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gion, but in their hearts laugh at it. Simulata sanctitas duplex iniquitas; they are in a double fault," that fashion themselves to this world," which Paul forbids, and like Mercury the Planet, are good with good, bad with bad. When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done, Puritans with Puritans, Papists with Papists; omnium horarum homines, Formalists, Ambodexters, lukewarm Laodiceans. All their study is to please, and their god is their commodity, their labour to satisfie their lusts, and their endeavours to their own ends. Whatsoever they pretend, or in publike seem to do," With the fool in their hearts, they say there is no God."

"Heus tude Jove quid sentis?"

a

Their words are as soft as oyl, but bitterness is in their hearts, like Alexander the Sixth so cunning dissemblers, that what they think they never speak. Many of them are so close, you can hardly discern it, or take any just exceptions at them; they are not factious, oppressours as most are, no bribers, no simoniacal Contracters, no such ambitious, lascivious persons as some others are, no drunkards, sobri solem vident orientem, sobrii vident occidentem, they rise sober, and go sober to bed, plain dealing, upright honest men, they do wrong to no man, and are so reputed in the world's esteem at least, very zealous in Religion, very charitable, meek, humble, peace-makers, keep all duties, very devout, honest, well spoken of, beloved of all men but he that knows better how to judge, he that examines the heart, saith they are Hypocrites, Cor dolo plenum; sonant vitium percussa maligne, they are not sound within. As it is with Writers oftentimes, Plus sanctimonia in libello, quàm libelli authore, more holiness is in the Book than in the Author of it: So 'tis with them; many come to Church with great Bibles, whom Cardan said he could not choose but laugh at, and will now and then dare operam Augustino, reade Austin, frequent Sermons, and yet professed Usurers, meer Gripes, tota vitæ ratio Epicurea est; all their life is Epicurism and Atheism, come to Church all day, and lie with a Curtezan at night.

"

Qui Curios simulant & Bacchanalia vivunt,” They have Esau's hands, and Jacob's voyce; Yea, and many of those holy Fryers, sanctified men, Cappam, saith Hierom, cilicium induunt, sed intus latronem tegunt. They are Wolves in sheep's clothing,

"Introrsum turpes, speciosi pelle decorâ,"

* Rom. 12. 2. • Omnis Aristippum decuit color, & status & res. ⚫ Guicciardine.

Erasmus.

Psal. 13. f.

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Fair without, and most foul within. Latet plerumque sub tristi amictu lascivia, & deformis horror vili veste tegitur; oft-times under a mourning weed lies lust it self, and horrible vices under a poor coat. But who can examine all those kinds of Hypocrites, or dive into their hearts? If we may guess at the tree by the fruit, never so many as in these days; shew me a plain dealing true honest man? Et pudor, & probitas, & timor omnis abest. He that shall but look into their lives, and see such enormous vices, men so immoderate in lust, unspeakable in malice, furious in their rage, flattering and dissembling (all for their own ends) will surely think they are not truly religious, but of an obdurate heart, most part in a reprobate sense, as in this Age. But let them carry it as they will for the present, dissemble as they can, a time will come when they shall be called to an account, their melancholy is at hand, they pull a plague and curse upon their own heads, thesaurisant iram Dei. Besides all such as are in deos contumeliosi, blaspheme, contemn, neglect God, or scoff at him, as the Poets feign of Salmoncus, that would in derision imitate Jupiter's Thunder, he was precipitated for his pains, Jupiter intonuit contra, &c. so shall they certainly rue it in the end, (* in se spuit, qui in cælum spuit) their doom's at hand, and Hell is ready to receive them.

Some are of Opinion, that it is in vain to dispute with such Atheistical spirits in the mean time, tis not the best way to reclaim them. Atheism, Idolatry, Heresie, Hypocrisie, though they have one common root, that is indulgence to corrupt affection, yet their growth is different, they have divers symptoms, occasions, and must have several cures and remedies. 'Tis true some deny there is any God, some confess, yet believe it not; a third sort confess and believe, but will not live after his Laws, Worship and obey him: others allow God and Gods subordinate, but not one God, no such general God, non talem deum, but several Topick gods for several places, and those not to persecute one another for any differences, as Socinus will, but rather love and cherish.

To describe them in particular, to produce their Arguments and reasons, would require a just volum, I refer them therefore that expect a more ample satisfaction, to those subtile and elaborate Treatises, devout and famous Tracts of our learned Divines (Schoolmen amongst the rest, and Casuists) that have abundance of reasons to prove there is a God, the immortality of the soul, &c. out of the strength of wit and Philosophy bring irrefragable Arguments to such as are ingenious and well disposed; at the least, answer all cavils and objections to confute

• Hierom. *Senec. consol. ad Polyb. ca. 21.

their

their folly and madness, and to reduce them, si fieri posset, ad sanam mentem, to a better mind, though to small purpose many times. Amongst others consult with Julius Cæsar Lagalla, professour of Philosophy in Rome, who hath written a large Volumn of late to confute Atheists: of the Immortality of the Soul, Hierom. Montanus de immortalitate Anima: Lelius Vincentius of the same subject: Thomas Giaminus, and Franciscus Collius de Paganorum animabus post mortem, a famous Doctor of the Ambrosian Colledge in Millain. Bishop Fotherby in his Atheomastix, Doctor Dove, Doctor Jackson, Abernethy, Corderoy, have written well of this subject in our mother tongue: In Latine, Colerus, Zanchius, Paleareus, Illyricus, Philippus, Faber Faventinus, &c. But instar omnium, the most copious confuter of Atheists, is Marinus Mercennus in his Commentaries on Genesis: + with Campanella's Atheismus Triumphatus. He sets down at large the causes of this brutish passion, (seventeen in number I take it) answers all their Arguments and Sophisms, which he reduceth to twenty' six heads, proving withall his own Assertion; "There is a' God, such a God, the true and sole God," by 35 reasons. His Colophon is how to resist and repress Atheism, and to that purpose he adds four especial means or wayes, which who so' will may profitably peruse.

*

SUBSECT. II.

DESPAIR.

Despaires, Equivocations, Definitions, Parties and Parts affected.

THE

HERE be many kinds of desperation, whereof some be holy, some unholy, as one distinguisheth; that unholy he defines out of Tully, to be Ægritudinem animi sine ulla rerum expectatione meliore, a sickness of the soul without any hope or expectation of amendment: which commonly succeeds fear; for whilst evil is expected, we fear; but when it is certain, we despair. According to Thomas 2. 2æ. distinct. 40. art. 4. it is Recessus à re desiderata, propter impossibilitatem existimatam, a restraint from the thing desired, for some impossibility supposed. Because they cannot obtain what they would, they become desperate, and many times either

*Disput. 4. Philosophiæ adver. Atheos Venetiis 1627. quarto. Romæ fol. 1631. Abernethy c. 24. of his physick of the Soul.

VOL. II.

+ Edit.*

yeeld

yeeld to the passion by death it self, or else attempt impossibilities, not to be performed by men. In some cases, this desperate humor is not much to be discommended, as in Wars it is a cause many times of extraordinary valour; as Joseph. lib. 1. de bello Jud. cap. 14. L. Danaus in Aphoris. polit. pag. 226. and many Politicians hold. It makes them improve their worth beyond it self, and of a forlorn impotent Company become Conquerors in a moment.

"Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem.”

In such courses when they see no remedy, but that they must either kill or be killed, they take courage, and often times, præter spem, beyond all hope vindicate themselves. Fifteen thousand Locrenses fought against a hundred thousand Crotonienses, and seeing now no way but one, they must all die, thought they would not depart unrevenged, and thereupon desperately giving an assault, conquered their Enemies. Nee alia causa victorie (saith Justine mine Author) quàm quòd desperaverant. William the Conqueror, when he first landed in England, sent back his ships, that his Souldiers might have no hope of retyring back. 8 Bodine excuseth his Countrymen's overthrow at that famous Battel at Agencourt, in Henry the Fifth his time, (cui simile, saith Frossard, tota hitoria produ cere non possit, which no History can parallel almost, wherein one handful of Englishmen overthrew a Royal Army of Frenchmen) with this refuge of despair, pauci desperati, a few desperate fellows being compassed in by their Enemies, past all hope of life, fought like so many Divels; and gives a caution, that no Soldiers hereafter set upon desperate persons, which + after Frontinus and Vigetius, Guicciardine likewise admonisheth, Hypomnes. part. 2. pag. 25. not to stop an enemy that is going his way. Many such kinds there are of desperation, when men are past hope of obtaining any suit, or in despair of better fortune; Desperatio facit Monachum, as the saying is, and desperation causeth death it self; how many thousands in such distress have made away themselves, and many others? For he that cares not for his own, is master of another man's life. A Tuscan South-sayer, as Paterculus tels the story, perceiving himself and Fulvius Flaccus his dear friend, now both carryed to prison by Opimius, and in despair of pardon, seeing the young man weep, quin tu potius hoc inquit facis, do as I do; and with that knockt out his brains

* Omissa spe victoriæ in destinatam mortem conspirant, tantusque ardor singulos cepit, ut victores se putarent si non inulti morerentur. Justin. 1. 20. Method. hist. cap. 5. + Hosti abire volenti iter minime interscindas, &c. against

Poster, volum.

Mem. 2. Subs. 2.] Prognostiques of Religious Melancholy. 563

against the door cheek, as he was entring into Prison. protinusque illiso capite in carceris januam effuso cerebro expirauit, and so desperately died. But these are equivocall, unproper. "When I speak of despair," saith Zanchie, “I speak not of every kinde, but of that alone which concerns God. It is opposite to hope, and a most pernicious sin, wherewith the Divel seeks to entrap men." Musculus makes four kinds of desperation, of God, our selves, our Neighbour, or any thing to be done; but this division of his may be reduced. easily to the former: all kinds are opposite to hope, that sweet Moderator of passions, as Simonides cals it; I do not mean that vain hope which phantastical Fellows fain to themselves, which according to Aristotle is insomnium vigilantium, a waking dream; but this Divine hope which proceeds from confidence, and is an Anchor to a floating soul; spes alit agricolas, even in our temporal affairs, hope revives us, but in spiritual it farther animateth; and were it not for hope, we of all others were the most miserable," as Paul saith, in this life; were it not for hope, the heart would break; "for though they be punished in the sight of men," (Wisdom 3. 4.) yet is "their hope full of immortality:" yet doth it not so rear, as despair doth deject; this violent and sour passion of Despair, is of all perturbations most grievous, as Patritius holds. Some divide it into final and temporal; * final is incurable, which befalleth Reprobates; temporal is a rejection of hope and comfort for a time, which may befal the best of God's children, and it commonly proceeds

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from weakness of Faith," as in David when he was op→ pressed he cryed out, "O Lord, thou hast forsaken me," but this for a time. This ebbs and flows with hope and fear; it is a grievous sin howsoever: although some kind of Despair be not amiss, when, saith Zanchius, we despair of our own means, and rely wholy upon God: but that species is not here meant. This pernicious kind of desperation is the subject of our Dis course, homicida anime, the Murderer of the soul, as Austin terms it, a fearful passion, wherein the party oppressed thinks he can get no ease but by death, and is fully resolved to offer violence unto himself, so sensible of his burthen, and impatient of his cross, that he hopes by death alone to be freed of his calamity (though it prove otherwise), and chuseth with Job 6. 8. 9. 17. 5. "Rather to be strangled and die, then to be in his bonds." The part affected is the whole soul, and all the faculties of it; there is a privation of joy, hope, trust, confi

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Super præceptum primum de Relig. & partibus ejus. Non loquor de omni desperatione, sed tantum de ea qua desperare solent homines de deo; opponitur spei, & est peccatum gravissimum, &c. Lib. 5. tit. 21. de regis institut. Omnium perturbationum deterrima. * Reprobi usque ad finem pertinaciter persistunt. Zanchius. Vitium ab infidelitate proficiscens. » Abernethue. 002 dence,

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