The arraignment of slander periury blasphemy, and other malicious sinnes shewing sundry examples of Gods iudgements against the ofenders. As well by the testimony of the Scriptures, and of the fathers of the primatiue church as likewise out of the reportes of Sir Edward Dier, Sir Edward Cooke, and other famous lawiers of this kingdome. Published by Sir William Vaughan knight.

LINEAMENT. VI.

1 A meditation upon Sathans stinges, occasioned by an unsoined dreame of the Authours.

2 Whether the Dragon which S. Iohn saw fighting with the Ar••ban∣gell, was reall or spirituall.

3 Whether the Serpent which deceiued Hue was reall, or spirituall, or both; wherein the manner of her deceiuing is laid downe.

THus are the very best, like beastes, subiect vnto these spirituall flings, some more, * 1.1 some lesse, according to the quality of their fleshly vessels. To this purpose it will not be immateriall, if I insert a medi∣tatiue conceit of mine, wherewith I was vnfainedly pos∣sessed of late: Vpon Sunday night, being the fourteenth day of Ianuary last, 1609. I fell into a deepe study con∣cerning our knowledge of good and euill, procured by the Infernall Snake. I lamented mine owne weakenesse of nature, that multitudes of sinnes should treade and tram∣ple downe my Christian vertue. I sorrowed in spirit, that I could not free my soule from worldly concupiscence. At the last, after much striuing and strugling, the Lords com∣fortable speech to St. Paul came into my minde, My grace is sufficient for thee. Whereupon considering my * 1.2 repenting heart, I resolued, that God suffered me to be thus buffeted and beaten with Sardonicall sinnes, because I might acknowledge mine owne imbecillity, and submit the same to the perfection of Christ, the propitiation for sinnes, who alone is Righteous and Holy. For the con∣firmation of this meditation, I was strongly assisted by this vnfained dreame. On that very night I dreamed, that I lay vpon the floore without stockins or shoes, and suddenly me thought one warned me, that I should looke vnto my selfe, for a Snake lurked very neere me; with which words being affrighted, I bestirred my selfe, and beheld the said Snake about a yard or more in length,

almost crept vnder me; whereupon I vehemently cried for helpe to him, that warned me therof: who presently, as it were in a moment, with a weapon, which he had in his hand, hewed the Snake in three or foure pieces. For all that, I was not deliuered from seare, I doubted his stin∣ging part; but he which smote him willed me in any case not to feare, by reason that his sting was of no sense, now that he had chopt him in pieces. With that I might see a smoake or breath arising out of the Snakes diuided body. At which straunge sight, I prepared to hasten me away, lest this smoake being infectious, should (like a pesulence) empoyson my body: But notwithstanding all this my preparation, before I could get together my stockins and shoes, which were the impediments of my remoue, the smoake ceased on a sudden. Whereupon I bewayled somewhat with my selfe, that I went no sooner away from that poysonous smoake, or smoakie exhalation, and because I preferred such trisling impediments before the security of my life; which I imagined to be in some ha∣zard, by reason of that my small stay.

Charitable Reader, pardon me, if in rehearsall of this dreame I disquiet thy delicate minde; notwithstanding that our whole life is little better then a dreame. No man liuing can attribute lesse credite, then I doe, vnto dreames: yet neuerthelesse, forasmuch as now and then it pleased God to reueale secrets and things to come vn∣to his seruants by dreames, as sometime he did vnto Io∣seph and Nabuchadonozor, we must not altogether neg∣lect to make reasonable vse of them. As for example, The man which admonished me, I compare to our Saui∣our Christ, who of his vnspeakeable mercy towards man∣kinde defendeth vs (while we prostrate our selues in all humility, as in my dreame I lay vpon the floore) from the Hellish Snake, who watcheth daily to vndermine our wils. And yet though his Godhead hath trodden vpon Sathans head, he permits him for his glory, for our triall,

and also for some satisfaction of his iustice, to enuenom our humane willes, by reason of our tarditie and remist∣nesse in his seruice, but certainly afterwards he embraceth his Elect again. And, like as I plaied loth to depart w^th my stockins and shoes, for al that I saw the imminent danger of the poysonous Snake; so doth mankind attend to the toyish bables and triuiall fables of this world, while Sa∣than bruizeth our worldly heeles, and casteth out of his mouth whole floods of spirituall venome, to surround and surprise our spirituall part with passions of enuy, ma∣lice, fury, and other infections, whereof the smoakie ex∣halation of my dreamed Snake, might well be the repre∣senting Image and Idaea. And the rather I am inrooted in this opinion, because I know my reasonable will to be oftentimes tainted with the said spirituall smoakie ve∣nome, as I supposed in my dreame that I suckt the fee∣ling, palpable, and sensible smoaky poyson of the mang∣led Snake into my corporall breath. But herein consists my comfort, that euen as I suckt this last full sore against my will; so nol••ns volens, whether I will or no, I am con∣strained to sucke into my humane soule the other smoky poyson of the passionate Snake, which I pray the victori∣ous Treader downe of his malicious head, by vertue of his Crowne of victory to conuert into the best; so that my spotted spirit may be accepted in his presence for a contrite spirite. AMEN.

As concerning that place of Genesis, where the Diuell is said to appeare in the similitude of a Serpent vnto Eue, * 1.3 and where in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn, the Dragon fought with Michael in heauen, we must not iudge both of them to be reall Serpents or Dragons, but wee must thinke that this latter Dragon, which Saint Iohn saw in a vision, might well be the spirituall sinfull sting, which the Diuellish Serpent left behinde him, in our fore-parents memories (but there allegorically or mystically applied to the Antichrist) when wee incurred the curse of God in

that earthly Paradise, which (as I take it) was but the fi∣guratiue touch-stone of old Adams faith.

And the former Serpent in Genesis was a reall Serpent, * 1.4 the subtillest beast of the field, which God had made, a∣bused by the Captaine of subtilty, who not content himselfe to haue transgressed in Heauen against his Crea∣tor, did also according to the corruption of his spirituall nature, deuise to draw mankinde like vnto himselfe, to be partaker of his knowledge in good and euill, that is, of his worldly craft, and of his v••nemous. subtilty, for hee was double subtle, subtle as the subtlest beast of the field, and subtle in his Diuellish nature, which in truth is the same which we call the maladies of the soule, or pertur∣bations of the mind, by our Philosophers named Concu∣piscible and Irascible, whereof the reward or rather re∣uenge was that threatning clause of God: Thou shalt die the death. To this dcuise of the Serpent the woman yeelded body and soule with her Will she longed, the same being depraued by the creeping Tempter, who by this time had likewise wonne her vnderstanding to en∣cline; the attributes of her soule thus seduced, the senses of her body presently consented. For the tree being plea∣sant to the eyes, and the desire of wisedome another mo∣uing obiect, throughly perswaded poore Eue to follow the Serpents counsell. O cursed Serpent, how subtle were thy practises! First, thou chosest the subtlest beast, which God created; then, thou creptst into his heart, spa∣kest through his mouth, and seeing mankind too simple for this world, altogether innocent, holy, deuour, hauing his thoughts intentiue on his Maker, and also seeing him like a childe newly borne, bedazeled with varieties of obiects, and prospects, and admiring at the wonderfull workemanship of God, which seemed the more strange vnto his senses, in regard that he was then vnexperi∣enced, raw, and newly come into the world; thou settest vpon the weaker vessell, knowing that the woman was

as yet more simple then the man, as a creature formed somewhat after the man, and consequently of lesse expe∣rience, and of lesse perfection. But what gainest thou? Thy spirit limited to thy former home of darkning errors, and thy fatal instrument metamorphozed into a sneaking Snake, to creepe vpon the earth, as thou didst creepe into his wit, and into the womans conscience. This is the righ: reward of disobedience, which afterwards Lots wife receiued, though in some different manner. For her bodily forme was changed from a woman into a pillar of salt, like as the Serpent was conuerted from the comli∣est shape among beasts, into the most contemptible crea∣ture which this world affoords; I say, a creature, a mon∣strous creature in generall wordes, for a speciall or speci∣ficqe name can no Logician rightly attribute vnto a Ser∣pent, which is fully growne. It is reported, that in the Indies he flies, in Noua Zembla he fisheth at Sea, and is there many yardes in length. Wherby we must note, that the spirituall Serpent houereth, fisheth, creepeth, compas∣seth the earth to and fro, and suiteth his power manifold∣ly; all to the intent, that he may circumuent mans heed∣lesse Will.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  2. Cor. 14.
• * 1.3

  2
• * 1.4

  3