| Title: | Part Of Letter, John Beale To Hartlib? |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 14 August [No Year] |
| Ref: | 31/1/27A-34B |
| Notes: | Beginning appears to be missing. |
[31/1/27A]
2. Aug.14. Cleare light from holy experiences.
After I had enioyd the peace of my mind with many lucid intervalls of the unspeakable ioy & glorious liberty, I met in a very learned man who pretended to noe large portion of sanctity, some powerfull lines, describing the difference of the Apostles preaching from ours; I meane R Iames Bishop of [D?] & fellow of CCC Oxeford, in his history of preaching upon, 1 Cor.9. 16 dedicated to Sir R Cotton. In that discourse I found howe to reconcile the force of Gods spirite with the alacrity of humane obedience. I wonderd That such a man should describe it soe feelingly, when I had soe many yeares groped in the darke, still waving from side to side upon presumptuous ratiocination. Hee shewes howe the decrees & prophesyes unfullfilld by wonderfull & unexpected attempts & successes, <in the affayres of warre & overturning of kingdomes> as if the fates had driven them like a rolling ball downe the hill of unavoydable necessity. I took up the conclusion, That, if the sword hath disposed of the Kingdomes & powers of the world in a miraculous way, as by a constraint of necessity, why not as much miracle & over-ruling force in the managery of the sword of the spirite! As after a greate rowling clap of thunder the fishes of the sea
[31/1/27B]
do as it were feele the whole element of the waters too narrow for their habitation, bolt up & unshole themselves & [scud?] far & wide in the exstacy, soe the Apostles in that first greate Pentecoste, after their commission of preaching perfected by the miracle of cloven tongues & a sound from heaven as of a rushing & mighty wind, They stand not to advise with flesh & bloud, proiecting a methode or [gests?] of progresse, but they are taken hither & thither, diversly lead by the necessity of Gods spirit, by the spirit they are sent, by the spirit they are separated for the worke unto which they were called, & the spirit called them from one Countrey to another to testify unto all Princes & principalityes salvation through Ies.Christ. They did not this of choice For necessity is layd upon mee sayth the Apostle. Thus hee. And thus I learnt the word of God by hearte : & found the demonstration of the spirite by experiences. My studies were suddenly strangely altered; And I knewe Howe to bee sure, It was the voice of God & not of man. I sawe many former deliverances were from God, & not from mine owne spirite or mine owne conduct : & I was taught to captivate my reasone to the overtures of Gods spirite, nay therein I found my best freedome. I found my selfe in a safe harbour, where I could not caste away my selfe, by denying my selfe & despiseing vaine glory; My prayers were no lesse than Iacobs ladder, on which I could behold Angells ascending & descending : & I never beheld a richer enter-
[31/1/28A]
tainement of mine owne spirite in this earthly tabernacle, than by observing heedefully the returne of prayers. This is the totall; if wee neyther receive, nor refuse because Rome or other Consistory hath voted it, but in purity & poverty of spirite attend unto the lawe of righteousnes which is by Gods spirit written in the hearts of the newe Creature; The Mercifull Lord will not withdrawe a conducting, confirming & comfortable light from any one That castes himselfe into his armes in the name of our blessed Iesus.
Hereafter I intend to shewe, why I dare not iudge them that are without. yea I have seene & must atteste the greate workes they doe, by a generall fayth, in the name of the most High. But for them that have found the sweete & saving name of our Lord Iesus, & have thence learnt to worship God in spirite & in truth, what good thing, or what expedient councell will God withhold from them?
Nowe I blesse our good Lord That mens eyes are in many places lately opened to see the necessity of laying the foundation in fayth & charity, That the outward elements of water, & meate & drinke are not the kingdome of heaven; That in questions of discipline, wee must easily humble our selves to order & decency[altered from decently], & yet allso therein beare
[31/1/28B]
one anothers burthen, & take off the fiercenes of our spirites from such questions, eyther of formalityes or speculations. For which wee walke within the circle of charity, wee are in a safe bottome. when wee growe busy & heated about curiosityes, wee render up our selves into a snare of Satanicall Temptations. you will pardon this digression. And you may tell the Honourable Lady That shee weares in her breast an inestimable Iewell which many will endevour to get from her by fraud or violence, even Princes, & powers &c <Eph:6. 12> This Iewell cannot bee long possest without a very watchfull eye, & heavenly assistances. I will make bold to prescribe a safeguard. Shee must often humble herselfe to visite the sicke to comfort & helpe the distressed; to pleade the cause of the righteous, & innocent. Some branches of Wisedome Shee may receive from the learned Doctors & from bookes; & some branches shee must accept from the experiences of saints[altered], yea of Gods little ones, even babes, & sucklings. More I shall with freedome offer in Gods day of seasone, Hopeing that thiese plaine & elementary words shall not bee despised. One of the reasons, why I did not send you Mr Iesses Sarah Wight, was because I thinke I find the Honourable Ladyes name in the 9th page, Whence I guesse the Argument to bee no novelty amongst you. If shee retaines in good ground this graine of mustard seene, it will soone growe to bee a tree of wonder, or a tree of life, or both.
[31/1/29A]
3. Aug.14. cleare light from holy experiences &
condescensions.
By your sending Causabone I shall bee eased of many lines. [For MS edge] shee that hath soe much Light, will soone <infer>, That if all those raptures, & inspirations & wonders may which that learned man mentions, & acknowledgeth, may bee from nature, & in the weakenes of fevers & phrensyes, & among people that knowe not God in Christ; then much more wonders shall they doe, that wayte & watch diligently upon the visits of Gods holy spirite.
Among the many things that I should adde, I must at Gods leysure & in his strength inquire punctually & particularly the pertinency & propriety of Christs Miracles [deletion] in relation to his blessed Gospell. In which are three maine considerations, & distinctions.
First, the propriety of such as were communicated in the dayes of his being in the flesh, when hee had more things to say, than his disciples were able to beare; whilst they were as babes, & had thoughts & hopes of a Temporall Kingdome.
Secondly, Such as were powred out in the accomplishment of the <word deleted> promise of the spirite, & enabled not only to convince the Twelve Tribes, but allso to call all nations, to reduce all the powers of the world to the interest of obedience.
Thirdly, such as are allwayes necessary or expedient to preserve, encourage & comfort Gods people in all ages.
Thiese we must discriminate from the Signes & Prodigyes, & powers, which hee affoordeth to the
[31/1/29B]
nations & people that are not expressely wthin the bowells of his spirituall kingdome. Upon which points allso I doe owe larger discourses, both for the interpretation of Prodigyes, & dreames (since they are not despised,) And the Manner Howe, & in what cases Soe to ask Councell of God, as to attend & to discerne the particular returnes of Gods answeres.
And I doe allready discerne, That if I spare much of my intended labour, & doe but give the hints, & pointe out the holy texts, which gave mee the first light, in exchange of my defective Comunications, I shall receive most weighty informations, & those of the most precious nature. Neyther should it bee offensive, That I seeme to bee a teacher of thiese mysteryes, since it is apparent, That I assume noe auctority, nor doe require credite further than the evidence is rationally, morally, or divinely convincing. And it may bee noted, That I do rather point out to others to search their owne spirits, & to examine <& to stirre up> the guifts of God in them, or towards them, or in others; then pretend to any eminency of guifts <in my selfe> & yet, wherein should I bee exalted, if I did acknowledge, That I have received much & owe a greate debt?
And, as the Generall guifts were distributed to severall persons, not all to one, Soe the guift of Prophesy, & foresight of things to come which is in
[31/1/30A]
present our greatest quæstion, was more frequently the newe Testament bestowed upon weake, & simple persons, the weaker sexe, aged or girles, or others that were not of the number of Apostles, or Doctors or Deacons, or in other accompt of Eminency. As the aged widow Anna Luc 2. 38, And Simeon, in an age in which the spirite of prophecy seemed allmost exstinct, & driven from the public Seate to corners. And the foure daughters of Phillip Act 21. 9. And Pilates wiefe had the admonitory dreame, When the whole Iury of the Apostles began to stagger. [deletion] Paul was an Apostle of the highest prerogative, the Doctor of the Gentiles, admitted to the highest revelations & Visions, yet another prophete, namely Agabus, was sent to foretell, & prefigure his Sufferings, which may stop the mouthes of those scorners who [deletion] deride the prophets, when under afflictions, or uncertaine of their death, or calamityes at hand Act 21. 10,11. And the same Agabus was entrusted to foretell the generall famine in the dayes of Claudius Caesar, which was a prophesy of most materiall concernment Act.11. 28. And the Antiochian prophets & Teachers declare the comands of the Holy Ghost concerning the the Minis-
[31/1/30B]
tery of Paul & Barnabas. Act.13. 2. Thiese are sufficient arguments to humble us poore creatures of narrowe capacityes to lay out for the guifts of God in others, where ever wee can find them. Wee may weigh what greate avayle unto the Church is was, That they were foretold of the greate & generall famine; More than the prediction by Ioseph in Egypt; & yet it was not foretold by any of the Apostles, but by Agabus, a man for other guifts scarsely named. And it seemes by the holy text Act 11. 27. That when there was a resorte of prophets more especially in some places, in that seasone. For in those dayes came prophets from Ierusalem to Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus & signified by the spirite.
Soe it was not Phillip the Evangeliste but it was his foure daughters that were all of them prophets.
Hence againe wee see the necessity of condescension to weake creatures, if wee will partake of Gods Councells: And the greate advantages that would bee to the church & to the publique, if holy Intelligence were duely comunicated, & Colleges, which is the same as Churches, soe erected, & constituted, as might conveniently stir up, multiply, & [enceinter?] all the severall guifts of the spirite, as wee find 1 Sam.19. 20. & 10 verses 5,6. & 2 King.2. 15. 16 &c 4. 38,47. There 100 men a fayre colledge. [left margin:] And hence you may guesse, why a simple man did once desire an mediate addresse to the chiefe, in a day [word illeg., MS torn], but said Hee would not speake, except Hee sawe ground, That Hee should bee receivd in Gods name. [word/s missing, MS torn] that day is paste.
[31/1/31A]
4. Aug.14. Particulars. drink recoverd, Paracel: dialls.
Lathams secret.
Nowe to your particulars. Two or 3 handfull of Sage hackt as small as potherbes, & then beaten in a batter of egs, wheaten flowre, & yeste or barme if it bee at hand, & soe put into a barrell of Ale, will recover the drinke that begins to turne, it will in 48 houres clarify the drinke, & diffuse a relish of the herbes more speedily & more agreeably, than if they were hung in the barrell. # <left margin: # If the herbes bee not well washed & freed from small seedes & light stuffe, they will floate about the drinke, & come foorth in the drawing.> This I trye frequently.
Whatever secrets of chymistry you are pleasd to bestowe upon mee, I will faythfully obey your lawe, Tanquam sub sacro sigillo. Your Elixir & white water have taught mee The wonders of the Furnace. I have noe cleere thoughts of Paracelsus his Morality, Nor dare offer to iudge whether hee renderd himselfe up to wicked arts. but according to my apprehension in philosophy, [left margin, brackets to end of page and: Weigh this. Tis a holy truth] Hee might well call his powerfull extracts by the names of Spirits. For where the subiect is prepard, The spirites will repayre, & their incubation wilbe more residentiall, where they best like the subiect; & noe subiect seemes to mee soe spirituall, as thiese extracts. & as hee That gave us the Geography of the moone might iustely have given us what newe names hee pleasd for his newe discoveryes, Soe Paracelsus haveing made soe many newe discoveryes of Spirits,
[31/1/31B]
& Essences, & extracts, might impose what strange names hee pleasd, as Derses, durdales, Enur, Flagæ, gabalum, gnomes, hilech, [Ileaster?], leffa, Melosins, Sylphs &c Briefely I conceive it the greatest production of this laste age.
The Tubs which you mention will surprise mee under the debt of many promises unperformed. But I hope you will witnes, That I am not idle
By your extracts which are in my hands, I find That what I assumd to my selfe, is found out by others, & I wonder they are not brought into common use. God knowes That I wrote in simplicity of my hearte, not imagining that it was knowne to others; for I found it by mine owne inquisitivenes, & not by bookes. And I hope I have the more of Gods blessings, because I do indevour to frame my hearte rather to obliege posterity, than to acquire glory. As far as I can discover my selfe. I honour the happy inventions of others & am indifferent, whether my selfe, or another bee the author, soe the busines bee happily advanced, Soe that honestly I can say That by triall I found, what I wrote but in your extract I first read thus, Hyperbolicum convexum atque concavum præstantissimum, licet brevissimum tubum efficiunt. Soe in many other things
[31/1/32A]
wherein I thought I might have sayd as the Prophete did, And I & only I am left &c by you I am taught to knowe, I have many abettors, as particularly in thiese mysterious discourses. Nowe I see That the same apprehensions are experimentally awakened in Germany, Belgia, Ireland &c
By thiese our poore scantlings you may guesse, what incredible improvements might bee made amongst Gods people, if [letter deleted] fit allowances & encouragements were & freedome were appointed for a well regulated comunication of literary & mysterious intelligence, as in the dayes of Daniel, when hee was made Chancellor & impowerd to constitute Provosts over all colledges. Where from all parts the diversityes of guifts were to bee Tenderd to one chiefe, as to the Center.
[left margin: X] I owe an additionall helpe to dialls, but my mechanist is yet more then halfe a Romanist, somewhat slowe, & not wholly at my command. And I feare my pretence will fall out, as in other things, rather a presumption, than an addition. Wee frame dialls to the North pole, & to any considerable star, & I delight in the late invention,
[31/1/32B]
(which I heare is nowe growne common <tis made by Mr Symonds in the Strand>) of Makeing a diall by the houre declare the day of the moneth & other appendent postures of the heavens. This is very usefull. but I have not yet seene the rule, eyther in English, or other languages.
Our discourse is nowe of a diall or horologe fitted to discover the houre to each of the five senses. That of the Touch was for blind men, The houre beeing still found by a heate made by reflexions, as through a burning glasse &c
I have nowe a Secrete for you, but tis, as if I should present you with a Covey of partridges by telling you where they are, & soe leave you to find the out, and catch them. That it is one Richard Latham lately dwelt hereabout at Ragland & elsewhere in Monmouthshire, & with Mr Bodenham at Rotherwas. Nowe hee dwells upon lands of his owne worth 40lb yearely at Bishop greene <or Bishum greene> within three miles of Latham, the famous seate of the Erles of Darby. This clownish man, a Romaniste, has many rare arts. One is to set the bud <or blowe> of a Walnut, soe as shall infallibly growe in 4 monethes, or 5, to a yards height, fully as much as [A? altered] wallnut usually growes in three yeares. Hee calld for [left margin:] milke & some spices in which hee prepard the blowe. His Art Hee would not discover to any of his Masters or friends. Noe reward nor power can extort it from him. It can only bee enticed by change of Secrecyes. This for Mr Brereton
[31/1/33A]
5. Aug.14. dialls. Mercat Trigon. Math: pen. Winifreds well.
[left margin: x-]
your friend whose letter you transcribed as I guesse from Ireland Iun 20. did not surely know of the diall, which by the horall indication does shewe the day of the moneth, & other appendent revolutions. Otherwise Hee would not have written thiese words. That as to what concerns necessary use, the ordinary dialls will serve as well as the best that can bee devised. &c
Allso our polar diall which I carry in my pocket made in a very small quadrant[altered] will indicate the houre, when the moone is hid; if the charles wayne or any part of it bee visible, the indication will bee certaine; And the same wee can devise for many other considerable stars. This I accompt the better, because wee can make a needle indicate the place & elevation of the pole in any distresse; but ordinarily our aspect towards the polestar is from a hole in the middle of the quadrant with a radius circularly moveable, & to bee directed to the first or 2d star of charles wayne, the horall characters beeing allso in a brazen circle, moveable, to attend the monethly motion. My dull Mechanist hath allso made the universall diall upon a quadrant very familiar amongst us. This allso is much better than an ordinary diall, & begets in our neighbourhood, an esteeme, a love & some elements of the Mathematiques; And you know there needes no driving of them, That have but begun to taste the sweetes
[31/1/33B]
of practicall Mathematiques, which <a> Cato would learne in his old age, & is better worth our studyes, than the Academicall Hæccietyes.
Reviewing the forementioned letter I find allso thiese words, Dr Petty sayes That your friend having as hee supposes more leysure, than himselfe, if hee thinke good to set downe what perfections hee hath attained unto, Hee shall let you knowe, wherein his owne inventions eyther comes short or exceeds your friends. I have a devise of mine owne [deletion] for the greate ease & no lesse exactnes, of the Mechanicall part of ordinary plaine dialls &c thus hee I can well answere, That I have as little leysure as any other man, though my industry brings no greate secular reward. And I can least of all pretend to perfections in this art. Yet for triall you may propose a diall indicator of the houre to each distinct sense. Concealing what I told you of a heate made by reflection of rayes &c And if you write into Ireland you may propose a Query of the rule, Howe from the houre, The day of the moneth should appeare, & what other celestiall motions will thence bee discovered. [left margin: x]
Hee addeth, That Dr Petty hath some pretty things in Musique, about the triall of sounds by a Monochord instrument, & some other matters, which hee confesseth hee doth not understand. By this time I hope it is brought to maturity, & deserves your inspection.
[31/1/34A]
I put you in mind of some very considerable promises of acute Mercator made to you in his letter of Ian 17/27. 1657. Cyclos meos evulgare gestio - Mathematicum meum [Greek: autarke] triplici [invento?] - - 1 Trigonometriæ Sphæricæ regulas quo prompte memoria teneamus - - Inveni quomodo facillimè teneri et exerceri queant - sine libris - 2 Opticam practicam inveni ubi statim ubique sine libris &c 3 Novam rationem archit: militaris quæ et ipsa in omni figuræ sine lib: &c but I feare I tempt you unseasonably.
I thought to offer some debatements to learned Causabone Concerning idolatry & witches, but my 2d thoughts do suggest, That it might retard his workes which I desire should bee well speeded; & I hold it best to see his engagement, before I offer folly.
The Mathematicall brazen pen, which retaines inke for many dayes, beeing superscribed with a table of multiplication, or other helpes in Arithmetic, is nowe a stale invention but very pretty. They are comonly made too big, & thereby too heavy for a gentile hand.
The ring diall hath long beene very cheape, but seldome true. Pitty it should bee layd aside, & not rather perfected. Above 20 yeares agoe I was with Elias Allen over against Clements Church, whilst hee made the Ring diall universal for all Climats. This I doe not yet see comon. Tis fitter for a bandstring than pledges of effeminacy. If I had the skill in these elegant
[31/1/34B]
arts which others have, I should encourage honest artificers & furnish[altered] the people with some accomodations; but I have more good will, than good skill; beeing too long in the flower of my life besotted upon Scotists & Occamists, Bradwardine, &c
you seeme to aske whether you may comunicate the extract of Causabon & advertisements to Mr [Comine?]; I refer all my notes wholly to your iudgement, adviseing a constant warines, That you doe not overcharge anothers fayth, especially in discourses that are not perfected, as that of exorcismes &c
To promote my laste discourse of holy instinct & sanative wells, I wish you could engage the honorable Mr Brereton to make a diligent & circumspect inquiry, what is true & what falsely reputed Concerning Winifreds Well in Winifred parish in Flintshire within 8 miles of West Chester. For it is noe pointe of Popery, to knowe & use the Helpes, which God by his Angells, or other creatures afoordeth. Wee give the devill too much advantage if wee refuse Gods blessings, because they are misreported by false legends. Wee knowe & lament to see, Howe soone pious frauds crept into the church, even to the discredite of true Miracles, which were Magnalia Dei. And wee <are> all apt, eyther to overspeake, or to derogate from Gods Workes, whereas on eyther hand wee offer to God the uncleane sacrifice of a lye, as Lord Bacon sayd./ Dearest Sir, I pray for you & all yours in the humblenes & fervour of my spirite. Your poore servant in the Lord . I.B.