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Show 26 The firft Bookeof the first part Cuar.2.g.5, Owar.2.9.6. ofthe Fiflorieofthe World. dum, in breni magnun, atg,exiguototum, internisfatuit » God therefore placed in pe Earth neither doth the Sunne or the Summer. adornevs againe, with the garments of new Leaues.and Flowers. \ Redditur arboribus florens renirentibus Ah, the man whom he had made , a3 it were another World, the great and large World in the{mall ava little worlds fopout ofthe Earth and Duft was formed the'fle(h of man, and therefore heauie and lumpifh : the bones of his body we may compare to the hard Rockes Ergo non homini, quodfuit anti, redit, To which gine this fenfe. and Stones, and therefore ftrong and durable ; ofwhich O y 1p: a Omid. Metil. t. Indegenus dariafumas, experien/y,laborum, Et documenta darius quafirs origine nati: The Plants and. Trees made poore and old But never Man tepayrd againe | By Winter enuious, From thence ourKind hard-hearted is,enduring paine'andcare, Approouing; that otit bodies of a ftonie natureare, 16 His bloud, which difperfethit felfe by the branches ofveines through all the body, may berefembled to thofe waters , whichare carryed by Brookes and Riuers ouerall the Earth ; his breathto the Aire, his naturall heate to the inclofed warmth which the Earthhath init felfe, which ftitred vpby the heate of the Sunne, affifteth Nature in the {peedierprocreation ofthofevaricties , which the Earth bringethforth; Ourradicall moifture,Oyles, or Balfamum.( whereonthe natural] heate feedeth and.is maintained)is reflembled tothe fat and fertilitie of che Earth, the haires of mans bedie,which addornes orouer-fhadowes it, to the graffe.; which couereth the vpperfaceandskin of the Earth; our generative power; to Nature, which produceth allthings; ourdetermi- Nations,to the light,wandering & vinftable clouds,carried euery where with vncertaine, winds;our cies,to the light of the Sunand Moone;and the beautie ofour youth , to the" flowers ofthe Spring , which, either ina veryfhorttime , or with the Suanes heat, dry vp, and wither away, or the fierce puffes of winde blow.themfrom the ftalkes 3 the thoughts ofour mind,to the motion of Angels, and our pare vnderftanding ( former- ly called Me#s,and that which aways looketh vpwards)ro thofe intelle@uall natures which are alwayes prefent withGod; andlaftly our immortal. foules (whilethe tighteous ) are by God himfelfe beautified with the title of his owne tude.And although, in refpect of God,there is no maniutt, or good, image and fimilior righteous : for tn Angelis depreben{a off flultitia, Behold, bee found folly in his Angels (faith Job) yet with {ucha kind of difference,as there is betweene the {ubftance ‘Avi. 10, Mebaplecy tefe and th e fhadow,there may be found a goodneffe in man: which God beingpleafe dto accept, hath therefore 30 called man,the imageand fimilitude ofhis owne righteou {nefle. Tn this alfo is thelittle World of man compared, and mademorelikethe yniuerfall(man being the meafure of all things; Homo e/t men[ura omniam rerum > faith Arifforle and Pithagoras ) that the foure Complexions refemble the foure Elements > andthe feuen nets :- Whereof ourInfancie is compared to the A¢aome Ages ofmanthe feuen Pla, in which wee feeme onely to liue and grow,as Plants ; the fecond Ageto Mercurie, wherein wee are taught and inftructed ; our third Age to Venus,the dayes ofLoue, Defire, and Vanitie; the fourth to the Sumne,the {trong, flourifhing , and beautifull age of mans life; the fifth to Mars, in which we feeke honour and vitorie, and in which our thoughts trauaileto ambitious 5 ends; the fixth Ageisafcribed to Jupiter , in which we beginne to take accom pt of our times , iudge of our felues, and growto the perfection ofour yaderftanding ; the laft and feuenthto Saturme, wherin our dayes are fad and ouer-caft,and in which wefin d by deare and lamentable experience,& by the loffe which can neuerbe repaired, that ofall ourvaine paffions and affections paft,the forrow only abideth: Our attendants are fickneffes, and variable infirmities sand by how much the more wee are accompanie d with plentie, by fo much the more greedily is our end defired, whom when Time hath made vafociableto others, we becomeaburthent hold the riches we haue, from our Succef o our felues:being ofno other vfe. than to fors.In forthe moft part,and neuer before, prepare for this timeit is, when (as aforefaid) we, oureternall habitation, which we pafleso on vato,with many fighes, grones, andfa d though ts, andin the end, by the workmanthip of death, finith the forrowfull bufine fle ofa wretched life towards which wee al Waics trauel both fleeping and waking neith er haue thofe beloued companions of honor &riches any poweratall,to hold vs any one day,b tainments; but by what crooked pathfoeuer we walk,t y the glorious promife ofentet~ he fame leadeth on direétly tothe houfe of death; whofe doorcs lye openatall houres, and to all perfons. Forthis tydeof mans life; after it once turneth and declineth , euerru nneth with a perpetuall Ebbeanid falling Streame, but neuer floweth againe : our Leafe once fallen, fjPtingeth no more, neice The Spring-time bounteous to Couers againe from fhameand cold: 2 His youth and beautie loft, Though Art,and care,andcoft, | Doe promife Natures helpein yaine; And of which, 3 Carviivs, Epicram.53. | Nobis ciimfemel occidit beni: lax; Soles occidere co vedere poffuat ! The Sunne mayfet andrife : Nox effPerpetua una dormienda, ‘| Sleepeafter our thort light But we contrariwife | One cucrlafting night. For ifthere wereany bayting place, or reft, inthe courfe ot race ofmaris life, then according to the doctrine ofthe Academicks; the fame might alfo perpettially be maintained; but astheteisa continuance of motion in naturall lining things,and as the {3 and iuyce,wherein the life ofPlants is preferued, doth euermore afcend or defcend : 2° fo is it withthe life ofman, whichis alwayes either increafing towards ripenefle and perfection,ordeclining and decreafing towards rottenneffe and diffolution, §.VI. Of the freepower; which man had ix hisfirft Creation, to difpofe of him ele. Hefe be the miferies which ourfitft Parents brought on all Mankin de, vnto whom Godinhis creation ganea free. and vnconftrained will, and on whom he beftowed theliber al! choice ofall things,with one onely prohib ition, to try 3ohis gratitude and obedience.Godfet before him,a mottall and immortal! Life,a nature celeftial l andterrene, and( indeed ) Godgaue manto himfelfe, to bee his owne. Guide, his owne. \Workeman;: and his owne Painter; ‘that -hee might frame or defctibe vnto himfelfe what hee pleafed, and make eleétion of his owne forme: God-ragde%s Ecclefits.14& man in the beginning (faith Sinacipxs) and left hins in the hands ofhis own counfaile , Such was the liberalitie of God,and mansfelicitie : whereas beafts, andall othe¢ creatures reafonleffe,brought with them into the World(faith Luciliusjand that euen when theyfirft fell from the bodies of their Dams,the nature, which they could not change 3 and the fupernall Spirits or Angels were from the beginning, or foone after, of that condition, in which they remainein perpetuall eternitie. But (as aforefaid} God gaue o vnto manall kind of Seeds & Grafts oflife(to wit)the vegetatiu elife ofPlants, thefen- {uall ofBeafts, the rational! ofMan,andtheintelle€tuall ofAngels; whereof which {ox euer he tookepleafure to plant and cultiue,the fame fhould futurelygrow in him, and bringforth fruit,agreeable to his owne choice andplantation. This man (4dam, and our firft Father, was enigmatically defcribe freedomofthe firt d by Afclepius Athemienfis Laith Mirandula ) inthe perfon and Fable of Proteus, who was faid, as often. as he pleafed, to changehis fhape. To the fame end wereall thofe celebrated sseramo ra phefesamong the Pythagorians, and ancient Poets, wherein it was fained, that men were transformed ‘into diuers fhapes ofbeafts,therby to fhewthe change ofmens conditions,from Reafon ro Brutalitie, from Vertue to Vice, from Meeknet goand from Iuftice to Oppreffion. For by the liuely Image of othercre le to Crueltie; did thofe Ancients reprefent the variable paffions,and affe@tions ofmortal] menatures 34s by Serpents werefignified Deceiners; by Lyons, Oppreffors, and cruell men ; by Swine, Men giuen ouerto luft and fenfualitie ;by Wolues, rauening,andgreedie Men; which alfo S. Matthew refembleth tofalfe prophets, which come to yon in Shecpes clothing, bat jn. Mattorrs, wardly they are raucning Wolues: by the images of ftones andftockes, foolith and igno. rs Men; by Vipers, vngratefull Men: of which S. oun Barrist, Oyec EMAtigp Matth.3.7, @ Vipers ,S¢. os C2 §VII, |