Mystical bedlam, or the world of mad-men. By ThoMystical bedlam, or the vvorld of mad-men. By Tho

It hath been excepted against the justice of God, that the sin of one man is devolved to his posterity; and that for the fathers eating sour grapes, the children's teeth are set on edge, according to the Jewish Proverb, Jer. 31. 29.¹ As if we might say to every son of man, as Horace sung to his friend: Delicta maiorum immeritus lues: Thou being innocent, doest suffer for thy nocent superiors. This a Philosopher objected against the gods; strangely conferring it, as if for the fathers disease, physic should be ministered to the son.

It hath beene excepted against the iustice of God, that the sinne of one man is deuolued to his posteritie; and that for the fathers eating sowre grapes, the childrens teeth are set on edge, according to the Iewish Prouerbe, Ier. 31. 29.¹ As if we might say to euery sonne of man, as Horace sung to his friend: Delicta maiorum immeritus lues: Thou being innocent, doest suffer for thy nocent superiours. This a Philosopher obiected against the gods; strangely conferring it, as if for the fathers disease, physicke should be ministred to the sonne.

1. 1Ezek. 18. 2.

I answer, Adam is considered as the root of mankind: that corrupt mass, whence can be deduced no pure thing. Can we be borne Morians without their black skins? It is possible to have an Amorite to our father, and an Hittite to our mother, without participation ⟨p. 7⟩of their corrupted natures? If a man slip a syense from a hawthorn, he will not look to gather from it grapes. There is not then a son of man in the cluster of mankind, but (eodem modo & nodo, vinctus & victus) it is liable to that common and equal law of death. Unde superbis homo, natus, satus, ortus ab hum? Proud man forgets, Earth was his native womb; Whence he was borne: and dead; the Earth's his Tombe. Morieris, non quia aegrot as, sed quia vivis: sayth the Philosopher: Thou shalt die, oh son of man, not because thou art sick,