A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D.

  • John Spencer
Date:
1663
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/150
    Ef ift. adverfary to this inftance of fuperftition, the obfervation of porten¬ tous accidents. We find in the Catalogue of books prohibited by 'Urban, viii. this interdicted among the reil. Author Chronici prodigio- rum & ojUntorumab exordio Mundi ufquead An, 1557. And Gregory the Great (reprefented to pofferity as one raoft lludious of the propa¬ gation of the Ch'ril’tian Religion) was a&ed by fo great a zeal againllit, that we are told he took care for the extirpation of that (otherwife) excellent Hiilorian [Livy] out of all Libraries, ob tam frcquentem& accurdtam portentorum cnumerationem, for his fo frequent and critical enumeration of all the Portenta which Teem’d to attend any great Action. Though 1 think too hafty and fevere a judgement pall upon that Hiilorian, whom wefhalleafily perceive, not more leaven ’d (in mind) with that kind of fuperfiition, then Herodotus or Tachm, and others which Hood in no better light then he did. How¬ ever much may be pardon’d to a great zeal to a good undertaking. The mind of man was made for Truth and Goodnefs,and therefore ihould notin any matter (if the remedy fell within our compafs) be put off with the bare form and idol of either *, But where an errour hath once ceas’d it, which is (what fome fay of a comet) both malum & caufamali^ an evil and a pregnant caufe of evils, no need then ofthe voice of thunder to awaken charity to endeavour (as it can) itsremedy and removal. Thirdly, This Difcourfe may be profitable to ferve the jnfi intereftof State, and that; 1. As it tends to fecurethe honour of Afts of State and the refults of pub- licit counfel. How mean a value and regard fhallthe ififues ofthe fe- verell debates, and the commands of Authority, find, if every piti- full Prodigy-monger have credit enough with the People toblaft them, by telling them that heaven frowns upon them, and that God Writes his difpleafure againll them, in black and vifiblecha- re&ers, when fome fad Accident befalls the complyers with them ? 2. As u tends to ma^e men more manageable to the commands of Autho¬ rity, which eafy men may quickly be frighted from by fuch images of llraw, as the relations of monfiers and ilrange fights are. Ofwhac illconfequence the Pomanes at laft found the obfervation of fignes an Womens to be (in war especially) appears from what Tully hath left recorded viz. that how foe ver they were in his time ab Urban-k retentaj retain’d in fome repute. With the Citizens, (for good rea- fons of Hate) yet they were i bellick fublata, quite banifht the camp, becaufe they found that the ignorant multitude (like bealls) would not drive well, if any fuch bug-bears were fuffered to lie before them. Now where weak men (like the horfe of Alexander) are ready to Hart and fly off from their Rulers and Guides, becaufe frighted with (hadows, ’tis but a charity to them and the publick to turn them to the Sun, to lead them to the light bya faithfull in¬ formation of their judgements. 3. As it minijiers to the-quiet and tranquillity of the State. That man that hath already incircled his own head with a Glory and is ilrongly perfwaded that Gods honour and the Gofpel Hand or fall with his / private