Varieties: or, A surveigh of rare and excellent matters necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall heads of diverse sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of naturall things unfoulded, &c. Digested into five bookes, whose severall chapters with their contents are to be seene in the table after the epistle dedicatory. By David Person, of Loghlands in Scotland, Gentleman.

Section 5.

The Curiosity of the Millenarij; with many other Curio∣sities more frivolous then necessary.

THe curiosity of the Millenarij, called by the Greekes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is worth your notice; who give forth, that after the generall resurrection, the godly shall enjoy a thousand yeares pleasures in soule and body on this earth, before the wicked be resuscitated, which they on earth did want whilest the wicked flourished; and that according to Irenaeus his opinion. lib. adversus haereticos. But they have even as much likelyhood and warrant for this out of holy Scripture,* 1.1 as others have for that other tenent, that after the resurrection of man, there shall bee likewise a renovation of beasts, hearbes, plants, &c.

But to proceed in their subjects, what curiosity hath driven our Inquisitors to aske, if death shall bereave our most learned of all sence and insight in Sciences,* 1.2 that in Heaven they shall be in no better degree of hap∣pinesse then the rude ignorant; wheras in the first to the Corinthians and the fifteenth Chapter it is said, alia est gloria lunae, alia solis; better it were to know how to come there, then inquisitively to search what higher places there are there: but no question if the arguments drawen from contraries, doe hold, then sure in hell there bee diversitie of paynes, so in Heaven also there bee disparity of joyes: for in the house of the Lord are many mansions.

Yea, but saith my curiosist, what language shall we speake in Heaven?* 1.3 an idle question; what other lan∣guage should we have but Hallelujuhs, hymnes, and prai∣ses to Him who sitteth upon the Throne? This with many other scruples, and errors in inverting, perverting augmenting, derogating, transverting, throwing, wrest∣ing GODS Word, Will, Truth, and Decree, I passe, and apply my selfe to the Physiologist enquiring, if there was a world before this began;* 1.4 if there shall be another after this. If there bee more then this which presently we inhabite; if there be more celestiall spheares then one; what time of the yeare this world began, and when it shall have an end. All which, in my Title of the world I handle,* 1.5 excepting onely the multiplicity of heavenly orbes which I doe admit, re∣fusing alwayes their Eccentrick and Epilicks; as also I dissallow the Eccentricks of the earth, as being all curi∣osities of small moment, and remit the Reader to the

sound and true knowledge of the course, nature, and in∣fluence of the planets; which our curious Physitians, or Pseudo-Astrologers imaginatively do handle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  If beasts, herbs plants, will bee renewed with man after the resurrection.
• * 1.2

  If there be de∣grees of glory in heaven.
• * 1.3

  What language in heaven.
• * 1.4

  Curiosity in Physicke to know whether there be more worlds then one.
• * 1.5

  If there was one before this.