Errour on the left hand, through a frozen securitie Howsoeuer hot in opposition, when Satan so hears them. Acted by way of dialogue. Betw. 1 Malcontent and Romanista. 2 Mal-content Romanista & Libertinus. 3 Malcontent and Libertinus. 4 Malcontent and Atheos. 5 Malcontent and Atheoi. 6 Malcontent & the good & bad spirit. 7 Malcontent and Mediocrity. By Henoch Clapham.

The fourth Dialogue betweene Malcontent and Atheos.

Malcon.

MAster Atheos, I am glad I haue such a Chamber-fel∣low to night: that bed I take to be the better, and it is that (as mine Host saith) which you had last night. On this other therefore I fix my rest.

Atheos.

And it please you (master Malcon∣tent) you may for all that vse this,

Malcon.

I thanke you sir, but this shall suf∣fice. One thing M^r. Atheos, as wee we are preparing for bed: your dis∣course this supper time, I marked wel, & in my poore iudgment, you spoke more for the soules immortaltty, then I euer heard. It appeareth well, that master Cuffe, is not the onely man of our age, for handling that Argu∣ment,

yet in the heele of our discourse (let me make my selfe no wiser then I am) I could not collect, what (after the bodies death) became of that soule, except it then entred into some other body, Uegetatiue, Sensitiue, or Rationall.

Atheos.

Sir, ouer while you liue, obserue when he that dilateth vpon an argu∣ment, doth insist in his owne person, or in the person of another. The im∣mortality of the soule was mine owne, but the passage of it into some other body, y^e I deliuered in y^e person of another, namely of certaine anciēt Philosophers very iudicious & lear∣ned. And hereto some haue of late the rather inclined, for that these great Polititians which penned the scrip∣tures, do call Iudah a Lion, Isachar an Asse, Dan a Serpent, Herod a For, with the like, as either ha∣uing had the spirits of such beasts within thē, or else, for that their spi∣rits were destinated (vpon y^e bodies death) to enter into such Beasts.

Malcon.

It is somewhat which you say, and

more then I euer heard before. But me thought you inferred further, that the starres haue life.

Atheos.

Uery true; else how should they giue life to inferiour bodies? Plato y^e Philosopher, read him well. The like do to Clemens Alexandrine his Stro∣mata, towards y^• end: & hee a famous diuine amongst the Gréekes within 200 yeares of Christ. Read (not to mentiō, Trismegistos, Iamblicus, Por∣phyry, Proclus) the writings of the great Physicall clerkes, Paracelsus, Quersitanus & others; & you shall find (by plaine demōstration) that euerie Minerall hath his life & spirit: And as y^• Galenists haue granted, that the cor ruptiō of one creature, is the genera∣tion of another: so neither can this be, if so a life & spirit were not conueied from the dying bodie into another. Whereupon else cōmeth it, that not∣withstanding all sortes of daily dy∣ings, there is yet a plentious conser∣uation of euery creature in this kind?

Malcon.

Surely, it must needes bee so. And I now perceiue, that is impossible

for a man that pores much vpon the Scriptures, should euer bee a wise man.

Atheos.

Tut, the writers of the scriptures, were very politick men. The sum∣mer of Trogus Pompeius, notes Moses to haue beene a very pollitick Cap∣taine, and Ioseph a notable Magician, who well knew, that such an itchie people as Israel, would neuer be kept vnder, but by propounding some formes of Religion, whereby they might be imbusied in these religious deuotions, as time should not afford, (ouer and besides that) any leasure to looke into their Captaines purposes. Vnto which religion, they being once fashioned, in hope of a reward, at the hands of one they called GOD, they afterwards, neither durst do other∣wise, as they would auoid certaine torments, in a place they called Hell. What was it that Mahomet else inten∣ded in the deuice of his Alcoran? And hath hee not thereby, purchased to himselfe abundance of Kingdomes, with subiugation of very many Chri∣stians?

And this the rather, by ob∣seruing a want in the others policie, (at least, in the exercise of their poli∣cy) when as he leaues no liberty to his people, for calling so much, as any one point of their religion in questi∣on, but die therefore he must. Wher∣upon followes that differences they haue none; and so are at all times a∣mongst themselues vnited, and fit with one heart and spirit, to fly con∣fidently in the faces of any their ad∣uersaries. Whereas distraction in our policy, weakeneth our affections one toward another; and infirmeth the whole bodie against our forraine Ad∣uersary.

Malcon.

O wonder, what a foole haue I béene all the daies of my life! Some what I learned to day of another; but that farre short vnto this. I haue but two kine to my paile, I would (with all my heart) spend them (yea, and maggot my Sow) that I might but heare you read lecture vpon such points, but one forthnight. Now sir, I would I might intreat you, to vse

some words of praier at our downe lying; and then wee will giue out selues vnto rest, till the morning: for this daies busines, hath awearied both bodie and soule.

Atheos.

I will; then thus: Thou subtile na∣ture, that (as a streame) conuaies thy selfe thorow euerie creature & which mouest diuerslie, according to di∣uers matter, giuing forme and being to the same accordingly, preserue thou vs in our formes this night. And what time the Elements and princi∣ples of our body, shall through their mutuall warres, ouercome some one of his fellowes, do thou so appetite thy like from some other similar crea∣ture, as wee presently may adde that spirituall Mumia vnto thee, whereby thou maist bee abled to recouer thy former standing, to the taming of the rebellious Element or spirit. Nor bee thou carelesse (at the time of these E∣lements downefall) to transplant the immortall spirit, into some Iouiall or Herculean bodie, be it in the Spheres or the Center; that so this WE, may

become a more excellent WE. A∣men.

Malcont.

Marry, Amen, I neuer heard such a prayer in my life. I would beg of you sir, that to morrow morning I might heare you, to cōment vpon this pray∣er: for surely surely, there is much hid mysterie in it.

Atheos.

I will, Natura inspirante. But now to our rest, and Good night.

Malcon.

Many good nights to you sir. O happy day, well spent.