Again, To render our errours more monstrous (and what unto miracle sets forth the patience of God,) he hath endeavoured to make the world beleeve, that he was God himself; and failing of his first attempt to be but like the highest in heaven, he hath obtained with men to be the same on earth; and hath accordingly assumed the annexes of divinity, and the prerogatives of the Creator, drawing into practice the operation of miracles, and the prescience of things to come. Thus hath he in a specious way wrought cures upon the sick: plaied over the wondrous acts of Prophets, and counterfeited many miracles of Christ and his Apostles. Thus hath he openly contended with God; And to this effect his insolency was not ashamed to play a solemne prize with Moses;66 wherein although his performance were very specious, and beyond the common apprehension of any power below a Deity, yet was it not such as could make good his Omnipotency. For he was wholly confounded in the conversion of dust into lice.67 An act Philosophy can scarce deny to be above the power of Nature, nor upon a requisite predisposition beyond the efficacy of the Sun. Wherein notwithstanding the head of the old Serpent was confessedly too weak for Moses hand, and the arm of his Magicians too short for the finger of God.
Thus hath he also made men beleeve that he can raise the dead; that he hath the key of life and death, and a prerogative above that principle which makes no regression from privations. The Stoicks that opinioned the souls of wise men, dwelt about the Moon, and those of fools wandred about the earth, advantaged the conceit of this effect; wherein the Epicureans, who held that death was nothing, nor nothing after death, must contradict their principles to be deceived. Nor could the Pythagorian or such as maintained the transmigration of souls give easie admittance hereto: for holding that separated souls, successively supplied other bodies; they could hardly allow the raising of souls from other worlds, which at the same time, they conceived conjoined unto bodies in this. More inconsistent with these opinions, is the error of Christians, who holding the dead doe rest in the Lord, doe yet beleeve they are at the lure of the devil; that he who is in bonds himself commandeth the fetters of the dead, and dwelling in the bottomlesse lake, the blessed from Abrahams bosome, that can beleeve the reall resurrection of Samuel; or that there is any thing but delusion, in the practice of Necromancy68 and popular conception of Ghosts.
He hath moreover endeavoured the opinion of Deity, by the delusion of Dreams, and the discovery of things to come in sleep, above the prescience of our waked senses. In this expectation he perswaded the credulity of elder times to take up their lodging before his temple, in skinnes of their own sacrifices: till his reservednesse had contrived answers, whose accomplishments were in his power, or not beyond his presagement. Which way, although it hath pleased Almighty God, sometimes to reveale himself, yet was the proceeding very different. For the revelations of heaven are conveied by new impressions, and the immediate illumination of the soul; whereas the deceiving spirit, by concitation of humors, produceth his conceited phantasmes; or by compounding the species already residing, doth make up words which mentally speak his intentions.69
But above all other he most advanced his Deity in the solemn practice of Oracles, wherein in severall parts of the world, he publikely professed his divinity; but how short they flew of that spirit, whose omniscience they would resemble, their weaknesse sufficiently declared….70
Again, Such is the mystery of his delusion, that although he labour to make us beleeve that he is God, and supremest nature whatsoever, yet would he also perswade our beliefs, that he is lesse then Angels or men; and his condition not only subjected unto rationall powers, but the action of things which have no efficacy on our selves. Thus hath he inveigled no small part of the world into a credulity of artificiall Magick: That there is an Art, which without compact commandeth the powers of hell; whence some have delivered the polity of spirits, and left an account even to their Provinciall dominions; that they stand in awe of charmes, spells and conjurations, that he is afraid of letters and characters, of notes and dashes, which set together doe signifie nothing; and not only in the dictionary of man, but the subtiler vocabulary of Satan.… Whereof having once begot in our mindes an assured dependence, he makes us rely on powers which he but precariously obeies; and to desert those true and only charmes which hell cannot withstand.
Lastly, To lead us farther into darknesse, and quite to lose us in this maze of error, he would make men beleeve there is no such creature as himself, and that he is not only subject unto inferiour creatures but in the rank of nothing. Insinuating into mens mindes there is no devill at all, and contriveth accordingly, many waies to conceale or indubitate his existency. Wherein beside that he anihilates the blessed Angels and spirits in the rank of his creation; he begets a security of himself and a carelesse eye unto the last remunerations. And therefore hereto he inveigleth, not only Sadduces and such as retain unto the Church of God, but is also content that Epicurus, Democritus or any heathen should hold the same. And to this effect he maketh men beleeve that apparitions, and such as confirm his existence are either deceptions of sight, or melancholy depravements of phancy: Thus when he had not only appeared but spake unto Brutus; Cassius the Epicurian was ready at hand to perswade him, it was but a mistake in his weary imagination, and that indeed there were no such realities in nature.71 Thus he endeavours to propagate the unbelief of witches,72 whose concession infers his coexistency; by this means also he advanceth the opinion of totall death, and staggereth the immortality of the soul: for, such as deny there are spirits subsistent without bodies, will with more difficulty affirm the separated existence of their own….
And thus how strangely he possesseth us with errors may clearly be observed; deluding us into contradictory and inconsistent falsities; whilest he would make us beleeve, That there is no God. That there are many. That he himself is God. That he is lesse then Angels or Men. That he is nothing at all….
CHAP.XI. A Further Illustration
Now although these waies of delusions, most Christians have escaped, yet are there many other whereunto we are daily betrayed; and these we meet with in obvious occurrents of the world, wherein he induceth us, to ascribe effects unto causes of no cognation; and distorting the order and theory of causes perpendicular to their effects, he draws them aside unto things whereto they runne parallel, and in their proper motions would never meet together.
Thus doth he sometime delude us in the conceits of Starres and Meteors, beside their allowable actions ascribing effects thereunto of independent causations. Thus hath he also made the ignorant sort beleeve that naturall effects immediately and commonly proceed from supernaturall powers; and these he usually derives from heaven, his own principality the air, and meteors therein; which being of themselves, the effects of naturall and created causes, and such as upon a due conjunction of actives and passives, without a miracle must arise unto what they appear; are alwaies looked on by ignorant spectators as supernaturall spectacles, and made the causes or signes of most succeeding contingencies. To behold a Rain-bow in the night, is no prodigy unto a Philosopher. Then eclipses of Sun or Moon, nothing is more naturall.…
He deludeth us also by Philters, Ligatures, Charmes, ungrounded Amulets, Characters, and many superstitious waies in the cure of common diseases; seconding herein the expectation of men with events of his own contriving. Which while some unwilling to fall directly upon Magick, impute unto the power of imagination, or the efficacy of hidden causes, he obtains a bloudy advantage; for thereby he begets not only a false opinion, but such as leadeth the open way of destruction. In maladies admitting naturall reliefs, making men rely on remedies, neither of reall operation in themselves, nor more then seeming efficacy in his concurrence. Which whensoever he pleaseth to withdraw, they stand naked unto the mischief of their diseases; and revenge the contempt of the medicines of the earth which God hath created for them. And therefore when neither miracle is expected, nor connexion of cause unto effect from naturall grounds concluded; however it be sometime successefull, it cannot be safe to rely on
such practises, and desert the known and authentick provisions of God. In which rank of remedies, if nothing in our knowledge or their proper power be able to relieve us, we must with patience submit unto that restraint, and expect the will of the Restrainer….
Again, Although his delusions run highest in points of practice, whose errors draw on offensive or penall enormities, yet doth he also deal in points of speculation, and things whose knowledge terminates in themselves; whose cognition although it seems indifferent, and therefore its aberration directly to condemn no man; yet doth he hereby preparatively dispose us unto errors, and deductively deject us into destructive concusions.
That the Sun, Moon and Stars are living creatures, endued with soul and life, seems an innocent error, and a harmlesse digression from truth; yet hereby he confirmed their idolatry, and made it more plausibly embraced. For wisely mistrusting that reasonable spirits would never firmly be lost in the adorement of things inanimate, and in the lowest form fo Nature; he begat an opinion that they were living creatures, and could not decay for ever.
That spirits are corporeall, seems at first view a conceit derogative unto himself, and such as he should rather labour to overthrow; yet hereby he establisheth the doctrine of Lustrations, Amulets and Charmes, as we have declared before.…
THE SECOND BOOK:
OF SUNDRY POPULAR TENETS CONCERNING MINERALL, AND VEGETABLE BODIES, GENERALLY HELD FOR TRUTH; WHICH EXAMINED, PROVE EITHER FALSE, OR DUBIOUS
CHAP.I. Of Crystall
CHAP.II. Concerning the Loadstone
CHAP.III. Concerning the Loadstone, therein of sundry common opinions, and received relations, Naturall, Historicall, Medicall, Magicall
CHAP.IV. Of bodies Electricall
CHAP.V. Compendilously of sundry other common Tenents, concerning Minerall and Terreous bodies, which examined, prove either false or dubious
CHAP.VI. Of sundry Tenents concerning vegetables or Plants, which examined, prove either false or dubious
CHAP.VII. Of Insects, and the properties of severall plants
THE THIRD BOOK:
OF DIVERS POPULAR AND RECEIVED TENETS CONCERNING ANIMALS, WHICH EXAMINED, PROVE EITHER FALSE OR DUBIOUS
CHAP.I. Of the Elephant
The first shall be of the Elephant; whereof there generally passeth an opinion it hath no joints; and this absurdity is seconded with another, that being unable to lie down, it sleep-eth against a tree; which the Hunters observing doe saw almost asunder; whereon the beast relying, by the fall of the tree falls also down it self, and is able to rise no more. Which conceit is not the daughter of later times, but an old and gray-headed error, even in the daies of Aristotle, as he delivereth in his book, de incessu animalium; and stand successively related by severall other Authors; by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Ambrose, Cassiodore, Solinus and many more. Now herein me thinks men much forget themselves, not well considering the absurdity of such assertions.
For first, they affirm it hath no joints, and yet concede it walks and moves about; whereby they conceive there may be a progression or advancement made in motion without inflexion of parts. Now all progression or animall locomotion being (as Aristotle teacheth) performed tractu & pulsu; that is, by drawing on, or impelling forward some part which was before in station, or at quiet; where there are no joints or flexures, neither can there be these actions; and this is true, not only in Quadrupedes, Volatils and Fishes, which have distinct and prominent organs of motion, legs, wings and fins; but in such also as perform their progression by the trunck, as Serpents, Wormes and Leeches; whereof though some want bones, and all extended articulations, yet have they arthriticall analogies;1 and by the motion of fibrous and musculous parts, are able to make progression. Which to conceive in bodies inflexible, and without all protrusion of parts, were to expect a race from Hercules his pillars; or hope to behold the effects of Orpheus his harp; when Trees found joints, and danced after his musick.
Again, While men conceive they never lie down, and enjoy not the position of rest, ordained unto all pedestrious animals, hereby they imagin (what reason cannot conceive) that an animall of the vastest dimension and longest duration, should live in a continuall motion, without that alternity and vicissitude of rest whereby all others continue; and yet must thus much come to passe, if we opinion they lie not down and enjoy no decumbence2 at all. For station is properly no rest, but one kinde of motion, relating unto that which Physitians (from Galen) doe name extensive or tonicall; that is, an extension of the muscles and organs of motion maintaining the body at length or in its proper figure; wherein although it seem to be unmoved, it is neverthelesse not without all motion; for in this position the muscles are sensibly extended, and labour to support the body; which permitted unto its proper gravity, would suddenly subside and fall unto the earth, as it happeneth in sleep, diseases and death. From which occult action and invisible motion of the muscles in station (as Galen declareth) proceed more offensive lassitudes then from ambulation.3 And therefore the Tyranny of some have tormented men, with long and enforced station; and though Ixion and Sisiphus which alwaies moved, doe seem to have the hardest measure; yet was not Titius favoured, that lay extended upon Caucasus; and Tantalus suffered somewhat more then thirst, that stood perpetually in hell. Thus Mercurialis in his Gymnasticks justly makes standing one kinde of exercise; and Galen when we lye down, commends unto us middle figures; that is, not to lye directly, or at length, but somewhat inflected, that the muscles may be at rest; for such as he termeth Hypobolemaioi or figures of excesse, either shrinking up or stretching out, are wearisome positions, and such as perturb the quiet of those parts. Now various parts doe variously discover these indolent and quiet positions; some in right lines, as the wrists; some at right angles, as the cubit; others at oblique angles, as the fingers and the knees: all resting satisfied in postures of moderation, and none enduring the extremity of flexure or extension.
Moreover men herein doe strangely forget the obvious relations of history, affirming they have no joints, whereas they daily reade of severall actions which are not performable without them. They forget what is delivered by Xiphilinus, and also by Suetonius in the lives of Nero and Galba, that Elephants have been instructed to walk on ropes, in publike shews before the people; which is not easily performed by man, and requireth not only a broad foot, but a pliable flexure of joints, and commandible disposure of all parts of progression. They passe by that memorable place in Curtius, concerning the Elephant of King Porus, Indus qui Elephantem regebat, descendere eum ratus, more solito procumbere jussit in genua, cæteri quoque (ita enim instituti erant) demisere corpora in terram.4 They remember not the expression of Osorius de rebus gestis Emanuelis, when he speaks of the Elephant presented to Leo the tenth, Pontificem ter genibus flexis, & demisso corporis habitu venerabundus salutavit.5 But above all, they call not to minde that memorable shew of Germanicus, wherein twelve Elephants danced unto the sound of musick, and after laid them down in the Tricliniums, or places of festivall Recumbency.
They forget the Etymologie of the Knee, approved by some Grammarians.6 They disturb the position of the young ones in the wombe: which upon extension of leggs is not easily conceiveable; and contrary unto the generall contrivance of nature. Nor doe they consider the impossible exclusion thereof, upon extension and rigour of the leggs.
Lastly, They forget or consult not experience; whereof not many years past, we have had the advantage in England, by an Elephant shewn in many parts thereof; not only in the posture of standing, but kneeling and lying down. Whereby although the opinion at present be well suppressed, yet from some strings of tradition, and fruitfull recurrence of error, it is not improbable, it may revive in the next generation again; this being not the first that hath been seen in England; for (besides some other since) as Polydore Virgil relateth, Lewis the French King sent one to Henry the third; and Emanuel of Portugall another to Leo the tenth into Italy; where notwithstanding the error is still alive and epidemicall, as with us.
The hint an
d ground of this opinion might be the grosse and somewhat Cylindricall7 composure of the legs, the equality and lesse perceptible disposure of the joints, especially in the four legs of this Animall; they appearing when he standeth, like pillars of flesh, without any evidence of articulation. The different flexure and order of the joints might also countenance the same; being not disposed in the Elephant, as they are in other quandrupedes, but carry a nearer conformity into those of man; that is; the bought of the fore-legs not directly backward, but laterally and somewhat inward; but the hough or suffraginous8 flexure behinde rather outward. Contrary unto many other quadrupedes, and such as can scratch the ear with the hinder foot, as Horses, Camels, Deer, Sheep and Dogges; for their fore legs bend like our legs, and their hinder legs like our arms, when we move them to our shoulders. But quadrupedes oviparous, as Frogs, Lizards, Crocadiles, have their joints and motive flexures more analogously framed unto ours; and some among viviparous; that is, such thereof as can bring their fore-feet and meat therein into their mouthes, as most can doe that have the clavicles or coller-bones; whereby their breasts are broader, and their shoulders more asunder, as the Ape, the Monkey, the Squirrell and some others. If therefore any shall affirm the joints of Elephants are differently framed from most of other quadrupedes, and more obscurely and grossely almost then any; he doth herein no injury unto truth. But if à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter,9 he affirmeth also they have no articulations at all; he incurs the controllment of reason, and cannot avoid the contradiction also of sense.
The Major Works (English Library) Page 18