Sound.

FIrst therefore, as the word is re­ceiued into the care by Sound: so doo the Creatures present them­selues vnto the minde, by the eie, or Obseruation, as in a continuall Harmonie, of their beings, and mo­uings: for, the Creatures haue (as in Musicke) iarred, and oftentimes al­tered their courses, for the benefite of the Children of God, as saith the Prophete Esay, If thou goest through [Page 3]the water, I wil be with thee, the strong flouds shall not ouerwhelme thee, and if thou walkest through the fire, it shal not burne thee, and the flame shall not kin­dle vpon thee. So the Sunne and the Moone stood still, at the beheast of Iosuah, the Red Sea parted to make passage for the Children of Israel, Lots Wife was turned into a pillar of Salte, for a warning to vs, to flie too much care of worldlie things, Angles haue been conuersant with men, Balaams Asse reprooued him riding to cursse Gods people, the Viper did Paul no harme, the swift streame of Iordane hath gone back, and the earth hath shaken; which caused the Prophet Dauid with ad­miration to say, Iuda was his Sanctu­arie, and Israel his dominion: The Sea saw that, and fled: Iordane was driuen backe: The Mountaines skipped like Rammes, and the little hilles like young [Page 4]Sheepe: what ayled thee O thou Sea, that thou fleddest, & thou Iordan that thou wast driuen backe? Yee Moun­taines that ye skipped like Rammes, & ye little hilles like young sheepe? Trem­ble thou Earth at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Ia­acob: which turned the hard Rock in­to a standing water, and the flint stone into a springing well. The considera­tion hereof, mooued the Wiseman to say, The Elements turned into them selues, like as when one tune is changed vpon an instrument of Musicke, and yet all the residue keep their melodie.

And as an Harmonie to the Eare, is nothing but an agreement of per­fect Sound, pleasing the Sense: so the Harmonie of the Creation, is a concurrence of continued Causes; than the consideration whereof, no earthly thing can be by the eye more harmonious to the minde.

And as inarticulate Harmonie much delighteth the minde by Sense: so woords Harmonious, which are conuerted with reasona­ble consideration, by the Sense doo delight the minde of the Hearer.

VVoord.

AS by our Reason, thorough the helpe of Sense, wee may knowe much; but yet to be wise to our selues onely, and to our onelie vses; but by words wee communicate our knowledge and will to others: so doth God communicate his wil, and the knowledge of himselfe vn­to vs in Christ; who is called, The Word, as beeing the cause of the word of God, whereby hee is ap­prehended.

Iehouah.

THis is the great name of GOD, which he chose after the Crea­tion of things: whereas, during the Creation, hee vsed Elohym; after­wards, hee vseth this name eleuen times in one chapter.

This name was pronounced by the Sacrificer, in the blessing at the departure of the people from the Temple; & otherwise was amongst the Iewes signified by the name of 42. letters.

If God gaue such singular wit to Adam, to name euery beast so pro­perly, let vs then somewhat consi­der how greatly he wil be glorified in his owne name.

Of Being. How God will be said to be, according to this word.

FIrst therefore, notwithstanding that from this worde may bee drawne, the beings of Angells, of Men, of Beasts, of Liuing things, & so by sound entendment of what­soeuer, that belongeth vnto them, according to the end and order of the Creation, yet besides, in this name are the signes of the time pre­sent, of the time past, & of the time to come; signifying, that, inasmuch as that through him, euerie thing hath being, yet, he onely will bee said to bee: for, Man, though he is, yet is the best man, but Abel, vani­tie. Al is but most vaine vanitie (saith the Preacher) and all is most vanie (I say) and but plaine vanitie. The end, & [Page 8]best of man, is to feare God, and to keepe his Commandements.

How Man is said to be in this word.

BY the fiue vowells, which are in this word, is the being of Man inferred, because that no word is without a vowell, no Proposition or Speach without wordes, and Speach is conuerted with Reason, Reason being the essentiall diffe­rence of a man.

How Christ is said to be, according to this word.

INasmuch as in this word are sig­nified GOD and Man, is Christ both God and Man signified.

How the Angels are said to be in this word.

ANd for that that the Angells do partake with vs in vnderstan­ding, from the being of Man may also the being of the Angels be in­ferred: for wee are said to bee the most inferiour for vnderstanding: that is, inferiour to the Angells in vnderstanding.

How a true Christian is in this Figure.

NOw, hauing here found the be­ing of a Man; let vs also ende­uour to finde the beings of a true Christian, of a bare Professor, and of an Heathen man.

First therfore, that that that Rea­son hath taught many mē to know [Page 10]much of the Creation, but not the knowledge & acknowledgemēt of Christ, in so great light as we behold him: therefore in this Figure haue we signified man below, according to his Reason, as in that place being the end of the Creation: but here in this figure we haue signified him next vnto Christ, according to the pure part of his minde, whereof himselfe can giue no reason, accor­ding to his pure vnderstanding: whereby wee are perswaded, That neither death, neither life, neither An­gells, nor rule, neither power, neither things present, neither things to come, neither heigth, nor depth, neither any other creature shall seperate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. Which acknowledgmēt belongeth to the whole Church, who notwithstanding her blemi­shes, which in reason might make [Page 11]her vgly and loathsome, yet with comfort acknowlegeth her beau­tie in the loue and grace of Christ, as noteth Salomon in that figuratiue speach of the Church: I am blacke, (O ye daughters of Ierusalem) but yet faire and wel fauoured, like as the tents of the Cedarenes, and as the hangings of Salomon.

How a bare Professor is in this Figure.

INasmuch as Reason is an Intelli­gence vpon a former Intelligence: and is the essence indifferently of al men good and bad: therefore may the wicked aswell as the godly, vn­derstand the written word, accor­ding to the letter.

But though the knowledge of Saluation, which is of Reason, may be learned indifferently, aswell by the reprobate as the elect, out of the word of God, which is one subiect [Page 12]of Reason, and may be bought for fee: yet this other acknowledge­ment, which is of pure vnderstan­ding, is the immediate worke of God to the elect, which is not to be bought Sorcerer Simon Magus.

How a Heathen man is in this Figure.

FOrasmuch as from the bottome of this Figure, it seemeth that frō Reason vpwards by the Creature, lieth a way to the knowledge of the Creator, Reason being commō aswell to the Heathen, as the false and true Christian, let vs thereof a little consider.

Concerning the Heathen, wee reade, that the very Creature shall make thē inexcusable before God. Forasmuch as that which may bee [Page 13]knowne of God, is manifest in thē: God hauing shewed it vnto them; for the inuisible things of him, that is, his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the Creation of the worlde, beeing considered in his works, to the intēt that they should bee without excuse, because that when they knewe God, they glori­fied him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish hart was full of darknes. And inasmuch as a light seemeth to be giuen vnto the Heathen man out of this figure vnto Christ, let vs thereof soberly consider. For, GOD in the whole course of the Creature, hath com­bined things of different qualitie by somewhat of a meane Nature: as in the combination of the Ele­ments, of the bodies of Trees, of Beasts, of Men: about whose brain [Page 14]are two skinnes, that one called Pia Mater, Tender mother, for soft­nes of the braine; that other, Dura Mater, hard mother, for hardnes of the skull. Againe, betweene Sense, and Reason are meanes, Common sense, Imagination, and Memorie, of which againe Imagination is the meane, as waxe holding that, which for slipperines, the Com­mon sense cannot, and putting ouer to Memory the things so receiued. Againe, he seeing Plants to agree with beasts in life, beasts with men in sense, should now the naturall man, hauing thus farre followed the conduct of Nature, here cease and finde no meane betweene God and Man? (for they aymed at the knowledge of God by those terms of Causa causans, the cause causing, & of Finis vltimus, the last end, as saith Aristotle, according to this Figure, [Page 15] Finis vltimus est, propter quem reli-reliqua desiderantur, The last ende is that, for which all other things are de­sired.) Or rather seeking an Vnion to God, would not Reason lead him to the highest Creature in his knowledge, which was Man. Now, inasmuch as the Philosopher himselfe saith, Omnia fiunt ad finem, All things are done for the end: What end more probable for him, who should thus vnite the Godhead to the Manhood, than to agree Man with God? (as saith Amos the Pro­phet) Two cannot walke together, ex­cept they bee agreed: And that they knewe sinne and gessed at a punish­ment for the same, after this life to bee infliected, appeareth out of that of Tully, called Somnium Scipionis, Scipio his dream. The philosopher is said to haue cried out, ô ens entiū, mi­serere mei: ô being of beings haue mercy [Page 16]vpon me: which words, if a Chri­stian should translate, might he not say, O God in Christ looke vppon me: for that is to haue mercie? The three Wise men following the starre, came from the East to wor­ship Christ: and it is said, that a Phi­losopher at the suffering of our Sa­uior, seeing the Sunne darkened, & the earth to quake, by obseruation of Nature, cried out, Aut Deus na­turam patitur, aut totius orbis machi­na destruetur, Either God suffereth vi­olence in nature, or els the frame of the whole world shall be destroyed.

How Angels are said to differ from Men.

HAuing thus spoken somewhat of the agreemēt of Angels with Men, and of the agreement and dif­ference of the pretending and true [Page 17]christian, & likewise of the know­ledge of the Heathen man: it see­meth good now in a word to speak of the difference of men from An­gells, which is this: that they by pure Intelligence do exercise their functions; but Man by Reason, which we haue termed, An Intel­ligence vpon Intelligence, because that in Man, Vnderstanding is hin­dered, by reason of the corruption of our first parents; by the vanitie of our mindes, by reason of the af­finitie which our imaginatiō hath with the Senses; for the excesse of affections, for the excesse of touch, tast, and exercise; for the aboun­dance of humours, & for the temp­tations of euill Spirits: for the relief of which infirmities, our know­ledge is helped by Reason, which is helped by Arte, either in particu­lar [Page 18]questions, or els in the whole bodie of a Science, and Arte is the way to Argumentation, of which the first part proceedeth of Intelli­gentia, Intelligēce, & of Philosophers is called [...], of Longitiās, Maior. The secōd part is that which is in­ferred of the first, & is of Reason, of Philosophers called Conscientia, Cō ­science, of Longitians Minior, which being wel inferred, the Maior must so cohere with it selfe, as they both may goe for graunted by the alow­ance of the Answerer. The third part of Argumentation, or of a Sil­logisme, is of Intellectus, or of Vn­derstanding now ascertained by Reason, whereby wee knowe, that wee knowe the trueth, and is cal­led Dictamen, of Logitians, Con­clusion. Now Arte in the whole bodie of a Science, is nothing else [Page 19]but a prudent collecting, and orde­ring of all such Places, from which places, concerning anie question in the whole bodie of that Science, may be vsed Argumentation: In e­uery which Science, the Partes and Reasons are finite, though of the se­uerall mixtures of the partes, may proceede Questions infinite.

How Beasts and Vegetant or liuing things, haue their being, according to this Word.

IN this word, are two Aspirates, by which may be inferred the be­ings of two sensible or breathing Creatures, that is, of Men, and of Beastes. And, for that nothing can breathe but liuing, from a life, may bee inferred the being of [Page 20]liuing things, Minerals, Hearbs, and Plants: So as, hither may be appli­ed that of S. Paul, brought vp at the feete of the learned Hebrewe Ga­maliel, which he spake to the Phi­losophers of Athens, God himselfe giueth life & breath to al, euery where, for in him we liue and moue, and haue our being, as certaine of your owne Po­ets haue said. For wee are also his offspring; as that of the Poët, Chara Deûm soboles, magnum Iouis incrementū. Gods dearest off-spring, mightie loues increase.

And that of the Christian Poët, who (as himselfe affirmeth) wrote this, and much more after the man­ner of the Heathen:

Now, inasmuch as in this word are the fiue vowels, which make all words; we may note, that we ought to speake no word, but to haue in remembrance our God.

Likewise, from the two Aspi­rates, we may note; that we ought not so much as to breathe, but also to think of God, in whom we haue our life and breathing.

Of the agreements of the Creatures with themselues, and with the Creator.

AS a man cannot Speake, but Brea­thing: nor breathe, but Li­uing; nor liue, but Being:

Man, Angel: Man, Beast,

Homo, Angelus: Homo, Brutum.

Man, Beast, Liuing thing.

Homo, Brutum, Vegetans.

Creator, Creature.

Creator, Creatura.

so can the Creature, nor Speake, Breathe, Liue, nor Bee, but in God; in whose name, are the life of Speach, Breathing, Life, and Being.

So then, Vegetant things agree with things Brute in life; Vegetant and Brute things agree with man in Life and Sense: Man agreeth with [Page 23]Angells in Vnderstanding, with an Heathen in Reason, with a bare Professor in the knowledge of the word, with a true Christiā in faith, which is of the word, which tea­cheth Christ, Immanuel, with vs GOD: who is Michael, one with God.

Of the Ends of the Creatures seue­rally to themselues, and how God is said to be our End.

BEcause that the End of a Beasts life is to prouide for lïfe: So, or one Beast is for food to another, or els Herbes are for foode to some Beasts: So saith the Poët:

But both Beasts & Herbes haue their Ends, or to giue food or plea­sure to Man, of whom the Angells haue their end in their Ministerie, and God is the End of all.

Againe, after another manner, according to this Figure, Man is both waies, vpward & downward, not only the End of the other crea­tures, but also his owne Ende, as to whose vse, not onely are the other creatures, but also Man himselfe is the Ende of Man, according to a twofold diuersitie of vse in sense and in Reason. Vnder the first, which belongeth vnto Sense, are contained all dueties of Mutuall loue, and the vnderstanding of na­turall things. From the second vse, which is of Reason, whereby wee [Page 25]know that we doo know so much as we knowe, and for to get the knowledge of our selues and our Powers, wee doo exercise our stu­die, aswell as to the knowledge of other Creatures, by such painfull experiēce getting knowledge, how to communicate to common vse the fruites of our knowledge, for common ease in things doubtfull or questionable by Arte, which is made of Acts chiefly, because that To doo, is the end of Man, and the end of the whole Creature. Now, from the End are considered the o­ther Causes, of the Efficient, and of the matter, of the Person & Thing, and of the Forme, about which are al other places of Logique: where­fore Master Ramus said well, ‘Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.’ ‘O happie man, who can discerne the causes of’

But with a further entendment may it be said: ‘Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere fines.’ ‘O happie man, who can discerne the speciall ends of things.’

Arte is the mother of Science, which is had in a threefold diuersi­tie, according to the foresaid knowledge, or of Nature, or of Sense, or of Reason, and is therfore called or Naturall, or Rationall, or Morall.

With some cause therfore, was that Speach [...], know thy selfe, saide among the Heathen, to haue come from Heauen. For, a Man cannot fully knowe himselfe, but he shall be drawne to consider the whole Nature: by which word of Nature, I vnderstand, not onely the powers and naked properties of Man, and other Creatures, but also what Acts soeuer are by Man in­uented by force of Reason. For [Page 27]well saith the learned Scot, Nun­quàm aliud Natura, aliud Sapientia dicit. Nature and Arte neuer speake diuers things. And another learned man, Naturam inuestigantibus, inuesti­ganda sunt, tàm, quae quoquo modo co­mitantur, quàm quae suo sunt robore. They, who seeke for an exquisite know­ledge of Nature, must aswell regard what effects doo accompany it, as what naturall faculties it hath.

In Conclusion, Man is the End of the Creation; and to doo is the End of Man vpon himselfe, and o­ther Creatures. Christ is the End of Man, whom wee learne out of the word of GOD, vnto which he is Yea, and Amen: as saith the Apostle Paule, GOD hath opened vnto vs the misterie of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himselfe, That in the dispensation of [Page 28]the fulnes of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heauen, and which are in earth in him. God is the highest, and in respect only Cause, or End of al, who worketh all things after the good councell of his owne will.