The infancie of the soule; or, The soule of an infant A subiect neuer yet treated of by any. Which sheweth the infusion there of whiles that the infant resteth in the wombe: the time when, with the manner how. Gathered from the boosome of trueth; begunne in loue, and finished in the desire to posit others. The contnets are in the next page following. William Hill.

TO THE ENVIOVS OR CVRTE∣OVS READER SVCH HEALTH as they desire vnto others.

PERSIVS the Pagan wrote, Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire 〈…〉〈…〉. Au∣gustine the Christian wrote, Qu•• se negat scire, quod sit ingratus est. And least I should incurre this last ••anger by bee∣ing silent, hauing had the knowledge of a new errour; the which might like a Farcie infect the whole body: I haue for the instruction of the simple, and destruction of the simple arrogant, put foorth this Treatise; following rather the counsaile of wise Sirach, who willeth vs not to keepe backe Counsaile when it may doe good: which being neglected, might happely cause the Author to publish into the eares of his brainsicke hearers, more follies: whose flatteries consenting thereunto, might worke in his head an excellent maisterie to the confusion of Concord, and the ouer∣throw of Veritie; which it may be, his minde aymes at, though his meane parts cannot purchase it. It is a world to see the secret practises and subtile inuentions that the Ignoraunt fol∣low to atchiue applause vnto their prating. As first, to please the appetite of the hearer not respecting the cause. Secondly, to inuent new errours, rather then to admit of the simple truth. Thirdly, to runne ouer a thing negligently, eschewing what∣soeuer is Philosophicall. Their Custome inuerteth all things: their Errour destroveth all thinges: and Negligence curseth such m••n. If the Discipline of Philosophers were vsed amongst

vs, hee should be crowned for a Foole, expulsed from the Colledge of iudiciall mindes, and suffer those corrections as best befit his inuented follies. But to preuent such their fur∣ther idle and witlesse inuentions, though not with so great ap∣plause as Samson vnto the Israelites, for burning the 'Philistines Corne: yet with as great zeale in defence of Gods trueth and his Church, haue I blowne this Fierbrand, to burne and con∣sume the Darnell and Cockle which the Enuious man hath sowne, whiles the ouer-weeried Labourer tooke his rest. The trueth of the cause shall defend mee from the different censures of the enuious; and my louing affections vnto my natiue house, procure in the mindes of the good, such lyking, as that beginning to read, they will deferre their iudgement vu∣till they come to the end: And then, either subscribe vnto the trueth, or else confute that with better reason, which I haue with great probabilitie and consent of Iudgements, concluded. So I leaue this Treatise to the Readers, and them to the di∣rection and protection of the God of trueth.

William Hill.