The Worthy Churchman, Section 6
SECTION VI. The Diamond.
THis is one of those foure which is not found in the Apocalypse, but by another name: but of all others it is the stone of price: for as of all metals gold is most precious, because it is most ductile and soft, so of all stones the Diamond, because it is most hard, for else in colour and beauty it is inferiour to the Carbuncle, Opale, Saphire, and Emeraud. Cardan saith there was one at Antwerp valued at 150000 Crowns of Gold: therefore Kings under whose Dominions they are, make such strict Lawes, as if one exceed two drachms, it is the Kings, and if any defraud him of one, he confiscates himselfe and all his substance.
The Vertue.
ANaDurities inenarabilis. inenarrable hardnesse is the first and chiefe quality of the Diamond, in so much as those that cut them can find out nought but their owne dust to polish them withall. Therefore thebJahalom a rad. halam, vide Pagnin ibid. Hebrew name comes from a root signifying to breake or bruise, either foreign, because it cannot bee broken with any thing more hard, or because it breakes all other stones: and the GreekecAb a priv. partic. & foreign, domo, subigo, q. d. foreign, word foreign. sounds as much as indomable: which word also thedAdamas. Latines retaine to call it by. Yet for all this it yeelds to and is softned with the blood of a Goat. Heare Pliny averre it with an emphasis: eLib. 37. cap. 4.Invicta illa vis, duarum violentissimarum rerum ferri ignis que contemptrix, hircino rumpitur sanguine. So he.fSubtil. excer. 344. S. 8. Scaliger (the fourth man thatgCentur 2. Epist. 44. Lypsius did admire since the world was) disputing the foreign hereof, why thinner blood is resisted, and it admitted, referres it to occulta proprietas, & principium commune, and professeth ingenuously it is hidden from him. The use is excellent, thus: we are all the sons ofiOvid. 1. Metam Iaphet, begot of stones,kVirg. Aenid▪ 4. Durus genuit nos cautibus horrens—Caucasus. I would it were Nabal only that werel1 King. 25. tanquam lapis: but it may bee said to every onemTerent. in Heauton. quid stas lapis? even Peter himselfe, if he had not beene Petra a rocke of stone, would not have stayed so many crowes before he wept, seeing nZanch. de operibus Dei lib. 3. cap. 4.the crowing of cockes foretelleth a shower. And which is worse, this callosity or hardnesse is not of any meane part, like thoseoExod. 33. 3. durae cervicis, but of the heart it selfe; Circa praecordia ferrum, it is the heart, as is said ofplob 41. 24. Leviathan, which is harder then the nether milstone: yea and this is not the hardnesse of any soft Pumex, but of the Diamond which is harder then hardnesse it selfe,qZach. 7. 11. adamantina corda is the Prophets owne phrase, They have made their hearts as hard as the Adamant: and which is still worse, besides that naturall foreign which is hereditary to every son of Adam & traduced with the seed, there is an adventitious hardnesse which is more dangerous, as comming both from an habite and custome of sinning, and from the iust iudgment of God, which doth punish one sin wth another, as rRom. 1. 27.foreign a just recompence of our former errour; but which is worst of all, as in fome this hardnesse of heart is perceived, and felt, and complained on, & means sought to helpe it: so in others it is not perceived, and felt; or if perceived not felt: So holy Greenham sSee his Letter of hardnesse of heart.distinguisheth to his distressed friend. Such may say as Salomons Drunkard,tPro. 23. v. ult. Some have smitten me but I am not sicke, some have beaten me but I feele it not: by all this it appeares that Churchmen are as the seed-man in theuLuke 8. Gospell, they must sow the seed of the word often amongst stones.
Notwithstanding, God be thanked that even an Adamant, as hard as it is, may bee mollified by the blood of a goat: Christ Iesus is this goat, hee is hircus emissarius the scape goat, carrying our finnes into the wildernesse. It is true, he is agnus immaculatus, an innocent sweet-breathed lambe in regard of the purity of his owne nature; but as our sinnes are imputed to him, hee is hircus foetidus, a stinking goat; so that it is true that*Heb. 9. 12: we are not purified by the blood of goats, that is, of the type: but we are purified by the blood of a goat, that is, the antitype, Christ: and it pleaseth mee not a little to see Christ so pointed at in our pectorall. Christ crucified must bee the subject of all our preaching; when soever therefore we meet with any that have a stone in their heart, apply wisely and faithfully unto it the warme blood of the slaine goat. Wee must both goe our selves and bring others by Golgotha and Calvery to the mount of Olives; by Christ crucifyed to Christ glorified; by him descended into hel, unto him ascended into heaven. Divinely *Perkins, Of the right knowledge of Christ crucifiedhe: If thou wouldest come to God for grace, for comfort, for salvation, for any blessing, come first to Christ, hanging, bleeding, dying on the crosse, without whom there is no hearing God, no helping God, no saving God, no God to thee at all.
The Colour.
THe Colour of the Diamond some liken ferr… candenti, some to the light of a lanthorne, others to Christall, but more opake and darke, and yet more transparent, and pellucide too; which colour is very neer, if not the same with that of the female Ligure, next following, where I will speake of it.