University of Virginia Library

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To the most noble, iudicious, and my best beloued Lorde, William Earle of Pembrooke;

the most honorable Sir Robert Sidney Knight, Lord Gouernor of Vlishing; and the right right worshipful Edward Herbert of Mountgomery Esquire, my most honored and respected Friendes.

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Mirum in modum

A glimpse of Gods Glorie, and the Soules shape

O thou maine Ocean of celestiall light,
(From whom all Lights deriue their influence)
The light of Truth infuse into my sprite,
And cleere the eyes of my Intelligence,
That they may see my Soules circumference,
Wherein the Minde as Centre placed is.
Wherein thou restest Center of true Rest,
Compass'd with glory, and vncompass'd blisse,
Which do thy Lodge with glorious light inuest,
—Then lighten thy darke Inne, O glorious Ghest.

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The Soule of Man immortall and diuine,
By Natures light beholds the light of Nature,
Like as the Bodies eyes when Sunnedoth shine,
Doe by the Sunne behold the Sunnes faire feature:
So by that light shee sees shee is a Creature;
Created to her faire Creators forme,
In Wisdome, Knowledge, and such goodly graces
Which doe the Vnderstanding right informe,
To guide the Will aright in sundry cases,
Whenas the Sence deluded, Reason out-faces.

For as the Uaynes the body ouer-spreds,
And to its vtmost bounds themselues extend:
So Science in the Soule from certaine heads,
In great varietie her vaines doth send,
To whatsoe'er the soule may comprehend.
This is her Birth-right, with the body borne,
Kinde Natures larges giu'n with hand displai'd,
Which doth the Minde illustrate and adorne:
To, and from whom, all knowledge is conuai'd,
That tends vnto the soule or bodies aide.

Which is deduced from pow'r more supreame,
Then in th' externall Senses doth reside,
This light proceeds from that infused beame,
Which in the Soules supreamest part doth bide,
The Bodies motions and hir owne to guide.
For though th' incomprehensible hath stampt,
His wisdome in his workes to prooue his Beeing,
Yet all saue Man, from this Light is exempt,
By which the Soules eyes sees (past sense of Seeing)
Celestiall sweets with hir sweete selfe agreeing.

For th' outward Senses Beasts with vs enioy,
Nay they possesse the same in greater pow'r:
But yet those Senses they cannot imploy
To Reasons vse, and Understandings cure,

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But these effects doe flowe from Sense more sure,
Which from an vnderstanding Soule proceeds,
Yet nought that Understanding doth digest,
But first on it the outward Senses feedes:
Both which inuites the Will vnto their feast,
Those Senses beeing tasters to the rest.

Then if the Senses bee affected ill,
Or apprehend their Obiects with offence,
They wrong the Vnderstanding and the Will:
With false reporte of their experience.
But first they misse-informe th' Intelligence,
It giuing credit to their information,
Misse-leads the Will (that wayward is by kinde)
Which moues the Members with all festination:
(Beeing instrumentall agents of the Minde)
To doe what ere the Senses pleasant finde.

But when we say the Understanding seazeth
On nought but what the Senses first surprizeth,
Its meant of things that pleaseth, or displeaseth,
And to the Senses sensibly ariseth:
Then herevpon the common Sense deuiseth,
And then transferres it to the Intellect,
Which by hir pow'r inherent doth discourse,
By Reasons rules from Causes to th' effect:
And beeing there, runnes forth with greater force,
Till Iudgement (with strong hand) doth stay her course.

Herehence it is, the Soule her selfe doth know,
Hir owne effects shee to hir selfe discloseth,
So to herselfe, herselfe, herselfe doth shew,
By powres which shee within hirselfe encloseth;
Whereof hirselfe, not of hirselfe disposeth;
But are directed by a higher Pow'r,
Yet hath shee eyes to see, and sence to feele,
The way vnto hirselfe (though most obscure)

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Which hirselfe virtues to hirselfe reueale,
Through which she wots what works hir woe or weale.

This knowledge of the vnknowne parte of Man,
(Namely the knowen Soules vnknowen parte)
From Man is hid since he to sinne began,
For Ignorance of Sinne is the iust smart,
Which now doth hold enthrall'd his vniust hart.
But sith the Soule is such a precious thing,
As cost the price of past-price deerest bloud,
Then can no knowledge more aduantage bring,
Then knowledge of the Soule, as first she stood,
Or since she fell from her extreamest Good.

For she enwombes worldes of varietie,
Of Sunne-bright Beauties and celestiall Sweetes,
Vnited all in perfect sympathie,
Whereas the Minde with diuerse Pictures meetes,
Which Fancie formes, and from the Fancie fleetes.
From whence proceedes all maruellous Inuentions,
Which doe produce all Artes and Sciences
That Doubts resolue, and doe dissolue Dissentions,
Touching the vniuersall Essenses,
Subiect t'our inward, or our outward Senses.

Then what Soule on the Soule excogitates,
But it is rapt with ioy and wonderment,
Sith when the Minde but her adumberates
(In Fancies forge) it feeles such rauishment,
As yeeldes therewith a heau'n of high content:
Then sith all Weale, or Woe, that vs befall,
Flowes from the Soule, as from their speciall Spring,
We should not to her Weale be neuterall,
But study to preserue that precious thing,
As that conserues the Soule and Bodies Being.

Wherein three Faculties still working be,

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Animall, Vitall, and the Naturall,
The Animall diuided is in three,
Motiue, Sensitiue, and Principall.
The Principall hath three parts speciall,
Imagination, Reason, Memory.
The power Sensitiue includes the powres
Of the externall Senses seu'rally.
The Motiue powre, the Corps to stirre procures,
As long as Vitall faculty indures.

Which Facultie is seated in the Hart,
Infusing Spirites of Life through eu'ry vaine.
The vertues Animall doe play their part,
In all the seu'rall cauerns of the Braine.
The virtues Naturall the wombe containe;
Which doe consist of three essentiall partes,
Feeding, Growing, and Ingendering;
Which subdiuided are by Natures Artes
Into sixe Faculties, with them working,
And common to them all in eu'ry thing.

The first and second, with the third and fourth,
Attracts, retaines, concocts, and distributes;
The fift, and sixt, encorp'rates and puts forth
What is superfluous. And thus executes
Their pow'res as one, though sextiplied in sutes.
The foode the Mouth prepareth for the Maw;
The Maw forthwith prepares it for the Liuer,
From whence a sanguine tincture it doth draw,
And then vnto the Hart doth it deliuer,
Who in the nerues and veines it soone doth seuer.

Then through those channels of the bloud it flowes,
Through all the limbes, to giue them nourishment,
And by those condites to the Braine it goes,
(Whereas the Soule doth hold her Parliment,

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To giue Lawes for the Bodies gouernement:)
Where, if the foode be fine and delicate,
It turnes to bloud, that in the Braine doth breede
Those Spirites fine, that doe refine the pate,
And crowne the same with glory for its meede,
For Glory Spirites refined dooth succeede.

The like is found betweene th' internall Senses,
And those same Powres, and virtues Animall,
First must a Powre receiue the Images
That form'd are in the Senses corporall,
Which Powre is calld, the powre, Fantasticall:
This is the Soules eye (seeing all vnseene)
Which viewes those Senses obiects being absent,
And of th' internall Senses is the meane;
They to the Memorie the same present,
Who safely keepes that which to her is sent.

Thus then the Fantasie attracts we see,
The Memorie retaines, and Reas'on digest:
Iudgement distributes all in their degree;
Experience then incorporates the best:
And Wisedome by hir powre expells the rest.
Now for these Senses, Powres, and Faculties,
Haue all their Organs seated in the Braine,
Order requires that we particularize
What cauernes in the scull the same containe,
And in what manner they doe there remaine.

Which Caues or Cells distinguisht are with skinne,
Or subtill Membranes, and so being diuided,
The Head is like a House, that is within
Too many rowmes, or chambers subdiuided,
Vaulted with Bone, and with Bone likewise sided;
The skinne that rafters, or else lines the roofe,
Is hard, for durance, and thicke, to enwall,
Which is the skinne of Skinnes, a skinne of proofe,

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That Dura mater loe, the Latines call,
For it enwombes the rest from dangers all.

The vse whereof, is to preserue the Braine,
(When it doth moue) from hardnesse of the Scull;
For discreete Nature maketh nought in vaine,
Whose tender prouidence, of care is full:
With Meanes she doth Extreames together pull.
It likewise serues to giue a passage free;
For all the Ueines the Braines to feede and guide,
Whereby the vitall spirites may gouern'd be,
And likewise into partes the Braine diuide,
Before, behind, on this, and on that side.

Besides this Membrane, there is yet another,
More fine and subtill, wou'n of many vaines,
Hight Pia mater, or the godly Mother,
Which in her wombe doth subdiuide the Braines,
And them in seu'rall secret Celles containes,
Wherein the Soule doth vse hir chiefest Pow'res,
Namely the Animall; and Rationall.
Therefore all braines of Beasts are lesse then ours,
Ours fill their Cells and well-neere Scull and all.
Which doe refine the Spirits Animall.

Those Spirits that thus the Braynes repurifie,
Procures the Bodyes vnconceiued blisse;
And serues as Organs to Reas'ns faculty:
Which in the Soule the highest virtue is,
That hir corrects, if she directs amisse.
Foure Uentricles or concaues close conioyn'd,
In substance of the Braine, Dame Nature seates,
With mutuall passages which are assign'd:
For all the Spirites egresse which Sense creates,
For Nature all, to all, communicates.

Those Cells wherein this witty work's begun,

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Are made by right more rowmsome then the rest,
Of those to which the Spirites well-wrought do runne:
For there they purge their bad, and keepe their best,
For the last Uentricles, which are the least.
Two of the foremost then like Cressents twaine,
Plac'd on each side the Head, are most compleate.
The third's in middle Region of the Braine,
Where Reason rules, and holdes hir royall Seate,
The Fourth's behinde, where Memorie is greate.

The Brayn-presse, into which the Bloud is prest,
(That giues the Braines their vitall nutriment,)
Is compast with those concaues (with the rest,)
By which the Soule effecteth hir intent,
As with hir worke-performing Instrument.
Likewise an Organ made most curiously.
(Like little Wheeles together close connext)
Is plac'd as Portall of the Memory,
To let the Spirits swift passage, lest perplext,
It might bee by their throng, and shrowdly vext.

From the midde Uentricle, vnto the last,
A pipe doth passe as Chariot of the Sp'rites;
There to, and fro, they come and go in hast,
In mutuall wise as Nature them incites,
To do their duties, and performe their rites.
In this part of the Brayne the Brayn-wrights skill,
And wisdome infinite do most appeare.
And here to Man hee shewes his great good will.
For he imprints his owne Character there;
Wherein his diuine Nature shineth cleere.

Which wee the more perspicuously should see,
If we could see to which internall Sence
Each of these parts pertayne, or Vessells bee;
Wherein the Soule most shews hir excellence.

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But this surmounts the Mindes intelligence,
For such a Mystrie is embozomed,
In Wisdoms Breast, chest of such Secrets hie,
Which is with obscure clouds invironed.
That it's concealed from the Eagles eye,
Much more from Man, that seeth but here by.

Thus hauing slightly toucht this tender parte,
(For I could not but touch it thus at least;
Because the Soule therewith performes hir Arte,)
It now remaines to prosecute the rest:
Of what my Muse touching the Minde exprest.
Imagination, Fancie, Common-sence,
In nature brooketh oddes or vnion,
Some makes them one, and some makes difference,
But wee will vse them with distinction.
With sence to shunne the Sence confusion.

The Common-sence (whose locall scituation,
The Fore-head holdeth) hath that name assign'd:
Because it first takes common information
Of all the outward Sences in their kinde.
Of inward Sences this is first I finde,
Ordain'd to sort, and seuer eu'ry thing,
According to its nature properly,
Which th' outward Sences to this Sence doe bring,
And then transmitteth it successiuely,
To each more inward Sences faculty.

The outward Sences then, cannot discerne,
What they doe apprehend but by this Sence,
Of which those Sences all their science learne:
And vnto which their skill haue reference.
As it referres all to th' Intelligence.
Making a through-fare of the Fantacie,
Which doth so forme, reforme, and it deformes,
As pleaseth hir fantasticke faculty,

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Not pleas'd with what the common Sence informes,
But in the Minde makes calmes, or stirreth Stormes.

This Pow'r is pow'refull yet is most vnstaid;
Shee resteth not, though Sleepe the Corpes arrest:
She doates, and dreames, and makes the Minde afraide,
With visions vaine, wherewith she is opprest.
And from things likely, things vnlikely wrest:
Shee is the Ape of Nature, which can doe,
By imitation what she doth indeed,
And if shee haue hir Patterns adde thereto
A thousand toyes, which in hir Bowells breede,
Without which patterns, she cannot proceede.

Now shee Chimeraes, then shee Beauties frame,
That doe the Mynde beheau'n with matchlesse blisse;
The whole she cripples, and makes whole the lame,
And makes and marrs as she disposed is,
Which is as life is led, wel, or amisse.
Shee with hir wings (that can out-fly the wind;)
Through Heau'n, Earth, Hell, and what they hold doth fly,
And so imprintes them liuely in the Minde,
By force of hir impressing property,
Seeing all in all, with her quicke sighted Eye.

She (double dilligence) is still in motion,
And well, or ill, shee euer is imploy'd;
Therefore good Spirits and badde, with like deuotion
Frequent hir still: which she cannot avoyde,
Wherewith the Minde is cheered or annoy'de.
For as celestiall Spirits can obiect,
To the Minds Eye diuine soul-pleasing sights,
So can infernall Sprightes with like effect,
Present the Soule with what the Soule affrights,
Soe pow'rfull in their Pow'r are both these Sprights.

Which Pow'r fantasticke is of so great force,

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As what she powrefully doth apprehend
VVithin the Body she imprints perforce;
For to the Body, she doth force extend.
A proofe whereof in women kinde is kend,
VVhen they in Coitu fix their Fancie fast
On him they fancie; if they then conceaue,
It will be like their Fancies obiect fac'd:
If then a wife doth but in thought deceaue,
The husband in that face may it perceaue.

This Powre is so preualent in the Mind,
As if some passe a Bridge, or some such thing,
They lightly fall, because their Fancies find
Danger beneath, which to the braine doth bring
A giddinesse, which causeth stumbling.
Thus then the Fancie oft the fact produceth,
That she with recollected virtue mindes,
And by the shade the substance oft traduceth;
So violent each Sense her virtue bindes,
And noyes, or ioyes the Mind, in diuerse kindes.

Halla my Muse; heere rest a breathing while,
Sith thou art now arriu'd at Reasons seate;
To whom, as to thy Sou'raigne reconcile
Thy straying thoughts, and humbly hir entreate,
VVith hir iust measure all thy lines to meate,
Lest that like many Rimers of our time
Thou blotst much Paper, without meane or measure,
In Verse, whose reason runneth al to Rime:
Yet of the Lawrell wreathe they make a seazure,
And doth Minerua so, a shrewde displeasure.

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Had my Soule pow'r, the Souls pow'r to expresse.
And with strōg reasons, Reasons strēgth bewray,
Men would admire hir virtue, and confesse,
By Natures right, she should their nature sway.
Monsters alone resists her mightinesse,
But Men (though pow'rfull) hir pow'r will obay,
For shee as Sou'raigne sitteth in the Soule,
All peruerse passions therein to controule.

Shee by the pow'r of hir discreete discourse,
In th' operations of the Fantasie,
Can iudge of good, and bad, and by hir force,
Swiftly surmount each Sences facultie;
And whatsoeuer interrupts hir course,
Shee it remooues with great facilitie,
For Natures bosome nothing doth embowre,
That is not subiect to his searching pow're.

In which respect shee hath hir Throne assign'd,
Betweene th' extreame partes of the parted Braine,
(The place where Nature, Vertue hath confin'd)
There doth shee sit; and o're the Sences raigne,
And by hir might doth signiorize the Minde,
VVhose wild and waiward moods she doth restraine,
Their spight of Passion, she doth keepe hir place,
Though Passion in hir spight, hir oft disgrace.

For should shee bee transplac'd to Fantasie,
Or with Imagination be confounded,
A world of mists would clowde hir Sunne-bright eye,
VVherewith shee should be euermore surrounded;
So that she should not Truth from falshood spye,
But with strong Fancies should hir pow'r be bounded,
And like a Queene deposed from hir throne,
She should not able be to vse hir owne.

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So fares it with hir when th' Affections force,
(Like a swift streame that carries all away)
Doth carry hir (by current of their course)
Farre from hirselfe, as wanting strength to stay;
Vntill the whole man waxing worse and worse,
Be brought to vtter ruine and decay:
But if that shee be strong them to withstand,
Shee doomes aright, and doth aright command.

Then rules Sans check, then doomes without appeale,
No second sentence can hirs contradict,
She rules alone the whole Mindes common weale,
By holsome Heasts, and Lawes, and Iudgements strict,
Which to the Memory she doth reueale,
Else it Obliuion would interdict,
Wherein, as in a booke of Decretalls,
She writeth hir decrees in Capitalls.

For which respect the seate of Memory,
Confineth hard vpon hir Continent,
That so she may soone empte the Fantasie,
Of what doth passe through hir arbitterment;
For else, what bootes hir Good and Bad to try,
If to the Memory it were not sent?
For that is it, that is sole receptacle,
Of humane Wisdome, Natures miracle.

Therefore, hir parte and portion of the braine,
Is much lesse humid, and more firmly fixt,
Because it so the better may retaine,
Th' impressions by the Sences there infixt,
And for its Fount of marrow in the raine,
Whereof the strongest sinewes are commixt,
For both which reasons Nature had respect,
To binde the Braine behind to that effect.

And yet too hard the Braine may there be bound,

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For so twill hardly open to conceiue,
And beeing ouer-moyst, it will confound
All the impressions which the Sences giue.
VVell temp'red therefore needs must be the ground,
That truly yeelds the seede it doth receiue;
Yet the moyst braine conceiues more readily,
But the drie braine retaines more steadily.

The iudgement which the outward Sences giue,
Is eu'n as if we saw the shade of things,
And what we from the Fantacie receiue,
Is as it were their liuely picturings.
The Intellect (which seldome doth deceiue)
Doth shew the substance of those shadowings:
But that which Reas'n presenteth to the Minde,
Is their effects and virtues in their kinde.

Th' externall Sences serues the common Sence,
The common Sence informes the Fantacie,
The Fantacie, the Minds Intelligence;
Th' Intelligence doth Knowledge certifie,
VVhich (when it hath past Iudgements conference)
Committeth all vnto the Memory:
Then Memory doth mirror-like reflect
To them againe, what they to hir obiect.

Thus Reason in the Soule is as hir eye,
VVherewith shee see'th the well linckt chaine of Causes,
And vseth euery Sences facultie,
To find what is included in their clauses,
Yet cannot lift hir lowly looke so hie,
Without re'nforcing of hir sight by pauses:
For since darke Sinne eclipst hir natiue light,
Shee see'th but by degrees, and not out-right.

But as she is, she plainly can discerne,
The Sence-transcending Heau'ns plurality,

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And in the booke of Nature she doth learne,
VVhats taught in this Worldes Vniuersitie.
She keepes the Compasse, and doth stirre the Sterne,
That guides to Wisdoms singularity:
All whose collections when the Soule suruayes,
Shee sees hirselfe diuin'd a thousand wayes.

Thus Reasons reach is high and most profound,
VVhose deepe discourse is two-fold, which depends,
On Speculation, and on Practise sound;
The first hath Truth, the last hath Good for ends;
For Speculation rests when Truth is found.
But Practise, when that Good it apprehends,
It staies not there, but to the Will proceedes,
And with that Good the Will it freely feeds.

Yet lest the Soule beholding hir faire forme,
Aboue hirselfe, should of hirselfe aspire:
He giues vs proofe, he can hir parts deforme,
That form'd hir parts, if pride prouoke his ire,
Then lets hee Fiends the Fantacie enorme,
VVith strong delusions and with passions dire:
Herehence it is that some suppose they are
Stone dead, some, all-Nose, some, more brittle ware.

Some hauing this parte perfect, are defected
In the powre rationall, the (Soules sentinell)
That is, with doting dulnesse so infected,
As what they say, or do, they wot not well;
Yet is their Memory right well affected,
And all their other Faculties excell:
So Sicknesse some Mens Memory vnframes,
That they forget their country, friends, and names.

Some others, not in parte, but wholy loose
The vse of all the Sences of their soule,
(Because they did their faculties abuse)

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Those beeing franticke, Reason with Rage controule,
And worse then beasts they liue, and cannot chuse
The Good from Bad, ne yet the Faire from Fowle:
But like infernall Furies fare they than,
Iniurious to themselues, to God, and Man.

Thus may these Powers perish all, or parte,
VVhen that almighty Powre his grace withdrawes,
Then let high Spirits retaine a lowly hart,
That may obedient be to Reasons Lawes,
For ill successe proceeds from worse desart,
And good effects proceeds from no ill cause:
If thy Mindes eyes see more then such eyes can,
Thanke God therefore, yet thinke thy selfe a man.

For if thy thoughts flie higher then that pitch,
And Luciferian pride thy Minde inflate,
Thou mayst with him fall hedlong in the ditch,
And runne into Gods vnreuoked hate:
Then will the Fiend so much thy Mind bewitch,
That thou shalt be possesst in endlesse date:
VVith his strong Legions. Then let Reason raine
Thy head-strong Will, and thy high thoughts restraine.

Now hauing seene how each internal Sence
Contained is in cauernes of the Braine:
And how their works haue mutuall reference,
That so they may their common good maintaine;
Let vs with Eagles eyes without offence
Transview the obscure things that do remaine:
For Mans aye-searching Sp'rite with toil's opprest:
Til it haue found that Good that giues it rest.

Yet this breeds bate twixt Reas'n and Fantacie:
For Fantacie beeing neere the outward Sences:
Allures the Soule to loue things bodily;
But Reason mounts to higher Excellences,

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And mooues the spirit her nimble wings to trie,
In pursuite of diuine Intelligences,
Who in the iawes of Fantasie doth set
A Snaffle, to o're-rule her wilde coruet.

And all this vigor to the Spirite is giu'n,
To flie with restlesse wings of Contemplation,
Vnto that Powre which in the highest Heau'n
Makes his no powre-impeaching Habitation:
Of which Powre, if this Powre be quite bereau'n,
Her dignitie incurreth degradation.
For as nought is more rare in Man then Spright,
So nought but rarest things should it delight.

For it beseemes not that high Maiestie,
To Man (his creature) lower to descend
Then Man by force of his Mindes Ingeny
Is able to him easly to ascend.
That makes him not appeare to Mans weake eie,
Because his Reason can him apprehend.
If Reason then (by vse) be cleere and bright,
She may see him (vnseene) by her owne light.

For by our Reason and Intelligence,
We know him, from which knowledge, Loue doth flowe;
For we may loue, that we see not by Sense,
But cannot loue, the thing we doe not know;
Our Soules we loue, and loue the place from whence
Our Soules first came, though Sense them cannot show.
So that high Powre, though our Sense cannot show him,
Yet may we loue, because our Reasons know him.

For, can it be Mans Soule should be endow'd,
With Understanding, Reason, Will and Wit,
(To whose high powre, the highest Powre hath bow'd
His goodnesse, to be conuersant with it)
But that the Soule is therewithall allow'd,

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On sempiternall Thrones with him to sit,
If so, what can be worth the Soules discourse,
But that same Minde, that gaue the Soule such force?

Let Beasts, whose soules are meerely Sensitiue,
Whose Beeing ceaseth with their Bodies beeing:
Let those with Tooth and Naile striue here to liue,
Because they die for euer with their dying:
To them no other Soules did Nature giue,
But such as to this life was most agreeing;
But sith Mens soules of God Characters bee,
With nothing but with God, they should agree.

Which Soules without their corp'rall Instruments,
By vertue of their intellectiue powres,
Within themselues can act some good intents,
(Though not expresse them to this sence of ours)
Who are sometimes rapt vp with rauishments,
As parted from the Body certaine howres,
Wherein they exercise their virtue so,
That more then erst they knew, they doe, and kno.

Wherein the Vnderstanding and the Will,
(Wherewith the Soule are sumptuously set forth)
Are most imploi'd; whose functions are to fill,
The Soules with Treasures of the rarest worth,
Which th' Intellect to Will presenteth still,
And to the loue thereof the will allur'th,
For Will will nothing entertaine in loue,
But what the Vnderstanding doth approue.

And what it doth approue (as erst was said)
It sends to Memories safe custodie:
So then the powres that most the Soule do aide,
Is Understanding, Will, and Memorie,
Which if by Error they bee not betraid,
They will the Soules affects so fortifie,

---

That shee inspight of all the Pow'res belowe,
Shall giue hir foes a glorious ouerthrowe.

Yet as the Sunne to vs imparts his light,
Now more, now lesse, as it is cleare, or clouded,
So fares it with our Vnderstandings sight,
That's darke as hell, if it with Sinne be shrowded:
Or if that Earthly things inclose it quight,
VVherewith the Soule may be so ouer-crowded,
That she may faint and finally may fall
To vtter darkenesse hir foe Capitall.

Besides, the Sodies state and constitution,
May much auaile, or disaduantage it;
Then Riot is no good Phisition,
To heale, or keepe in health, mans feeble Wit,
For excesse tends to Dissolution,
And Dissolution doth in Darkenesse sit,
Then wouldst thou haue a cleere Intelligence?
Feare God, fare well, but feede without offence.

For though the Soule the Body should o're-rule,
By lawe of Nature, and in Reasons right,
Yet oft we see the Body rule the Soule,
When meates excesse augments the Bodies might:
The Flesh exalted, wil the Spirit controule,
And make the Bodies manners brutish quight:
But if thy Flesh be ill compos'd by kinde,
Mend it with holsome meate, and mod'rate minde.

For what a monstrous vice is this in Man,
To quench his Spirit with wine and belly-cheare,
When Beasts will take no more then well they can,
Although (by force) they should aby it deare:
For neuer Man a Beast by rigor wan
To eate, or drinke, more then hee well could beare.
Then if thou wouldst not haue a Beast excell thee,
Take thou no more then Nature doth compell thee.

---

O that these Healthes that makes so many sicke,
Were buried in the lake of Leache quicke!
For since our English (ah) were Flusheniz'd,
Against good manners, and good men they kicke,
As Beasts they were, and wondrous ill aduiz'd:
Band be these Bacchus feasts which oft they make,
“Which makes Reason sleepe, and Riot keepes awake.

Can Meate and Drinke which pleaseth but the Taste,
(A Sence from th' Understanding most remote)
Which pleasure for so small a while doth last,
As passing but (two inches of the throte)
Make men their fames and Soules away to cast,
GOD shield that famous Men so much should dote.
Let neuer Men of Minde their Mindes defile,
With such a vice more vile, then Vice most vile.

O what a hell of Minde good Mindes endures,
When they in minde behold such Men of Minde,
Whose Soules are deckt with intellectiue pow're,
Imploy the same (repugnant to their kind,)
To find out lothsome leakage which procures
Them witts to loose, where they such Leakage finde!
Can any griefe be greater then to see,
A man that men commands, a beast to be?

Conuerting martiall sports that were in vse,
To winie vnaccustom'd Combates; O
That valiant men should dare men to carouse,
And count them cowards that will not doe so!
For now it is become a great abuse,
Healthes to refuse, If legges can stand or goe:
But out vpon such Combatts and such game,
Whereas the victors glory is their shame.

The Spirit of Man whose temper is diuine,
And made to mount vnto the highest height,

---

Should not, to such Soule-swillings base decline,
But with hir nimble wings should take her flight,
Where she might druncke be made with Angels wine,
To make her slumber in diuine delight.
But if his Sprite ascend, when wine descends,
The Spirite of Wine, and not his Sprite ascends.

Then how prodigious is it when the Mind,
(That should be conuersant with heau'nly Sweetes)
To swash of Swine, should (Sow-like) be inclind,
That swallowes vp, what ere their rauine meetes?
And in strong drinke deuouring pleasure finde
Till they lie durt-deuoured in the Streetes.
But let great men whose sp'rites are most diuine,
This most base beastlinesse, to Beasts assigne.

For if the Head replenisht be with Wit,
No roome remaines for Wine there to reside.
For if the Wine thrusts in, it out thrusts it.
Much Wine and Wit together cannot bide.
And when the Hart where the Affections sit,
With wine's inflam'd th' Affects soone shrinke aside;
And like enraged Furies doe confound,
Both Grace and Nature, Wit, and Iudgement sound.

For when the Braines are full of winie fumes,
The Soule with Ægypts darkenesse is inclosde.
And what the Braine receiues the Hart assumes,
For as the one, the other is disposde.
The Powres of both Wine vtterly consumes,
If Wine against their Powers be opposde.

---

So the Soules Faculties and her Affects,
Are brought to nought by Wines (too bad) effects.

For if the Soule at best, (and best aduizd)
Be prompt Opinion still to chop and change;
What will shee doe when she with Wine's baptizd?
How will she wander then? where will she range?
Where? nay, where not? she being so disguizd,
If from herselfe, herselfe she may estrange;
Then eu'ry way sheele runne, saue that is right,
Because her eie of Iudgement wanteth sight.

For Reas'n (th' effect of the Intelligence)
Winde-driu'n from the Sterne that rules the Minde,
What shall direct the faculties of Sense
In their right course, but bolde affections blind,
Which headlong runnes into all foule offence,
As they are mooued by their corrupt kind?
For eu'ry Sensuall man in sensuall sort,
Of Sensualitie makes but a sport.

Then Reas'n must rule, or Sense will runne awry,
(Vnruely Sense, by kinde, is so o'rethwart,)
Yet Reason hath a two-folde property,
And in her practise vseth double Art:
For now by Consequence she Truth doth try:
Then heere and there for Truth her trialls start:
And starting so, she balkes Truths euidence,
Then right she doomes not, but by Consequence.

Sharpe Wits, wil pierce hard Propositions strait;
Quicke Wittes, by sharp coniecture Truth attaines;
Great Wits, at once conclude it in Conceit;
Slowe, and yet sure wittes, find it out with paines:
And all those wittes on Wisedome still doe waite,
To serue her in the Skonce that bounds the braines.

---

Whose Powre she still imployes t'augment her might,
And doomes of their indeuors most vpright.

For shee within the Soule is Queene of Queenes,
As God vnto the Soule is King of Kings:
Th' internall Senses are Queenes, yet but meanes
Wherewith her businesse to effect she brings.
On whome (as on her Minions) still she leanes,
With greater ease to doe vneasie things.
But for her selfe, she is in Natures due,
Soules Mind, Mindes Soule, and Gods sole Image true.

Or rather, Gods Soules sole Character right,
In whose breast it had, haue, and shall haue euer,
True restlesse rest, whose word true Wisedome hight,
(That past beginnings liu'd, and dieth neuer)
Did on our flesh (which dide in painefull plight)
That none might from our Soules that Wisedome seuer:
For we in that, and that in vs doth bide,
By vnchang'd interchange on either side.

The Body in the Elements is cloz'd;
The Bloud within the Body is confind;
The Spirits within the Bloud: the Soule's dispoz'd
Within the Spirites, which Soule includes the Minde.
The Vnderstanding in the Minde's repoz'd,
And God in th' Understanding rest doth find:
So this Worlde's made for Man, Man for the Soule,
Soule for the Mind, the Minde for God her Gole.

Howbe't it is too true she was betray'd,
When Sinne perswaded hir, shee should be eu'n
With Wisdome infinite, and so assay'de,
To match that Pow're that all hir pow'r had giu'n,
Then, for she was ingrate, and so vnstay'd,
She was bereft much virtue (though forgiu'n:)

---

That now she see'th Truth but through a vaile,
So in discerning Truth, she oft doth faile.

For as the Soule, so is her faculties,
The Spring beeing choak'd the streame cannot be strong,
They see not wel, that haue but sand-blind eyes,
Nor is that firme, that frailty hath among.
So humane Wisdome, be it ne're so wise,
Oft goeth right, but ofter runneth wrong;
Whose restlesse trauells are but Truth to meete,
And yet (though oft at hand) shee cannot see't.

For how can humane Wisdome chuse but erre,
When all hir science comes from th' outward Sences?
Which oft misse apprehend, and misse referre,
And so betrayes our best intelligences.
Then Iudgement needs must fayle that doth conferre;
False Antecedents with false References:
For what those Sences constantly affirme,
The Iudgement doth as constantly confirme.

But yet in cases of our constant faith,
Wee Faith beleeue, and giue our Sence the lie,
Nay, whatsoe're our humane reason saith,
If it our faith gainesay, we it deny:
On highest heights Faith hir foundation laith,
Which neuer can be seene of mortall eye;
For if Faith say, a Maid may be a Mother,
Though Sence gainesay it, wee beleeue the other.

If Faith affirme, that God a man may bee,
(A mortall man, and liue, and die with paine)
We it belieue, though how, we cannot see,
For heere strong Faith doth headstrong Reas'n restraine:
And with the truth compells hir to agree,
Lest she should ouer-runne hir selfe in vaine:

---

So, if Faith say one's three, and three is one,
Though Sence say nay, we Faith belieue alone.

Faithes Sences are so firme, they cannot faile,
For they deriue their science from God's Sonne,
Through whom, in what she seekes, she doth preuaile,
And by the light thereof, aright doth runne:
Faith hath no Fancies fell hir thoughts to quaile,
Nor by delusions is to wauer wonne:
For beeing guided by so true a light,
Hir Iudgement and discourse must needes be right.

No maruell then though men with Faith endow'd,
Become so firme, that no plague, pow'r, or skill,
Can shake them once: for they are wholy vow'd
To him, whose Rod and Staffe doe stay them stil.
In few, by no meanes can she be subdu'd:
But stands as vnremou'd as Sion hill.
Then Faithes foundacions must of force be sure,
That can all kinde of force so wel endure.

Yet Iudgements function is of great effect,
Which sortes Particulars from Generalls,
Then Generalls from Generalls elect,
And so from Specialls parteth Specialls,
Then all conferres, and (as she can) select
The good from bad, and Spirits from Corporals.
This by hir pow're she able is to doe,
Especially, if God giues ayme thereto.

But when Discourse sets out, Fancy must rest;
Shees like a whelpe that playes with eu'ry toy,
Nor must the Will the Memory molest,
Because it doth the Intellect annoy,
Which quietly, must Sence reports disgest,
And al hir powre it must thereon imploy:

---

But if commotions of the Minde impugne,
She cannot worke; and all must needs go wrong.

For as in well composed Common-weales,
The Members in their place, their works apply;
And with reciprocall affection feales
Each others want, and it with speede supply:
So in well-mannag'd mindes the Sences deales,
Which hinders not ech others faculty.
But for the publike good of Soule and Minde,
Each Pow're applies the worke to it assign'd.

And Memory is true, if she be trusted;
If otherwise, shee's more then most vnsure;
Shee'l keepe Mindes riches else till they be rusted,
(Yet riches of the Minde are passing pure)
But if the Minde with rust of Care be crusted,
Then Memory in force cannot endure:
For cares are moathes and cankers of the Minde:
That Memory consumes, therein confin'd.

So while Reas'n worketh, Iudgement rest doth take:
But when that worke is wrought, the same she wayes
And markes with Linxes Eyes what Reas'n did make:
If wel, or ill, or neutrall, she bewrayes.
And if she finde hir eyes not wel awake,
VVith watchfull eyes againe she it suruayes;
And ceaseth not till she be fixed fast,
In that which of the truth hath greatest taste.

And when she doubts she is her selfe deceiu'd,
It growes from Ill that is so like to Good;
That for that good its commonly receiu'd:
Yet is the Frier not made by the Hood;
But likelihoods of Truth by Sence conceiu'd,
May drowne her (without heede) in Errors flood.

---

Else hardly would she slide, but firmly stand,
If Falshood, like Truth, bare hir not from land.

For as true Good, agreeth with the Will,
So Truth hath with the Minde true simpathy;
And as the Will hath no such foe as Ill,
So Error is the Mindes most ennemy.
If Iudgement then approue of Reasons skill,
Shee ioynes hir selfe thereto insep'rably.
And so of Iudgments reas'n and Reas'ns iudgement
Makes then but one, by force of one consent.

Fow'r things there are that makes our knowledge strong.
Experience knowne, to know each Principle;
Naturall iudgement, (hauing health among)
And reuelation from th' Inuisible
That's iust and right, and cannot vtter wrong;
These makes vs know all comprehensible.
The first three rendeth to Philosophy,
The last belongeth to Diuinity.

These are the Elements whereof is form'd,
Our totall knowledge, humane, or diuine;
And had the first Man not bin sinne-deform'd,
More bright then Sol, it in the Soule should shine,
For to that influence t'had bin conform'd,
That make the Mindes eyes pure and chistaline;
For then Gods glorious Sonne all only wise,
Had lent the Sp'rite Sunne-bright all-seeing eyes.

Now twixt the Soule and Spirit, great oddes there is,
(Though vulgarly they taken are for one,)
For by the Soule is meant those faculties,
That doe consort a humane Soule alone;
The Spirit doth not (as they doe) oft amisse,
For it to grace and virtue still is prone.

---

The Soule to Sinne consents, but not the Sp'rit,
For that with Sinne and Flesh, still maintaines fight.

Whereto (in sort,) agrees what Poets faine,
How Ioue did Reas'n ensconse within the Scull;
And for th' Affections did the Corpes ordaine:
Which Reas'ns regiment doth disannull,
Taking two Tirants fell with them to raigne,
VVhich oft the whole man to their parte doe pull.
That's Ire, which in the Hart hath residence;
And in the Belly raignes Concupiscence.

VVhich Passion of it selfe, is of such pow'r
(Vnlesse th' almighty Powre preuent the same,)
As, Nolens volens will the Soule deflow'r,
And make the flesh Gomorrah-like to flame,
Though God and Nature at that sight doe low'r,
And Hell wide-gaping laughes to see the same.
Nay though it should foorthwith destroy the Soule,
Yet Flesh being fraile, wil make faire Flesh thus fowle.

But from this Passion to repasse from whence,
VVe past Oblique, and so out-right proceede;
For hauing past the faculties of Sence,
It rests that now wee weigh what doth succeede.
But stay a while my Muse, thou must from hence,
Mount higher then thou canst; then hast thou neede.
To rest in contemplation of thy flight,
Sith Contemplation next ensues by right.

---

When from the outward Sences is conuai'd,
All their relations in the common Sence,
And so to Fantasie (as erst was said)
And then to Reason, or Intelligence,
From whence (being sent to Iudgments conference,)
It lastly comes to Contemplations sight,
Which is the viewe of Truthes true consequence,
For Reas'n and Iudgement findes out what is right,
Which Contemplation viewes with rare delight.

For to the Spirit nought more pleasing is,
Then naked Truth, she is so passing faire,
For when they meete, they do with comfort kisse,
And nought but Error can that ioy impaire,
Herehence it is, that though we do dispaire,
Of some whose manners are most monstrous,
Yet they, by Natures instinct, Truth desire;
For knowledge to their Spirits is precious,
And deeme all dull-heads most inglorious.

Nay though the Sp'rit cannot come neere the truth,
It pleaseth hir t'approach the neer'st she may,
Which like an egre Beagle it pursu'th,
Whose paines are passing pleasure all the way:
Then as the Minde is more diuinely gay;
So wil it most, most diuine Truth affect:
But beeing base, it will the same bewray,
By most pursuing things of least effect,
Which Spirits of diuine temper do neglect.

The Contemplation then doth ruminate
On Truth, and none but Truth; for onely it
Vnto hir dainty tast is delicate,
And nothing doth the same so fully fit,
As this Soule-feeding single, simple bit,
Then Contemplation must be most diuine,
That can with Truth diuine a humane wit,
And Zeale from Error doth aright refine,
And to the purest faith the same combine.

---

She (diuine Pow're) consociates Pow'res diuine,
Gliding through Heau'n, on his celestiall wings,
And to the Angells Hymnes hir eares incline,
And all the Hoast of Heau'n together brings
At once, to view those bright-eye-blinding things:
Yet stayes not here, but doth hir selfe intrude,
Into the presence of the King of Kings,
To see th' Obiectiue sole Beatitude,
That of the Cherubins cannot be view'd.

And hou'ring here she staies, and straines hir sight,
To see the same (as of it selfe its seene)
But taper-pointed Beames of extreame light
Darts through hir eies, and make them sightlesse cleane,
Yet inly sees a certaine Light vnseene,
That so doth rauish all hir powres of Sence,
As in the Heau'n of Heau'ns it makes hir weene,
She sensibly hath reall residence,
O'rewhelm'd with Glory and Magnificence.

But if the Body indisposed bee,
And due proportion of the Humors want,
(If Wisdome do not well the same foresee)
She here may passe the bounds of Grace (I grant)
And so wax franticke, vaine, and ignorant,
Or else presumptuously too curious,
For Powre inscrutable she must not scant,
To hir powres reach, for that were impious,
And most impard'nably presumptuous.

For as our Corp'rall Eyes cannot behold
The Sunne, whose substance is but corporal:
So the Soules Eye (being fixt to mortall mould)
Cannot behold the Deity immortall:
But if our Eye were supernaturall,
And fixt vnto the Sunne, then might it see
The Sunne it selfe, and with the Sunne see all:
So shall the Soules Eye see that Deitie,
When after death, it fixt to it shall bee.

---

Yet Contemplation may by force of loue,
Whilst yet the Soule is to the Body tide,
(Wing'd with Desire) ascend her selfe aboue,
And with hir God eternally abide,
So neare, as if she toucht his glorious side:
For as one drawing nigh materiall fire,
Doth feele the heate, before the flame be tride,
So who drawes nigh to God by Loues desire,
Shall, to, and with, that heau'nly Flame aspire.

This is that holy, kind, and sugred Kisse,
That God in loue vouchsafes the louing Soule,
To which this louing Lord espowsed is,
When (as hir Lord) he, by his grace, doth rule,
Which doth extinguish all affections foule;
This Kisse must needes be short as Lightnings leame,
Or else it would the Body so controule,
Through Soules excesse of ioy (in such extreame)
That it would leaue hir in a datelesse dreame.

Those Soules that are by Contemplation fixt
So fast to God, that th'are remou'd by none,
Are like the Seraphins to God confixt,
Who are exempt from outward charge alone,
And still (like burning lampes) surround his Throne,
For as fine Gold beeing molten in the fire,
Doth seeme, as if the fire and it were one,
So is the louing Soule through loues desire,
With God in Contemplation made intire.

Here Contemplation may so long reside,
(For here she makes the Soule drunke with delight)
As if the Body, Soulelesse did abide,
And all the Sences were depriu'd of might,
While from hir selfe, the Soule thus takes hir flight,
To such excesse of mind some men are brought,
That they do see by reuelation right,
How they should liue, and belieue as they ought,
VVith many maruells else surmounting thought.

---

This ghostly wine in Contemplation drunke,
Hath made, ere now, some Soules so drunke with ioy,
As some good Bodies in the same haue suncke,
As if they were strooke dead with some annoy.
And othersome, it hath constraind to toy,
To sing, to leape, to laugh, and some to rue
(Who then to weepe they doe themselues imploy)
Some nothing say, but, Iesu, Iesu, Iesu:
And othersome, some words they neuer knew.

The cause of all these motions (as should seeme)
From the Soules blisse and ioyes-aboundance came,
Which to the Body shares that ioy extreame,
And it not able to containe the same,
Doth vent it out with jestures vsde in game.
As when new wine into a caske is cast,
It vpwardes boiles, and many motions frame.
And wanting vent, it will the vessell brast;
So fares the Body which these Dainties taste.

But heere me thinkes I heare some Athist say,
All these are but meere naturall effects,
For th' obiect of our Loue, our Soules betray
To eu'ry Passion which it selfe reflects:
And so the Pagan his false God respects
As Loue thereto, these things in him doth worke:
But neuer Heathens heart had these Affects;
For neuer in a Pagan, Iew, or Turke,
Can such Soule-pleasing Iubilations lurke.

For as in Tempests, Smoake away doth flie,
Which yet augments the fire, and spreads the flame,
So in Afflictions stormes these dogges will die,
And can no praier with deuotion frame.
But Christians then, can best performe the same,
Who though with Troubles stormes they still are tosst;
Yet of their endlesse griefes they make their game,
And in their most affliction, glory most
When such affliction grieues a Pagans ghost.

---

Know then (whose knowledge is but Ignorance,
Whose Wit (though ne're so nimble) is but lame)
That all is subiect to the gouernance
Of that I Am, that no Tongue well can name.
For there is nothing subiect vnto Chance,
But as he will, so will all Fortunes frame,
Who is the proppe of diuine Prouidence,
(Which thou seest not, for want of Grace and Sence.

Thou Diu'l incarnate, Monster like a Man,
Perfidious Athist, gracelesse Libertine,
Which Nature then produc'd when she began
To wrong her selfe, and from herselfe decline.
Yea then when Reason farre herselfe ore-ran,
And to the brutish part did whole incline:
What brow of Brasse can beare thy earned blame,
Whose Conscience sear'd wants sense of sinne, and shame?

For loe the Soule (by force of Contemplation)
Engulphed lies in ioyful Extacy,
Where she doth languish in a loue-sicke passion,
Swallowed with sweets in such extremity,
That shees eu'n stifl'd wih felicity.
But O (wretch that I am) when, when, O when
Shall my dry soule her thirst here satisfie?
But I a sincke of sinne and Soile of Men,
Am too too fowle this Fount a loofe to ken.

Here neede the Soule to stand vpon her guard,
And keep the Tempter at the Sp'rits sword-point,
Else pride will puffe her, sith so well she far'd:
Which swelling will runne downe from ioynt to ioynt,
That she wil burst, if Grace her not annoynt.
This found he true, that found this true repast,
In the third Heau'n as God did fore-appoint,
Yet must he Buffetts with such Banquets taste
Lest he should be puft vp, and so disgrac'd.

---

For our Soules foe extracts Ill out of Good,
As our Soules friend doth draw Good out of Ill,
The foe can foile (if he be not with-stood)
With Pride our Piety, and our good-will.
But our best friend, though we offend him still,
From these offences drawes humilitie:
Which makes vs crouch, and kneele, and pray, vntill
He doth commiserate our misery;
This doth our friend, vnlike our enemie.

The Soule cannot her soundnesse more bewray,
Then when she doth Temptations strong resist,
For like as when our Pulses strongly play,
We know wee neede not then a Galenist.
So when the Soule doth paint, striue, and persist,
In strugling with Temptations, then we kno,
That Soule with perfect health is truly blist:
For she by demonstration it doth sho,
And blest are all those Soules that striueth so.

But in the Mindes excesse and traunce of Spirit,
(When Reuelations rusheth on the Soule)
It her behoues to haue much ghostly might,
The spirit of Pride with courage to controule,
Lest with the Prince of Pride hir fall be foule;
For he being mounted neere Heau'ns Maiestie,
Sought with the same the UNIVERS to rule,
So fell he from his glorious dignity,
So may a Soule inflate with Sanctity.

But if the Soule through the Almighties pow'r,
(Anteperistezing hir pow'res with grace)
Breake through those muddy walls which hir immure,
And would compell hir fowle affects t'embrace,
Shee then (sans pride) might looke God in the face.
Which to expresse, ah who can it expresse?
Not God as Man, can shew Gods glories grace,
Much lesse can Moses: Paule, and Iohn much lesse,
Then what can I do Sincke of Sottishnesse?

---

Moses sawe but his backe: Paule not so much,
Iohn but his shade, being shadowed with his wings,
Such as the Eyes, their obiects stil are such:
Then mortall Eyes can see but mortall things,
No king can liue and see that King of kings.
No pow'r can giue that priuiledge to Man,
But onely Death and Grace to God him brings,
That Heau'n and Earth doth measure with his span,
Then to discribe his greatnesse, ah, who can!

Dare I, vile froth of Frailty, Follies scumme,
Presume t'exploit impossibilities?
In my base barren witt dare I in wombe
The magnitude of all Immensities?
And proue so great improbabilities?
Vaile, vaile thy thoughts, th' imaginations vaile,
Vnto the depth of all profundities:
And ere thou enterst this Sea, strike the Saile,
Or thou wilt be o'rewhelmed without faile.

But be it granted wee may safely swimme,
Neere to this boundlesse Oceans shorelesse-shore,
Yet if Presumption beare vs from the Brimme,
Then are we lost, and can come out no more.
Nay, if too much thereon we chaunce to pore,
Albe't we are within a ken of Land,
T'will turne our braines, and make our Eyes so sore,
That we our Senses hardly shall command,
With vpright iudgement vprightly to stand.

To forme the Godhead (in our Fancies forge)
With all the Beauties, Heau'n and Earth containes,
We must be faine againe it to reforge,
For in his sight those Beauties are but staines.
In vaine therefore it is to beate our braines,
To frame that Forme, that fram'd all Formes that are,
And yet himselfe a formelesse Forme remaines,
That in Formosity is past compare,
His glory is so great, his grace so rare!

---

Obiects of Sence are printed in the Minde,
By that which from those Obiects, Sence attracts;
But that which Sence still seekes yet cannot finde,
The Minde from thence no Images abstracts:
Then if the Minde, GODS forme of Sence exacts.
Sence must enforme it with forme sensible,
Which from Gods creatures beauty it extracts,
Which cannot be incomprehensible,
As Gods forme is, that's most insensible.

He that but toucht his Arke at point to fall,
He strake stone-dead, then needs must the offence,
To looke therein be more then Capitall,
Because himselfe had there true residence:
Then truly we may well collect from hence,
No creature should be so presumptuous,
To search for Gods true forme, with erring sence,
Which at the best is most ambiguous;
Then so to do is deadly dangerous.

The Seraphins beeing Angells most supreame,
Exists but as a meane twixt God and Men,
(Yet neere the lower then the high Extreame)
Then if those Spirites no mortall eye can ken,
For glittering glory with the which they bren,
How shall such eyes behold Iehouahs face,
Sith Seraphins themselues are blinded, when
They do but glaunce vpon his glories grace?
They must confounded be, they are so base.

Men beeing most vnable to finde out
The substance of the God-head by their sence,
Haue with the highest Titles gone about,
To explicate that Super-excellence:
But that which argues most preheminence,
Of all high Titles, they the GOOD him call,
But that name fits not his beneficence,
For Good is good, of Goodnes, but hee's all
Goodnesse it selfe supersubstantiall.

---

Nay, Goodnes cannot possibly extend
T'expresse his goodnesse, that we Goodnesse call,
For Goodnesse on some substance doth depend,
But in that God-head can be nought at all,
That is not more then super-substantiall:
Then can no name his namelesse Name expresse,
But what (in Sence precise) vnnames them all,
For who so knowes it most, doth know it lesse,
As they that knoweth most of all confesse.

He is vnmou'd, vnchang'd, pure, bodilesse,
Most simple, subtile, endlesse, infinite,
All wise, all good, all great, beginninglesse,
All these are names by which we do recite,
Not what he is, but what he is not, right
Hee's vncontain'd, yet in himselfe confin'd,
VVhose mightinesse is bounded in his might,
VVhich so extends that he himselfe can finde,
Without himselfe, no Being in no kinde.

An actuall vnderstanding infinite.
Philosophy can reach no higher stile,
Which in respect of him is but finite.
Diuinitie it selfe, cannot compile,
His name in words, for words are too too vile:
I am (quoth he) what art Lord?) that I am.
Lo heer's the highest state (alas the while)
That Words can reach, though hee deuis'd the same,
That with words cannot tell his namelesse name.

Yet as a worme that only hath a will,
To trie hir force in that she cannot do,
So I (though voide of grace, and want of skill)
Bring with me more then much good will hereto,
And still to it my selfe, my selfe doth woo,
Yet am I terrified when well I way,
How some great Doctors did their wits vndo,
VVhen they this mystery sought to bewray,
Then will I, ere I enter, humbly pray.

---

O great and dreadfull Site of Gods and Men!
O all-wise Word, that no word can expresse!
O Vnction Spirituall that bright dost bren!
O three-fold, yet all one Almightinesse!
Inspire my wit, (compris'd in mortall presse)
With that pure Influence thy Throne attending;
That notwithstanding my vnworthinesse,
I may, in part, vnfold (without offending)
That which doth farre surmount all comprehending.

Mount Muse, but rise with reuerence and feare;
With Icarus foare not too neere the Sunne,
Lest that thereby thy waxen wings do meare,
And in this Sea thou fall, and be ore-runne,
Where thou shalt loose thy selfe, and be vndone:
Couer thy face with thy celestiall wings,
As Cherubins now do, and still haue done;
Yet through thy plumes, glaunce at this Thing of Things,
Beeing the cause intire of all Beeings.

For hee is Good, without all Quallity,
Then, O how good is hee, that knowes the same!
And he is great, beyond all Quantity,
Then, O how great is he that can him name!
Eternall, without time, from whome Time came,
Being present euery where, yet without place,
For euery place hee fram'd, and keepes in frame:
Beholding all, yet none beholds his face,
He giuing all, none giuing to him grace.

But where art thou? What shall I call thy name?
O GREAT, O GOOD, a good great name I want,
Thou art so great, that I no name can frame
To fitte thy greatnesse, but it is too scant,
Thy goodnesse is as great, good Great I grant:
But where art thou? among thy Angels? Noe;
Where then? with thy Church euer triumphant?
There, and where not thou art, but yet not so
As thou art with, and in, thy selfe, I know.

---

For twixt the Heau'n, where Saints and Angels rest,
And that same Heau'n of Heauens, where thou resid'st,
Is greater distance then from East to West:
Yet on the Cherubins thou often rid'st,
And euery where in Essens thou abid'st;
But where thy Glories beames doe glitter most,
With distance infinite, thou it deuid'st:
From all the Orders of the heau'nly Hoast
Where to thy selfe thy selfe alone thou sho'st.

In quintescens of Glories quintescens,
Which was, and is, most vnapproachable,
The Throne is plac'd of thy magnificence;
Whereon thou sitt'st in light vnthinkeable,
Then not by Tongue, or Pen, expressable,
For eu'n as when the Sunne his beames display,
(Because our Eyes to see the same's vnable)
We through a scarfe behold them as we may,
Eu'n so must Man, behold Gods Glories ray.

Such as goe downe into the Sea profound
Of deepe Philosophy, doe meete thee there,
Of Men profane thou art there often found,
For in thy Workes thy steppes do plaine appeare:
Nay in thy works is stampt thine Image cleere;
And yet no worke of thine resembles thee
So right (though Men and Angels drawen neere)
But that the difference infinite must be,
Sith thou art infinite in each degree.

The Deities that in the Starres do dwell,
Thy Deity their seu'rall Mansions made,
And all that Sacred Senate found full well,
That it o're them supreme dominion had,
Who found it permanent, when these did fade;
By Natures light, they saw a light extreame
Glaunce from his grace that did their glory shade,
And saw his Image true as in a dreame
Together with the new Ierusalem.

---

This goodly Great, or greatly Good is he,
(So good, so great, as none so great, or good)
That was, that is, and euermore shalbe,
(In each respect) without all liklyhood;
Including in his threefold-single Godhood,
Notions, Properties, Relations,
In whom they stil, as in their Subiect stood:
Then all Diuines diuide the Notions
Into fiue braunches or partitions.

Namely, into Innascibility,
Fatherhood, breathing, or Spiration,
Son-hood, Procession; these fiue naturally
Dependeth still by Logicall relation,
Vpon the mistery of the Trinity:
All which conioynd makes but one Unity;
The two first solely to the Sire pertaines;
The third to Sire and Sonne indifferently;
The fourth the Sonne, within himselfe retaines
And to the holy-spirit the fift remaines.

Which Notions are Relations in some sence,
For Father, Sonne, doth euer presuppose:
And Sonne a Father by like consequence;
The holy Spirit proceeding from both those,
Implieth them, from, and with whom he goes,
The Notion of Innascibility,
Is no Relation, sith it doth suppose
No other person in the Trinity
But is a Notion noting Vnity.

The two first is the Fathers in respect,
He onely doth beget, and doth vnite,
Spiration Father and the Sonne effect;
From it the Holy-Ghost's excluded quite.
They breathe, and what is breathed is that Sprite,
But Filiation solely to the Sonne
Doth appertaine, sith only Sonne hee hight:
For as one Father, so one Sonne alone
The Trinity affords, and brookes but one.

---

Procession with the holy Spirit accords,
(And only with that Spirit it doth agree)
As with the other two, three other words
Agreed, and did with him quite disagree:
So this alone applied to him must be,
For if they breath'd him foorth (as erst was said)
None can be sayd then to proceed but he,
Sith from the other two he is conuaide,
Yet in the other two, he still is staid.

Now in another Sence we may transmute
These Notions into Properties. To witt,
When they doe one, and not another sute,
As father doth the Father only fitt,
The Sonne, the Sonne, and to the holy Sprite,
Procession is peculiar. And againe,
Innascibility we must admitt
The Father. But Spiration th' other twaine;
Then name of Property t'will not sustaine.

So in the Trinity fiue Notions are,
Foure Properties, and foure Relations,
Wherein besides are other Secrets rare,
Founded vpon vnsearchable foundations.
The Sires beginning is th' eternall Sonnes,
(Though he be said to be the Sonnes beginning)
Yet no beginning had these holy ones,
But from beyond Beginnings both haue bin
Nor can their neuer endings, euer lin.

The Sire and Sonnes beginning being one,
Breath foorth their blessed Spirit, a third one being,
VVhich by a generall creation,
Beginning gaue to all (in one agreeing)
And from eternity the same foreseeing.
The greatest Monarch, and the least Insect,
With earthly things; aquaticall, or fleeing,
Whose seu'rall shapes, and what they should effect,
Had euer being in their Intellect.

---

Yet how they should there actually exist,
And by what meanes they should haue entrance there,
(Sith there eternally they did subsist)
Is hard for Man to know, who doth appeare
A Chaos of defect, and folly meere.
They entred not by meanes into his mind.
As from Ideas which without him were,
VVithout whom nothing is in any kind,
Then in him selfe, he all that all doth finde.

Yet are they not of such necessity,
As without them he could no way exist,
For they on him, not he on them rely,
Then how eternally can they consist,
Sith he alone doth only so subsist?
They are not of his Nature, but his wil,
His Intellect inciting to insist.
In knowledge of what that will should fulfill,
So in that knowledge they existed still.

For as to God it is most naturall,
To know himselfe, in whome he all doth see;
Eu'n so to him, it is essentiall,
To know the kindes of all things as they be,
Or else he should not know his owne degree.
Yet his essentiall knowledge doth not stretch
Vnto particulars, as Mee, and Thee;
For he may well exist without that reach,
And which his knowledge no way can impeach.

But all his Science of distinguisht things,
Flowes from the freedome of his sacred will,
Drawne from those Notions which his nature brings,
And are essentiall to his nature still.
Who made (to shew his vniuersall skill)
What is created in particular,
As t'were a proofe of that he can fulfill,
When he is pleas'd, to make, or mend, or marre,
Then in that skill all things distinguisht are.

---

The things that were, or are, or are to come,
Makes, in his minde, no change, though chang'd they be,
Obiects our mindes affect, our mindes o'recome:
But his intelligence is euer free,
Actiue, not Passiue, sith all Act is he.
For, as by Sense he makes vs Arts to learne,
And abstract-Formes by other meanes to see:
So he, by meanes, can seu'rall things discerne,
Though it no way his nature doth concerne.

Who being infinite, nought is in him
Thats lesse then so, but so he could not be,
If his all-seeing Eies should be so dimme,
That now he sees, what erst, he could not see:
Then sees he all from all eternitie.
The whole, the partes, the rootes, and what they beare,
The thoughts, words, deedes of men; and then must he
In Vnderstanding infinite appeare.

Who is not chang'd by Place, for he fills all,
Nor yet by Time, for he is without time,
He is not chang'd in Forme nor neuer shall,
Because he alwayes is an Act in prime,
Nor chang'd by Chance, sith he aboue doth clime,
For he all moues, and yet is mou'd of none:
He opes the Sluce through which we slowe like slime,
Which if he shuts, we cease and quite are gone,
But he is aye one, and the same alone.

Place is conceiued as a thing created,
Or as that which includeth some thing plac'd,
In this last sence God is in no place seated;
Yet in the other sence no where displac'd:
So hee's no where, and each where, first and last,
In no place barr'd, but fills and bounds each place,
For beeing indissoluble and fast,
Hee's whole in all, and in parte, and in each case,
And without mixture doth all interlase.

---

For as the Obiects which our Mindes conceiue,
Mixt not themselues together with the Minde,
Albee't they do the Minde in't them receiue,
VVithout beeing mixt or clos'd in any kinde,
Eu'n so God all conceiues, and yet doth wind
Himselfe in't all, but is conceiu'd of none,
Like as the Sunne (within himselfe confin'd)
Infuseth Light to all, yet he alone,
Is not contain'd, or mixt with any one.

God which is one, yet one of three compact,
Essentiall, nor Personall's vnderstood,
For to create is an essentiall act,
Not personall (which cannot bee withstoode;)
But when by Lord, wee meane the same Godhood:
Wee take it Personall, not Essentiall.
For it's referr'd vnto the Fatherhood,
That did beget the Sonne, God coeternall,
And to beget, is an act personall.

Now none (I hope) can be so ignorant,
T'imagine any such begetting here
As creatures vse, for that were discrepant
To Reason; for we said They euer were,
VVhich temporall begetting cannot beare:
Begetting then doth Cause and Order show,
Sith to beget, the Getter did not steere,
But from him without motion, that did flow,
That was himselfe, and to himselfe did go.

Then but respectiuely the Sire and Sonne,
And not essentially distinguisht bee,
As Sole his beames begets, yet so begunne,
That they are full as old and bright as hee,
And from them both the Light proceeds we see:
VVhich is as old and bright as Sunne or Beames,
And nothing differs but respectiuely?
For first the Sunne begate his radiant Leames,
Then both yeelds Light, and all in like extreames.

---

But more distinctly to distinguish them,
And to expresse their Natures vnity,
(If it be not impiety extreame,
To liken them to things so transitory:)
Then may we imagine from eternity,
A Taper burnes, which doth a second light,
Those two doe light a third, and ioyned nie,
They shew all one, and all alike are bright,
Which doe illustrate this darke Secret right.

Which meerely is all Essence and excludes
All (whatsoere) that is not of the same;
So though his Essence all his works includes.
And in his Essence all those works did frame,
Yet neere his Essence his works neuer came:
For no Effect is wholy like his Cause,
If so it be, then what a sinne, and shame
Its for Men, that like Men, this Essence drawes,
As knowing nought aboue themselues like Dawes.

Were Angells Limners to delineate,
That All (but that) excelling Maiesly,
(Sitting in chaire of State, surmounting State)
They must, with wings displai'd, defend their Eie,
From being confounded with his radiancy,
Then how shall Man (an outcast Eglet) view,
That Glory, or paint his Vbiquity,
That Arte it selfe, nor Knowledge neuer knew?
And Beauty is too base to blaze their hue.

Put Vacuums foe, the cleere corps of the Aire,
Ten times refin'd therein, and giue them Sp'rite
T'will file, not fill, the least parte of that Chaire.
Nay, all the Hoast of Heau'n in one vnite,
(Yea, adde to that what all tongues can recite)
And set it in that Seate, t'will scarce appeere;
But seeme as it were turn'd to nothing quite,
For nothing can at once be eu'ry where,
But him alone that no where hath a Peere.

---

Borrow from Heau'n and Earth and what they hold,
The perfect'st parts of Beauties excellence,
Cast these perfections in the perfect'st mould.
To make his like, twill be but Impotence,
Compar'd to Glory, and Omnipotence.
Who can prescribe a forme t'a formelesse Forme?
(Yet in that Forme all Formes haue residence:)
But to make all in one doth him deforme,
Then but this ONE, who can this All performe?

Hee's Infinite, put this to whatsoere,
It makes it God, sole cause of things finite,
Sith infinite can nothing caused beare,
For to be caus'd, is to be definite,
Chiefe essence must it be, that's Infinite,
And One alone, two Infinites exclude,
Which One must needs be incorporeall quite,
Because a Corps a place must needes include,
Wherein this Infinite cannot be mu'de.

Then to be Infinite, is to be free
From matter; and from matter to be quit
Is voide of Passion, and of Change to be:
For Change hath Passion resident in it,
And to them both is Motion firmly knit.
Which Motion tends to Rest, which Rest remaines,
Where Rest remaining resteth Infinite;
That is in him, without whom nothing is
Subiect to Rest, or Motion, Bale, or Blisse.

Though hee (his Actions to diuersifie)
Takes on him parts, and passions of a Man,
(Stouping thereby to our capacity)
Yet none of both's in him that all things can,
Without them both: then both are as a Fan,
To kepee our Reasons eye from that defect,
Which cannot apprehend where that began,
VVhich as the Cause, our ioy or griefe effect;
All which he doth t'informe our Intellect.

---

Those Attributes are borrowed from our Kinde,
To lend our Reason light, that Light to see:
But those essentially to him assignd,
Of his owne nature and existence bee,
Namely Ubiquity, Simplicity,
Eternity, and sole Omnipotence,
Consorted all with perfect Unity;
Yet are these Attributes not his essence,
For they are diuerse, that's but one Immence.

Which Essence is the Fount from whence doth flow,
Each fore rehears'd Essentiall property,
But to that Essence they do not reflow,
To mix the same with their variety;
For that stands not with his simplicity.
What then? can aught be first, or last, in it?
In Order yea; in Time I it deny,
For Order sets the Will behinde the Wit,
And yet in Time they both together sit.

In Order then his Vnderstanding's set,
Before each one essentiall propertie,
Which is his forme, wherein he doth beget,
His coeternall Sonne, his Wisdomes eye.
Wherewith vpon himselfe he still doth prie,
Producing so a third one infinite,
Yet infintenesse is not their Essence, why?
Beecause that must exist, ere it exite,
That which confineth al, that is finite.

In Tyme they are all one, for One is hee,
In Order hee's an Essence ere hee's wise;
So hee's sole wise, ere insinite can bee:
VVhich stands with Reasons rules in sence precize.
And whoso sees it, must haue Reasons eyes,
Yet is not his true Essence priuatiue,
(As that which still bereaues without supplies,)
But really, and truely Positiue,
From whom all Positiues themselues deriue.

---

Then Wisdome, Knowledge, and Intelligence,
(As in their Subiect,) are in him alone;
VVith, and without, a proper difference:
By which, as one, or diuerse, they are knowne.
That's as they are consid'red, all, or one;
And all, or any one, are in him so,
As they exist by power of their owne,
And in existence all together go,
Though in their functions parted other fro.

Now from his Vnderstanding flowes his Will,
Essentially traduced from the same;
(VVhich is the act or th' Vnderstanding still:)
VVhence flowes his Actions free (as Will) from blame.
As from the VVel (his Will) from whence they came.
VVhose Office is true Good to couet aye,
Which is his Glory whereat it doth ame,
Which of all goods, most goodly is, and gay.
Beeing the Obiect of his Will alway.

Which Will is stable, and omnipotent,
Nothing can alter it, or it constraine;
How then (being changelesse) seemes hee to repent:
That one hee willd, as though hee willd in vaine?
And Prayers seemes, and seemes not, it to straine.
VVee must distinguish heere, betweene his will
Know'n, and vnknow'n, and then the case is plaine.
That know'n hath chang'd, the vnknow'n standeth still,
Yet prayers pure, both those good wills fullfill,
Which being good, from it can come no ill.

Here is the Gulph that swallowes all amisse,
This is the Hell, that hatcheth eu'ry euill;
Our shallow, yet too deepe insight in this:
Makes God our foe; Sinnes cause, and so a Diuill.
O damn'd presumptuous ignorance vnciuill!
Sinne, Flesh, and Bloud, stay, stay, O stay; heere stay,
This point dispute not, for yee can but cauill;
God saues by meanes, the meanes vsd, hee doth say,
He sure will saue; who doubts, are cast away.

---

For to conceiue that so himselfe he bindes
To any such absurd Necessity,
That though he would, he cannot change our mindes,
Nor grant our suites, though made in charity,
Were fond, and full of damnd impietie:
Yea opposite to both his Will and Word,
Which stil are good, without variety;
But neither can they be, if they afford
No grace to them, that with them doe accord.

Now if that Curiosities Cattes eies,
Would faine be prying (further than is fit)
To see how this cleere doctrine can arise
From light so darke (which Light in darke doth sit)
Still let them prie, till they fall out with it.
For God be'ng constant, if vnconstant Man
Would finde him other, he may lose his wit
In search thereof: for God such Searchers ban,
Because they would do more than Himselfe can.

Who being immateriall, cannot change,
(For thats immutable thats matterlesse)
No accident is to his knowledge strange:
No obiect can his fixed will impresse:
Angells consists of Matter more or lesse,
Which may be chang'd, and Passion to endure:
So Men and Angells may thereby transgresse;
But God in Essence is so passing pure,
That all he wills and workes is passing sure.

Now from his Will flames foorth his ardent Loue,
Which is as t'were the substance of his Forme,
Which without motion, still his will doth moue,
To doe what e're his will would faine performe.
Loues office is to loue, Spirites to conforme.
Loues obiect is those Spirites sanctity:
For Loue, the like will to the like transforme,
Sith where there is a perfect simpathy,
Loue likes to make a perfect vnitie.

---

If God be Loue, how then can true Loue hate?
For he loues Good, and hates Ill perfectly;
Yet Hate dooth seeme his goodnesse to abate,
And yet it is but the antipathie
Of his pure nature with impurity,
Which Grands his Goodnesse, and augments his fame;
For if he should not hate iniquitie,
Which doth his Image true confound and shame,
He should not loue himselfe, much lesse the same.

Loue cannot hate, no more than Fire can freeze,
God cannot hate, no more than Good be Ill:
But when his Iustice vniust Soules surprize,
Hee's said to hate them, sith he them doth spill;
Which as hee's Mercy, is against his will:
But as hees Iust, he dooth it willingly
This Will and Nill his goodnesse doe fulfill,
And both agree in perfect vnity,
T'aduaunce the glory of his Maiesty.

He cannot hate, nor is he mou'd to wrath,
As Men doe hate, and are to anger mou'd.
No Passion in the Godhead being hath,
But those hee likes that are of him belou'd;
And those he loathes that are of him reprou'd,
By an eternall motion of his will:
Mouing to that which is by him approu'd,
And ay remouing from all shew of ill;
So in this Loue and Hate, hees constant still.

Which Hate is no lesse Great, than He is Good,
Thats infinite, for nought in him is lesse:
Wert in him, as in vs, a passiue moode,
He were not God, for God is Passiuelesse;
He is an Actiue Spirite, motionlesse.
Seeing all at once, Past, Present, and to Come,
Without succession, seeing all successe;
Then sith at once, hee seeth all and some,
No chaunce with Passion can his Sprite orecome.

---

Who in their causes, and essentiall formes,
Knowes all that was, or is, or e're shall be.
Then no Intelligence his Minde informes
Of that he knowes not; sith he doth foresee,
Eu'n all that All, beyond eternitie.
For he beyond beginnings did exist.
Existing so, he sawe in each degree,
What should beginne, and end, or still consist,
Which in Præscience infinite he wist.

Could he beginne, Beginnings that began?
If so hee could, what is beginninglesse?
Or Time, or Nothing. Thats vntrue, for than,
If there were Time, it was not motionlesse;
For Time is made by Motion, all confesse.
But where there nothing is, no Motion is,
For Nothing hath no motion, and much lesse
Can Nothing make of nothing, Something. This
Some-thing sometime, of nothing made all his.

God euer was, and neuer was not God,
Not made by Nothing, nothing could him make.
Could nothing make, and not make? this is odde;
And so is he, that could creation take
Of Nothing; for all was, when as he speke.
Nothing was made, that was not made by it.
Then nothing was that could it vndertake,
To make its Maker, what had powre or wit,
Not him that can doe all, that he thinkes fit.

Time's but a Moments flux, and measured,
By distance of two Instants (this we proue)
Which then commenc'd (it selfe considered)
When fist the Orbs of Heau'n began to moue.
Thats but sixe thousand yeeres, not much aboue.
But whats so many yeeres, as may be cast,
In thrice as many Ages, to remoue
Eternitie, from being fixed fast;
And God therein, from being First and Last.

---

He is eternall, what is so, is he.
So is no creature, for it once was made,
Then ere it could be made, it could not be:
But the Creator euer beeing had,
To pull out from Not-beeing: who can wade?
(Beeing a Deapth so infinite profound)
But he that was, and is; and cannot fade?
This Beeing infinite, this Deapth must sound,
To lift vp all to Beeing, there beeing dround.

Eternity and Time are opposite,
For Time no more can bound Eternity,
Then Finite can inuirone Infinite,
Both of both which haue such repugnancy,
As nere can stand with Gods true Unity:
Eternity is then produc'd from hence,
By ioyning of his sole Infinitie,
With his essentiall intelligence,
And all the Attributes proceeds from thence.

If then Eternity doth bound this One,
(Or rather he bounds all Eternity)
How could he Bee? or beeing all alone,
How could he worke? (that works vncessantly)
(For hee's all Act, that acts continually)
Hauing no subiect whereupon to worke,
And beeing without his Creatures vtterly,
It seemes he must in Desolation lurke,
Which must of force an actiue nature irke.

Or how could he extend his goodnesse, when
None could receiue it? (if none Beeing were,
What honor could he haue, there beeing then
No one to honor him, or him to feare?
Or what (in loue) if hee his children deere,
Had made t'exist from all eternity,
As to eternity th' are made t'appeere?
What inconuenience could ensue thereby?
Yes very great, and marke the reason why.

---

He is an Essence free, not bound to ought,
Who can and doth exist in boundlesse blisse,
Although besides himselfe, that there were nought:
For he of greatest glory cannot misse,
Sith that eternally all glori's his:
But should the Creatures eternall be,
His glory would be much eclip'st by this,
For were th' eternall too, aswell as he,
They would be gods as great in each degree.

Then nought he needes to giue him laude, or loue,
Or subiect for his worke, though nought there were.
For ere nought was, he did not worke or moue,
Yet idle was not, for his Spirit did steere
In contemplation of his Essence cleere:
So himselfe, to himselfe, was Well of Weale,
And in himselfe, did Glory it selfe appeare;
Which to himselfe, himselfe did aye reueale,
So pleasd himselfe, with what himselfe did feale.

Suppose no man but one were on the Earth,
And none but Vermine vile did him attend,
What honour could they yeeld? What ioy or mirth
Could they afforde, that rather doe offend?
Such, and no more doe men their Maker lend,
Who were made changeable by changelesse will,
So chang'd they are, and to the worse they tend,
Who in respect of him continue still,
Worse then vile Uermine, though they were more ill.

Who for his goodnesse is the God of grace,
And for his glory is the Lord of Light,
Whose glorious greatnesse filleth eu'ry place,
(For no place is exempted from his Sp'rite)
And by it all that is, compasst quite,
As the least Poynt, is by the Heau'ns clire,
And nothing is so solid, as hath might,
To keepe him out, as it can Aire or Fire,
But he is all in all, and parte intire.

---

Hee's not in Temples made with mortall hands,
Nor those which his immortall hands haue made,
Nor in himselfe as Man, for Fleshes bands,
Can hardly hold the least glimse of his Shade,
Much lesse his Substance, which e're biding had,
No more in one, then in an other place:
And though with Flesh it seemeth to be clad,
Yet dwells he in it but by pow'r and grace,
And so he dwells in all he doth embrace.

He dwells in Heau'n of Heau'ns by his Glory,
(For there that matchlesse Glory glitters most)
He is in Hell, and each place transitory,
By presence of his Spirit, (the holy Ghost,)
He dwells in Christ, but how, O Christ thou knowst,
For as the Soule and Body makes one Man,
So God and Man, one Christ do make thou showst,
Yet the coherence neither may or can,
The diffrence abrogate, since Christ began.

Whose natures from confusion are as free,
As from distraction they are cleerely quit,
Which though connext, confounded may not be,
Much lesse distracted; both in one beeing knit,
But how conioyn'd, surmounts the reach of Wit:
For in Christs body, bodily doth dwell,

Coloss. 3.

The fulnesse of the Godhead; most vnfit,
To be contained in Heau'n, Earth, or Hell,
His greatnesse, doth their greatnesse so excell.

Then Contemplation stay; here make a pause,
Stirre not too fast, about vncompasst things,
Though thou canst compasse Heau'n and Earth, because
Thou art the Image of this King of Kings.
Yet this flight is too farre, for thy clipt wings,
The Trinity, in Unitie's a wonder,
Surmounting wonders; which amazment brings;
Yet lesse (if more may be) that God is vnder
Fraile flesh, and so contayn'd, God cannot sunder.

---

Which two-fold natures, oft cooperates,
And euermore assotiates each other,
But neuer mutually participates
Each others properties, as mixt together;
For what one hath, the selfe same hath not either,
But in their kindes are diuerse, yet but one,
That's one of two, or two in one much rather,
Which mystery to God is onely knowne,
But not as he is Man the same is showne.

To whom yet nerethelesse all pow'r is giu'n,
In whom as in its proper place it bides,
By which he ruleth in Earth, Hell, and Heau'n,
And were there some thing else, the same besides,
Which powre beeing infinite, with it he guides,
Each finite thing vnto its proper end,
In which omnipotence, such force resides,
As were he willing he the Heau'ns could bend,
Belowe base Hell, and make it Heau'n transcend.

Which peerelesse powre, though nothing can oppugne,
Yet doth itselfe, it selfe still so restraine,
As that it selfe, cannot it selfe impugne,
For what it bindes, it cannot loose againe,
At selfe same time; for then that powre were vaine,
As beeing repugnant to it selfe, and so,
No order should that rulelesse powre containe,
And then it selfe, it selfe would ouerthro,
And with it selfe, all things to wrack should go.

He cannot make Man free, and bond at once,
Nor giue him Will, and wrest it how he will,
He cannot hold in hate his Holy ones,
Nor in his loue (much lesse) imbrace the ill,
He cannot change himselfe, beeing changelesse still,
Such things he cannot do; not through defect,
Of powre what not? (if please him) to fulfill,
But of his powre this is a strong effect,
That can do all, but that it should reiect.

---

Who being euermore a compleate Acts,
In highest degree of diuine excellence,
He neede not chase Perfection by the tract,
For in himselfe, It selfe hath residence:
Then motion hath he none by consequence,
For that must firmely stand, wherein all moues,
Who is both Center and Circumference
Of Motions motion; for it him behoues,
To giue all rest which he moues or remoues.

He cannot moue but to himselfe alone,
Because alone, at once hee's eu'ry where,
And all that is, is only in this ONE,
Then vnto what? or whither should he steere?
Sith all's in him, that shalbe, is, or were.
For mou'd he, Motion should not tend to Rest,
But Motion, should to Motion, tend for ere;
So Time in bootelesse turnes should be at best,
When it should draw most neere, to most vnrest.

He is that ONE in whom each one doth moue,
He moues each one, that all in him should rest,
For whatsoe're from him doth most remoue,
It findes and feeles thereby the most vnrest:
Yet from himselfe, nothing himselfe can wrest.
Who being One, though one in trinity,
Consisting of himselfe he hath addrest,
From himselfe all this Alls diuersity,
To moue to rest in his true vnity.

As in a Quire of well tun'd voyced Men;
When the first man hath giu'n the first accent,
There doth ensue a noise melodious then
Of all the voyces, ioyn'd in one consent:
So God by powre, super-omnivalent,
Giuing first motion, to the highest Sphere,
(Being first Mouer) then incontinent,
All lower Bodies orderly did steere,
As by their present motion doth appeare.

---

Looke on the World, and what it doth comprize,
And Sence shall see, all mouing vnto one,
The Elementes, and ten-fold orbed Skies,
(In motion diuerse tend to one alone,
And make one World, through their coniunction:
The Sea ingirts the Earth; Th' Aire boundeth both,
Beeing compas'd with the Firy region,
The Coape of Heau'n, doth seeme them all to cloth,
Who arme in arme vnto an Vnion goth.

The Sea through vaines and Arteries of the Earth,
Creeps through her Corpes, to fix her droughty dust:
That done, it springs aloft, as t'were in mirth,
For that it hath perform'd what needes it must,
And then returnes with windings most vniust,
Iust to it selfe; which vndeuided is,
So many members makes one Body iust,
And many ioyes compleates one perfect blisse,
Which blisse is onely Ones, and none but his.

From one selfe Earth, all earthly things proceede,
To which selfe Earth, those earthly things retires,
One silly drop of slime man-kinde doth breed,
In which one kinde are manifold desires,
Which nerethelesse one Good alone requires,
All numbers do consist of many Ones,
And eu'ry one to only One aspires,
Which One those seu'rall vnities attones,
So ONE aboue all ones, himselfe enthrones.

All parts of Man with mutuall respect,
Discharge their functions to preserue the whole,
The like in common-weales the parts effect,
The like the faculties do in the Soule,
And but one truth is taught in eu'ry Schoole:
The parts of speech, tends but to perfect speech,
The end whereof is Error to controule,
And shew one truth, which onely one doth teach,
That by one truth, rules all within his reach.

---

Where Unitie is lost, Confusion's found;
Where Vnitie is found, theres nothing lost.
The noblest creatures, neede the vil'st on ground,
The vil'st are serued by the honor'd most.
And which is more, the very heau'nly hoast
Doth serue the basest creatures voide of sense,
Yet ouer-rules them, in each Clime and Coast.
So one to other, haue such reference,
As they in Vnion haue their residence.

Arithmetike from Vnity proceedes,
Eu'n as from Punctum flowes Geometry.
Musicke the symphony of sounds succeedes.
And Architecture Vniformitie.
Perspectiue at one poynt, lookes diuersly.
Phisicke doth ayme at health, and thats no more
But Humors well-consorted vnitie.
The Lawe lookes at one Right, whose onely lore,
Is to conioyne, that Wrong vnioyn'd before.

Good gouernement brings many Families
Vnder obedience to one Maiestrate:
And many Seruants, Daughters, Sonnes, Alies,
Vnder a housholde petty Potentate:
And many Passions, in one Minde at bate,
It reconciles, to Reasons onely rule:
And many peace-infringers in a State,
The Rod of Discipline doth ouer-rule,
And makes them One, that maketh all mis-rule.

Which vnion of so many Vnities,
And which diuersities in Vnion,
Implies there is but ONE, all onely wise,
Who through his Wisedome, made them eu'ry one.
To whome all laudes diuine, belongs alone.
Pluralitie of Gods who then defends,
Must be the author of Confusion,
For many Gods he makes, for many ends,
Which to Distraction and Confusion tends.

---

Can all things, Thicke and Thinne, Heauie and Light,
Hote, Cold, Moyst, Dry, Great, Small, or Quicke, or Dead,
That doe appeare, or not appeare to sight,
Be held in one, without some One, their Head?
Shall these in one, to vs alone be lead,
And we misse-led, to many Gods from one?
Who in these Capitalls, may plaine be read
To be the God of Gods, yea God alone?
If so we should, our wittes were not our owne.

But with what words can I their blame bewray,
That maugre all that euer can be saide,
To proue this God, will all that All gainesay,
And flat affirme, and speake as wellapaide,
There is no God. Whose words (if they be waide)
Do make them worse than Fiends, for they confesse
There is a God, of whome they are afraide.
O Fiendes of Fiends, I cannot call you lesse,
But more, much more, sith ye much more transgresse.

Omitting many reasons which they bring,
(Reasons? O no, but diu'lish blasphemies)
To proue no God, nor any such like thing
They say, That Man is ill, no man denies;
If then God made him, he made Ill likewise.
If he made Ill, then cannot he be good.
And if not good, not God in any wise,
For Gods the Fount, and Goodnesse is the flood,
Thus vrge they this vnlikely likelihoode.

Know Diu'lls incarnate Antideities,
To make and marre are two repugnant things,
To make, implies Natures, or Substances.
Both which are good, and from Gods goodnesse springs.
Ill's none of both, for vnto both it clings,
No otherwise then Rust to Siluer cleaues.
Which is the accident Priuation brings
That Good of goodnesse casually bereaues,
And so the Good the Ill (vnmade) receaues.

---

Which of it selfe, consists not, nor consists
In aught that nought is; but in Good alone:
Its no Effect, but Defect, which resists
The good of Goodnes by corruption,
It is not made therefore by any one,
For were it made, by Sinne it must be made:
And Sinne is nothing but priuation,
Which in it's nature doth to nothing fade,
So, Euill of it selfe, is still vnmade.

For Ill beeing but a meere defect of Good,
It followes then, its but a meere Defect,
Which is no more, but a meere Nihilhood;
For Want can be no more, in no respect,
And not to Bee, is nothing in effect.
Then Nothing beeing but a Negatiue,
(How ere it goodnesse, may (perhappes) infect)
Produceth Nothing, beeing the Priuatiue,
Which Nought makes good, this my affirmatiue.

Wherefore in that things Bee, of God they bee,
And that they faile, they faile, sith Nought they were:
For All of nothing, Good created hee,
Which All to nothing of themselues do weare,
Then Good they are, in that they truly are,
And Ill they bee, sith Beeing they haue none,
Good on his part, that made them so appeare,
And Ill because they al to nothing rone,
Then he is good, of whom they Are alone.

Yee Soule-confounding, selfe-confounding Soules,
Can yee not see, because yee will not see,
How all the Orbes of Heau'n in order roules,
VVhich cannot moue; vnlesse they moued bee:
By some first mouer, sith vnmou'd is hee?
For nothing moues, but it another moues,
So Motion from degree vnto degree,
Doth mount to that, that moues it and approues,
The same for God, as it the same behoues.

---

What moues yee then, yee Monsters in Mens shapes,
To moue such questions which assoile yee can;
By that selfe motion? For such willfull scapes
Moues from the Fend, to him, to moue fraile man.
Your conscience tells yee so (which looketh wan,
With bleeding still, your selues still wounding it)
If Diuills Be, God is, assure ye than,
And I presume, your diu'lish searching witt,
Findes out God by the Diu'll, though most vnfit.

VVhat's vnder Heau'n, but God aboue doth preach?
Saue Hell it selfe, which in you yee retaine,
And yet the very Hell, a Heau'n doth teach,
VVhich is not voide, for then it were in vaine.
But hee there dwells, that doth the same sustaine.
Thou great wise man, why lett'st thy braines to beate,
On things vnworthy of thy beaten braine?
For all thou think'st on, is, how to defeate,
Thy selfe of God, and himselfe of a Seate.

VVhat humane hart of temper is so hard,
That yeelds not to th' impression of Gods forme?
From whence can his Ubiquitie be barr'd,
That what hee will, doth eu'ry where performe?
Then can the hart of Man, a forcelesse worme,
Keepe out that God that nothing can with-stand?
No, no, perforce hee must himselfe enforme,
There is a God by whose allmighty hand
All things were made; and all things doth commaund.

What ist that hang'd the Earth within the Aire?
Yet hang'd it so, that it is fixed fast?
VVhat made the Gulfe, where waters all repayre?
VVhose foming fury makes the Earth agast,
Lest it in rage, the same should ouer-cast.
Yet is it barrd, with flatt fraile sandy bounds,
What powre could make such weake barres so to brast
The banded Billowes which on them rebounds,
But Pow'r, whose praise both Land and Sea resounds?

---

Who peopled that wide watry World with store,
Of scaly creatures, which there wandring are?
Resembling all that liue on Earth and more,
More supereminent, and much more rare,
The Whale (amongst the rest) doth make this cleare,
Which beeing the amplest Master-peece of Nature,
VVith thundring voice, doth amplely declare,
There's some high Hand, that gaue him his huge stature,
And Nature did direct, to frame his feature.

For eu'ry thing that Nature doth produce,
(As by experience is most euident)
She doth direct vnto some end and vse,
Then what directeth that hir regiment,
But some one Thing much more preheminent?
For she is finite in hir Acts and powre,
But so is not that Powre omnipotent,
That Nature subordain'd, chiefe Gouernour,
Of fading Creatures while they do endure.

For that all wordly things do end we see,
It doth inferre the World beginning had,
Then if this World began; how could it Bee,
VVithout a cause Efficient had it made,
To say it made it selfe, when t'was vnmade,
Doth Nature, Reas'n, and common Sence impugne,
To say a parte the whole made, were more mad,
Can part e're to the whole it doth belong,
Create the whole? this wholy is more wrong.

Weigh all the World in Ballance of the Minde,
And all the world will make thee God to way,
Looke in thy little World, and thou shalt finde,
That great, great, great, three greates in one alway,
Which GREAT in thy least parts doth wholy stay,
His rare existence to thee to reueale,
That beeing felt (as t'were) thou shouldst bewray,
Vnto his praise what thou dost see and feele,
And not in sullen silence it conceale.

---

There dost thou finde, the World epitomiz'd,
A corps for motion meete, of diuerse kindes,
A diuine Soule wherewith its all suffiz'd,
Which vnremou'd, the Body turnes and windes:
And powres to eu'ry part, with powre assignes,
Thy corps a coppy of this copious Masse,
Thy Soule his Image that no Image findes
Like him but it, that able is to passe,
Through Heau'n and Earth, yet stay still where it was.

For as we hold there's but one God alone,
But yet three persons in the Deity:
So the Soule's parted (though in substance one)
In't Vnderstanding, Will, and Memory,
These Powres or Persons makes one Trinity,
Yet but one Substance indiuisible,
Which perfect Trinity in Vnity,
(Both beeing Spirituall and inuisible)
Doe make the Soule, hir God so right resemble.

And like as one true God in persons three,
Doth rightly rule this great Worlds Monarchy,
So in Mans little World these Uirtues bee,
But one Soule ruling it continually,
Yet in this lesser World, as wel we try,
Be sundry sorts of people; some there are
That be as heads, Some Rulers not so hie,
Some common Cittizens; and some lesse rare,
Those Ruralls bee, that still are out of square.

The Heads are those aboue recited three,
The vnder Rulers Thoughts, and Fancies are,
The Citizens the outward Sences bee,
The Ruralls be the Bodies rare,
(Which often make the Soule most poore and bare)
For when these Riffe-raffes in commotion rise,
And all will haue their will, or nought will spare,
The Soule (poore Soule) they then in rage surprise,
And rob hir of hir wealth, and blinde hir of hir eyes.

---

Then let Iehouah thunder from on hie,
And in the Soule aduance his glorious voice,
The Vnderstanding, Will and Memory
Then cannot heare it for the other noise:
As when a king speakes to his captaines choise,
Though nere so neere, if th' Army make a shoute,
They heare him not, though his speach high he hoise;
So God may speake, but were as good be mute,
For hee's not heard, when Passions doe dispute.

But when those traitrous Tirants are supprest,
Then like as Moises did ascend the Hill,
And left the Izralites below in rest;
To commune with his God and know his will,
So the Soules Senses may the like fulfill.
Who then may Contemplations Mountaine scale,
To talke with God, the Passions being still,
And left below in Meekenesse humble vale,
Where they are cool'd with many temprate gale.

Loe thus the Soule hath the similitude
Of God, and of the World; of God, because
He with his Attributes hath hir endu'd;
And of the world, sith that so neere shee drawes,
To be, and not to be, contain'd by lawes.
Of God in point of gouernment shee's like,
And of the World, sith she doth seldome pause:
Against hir gouernment (though iust) to like,
For which hir selfe, hir selfe doth oft mislike.

But what a needelesse paine is it to proue,
The Sunne (that lighteth each Eye) to be light?
When none endu'd with Sence, a doubt will moue,
Of that which doubtlesse is so passing bright:
That eu'n the blinde perceiues it without sight.
Then much more needlesse is this proofe of mine,
Sith Wrong it selfe, must needs know God aright;
And Powres of Darkenesse sees this Powre diuine,
Much more must Men whose Eyes are christaline.

---

What shall I say? looke thou with all thine Eyes
Seene or vnseene, on things vnseene, or seene;
Eyther aboue, or vnderneath the Skyes:
What canst thou see, in which God is vnseene?
Sith hee's much more then all in all, I meane
He all, and much more, able is to fill
Without an adiunct, or a second meane,
Eu'n by the only motion of his will,
Which can doe all, and yet can doe no ill.

What makes the hugest, and the strongest things
Obedient to the things most small and weake?
Will strong things be the weakers vnderlings
Of selfe accord; sith all things freedome seeke,
Without some mightier will, their will to breake?
The smallest Ante, whose strength is but Defect,
Hath more preeminence, and virtue eake,
Then the Earthes totall Globe, in each respect,
Then Powre in weaknesse show'n, workes this effect.

And naturally Contraries spill each other,
Then how can Nature (these Diu'ls God) compound,
The disagreeing Elements togeather:
But that shee must those Elements confound?
In Nature no such force was euer found.
Then must some Power supernaturall,
Giue to each Element his vttmost bound,
That though they swarue in Nature; yet they shall
In one agree, through One vniting All.

The Sunne doth warme the cold wombe of the Earth,
The Moone and Starrs, hir reasons doth assigne,
The Aire, and Water bringeth foorth hir birth,
Which serueth Beasts, and Beasts serue Men in fine:
If from Eternity these things thus were,
How could they to them selues an end designe?
Seeing the ende for which things formed are,
Before the things themselues, must needes appeare.

---

And in our selues we finde and feele a Minde,
That can at once a thousand Worldes containe,
Which needes must be of a celestiall kinde:
Then can we thinke no Minde doth else remaine,
When to our Mindes that Mind appeereth plaine.
For we can nothing minde, or good, or bad,
But it directs our Mindes, with might and maine
Vnto a Minde that ne're beginning had,
By whome in our beginning ours were made.

If not from thence, from whence was our beginning?
Did we beginne our selues, that once began?
For that must needes begin, that needes hath ending:
And runne we vp Mans race, from Man to Man,
A first we finde from whome all others ranne.
For could we make our selues, why make we not
Such as our selues are, where we list, and whan?
Why hath a wise man, to his Sonne a Sotte?
But that he cannot make his Sonne, God wot.

Man cannot make a Moath, much lesse a Man.
For as no hand but his, that Man did make
Could make an Angell; so no other can
Make the least haire, or make it white, or blacke.
If not a haire, nor colour if it lacke,
Can Man create, how make himselfe can he?
No, no, he cannot that Taske vndertake,
For through his ignorance he needes must see,
His blessed Being that made him to Be.

Because we see him not: (not as he is)
But by effects which from him doe proceede.
Shall we deny his being, or his blisse,
And so subuert the fore-front of our Creede?
Then raze we Reas'n and Conscience by that deede.
Were we endungeon'd from our birth, yet wee
Would weene there were a Sunne, whose beames are shed,
Through chincks on vs, though him we could not see;
Then shall we question, if a God there be?

---

And shall wee question make if God there be,
When through Sun, Moone, and Stars, and all below them,
He darts his Glories beames for vs to see,
And yet shall we not see them, though he shew them?
But wincke (wincke hard) because we wil not know them?
For should we thinke nought is, which we see not,
We should not thinke we had eies, though we owe them.
For though with them we see, yet well we wot,
We see them not themselues, though free from blot.

Much lesse they see the Soule, by which they see,
Yet Reas'n perswadeth Sense, there is a Soule,
From whom the Senses powres deriued bee,
Yet shall our Sense, our Reason so controule,
To make it to maintaine this error foule,
That God is not, without whome nothing Is.
For all that Is, is but as t'were a Scroule,
Wherein in letters plaine, that none can misse,
God is enroulde, aboue all Deities.

But some there are, (ah woe that such there are,)
That do confesse, (perforce they do confesse,)
There is a GOD; yet hold hee hath no care,
Of worldly things; but raignes in blessednesse,
And of the World makes Fortune gouernesse.
These Diuills are more dampned then the rest,
Sith they confessing God, make more transgresse,
For if a Prouidence bee not confest,
Who will not liue to liue as hee thinks best.

These fooles confessing God doe God deny,
Whom to confesse, without his Atributes,
Doth to that fond confession giue the ly,
Because it selfe, against it selfe disputes;
And to their shame, it selfe, it selfe confutes,
For aske a Sauage, if a God hee holdes,
Why so he weenes? he straight his reasons sutes,
From Order drawne which hee in all beholdes,
Which hee beeleeues, some ord'ring Pow'r vpholdes.

---

By nought so much as by his prouidence,
Is God discern'd; which all must needs discerne,
That hath a humane Soule, and common sence;
For common sense, the outward'st sense interne,
At the first sight that principle doth learne:
For if through the effects we see their cause,
Then may we plainely see, whose Nature's Sterne,
By that Decorum wee see in hir lawes,
Namely this Powre, that Land and Ocean awes.

Who if he carelesse were of wordly things,
It is for want of powre, or want of will;
If want of powre, his powre in bounds it brings:
If want of will, his goodnesse it doth spill,
For of his works to haue no care is ill.
But if thou God confesse, confesse thou dost,
That he is good, and most almightie still,
If so he be, then needs confesse thou must,
That he is prouident, or most vniust.

For Prouidence being but a wise conuay,
Of things created to some certaine end;
And that no humane soule hir powres imploy,
Ought to effect, but doth the same intend;
Then shall we say, he to whom all doth tend
VVhen he made all, meant not they should doe so,
As if against his will to him they bend,
So spill his wills and spoile his wisedome to?
If not, then must we say, God all must do.

For as his will had pow're, the World to make,
So had his wisedome might to sway the same,
For Wisedome infinite cannot mistake;
But as it deemeth, so will all things frame,
And in lesse power, neuer looseth ame:
For as he made the whole, the parts he made,
And if the whole he cares for, sure I am
The parts he cares for, (though they seeme to fade)
Which sence and common reason doth perswade.

---

Nature (we well perceiue) makes nought in vaine
And thou mak'st nought, but to some end or vse.
Thou ween'st thou merrits, praise for that thy paine,
(As sure thou dost) and think'st thou dost misse-vse,
In making vselesse things, thy wits and Muse,
Darst GOD bereaue, of what returnes thee praise?
And giue him that in thee thou deem'st abuse,
O Men! O Manners! O most damned Dayes!
What Tongue or Pen can paint your iust dispraise

Alphons, the tenth that Spaine did signiorize,
(The maine obiection gainst all Prouidence)
Said, (O that such a Slaue from Kinges should rise!)

Bicause such a Monster should euer breathe.

Had he bin with God, when things did commence,
They should haue better bin, in their essence,
This Foole, the Only wise would needs direct,
But for his paine, Paine was his recompence,
Who for he would surmount God in effect,
This Lucifer to Earthes Hell was diject.

Pherecides the damn'd Assirian,
For scorning God, and Prouidence out right,
Lice him consum'd, for on him so they ran,
That he for shame abandoned all mens sight,
And desolately died in wretched plight.
So Lucian that from the Faith did slide,
(In Traians time) became an Athist quight,
And did both God and Prouidence deride,
For which in peeces torne by dogs, he dide.

Vpon the Statua of Senacherib,
Engrauen was, Learne by me God to feare,
Who for this monster, at Heau'ns God did gibe,
Was slaine b' Adramelech, and Sharezer,
The wicked Sonnes, of this more wicked Sire.
And so th' appostata, damn'd Iulian,
Of plagues for such contempts can witnesse beare,
Whose bloud whilst from his hart amaine it ran,
Cryed, thou hast ouercome, O Galilean!

---

Iustinian, whom Pelagius ill did schoole,
For holding but that onely heresie,
Was quite of Sence bereft, and made a foole,
And in one day was well, ill, and did die;
So ended in a day, his life, and folly.
But should I scite, the Iudgements (as I might)
That haue bin powr'd on such impiety,
It would be tedious, and with horror dight,
The hardiest hearer it would sore affright.

Pirrhon, Plutarchus Sonne, would not belieue,
What his Eyes, Eares, Nose, Tongue, and hands did kno,
His Sences he imagin'd might deceiue,
And therefore did conclude, they still did so:
So God, and Prouidence deniers do;
Who though their Sences outward and interne,
The being of them both do plainely sho,
Yet they will not belieue what they discerne,
Though ne're so neere it do their Soules concerne.

But bring we their best reasons to the Scoles
Of Iudgement; and well weigh the same therein,
If there were Prouidence, say these wise fooles,
Why should not vselesse thinges which made haue bin
To comber Man, cease, or to ruine rin?
Whereto serues Rockes, and Seas, and Dales, and Hills;
Desartes, wild Beastes? by such, what do we win?
Which burdens but the Earth with harmefull Ills,
That Men annoy, and oft destroy and killes.

Why are the virtuous plagu'd, the vitious pleas'd?
And twixt all creatures, why is here such strife?
Yea, why hath Sinne vpon all mankinde seas'd?
And why do such leade here a dying life
Where goodnesse is most rare, and euill rife?
Can Prouidence remaine where these consist?
As-well may concord rest twixt Man, and Wife,
That still are tongue to tongue, and fist to fist,
As Prouidence appeere, where these exist.

---

With Reasons, leauing no place for reply,
These questions oft haue bin replide vnto:
Then in a word, thou canst not this deny,
But in an Artists worke thou canst not do,
Are things made to some end, thou dost not kno.
Yet blam'st thou not the worke-man but thy Wit;
Then, wilt thou not to God like fauour sho,
But censure things he makes, as most vnfit,
VVhen thou want'st reason, but to ayme at it?

For he is Reas'n it selfe, we Rashnesse are,
VVhich nerethelesse had Reason for our guide,
VVhich Guide plaid least in sight, ere we were ware,
And almost quite forsooke vs for our pride,
That now in vs, it's scarce seene to abide.
But should we see with Reasons open Eyes,
The secrets which in Wisdomes brest reside,
VVe should be God; at least should be as wise,
For we with God should all that Is, comprise.

But sith fooles follies must be answered,
Lest they do weene them wise: then they bee,
In few, too few of their obiections bred,
In their best braines, (that with the worst agree)
VVee'l shape (as beeing bound) them answer free,
Had it not bin, (saist thou lewde Libertine)
Meeter that Man should ne're Corruption see,
Then to the same (made as he is) incline,
And so impeach the Prouidence diuine?

VVhie dost not rather aske, why Man is Man?
And not an Angell, rather then a clod?
Mans Minde immortall is, and reason can,
And were he all vnchang'd, he were a God.
God stedfast stands, but his works needs must nod,
Man's not created, here still to remaine,
But to his Maker he is made to plod
Through thick and thin, and cannot rest attaine,
Till in his God alone, he it obtaine.

---

How can there be (saist thou) such prouidence,
Sith God made Man to serue him as his end?
Then how could Man preuent Gods purpose since,
And fall from that his Maker did intend,
Without his God should thereto condiscend?
Or if not so, then tis a consequent,
What did ensue, God could not comprehend,
Or if he could, he could it not preuent,
And so not God; if God, not prouident.

Nor Grace, nor Powre, nor Wisdome did he want,
This to preuent, but he it did permit,
(Not that his prouidence therein was scant,)
But to make man more cling to him by it,
What prouidence can better God befit,
Then Ill to turne vnto a greater Good?
For had we still bin staid, we had not flit,
Then would we weene, that of our selues we stood,
And thinke our selues Gods peeres in constant moode.

For what procur'd Mans fall, but peerelesse pride?
Which was, that he would needs be without peere,
And as a God, without his GOD abide;
So God to make himselfe, sole GOD appeere,
Made man to see he could not stand or steere
Without his God, that seeing he could not stand,
But by his ayde, he should to him drawe neere,
Inuoking humbly, his all-helping hand,
And binde himselfe, to him in louing band.

For we with ghostly pride are oft inflate,
And beeing so, God suffers to fall,
With Wit and Will, for which our selues we hate,
And ay are vexed at the very Gall,
That we to sinne should so ourselues enthrall,
So Sinne it selfe, serues for a Sentinell,
To keepe vs from it, sith no sorrow small,
It threatens to hir Slaues, then O how well,
Ought we to speake of God, and his counsell!

---

Of whom our Motions, and our Actions are,
But their disorder from our selues proceede,
Yet he of our well-doing hath a care,
Though of our selues we do not well indeed,
But yet he makes our ill oft well to speed,
He whom his hart approu'd, did proue this true,
Who through adultrous, and a worse misse-deed,
Himselfe, and eake his God, he better knew,
And did himselfe forsake, and God ensue.

As he permitted Man for Iustice sake,
To fall, to make his Iustice so appeere,
So suffers he Mans will, his to forsake,
That his pow're should be seene to draw them neere,
And make of both free-wills, one will intire,
For were there but (twixt God and Man) one will,
Then Gods great pow're not so perspicuous were,
Which makes Mans wayward will his owne fulfill,
Without constraint, through pow're and peerelesse skill.

But yet thou saist, why staid he not Mans will?
How should he then haue made his will bin free?
Better vnfree (saist thou) then be so ill,
But tis not ill at libertie to bee.
If it brings bondage, better be vnfree
(Saist thou againe) but then Man were not Man,
And he would grudge at lacke of liberty,
So God did for the best, say what thou can,
Although Mans libertie to loosenesse ran.

But wouldst thou God bereaue of liberty?
That is selfe Freedome, and his hands so bind,
That hee should not (through straight extremity)
Do with his owne, according to his minde?
Then all Gods pow're by thee should be assign'd,
And so thou God wouldst bee, and Man him make,
For other reason, Reason cannot finde,
If thou his libertie wilt from him take,
But he should be thy subiect for thy sake.

---

But yet thou saist, how stands it with his grace,
To let his Creatures quite to ruine runne?
Can Prouidence in him haue any place,
That so will end the workes he hath begunne?
Yet, what he doth is for his Glory done,
(Damnd Hel hound, that against thy God dost howle)
For by whats lost, to him is Glory wonne,
Sith glorious tis to damne thy sinfull Soule,
That will thy God in all his workes controule.

For he is glorifide (none can deny)
By Iustice and by Mercie both alike.
But heere I heare thee aske the reason, why
He doth not spare those whom his Iustice strike,
Whome if he would, he should no way mislike?
For what preuailes gainst his preuailing will?
Not All, though all at once against it kicke.
Then if he would, All should the same fulfill:
And sith he will not, it is worse then Ill.

To such rash Whies? (that vnder runne his Rodde,)
He thus replies (by him through whom he spake)
O Man, what art thou that shouldst question God?
May not the Potter what it please him make
Of his owne Clay? And what if all he brake
When it is made? doth he vnlawfull act?
Thou canst not say he dooth, and not mistake.
But here thou wilt inferre vpon this Fact,
That God perforce Mans will must needes coact.

God by his Powre and Will, all Powres hath made,
And all Willes hath disposde to each effect:
That his powre swaies all Powres, Sense doth perswade,
But that his will, all free-Willes should direct
Without constraint, our reason doth reiect.
If God those Willes should guide without their sway.
His powre could not haue gaind so great respect,
As when all Willes his Will doe disobay;
Yet to his will, all willes themselues betray.

---

Two wicked ones, whom he would plague with death,
(With sodaine death) flie to the field to fight
(By malice mou'd) there reaue they others breath,
And in their malice they performe aright
His righteous will by rigor most vnright.
Nero must dye his hands in Christians blood,
To make them Martires, moou'd thereto by spight;
So God would haue it for his Churches good,
And for the Tyrants plague that her withstood.

To cast away a mans owne handy workes,
Although the workes be his, and stuffe and all,
Doth argue no great wisedome in him lurkes,
And lesser goodnesse; for its prodigall.
If this in mortall Man be criminall,
VVhat ist in him, whose All is infinite?
Ist not in him crime more than capitall,
To marre what erst he made with rare delight?
Herein, saist thou, thou canst not God acquite.

No can? curst dogge, that barkes and bites at once,
God can himselfe acquite, though I could not,
And thee requite with vengeance for the nonce,
For that his beauty thou so faine wouldst blot.
But to his goodnesse it can be no spot,
Nor to his wisedome blemish can it be
To marre, sith he thereby hath glory got,
As well as make, sith both in their degree,
VVith his prerogatiue doe well agree.

Say he brought that to nought, he made of nought,
Sith it prou'de nought, though he it good had made,
Must he to Sinners Barre for this be brought,
And there arraignd, condemnd, and doomd as bad,
Because such Changelings he created had?
To make Man God, he could not bring to passe,
For God is coeternall and vnmade;
Then must he needes make Man such as he was,
Or not haue made Mankinde in any case.

---

For were a Nature reasonable vnchang'd,
And subiect to no accident of Tyme,
Aboue an Angell t'were, for they haue chang'd,
Therefore it needes must be the Nature prime,
To which Man beeing created, cannot clime.
But yet thou saist Adam in Paradice,
Could not so slide (though he were made of slime,)
But Prouidence it needes must preiudice,
Which should haue staid him still in his iustice.

Then must it haue bereft him of free-will,
(Whereat hee would haue still repining griu'd,)
And kept from him the knowledge of all Ill,
(Which knowledge of all good, hath him depriu'd,)
Yet God, at first, from him that knowledge hiu'd.
But Man would needes be God, and so know all,
And knowing all, he knew him selfe was giu'd,
(That first was free) so did himselfe enthrall,
And so himselfe, did cause himselfe to fall.

O but (saist thou) had God so pleased bin,
T'haue kept him from the thought of that amisse,
And so haue staid him, that he could not sinne,
He still in Paradice had liu'd in blisse.
But yeelde to God (damnd wretch) as reason is,
That due that to a mortall king belongs,
By whose prerogatiue, and powre of his,
He may, aboue his lawes do seeming wrongs,
We may not question with repyning tongs.

If God should render reason for this Fact,
It should be such as we could not conceaue;
For being Reas'n it selfe, he cannot act
Vnreasonable deedes, which should bereaue
Him of his nature which he cannot leaue.
Yet Reas'n it selfe, when it doth mount as hie
As it can reach, and there a proofe doth giue
What it can do, wee cannot that descry,
Vnlesse we Reason were, eternally.

---

This height is past Mans reach which is but lowe,
This Depth cannot be gag'd but by the Highst,
This Secret's such, as who the same doth know,
Must needes be God, or at the least be Christ.
Then curst art thou, that in it further pri'st
Then is conuenient for a creature made;
In his Creators seruice to insist,
And not too farre into this whirle-poole wade,
Where thou mayst loose thy selfe in Errors shade.

And which of both (thinkst thou) would Reason choose?
To be made capable of endlesse blisse,
With possibility the same to loose,
And winne a Hell, where all is quite amisse;
Or not to Bee at all, both those to misse:
Sure, Reaz'n the first would choose, because the last
Is lowest hell, where highest horror is;
For in Not-beeings bottome, being fast,
Ought would to worse then nought, vnworen wast.

But to haue Beeing, and such beeing to,
As next to Gods and Angells is the best;
And so to Bee; what not? would Nothing doe,
If it had pow'r to doe, right Reasons hest.
Then Man blesse God, for this thy Beeing blest;
That though thou be accloid with worlds anoy,
And standst in danger worse to be distrest,
If thou doe not thy Beeing well imploy;
But liue to die: and thou shalt liue in ioy.

If Hell we get it is with greater toile,
Then we endure to gaine Heau'ns happinesse;
Our Soules and Bodies we doe more turmoile,
In worldly-solace (Sincke of Wretchednesse)
Then (Crost by Christ) we doe in all distresse.
For Sinnes Ambrosia is compact of Gall,
But moane for Sinne is Manna Angells Messe,
And they that Hell endure for Heau'n, they shall
Feele Heau'n in Hell, and Hell no Hell at all.

---

For worldly pleasure doth but kill the Soule,
As worldly sorrow doth the Body spill.
Sorrowe for sinne doth make both sound and whole,
Because such sorrow's mixt with solace still;
Which is substantiall good with seeming Ill.
This takes away th' obiection vsde by thee,
(Thou godlesse Man) against thy Gods good will,
Which saith he hath no care how ill we be,
Or if he had, from Ills would set vs free.

Wherein thou dost the Good and Ill confound,
For to a good man can no ill befall,
Though hells of harmes did euer him surround;
And to a bad man, no good can, or shall
Fall to his share, though he possessed all.
For Goods the Ill abuse vnto their woe,
Wherewith they execute no mischiefe small.
As worldly ills doe make the good forgoe,
All that is ill indeede, or ill in shoe.

For as a Body craz'd conuerts good foode
Into the humour ill predominant,
Whenas the sound conuerts to perfect blood,
Those meates that are to health most discrepant;
So doe the Bad with Wealth, the Good with Want.
With thy Mindes eies behold those Cæsars past
That were fell Tyrants, and thou needes must grant,
That for they were of their owne shades agast,
That which they held, held them to horror fast.

What if an aking head were crown'd with gold,
What could that doe, more then to paine it more?
It were too heauy, hard, and too too cold,
To giue it ease, or make it as before,
Which goldes restoratiue cannot restore.
How stopps the purple Robe, the purple bloud?
Of him whose hart, a traitrous hand did gore;
If in such cases, such can doe no good,
Then who will Tirants taxe in enuious moode

---

With gold or Ir'n, what skils it to be giu'd,
Sith both our freedome reaues in differently?
What matters it, to be of life depriu'd
With Axe or Hempe? sith all is but to die;

The Noble comes sooner by violent death then the obscure.

Saue that the Axe doth it more speedily.
Aduance a Begger on a burning Throne,
And at his foote let Princes prostrate lie,
What pleasure takes he in Kings so or'throwne?
But such as kingly Tyrants feele alone.

A greater signe of death cannot appeere,
(If sage Hipocrates we credit may)
Then when we see the Sicke to gripe the geare,
That lies vpon them, or with it to play,
They are past helpe (God helpe them) then we say.
So they which still are fingring worldly things,
And greedily gripes all that's in their way,
Whether they Subiects bee, or frolicke Kings,
Are at Deathes grizly gate, and Swan-like sings.

Many thou seest with Iustice Sword in hand,
Vpon it fall, or it falls from their fist,
Because they could not well the same command,
And so themselues might mischiefe ere they wist.
God spills and spares by like meanes whom he list.
So want saues some that wealth would cast away,
Phisitians meates restraine that health resist,
And we for our health sake doe them obay,
“Because of sufferance comes ease we say.

Grieue not to see a Beggar made a King,
Nor yet a King a Beggar made by chance,
The first doth stand in awe of eu'ry thing,
The last feares nothing subiect to mischance,
Because he liues as death should him aduance.
No Kingdome to Content, no Crowne t'a Crosse,
No peace to that continuall variance,
We haue with our Affections, and no losse,
To that of Heau'n for a world of drosse.

---

Store is no sore (some say) nor is ease ill,
So thought not Cirus who the Sardines fill'd,
VVith all that mought voluptuous thoughts fulfill,
VVhich for a plague to them he so fulfill'd,
And that they might so curelessely be spill'd.
The sober Soule, and temp'rate Body sees,
How mortall it is to be ouer-fill'd
But th' eyes of swolne Excesse still ouersees,
That which with God and Nature best agrees.

Many meets Death at Feasts that in the field,
Could not come neere him, though for him they sought,
A Splint at Triumph hath some Kæsars kil'd,
That many a bloudy battle erst had fought,
Thus Kings to death, triumphantly are brought,
Because they will triumph ere victory,
The end makes all, and in the end we ought
To triumph only: if we liue and die,
Belowe the Crosse, that vs shall crowne on hie.

But yet (saist thou) what Prouidence can see.
The guiltlesse made a bloudy sacrifize,
To expiate the rage of Villanee,
That nothing else will quiet or suffize,
What skills it how the vertuous liuer dyes,
Sith by a bloudy death in likely-hood,
It pleaseth God their Soules so to surprize,
And on the brow of Time write with their blood,
Their virtues for succeeding Ages good?

Thus makes he Euill, Good, in spite of Euill,
For all that Is, doth to his Glory tend.
Whereto he guides the doings of the Deuill:
Though Diu'ls doe it not, vnto that end.
Then sith Gods Prouidence so cleere is kend,
As that selfe Blindnesse needs must see the same,
Let Gods fooles wisely thereon stil depend,
Whiles these wise men, like fooles past Grace and Shame,
(Denying it) loose Body, Soule, and Name.