Arcana microcosmi, or, The hid secrets of man's body discovered in an anatomical duel between Aristotle and Galen concerning the parts thereof : as also, by a discovery of the strange and marveilous diseases, symptomes & accidents of man's body : with a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book, De generatione, Comenius, and others : whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book De Generatione / by A.R.

CHAP. XVI.

1. Epicurus, a wicked and wanton man, impious in his opinions. Seneca's judgement of him. 2. Twelve of his impious and ab∣surd opinions rehearsed.

THe Doctor is very prodigall of his pitie, when he cries out, Who can but pitie the vertuous Epicurus, who is commonly conceived to place his chiefe felicity in pleasure and sensual delights, &c. But these pleasures were of the mind, not of the body. Gassendus indeed hath taken much needlesse pains to vindicate Epicurus from his errors and impiety; but in this he washeth a Brick, or Blackmore: his chiefe supporter is Diogenes Laertius, an obscure Authour in former times: for no ancient Writer speaks of him; and he cites more Philosophers then (it's thought) he ever read. This Laertius lived 450. years after Epicurus, that is, in the time of Antonius pius, about 150. years after Christ; where∣as Epicurus lived almost 300. years before our Saviour. Now how he should come to know more of Epicurus then those Phi∣losophers who were contemporary with him, even his own dis∣ciples, who writ the life and doctrine of that wanton garden Philosopher; is a thing to be questioned, and to indifferent men improbable: For whatsoever Gassendus out of this Laertius, writes of his commendations, yet we find in the writings of ancient Philosophers among the Gentiles, and primitive Doc∣tors among the Christians, that he was a man lewd in his con∣versation, and monstrous in his opinions; so that ever since he opened his Schoole till this day, a wanton Atheist is called an Epicure. Sine vano publica fama. Sure there could not be so much smoke without some fire; and to say that his contempo∣rary Philosophers, chiefly the Stoicks, should out of malice write untruths of him, is very improbable: For to what end should they doe so? And why more against him then any other? Besides, if he was innocent, why did he not vindicate his own reputation by writing? Why did not his Scholars stand up in

his defence, how came it that in almost five hundred years he was branded by the tongues and pens of all men, and no man all that while stood up to cleare his reputation, till Diogines Laertius produced three of his Epistles, which wise men may think to be fictitious; and the rather because they contradict what his own Scholars, and ancient Philosophers have recor∣ded of him. For Timecrates his beloved Disciple, and one whom he made one of the Executors of his last will, writes, that with excesse of eating and drinking he used to vomit twice a day. And Laertius himself is forced to confesse, that he killed himselfe in the Bath with drinking too much sweet wine, and so he shewed himselfe to be Epicurus indeed. He was so decre∣pid the later part of his life, that for many yeares together he could not rise out of his chaire, he had so enervated his body with pleasures, wherein he placed his felicity. Is this the Do∣ctors vertuous Epicurus, who spent every day a Mina, vvhich was an hundred Drachma's, that is, 3. l. 2. s. 6. d. every Drachma being 7. d. ob. I confesse onely Seneca among the Stoicks speaks favourably of Epicurus his opinion concerning pleasure, as if he meant of mentall delights (lib. 1. de vit. beat.) yet withall checks him, shewing that his commending of pleasure was per∣nitious, because voluptuous men upon this took occasion to hide their luxury in the bosome of Philosophy, and to cover their wantonnesse with the patrociny and mantle of pleasure: Therefore elsewhere he calls him, The Master of pleasure, and one who too much yeelded to the delights of the body. Seneca therefore by speaking favourably of Epicurus, would keep off voluptuous men from making him their patron of sensual plea∣sures; and was loath that the sacred name of Philosophy should be bespattered by such an impious professor: His inten∣tion in this was good, but yet truth should take place. Neither doth the honour of a holy profession depend upon the quality of the professor; though wicked Iudas vvas an execrable Apo∣stle, yet the Apostolicall function is sacred. But perhaps it may be objected, That Epicurus did oftentimes use to fast, and content himself with bread and water. I answer, That there is a pleasure sometimes in fasting, as well as in feasting: the na∣ture of man delights in change; if it were not for abstinence sometimes, we should not know the delight of fulnesse; dark∣nesse commends the pleasure of light, and Winter adds to the delights of Summer. There is a vvearisomnesse in continu∣all feasting, which takes away pleasure. therefore Epicurus to maintain an alternate vicissitude of delights, would inter∣changeably

fast and feast. But his abstinence was to increase the pleasure of his intemperance; and his intemperance was to add delight to his abstinence. Beside that, he was necessitated som∣times to fast for his healths sake, and enjoyment of a long life, vvhich could not consist in continuall surfeiting. Seneca (in E∣pistol.) also reproves Epicurus for his inconstancy in saying, That vertue is never without pleasure; and yet affirms that it is not the vertue but the pleasure that makes a man happy. A foolish distinction saith he: For if Vertue be never vvithout that vvhich makes a man blessed, then vertue it selfe is suffici∣ent to beatitude, and that perfectly; for otherwise an imperfect felicity is infelicity. Again, in his Book of Benefits he tells Epicurus, That vertue is to be desired for its selfe, not for its pleasure, vvhich he proves out of his own Doctrine of God: though he hath disarmed him of all power, excluded him from all commerce and care of Man, yet he worships him for his greatnesse and goodnesse, though he have no benefit by him, nor is afraid of any hurt from him. Again, he commends many of Epicurus his sayings, not because they were his, but because they were common Principles and Tenents used by him, Non quia Epicuri voces, sed quia publicae. Another reason he gives, because some sayings are rare and unexpected out of his mouth, whose doctrine and practice was so lascivious: and therefore he commends his sayings more then his actions: he says he was fortis, sed manuleatus, a brave man, but vvithal debau∣ched and effeminate; brave in his sayings, but debauched in practice. Ignava opera Philosopha sententia. As there be too ma∣ny like him, Stoicks in opinion, and Epicureall in conversati∣on; by nature saith the Comick, we are all prone to pleasure & lasciviousness, d labore proclives ad libidinem. Arcesilaus being asked why so many of other Sects revolted to Epicurus, but none fell from him to them, answered, That Cocks can be easily made Capons, but Capons could never become Cocks again. It is easie to become and turn a Priest of Cybele, but not so easie to return. Facilis discensus Averni, sed revocare gradum, superasque evadere ad auras, hoc opus hic labor. Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, but the gate to salvation is narrow, and sew en∣ter thereat. Seneca also checks that Master of the Revels for saying, In contented poverty there is much honesty: For how can he be poore that is content? It is content that maketh rich, discontent poore. He plainly bids defiance to Epicurus his opinion of pleasure, in his fourth book of Benefits, calling his Sect effeminate, umbratick, trencher Philosophers, making ver∣tue

the hand-maid to pleasures, which ought to be the Mi∣stresse, enslaving her to her Vassals, which she ought to lead, to command, to keep under; he calls it a manifest blindnesse in them to set the Cart before the Horse, to prefer pleasure before Vertue, to set that first which should be last: And not onely is he angry for advancing pleasure, but for joyning it with Ver∣tue at all, which scorns pleasures, and accounts them her ene∣mies, desiring rather the acquaintance and familiarity of pains and labour, then of such an effeminate happinesse as pleasure. Now that these pleasures of Epicurus are not mental, but cor∣poral, the same Seneca (whom the Doctor cities for his defence) makes it appeare in the 13. Chapter of the same book; Your pleasure, O Epicurus, saith he, is to accustome your tender bo∣dies to dull idlenesse, to a sleepy security, in the heat to delight your selves in cold shades, to solace your drooping souls with wanton thoughts, and to cram your lasie karkasses with good meats & drinkes in your shady gardens. Any man therefore may see that Epicurus his God was his belly, and gormandising his chiefe happinesse. Wherefore Athanaeus, lib. 7. shewes, that he flattered Idomeneus and Metrodorus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for his bellies sake. The same Seneca also rejects Epicurus his impious opinion of God, whom he makes as idle as himselfe, sitting in another world secure and careless of humane affaires, acting nothing at all, which is Epicurus his chiefe happinesse, and tak∣ing no notice of our injuries and benefits. If this were so (saith he) the world had been made to solicite such deafe and im∣potent Deities with vowes, supplications, and lifting up of hands: Thou O Epicurus (saith he) hast disarmed God, and taken from him all his darts and power, so that he is not to be feared of any; thou hast secluded him from this world by a wal or rampire, so that he can neither see nor feel what is acted here. Hence then it is plain, that Seneca was no supporter of Epicurus, though he commends some of his moral sentences, not because they were his, but because they were common; and what greater commendation is it for him to speak some good sentences, then for the Devil to utter Scripture phrases. Lastly, Seneca's commendations, (if any such be) of Epicurus, are of no great moment, seeing with him he doubts of the souls immor∣tality; when he saith, Illa quae nobis inferos faciunt terribiles fabula est, &c. Cons. ad Marcian.

II. But that we may have a more full view of this swinish Philosopher, whom the Doctor commends for his vertue, long life, and many books, we wil poynt at some of his absurd and

impious tenents, that Gassendus, and other phantastical heads of this wanton age, may see what a goodly School of Philosophy they would open here in Christendome. 1. He rejects Logick, calling it, as Laertius tells us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, superfluous, or prepos∣terous, whereas it is the most usefull of all human Arts or Scien∣ces; for without Logick we can neither define, nor divide, nor distinguish, we can neither tel the essential nor accidental dif∣ferences, nor identities of things; we can neither discourse or reason, speak or write methodically, we can inferre no conclu∣sion from any premises, nor find out probable and demonstra∣tive arguments for proof of any thing, nor detect the fallacies and captions that are in mens discourses. But it is no wonder he denys the Art of Reasoning, who knew not what ••eason was; for he confounds it with the senses, as if it had its essence and being in and from them. And in his Epistle to Phythocles, he would not have his happy men to meddle with any know∣ledge or discipline at all. 2. He makes a difference between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Universe and the World; affirming that there is but one Universe, but innumerable Worlds subject to conti∣nual generation and corruption; a position repugnant to Divi∣nity, Philosophy, sense and reason. 3. He makes a certain space between his worlds, which he cals 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Tully translates it intermundium, there he places his idle and carelesse Gods sleeping securely, as not being troubled with noyse, tumblings and clamours of this tumultuous world. 4. He saith that the Sun, Moon and Starres were made a part by themselves, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and afterward were palces in this. 5. He will have the just magnitude of the Sun and Starres to depend upon our sen∣ses, and to be no bigger then they seem to our eye; so that the bignesse of the Sun cannot exceed a foot. 6. He tels us that the Sun every night perisheth, and every day is generated. 7. He acknowledgeth no other happinesse then what consists in the pleasure of tasting, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling, or venery, as may be seen in Laertius. 8. He makes all things to have their existence not by providence, but by hap-hazard of Atoms, and not the bodies of things onely, but the reasonable souls of men also, which he makes subject to uncertainty. 9. He makes all the Gods 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with humane shapes. 10. He reach∣eth, as Plutarch tels us, that there is no qualities in things, but what the senses apprehend; so that the same wine may be both sweet and source, according to the palat that tasts it; and hot water is not hot but coole, if a man conceit it to be so. 11. He makes his doctrine fit for all mens humours; he commends

wealth to the covetous, discommends it to the prodigall and riotous; he praiseth gormondising to the Glutton, dispraiseth it to the abstenious: he tells the continent venery is hurtful, but to the wanton that it is delightful and pleasant. 12. He she∣weth himself to be a prophane Atheist in despising Religion, making it a tyrant to keep men in aw, a pernitious device and a scar-crow to terrifie and enslave the vvorld. And now lest any might think that Epicurus is wronged, and that these dam∣nable opinions are fathered upon him causlesly, I will not al∣ledge Cicero, Plutarch, Lactantius, and others that have pro∣fessedly written against him, but his prime Scholar Lucretius, who highly commends him, as being the first that freed the World from the bondage and slavery of Religion: His words are these:

Humana ante oculos faede quum vita jaceret In terris oppressa gravi sub relligione, Quae caput •• coeli regionibus ostendeba•• Horribili super adspectu mortalibus instans: Primum Graius homo mortales tendere contra, Est oculos ausus, primus{que} obsistere contra: Quem ne{que} fama Deûm, nec fulmina nec minitanti Murmure compressit coelum, &c.

And so he goes on, glorying in the conquest and victory that Epicurus had got over religion, Quare relligio pedibus subjecta vi∣cissim obteritur, nos exaequat victoria coelo. His other wicked and absurd opinions, you may see mentioned and commen∣ded by the same Poet through all his Poem; so that the Do∣ctor hath no reason to complain that Epicurus is wronged, and much lesse cause hath he to commend and pity so prophane and absurd a Writer, & to call him vertuous who was the greatest enemy that ever vertue had. Neither are his many Writings, or long life, arguments sufficient to prove him an honest man. I shall not need spend time and paper in refuting the senslesse and wicked Dictates of Epicurus, being fully refuted already by divers eminent Writers, both Christians and Gentiles.