Doctor Fludds answer vnto M· Foster or, The squeesing of Parson Fosters sponge, ordained by him for the wiping away of the weapon-salue VVherein the sponge-bearers immodest carriage and behauiour towards his bretheren is detected ...

CHAP. VI.

How, contrary vnto our Spongy Cabalists intention, it is proued first, that euill spirits may contaminate and alter into their nature the aëry spirit of man: as also that Deuils haue aëry bodies allotted vnto them in their creation: Lastly, the mutability and vnconstancy of the Consutor in his mayne Argument is discouered.

Doctor Fludds Text.

FRom hence therefore ariseth that secret combination and vnion, which is made betweene the euill spirit and the Cacomagicians or Witches, by the which foolish men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 filthily deceiued by the Deuill, whereupon the Deuill

or malignant spirit, by the alluerment of such a reward, doth accomplish the will or desire of the witch. And here∣upon a compact is made betweene them, namely, that the spirit, in what shape soeuer, may sucke daily a portion of blood, whereby the spirit lurking in the blood of the Magi∣cian, may be made of one nature and condition, with that of the malignant spirit; and so his spirit was conuerted into a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 condition, whereby it is impossible for him to depart from the worship of the Deuill.

Master Fosters Collection from the Text.

That there is such a sympathy betwixt the blood in the body, and the blood drawne from the body, it is most eui∣dent by the example of witches. The Deuill sucketh blood from them; this blood remaining with the Deuill, partici∣pates of his maligne nature, and hauing recourse by the spi∣rits thereof, vnto the Witches body, maketh all their blood sympathise with that the Deuill hath, and so the blood changeth the Witches nature, and they become maligne and Diabolic all.

Here againe you may see, that hee wresteth my Text beyond his true intended sense. But I will yeeld him his desire: and will please the Gentle∣man in his humour.

The act of his neate wiping Sponge vpon this Text.

The Doctor proueth it by the example of blood, sucked * 1.1 by the Deuill from Witches; which remaining with the Deuill, and sympathising with the blood in Witches bodies, changeth their nature, and mak•…•…s them become maligne and Diabolicall. O profound example! Here Master Do∣ctor,

〈◊〉〈◊〉 a ground of his Argument, which neither true philosophy, nor orthodox Diuinity will giue vs leaue to assent vnto. The Witches blood remaining with the blood-sucker the Deuill, sympathiseth with the blood of the witches body. How can this be? How can blood, a sub∣stance corporeall, remaine with the Deuill incorporeall, &c?

Here this his Sponges validity is squeesed out.

O wonderous wit of our Sponge-bearer! O light * 1.2 and spongy vnderstanding of so weighty a concep∣tion! But if indeed Angels (as he saith) were in∣corporeall, how could meate and drink, a substance corporeal, remaine with the Angels which Abraham entertained? if they were incorporeall, or if they as∣sumed bodies accidentally, could they eare and drinke with them naturally? or was Abraham so senselesse to offer counterfeit shapes, meat and drinke? Surely a man so profound in diuine my∣steries, would not haue beene so absurd, as to haue offered them his food, if he had knowne that it would not naturally haue nourished them. The same absurdity might iustly haue beene imputed vnto Lot. Verily, it is aboue the reach of World∣lings to scan rightly, or discouer iustly this doubt. But suppose it be granted, that Angels and Deuils be not corporeall, but spirituall creatures; yet he confesseth elsewhere, that the Deuill can indue and put on an organicall body: namely, of a man, a Dog, or Cat, and consequently those Angels indu∣ed humane shapes. I pray you, when a squirt, or syrynge, or boxing glasse draweth, is it the organ, or the spirit in the organ that draweth? Man ope∣rateth

not with his body, but with the inward spirit; neither doth blood act any thing of it selfe; but by the occult viuifying spirit, which acteth in it. Mans throat and tongue serue as organs of voyce; but it is the Spirit that acteth. If the Deuill enter into a body, as he did into the Swine, and humane bodies; did he not make vse of the or∣ganicall voyce of the Beast, and those men to speak vnto Christ? But it was the spirituall act of the Deuill, which did mingle it selfe with the aëry spirit of the Beast, and man possessed and made it to answer, according to the will of the Agent; so, I say, that by the ayde of the creatures mouth and spirit, which it indued, it did suck the blood; not that the blood in his grosse nature did abide with the Deuill in his spirituall substance; but I say that the spirituall substance in the blood, which partici∣pates of ayre, is easie to ioyne and make an vnion, by the contract with that of the Deuill: euen as we see, that Amber, when it is burnt, sendeth forth his spirit, which vniting or mingling it selfe with the ayre, infects it with his odoriferous nature, and so there is an actuall communication made betweene the ayre and the fume, betweene the spirit of the one and the other, betweene a Priuy-house, or pla∣guy Botch infecting, and the spirit of the ayre infe∣cted, the which ayre communicateth also that in∣fection vnto the spirit of the smeller. Againe, doe we not see in one infected with the plague, that first it was a corrupt spirit, which by the virtuall contact ofit, did infect not the blood onely; but the inuisible spirits in the blood? And doe we not

see also, that the same inuisible spirit so infecting, doth inuisibly also infect the inuisible ayre about it; and though it be in part exspired out of the bo∣dy and blood; yet it hath such communication with the blood; that for all that the inuisible fume infecteth abroad, not leauing neuerthelesse his per∣secution at home. If therefore the Botch of the Plague in one man (which the Prophet Abaku' ter∣meth the Daemonium, or Deuill of the South) doth in∣fect the spirituall blood of another, it is not the bo∣dily Botch that doth it; but the infected spirit in it: The corporeall Bo•…•…ch therefore we compare to the body assumed by the Deuill, and the corrupting spirit vnto the Deuill. Wherefore as we see, that after the Botch of the one hath touched the person of another, the spirit easily, by reason of the reci∣procall similitude of them, communicate with one another: so, that although the party that hath the Botch, departeth neuer so farre; yet neuerthelesse the malignant spirit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with the blood of the last infected, and conuerteth it absolutely into his malignant nature. Is it then impossible that the spirituall maligni•…•…y of the Deuill, by a con∣tactuall sucking of the blood, should contaminate with the malignity of his spirit, the spirit of the blood of the party sucked, and leaue it so infected and changed vnto his owne nature, as the vene∣mous spirit of the Plague into a plaguy disposition? Did not the Deuill worke the very same feate with Iudas his spirit, when it was said: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Diabolus * 1.3 in cor 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vt traderet Christum, hee sent or put it into the heart of ludas to betray Christ? That is, hee infecteth

his spirit first, and those spirits corrupted his thoughts or vnderstanding: for without the helpe of a medium, the Deuill being expelled from Hea∣uen, can not attempt the heauen of mans vnder∣standing.

But to answer Master Foster at his owne weapon, I meane that quick-sented Gentleman, that so soone can smell a Rat; What doth he thinke, that Deuils haue not tenuia corpora? Yea verily: for he hath for it (as he sayeth) authorities of Scripture, Counsels, Fathers, and Schoolemen to confirme so much. But by the way he saith: The Doctor, who impiously attributes composition in God, dare•…•… falsly attri∣bute corporeity to Deuils. In the first place, M. Foster hath the Deuill the father of lyes for his Foster-fa∣ther, who can both foster and father vntruth vpon any one. But as I haue said before, the simple Frier Marinus Mersennus saith so, namely, because I auer∣red, that the Spirit of the Lord filled and animated the heauenly Spirit, Ergò, (saith he) Fludd maketh God a part of Composition, and therefore Master Par∣son, holding the Friers words as an Oracle, with∣out pondering the sense of the businesse, blunde∣reth out like a Parrat these very words of the Frier: The Doctor doth impiously attribute Composition vnto God. But if I say that God is in composition, I meane it not as a part compounding; but as the sole Compounder in composition. Againe; if he were absent from composition, the word could not be said to be incarnated; nor the Incorruptible Spirit to be in all things; neither could God by the Apostle be said, to be ouer all, and in all.

But leauing this paratticall or parasiticall garb: He bringeth the authorities of Scripture. And what are they? Saint Paul hath this: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spirituall wickednesse, * 1.4 or euill spirits in high places. And therefore Christ said: Handle me and touch me, for a spirit hath not flesh, nor bones, as yee see mee haue;

But Deuils can not be handled: Therefore they haue no bodies.

Here is a stout Argument, because Deuils as * 1.5 they are in their thinne aëriall bodies, cannot bee handled: Ergo, they haue not any corpulency. I would faine know of this acute Arguer, what or∣ganicall body for speech this spirit had, when hee in reciprocall words and speech did tempt our Sauiour? Doth he thinke that the very ayre (which is the externall of the Deuill as shall be proued) is not a spirituall body, when it may be felt, heard, or vnderstood, though not as flesh and bones? Doth not the Apostle make mention of a spirituall or heauenly and thin body, and an earthly or grosse and thick body?

It is most true, that there are some of the Fa∣thers and Schoolemen, who are of opinion, that the Angels are absolutely incorporeal, as Damascene, Thomas Aquin, Denis, and so forth; But there are as many; yea, and more of the learneder sort, who giue a contrary sentence, touching the bodily ex∣istence of these spirits, and say flatly, that an An∣gel is a corporeal substance, and consequently, that Angels may without any error be termed bodily creatures and amongst this number of the Fathers, are ranked Basil, Origen, Gregory, Augustine, Isidorus,

Peter Lombard: and of Philosophers, Mercurius Tris∣megistus, with all the Schoole of the Academicks. And as for S. Augustine, he saith in his Booke vpon Genesis in expresse words; quòd Daemones sunt aërea & ignea animalia: that the Daemons or Angelicall spirits are aëry and fiery Animals, and consequently assigneth vnto them aëry bodies. Againe, he affirmeth in an∣other place, that the Angels had in their creation aëry bodies, to wit, framed and fashioned out of the purer part of the superior ayre, made more apt and proper to act, then to suffer, and hee auerreth that the euill angels were, by reason of their fall, changed, as touching their bodies or externall be∣ing, into the nature of the grosser ayre, that they might be the rather made to suffer the torments of fire. And Fetrus Lombardus saith: Angeli corpora, in quibus hominibus apparent, de summo aëre sumunt, soli∣dam{que} speciem ex coelesti elemento induunt, vt humanis obtutibus manifestiùs demonstrentur: So that it is eui∣dent, that Augustine and he agree in one. Also Basil doth teach vs, what manner of bodies the Angels haue, when he saith: they are thinne, aëry, and pure Spirits. Againe, Arteplius that wise man saith, in his great Key of wisedome, That the externall of the De∣uill is ayre, but his internall is fire. For the which rea∣son he sheweth, that it is easie for him, namely, in re∣gard of his externall or body, to insinuate and communi∣cate with the aëry and bloody spirit in man, and consequent∣ly to engender in him hot and fiery diseases.

But why should we rely onely (as Master Foster doth) on bare Authorities? I will come vnto plaine Philosophicall proofes, to shew and demonstrate,

that Angels haue soules and bodies, or externall and internall. First, you must know, that if they were Identity, that is, of all one simple formall be∣ing, they would be all one in essence with God their Creator, who is called Identitas, or absolute and simple vnity; but for as much as they are com∣pounded of two: namely, of light, which is the beame of God, which they receiue, to informe them and make them creatures, and spirit, which as polished Looking-glasse, receiueth the glory of that diuine light, they are called Alteritas or Alte∣rity, that is, composed of two. And this is most liue∣ly expressed by Saint Denis, when he termeth them Algamatha, that is, most cleare Mirrours, or Look∣ing-glasses, receiuing the light of God. And there∣fore he defineth an Angel to bee the Image of God, the shewing forth of bid light, a mirrour pure and most bright. And Damascen saith: That they are intellectuall spirits, hauing light (as their soules) from the first Light. And Salomon describing the Prince of all Angels (which * 1.6 as Ecclesiasticus saith, was ante omnia creatus) that it was candor lucis aeternae, & speculum sine macula Mai•…•…∣slatis Dei: or the brightnesse of eternall light, and a glasse without spot of the Maiesty of God. Whereby it is eui∣dent, that the Angels internall, and as it were his soule, is the brightnesse of Gods emanation: his po∣lished or pure aëry internall, is his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 body, which receiueth this light. For we must note, That in the beginning Heauen and Earth were made of water, * 1.7 and by water consisting by the Word, as S. Peter speakes. And therefore the whole World was composed of an internall or inuisible, which is the soule or spi∣rit,

animated by Gods Word, and an externall and visible earth and water, which is the body: So eue∣ry creature must needs be compounded of an in∣ternall or actiue soule, and an externall or organi∣call receptacle of that soule, which is the body. Is it not apparent, That when the Spirit of the Lord did * 1.8 moue vpon the waters, the water was the Catholick Patient, and the spirit the internall Agent? For Saint Augustine, super Genesim, saith: Spiritus fereba∣tur super aquas, igneum •…•…s vigorem impertiens, The Spirit moued on the waters, imparting vnto them a fiery vigor or vertue, that is, a viuifying nature; So that the spiritu∣all created Catholick waters, were animated by the spirituall increated Catholick breath, and light of life, whose Spirit in euery creature is the Spirit of life, and therefore their centrall soule: and the creature animated, is the body. Wherefore as the purest, and most spirituall part of water or ayre, is the externall of the Angell; so his internall is the lucid act of Gods Spirit.

Now I conclude thus: If the externall substance of the Angel be ayre (for either it must be of spiri∣tuall water, or else of the substance of God, which is meerely formall, and not materiall) then wee know by the rules of Philosophy, that ayre subtilia∣ted is fire, and againe ayre inspissated is a vapour, a mist, a cloud, and so by inspissation, ayre inuisible becommeth a visible substance; yea, and a bodily vocall organ too, as it appeareth by lightning, the which soule of the cloud, except it haue his cloudy organ, or bodily instrument, will not speake in thunder. We finde therefore out of Holy Writ,

that God is said to speake out of his organic all cloud. And * 1.9 for that very cause, the Text calleth it in one place, latibulum Dei, in another, tigurium Dei, and in ano∣ther, vehiculum & currus •…•…ehoua: so that if leb•…•…ua maketh this organicall Tabernacle of ayre, to vtter vnto mortall eares his voyce (as Scriptures in ma∣ny places doe testifie) it is no sinne to say, that his inferiour spirits haue for their externall bodies, aëry substances, which being granted, what should hinder spirits, by contraction of this their external substances, to appeare when they please visibly, and organically to talke with a person, as the tempting spirit did to Christ? and againe, by an immediate dilatation of the same externall aëry spirit, to be∣come inuisible, no otherwise then a smoake by di∣latation vanisheth, or a cloud, or mist made of a compacted, and thickned ayre, doth oftentimes, without the appearance of any drop of raine passe away inuisibly? Was it not strange, that Christ himselfe that had flesh and bones, should appeare etiam clausis ian•…•…is, and then immediately to vanish? And yet if we consider, that after he was risen, he did put on a spirituall body, euen that body for that cause, could deponere Tabernaculum suum visibile & tangibile, and become by subtiliation and dilata∣tion, as subtile and impalpable, as the voluntie of him, who hath the spirituall body, pleaseth: and so can appeare and vanishat an instant. It is an admi∣rable speculation, to ponder and consider duely, how God worketh in this world by contraction and dilatation, by priuation and position, by dark∣nesse and light, by apparition and disparition, as

we see, when his Spirit moueth from the North; the common ayre is by the contractiue nature of that spirit, turned from inuisibility to visibility, from transparency to opacity, from ayre to Snow, Haile, Frost, Ice: from leuity to ponderosity, from agility and mobility to fixation and immobility. Contrarywise, by his blast from the East or South, the said bodies are altered againe into water, and water into ayre, and ayre into fire, by dilatation, and in conclusion; corporeity terrestriall, into corporeity aëriall or celestiall, hardnesse into salt∣nesse, grossenesse into subtility, opacity into tran∣sparency, fixation into mobility, rest into action, darknesse into light: And to conclude, contracti∣on caused by this Spirit of God, into dilatation, vi∣sibility into inuisibility. What shall I say more? If Angels of all kindes haue their externall from the aëry spirit of the World, and their internall act, from this externall viuifying spirit, in whom is the property of the foure Windes (and therefore the Prophet said, Come, O Spirit, from the foure Windes; * 1.10 whereby he did argue, that this one Spirit, as be∣ing the essentiall actor in the foure Windes, had the properties of the foure Windes in himselfe, by the which he acted all things, whereupon the Pro∣phet called it from the foure Windes) wee ought not to make any question; but that by vertue of that internall act, and the substance of that their externall ayre, they may contract themselues from a spirituall fiery and aëry inuisibility, vnto a nebu∣lous or watery, yea, and earthly visibility, or snowie or Icie nature: especially the grosse, malignant,

and darke spirits: which by their fall, haue indued the grosser ayre, (as Augustine saith:) and there∣fore is Satan called by the Apostle, The Prince of the ayre. And this is the reason, that the Deuill, or euill spirits do in their contraction conuert themselues into solid or firme shapes of man or beast, and ap∣peare in touch to be so excessue cold (according to Master Fosters confession) namely, because the spirit by which they liue, contracting it selfe from the Circumference of dilated ayre, into the Center of contracted earth, leaueth the externall or aëry compacted composition chill and cold like Ice. For it is by his emanation or dilatation from the Center vnto the Circumference, that kindleth na∣turall heate in the externall of euery creature. To conclude against those that affirme that spirits haue no corporeity: It is most certaine, that where there is rarum & densum, thin and thick, there conse∣quently is corporeity either thinne or thicke. For whatsoeuer is in his substance transmutable vnto a thinner or thicker body, must needs bee bodily, though not a visible body. So is a Starre of Hea∣uen called Densior pars sui orbis, that is, The inuisible •…•…thereall spirit or thin body of Heauen, thickned into the visible body of a Starre. So also may fire be conden∣sed into ayre, and ayre into water, and water into earth. And againe, that earth may be rarified into water, and water into ayre, and ayre into fire. For such is the naturall rotation of elements. Now the externall of Angels, must be created of the spiritu∣all substance of the higher world, or not at all: ac∣cording vnto Basils tenor, and consequently it is

bodily, though of a thinner or thicker consistence, according vnto the dignity of the Angell. Doth not also Dauid acknowledge thus much in these words: Qui facit Angelos spiritus seu aëra 〈◊〉〈◊〉, * 1.11 & Ministros ignem vrentem, who maketh his Angels spi∣rits or windie ayre, and his Ministers flames of fire? And therefore it is a shame, that such mysteries as these, which are most apparent to the considerant, should by the ignorant bee derided, and esteemed not workes and operations of the Spirit of God, in the common element of the world, but of the Deuill, and so through their blindnesse mistake euill for good, darknesse for light: of which sort of people * 1.12 the Prophet meaneth in these words: Woe vnto them that speake good of euill, and euill of good, which put darknesse for light, and light for darknesse, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne sight.

Thus, iudicious and vnpartiall Reader, you may perceiue by that which hath bene expressed in this Member, how vnable mine Aduersaries Sponge hath beene to wipe away the least tittle of that na∣turall value and diuine vertue, which in my mysti∣call Anatomy, I haue ascribed vnto the Weapon∣Salue. And therefore for all I can see, hee may in∣uent some more substantiall meanes, then is this windie Sponge (an expresse argument of a light braine or fantastick wit) to subuert a Medicine of so weighty an importance, and admirable power in working. Hee must haue, I say, strong Cable-ropes, in stead of a light Sponge, to remoue the foundation of verity; and yet, I feare, they will

cracke too, before they will be able to draw wise men to beleeue, that the good gifts of healing in this Weapon-Salue, should proceed from the De∣uill, and not from God and his benigne mercies, which is the onely giuer of health and goodnesse.

And now I must remember you by the way of one absurdity in our Sponge-bearing Author. For he saith first, that this manner of cure is Diabolicall, and afterward hee seemeth to attribute the effect of it vnto the vrine of man. His words are these:

Doctor Fludds directions are, that the Weapon be left * 1.13 in the Vnguent-pot, till the Patient bee cured, and that the wound bee kept cleane, with a linnen cloth, wet euery mor∣ning in his vrine. Whether this be a fallacy or no, I com∣mend it to the iudgement of those, who are expert in Chi∣rurgery. For let the Doctor be sure to keepe a wound cleane, and I suppose they will tell him, that it will cicatrize with∣out his Weapon-Salue.

To this I answer, that Oportet mendacem esse me∣morem: it behoueth a lyer to haue a good memory. For Master Foster must remember, that in another place he saith, The Deuill doth secretly apply some other virtuall operatiue Medicine, to cure the wound, and delude the in∣credulous M•…•…untebancks, &c. And here he openeth, that the cause of the cure, is the keeping of the wound cleane with the clout dipped in vrine, and applyed not by the Deuill, but by man; saying, That therein alone consi∣steth the cure, without the Weapon-Salue, and he calleth all the cunning Chirurgic all Artists to witnesse, and verifie his words to be true: which being so, what a Gods blessing is become of the Deuils cunning in this Physicall cure? or wherein can it appeare Diaboli∣call?

or how doth he apply any thing craftily to delude the incredulous Mountebanks? Oh the wauering of a tottering braine, to forget his argu∣ment, and vnawares to eate his owne words!

Notes

• * 1.1

  Foster.
• * 1.2

  Fludd.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 13.
• * 1.4

  Foster.
• * 1.5

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 7.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 3.
• * 1.8

  Genes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.9

  2 King. 22. Iob. 22. 15. Psal. 104. Psal. 105. 37. Numb. 11. 25.
• * 1.10

  Ezek. 36.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 104.
• * 1.12

  Esay 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.13

  Pag. 8.