finde him to be in it an A •… stat or Heriticke vnto his owne tenent or Doctrine; for his assertion, which hee seemeth so Giant-like to maintaine, is, that the Weapon-Salues cure is diabolicall, or effected by the subtill art of the Deuill: but in this Text hee dotingly saith, that the mediciners attribute that vnto the Salue or little Smearing oyntment which is proper to God onely which if it bee true, (as true it is) then is Master Foster in an abominable errour, to affirme this cure to be onely the act and operation of the Deuill.

Thus (Gentle Reader) you see the efficacie of this mans reasons, as well Philosophicall as Theologicall, whereby he seemeth, through the Ignorance of the cause, to maske Gods Goodnesse with a prestigious visard of the Deuill: you see the improbability of it. But as penitent sinners, at the last doe conuert themselues, from the Deuill to God, so (God bee thanked) this Weapon-Salue his Aduersarie, led rather by a good Spirit then his owne will, concludes truely and saith, that it is not the good Angels, and therefore much lesse the Deuill, that can doe such a feate; but God onely: I reioyce at his conuersion, though against his will. Loe, how he accordeth with his great enemy, that damned Magitian Paracelsus (as he tearmeth him) who affirmed that it was Donum Dei: As concerning his authors which he citeth against it, I esteem them not; there are as many for it of a better authority and Iudgement. For they are neither your Schoolemen, who deale onely in imaginary speculatiue Philosophy; nor Ioan •… es Roberti the Iesuit, and such like phantasticall Theorickes; but learned Physicians, great Philosophers, both theorically and practically profound in the mysteries of nature, and therefore the fitter persons to discusse a businesse of this physicall nature: Amongst the which I nominat, in the first place, the Bishop Anselme, who for his integrity, deepe learning and hol •… nesse of life, is canonized a Saint: and then amongst the deepe Philosophers and Physicians, which haue been conversant in the Mysteries of God and nature, Theophrastus Paracelsus, who tearmes it iustly Donum Dei, Cardanus, Ioannes Bapista Porta, Oswaldus Collius, Ioannes Ernestus, Burgrauius, Rodulphus Goclinius, Ioannes Baptista ab Helmont, and many other excellent and well experimented Philosophers & Physicians, who as well by the practicall art of Alchymy (then which there is no Science in the world that doth more ocularly bewray and discouer the hidden mysteries of Nature) as other assiduall obseruations grounded vpon proofe, and not on imaginary contemplation onely, haue like true philosophers, diued into this mystery of healing: Men (I say) who haue beene as subtill to eschew, and wary to foresee the Diuels craft, yea, and to distinguish his act from that of God in Nature, as Master Foster or any other of his paedagogicall Rabbies: And although some superstitious Physicians of this kingdome (such, I meane as are apter rashly to iudge this businesse then to ponder it with due consideration) may seeme to bee aduerse vnto it, yet, they cannot choose but know, that Plura latent quam quae patent, there are many thousand things more that are hidden in the secret closet of nature, then commonly man doth know; or can at the first discerne.

And therefore, if they are ignorant in this my •… ery, it will prooue an effect of their highest wise-dome to hold their peace and not meddle in the censuring of it, as being assured that there are many things hidden in Nature, which fall not in the spheare of their capacity, verbum Sapienti.

Againe, I esteeme it a thing fit for freshwater Souldiers in Philosophy, and not for a settled person in the secrets of nature, to say Ipse dixit: this man, or that man saith or writeth thus and thus, Ergo it is so: because, humanum est errare. Ti's most familiar euen in the wisest men to erre, but it is the best wisdome in a Philosopher first to diue wisely into the Mysteries of God in Nature, and then, being confident to conclude demostratiuely; and not according to other mens sayings, but on his owne knowledge.

Now seeing Master Foster hath done his worst for the vilifying and calumniating of this excellent Medicine, vnto which by manner of opposition I haue, as yet, but superficially, and by way of solution of his obiections answered, I hope you will giue mee leaue to doe my best, to squeese out of his formidable Sponge, the Weapon-Salues reputation, which like a cormorant it hath deuoured and sucked vp.

The Question.

Whether the cure of wounds by the Weapon-Salue, bee witchcraft and vnlawfull to be vsed?

MAster Foster saith, that Paracelsus affirmeth Pag. 10. the vertue of this medicine to bee Donum Dei, the Gift of God: wherefore hee is very angry with him, and called him a witch, a Coniurer and a Magitian; Hee is well serued that will preach goodnesse, either to a mad man, or an vnthankfull person, or to one that is zealous without vnderstanding: But whereas Master Foster hath done his best to proue the vse of this ointment to bee Magicall, prestigious and Diabolicall; I hope I shall demonstrate the contrarie vpon the same foundations, ascribing the due and right belonging vnto God, vnto the right owner, and depriuing the Diuell of that, which by his instruments he hath falsely vsurped.

As before we presume to build any stately Palace, wee must lay a strong foundation, to vphold the whole fabricke thereof: euen so before we enterprize to establish or reare a strong Castle of defence to serue as a firmer Negatiue opposition against mine Aduersaries affirmation; I thinke it fit to collect some firme grounds or spirituall arguments, which, in lieu of corner stones may statuminate and prop vp the whole truth of the proposed Question, and expresse the true resolution of it, to bee cleane adverse and different from that which he maketh shew of. I will therefore imitate him in making my entrance into this enquiry with this Sillogistical argument grounded on his owne confession which he maketh Pag. 7. The Angels of Heauen, saith he, cannot worke at such a distance onely God whose Essence is infinit, and is, omnia in omnibus, all in all, can worke thus:

If God therefore worketh all in all, by himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any created spirit or body, then the Diuell is no Actor in the Weapon Salue; but God worketh all in all of himselfe, without the essentiall Assistance of any creature: Therefore the Diuell operateth nothing of or by himselfe, although he in his office is euill and destructiue, much lesse in doing good, as is supposed by the curing through the Weapon-Salue, which is vtterly against his condition, being created or ordained after his fall for another vse.

The Maior is euident; because a Generall comprehendeth euery particular: And therefore if God operateth all in all, then the Diuell operateth nothing; but curing is an operation, and therefore a worke onely of God.

The Minor or the assumption is iustified by the Apostle in these words: There are diuersitie of gifts, 1 Cor. 1. 12. but the same spirit; and there are diuersitie of Administrations, but one Lord, and there are diuersitie of operations, but one God; and the same worketh all in all: It is by one and the same spirit, that the gifts of healing are giuen. Whereby it is apparent, that first God by his Spirit operateth all in all, and among those operati-ons, the excellent act and gift of healing is numbred: Therefore it is not the Diuell; but God who onely healeth. Againe, the prophet saith, He sent Psal. 107. 〈◊〉 . his Word and healed them: And the wise man saith, Thy W •… rd (O Lord) healeth all things: And Saint Wisd. 16. Iohn 1. Iohn hath it, that In the Word was life, &c. Ergo all healing and viuifying power commeth from him, as ordained by him the speaker or Creator from the beginning, to informe, viuifie and create all things. Whereas contrariewise in the Diuell is Death and Destruction; for the Prophet doth testifie that he was created to destroy, Ergo nothing but afflictio •… and wounding with sicknesse, death and destruction are to be expected of him in his created property, and that especially after his fall.

But I know Master Foster will reply, that it is true, he is Causa primaria & principalis, the prime 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 and principall cause of all things; but there are many s •… balternate efficient causes, which operat by themselues, & that according to their owne inclinations, some to good, and some to euill.

To this I •… swer, that it is granted, if he meaneth organicall causes, and not Essentially Efficients; for such are the Angels, the starres, the winds, the Elements, the meteors or imperfect bodies, and the perfect or compounded Creatures; But it is most euident, that onely God worketh essentially in them, and by them all: And I proue it by many places of holy writ harmonically agreeing in one sense. As for example: Ego Dominus (saith the Lord by the Prophet) faciens omnia solus, & 〈◊〉 . 14.24. nullus mecum. I am the Lord who operate and act all things alone, not hauing any one to helpe or assist me in mine action or operation. And againe: Iuxta voluntatem suam facit, tam coeli virtutibus, quam &c. Hee Daniel 4. doth what hee list, as well with the vertues and powers of Heauen, as with the dwellers on the earth, and there is not any that can resist his hand. Whereby it is most euident, that onely God alone, without any Coassisting Creature, doth essentially worke in each organicall Subiect, as in an Instrument created for him to operate his will and pleasure by, as well in Heauen as in Earth, and that the creature without that act, is as a dead stocke, a plaine inane & vacuum without all vertue, act and operation, being vnable to doe more then the pipe without the blast of the piper. And to this effect speakes the Esa. 46.10. Prophet thus: Consilium meum stabit, & omnis voluntas mea flet, &c. My counsell shall stand, and my will shall bee accomplished, calling a bird from the East Quarter of t •… e world, and a man of my will from a remote Countrey, I haue said it, and I will bring it to passe. I haue created it, and I will doe it, whereby it is euident, that as the Spirit of his mouth, which hee hath sent out for the animating of euery Creature, moueth which way the will of the Creatour or inspirer pleaseth: So the Spirit of the Creature, which is partaker of his Power and Will, is immediately obedient, and bringeth his bodily case or instrument along with it, to performe his Creators Will, which is irresistible according to that other place: Deus quodcunque voluit hoc facit. Iob 23. what God would haue done that he effecteth.

And this operation of God, as well by himselfe, as in his created Organs, doth extend it selfe; not only vnto vulgar & manifest actions and effects; but also vnto arcane or hidden; yea, and to such as are miraculous & wonderful, euen as this cure by the weapon-salue appeareth to be vnto the fantasies o •… worldly men, making them to admire and wonder at it, as a company of birds doe at an Owle in an Iuie bush, censuring after the wisedome of this world diuersly, and that according to euery mans imagination. Some boldly and presumptuously proclaiming it to be the work of the Diuell; Some auerre it to bee a maine fopperie and vaine imagination in too credulous persons who by hauing only a good opinion of the thing, are cured: Some condemne it, as a superstitious and abominable manner of healing, for as much as the election of ingredients, must be done by an Astrological obseruation: And others, approac •… nearer the truth, terme it a Naturall Magia, or a Magneticall or secret act of Nature: And some more essentially grounded, and religiously obseruing the prescribed order of holy writ, doe (as true Christians are bound to doe) referre, both this miraculous and wonderous act in curing, & euery other wonderous worke besides, vnto that glorious God, who hath made both heauen and earth, and assigned to them by his spirit, as well those vertues which worke in the eyes of worldlings miraculously or wonderfully, as others which appeare more familiar vnto their sense: according vnto that of Dauid, Psal 33. verbo Domini firmati sunt coeli & spiritu ab ore eius omnis virtus corum: by the Word of the Lord the heauens were established, and by the breath of his mouth, each vertue or power thereof. And their maine ground and foundation, for the maintainance of Gods right and the abolishing or taking away of all such miraculous and wonderfull power, as is falsely by blind worldlings ascribed vnto the Diuell, is prescribed them, out of this diuine and truth-telling hymne of the Royall Prophet.

Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel, who onely and by Psal. 71. 18. himselfe, worketh m •… ruailes! Or as he hath it in another place:

Praise the Lord, for his mercie endureth for euer, who Psal 135. 3. onely doth great meruailes!

And consequently, not any Diuell; nor Angell; nor man; nor medicine; but God onely performeth it: by that spirituall Gift of healing, he hath imparted vnto man and his creatures in their creation and continued it in them from generation to generation.

It is manifest, therefore, that onely God operateth all in all essentially, and not any created organ, bee it spirituall or corporall: and consequently, not the Diuell (who is the organ of darknesse, ordained and animated or agitated to effect onely deeds of darkenesse, as are sicknesse and destruction, and not to be conuersant in goodnesse, and especially about deeds of light, as are life (healing and preseruing). As who should say, that God acting and operating essentially in all and ouer all, had not created good Angels or spirituall Organs to bring to passe and effect the gifts of life and health, which hee hath of his mercy imparted vnto his creatures; but hee must make election of that spirituall Organ, to performe such good deedes, whom he created for a cleane contrarie purpose, as shall be forthwith proued:

Gods purpose and will, as well in his Creation as after it, cannot be withstood: that is, there cannot be produced an effect, contrarie to his will or decree.

But Gods will and purpose was to make the Deuill his instrument or minister to punish and afflict with diseases, sickenesse, and death.

Ergo, this his purpose as well in the Deuils creation as by ordination after his fall cannot bee withstood, or contradicted by any effect which is contrarie vnto that first will and decree of God.

Now for the confirmation of the Major we find it thus written: Deus iuxta voluntatem suam facit, &c. Dani. 4. (as before) God doth his will and pleasure, as well with the celestiall vertues & powers, as with the dwellers on the earth, and there is not any that can resist his hand. And againe: Quodcun que voluit hoc facit, what God would 〈◊◊〉 . haue, that doth he. And againe, as touching his will 〈◊〉 . 46. 10. in the creation (as before) Consilium meum stabit & omnis voluntas mea fiet, My Counsell shall stand, and my will shall be established. And hence it is written in Genesis, Voluntati Dci num possumus resistere? Can Gen. 50. we resist the Will of God? And the Apostle hath it; Voluntati Dei quis resistat? Who can resist the VVill Rom. 9. of God? Not any creature: and a reason is giuen by the wise Salomon, because volunt as Domini in aeternum permanebit. The will of the Lord shall endure for euer. 〈◊〉 . 19. And by whom, I pray now, doth he operat & bring to effect this his Will and decree to goodnesse and healing? What by the Deuill? Contrarie to his originall ordinance, euen by him who is a rebell vnto all goodnesse? Is it possible that hee, that hath not a lot of goodnesse in him, could produce and bring to passe such a gift of goodnesse and charity, as is that of healing? No, this is performed by Iesus the Catholick Sauiour, who is the head of potestats and powers, who altereth not one Tittle, in effecting Gods Will in heauen and in earth: as it i said, Voluntatem vt faciam eius qui misit me, de coelo descendi, I came down from heauen to doe his •… n 6. will that sent me. It is therefore onely our Spirituall Lord Iesus (vnto whom power is giuen from his Father) who bringeth all things to that absolute effect, which without all contradicton was decreed by the Father: And not false gods; nor Angels; nor Deuils; nor men; according vnto that before Corinth. 8. mentioned. Though there bee that are called Gods, as well in heauen as in earth, yet vnto vs there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Iesus Christ, by whom are all things. Whereby it is argued, that God the Father decreeth, as the father and root of all things, in whom complicitly and ideally they were before all beginning; but the Sonne essentially effecteth his will, and maketh euery Ideal thing to appeare explicitly and really: and therefore neyther Angels nor diuels, nor starres, nor any thing else, but onely our Lord Iesus Christ, mouing in his Ministers, as well spirituall as corporall, effecteth, both in and after the creation, all things, that exist, and consequently the art of curing. And hereupon by Scripture (as it is sayd before) wee are taught, that it is the Word that cureth all those dolorous effects of sickenesse, which the diuell brings to passe: For first the Psalmist saith, Immisit in eos iram indignationis Psal. 78. 49. suae, iram & tribulationem, per malos Angelos. Hee sent out amongst them the anger of his indignation, anger and tribulation by euill angells, &c. Heere therefore you see the effects of the ministery of Satan and his angels, which is to strike and wound with sickenesse. And then in another place he sheweth the immediate curer of these diuellish effects, in these words: Misit verbum & sanauit •… eos, Hee sent his Word and healed them. And the Wise man saith: Non herba, Psal. 107. 20. aut malagmate; sed verbo tuo, quod sanat omnia, curasti eos: verily, I say vnto you also, that it is not the herbe or animall or minerall medicine; but the gift of healing, in the said creatures, assigned vnto them in their creation, by the word that healeth.

As for the Minor, it is confirmed by the expresse Esay 54. 10. words of the Prophet, (speaking in the person of God himselfe) Ecce ego creaui fabrum sufflantem in igne prunas, & proferentem vas in opus suum, & ego creaui interfectorem ad disper dendum. Behold, I haue created a Smith to blow the coales in the fire, and to produce a vessell in his worke, and I created the Destroyer to destroy, whereby wee may see, that the will of God was not that hee should be created, or at the least ordayned af •… er his fall for a healer, preseruer, or maker; but for a Wounder and Destroyer, yea, his nature was made so cancrous and malicious, that hee doth not only enuy at mans prosperity (and therefore cannot against the nature of the office which God assigned to him in his creation, or after his fall be his curing angell) but also he repineth at the excellency of God his Creator, as may appeare by the third of Genesis. Whereupon Salomon saith: Diaboli inuidia mors introiuit in orbem terrarum: Death and destruction Wisdome 2. entred into the world by the malice of the diuell: and therefore hee is farre from doing the office of healing and preseruing. It is Christ which hath the office of life, preseruation and health, who for this cause was sent by his Father to withstand the bad acts of the diuel. Diabolum habentem mortis imperium (saith S. Paul) Christus suâ morte destruxit. Christ by Hebr. 2. his death destroyed the diuell, hauing the power of death vnder him. It is that salutiferous emanation of God the Father of life, which was from all beginnings ordained to quell the diuell a •… d his malicious intents or effects. Forasmuch as Diabolus aduersarius tanquam Leo rugiens •… uit quaerens quem deuoret: 1 Peter 5. The common aduersary the diuell, doth compasse about, seeking whom hee may de •… oure; and now is he become a physician and a turne-coat vnto that office, for the which by Gods will hee was created? Did hee kill so many when hee was a young physician, and hath hee inuented now, after his long experience the weapon-salue to cure some? A pretty, witty conclusion of Master Foster, and the Iesuiticall Ioannes Roberti his foster father, in this blind conceit.

But now I will be so bold as to produce an argument for this oyntment, not vnlike to that which Master Foster hath framed:

If there be no diuine institution or authority out of holy writ, to warrant any curing effect or Art by the diuell, eyther by supernaturall or naturall means, then is there no reason to beleeue, that the cure done by the weapon-salue is effected by the worke of the diuell.

But in holy writ, there is not found any such warrant for the curing of wounds by the diuell, through the helpe eyther of Supernaturall or Naturall meanes.

Therefore it is not to be credited, that the curing by the weapon-salue can be effected by the Art or act of the diuell.

The Maior is of the selfe-same effect with that of M. Fosters argument, where he seemeth to auer, that because the vse of this weapon-salue is not effected by diuine institution, nor yet hath any testimony or example to confirme it out of holy writ, therefore it is prestigious. And againe (as is said before) what God hath originally decreed in the archetypicall Idaea, that cannot be altered; but the diuell was ordained for another vse, quite contrary vnto the pious and mercifull act of healing.

The Minor is proued by that which is said already; as also the words of our Sauiour are very efficacious Ma •… . 12.22 for this our purpose: For when he had cured one that was both blinde and dumbe, and possessed with an euill spirit, so that (as the Text saith) He that was blind and dumbe, could see and speake: The Pharises said, This man casteth out diuells, no otherwise then by Belzebub, the prince of diuells; But Christ answered, Euery kingdome diuided against it selfe, is brought to naught, and euery house or citty diuided against it selfe, shall not stand; so if Satan cast out Satan, hee is diuided against himselfe. Whereby it is cleare, that being all diseases, as well internall as externall, are by Gods decree inflicted by the diuell and his angels, as being created ministers, by which and in which, God vseth to execute vengeance, and to punish mortall creatures. It were a wrong vnto the Office assigned vnto him, in, or immediately after his creation, to worke violence against his owne subiects by casting them out, or curing the harmes they haue effected. Wee haue many places in holy writ to confirme, that Satan and his angels are contrary to the Art of curing, and are alwayes ready to hurt with sicknesses, and afflict with death; but we c •… not find one to testifie any curing faculty in him. As for example: It is sayd that there was power assigned 〈1 line〉 vnto the foure Angells, which were by God made presidents of the soure Windes, to hurt the earth, the Sea and the trees: Now euery one of these were Princes of many Legions of euill and wounding spirits. Againe, the Prophet saith, God commeth from the South, the heauens were couered with his glory, and the earth was full of his praise, at his feet was death, or (as S. Ieremy ha •… h it) Egredietur diabolus ante pedes eius, the diuel •… ill goe forth before his feete; but other interpreters say, the pestilence went before him, and the contagion raging Aba. 3.3. Psalme 91. and destroying in the South. And Dauid saith, Doe not feare the plague raging in the South (as some interpreters haue it.) But S. Ierome saith, a Daemonia meridiano, from the D •… on, or spirit of the South. We find that it was Satan, that was Gods Instrument or Organ by which hee wrought his will on Iob, and Iob 1.2. thereupon hee said to his Creator, Lay thou but thy hand vpon him, &c. by which words it may be signified, that he vsed more reuerence vnto his Creator in that his acknowledgement, then Mr. Foster doth, in making this; Organ of sickenesse, a peremptory and absolute actor, as well in the effect of healing, as destroying: namely of himselfe, and not as hee is onely the Organ, or Instrument, by which God doth essentially worke his owne ends of vengeance against offenders. This therefore was he that wounded patient Iob with a foule botch or vlcer, and incited in his spirits a fiery feauer, which made him thus to cry out in his anguish: The arrows of the Omnipotent are grieuous against mee, their poyson drinketh vp my spirits, and the troubles of God, which are sharply set against mee, doe oppose mee, where hee attributed all Iob 6 vnto God, and not vnto Satan, who is his wounding Organ. Also Dauid saw the destroying angell of the Lord betwixt heauen and earth, with a naked sword in his hand, extended against Ierusalem, who strucke a great many 1 Chron 2 •… . with the pestilence. Also Iehoua sent the killing angell into the campe of the Assyrians, who destroyed euery 2 Chro. 32.21. valiant man at armes in one nights space: Also Moses, by the destroying Organ of God (vsing in steed of the weapon-curing-salue, which was contrary to his office, art, and skill, the aspersion of an infectious powder) afflicted the Egyptians with vlcers and pustules. •… odus 9. Now that it is not the Angelicall Organ; but God himselfe in the Organ, which doth essentially act and strike, it apppeareth by this place, where Ieho •… a saith: Circa mediam noctem, ego egressurus ero in 〈1 line〉 medium Aegypti, & morietur omnis primogenitus: about midnight I will goe out into the midst of Egypt, and euery first borne shall die. But in the next Chapter it is said: Iehoua transibit praeter portam illam, & non sinet interfectorem seu percussorem, seu vastatorem, domos vestras vastare. God will passe ouer that dore, and 〈1 line〉 . will not suffer the destroyer to strike or hurt your houses.

Whereby it is apparant, that the essentiall Act of God is present with the organicall destroyer, and doth act in it. Lastly, to shew you that it was wicked spirits, which, by the agitation of their Creator, did cause these diseases in Egypt: the Kingly Prophet argueth in these words before mentioned, Immisit in eos iram in dignationis suae, iram & tribulatinem per malos angelos, Hee sent amongst them the fiercenesse of •… is anger, wrath, and indignation by euill angells. I can prooue this by many more examples of holy Text, namely, how God doth punish and plague with sickenesse, diseases and death, by these his destroying ministers, or organicall causes, which hee created of set purpose, to performe his will in this afflicting manner; but it cannot be prooued that hee did imploy them in the contrary office, namely, in that of healing and curing: For, when he is pleased to cure or heale, he hath an infinity of good Angels to performe that office, all which are concluded vnder the dominion of the Archangel, Raphael, which therefore hath that name, Quasi medicina Dei, as who should say, the medicine of God.

I must therefore conclude, that as the onely act of God, is as well to wound as to cure, so hath he ordained Instruments or Organs to serue his turne in the execution ofboth these operations: which are so contrary one to the other in condition, as light is to darkenesse, or good to euill. Now, that it is the act onely of God, as well to heale by his good Organs, as to strike and wound by his destroying Organs; wee learne out of many places of Scripture. Si plaga afficiet Iehoua Aegyptum, qui plagis afsecit, Isa. 17.22 sanat cum conuersi fuerint ad Iehouam, If God will afftict Egypt with plagues, hee that •… leth with diseases, can againe heale the afflicted, when they turne vnto him; And, yet, Dauid confesseth, that he did afflict them with euill angels: and Iob saith, Deusest qui Iob 5. vulnerat & medetur, percutit & sanat. It is God that woundeth and cureth, he striketh and healeth, and yet it was Satan, which was Gods hand to act Iobs misery. And in another place; Ego occidam, & viuere facia •… , percutiam & sanabo, & non est qui de manu mea possit cruere: I will kill, and I will make to liue, I will strike, Deut. 32. and I will heale, and there is not one that can escape my hand. And Salomon; Tu vitae & mortis potestatem habes, Wisd. 16. 13. deducis ad portas inf •… ni, & reducis, & manum tuam nihil potest effugere: Thou hatst the power of life and death in thine hand, thou bringest into the mouth of the graue, and deliuerest, or bringest backe againe. Whereby it is manifest, that it is onely God, who eyther miraculously, or by vertue of his creatures, which he hath instituted for this, or that wholesome purpose, that cureth, and againe woundeth, by the meanes of his organicall ministers, be they angelicall or humane. As for example: hee causeth his Angell Raphiel, to make vse of the fish his Liuer and Gall, for the chasing away of the destroying Fiend, and to heale the blind Tobias. Also the Angel did giue the vertue of healing vnto the Lake Bethesdas. And againe, the Psalmist saith, Plag a non appropinquabit tentorium Psalme 91. tuum, nam Angelis suis praecipiet de te; but that by any authority of Text hee made vse of Satan, or any of his darke angels, to accomplish any such deed of light, or to employ any of Gods creatures, as are the Fat, Blood, or Flesh, to cure a wounded or vlcerous creature, when I can finde it in Scripture, I will in some sort beleeue it; but because that will proue too long a search for Master Foster, and againe, I finde the precedent places of Scripture to be generally against it; therefore I conclude, that the mysticall curing by the Weapon-Salue is the mercifull gift of God only. Wherefore vnto him wholly, and vnto no diuell in hell, be ascribed all vertue, power and glory, for his mercies in generall, and for this vertue and property of healing by the weapon-salue in particular, for euer, Amen. Blessed (I Psalme 71. say with the Prophet Dauid) be the Lord God of Israel, who onely worketh all wonders, and therefore effecteth this wonderfull manner of curing, which passeth mans vnderstanding. To him therefore be ascribed, for it, all praise and honour for euermore.

IN this precedent Chapter, I haue proued Thelogically, and that by pure examples out of Scripture, that the diuell was the spirituall Organ, ordained by God in the creation for an vse cleane opposite vnto that of curing and healing: and therefore it is vnlikely, that now in his latter dayes after so many destructions committed by him, in his former age, hee can become a sauer and healer of diseases.

Now wil I proue in a more euident manner, and that by Sacred Philosophy, that Gods viuifying Spirit, mouing in the ayry Organ of the World, doth by his vertuous application or aspect to the weapon-salue, effect the cure of such as are wounded. And I call this manner of prouing Theo-philosophicall, or belonging vnto Sacred Philosophy; because it respecteth the nature of this manner of curing, as it receiueth his essentiall act and being from God, mouing and acting in and by his created Spiri •… uall Organs, in and ouer all. Of this manner of Philosophy, St. Paul speaketh thus, Videte ne Colos. 2.9. quis vos decipiat per philosophiam, & inanem fallaciam, secundū traditionem h •… minum, secundum element a mundi, non secundum Christum, quia in ipso habitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter, & estis in illo repleti, qui est Caput omnis principatus & potestatis. Beware, lest there be any man that deceiue you through philosophy and vaine deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, for in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily, and 〈◊〉 are complete in him, who is the head of Principalities and Powers. By which words hee seemeth to terme the Ethnick philosophy vaine and deceitfull, forasmuch as it is framed out, according to the rudiments of this world, which doe ordaine many essentiall subalternate Agents acting and operating absolutely and simply of themselues without any consideration had vnto the Catholicke and supreme Power of God the Father of all things, from whom radically all essentiall actions proceed, which are afteward effected by our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom all things haue their being, and not from any subalternat agent, or efficient creature. For though they ferue as organicall ministers; yet they are but dead, except God apeareth and opperateth in them by his Spirit, and therefore is all act and operation attributed vnto God, as it is proued before by the Apostle, saying, One God operateth all in all: And againe 〈1 line〉 he saith: Though there be, that are called Gods in heauen 1 Co. 8. and in earth; yet, vnto vs there is but one God, who is the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whom are all things, and wee by him: For this cause is God called Alpha and Ome •… a, Apo •… . 1. the beginning and the end, namely, as in himselfe he decreeth all, and by his Word he essentially operateth and effecteth all, and that immediately. Now Sap. 12.1. Psal. 33, 6. that his very Spirit is in all things, the wise Salomon doth intimate expressely, saying, that the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord is in all things, and that from the Spirit of Gods mouth proceedeth the vertues of all things, as the Prophet Dauid telleth vs: which being so, it must consequently follow, that the essentiall forme or life of euery Creature in this world, must depend on this Spirit, and haue his centrall seate of Actiuity in proportion more or lesse from this Agent of Agents, who as it acteth in the Center of all things; so is it euen continuat vnto the circumference, that is, from Alpha or the Center, vnto Omega or the Circumference: for else would there bee a diuision of the diuine Essence, which is impossible. And for this cause is God said to fill all, and to operate all in all; wherefore the Apostle concludeth (as before) that the Ethnick Philosophy framed out by the tradition and inuention of mans wisdome, is false and deceitfull; but that which is founded onely vpon Christ, is to bee embraced; because, that in him dwelleth the fullnes of Diuinity, which operateth all in all, according vnto the will and decree of his Father: who is the head of all Potestates and principalities, and consequently of all Angels; And therefore Angels can effect nothing, but as he acteth in them and by them as his spirituall Organs. Loe, this is therefore that Theosophicall subiect, whereby I make my strickt Inquisition into the mystery of this manner of healing by the Weapon-Salue, And thus much for a preamble to the discourse. Now to the purpose:

Wee must obserue in the cure done by this Weapon-Salue three principall things, namely, the partie wounded, the Oyntment curing, and lastly, the occulte actiuity, which raigneth in the blood and issueth from the blood vnto the Oyntment.

The party wounded may rightly be compared to the world, and therefore is called a little world: he is composed of heauen and earth; namely, of spirit and body, and as the Creatour did send out his Spirit, which moued vpon the waters, and did informe, animate and viuifie them; so that (as St. Peter saith) of them and by them were the heauens and the earth framed, and by this spirituall Word established vnto this day: euen so mans heauen and his earth are fashioned out by the same eternall spirit of life, on which it relyeth and continueth in his specificall succession, euen vnto this very day. And therfore is it said, Ye are carued out of one and the same Spirituall Rocke, and that In him wee line, wee moue and haue our Being: and that we are the Temples 〈1 line〉 of the Holy Ghost, and the Members of Christ, and that We are in God the Father, and by our Lord Iesus Christ, (as it is rehearsed before) and that Regnum Dei sit intra nos, The Kingdome of God is within vs: Neither let vs ascribe this Gods goodnesse to our selues alone, since that it extendeth it selfe to euery Creature Iohn 1. 〈◊〉 . 16. besides, though not so abundantly. For, in Verbo erat vita, in the Word was life, and Iudith saith in her prayer: Seruiat Dc •… omnis omnis Creatura, quia dixisti & factae sunt, misisti Spiritum tuum & creatae sunt: Let euery Creature ser •… e thee O Lord, because thou spakest the Word, and they were made, thou didst send forth thy spirit and they were created. And the Prophet saith: Esa. 42. 50. Haec dicit Deus creans coelos, extendens eos firmans terram & quae germinant in ea, dans flatum popul •… qui est supraeam & spiritum calcantibus eam: Thus saith the Lord, who hath created the heauens and extended them, and fastned the earth and all things that grow out of it; who giueth breath vnto the people that is vpon it, and spirit to those Creatures that tread vpon it. And King Dauid; Psal. 104.9. Deo dante Creaturis colligu •… ; abscondente faciemsuam, perturbantur; recipiente spiritum eorum, exspirant; emittente spiritum suum, receantur: God giuing to the Creatures, they receiue it; hiding his face from them, they are troubled; taking back againe from them their spirit, they dye; and sending forth his spirit, they are recreated or reuiued. And Iob, homin •… m constituit Iob. 34. 〈◊〉 . Deus super terram, apponens ad •… am animam suam; si spiritum seu flatum eius adse reciperet, deficeret & exspiraret omnis ca •… : simul & •… omo in cinerem reverteretur: God made man vpon earth, giuing vnto him his soule or life. If he should receiue or draw vnto himselfe his spirit or breath of life, all flesh would dye, and also man would returne to ashes. By all these authorities we are taught, that the life, forme, and nature of euery Creature, doth essentially spring and proceed from God, and therefore what gift of healing is found to proceed either from compounded or simple medicines, be they Angelicall, Celestiall, Elementall, or of an Animall, Vegetable, or minerall composition, it proceedeth from their Creatour, as being either bestowed vpon them in their Creation for that wholesome purpose, or else miraculously and beyond the common course of Nature imparted vnto some Creatures to effect. And therefore man ought not rashly to condemne a medicine, because it worketh after an other manner then the vulgar doth: For God hath allotted vnto some medicines, occult & hidden properties; and therefore worke they not by an externall and euident elementarie qualitie. And this occult vertue is called by some wise men: Angelicus actus, Re •… elin. de Art. cab. qui est tanquam inter Deum & Naturam virtus media, à quâ fiunt operationes in rebus qu •… s natura earum vel non faceret vel sic faceret, quas alij dicuut prouenire a proprietate occulta, & alij quia tales: An Angelicall act, which is, as it were, a middle vertue betweene God and nature; whereby operations are effected in things, which the elementarie Nature of them, could not performe, or would so bring to passe, as they which are said by some to proceed of an occult quality, and others quia sunt tales: And such was the effect in curing by the water of the poole of Bethesdas; not that the manifest elementary quality of the water did it; But the Act of the Angell which mooued it: In like manner can no man expresse any naturall reason that is manifest, for the attraction of the Iron by the Loadstone, or of straw by Amber, or why the Loadstone looketh towards the North, or why the Laurell or Baytree preserueth from the harmes of lightning and thunder, and likewise how directly this cure is effected, &c. The causes of these things are occult and hidden vnto the common philosopher; but to come a little neerer to the point.

It is apparant, then, that the incorruptible Spirit Wisd. 1. is in all things, but most abundantly (next vnto the great world) in the little world called man: For as in the great world, God is said rightly by Ierome his translations (leauing the corruption of others) to haue put, his Tabernacle in the Sunne, from whence by a perpetuall, and neuer dying motion, hee sendeth forth life and multiplication, to euery member and creature of the great world, and by the agility of his Spirit, (for Salomon saith) It is omni Wisd. 7. re mobilior, the most moueable of all things, hee moueth and giueth life vnto the whole Spirit of the world; which also the same wise man doth iustifie in these words: Sol gyrans à meridie flectitur ad Aquilonem: lustrans vniuersain circuitu pergit spiritus. The Sunne mouing from the South, bendeth toward the North, illuminating the whole world, the spirit or ayre of it doth E •… cl. 1. moue circularly. Whereby hee argueth, that the spirit in the Sunne animateth and giueth motion, life and spirit vnto the ayrall spirit of the whole world (for without his assiduall motion and act, as Aristotle and all other Philosophers confesse, the ayre would soone be corrupt, and be as it were dead, and of no validity) for the reason heereof, the holy Text concludeth, that the Holy spirit of discipline filleth the whole world. So also, and in the very like manner, the same incorruptible spirit filleth the little world (est enim Templum Spiritus Sancti it is the Temple of the Holy Ghost) 〈◊〉 Timoth. 6. and hath put his Tabernacle in the heart of man, in which it moueth, as in this proper macrocosmicall Sunne in Systole, and Diastole, namely, by contraction and dilatation without ceasing, and sendeth his beames of life ouer all the whole frame of man, to illuminate, giue life, and circular motion vnto his spirit. And thereupon the Apostle reciprocally saith of this little world, as in another place of the great one, In Deo viuimus, mouemur, & sumus; In God we liue, moue, and haue our being: also as this abstruse spirit doth giue heate by his actiuity and essentiall motion vnto the great world, the very same it doth effect in the little world, and all things else, when it doth not quiescere, or in se delitescere, that is, not rest or withdraw his owne act within it selfe, as shall be expressed forthwith. This therefore being well considered in the first place, we proceed thus:

As this Principall and centrall mouer in the spirit of each world, doth radically, and soly act and moue essentially in and ouer all, namely, from the centre to the circumference, his Primum mobile, or first moued in the great world, is the principall Aetheriall region or spheare, by the circumrotation whereof, the Sunne (which as Dauid saith, is a vessell full of the Glory of God) is wafted about the earth in 24. houres, that thereby the whole spirit of the world may be recreated with life, vegetation, and multiplication. And therefore this Spirits first, and most worthy spheare, in which it centrally doth moue, is the Quintessentiall or Aetheriall spirit of life, which by his presence is viuified and animated: and this Aetheriall spirit being the immediate vehicle of that incorruptible spirit of life, is carryed in the grosser elementary or sublunary ayr, by which medium it penetrateth, into animall, vegetable and minerall bodies by inspiration or exspiration in animals partly occult, as by the pores of the body, & partly manifest, as by the lungs, & in vegetables and minerals occultly, and only to be perceiued with intellectuall eyes, and so giueth life & multiplication to euery thing. As this emanation came from God, into the world, the Prophet said, Vestitur lumine Psal. 104. 〈◊〉 . quasi vestimento, hee is clothed with light, as with a garment, and so Verbo Domini facti sunt Coeli, & spiritu Psal. 33. 6. ab ore eius omnis virtus eorum: by the Word of the Lord the heauens were made, and by his spirit, all the vertues thereof, among the which vertues, life, forme, vegetation and multiplication were the chiefest. As hee tooke possession of the Etheriall, or starry heauen, Psalme 〈◊〉 . the same Prophet saith, Posuit Tabernaculum suum in Sole; hee made the Sunne his Tabernacle. Againe, as hee endued the grosser vestiment of the ayre, so the Prophet saith, Densa Nubes tigurium Psalme 104. eius, qui vehitur super alas venti: Hee made the thicke and darke cloud his dwelling place, who is carryed on the wings of the wind: Againe, he spake in thunder, and 2 Reg. 22. lightning went from his nostrills: as hee entred into the little world, or man, so the Apostle saith, Vos estis Templum spiritus sancti, Yee are the Temples of the holy Ghost; Vos estis membra Christi, Yee are the members of Christ. And againe, Aperiatur terra, & pariet Saluatorem; Let the earth open, and it shall bring forth a Sauiour; as hee penetrated into the earth, so the Isai 45.8. Wise man saith, Spiritus sapientiae implet orbem terra. rum. To conclude; as to create, viuifie, and sustaine Wisd 1. each creature, hee put on all things, so hee saith: Spiritus incorruptibilis inest •… nibus; and againe, Spiritus Wisd 12. Dei implet omnia: whereby it is euident, that this diuine and incorruptible spirit, by which wee liue, moue, and haue our being, is in man, for without it hee is dead, a snuffe, a nothing: his place therefore, or the heauen wherein it moueth, is out Aether, or heauenly spirit, which acteth inuisibly in our ayeriall vehicle: the grosser and courser part whereof, is blood, as well vitall or arteriall, as naturall and venall. Hence came those especiall ordinances, or legall precepts, which were giuen by God, touching the blood, not only of man, but also of beast: For as much as it was the seat of the 〈◊〉 9.5. spirit oflife, Sanguinem (saith God) sedem vestrarum animarum requiram, I will require your blood, which is the seat of your liues or soules; and againe, Sanguinem hominis qui effuderit, per hominem sanguis 〈◊〉 effundatur, quoniam in imaginē suam fecit Deus hominem; whosoeuer sheddeth the blood of man, by man let his blood be shed, because God made him after his owne Image; whereby is argued, that by reason of the diuine spirit, which dwelleth in mans blood, by the which we are fashioned after the Image of God. God himselfe hath giuen an especiall charge, to haue a respect vnto the blood. For this reason therefore did the 〈◊〉 of the blood of Abel, cry out for vengeance against the homicide Cain: Yea, so precious was the Gen. 9. Blood, euen of common Animals or vnreasonable Creatures that their blood was prohibited to bee eaten Leuit. 3.17. with their Flesh. And againe: Hee that eateth the blood of the creature shall die the death. And in another Leuit. 17. place he sheweth the reason. Qui comedcrit sanguinem, obfirmabo faciem meam aduersus animam illius, quia anima carnis in sanguine est, & ego dedi illam vobis, vt super altare in eo expietis pro animabus vestris, & s •… nguis pro animae piaculo sit: Whosoeuer shall eate the blood of the Creature, I will set my face against his Soule, because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I haue giuen it vnto you that by it you may expiat on the Altar for your selues, and that the blood may serue for an Oblation for your soules. And for that cause man is by God commanded, that if he in the chase Leuit. 17. or otherwise kill a wild beast, hee should powre out his blood on the earth. And againe: Sanguinem omnis Animalis Ibid. non sumetis in cibo; Thou shalt not eate of the blood of any liuing Creature.

Sanguis cum Carne non edendus: The Blood is not to Cron. 9. be eaten with the Flesh.

Sanguis hominis etiam à bestia requiritur: The blood Ibid. of the man is required of the beast.

Sanguinem & Adipem omnino non comedetis: You Leuit. 3. shall wholly abstaine from eating the Blood and Fat.

Sanguinem non comedat omnis anima evobis: Let Leuit. 17. 19. not any man amongst you eate of blood.

Sanguis animalium pro anima est minime comedendus: Deut. 12. The blood of all beasts or animalls, in Generall, are not to be eaten for their soules or liues c •… se.

Sanguinem 〈◊〉 Animalis tam •… ndi quam immundi Deut. 〈◊〉 . non comedes, sed effundas super terram q •… asi aquam: Deut. ib. Thou shall not eate the blood of any liuing Creature, bee it cleane or vncleane; but shalt powre it out as water vpon the earth.

And the reason is, because the Blood is the seate of the Soule or vitall Spirit, which is inspired by God, and therefore it is said. Cron. 9 5. 〈◊〉

Sanguinem, Sedem animarum vestrarum, requiram: I will require of you that shed blood, your Blood; F r as much as it is the Seate of your Soules or Liues: As who should say, I haue animated the internall Spirit of your Blood with my Spirit of Life, and therefore be carefull of it.

By all these places therefore, we may easily discerne, how the vitall spirit of man, not onely of man •… but of beast also, is contained in that ruddie vehicle of the blood, as the Etheriall Spirit in the Airy, and that the essentiall mouer and guider of the sterne in this Spirituall barke of man, is the incorruptible Spirit of God; by whom wee liue, moue, and exist. All this Mercurius Tresmegistus (that diuine Pim. 12. Philosopher) seemeth to confirme in these words: Anima hominis in hunc vehitur modum; mens in anima, anima in spiritu, spiritus in corpore; Spiritus per venas arterias que sanguinem que diffusus, animal vndi que ciet. Mans soule is carried in this manner; the mentall beame is carried in the soule, the soule in the spirit or ayre, the spirit in the body: The Spirit being dispersed through the veynes and arteryes, doth stirre vp and moue the liuing creature in euery part.

These things being thus euidently proued out of holy writ, we will now proceed vnto a greater mystery, concerning the double propertie of this Spirit of life in both worlds, that thereby we may demonstratiuely come by little and little vnto the very point or perfect resolution of the question in hand.

That eternall Lord God (who is all one and the same Spirit, because of an indiuisible Essence) is he that viuifieth the Creature; and againe taketh away the life of it at his pleasure, as hath been prooued already, for that he operateth all in all, according to the Apostles words: and meruaile not, though I say, hee worketh contrary effects, although he be but one indiuisible Essence, for these are the words of Salomon: Spiritus Disciplinae sanctus Wisd. 7. 〈◊〉 . est vnicus seu simplex, multiplex, &c. The Spirit of Wisdome is one and simple, and yet manifold; simple in himselfe, but manifold in operation: And doth not Dauid acknowledge so much when he saith; Deo Psalm. 104. emittente spiritum suum, recreantur Creaturae; abscondente faciem suam conturbantur, recipiente Spiritum eorum exspi •… ant, &c: God sending forth his Spirit, recreateth the Creatures; but at the hiding of his face, they are troubled: and when he receiueth or taketh vnto him their spirit, they dye, &c. Touching the first member of this axiom of Dauid, he proueth it else-where thus: Vita aaes •… beneuolentiâ Ieho •… ; Life proceedeth Psal. 30. 6. from the benignity of Iehoua. Vitae restaurator est Iehoua, Psalm. 41.3. Iehoua is the Giuer of life. Vitae meae Fontes omnes à Psalm. 87.7. Psalm. 90.17. Deo, all the Fountaines of my Life are from God. Vitae prolongatio est Benignitas •… Iehouae; the prolongation of of Life is the Benignitie of Iehoua. Whereupon it is euident, that the Spirit of God is the immediate Creatour, Actor, Preseruer, and Multiplier of Life.

As for the second Member, thus much: Deus D •… t. 31. 17. malos relinquit, & abscondit faciem s •… am ab i •… ys, vt obveniant •… s mala multa & angustiae: God leaueth the wicked, and hideth his face from the impious, that euill and necessity may encomber them. Sic increpare solet mortales in lectulo: thus doth hee chide and punish mortalls in their beds, as Iob hath it. Thus did hee send •… od 9. •… ing 4. •… b. Sam. 6. King 10. his plagues vpon the Egyptians; Thus made hee Ieroboams hand to wither; Thus did he strike with leprosie Miriam Arons Sister; Thus did hee afflict with the Hemorrhoides the Ashdedomans; Thus laid he the plague on Ezekias; namely, by hiding or with-holding his Spirit: And againe, by emitting his beames of life, he recouered him. And therefore saith Dauid: Vitae hominis spatium est miserum abs que benignitate Iehouae: The space of a mans life is miserable without the benigne Presence of God. For, hee that is sicke, seemeth to be still dying.

Now to the last clause of the aforesaid text of Dauid: God said when hee perceiued the wickednesse •… n. 6. 3. of men; Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine in aeternum, quia caro est, erunt que dies illius centum viginti annorum: My Spirit shall not remaine perpetually 〈◊◊〉 . 13. in man, because he is flesh, and his dayes shall bee an hundred yeeres and twenty. And Iob saith (as before) Hominem const ituit Deus super terram, apponens ad •… m animam suam, si spiritum seu flatum eius ad se reciperet vel traheret, deficeret & exspiraret omnis Caro, simul & homo in cinere •… reuertetur: God made man vpon earth, giuing vnto him his soule or life, if hee should receiue or draw to himselfe his spirit or breath of life, all flesh would faile and dye, and man also together with them, would returne vnto ashes. And againe, Spiritus Iob 9. Dei fecit me, & inspiratio omnipotentis •… ficauit me; The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the omnipotent did viuifie mee.

For this reason therefore, the aforesaid action of Dauid shall be the maine foundation, on which I will rely, as well in my proofe, as also to shew the various properties of this diuine and incorruptible essence in the spirit of both the worlds; and I will prooue vnto you euidently, that as this spirit worketh in the greater world, so also in euery respect it bringeth foorth the like effects in the lesser.

Wee finde that it is but one spirit in the great world, though in a contrary propertie that animateth foueefoldly the foure winds, which are sent from the foure corners of the earth to blow, and thus I proue it: Deus edit glaciem flatu suo, flante Deo Iob 21. concrescit gelu, seu glacies, & coarctatur superficies aquarum: God by his breath procureth Ice, when hee bloweth from the North, hee maketh the Ice to congeale and grow together, and doth contract, or straighten the superficies of the waters into Ice. And the Kingly Prophet more pertinently; Deo imittente sermonem suum in terram, Psalme 〈◊〉 . quàm celerimè excurrit verbum, qui niues dispergit sicut lanam, & pruinam quasi cineres, de •… cit gelu suum tanquam frusta, coram frigore eius quis consist at: Emittit verbum suum liquefacit ista, simul ac 〈◊〉 ventum suum effluuntaqu •… : God sending forth his Word vpon earth, it runneth swiftly, which spreadeth the snow as wooll vpon the earth, and the fro •… t like ashes, and casteth downe the Ice as gobbets, who is able to resist his cold; hee sendeth forth his Word, and mel •… eth these congealed bodies againe, so soone as hee bloweth foorth his Wind, the congealed waters moue and flow againe. Here it is euident, that the diuine Spirit is the essentiall actor in this Northern blast, which is an enemy to the act of life: For, as God did emit and send forth the beames of his light, from the infinit fountaine of his being, to chase away cold, by dilatation of spirits, and to breede a hot humidity in the spirit of the world, thereby to inact it with life and motion, and to make those spirits fluent and actiue, which before were congealed with the power of his contracting property, that is opposite vnto the other: so againe, by the priuatiue Agent, or his Boreall attribute and property, which is cold, hee contracts dilated spirits, and maketh them of moueable, fixe; of light & transparent, dark and opack; of liuely spirits, substances without life; of liquid and fluid, vnmoueable and congealed; and in conclusion, motus is so turned into quies, motion (I say) into rest; actus into potentiam, act into puissence; positio into priuationem, position into priuation: But contrariwise, when he meanes to reuiuifie, and, as it were, cause the dead spirit of the world to rise, or reuiue againe, he sendeth out a Southerne spirit or blast, of a cleane contrary property, namely, a wind, whose nature is hot and moyst, and therefore in the consequence of the foresaid Text, it is said, he sendeth out his word, and melteth all these: so soone as hee bloweth forth his wind, the waters and spirits which were made dead, spisse, fixe, congealed and opack, are beocme aliue, moueable, fluent, subtill and diaphanous or transparent.

If Mr. Foster like none of these testimonies; I will yet goe a little further, and make an ocular demonstration to proue it, thereby the better to perswade him; if hee will be pliable vnto her who is the mother of fooles, namely, experience: Let him but looke therefore vpon the Kalander glasse (an Instrument commonly knowne amongst vs here in England, called by others the weather glasse) and hee shall see, that the ayre contained in it, will be contracted and thickned by cold: and to proue thus much, hee shall finde the water to be drawne vp by so many degrees in the neck of the glasse, as the externall cold hath dominion in the ayre, which proueth euidently, that cold doth contract the dilated ayre in the glasse, from a larger roome into a straighter; and consequently that the ayre is thicker and neerer to congelation, fixation and rest, then it was before. Contrariwise, hee shall finde, that the ayre included; feeling the heate of the externall ayre, by little and little, to get dominion ouer the cold, will dilate it selfe, and by dilatation is made more mobill, subtill and liuely; and therefore requireth a larger capacity, as is ocularly proued thus; namely, because the water is strucke down by so many degrees lower, by how many the externall heate doth vanquish the cold in the ayre. But perchance my aduersary will say, What haue we to doe with this? These are naturall conclusions, and not belonging to Gods act or property: And how proue you that the other winds are the essentiall acts of God? To this I say, That if God operateth all, and in all, then this operation in the glasse, much more that in the winds, is the act of God, and as wee finde that the incorruptible spirit doth moue and operate two manner of contrary wayes, namely, from the center, to the circumference, by •… manation and dilatation, by the which meanes it stirreth of it selfe, who is the center of all things, whose circumference is no where; but comprehendeth all circumferences or bodies, and maketh them to exist and liue, so also this vniuersal centre, contracting it selfe in it selfe, maketh' all things in act potentiall, of a liuing creature, a dead carcasse, of an agill and mobill thing, a stupid and vnmoueable one: Lastly, of an actuall positiue something, a potentiall priuatiue nothing. Wee see it plainely persormed according vnto the precedent Text of Dauid, in the spirit of the world, for as much as it is altered from one forme to his opposite, according vnto the variety, of the property or wil of him, which is the internall agent of all the world. The incorruptible spirit of 〈◊◊〉 the Lord (saith Salomon) is in all things; If in al things, then as it is the most worthy, and of the highest digty, and the most mobill and operatiue spirit of all spirits, it worketh centrally, and moueth all the externall wheeles of the whole machine of the creature in which it is, and consequently operateth à centro ad circumferentiam. If it doe quiescere in centro, rest in the center, all the externall wheeles haue lost their life: For it is, in him it liueth, in him it mooueth, and in him it existeth. And therefore, without he act, all is stupid and dead like a senselesse stone, as Dauid and Iob haue taught vs. Now to proue that it is this spirit of God which doth agitate and animate the winds, we haue many other expresse Texts of Scripture to confirme it. The whirle wind (saith Iob) commeth Iob 36. 〈◊〉 out of the South, and the cold from the North wind; at the breath of God the frost is giuen, and the breadth of 〈◊◊〉 the waters is contracted. Againe, Ventus profectus a Iehoua abreptas coturnices à mari disseuit ad castra, &c. A wind proceeding from Iehona did scatter the Quailes which it brought from the sea in the camp. Againe, Vento Exod. 15. 10. tuo flauisti & operuit eos mara; Thou didst blow with thy breath or wind, and the sea couered them. Againe, flatunarium Exod. 18. 8. tuarum coaceruatae sunt aquae; The waters are accumulated and heaped together, by the blast of thy nostrills. And againe, Iehoua adduxit ventum Eurum, se •… Orientalem, and God brought an Easterly wind. Againe, Exod. 10. ventum Occidentalem vehementem immisit, &c. he sent Exod. 10. out a vehement Westerly wind. Againe, ventus procellosus 〈◊〉 144. efficiens Verbum Dei, the stormy wind doth effect the Word of God. Wee doe not say that the wind is the reall breath of God; but a created spirit or ayre, animated by the increated spirit of the Lord, who according vnto the will of him that sent it foo •… th, doth sometimes contract his vertue in himselfe, from the circumference of the creatures spirit, and then the creature is dead and vnmoueable, and starke cold, for want of the warme and comfortable act of this spirits emanation, from the centre to the circumference, according to the words of Da •… ids, former Text, Deo abscondente faciem suam, à creaturis, conturbantur, recipiente spiritum coru •… expirant. God hiding his face from the creatures, they are troubled, and resuming, his spirit againe they dye, that is, if in part he contracts himselfe, or hides the viuifying be •… s of his countenance, they are sicke and troubled; but if hee withdraw the spirit of life wholly from the circumference of the the creatures spirit, into it selfe, who is in the centre, and euery where vnto the circumference, they dye, or expire.

Master Foster may reply; what is all this to the purpose of man, who is the maine subiect wee haue in hand, or what haue wee to doe, though God by his Spirit worketh a priuatiue property in the spirit of the world by congealation or contracting it from the spirits circumference vnto the centre, leauing the spirit cold, destitute of heate, congealed, immobile, and as it were dead and without life, and that in his Northerne nature? what doth this concerne our matter; or what is this to the nature in man? or how can it touch the act of curing in our WeaponSalue.

I answere, that as the selfe-same spirit is the cause of a foure-fold nature in the spirit of the great world, and as it causeth death and priuation by his Northerne and congealing blasts, and contrariwise, life and position by the opposite, or the relenting nature of his Southerne property; euen the selfesame operation it affecteth, in the created spirit of the lesser world, or man: For, the selfe-same spirit that viuifieth the ayre in the great world after a foure-fold fashion, bringeth forth the very same effects in the lesser, which I proue in this manner.

The Prophet saith, A quatuor ventis adueni ô spiritus, •… zek. 37. 〈◊〉 . & perflato interfectos istos, vt reuiuiscant, &c. Come, O spirit, from the foure winds, and breath vpon these flaughtered persons, that they may liue againe, and the breath came into them, and they liued, and they stood on their feet. By which words wee may gather these foure things: First, that it was one onely Spirit, which was indued with the property of the foure winds, according to whose variety in properties, the foure winds were animated with contrary natures, that they might worke after a foure-fold manner in the Catholike element, of the world, to effect the will of the Creator in any manner whatsoeuer. Next that, this Spirit which is the essentiall actor, and mouer in the winds, was that incorruptible spirit of the Lord, by the which hee vseth (according to that of the Apostle) to viuifie all things, 1 Cor. and vnto that of the Prophet, dare •… atum populo, & spiritum calcantibus terram; to giue breath vnto the people, and a spirit to all that trace on the earth: or vnto that of Iudith, emittere spiritum, & creare omnes Iudith 16. creaturas, to send foorth his spirit, and to create by it all creatures: or according to that of Esdras: 1 Esdr. 16. Spiramine suo facere omnia, & serutinare •… mnia in absconditis terrae: to make all things by his breath, and to search out by it all things that are in the bowells of the earth; or according vnto that of Iob: Apponere homini Iob 34.13. animam suum, & cuilibet creaturae, nam fi spiritū, seuflatum suu •… ad se reciperet, veltraheret, omnis caro expirato giue man his spirit of life, and to euery creature : for, if God should receiue, or draw vnto himselfe his spirit, all flesh would expire. And therefore in this place, when the dead bodies should arise againe, hee commanded the Prophet to say, Come spirit from the foure winds, as if hee should say, Come, O thou Catholike and Vniuersall spirit of life of the world, and doe thy office in viuifying and making the dead to liue againe. Thirdly, that this same spirit is it by which the Apostle doth acknowledge that God Cor. 12. worketh all in all; sometimes giuing life by taking away the killing Northerne cold, and dissoluing the deadly or immobil congelation of spirits, which did stupifie them, as it were, with the sleepy and restfull enchantment of Morphaeus by his Southerne or Easternely properties, which is to liquifie, resolue, and giue a new motion and life to spirits congealed and stupified by the Northern property: and therefore Dauid saith in the foresaid Text, Emittit verbun •… , & liquefacit ista; simul ac efflat ventum suū effluunt aquae: Hee sendeth forth his Word and melteth them; as soone as hee bloweth forth his wind, the congealed, and as it were dead waters, •… oue and flow againe: whereby we ought to obserue that it is Gods Word, or his incorrupble spirit which animateth the winds. Fourthly, that the very selfe-same spirit, which viuifieht and giueth life and motion vnto the great worlds spirit, and at his pleasure, by a contrary property, killeth, stupifieth, ceaseth to act by life & motion, congealing mortally, doth performe the very selfe-same office, when the will of the Father is in the Catholike spirit of the little world, or man, yea, in euery creature. And therefore Iob saith, It is God that woun •… eth or striketh, and it is he that cureth; the reason heere, 〈◊〉 5. hee sheweth in the place before mentiened, as also wee may find in Deuteronomy: I will kill and I will make aliue againe; and Salomon saith, Thou hast the power of •… fe and death in thine hand; Thou bringest vnto the graue, and bringest backe againe: and the Sonne of Syrach, Vita & mors, bonum & malum à Deo sunt. Life and death, good and euill are from God. Wherefore, Eecles 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 as this secret and mysticall spirit, hath breathed into the dead a blast of life, so that very blast or breath is essentially of the nature, property, and Will of the Breather, which was to make aliue, by a quickning, and not a stupifying spirit: and thereupon created spirits, which were before congealed and mortified, became now quickned and liuely, and were closed in an externall body, and in an ayery or bloody vehicle, which by vertue of this quickning blast, his spirit did moue in the channels or veines and arteries, being animated by the vertue of that spirit of life. And this is the reason that God did ordaine so strict precepts, touching the blood of the creatures (as is said before) namely, that it should not be eaten, as is aboue related, because, in it is the spirit of life, or the soule of the creature, in which is the spirituall vertue of the foure winds: For in this action of life, hee exerciseth the very same property in the heart of the creature, or little world, as hee doth in the heauenly sunne of the great world. For, as the Sunne is hot, operating by rarefaction, and exciting vnto motion, and therefore reuiuing and multiplying, as well in vegetation, as in generation, graines, plants, and other animated things of the earth, powring downe from aboue the beames of life, and light vnto the inferiour creatures, euen so this incorruptible spirit, or blast of life, thus infused into man, is the spirituall Sunne of the little world, who maketh the heart (which represents the body of the celestiall Sunne) his Tabernacle, from which, by the arteries and vaines, he sendeth forth his beames, and animateth the vniuersall spirit of mans fabrick, and maketh the blood, agill, fluent and liuely, euer mouing and operating, vnto the nourishment and preseruation of the members, as well with naturall as vitall spirits, cau •… ng both corporall and spirituall vegetation and multiplication of parts in euerie specificall bodie.

But now, that I may in this place touch in few words, though somewhat allaterally, Master Fosters Aristotelicall limited spheare of Actiuity, which the old Schoolemen haue so tumbled and tossed in their externall Phantasies, without any centrall regard vnto this true and essentiall viuifying and vegetating spirits dilatiue or contractiue power: I would faine know, whether any worldly philosophicall Axiome can conclude or limit this princely spirit of the foure Winds, which bloweth and breatheth, as well in the great world, as little; when, where, how farre, and at what distance it pleaseth. I will first giue an example of his action from each wind in the great world, and shew you how it commandeth, carrieth and dilateth the spirit of the vegetable Creature. Wee can gather and collect the virtuall operation of the vegetable ad distans, by no meanes, but by the scent; as for example, Rosemary and Sassaphras, &c: Doe emitt their spirit into the Aire, at a proportionated distance more or lesse, according vnto the viuacity of the acting Spirit, which is in it; and yet neuerthelesse wee see, that, if the blast of any strong wind, doth encounter the emitted spirit of the Creature, it dilateth it mightily from his centre or plant, and maketh a wonderfull large spheare of actiuity; and that greater or le •… er, according vnto the power of the wind. The case is apparant and found most true, by such as trauaile by sea neare Spaine: For, when the wind is Easterly, they can discerne the Aire thirty Leagues off the shore, to bee filled with the sweet odour of Rosemary, which groweth abundantly in those parts of Spaine: And euen in the very like manner about Guiana and Virginea, at the same or greater distance, the odoriferous scent of the Sassaphras, with other fweet woods, is scented by the nauigatours vpon those shores; and that somtimes before they can discerne any land. What shall wee then say of the same spirit, which a cteth in the little world or man, when his insensible breath or emanation tendeth affectionally towards the homogeniall place of his owne nature? I meane vnto the ointment, inwhich the selfe same indiuisible nature, either in the blood, adhering to the weapon, or hauing penetrated in the weapon, without any signe of external blood, is bathed? Shall wee not beleeue, that by his emanation, it can carry along with it in the Ayre, the occult spirit of the vegetating nature of the wounded person, included secretly in a volatile salt, to act in the oyntment, vnto the reuiuifying of the sopified spirit in the oyntment? No mary, saith Master Foster! For, the Sassaphras woods odoriferous spirit, and that of the Rosemaries are knowne by sense, and so cannot the breath of such an emanating spirit, with his volatile vehicle of vegetation, be perceiued. An excellent Argument in an externall and sensible Philosopher, who with Saint Thomas will beleeue nothing, but what he toucheth, smelleth, or tasteth: But intellectuall men may easily gather, that there is nothing that is externall and visible; but was first internall and inuisible. Neither can it be conuertibly said, that, what was internall, was externall. For, there are an infinity of inuisible and internal actions performed by God, in the closet of Nature; which falleth not into the spheare, or capacity of the sensuall or naturall man; but are onely by faith to bee beleeued. And for this reason, the Apostle saith; Through Faith wee 〈1 line〉 vnderstand, that the world was ordained by the Word of God, so that the things that wee see, are not made of things which did appeare. By which it is euidently proued, that all things were first inuisible, before they were by sense to bee discerned: And consequently, it is the property of an externall and carnall man, to beleeue nothing, but what hee perceiueth by sense, and to say, that if any thing appeare to sense, which was not knowne before, it is diabolicall and not of God; when the aforesaid text doth attribute all, reducing of inuisible actions, to the visible sense by the Word, not of the Deuill; but of God. All Philosophers therefore haue accorded, that it is one spirit of life, which onely operateth in mans body: But this spirit, according vnto his diuersity of distinct offices, indueth a diuers appellatio •… : and therefore it is tearmed by them, in one respect Rationall; in an other Concupiscible; and in a third Irascible. By the first, it is apt to be illuminated, to vnderstand things that are aboue it, beneath it, and in it, and with it selfe. For, by this his propertie or faculty, it knoweth God aboue it selfe; the Angels which are ranked with it selfe, and whatsoeuer is comprehended in the whole circle of the heauens, beneath it selfe; such is his spirituall act of centrall emanation, by reason of that powerfull vertue, allotted her by God. By the second and the third it is inclined, either to desire and affect a thing, or to eschew and flye from it; that is, either to loue or hate, &c: And by this propertie of hers, she doth exercise herselfe about the Sympathy or Antipathy of those things, which are either proper or dissonant vnto her specifick nature. And therefore in this her office, she worketh mightily, in and about the effects of this Weapon-Salue, being that from these two later operations in her, proceedeth euery affection. For, as of Concupiscibility proceedeth all ioy and hope, because Natura laetatur in sua naturâ, &c: and therefore by the vnion of the liuely emanation, the dead or congealed spirit in the Salue, is quickned and viuified: So contrariwise, the liuing soule or naturall Spirit, in which the supernaturall Spirit doth act, is of it's owne nature obnoxious vnto a kind of spirituall dolor and feare, by reason of the Weapon that vsed violence vnto it, the which passions belong to, and are affected by the Irascible spirit; for asmuch as it either greiueth, or is made dolorous already at the violence offered, or seareth to bee greiued or made dolorous by it. These foure affections of the spirit of man, are the beginners; and as it were the common subiect of all vertuous and vicious actions, which befall vnto man. Now to expresse the large extension of that centrall spirit, which doth radically operate in the vitall spirit; the wisest Philosophers affirme, that it seeth it selfe in it selfe to the end, that it may rightly vnderstand it selfe in it selfe. And when it will know God, it eleuateth it selfe aboue it selfe, by it's mentallbeame; it penetrats all things, it beholdeth all things, as well present as absent; it is, when it pleaseth beyond the seas, and searcheth out things that are hidden: yea, and in one moment, it directeth and sendeth forth his beames vnto the farthest limits of the whole world, and searcheth out the secrets of it: it descendeth downe vnto the deepe, and mounteth vp againe from thence vnto heauen, and cleaueth fast to Christ, and is made all one with Christ. And must the infinite vertue of this all penetrating spirit, according vnto Master Fosters tenent, bee limited by any imaginary spheare of actiuity, assigned by the vaine Philosophy of the Ethnicks, which as the Apostle saith, is framed out after the tradition of man and the world, and not by God? Doth he not warne vs to beware that wee be not deceiued by such philosophicall doctrine, which doth disagree from the rules of Christ, in whom is the plenitude of the Godhood bodily? And must we now to obey Master Fosters phantasticall Idaea, breake the Lawes of the Apostle, to be deluded by his false Philosophy? But to returne vnto our purpose.

All this which is aboue mentioned, being well considered, namely, the Catholike Nature of the Spirit, which breathed life into the creatures, t •… e indiuisibility and indiuiduality of the giuer, and the gift which is giuen, nam Essentia diuina est indiuidua: The diuine Essence is in diuisible and vndiuided; and therefore the diuine Spirit imparted vnto the creature, is continuated and vndiuided, from him that giueth it: his infinity of extension, for asmuch as it is bounded with no limites: (and for this reason it is said, the Spirit bloweth where it listeth, and that without resistance) that this spirit can conuert it selfe from an actiue and liuely power, into a potentiall, congealing, &c: deadly property in the Creature, by withdrawing his actuall beames from the circumference of the Creature whither it did emit them for liuely actiuities sake, into the centre that is within it selfe, where it doth (in respect of the Creature) rest, and so depriueth the Creatures spirit by congealation of the motion, act and life, which by his spightfull Actiuity, it did impart vnto the naturall spirits, to make blood, fat, flesh and bones. For, this reason therefore (I say) namely, because of the presence of this incorruptible spirit, in the blood of the creature, God in any case forbids the Israelites to eate of blood: because (saith the Text) the life of the flesh 〈1 line〉 is in the blood. Here therefore obserue, that the Spirit of life is from God, who viuifieth all things: the life of the blood and fat is in this spirit and of this Spirit, wherefore it is written in another place, Sanguinem & adi •… em omnino non comedetis, you shall by no meanes eate the blood and the fat, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and the life of the bones is in the L •… 3. Acts 17. 24 flesh. It is easily therefore to be discerned, what a concatenation heere is of members in succession, which deriue their liues from one and the same radicall essence or spirit, and are made by it to sympathise with one and the same harmony in the creatures composition; being that he hath made of one blood all man-kinde, as S. Paul doth fitly, and consequently being all flesh and bones, are made of one blood, there must be a great relation betweene them and mans blood in generall, and consequently betweene the blood and the oyntment which is made of them.

These things therefore being rightly pondered, as infallible grounds, wee conclude thus: In the Question proposed, wee are to obserue these fiue obiects: namely, first the wound, secondly, the blood which issueth from the wound, thirdly, the manner of conueyance from the oyntment, to the wound, at any reasonable distance, fourthly, the nature of the oyntment, and lastly, the manner of operation, whereby the cure is effected.

First, therefore concerning the wound, it is a violation of the worke, which the spirit of life did effect, namely, an effusion of blood, in which the spirit of life is carryed and moueth, a hinderance and d •… erting of the course of the naturall humors, a diuision, and solution of the fat, flesh, and other such like parts from their integrity and continuity, an offence vnto that peaceable act of life, effected by that incorruptible spirit of God, which by this his property, or attribute, is apt to viuifie all in all. For, this cause therefore is this radicall, acting spirit interessed in this businesse, or vnnaturall action; as finding his worke hindered, and his essentiall action disturbed by the wound or violence offered: For, wheras the blood is the vehicle of it, and his viuifying act was to circulate in the organicall blood, and to cause transmutation of it into flesh, and other parts for vegetation & multiplications sake, and for the preseruation of the induiduum; Now is the same blood slused out at the mouth of the wound, and made inutill and of none effect; the body (for the animating of the which this secret spirit is euer diligently enclined) is debilitated and made drooping. Wherefore as the incorruptible and viuifying nature, hath intended to rectifie his humane spirit by her liuely actiuity, so verily is she ready to oppose all violence offered, and to correct & repaire againe, all that which violent irruption hath caused; much like the wise Spider, who when her web is made imperfect, and in part broken, doth her diligence to bring it againe to its wonted perfection.

Secondly, the blood, as it is the vehicle of the spirit of life, though it be by the wound voided out; yet retaineth in it this spirit of life; but in another property: for, it doth not now act to liue, that is to say, it doth not send forth his beames from the centre to the circumference to cause life; but contrarily, being as it were displeased with the violence of the act, contracteth it selfe from the circumference into the centre, that is, from action in the circumference of the creature, into it selfe, being contracted into the centre thereof, where it seemeth to rest, and so leaueth his bodily, and ayery vehicle as congealed, stupfied and dead; and here is that mystery discouered, namely, the reason, why the murtherer being brought before the murthered, the spirit centrally resting in the blood, doth miraculously emanate and flow forth, and make fluent againe, the blood, as being stirred vp by the like spirit antipathetically, acting and agitating from the blood of the murtherer: For (as I said before) this spirit in his irascible property is as apt to hate, as in his concupiscible to loue: For this reason, the Text teacheth vs, that the blood of a slaine man is required Gen 9. not onely of the murthering man, but of the beast, if it be shed by it: And againe, the blood of any thing must not be eaten; which were but superficiall, if the spirit of life did not after the effusion of the blood, rest in the blood, as also the reason; that the blood of such Leuit. 17. animalls as were slaine in hunting or hawking, should be buryed in the earth would proue of little validity. For this cause it is said in another place, Sanguine insontium Numb. 35. commaculata terra; expiari non potest nisi per eius sanguinem, qui alterius sanguinem fuderit: The earth being commaculated with the blood of the innocent, cannot be expiated, but by blood of the other. To conclude, Why should it be said, that the blood is the seat of the spirit of life, if it did not participate with it, after it is effused out of the wound, congealed, and as it were dead, and rest in the centre of it? yea, this spirit doth entirely leaue, and forsake the flesh of the dead, being that his life (as it is said) is in the blood; nor yet the very bones, forasmuch as they participate of the nature of the most earthly part of the flesh. Hence was it, that when certaine theeues had cast the body of one whom they •… ad murthered 〈◊〉 . 48. into the Tombe of Eliseus, the murthered person did with the onely touch of the Prophets bones rise againe to life, which could not haue been effected, if as well his diuine as viuifying nature had not participated with his bones; and vpon this it is sayd, that after death Eliseus his body prophesied and 4 King. 13. that hee did wonders in his life, and in death were his works maruellous. To conclude, the learned and wise Philosophers (speaking Enigmatically of this spirit) say that in the body there is a little bone called Luz, which will remaine with man till the latter day, and cause him to rise againe; but wee must vnderstand this after their owne sence, and not vulgarly. Let this, I beseech you be remembred, that the touch of Eliseus his bones, caused the dead to rise from death to life.

In the third place, I come to the manner of conueying of the blood from the wound vnto the oyntment. The blood is taken from the liuing fountaine of blood in the wounded, eyther as it is smeared on the weapon that did the deed, or as it is fastened on some sticke, Iron, or other thing, and so conueyed vnto the oyntment, at any reasonable distance. Now a reason is to be shewed, how it is possible that there can be any certaine relation betweene the wound and the oyntment: For (as Mr. Foster saith) there may be Castles, hills, walls, and grosse ayre betweene the oyntment and the wounded, which may hinder the cure.

First, wee must remember, that wee haue expressed in our precedent discourse, the excellency of the animating spirit, in whom is all the vertue, and each property of the foure winds, and being it is the spirit of spirits, Et spiritus spirat vbi vult, What (I pray you) can hinder his act or operation? And with what distance can his actiuity be limited, being that it is the spirit of the winds, and the soule of the lightnings, and the essence of the Sunne and starres of heauen, which by his animation doe cast their beames periferically vnto euery angle of the Horison, or Hemispheare? Can this spirir, because contained in mans blood, not penatrate many hundred miles by emanation out of his bloody vehicle, as it doth out of his cloudy Tabernacle in the forme, or rather vehicle, oflightning or, out from his Phoebean Palace in golden beames, whereupon it is said, In lumine numen, & in numine lumen, In light is diuinity, and in diuinity is light: so saith the Psalmist: Psalme 104. Amictus lumine, quasi vestimento, Hee is clothed with light, as with a garment. I tell you this is all one spirit which is in man, and that which operateth in the wings; and therefore it was said, Come, O spirit from the foure winds. This spirit cannot be diuided into parts; It filleth (as Salomon saith) the whole earth, and hath his seate in heauen, and therefore Sap 1 resideth in mans body and spirit, as is said, Esdras 〈◊〉 Esdr. 16. speaking of this spirit, saith, as before, The spirit of God Omnipotent hath made all things, and searcheth out all things in the bowells or secret places of the earth. Whereby it appeareth, that this very spirit by which man breathed, cannot be limited in his penetrating and extensiue dimension; nor yet hindred in his passage, by any intermediate obstacle.

To conclude, that man that beleeueth and relyeth on this spirit, may effect what he desireth: For, euen by the true knowledge and vse of it, the Prophets and Apostles did wonders, as well in curing as effecting matters of greater admiration. This spirit therefore, which is called intellectuall, as hee maketh to vnderstand; Inspiratio omnipotentis, saith Iob 9. 6. Iob, facit intelligere: Vitall in respect of his viuification, Spiritus Dei fortis fecit me, saith he, & spiraculum omnipotentis viuificauit me; And naturall in respect of Iob 9. vegetation and multiplication, visitatio tua (saith hee else where) conseruauit spiritum meum, doth act Iob 11. and shine forth by secret beames, v to that obiect of the dead blood, which is carryed from it vnto the oyntment, in which amputated blood, lurketh a portion of spirit, resting without action. Now the nature of the one, is reioyced in the nature of the other, forasmuch as both doe sympathise together, being that they are all of one consonance or degree, or vnison in vitall loue: as for example, I take two Lutes or Vialls, or any other such like instruments, I set one of them at one end of the table, & set the other at the other end, I put a small straw vpon one of the strings, of the one Lute, which importeth Ala-mi-re, or De-la-sol-re, and then stri •… the Gam-vt of the other Lute, and the straw will not once stirre, because theydoe not sympathise in one sound and proportion of wauing ayre, therefore haue they not a relation one vnto another: so also, if the blood be carryed vnto an oyntment heterogeneall in nature vnto the party wounded, it will doe nothing in this cure; but if you put a straw on the Gam-vt, or A-re, of the one, and strike the other on Gam-vt, or Are, being vnisons, you shall perceiue, the straw presently to leap of the other string, by reason of the ouer great vibration or louing actiuity, and like formall proportion, which he sympatheticall harmony, betwixt each strings, causeth to other in the aire, yea, this effect wil happen, though there be put boords, or other such like obstacles, as may hinder the direct line of the vibration in the aire or medium betwixt the two Lutes; In which experiment you may note, that the string strucke, is aptly compared vnto the blood of the wounded, being stil animated in his body, who doth by a secret emanation or emission, and that by a naturall inclination, and sympathy, cause in the selfe-same tone a secret communication between the still and occult spirit in the congealed blood, which is in the oyntment, which I compare to the string, which the straw hath on it: so that the string though it be of it selfe still, yet at the acting of that other chord, which is really moued with the actuall spirit, of the chord strucken, by meere concent, stirreth vp the still chord to act also, and by action to send backe againe a salutiferous harmony, vnto the acting spirit, which is as neere vnto his owne still or potentiall nature, as the tone of one Lute acting or strucke, vnto that of the other not strucke. For as both are but one spirit, though they seeme to differ in distance, as doe the chord of both Lutes, so likewise are those two tones but one tone; though they seeme to differ: and therefore make but one vnisone. But because the one spirit cannot essentially be separated from the other, no more then can diuinity effentially be diuided into parts, as also the one tone cannot be essentially distinguished from the other: therefore it doth liuely extend it selfe, à termino à quo, ad terminum ad quem: from the wound vnto the oyntment, as being all one spirit continuated, euen as wee see one thred extended from one end of a Chamber vnto the other. Now being this spirit requireth a spirituall vehicle like it selfe, it is carried, quasi super alas venti, as it were vpon the wings of the wind, in the hidden spirit of the blood, which seemeth as a vehicle: no otherwise then the essentiall spirit of the wind is carryed by the ayre, and obserueth no limited distance, neyther is hindred by mountaines, woods, or walls, to worke his effect: as wee see the Northwind doth produce in Lumbardy frost, Ice, snow, &c. Although the high Alpin mountaines, piercing the very clouds, are interposed. But I will bring a more familiar example of the graine of Corne, which being considered in himselfe, without his mother earth, seemeth no way to act; for his vitall spirit doth lurke in the centre, and not operate to the circumserence, eyther by way of vegetation, or multiplication. The fountaine from whence the vegetable soule comes by multiplication, is the sunne of heauen, which worketh life in all vegetable things, by the vertue of the foresaid Catholike spirit of life, which did put his Tabernacle in the Sunne, giuing a naturall increase of life and vegetation to euery thing: For, though this spirit in it selfe be Catholike, yet as it entreth into any specificall creature, it conuerteth his property vnto the viuification, mul •… plication, and generation of that very species, yea, euen vnto mankinde. Whereupon Aristotle saith, that Sol & homo generant hominem, the Sunne and a man, doe engender a man. As for example, it hath multiplied by the successiue influence of this piercing spirit in a graine of Wheat, being resuscitated (as S. Paul saith) after death and putrefaction in his proper earth, from one to twenty, and afterwards moueth vpwards in his ayery vehicle, with his strawie stalk, towards the fountaine of his being, and draweth by a sympatheticall, or magnetike vertue, his like from aboue, by the medium of the Carholike ayre. But it is obserued by husbandmen, that the better the ground is in temperature, wherein the graine is sowed, and the neerer vnto the nature of the graine, the better doth the graine prosper and multiply in vertue. Now the fountaine of the graines life, namely, the Catholike spirit of vegetation, doth chiefely reside in the Sunne of the great world, compared vnto the heart in man or the little world, which is vit •… principium, the beginning of life. the graine is fitly compared vnto the little blood, which is gathered from the bloody tree of life, mouing in the veynes and arteries, as in the strawy stalke or huske; the stalk growing still with the other graines on it, is referre vnto the whole masse of blood in the veynes, which doth remaine in manifest act. The amputed gr •… ine to the amputed blood, for which although they both doe remaine without any manifest act or life, yet neuerthelesse, they haue the spirit of life and multiplication in them centrally contracted, and therefore it remaineth in them onely in potentia agendi, able to act; but as yet acting nothing except it bee euocated and put in action by his like acting and viuifying nature, or rather by the same continued spirit emanating vnto the graine from the Sun, or vnto the amputated blood from the spir •… t in the wounded body. The in ward inuisible spirit of the blood, in which the Spirit of lise doth mo •… e to the oyntment from the wounded, is compared vnto the Etheriall or heauenly Spirit, in which, the incorruptible spirits influence doth moue, from the Sunne downe vnto the graine, by the common medium or vehicle of them both: in which, the Etheriall Sprit moueth also from the Sunne downeward vnto it's like, or rather it selfe, in the graine being now buried in the earth, or from the fountaine of life vnto the dead graine or blood in the oyntment, the which medium is the common Element of Ayre. The oyntment is the good ground, in which the bloudy graine doth dye and rise again, which I will now speake of.

The fourth to be considered, is the ointment and his nature. Who, but a meare Ideot can deny, that like doth desire his like, or that one Nature being stronger doth cherish, foster and releiue an other that is weaker, and the weaker reioyceth in the aide and comfort it bringeth? The ancient Physitians and Philosophers haue obserued, that lungs nourish lungs, and braines nourish braines that are weake, the spleene helps to fortifie the spleene, & for weak gutts wee make Glysters of boyled gutts, the stomacke of a cocke helpeth digestion, the very spittle voided by the Phtisic all lungs, are said to cure th •… lungs, wormes mortified, and dryed to pouder, destroy wormes. The stone of the Kidney or blather, rightly prepared, cureth the stone. In conclusion it is certaine, that simile agit naturali inclinatione in suum simile, like worketh in his like. Natura enim laetatur suâ naturâ, natura naturâ gaudet: Nature reioyceth in his nature, Nature is glad at the presence of his nature. Now if wee looke into the composition of this medicince, we shall find, that it is of a wonderfull consonance with the blood of man, for •… s before I haue signified vnto you, That the blood is the seat of the spirit of life, and that the life of the flesh is in the blood, and also that the spirit of life is immediately, as well in the fat, as in the blood, and therefore these two are forbidden to be eaten; but are to be reserued, a part for a sacrifice due vnto God; and being that the life of the bones is in the blood and flesh, and therefore doe communicate with the spirit of life, and consequently haue in them a balsamick marrow, which is full of spirits, and affecteth wholesomely the other parts. Therefore without doubt, there is the selfe-same relation of vnison betwixt this ointment with the blood in it and the wounded mans nature; as is between the string of one lute, that is proportioned vnto the other in the same tone: And for this cause will be apt to euibrate & quauer forth one mutuall consent of simpatheticall harmony, if that the spirits of both, by the vertuall contact of one anothers nature, be made by conueying the indiuiduall spirit of the one into the body of the other, that the liuely balsamick vertue of the one, may comfort and stir vp the dull and deadly languishment of the other, no otherwise then the actiuity of one lute string struck, doth stirre vp the other to moue, which was before still and without life: or as wee see the graine of corne, being put into the earth, which hath beene well manu •… ed with the dung of horses, that haue fed on the same graine is quickly animated by the Sun beames, and made to moue, and ascend towards the fountaine of his acting Spirit. For euery spirit doth by a naturall instinct or inclination tend vpwards vnto his natiue Country.

To conclude: I must now come to the reaping vp of this mysticall operation of curing; Master Foster saith; it cannot be accomplished by any vertuall contact, being it is out of the limited spheare of actiuity. Doth hee, or his sharpest witted Masters know the certaine limits of actiuity in euery thing that hee concludeth thus boldly? Foelix qui potuit rerum talium cognoscere causas. But I am sure, I can discerne no such felicity in his reuelations or prescriptions of limits vnto naturall agents, much lesse vnto that spirit, which acteth and operateth all in all, and ouer all. Qui quicquid vult facit, tàm in virtutibus Coeli, quàm in habitatoribus terrae; which effecteth, what it pleaseth: and therefore, at what distance it listeth: as well with the vertues of heauen, as with the dwellers on the earth. If this great Aduersary to the Weapon-Salue-Salue, would but consider the wonderfull operation, that this Catholicke spirit produceth in this cold and contracting facultie, as when he moueth from the North and maketh snow, frost and Ice, by the contracting of the thin spirit of the world into a thick body, and sucketh vp the fountaines of the earth on high; all which is done by contracting his action from the circumference vnto the center, or emission from the center to the circumference, causing the common element to alter from a dilated spirit to a contracted body: And againe from a contracted body, to a dilated one; for by an alteration, quite opposite to his Boreall act or Northerne disposition, it vndoeth in his dilating property, and resolueth all, that it did effect by his cold condition, in mouing and making aliue againe the waters that were congealed, rendring them diaphanous or transparent, and spirituall or inuisible things, though they were before thick, opack, dark, corporall and visible. And againe: if he with discretion would consider, how it doth depresse and strike downe into the earth, the fountaines by his presence, in his Sunny tabernacle, which by his cold propertie were raysed out of the eart •… : If I say, hee would well ponder with himselfe, how the •… unne being now in the South beyond the Equinoctiall doth subtilitate there the thick Ayre, and dissolue the frosty, snowy, and Icy effects, which the cold did make in that Hemispheare, whilest the Sunnes presence, in the Northerne world did worke •… ere contrary effects; and how on this side the Equinoctiall, by his contractiue faculty, it partly sucketh vp the fountaines of the Southerne world out of the earth, and partly by his dilatiue action depresseth on that side the said fountaines, appearing in the Northerne Climats: Then would he not call the action of this most potent spirit in question, or limit it (according to the phantastick opinion of some men) within an imaginary spheare of actiuity, being that this spirit, is from him who filleth all, and operateth all, and in all: and therefore consequently effecteth the great works of contraction and dilatation, which are so apparant in euery Angle of the world. Will he circumscribe this action of eleuating fountaines, and againe depressing them, within any spheare or orbe, except it bee that of the round world? Will hee thinke, that this action made betweene the potentiall habit of priuation or cold, and that of life and position which is heate, requireth a small interuall, to make the two extremes so farre distant from each other, as the North is from the South, to meete and concurre in a Symphoniacall proportion? The hotter and more intemperate, and consequently the more dilatiue the one Hemispheare is, the colder and more contractiue is the opposite: And therefore the more depression of fountaines there is by extreme heate in the one Hemispheare, the more are they sucked & drawne vp out of the earth, by the att •… actiue vertue of the extreme cold of the other. This I can, and will be ready to demonstrate, to any one that doubteth of this point, by an ocular conclusion or demonstration.

It is euident therfore by this, which we haue produced, that this magneticall kind of cure is Donum Dei, the Gift of God, according vnto Paracelsus his opinion, and not the act of the Deuill, as Master Foster, most vnchristianly hath published; attributing against reason and conscience, that vnto the Deuill, the worst and foulest of spirits (whose office is onely destructiue and wounding, and not constructiue or healing) which is the onely property of this best, fayrest or purest of all spirits, on whom attend all good Angels, to doe his will, as the Deuill hath his bad angels to destroy.

You may therefore see by this (Gentle Reader) how life is breathed into the creature by Gods good Spirit of life: how his seate or vehicle, in which he moueth, is the blood, how that fat, flesh and bones haue their life and vegetation from the spirit, that moueth in the blood, how this spirit operateth, priuatiuely by contracting his beames of life, from the circumference vnto the center of the Creature where it resteth, or rather ceaseth to operate the effects of his office of life, as it is made manifest in the dead & congealed blood or graineof wheat; and againe, it operateth positiuely to life, by which it reuiueth that which was dead, by sending out his act from the centre to the circumference of the creature, as it doth in the graine of Wheat, buryed in the ground, or the congealed blood, cleauing eyther to stick or weapon, conueyed to the oyntment, as his most naturalest earth. I shewed you how the spirit is all one, and vndiuisible, and therefore that this which resideth in the salue, and that which operateth in the body, are concatenated, or continuated essentially one to another, as being all one spirit, though it commeth from the foure winds: not diuided, I say, in essence, but onely differing in property, for it worketh contractingly by eold, & dilatingly by heate: also that there is but one common vehicle, which carryeth this spirit in the Etheriall substance of the blood. And lastly, that because the oyntment is made of mans blood, mans fat, mans flesh, or mummy, and the fumous excrescence of mans bones, called vznie or the mosse that groweth on the skull, according vnto my receit, and for that the nature of the Catholike spirit thus specified, is in the oyntment, though not working, and is stirred vp to operate by the vnion which it hath now from the beames of the li •… ely and operating spirit of the wounded; no otherwise then the Sunne doth operate on the earth, in which the dead graine of Wheat lyeth, and with it calleth, or stirreth vp the centrall spirit, occult in the dead blood, to operate as the Sunne beame doth the atome of life, which is in the graine. Therefore the mixtion of these two spirits now operating, in one viuifying vnion, makes them to tend vnto the fountaine of life, as the graine rifing out of the earth, would carry also his like, which was clad in earth, vpward toward his natiue home, did not the heauy coats of the elements hinder his further ascent. But because this earth or salue is more spirituall, it sendeth out his power vnto the blood, by that harmony, which the continuation of spirit doth effect, namely, as it were by an vnison, by reason of the vniformity of the specifick spirit belonging vnto man, by the vnion whereof the foure discordant elements, and euery member of mans body are vnited vnto a fympatheticall harmony, adopted to the vse of life in the creature, yea, also forasmuch, as the blood, flesh, fat, and bones in all other vnreasonable creatures, are framed out of one kinde of elementary forme, and fashioned alike, by the same operating spirit; it is no maruell, if his blood being brought vnto the same oyntment, doe also cause health in the wounded creature, being it doth generally tend to life, which is proper to all bloody creatures, no exceptions had vnto each specifick difference. Whether this therefore (being well conceiued and pondered euen by the very zealous, with little vnderstanding) can appeare an act of the diuell, and not the blessed gift of God; I leaue it to the scanning of such as can better iudge of this matter then my selfe.

But now (Courteous Readers) that I may conclude this Theo-philosophicall member, with a better tast or relish vnto the pallats of your riper iudgements, and well seasoned conceptions; I purpose to fall from this Theoricall, or speculatiue course of demonstation, and betake my selfe a while vnto a more practicall, or experimentall way of direction: whereby you may the better enter into the plaine and direct trace of truth, touching the resolution of the foresaid question; and I will diuide this my practicall discourse into three seuerall chapters: whereof the first, or fourth shall teach you by an euident experience, that the agent or internall principle in this cure, is in the blood, or body of the liuing man that is wounded, and consequently the diuell must needes be excluded from being any agent or actor in it. The second or fift shall expresse diuers true histories touching this cure, as they haue beene acted heere at home amongst vs in England. The third or sixt shall disco or the true ground why our aduersary wrote this booke. And the last shall tell certaine manner of sympatheticall cures, which will appeare sarre more strange, and more surpassing the capacity of our Sponge-carrier, then that of the weapon-salue. Of these therefore in order thus.

IF it were indeed (as Mr. Foster would haue it) that the diuell is the sole author and actor in this cure, and that hee performeth it craftily and sophistically by other medicines to delude the simple Mountebanks, then is it not likely that there can be any agent •… in the blood that could resist or hinder this his cure, which also appeareth to be the more probable, because that the nature of the wounded person, is apt and inclined by all meanes possible, to put off all languishment, and desireth to haue her Tabernacle in a wholesome and sound estate. And for this reason wee see, that by the application of salues, balsames or inward physicke, the naturall spirits, and internall actor of life doth helpe and assist the medicines in their cure, or else they would not effect any such matter. For this reason is the Physician called, Adiutor naturae, The helper of nature.

Now, that the principall agent of this cure, is comprehended in the body of the wounded, I proue it in this manner: It hath beene auerred, and will be ma •… ntained by persons of great knowledg, no Babies, but of a farre greater maturity, both in learning and iudgement, then our Sponge-carryer, that in their manifold experience they haue obserued, and found it most true, that when the wounded person hath sent his blood on a sticke, yron, or weapon, to the place of the oyntment, and that thereupon hee hath beene in a good way of healing, if in the time of his cure, he hath to doe with a menstruous woman, immediately the curatiue power in the oyntment is lost, and it will doe him no good: also they haue oftentimes obserued, that if the wounded person happen in the meane season to haue an issue of blood out of his nose, the curatiue property will be quite taken away, and it will profit nothing after this; whereby it is apparant that this happeneth, because the act, and secret emanation of the internall spirit of life in the wounded, is diuerred from his application or aspect vnto the weaponsalue. And therefore leaueth the one to operate in the other, which are so immediate vnto it and the body, euen as in heauen we see, that agreater aspect, or more potent application, of one planet vnto another, doth drowne and take away the lesser.

There is another admirable experiment, tryed by a noble personage, of whom I wil make mention more at large in the sixt chapter of this member: for one of his men hauing deeply cut his finger, and that about the ioynt, with a sith, as he was mowing of grasse; his finger bled still, and could not easily be staunched. Wherefore this Earle, wished them to knoke off the Sithe from the handle, and to bring it vnto him, that hee might anoynt it: the wounded fellow went about it himselfe, and at the very first knocke that hee gaue the weapon that had wounded him, the blood stanched, and he bled not one drop more. And verily he acknowledged, that though there were not a iot of blood to be discerned on the weapon; yet if hee anoynted the place of the instrument that made the wound (which oftentimes he confessed, he was forced to doe by guesse) hee did performe as well the cure, as if the blood had stucke vpon it. Out of which reuelation or derection I gather, that all the mystery of this cure, consisteth in the secret and inuisible spirit, which is within the blood, as well remaining still, and operating in the wounded body, as that which hath penetrated inuisibly into the weapon: for, else, without the presence of the visible blood, it could not operate, yea, and out of that obseruation, namely, that the Sithe, or weapon being strucke, the blood did forth-with stanch; there is as great a mystery opened, as when the presench of the murtherer, doth cause the congealed blood in the murthre •… to flow and runne againe; all which is effected, partly by the contracting property of the occult spirit in the blood, and partly by his dilatation, as is said before.

Hereby it is made cleare, that it is not the deuill, that by externall application worketh any thing in this cure, but it is by the centrall emanation of that spirit in the wounded, that giueth him life, which operateth ab interno, as by these experiments it is made euident. I come to the next Chapter of experimented cures.

NOw will I relate vnto you the stories of certaine homebred cures, which haue beene effected by this Weapon-Salue, that thereby wise men may deeme or gesse vprightly, whether the Deuill hath a finger in this cure, yea, or no.

There is a Knight dwelling in Kent, a man iudicious, religious and learned, called Sr. Nichol •… Gilbourne, one (I say) with whom I both am, and haue beene long familiar. For he married my Sister. This Knight hauing good acquaintance with one Captaine Stiles, for asmuch as in times past he was his tenant, was with the said Captaine in the Company of very good and learned Diuines, at the making of the said Oyntment, who saw all the ingrediences apart, and after beheld an Apothecary to compound them together without any kinde of superstitious action, where it was generally adiudged to be a lawfull medicine, and no way superstitious or diabolicall. A box of this oyntment was bestowed on this my brother in law; what wholsome effects it hath wrought, I will in a word relate vnto you, and that verbatim as I haue it vnder his own hand.

The first (saith hee) was at Chatam in Kent, where the seruant of one Poppee a ship wright, was cut with his axe into the instep, so deepe as it could passe, and not cut it off; vpon the hurt (which was in the after noone) hee was brought vnto me; but I refused to meddle with it, onely I aduised him, to wash his wound with his owne vrine, which he did. The next morning early I did dresse the axe, and after dressing it, I did send to know, how the fellow did? Answer was made that hee had beene in great paine all the night; but now lately was at ease. The next morning comming into my study, I strucke my Rapier downe vpon the Axe, the hilt whereof strucke the oyntment off from the axe, which when I found, I sent to vnderstand how hee did? and had answer, that he had beene exceeding well that night; but this morning he was in great paine, and so continued: I therefore anointed the axe againe, and then sent againe vnto him, and heard that hee was then at great ease: and within seauen dayes was perfectly well.

These are his very words, which by letter hee •… ent vnto me. By which it is manifest, that the cure is (contrary to Master Fosters assertion) performed by the Weapon-Salue; and not by other secret medicine applied by the Deuill; but rather this inuention of Master Fosters is deuillish, and the cure of the ointment naturall. For else, why should the ointment on the axe, being discouered or stuck off by the sword hilts, be an occasion of the suddaine alteration in the wound from better to worse? And why should the wound returne againe from his dolorous distemper vnto his wonted ease, after the re-anointing and couering anew of the Weapon?

His second History of this manner of curing was this: I (saith Sr. Nicholas Gilbourne) hauing giuen vnto mee the sewing of a pond at Charing; after I had done, the boyes of the towne went into it to seeke for fish. Among the rest Brent Deering (the Sonne of Master Finsh Deering) did goe into it for that purpose, and there had a Reed runne into the calfe of his leg: This bled much, & put him to great paine, which caufed his mother to send vnto one Iohn Hart a Chirurgion of Charing to search and dresse the wound; but hee continued after dressing full of paine, and apt to faint. Whereupon his Sister was sent vnto me, to doe my best for his ease. I answered that I could doe no good, because he was already drefled by the Chirurgiō. But that would not satisfie them: and therefore vpon their importunity, I aduised them (because they informed me that the orifice was very narrow) to wash away all the Chirugions work, and to put a knitting needle into the wound, so farre as it would goe, and to tye a thred where it would passe no further: they did so, and found that it went quite through to the very •… kin on the other side. This knitting needle I did anoynt, and in foure or fiue dayes, it was well in appearance, sauing that vpon the top of the orifice, there was a dry scale. I was nothing well satisfied, to find that it was not perfectly well, but had still a scale remaining vpon it. And therefore I did newly anoynt the knitting needle ouer night, and the next morrow, there came out of the orifice, a small splinter of the Reed, and after that, it was in two or three dayes perfectly whole,

These are the very words of Sr. Nicholas Gilborns letter: What will Mr. Foster say to this cure? What? Was it the diuell did this cure by other medicines, and not by this magnetike or sympatheticall oyntment? verily, the case is plaine, that all the curatiue power did consist in the salue: For, the effects in curing did testifie so much; but the principall agent issued or rather did emanate from the wounded boy.

And alas, what could the diuell get against the poore childe, in performing secretly this cure, who expected nothing else, but the assistance Gods blessing and mercy for his reliefe? An innocent childe (I say) and therefore in the protection of the Almighty, Iusto refugium (saith Dauid) Deus & propugnaculum, Psalme 9.10. What? was the tutelar Angel of this child (which Christ saith, doth alwayes behold the face of his Matth 18.11. father which is in heauen) so negligent, as to lose the speciall charge committed vnto him by God, through so poore a slight of the diuell? Castramet •… tur Angeli (saith the Psalmist) circa timentes cum, & Psalme 34. recipit eos. And would they also be so easily deluded, which are more vigilant to preserue Gods Elect, then Argos with his hundred eyes?

You may by this, discerne our 〈◊〉 foppery and imaginary fictions, touching the profound mystery of this cure. I come to the third.

By Windsor, there was one, who had somewhat to doe in the Chase or Forrest, who, as he was mowing of a piece of medow, fell backeward vpon the edge of his Sithe, and cut all his back so dangeroussly, that his life was greatly to be feared; the Sithe forthwith sent to London to Captaine Stiles, who was anoynted it, wrapped it vp, and laid it aside. Not long after, there came one to demand for Doctor Stiles, and he was sent vnto Do. Stiles; The Minister, who vnderstanding that it was about a thankes-giuing for a cure done by the weapon-salue, sent him vnto the Captaine; hee desires to speake with him: The Captaine being at dinner, or supper, with diuers of his friends, sent for the fellow into the dining roome, and there hee told the Captaine, that the wounded man, did acknowledge of him his life vnder God, assuring him that the dangerous wound did heale a pace, after hee had sent his Sithe vnto him, and was thorowly cured without any other application. And for a part of recompence, and to expresse his thankfulnesse, hee presented him with a side of Red Deere.

Heere you may see, that this cure was performed at a distance of 20, miles betweene the wound and the oyntment.

SIr Nicholas Gilbourn relateth in his letter vnto mee these words: The last time (saith he) the Lady Ralegh was at Eastwell at the Countesse of Winchelsey her house, wee falling into some discourse, concerning the Sympatheticall oyntment, shee told mee, that her late husband, Sir Walter Ralegh, would suddenly stop the bleeding of any person (albeit hee were farre and remote from the party) if he had a handkirchers, or some other piece of linnen dipped in some of the blood of the party sent vnto him. If this were done by the diuell, I presume, that so wise a Personage, as was Sir Walter Ralegh, would haue lest, or at least-wise not haue vsed that Trade of curing or stopping of blood.

There are foure histories more, that I wil tell you, whereof the two first are forraine, and the two last were acted at home namely here in England.

The first of the forraine Stories was acted in Italy, and hath beene there so famous and remarkeable, that vnto this present, it is as well in the natiue countrey-mans mouth, as in the report of such trauellers as haue passed thorow the countrey; yea, and there are authors of credit, that haue enrolled it in their written monuments. It was thus: There was a certaine Lord, or Nobleman of Italy, that by chance lost his nose in a fight or combate, this party was counselled by his Physicians to take one of his slaues, and make a wound in his arme, and immediately to ioyne his wounded nose to the wounded arme of the slaue, and to binde it fast, for a season, vntill the flesh of the one was vnited and assimulated vnto the other. The Noble Gentleman got one of his slaues to consent, for a large promise of liberty and reward; the double flesh was made all one, and a collop or gobbet of flesh was cut out of the slaues arme, and fashioned like a nose vnto the Lord, and so handled by the Chirurgion, that it serued for a naturall nose. The slaue being healed and rewarded, was manumitted, or set at liberty, and away he went to Naples. It happened, that the slaue fell sicke and dyed, at which instant, the Lords nose did gangrenate and rot; whereupon the part of the nose which hee had of the dead man, was by the Doctors aduice cut away, and hee being animated by the foresaid experience, followed the aduice of the same Phisician, which was to wound in like manner his owne arme, and to apply it to his wounded and mutilated nose, and to endure with patience, till all was compleate as before. He with animofity & patience, did vndergoe the brunt, and so his nose continued with him vntill his death.

What? Must wee esteeme this worke the act of Gods spirit in man, or a deceitfull and prestigious operation and trumpery of the diuell? Verily, it must needes by wise men be adiudged to proceed from that good act of Gods viuifying spirit, which did operate by way of life and vegetation in them both. Is it not strange therefore (the one liuing about Bolongnia in Italy, and the other being in Naples) that according to Master Fosters tenent, neither the tall Hills of Hetruria; nor yet the high Appenine mountaines could stop the concourse and motion of these two spirits, or rather one spirit continuated in two bodies, as a line being stretched out from two extremes, of so farre a distance. Surely M. Foster will say, this is Magicall and diabolicall.

The second forraine Story was this.

I was, whilest I did soiourne in Rome, acquainted with a very learned and skilfull personage, called Master Gruter, hee was by birth of Swisserland: and for his excellency in the Mathematick, and in the Art of motions and inuentions of Machins, he was much esteemed by the Cardinall Saint George: This Gentleman taught mee the best of my skill in those practices: and amongst the rest, hee deliuered this magneticall experiment vnto me, as a great secret, assuring me that it was tried in his Country, vpon many with good successe. When (said he) any one hath a withered and consumed member, as a dried arme, leg, foot, or such like, which physicians call an Atrophie of the lims, you must cut from that member, bee it foot or arme, the nailes, haire, or some part of the skin, then you must pierce a willow tree with an Auger or wimble vnto the pith, and afterward put into the hole the pared nailes and skin, and with a peg made of the same wood, you must stoppe it close: Obseruing that in this action the Moone be increasing, & the good Planets in such a multiplying Signe, as is Gemini, and fortunate and powerfull ouer Saturne, which is a great dryer. The selfe-same effect (said hee) you shall finde in you, take the nailes and haire, which is cut off the member, and close them in the roote of an hasle tree, and shut vp the hole, with the barke of the tree, and after couer it with the earth, and (said he) it hath beene tried, that as the tree dayly groweth and flourisheth, so also by little and little, will the patient recouer his health. But you must with diligence obserue, the motion of the heanenly bodies, and especially the places of the Sunne and Moone, when this is effected. And to this intent, he did disclose vnto me, the time and seasons when the preparion vnto such a cure should be effected. But alas! What haue I done? Now hath Mr. Foster enough to cry out that this is Magick indeed; here is superstition in the highest degree: For did not he say pag. 17. that it is an astrologicall, and therefore superstitigus obseruation to collect any ingredient, or to doe any thing by attending and expecting, when the Moone should bee in such or such a house of heauen, and that by Scriptures, Astrologers, Magitians and Sorcerers, like birds of a feather, are linked together? A worshipfull exploit in in this demure Gentleman! His blindnesse leadeth him in this as in the rest. For first hee concludeth, that all Magick in generall is damnable and diabolicall, because one species or member of it, is iustly to be banished from Christian mens remembrance: as if there were not a naturall magick, by which Salomon did know all the mysteries in nature, and the operations thereof; yea, as if the three wise Kings of the East, did discouer, that the true King of the Iewes was borne, by diabolicall Magick. How now Master Foster, were these three wise men Cacomagicall Magitians, or such as the Scripture did allow of, and we Christians keepe a holy day in their remembrance? Right Friar Mersennus his ape! For he condemneth all Magia without exceptions of kinds; not remembring, that Magus is in the Persian tongue interpreted a wise man or a priest. And in the very same manner, this Gentleman, after his Masters custome condemneth all Astrologie, for that members sake, which is truely superstitious and vnlawfull; not considering, that the verity in both, the true Magick and Astrology hath been falsely contaminated and abused by superstitious worldlings, and thereupon made the good, in the eyes of the ignorant, to bee abolished and condemned with the bad, for the bad sake: and so goodnesse by vile men is swallowed, without any difference, by darknesse.

I would therefore haue our Sponge-bearing aduersary know, that there are foure parts or kinds of Astrology in generall. The first is conuersant about the mutation of the aire, and foretelling of tempests, diseases, famine, or plenty, &c. The second foretelleth the alterations of states, as also wars, or a pacifick dispotion in the minds of men. The third intreateth of the election of times, and of natiuities. The last is directed vnto the fabricating of characters, seales and Images, the which, because it mingleth it selfe with superstitious actions, & is made an instrument for the abuses of impious persons; and especially, because a diabolicall insinuation vnto vice and impiety, may easily be perceiued in it, is of all good Christians to be repudiated and condemned for vnlawfull What? Is the Almanack makers Science for this Mr. Fosters exceptions, to be put downe, or must Physicians be forced to forsake or neglect their houres of election, ingathering of simples, or letting blood, or cutting the hayre and nailes, or stopping laxes, or making the belly lubricke for this mans caueat? Doth not Amicus medicorum auerre, that the influence of heauen, may helpe the working of medicines? For (saith hee) Oftentimes medicines laxatiue, are by vnskilfull Phisicians, giuen vnder an influence of heauen, that worketh a contrary or stiptick effect, & so are hindred. Also saith he, Sometimes medicine is giuen to stop, when the disposition of the heauens are lubrick and laxactiue, and then the medicine loseth his effect. And for this cause, Haly saith, the Physician that is ignorant in Astrology, is as a blinde man, searching out his way without a staffe, groping and reeling this way and that way. And Ptolomeus, that a good Astrologian may auert many effects of the stars which are to come. Doth not Galene & Hipocrates speake much in their critical treatises, of the necessity of obseruing the Moones motion? But letting this passe: What say wee to the husbandmans obseruation of times and seasons, as well in sowing as in reaping? If this will not serue to stop our Aduersaries violence, wee will comevnto the testimonie of Scriptures: for the confirmation as well of election of seasons, as to proue that the influence of the heauens doth operate as well good as euill effects. For the first it is said, Eccl 3. Est tempus plantandi, & tempus exstirpandi quod fuit plantatum: Est tempus belli, & est tempus pacis, &c. There is a time to plant, and a time to pull vp what is planted: there is a time of war, and a time of peace; And the Son of Syrach: in the good day, enioy that which is good, and beware of Eccl 7. the euill day, as God made the one, so also 〈◊〉 ordained the other: An S. Paul wisheth vs, to put on the armour of Ephes. 6. God, that wee may resist the diuell in the vnfortunate day. Now, if the starres be the distinguisher and guider of times, as Moses telleth vs, surely the influence eyther good or bad for them, maketh good or bad Angells, to haue more or lesse dominion ouer creatures. That there are bad influences from aboue, these words of Dauid doe testifie: Deus est custos tuus, Sol & non percutiet dierno tempore; nec Luna nocte: God is thy preseruer, the Sunne shall not strike or wound thee by day, nor the Moone by night, &c. And is it not acknowledged, that the Moone is the procurer of the Epilepticke disease? Where it is said in the Euangelist in plaine termes, that the possessed was Lunatick? Also that there are good influences from aboue, it is argued by this Iob 38. 21. Text of Iob, Canst thou restraine the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in their time? Canst thou also guide Arcturus with his sonnes? Knowest thou the course of heauen? or canst thou set the rule thereof on the earth, &c? For in this Text, wee finde the good influences of the starres are mentioned: and heere also it is expressely noted, that the heauens haue their powers on the earth.

I boldly affirme therefore, that all Astrology is not forbidden for as much as there is an especiall obseruation to be had by wise men, of the influence of the stars. And for that purpose, there are houres of election, duely to be obserued according vnto this or that influence, which is most proper and conuenient for our worke. Againe, whereas Mr. Foster seemeth to make so slight account of the 12. Signes, and their essentiall operations on the earth; he may see, that such as haue made their allaterall notes vpon the Text, doe interpret the word Mazzaroth, to signifie the 12. signes, which doe possesse the 12. houses of the Zodiack, which being so, marke the Texts conclusion: Canst thou set the rule thereof on the earth? whereby it is euident, that the 12. signes, haue an especiall rule ouer the earth, and the creatures thereof, and that by Gods ordinance and appointment.

By this it is made manifest, that there is no Cacomagicall superstition, in obseruing times, daies, or houres, in which this or that starre hath dominion, for the collecting of ingrediences, or preparation and adaption of medicines, or other matters, proper for the cure of man, as Mr. Foster doth vniustly auerre.

To conclude, therfore this point, we may discerne by the foresaid experiment, how the vegetatiue force of the plant operateth, in the excrementitious parts of the withered member, no otherwise then the ointment in the amputed blood, and how the spirit of those nailes and haire, and skin, do participate with that of the withered member, no otherwise then that of the blood in the oyntment, doth with the bloody spirits of the wounded, or as the vrinall excrements, with the blood in •… ected with the •… aunders, as shall be told you heereafter, or else they could not conferre or exspire the vegetating spirit of the plant, vnto the decayed member; neither could the spirit in the decayed member, magnetically draw the vegetating spirit of the plant vnto it, that by the addition of its power, it might with the more speed prosper and recouer.

It is commonly obserued amongst vs, yea, and familiar in old wiues practice, that if a piece of fresh beefe be rubbed well on warts, either in the hand or other member, and buried in the ground, the warts haue bin accustomed to fade by little and little, as the beefe doth rot and putrifie in the ground: and that if the party that hath the warts be at a farre distance from the place, where the beefe is buried. Must this kind of cure also be cacomagicall, or diabolicall? yea, verily, as well as the rest, if that be true which M. Foster and his associates doe auerre.

I could remember each reader of many of these vsuall conclusions in naturall Magicke, which being well pondered, would, I imagine, proue •… farre enough in euery wise mans iudgement, from any diabolicall practice or commerce; but because I feare, I should be in doing, more tedious then delectable, vnto each curious, I will come briefely vnto the two homebred histories, which I did promise vnto you before.

The first of our homebred histories is this: There is at this present, an honest religious Gentlewoman about London, that taketh an herbe, called the Rose of the Sunne, which hath small husks about it, which will open and shut, and shee putteth it in plantain-water, and it shutteth and closeth vp. She therefore, when a woman with child beginneth her labour, giueth her a little plantain-water, and though the labouring woman, appeareth to the Midwife neuer so ready to be deliuered; yet if the Gentlewoman see the vegetable closed, she concludeth, that they are deceiued, and that there is no such matter, and so it proueth indeed. Againe, when the Midwife doubteth of her deliuery, and yet she is indeed neer it; The flower will open by little and little as the Matrix doth, and then the Gentlewoman bids the Midwife looke to it, assuring her, that she is ready for it, and it proueth so. This story was related very lately vnto mee, by a Noble man of worth, and confirmed by a reuerent Doctor and his Apothecary, who •… erre, that certaine Midwiues doe at this day, make 〈◊〉 of this naturall conclusion.

Now I know, that M. Foster will say, that this also is diabolicall and superstitious. Good God, what will this man leaue to be ascribed and attributed, to the onely actor in all operations, as well vulgar as mysticall, when there is nothing hidden, or rare in this world, which this greater agent for the diuell, then I am a witch, as he termeth me, doth not attribute to his Master, the diuell, so that God forsooth must be granted to act only in vulgar and sensible things, but as for all hidden mysteries, the actiuity of those must proceed from the diuell, and be only attributed vnto him. To conclude, we see an admirable sympathy, betwixt the vegetable, minerall and Animall, and the parts of mans body, as the coultsfoot, which is framed like the lungs, is good for the lungs: herniaria for the rupture, liuerwort for the liuer, eyebright for the eyes; and againe, among minerals, Gold for the heart, and Siluer for the braine, brimstone for the lungs, yron for the spleene, as also the spleenstone cureth the spleene, if it be worne on the wrest. And why may not the herbe haue the like relation and correspondence in nature with the matrix; And that by reason of the vehicle of plantainwater, which did communicate, the nature of the one with the other, the ayre being the common medium.

The last hom ebred story is this: There is a Noble Personage in this kingdome of no meane descent, Title and ranke, among the English Nobility, a most wise, graue, aged, and religious Gentleman, I say, who hath cured a hundred in his time, of the yellow Iaunders, the patient being 10. 20. 30. 40. (yea, & as he and others haue reported) almost 100. miles off from him: and many of them, that hee hath so cured, haue laine long drooping vnder the burthen of this disease, before they came to him, in so much that the vse of cōmon receits of physicians could not ouercome it. Hee hath both performed it by his seruants at home, and hath communicated the secret vnto some of his friends abroad, amongst whom he hath bin pleased to rank my selfe. The vrin therefore of the patient, is sent vnto this great Lord. His māner of cure is this, he taketh the ashes of a wood, cōmonly knowne and growing here amongst vs in England, hee maketh a past of this wood with the vrin, reseruing a little of the vrin a part for another purpose, this past so molded & made vp with vrin, is diuided into 7. or 9 lumps or balls, and in the top of each of these, he maketh a small hole, and putteth in it a litle of the vrin remaining, & into those parts of vrin, hee putteth a blade of saphron. And so without further doing, hee puts the lumps in a secret place, where they must not be stirred, left the cure be hindred. And experience hath taught the world, many a score of icteritiall men, or infected with the yellow Iaunders, haue by this simple meanes beene cured: and this is well knowne vnto a 1000. persons. Lord! What a diabolicall medicine will this appeare in the chaste eies of Mr. Foster? •… e wil straight way cry out, This is abominable and diabolicall witch-craft, and they are witches and coniurers that do vse it! But beware Mr. Foster of railing, or calumniating this personage; for he is such a one, as will endure no coals, but will chastice any of your vnmannerly brauadoes. What, I say? Is the diuell in the sick mans water, or is it in the burnt ashes of the wood? (They say, that witches implements being burnt, causeth all magicall power to vannish) or is it in the poore blades of saphron, that are drenched in the vrin; No truly, but rather in their conceits that dreame so. For it is most certaine, that the plant and the saphron haue hidden properties in them, to cure the Iaunders. All the mystery therefore of this cure, belongth vnto the respect or relation, which is between the blood of the infected, and the whay of the blood, which carrieth with it partly some of the naturall salt and tincture of the blood, and partly some of the relicks of the I cteritious humor, which maketh the vrin of so high a yellow. The spirit of blood therefore with his agent lurking in the tincture, and salt, which is in the watery serous, or whaiey excrement, and being buried in that medicinable earth, or ashes, in which the salt of the plant dwelleth, or stirred vp by the continuation which it hath with that spirit of life, which yet dwelleth in the sick mans vaines. Therefore the water being inhumed and mingled, with that medicinall earth, and mixed with saphron, the viuifying spirit of the sick, tending to the preseruation of life, doth ayd the like in the vrin, and also exuscitate and reuiue that in the salt of the ashes, to act and fight against the Icteritious humor in the vrin, which fading and being by little and little conquered, maketh his like in the sicke body to dye and vanish. Besides all this, the spirit lurking in the salt, and exuscitated partly, by the excited spirit of the plant, and partly by the emanating spirit of the sicke body, doth send, or carry backe a curatiue property, vnto the whole bulke of the blood. I leaue this vnto the more serious consideration of the learned, who can better iudge of the hidden and abstruse operations of Gods incorruptible spirit, closing vp a-l in these very words of the Apostle: Deus operatur omnia in omnibus, God worketh all in all, & 1 Corinth. 12 ex eo, per eum, & in eo, sunt omnia, of him, by him, in him are all things, & Deus viuificat omnia, God viuifieth all things. Romans 11. And finally, Dij sunt, qui dicuntur in coelis & in terra; nobis autem vnus Pater à quo omnia, & nos in illo, & vnus 1 Timoth. 6. Dominus Iesus Christus, per quem omnia, & nos per illum. There are in the estimation of some men, gods in heauen and 1 Corinth. 8. in earth; but vnto vs there are no more then one God, the Father, from whom doe proceed all things, and we are in him: and •… ne Lord Iesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Ergò, it is vainely, and presumptuously said of Mr. Foster, that the cure of the weapon-salue is effected by the diuell, the enemy of Iesus Christ, and not by Christ himselfe, being that Iesus is the only Sauiour, and curer or healer both of soule & body, who, as he hath all powers & potestates vnder his dominion, vseth his good Angels to work his goodnesse, and not the bad Angels, which hee did ordaine for a cleane contrary office. I will not say, that this assertion of his is a kinde of blasphemy; but it is little better. At the leastwise it is the grossest sort of Idolatry, to ascribe the good works of God, vnto the essentiall act of the worst and most wickedest of all his creatures, whom God instituted for a clean contraryvse, namely, to be his punishing and destroying minister or angel.

Now, I will proceed vnto the particular defence, of mine owne doctrine, expressed in my mysticall Anatomy, Against the which Master Foster doth enueigh so bitterly, and with so great a confidence. He crowes there like a Cocke on his owne dunghill, before hee hath occasion, and challengeth gloriously the palme, and proclaimeth the trophey of his owne prayses, before he hath got the victory. The end crownes all: for truth is not boulstered vp with high and braging termes. It had beene best for Master Foster to haue heard me speake, before hee had publikely slandered me, and set vp the Titles of his booke on the posts of my doore in my disgrace: whether it was discreetly done of him, or not; I leaue it to the censure of the world: and so I moue to the last Member of this Treatise.

EAch discreet Reader may discerne by M. Fosters scandalous vehemency against mee, for composing in my mysticall Anatomy, the subiect of this Member, that it is more of enuy and malice, then for any desert in me, or offence committed by me, either against him, (for as much as I know him not) or any other person else: For out of doubt, he would not else vpon so slight an occasion, as was this short chapter expressed in the foresaid place, haue so slandered me, with the title ofa Magician, as he hath; and alledged his wise Master the Frier Mersennus his authority for it, as profound an Author for rayling and false slander as himselfe. But why (I beseech you) should he induce Mersennus his scandalous words against mee in this his writing, when he seeth, that the Frier is so taunted by his friend and champion Gassendus for it, that in his Reply, which he maketh with Gassendus and Lanouius against me, after that I had thorowly nettled and gauled him for his follies, hee dared not to vtter or repeate one word against me, touching the precedent slanders of Magicke, which in his Booke on Genesis, vpon little or no ground hee laid vnto my charge; but grafted all his spight and malice in that Reply, vpon certaine Impieties, (as hee termeth them) which hee most weakely layeth vnto my charge? Againe: whereas this our home-bred Aduersary saith, that I haue excused my selfe from Magick, in a Booke intituled, Sophiae cum Moria certamen, and that Lanouius saith, Cuius contrarium verum est; I must tell him, that it doth ill become a man of his Profession, to vtter such a falshood. For Lanouius, (though in as malicious a manner as he could) doth cleare me of that crime, alledging that mine vnskilfulnesse or insufficiency in such things, made him to thinke the contrary. And therefore I must tell this my English calumniatour, that there is a Starre-chamber to punish such abuses, and consequently, he may perchance heare of mee sooner then he doth expect, vnlesse hee bridleth his slanderous tongue the better hereafter. It is an Argument of little Philosophie, and lesse Diuinity, to rayle vnreasonably, and scandalize with immorality. For Philosophie is Sapientiae amor, the loue of Wisedome: and the Wise man saith, It is the part of a foole to rayle. Againe: all Diuinity is founded on Loue and Charity; and Christ his chiefest preaching, wasto loue our Brethren, and to affect our Neighbours as our selues, and to admonish vs, that wee iudge not our Brethren rashly. But to come vnto our businesse; Hath this Chapter of mine, (iudicious Reader) in which our diligent Inquisitor hath made so strict a search, and against which he hath framed so punctuall a confutation, any Cacomagicall busines in it, that I should so hardly be censured, by our quick-witted Confuter, at the very entrance into it? Doe you discerne in it any thing, that should cause our Aduersary to make such a scandalous, and vnchristian-like ingression into the inquiry of it, that thereby the simpler sort of men may deeme me a Witch or Magician? As for such as are of the wiser sort, I am sure they laugh at it. But is not this an argument of enuy, founded on no solid foundation? And is not he, as well for his vnreasonable spight, as some things else, of each good Christian to be pittied? For what hath he in him should deserue enuy, being that he confesseth in his Epistle to the Reader, that he is infra inuidiam? As for my selfe, I must ingenuously concurre with the opinion of all the world, and say, that I had rather be enuied then pittied. But to our purpose: The subiect of this Chapter cited by me in my mysticall Anatomy, is onely a discourse of the naturall reference, and Magnetick or attractiue and sympatheticall relation, which is obserued to be, betwixt two distinct substances of the like nature; but differing in the distance of place; as betweene the Loadstone and the Iron, betwixt the blood, and the salt of the same nature; in which the vegetating spirit, common vnto them both, doth occultly abide. And you must note also (courteous Reader) that in this particular Booke of my mysticall Anatomy, I did handle the secret and hidden properties of the spirituall or internall blood in the externall, citing therewithall, as neere as my small capacity would giue me leaue, the harmonicall effects which it worketh, as well by contract or immediate touch, as at a distance. I would faine know now, wherein I haue offended in so doing? or how I haue deserued M. Fosters slanderous ingression into his examination of this businesse? or whether in my naturall discourse vpon this subiect, I mention Diabolicall Charmes, Circles, Witch-craft, or vnlawfull and forbidden Characters, or such like? If you finde nothing appertaining vnto any such deuilish Magick, then giue your sentence, whether such a Prelude vnto this businesse was honest, decent, or any thing appertaining vnto the matter in handling. As for the vsage of the Weapon-Salue in it selfe, I protest before God and man, I neuer of my selfe did practise it vnto this very day; but in my conscience, and by reason of a more strict inquiry, which for this cause I haue made into it, I finde it so free from any Diabolicall superstition, (which, God is my witnesse, I haue euer hated, as I doe the Deuill and all his workes) and haue heard so much of the vertuous operation thereof, that from henceforward, malegree the demeure writers or speakers against it, I will both practise it, and defend the lawfulnesse of it, as being more assured now then euer, that it is the blessed vertue of God; and not any act of the Deuill, which operateth in it vnto the health and alledgement of Gods afflicted creatures.

But to come vnto our matter.

I will make but few words, for I haue already beene too long in my precedent discourse. But before I begin, I pray you obserue (gentle and iudicious Reader) how that our Sponge-carrier, is very halting and vnperfect in the interpretation of my text, straining it much from its true nature, to serue his owne sense rather, then iustly to expresse mine intention; (as indeed he ought:) I will therefore in the fi •… st place expresse vnto you, in naked English tearmes, the full and exact purpose of my Latine text, which I call mine Assertion; and then in the next place, I will expresse his exposition or collection: After that I will set downe the vertuous validity of his Sponge in drinking vp, deuouring, or wiping away the strength of my Assertion: and then in the last place, I will crush and squeese his Sponge, and make it by force to vomit vp againe the truth, which it hath deuo •… ed, or rather couered with his vaile of ignorance. And this shall be my manner of proceeding in combate against this Lernian Monster, and his Tr •… th- 〈◊〉 Sponge.

YEe may perceiue (courteous and well minded Reader) by this which is already told you, that although our Aduersary hath attempted, as the Iewes did vnto our Sauiour, to crucifie, or rather smoother in obliuion the truth, as well of the Weapon-Salues operating vertue, as of mine honest endeauours, on the Cacomagicall crosse of slander, and doth offer vnto vs in our Agony, namely, when our reputation lyeth a bleeding, a destructiue or abolishing Sponge, swelling with vineger and gall; I meane, with the sharp sauce of calumniation, and the bitter taste of his vncharitable indignation, in stead of a Christian-like consolation: yea, although (I say) the tempestuous blast of his harsh spirit, hath done his best, to make the reputation of vs both, as it were to suffer shipwracke, and to be cast, like another Ionas, into the troubled seas of this worlds censure, where the sourging billowes of various affections, doe stormingly iustle, and as it were, shoulder and withstand one another. (For since the maxime is: Quot homines, tot sentontiae, how is it possible to please and content euery man in his humour?) And though the spongie Leuiathan, or proudly swelling and infulting Whale of Master Foster, did swallow for a time, into his paunch of obliuion, the honour and credit of both this Salue, and me for a season; yet (I thanke my God) he hath imparted vnto me the grace, so to squeese and crush this his prestigious Whale, or deuouring Sponge, which is also an ofspring of the Sea, that now it is forced euen so to vomit vp againe that truth, vpon this our coast, not a little infected with the incredulity of this manner of curing, as the true Whale did in times past, the Prophet Ionas, vpon the shore of the misbeleeuing Niniuites; that the infidelity and suspition of such icalous persons, as haue beene seduced by our Aduersaries Leuiathan, or spongie Monster, may the easier be abolished, by making the deuoured truth to be reuiued, and as it were, to shine forth, and rise againe, that by the light thereof, all those darke cloudes, which haue begot and fostered such incredulity, namely, the religious veile of Master Fosters worldly policy, the error of his doctrine, and the healing power, which he erroneously ascribeth vnto the Deuill, may be discouered vnto the eyes of each wise and iudicious Reader, and that the misbeleeuers may with the Niniuites repēt their error, and turne from such Idolatrous inducements, as haue perswaded them, to ascribe the pious and charitable gifts of healing by the Weapon-Salue, vnto the false Prince of darknesse, who through mans error, doth vsurpe vnto himselfe, the title of Prince or Lord of this World, which of right, and that from all eternity, belongeth vnto the true God of Light, who hath made both Heauen and Earth, and inriched them with all manner of vertues whatsoeuer. But if it shall happen hereafter, that some silly incredulous persons (the appearingly zealous, I meane, without vnderstanding, of which Saint Paul speaketh) shall, like Dogs, returne vnto their vomit: I must then say and confesse, that they doe but according vnto their kinde; and therefore are rather to be pittied then enuied: and consequently our Sauiours Words so vnfitly applyed by our Aduersary in his Dedicatory Epistle, are most aptly to be powred out vnto God for these men: Father, forgiue them, for they know not what they Luk. 22. doe. For this cause therefore, I chiefly direct this my small Pamphlet, vnto all such, as are vnderstandingly zealous, and iudiciously learned, beseeching them earnestly, to take this short modell of our disputation, into their more mature or riper considerations, and to ponder euery parcell thereof truely (all partiality being laid apart) in the ballance of their most honest and pious discretions.

Let them examine, I say, in their choycest thoughts, and that seriously, whether this Cure proceedeth from that vertuous gift, which God hath imparted in the creation, vnto these his naturall creatures, and continued it in them, by succession of generation and multiplication, through his all-sufficient Word, euen vnto this day, or else from the meere act and assistance of the Deuill, whose property soone after his creation, by his fall became to strike, plague, and destroy, and not to cure, and proue so great a Benefactor vnto mankinde. Let them consider the words of the Apostle, affirming, that God operateth all in all: and therefore he acteth when he pleaseth, in and by the Deuill, onely to sicknesse, death, and destruction; but not vnto health and conseruation. Obserue the text of Dauid, auerring, that God by his Word did heale Psal. 107. 20. such as were struck with diseases, when they turned vnto him; and doth he not by the said Word cure all? yes verily. For Salomon saith: Hee extended his misericord Wisd. 16. 10. vnto the afflicted with Serpents, and sent forth his Word to cure them, euen his Word that health all things. But the Deuill is neither God, nor Gods Word; wherefore I will conclude with this in •… iolable Argument:

If our mercifull God cureth all things in his benignity, and that by his Word, then the Deuill can cure nothing;

But our God, in his mercy and benignity, cureth all things by his Word: Ergò, the Deuill can cure nothing: and consequently, cannot prestigiously make a shew of curing, vnder the shadow and pretence of the Weapon-Salue.

The Maior is euident, because if the Word cureth all, then that superior generality concludes all inferior particularities: and therefore all absolute faculty of curing is exempted from the Deuill.

The Minor also is confirmed and strengthned by the foresaid words: first, of the Prophet Dauid: Hee 〈◊〉 . 107. 20, 21. sendeth his Word and healeth them, and deliuereth them from their graues, let them confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, &c. Whereby it appeareth, that it was his louing kindnesse, and not his seuerity and vengeance, which by his Word did heale and cure: For he operateth vengeance in his seuerity or destructiue will, by the organ of the Deuill. And then, of Salomon; But the teeth of the venemous Dragons Wisd. 16. 10. could not ouercome thy Children: for thy mercy came to helpe them, and healed them; for neither herb, nor plaister healed them; but thy Word, O Lord, which healeth all things, for thou hast the power of life and death, and leadest downe into the gates of Hell, and bringest vp againe, &c.

Now I would know, whether it ought to be any true Christians opinion, that the Deuill can command the misericord of God, and so be Master of his word at his pleasure, as to heale Gods creatures, nay, one framed after his owne Image, for any wicked stratagems cause: I meane, for the gaining of both body and soule of man, from God to himselfe? Iob 12. 11. Doth not Iob say: In the hand of God is the life of euery liuing creature, and the spirit of all flesh? To conclude as Saint Iohn doth truely auerre, that in the Word was life; So it is certaine, that all healing and restoring power, is from this viuifying vertue in the Word, and not from the priuatiue power of the Deuill, in whom contrary wise is death and destruction. Moreouer, I would haue you to note these words of the Apostle: Now there are diuers 1 Cor. 12. gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are diuersities of operations; but God is the same which worketh all in all; but to one is giuen by the Spirit the Word of wisedome, to another the word of knowledge, to another is giuen faith, and to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit, &c.

Can any good Christian thinke, that this one Spirit, that onely worketh these things, is the Deuill? No verily. For in the third verse, the Apostle termes it the Holy Ghost. What shall we say then? That the Deuill doth heale by the gift of the Holy Ghost? or that the holy Spirit will grant the euill spirit his good gift of healing, to deceiue mankinde, and to rob God of his right? God forbid: But with iustice giue that vnto God, which belongeth vnto God, and assigne vnto the Deuill that property, which was allotted him by his Creatour from the beginning: the first Spirit, from all creations, was ordained in his office to be a good, viuifying, and a quickning Spirit; the latter, a bad, a killing, and a mortifying spirit. For it is said by the Prophet in the person of God: Ego creaui destructorem Isaias 54. 16. ad disperdendum: I haue created the destroyer to destroy.

I will boldly therefore conclude and finish my Pamphlet, or petty discourse, as I began it, namely, with this religious verse, mentioned in the diuine Hymne of the Royall Psalmist, to the honour of God, and disabling of either Deuill, or any other creature, to worke essentially wonders of himselfe, or by himselfe: Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël, qui facit mirabilia Psal. 71. 18. solus: Blessed be the Lord God of Israël, who onely worketh wonders. Or as he hath it in another place: Confitemini Domino Dominorum, quoniam in aeternum Psal. 135. 3. miser •… or dia •… ius, qui facit mirabilia magna solus: Prayse the Lord, for his mercy endureth for euer, who onely doth great wonders.

And therefore, if the Lord of Lords onely, or alone; then hath he not any mortall man to helpe him: if he alone; then not any Angel of Heauen: and lastly, if it be God alone, and onely; then not any Deuill of Hell; nor Daemon or spirit of the fiery, or aëry, or watry, or earthly element to assist him. For the text saith: It is the Lord of Lords alone; and therefore not any creature to helpe him, or that is able to doe this without him: it is he (I say) onely; and consequently not the Deuill, who performeth wonders; But by euery mans acknowledgement, this manner of cure is wonderfull, for as much as the manner of working in it, passeth the capacity of worldly mens vnderstanding: Therefore with Dauid I will say: Benedictus Deus, qui facit tale mirabile solus: and consequently, I may inferre thereupon (and that iustly) Maledictus homo qui diuina falsò attribuit Diabolo.

Wherefore I wish euery zealous and religious person, to haue this inuiolable Motto engrauen in his heart, that by the vertue thereof, he may fright away and banish from his thoughts, all such irreligious perswasions, as would moue him to derogate one Iota or tittle from Gods power, who is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things, to arrogate falsly vnto the vilest of creatures, who in himselfe is nothing but what God is pleased that he shall be: of himselfe hath nothing, but what God pleaseth to bestow on him: and by himselfe can doe nothing: but what God is pleased to act in him, and by him, that he doth, and not any thing else: and therefore, what God will not, that he cannot doe. Let this then be your Motto: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Finis omnium & principium Deus. God is the end and beginning of all things.

And for this reason, Reuchlin in his Booke de verbo m •… risico saith:

Omne hominis miraculum, cuius vera & non imaginaria deprehenditur substantia, tum grande, tum mediocre, tum minimum, si ordo sacrorum prascriptus obseruetur, referendum est semper in Deum gloriosum, cuius nomen est benedictum in aeternum. Is enim solus est, qui vel seipso, vel delegato, non sine seipso, velper substitutum exseipso, talia facit, qualia demiramur: quorum causam adaequatam scire non possumus, vel quod fiant, vel quod hoc modo fiant.

Euery miracle of man, whose substance is certaine, •… nd not imaginary or prestigious, bee it great, or meane, or little, if the prescribed order of Holy Writ bee obserued, is alwayes to bee referred and ascribed vnto one glorious God, whose Name bee euer blessed! For it is hee alone, who either of himselfe, or by a delegat, with whom hee is present, or by a substitute of his owne, and from himselfe, that effecteth such things, the true or plaine grounds whereof, and by what meanes they are brought to passe, wee neither can discerne, nor comprehend. Thus farre Iohn Reuchlin.

And therefore in the period of this Treatise I may iustly put home, and allude vnto Master Foster and his Complices, the woe of Isaias, against such persons, which I did mention in the beginning of it, for as much as they presuming too too much on their worldly wisedome, doe mistakingly, and through their blindnesse, ascribe the things of God, vnto the Deuill; the deeds of goodnesse, vnto euill; and the effects of light, vnto darknesse.

ISAIAS 5.20, 21. Woe vnto them that speake good of euill; and euill of good: which put darknesse for light, and light for darknesse: that put bitter for sweet; and sweet for sowre. Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne sight.

I leaue this (worthy and learned Reader,) as I haue said before, vnto thy best consideration, to iudge of seriously and maturely, wishing that in thy iudgement the ballance of equity may be truely proportioned, and not made vnequall by corrupt and vngodly partiality.