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Show ThePréface. The Preface. were eternal, why not all things in the World Erernalt Ifthere were no firlt, nocaufe, no Father, 10 Creator, 10 inconiprehentiblewiledome, but thate. nery Nature had beenealike eternal; and Man more rationall thanevery other Nature: Why hadnot the eternall reafonof Man, aed. for his eterngll bein in the World ? Forifall wereequall, why notequall conditions to all? whyshould beanenly bodies lineforener ; and the bodies op Men rot anddie ? Againe, who was it that appointed the Earth to keepe the center, andgaue Or- der that it fhould hang inthe Aire: thatthe Sunne fhould tranaile betweene the Tropicks and nener exceed thofe boundsnorfaile to performe that Progre/fe once ineneryyeare: the Moonetolive by borrowed light : the fir Stars(according ta commonopinion) to bee faftned like Nailes ina (art-wheele ; and thePlanets to wanderat their pleafure ? Or ifnoneof thefe had power oner other : ‘was it out of Charity and Lone, that the Sunneby his perpetuall. tranaile within thofe two (ircles, hath vifited,ginen light vnto,and relieued allparts of the Earth, and the (reatures therein, by turnes and times Out of doubt, if the Sunne baneof his owne accord kept this courfein alleternity: He may infily bee called eternall Chas limum,opetaturjnequepotelt quandoadeft matetia non -operari; [tis the power of Natureby diuerfity of meanes,or out of diuerfuyofmatter,to producé diners things: but caking/away thediueslity ofmeantes, and the diuerfity, ofmatter;i¢then workes but one or the like worke yneither cad) it but worke, matres being prefant, NowifNature made choleeofdinerpayof matter, to worke all thefevarsable workes.ofFleanen and Earth, ithad then both conderftanding,and will;\ it had counfaile to beginne, reafontedifpofe ; cvertue and knowledge tofinifh, andpower togouerne :. without which all things had been but one and theJame: allof the mateerofHleanensor-all ofthé matterofEarth. And ifwegrant Naturethis will,and this onderftanding, this connfaile,red/on, L«t.deira Det, aud power.; Gur Natura potius quam Deus nominetur 2? Why) fhould-we then 1,1,6,10. callfuch acaufe rather.Nature,than God? God,of whomall men hae notion,and giue thefirftand higheft place to Divine power, :.Omnes homines notionem deorum.habent, omnelq; (ummum locum diuino cuidam numiniafsig=¢ee. nant... And this Lfayinyhort ; thatitis a true effettof true reafon in man (were foraried ColombeMens there no authority more binding than reafon) to acknowledge and adore thefirft and moft fublime power. Vera Philofophia, efbafcenfus ab his. que fuunt, & oriuntur,& occidunt, ad ea que vere fint, & fempereadem 3 True Philofophy,és.an afcending fromthe things whichflow,and artfe,and.fall,to thethings that are for ener the fame. hag 4m For theve/?., Ldoalfaaccount it not the meane/t, but.an impiety monftrovis', \to confound God and Nature: be it but intearmes. Foritis Godsthat only difpofeth ofall things.according to bis own will,cx makethof one Farth,Veflels of honor & difhonot.Icis Nature that can dispo/e ofnothingbut according to the will of the matter wherin it worketh.It is God that comandeth al: It is Nature thats abe~ dient to.all.Itis God,that.dothgoodvntoallknowing andlouing thegoodhe doth: It is Nature, thatfecondarily doth alfogood,butit neither knoweth nor loueth the goodit doth, Itis God,that hath allthingsin bim/elf: Naturenothing initfelf.It is God whichis the Father,and bath begottenall things:It is Nature,whichis begotten byall things,in whichit liveth andlaboureth; for byit felfe it exifteth not. Forhall we fay, that itis out of affectiontothe Earth, that heauie things falliowards it2Shal wecal it R eafon,which doth conduét enery Riverinto thefalt Sea? Shallwe.tearmeit knowledge infire,that makes it to con/ume combuftible matter? Ifit be Affection,Reafon,and Knowledgein the/e:by the Jame AffettiomReafon, they call. it A Seminar Gece i ingxf © ostag meet a" World: who siurtba fief isk Ped i casi ne fenboule ofr ee, and Knowledgeit isthat Nature worketh. Andtherforefeeing all things:worke as they do, (callit by Forme, or Nature, orby what you pleafe) yet becaufe they worke by animpulfion, which they cannot refift; or by a faculty, infufed by thefu- rity and euerlafting Lone. Thefame may befad ofallthe Stars: who being all of them moft large and cleave fountaines of vertue and operation ynay alfo bee called eternall yertues: the Earth may be called eternalpatience; the Moone, an eternall borrower andbeggar ; and Manof all other the moft miferable eternally mortall. And what were this, but tobeleeue againe in theold Play ofthegods ? Yea in moregods byMillions, than ener Hefiodus dreampt of. But infreedof this mad folly wefee it well enoughwith ourfeeble ¢> mortalleyes: and the eyes ofour red= fon difcerneit better ;'T hat the Sun,Moone;Stars,cx the Earthare limited ,bowrded,and conftrained : themfelues they hawe not conftrained.nox could. ecicip de- terminatum caufam habetaliquamefficientem,quiz illud determninauerit, mei ae _ fomeefficient caufe;by which itis bounded. mfrSatesibyenueneeeesta Ser vlsryof the Heh Slory dte ny errours wntors, and fought alfo thereby to ob/cure the bigh Moderator ofall things, fhininginthe (veation;and in thego- reawg of the World : foif the be/t definitionbe taken but of the jfecond of Ari- Naturallmotion from Atifciall eee antipeosiaffeiince the beginning of eed ee ¥ibitee Pion piace : to Prouiden ‘thefecond to Fate,and but the ¢. Frouidentia (by which they ynderftand GOD) dux & ca- put; Fatum, medium ex prouidentiaprodiens Nat ftrem : But repose best what he will, or be it any of thefe (God itched Been aeh is odexcepted)orparticipating of all: yet derftanding (both which dre neceffarily inthe canfe of all things) noman hath avowed. For this is cunanfwerable of Laétantius, glIs autem facit aliquid,qui aut voluntatem-facie ndi habe Aad t;autfcientiam,He ona be faid ly o can 7a - bethe doer of a thing,thathatheither will or knowledge But thewill andfcie nce of Nature, arein thefe-words truly exproft by Ficinus? Poteft vbiq; Natura, velper diuerfa media diuer{is materiis,diuer! tacere:fublatavero mediora materi arumg;wwelex dinerfirate,vel vnicii,vel fimtlimum premeft power: weare neither to wonderat, nor to worfhip,thefaculty thatwarkethnorthe (reature whereinit worketh.But herein lies the wonder: andta him is the worfhip due,who hath createdfuch a Naturein thingsex fuch afaculty,as neither knowingit felfe, the matter wherein it worketh, nor the vertue and power which it bath, doyet workeall things to theirlaft and cottermoftperfection. And therefore every reafonable man, taking to himfelfe for aground thet whichis grantedby all Antiquity, andby all mentruly learned that ener the world hads,to wit ; That there is a powerinfinite, andeternall (whichalfo nece/sity dathprowe eunto~vs, without the belpe of Faith, and Reafon; without the force of Autho. rity all things do as cafily follow which haue bin deliueredby diuineletters yas the £ 3 Waters |