Spiritual Physic to Cure the Diseases of the Soul, Title page – To the reader
Spiritual phyſicke to cure the diſeaſes of the ſoule, ariſing from ſuperfluitie of choller, preſcribed out of Gods word.
Wherein the chollericke man may ſee the dangerouſneſſe of this diſeaſe of the ſoule vniuſt anger, the preſeruatiues to keepe him from the infection thereof, and alſo fit medicines to reſtore him to health beeing alreadie ſubiect to this raging paſſion.
Profitable for all to vſe, ſeeing all are patients in this diſeaſe of impatiencie.
Habet et muſca ſplenē, et ſua formicae bilis ineſt.
PRO. 16. 32.
He that is flow to anger is better then the mightie man: and he that ruleth his owne minde, is better then he that winneth a Cytie.
Imprinted at London by Gabriel Simſon for William Iones, dwelling neare Holborne Conduict at the ſigne of the Gun. 1600.
TO THE RIGHT honourable ſir Thomas Egerton knight, Lord Keeper of the great ſeale of England, and one of her Maieſties honour able priuie counſell, my very good Lord: health and proſperitie with increaſe of all ſpirituall graces in this life, and eternall happineſſe in the life to come.
HAVING HAD through your honourable bounty, a part of the Lords Vineyarde allotted vntounto mee his moſt vnwoorthy woorkeman, by your Honour his moſt woorthy ſteward, to the end I ſhould plant and water, purge and prune it, I thought it my parte not onelyonly to performe my dutie in this behalfe, in ſuch meaſure as God enableth me, but alſo to preſent vntounto your honour the firſt fruits of my labor which hauehave yet offered themſelues to publike view, to the end that I might thereby both ſhew my ſelfe not altogeather negligent in our great Lord and maiſters buſineſſe, and alſo giuegive ſome token of moſt obliged duty and humble thankefulneſſe to you his honourable ſteward, by whoſe appointment I hauehave obtained a place wherin I may imploy my paynes, wheras otherwiſe I ſhould eyther hauehave ſtood idle in the market place, or els beene compelled to hauehave digged in another mans ground, with great labour & little fruit. If theſe my firſt fruits ſeeme vnpleaſant in your moſt learned and iudiciall taſte, eyther impute it to the immaturitie cauſed by their ſhort time of grouth and ſmall-experienced skill of the vintager, or els conſider that they are deſtinated to a phyſicall vſe for the purging away of choller, and therefore though they be not pleaſant in taſt, yet may they be profitable in operatiō. Such as they are (in all humilitie, crauing pardon for my bouldnes) I cōmend them to your honourable patronage and protection, and your ſelfe to the Almighties, moſt hartily beſeching the glorious and great Lord of the vinyard long to continue you his faithfull ſteward amongſt vsus, to the aduancement of his glory, the propagation of his vine, and the exceeding comfort of his poore contemned labourers. Amen.
Your honours in all humble duty moſt bounden. IOHN DOVVNAME.
To the Chriſtian reader.
COnſidering the vniuerſall infection of this contagious diſeaſe of the ſoule vniuſt anger, and the manifould pernitious euils which it worketh, both priuate and publique, I thought good to preſcribe out of Gods word, ſome remedies for thoſe patients which are committed to my cure, whereby they might eyther be preſerued from theſe feuer-like fits, which cauſe men outwardly to ſhake, and tremble when as inwardly they are moſt inflamed; or els hauehave their heate ſomewhat allayed and abated when they are alreadie fallen into them. The which my preſcript I thought at the firſt ſhould hauehave beene communicated to no more then mine owne patients, till I was perſwaded by more ſkilfull Phyſitions then my ſelfe, that the publiſhing thereof might redownd to others profit. And therefore deſiring nothing more then to exerciſe my poore talent to the glory of my maiſter who beſtowed it, and the benefit of my fellow ſeruants, for whoſe good alſo I hauehave receiued it, I willingly condeſcended to their motion. And for as much, as I had onelyonly ſhadowed a rude draught without colour or countenance, I was fayne to take a reueiw of my woorke, altering ſome things, and adding others as it were new lineaments, which I thought more fit for the Preſſe then for the Pulpit. If any thinke me too quick in practiſe, they will (I hope) excuſe me, if they conſider that I make experience of my ſlender ſkil, not in the vital parts, but in the feete of the ſoule, namely the affections, and yet the curing of them, or but this one of them, may greatly redound to the benefit of the whole, for as the diſeaſes of the feete doe grieue the hart and offend the head, and the curing and healing of them doth eaſe and comfort both, ſo when the affections are diſtempered beeing infected with the contagion of our originall corruption, euen the chiefe parts of the ſoule the vnderſtanding & wil, are not a little diſturbed and diſordered, by receiuing from them their contagious pollutiō. And therfore he who can ſkilfully purge theſe neather parts ſhall eaſe the higher, by drawing downe thoſe corrupt humors which do offend and annoy thē. Seeing then there may come by my practiſe great good with little danger, I hauehave the rather aduentured the cure: beeing contented to vndergoe the cenſure of ſome for too much haſt, who (I feare me) are in theſe caſes as much too ſlow, to the end that I may to the vttermoſt of my ſkill benefit many. The Lord who is the onelyonly true Phyſition of ſoules diſeaſed with ſinne, bleſſe this and all other my indeauours that they may be profitable for the ſetting forth of his glory, the benefit of my brethren, and furthering the aſſurance of mine owne ſaluation. Amen.
Spirituall phyſick to cure the diſeaſes of the ſoule, ariſing from ſuperfluitie of choller preſcribed out of Gods word.
Epheſians 4. 26.
Be angry and ſinne not, let not the ſunne go downe on your wrath.