for the preuenting of Death for Death of the body depriuing the soule supposing it to be mortal of all good should become her chiefest infelicity and euill and present life her greatest good and happynesse And therefore it followeth that the soule should feare nothing so much as Death and on the other side affect desire and defend nothing so much as present life But now daily experience teacheth the contrary for many do make so small an estimate of life though abounding with all the goods of fortune as that they willingly spend it for prayse fame liberty auoyding of reproach and dishonour and for the exercise of vertue Yea some there are who for the declyning and shuning of disgrace or griefe and affliction of mynd or for the purchasing of a very little reputation sticke not to become their owne parricides murtherers So much more do those things which belong to the soule or mind preponderate ouerballance al that which appertaines to the body THE SIXTH REASON CHAP. VII SO great is the capacity and largnesse of the soule or mind as that no riches no dignities no Kingdomes not the Empire of the whole world no pleasures briefly no finite and limitable good can quench her insatiable thirst and desire but to this end it is needfull that she enioy some one immense infinite and boundlesse good and such as containeth in it selfe by way of eminency or preheminēcy the fulnes of all good whatsoeuer This the Prophet Dauid insinuateth Psalm 16. when he saith Satiabor cum c. I shal be satisfyed and filled when thy glory shall appeare as if he would say no other thing can giue me full contentment except the manifestation of thy glory which is an infinite and illimitable good And to the same end S. Austin saith Fecisti nos c. Thou hast made vs like vnto thee and our hart is vnquyet till it rest in thee Now if the Soule were restrained to the narrownes of the body it should not be capable of an infinite good neither should her desire be extended to any thing but what were conducing and accommodated to a corporall life as it appeareth in other liuing creatures For the Body and the matter doth restraine the appetite desire and capacity of the forme From whence it proceedeth that by how much the forme of any body is more materiall by so much it is more narrow and lesse capable but the more spirituall and more eleuated the forme is the more ample and the more enlarged it is and extendeth it selfe to more things thereby the better to perfect it selfe For bodyes wanting life as stones and metals as also their formes because they are materiall and grosse in the highest degree do desire nothing out of themselues neither do they endeauour any thing to further their perfection but rest in themselnes quiet and dead But Plants because their forme is more pure and perfect do couet after their manner nourishment and do attract it from without as also they change it distributing it through the whole body and conuerting it into their owne substance Besides they send forth flowers fruits and seedes so they continue dayly working to the augmentation conseruation perfection propagation of themselues but because they haue no sense or feeling of their nourishment they therfore receaue neither pleasure nor griefe thereby Liuing Creatures in that their forme is in a higher degree do not only performe all those operations which plants do but with all they haue knowledge and sense of their nourishment yea they mooue themselues to it they seeke it from the vse of it they take pleasure and from the want of it they receaue griefe and molestation Notwithstanding all their knowledge and affection or liking is limited within certaine narrow bounds for it only extendeth it selfe to the profit or hurt of their bodyes so as they apprehend no other thing they couet and fly no other thing they are delighted and grieue at no other thing which is a manifest demonstration that their Soule depends only of their body for their soule therfore perceaues and desires nothing but what conduceth to the rest good of their corporall life because their soule dependeth of the felicity of their body Aboue all other liuing Creatures is man indued with a reasonable soule or mind whose knowledge affection is not limited to things belonging to the body but is altogeather illimitable extending it selfe to euery truth to euery kind of good as is aboue said both which beare no reference or respect to the body And from hence it followeth that the Souls capacity or ability either in knowing desiring or in taking delight is infinite no otherwise then the ability of spirits or celestiall Intelligences which is an vnanswerable argument that the soule of man is not wholly depending of the body and necessarily tyed to the same This point is further thus confirmed Substantiae separatae as they are called that is incorporeall substances do therfore enioy the force of vnderstanding and do extend themselues ad totum ens to euery thing and ad totum verum bonum to euery verity goodnes because they are simple formes eleuated aboue all matter not depending of the same as Philosophy teacheth And hence it is that there is no spirituall substance but euen in that respect it is intelligent and vnderstanding Therfore seing the Soule of man is endued with the faculty of vnderstanding and is in her selfe of that expansion and largnes as that she stretcheth her selfe to the whole latitude of Ens in generall that is to euery truth and euery thing that is good by vnderstanding what is true and affecting and louing what is good no otherwise then spirituall and separated substances do it followeth that the soule doth not depend vpon any matter or bodily substance For where there is effectus adaequatus there is also causa adaquata that is where there is a proper and peculiar effect there also is to be found a proper and peculiar cause from whence the effect riseth But in the Soule of Man the effect is found to wit the force of vnderstanding and the capacity of euery truth and euery good therefore the cause also is to be found that is a spirituall nature independent of matter or of a body THE SEAVENTH REASON CHAP. VIII THere are in the nature of things some liuing formes which are separated from all matter both in their essence and manner of existence with the Philosophers do cal Intelligences or substantias separatas separated substances and Christians tearme them Spirits or Angels There are also some others which both in their Essence and existence are altogether tyed and immersed in the matter wherin they are and such are the Soules of beasts Therfore there oughtto be some other formes betwene the former two which in regard of their Essence may not depend of their body that so they may be like vnto spirits or Angels yet for their
therefore only in the muscles there are six thousand for thus writeth Galen Eadem ars c. The same art is to be seene about all the bowels indeed about euery part so as if one consider the scopi which the structure of mans body hath the multitude of them would rise vnto some myriades And here upon Galene concludeth that mans body is framed by some most wise and most puissant workeman It was not sufficient that mans body should consist of bones and muscles but withall it was needfull that it should haue naturall heat by the which it might liue bloud by which it might be nourished spirits by the which it might moue and excrcise its senses for without this spirit the soule could neither vse any sense nor the body moue it selfe for seing the spirit is of a most attenuated and thin substance as a thing betwene the most subtile soule and the grosse body it is therefore the immediate and next instrument or Organum of the soule by meanes whereof the soule causeth in the body motion and sense and without the which there can be no distribution of nourishment made through out the whole body Therefore the diuyne Prouidence hath fabricated and made three principall parts in mans body by the which these operations may be performed to wit the Hart the â—â—uar and the braine The Hart is ordained for the vital heat and spirits of the whole body the Liuer for the sanguineous bloody and naturall spirits and the braine for the animal spirits To these three other externall instruments parts of the body are seruiceable To the Liuer belong the teeth the Esophagus and the stomacke to affoard the matter of blood or a certaine concocted iuyce which is called Chylus The Intestinâ—â— or entrals do serue partly to traÌ„smit send this Chylus through the Mesaraical veynes to the Liuer and partly to deonerate disburden the body of the excrementall part of meat and food Furthermore to the Liuer belongs that vessel called folliculus fellis the receptacle of gall that therby after the Chylus is once turned into blood it may draw to it selfe containe the more sharpe matter or substance of nourishment which matter would be otherwise hurtfull to the body The Liene or Splene conduceth that it may attract to it the more grosse and seculent parts of blood The Reynes that they may sucke vp the raw and redundant wheish matter being mixt with blood and after they do send it through the vessels of vryne to the bladder to be auoided in conuenient tyme. The Longs are seruiceable to the Hart wherby the Hart is refrigerated and cooled and the vitall spirits recreated and refreshed through the often attraction and expiration of new and fresh ayre Now the spirits are engendred after this sort The meate being once concocted the best iuyce of it is transferred to the Liuer This transmission or sending it thither is made partly by the vitall compression or closing of the stomacke and partly by the vertue of the veynes of the Intestine called Ieiunum and other innumerable veynes which being placed in the mesenterium or in the midle of the bowels haue apower of sucking to them The Liuer then receiuing the Chylus through a fistula or hollow pipe turneth it throgh its owne natural disposition into blood and after that the more thin parts therof it chaÌ„geth into a vapour which commonly is called spiritus naturalis this vapour distendeth enlargeth and openeth the veynes and pores of the body One part of this blood the liuer by meanes of vena caua which proceedeth or ryseth from it selfe sendeth to the heart Then through the heate of the hart this blood is wonderfully extenuated and refyned first in the right ventricle of the Heart and after in the left ventricle so a great part therof is conuerted into a most subtill and thin vapour of which vapor one part is sent froÌ„ the Heart to the brayne by a great Arterie there being elaborated againe clarifyed tempered in that fould of small arteries which is commonly called rete mirabile it becomes spiritus animalis the Animall spirits do serue only to sense and motion which are peculiar functions of a liuing Creature The rest of these spirits being mingled with most thin and pure blood the Hart distributeth through out the whole body through the Arteries conseruing and maintaining herby the natural heat of the body and this spirit is vsually tearmed spiritus vitalis And here now we are briefly to shew how both kynds of these spirits and bloud is dispersed throughout the whole body that therby we may the better apprehend by how admirable and wonderfull a Wisedome all these things are thus disposed Our body consisteth of heat and moisture The heat dayly consumeth and spendeth the moisture vapouring it away into ayre as the like appeareth by water exposed to the Sunne or to fyer which by little and little vanisheth away And thus all the meÌ„bers and entrals of mans body would soone decay and dry away if there were no instauration and repairing thereof made by nourishment The immediate next nourishment of the body is blood and therefore it is requisite that blood be distributed through the body that all parts of it be nourished therewith The Liuer is the shop as it were of bloud Therefore from the Liuer there are drawne two great veynes the one going vpwards the other downwards the body both which do after braÌ„ch and diuyde themselues into seuerall lesser veynes these againe into lesser and lesser till they end in most small veynes and to the eye scarce visible These veynes go towards the bowels to the muscles in them they are terminated and implanted Seing then that there are aboue six hundred muscles and that for the most part many small veynes do run into euery muscle it coÌ„meth to passe that besides those inuisisible veynes which for their smalnes are called venae capillares as resembling in quaÌ„tity the haires of a mans head there are some thousands of veynes or rather branches of veines which do rise and take their beginning from the two former great veynes Now by this meanes it is effected that there is not the least part of the body but there is nourishment brought to it The making and vertue of the veynes is wonderfull for they consist of fibrae or small strings and these are direct oblique or transuerse By the direct fibrae they attract and suck blood by the oblique they retaine and keep it and by the transuerse they transmit it further to the muscles and other extreme parts The same art and prouideÌ„ce is obserued in the concauityes hollownes of the intestina or bowels they haue the power of keeping bloud which once bursting out of them doth instantly putrifye and ingendreth diseases as we may obserue in Plurisyes Contusions and inflaÌ„mations The wheish humour is mingled with bloud for the more easy
whole body that they may carry nourishment as also vitall and animall spirits to all parts In the meane ty me euery small portion or part of the body doth attract bloud and conuert â—t into its owne substance the spirit still forming euery thing by little and little and giuing each part its due figure measure proportion and connexion with other parts so as from the seauenth day after the conceptioÌ„ the forme of the whole body and distinctioÌ„ of all parts euen of the fingers doth appeare Now how manifold and various is this labour in framing of so many bones veynes arteryes sinewes and Muscles in the apt distribution deduction or drawing out termination or ending of euery part each of them keeping its due forme temper measure place ioyning together and incision What mynd or vnderstanding can be intent to so many things at once What Art may in the least part seeme to equall this Who therfore considering all these things can doubt but that there is some one most wise most potent Mynd or Soule by whome all this operation and working is directed and to whoÌ„ all this admirable artifice is to be ascribed If an indigested informed heape of stones tyles lyme and wood should begin to make to it selfe a house directing it selfe in the doing thereof and framing all parts thereof as the Art of Architecture requyreth who would not affirme that a certaine VnderstaÌ„ding skilful of building were inuisibly and latently in the said things that they could so artificially dispose themselues Or if a pensill being imbued with diuerse colours should moue it selfe and first should but rudely draw the lineaments of a mans face after should perfect euery part therof by framing the eyes drawing the cheeks figuring the nose mouth eares and the other parts seruing in them all a due proportion and fitting colours as the exact science of painting requireth no man would doubt but that this pensill were directed herein by an intelligent spirit But now in the framing of euery liuing Creature far greater art and wit is desired then in any humane worke whatsoeuer since the skill whereof transcendeth by many degrees all mans skill and artifice for it arriueth to that height of perfection as that the worke cannot in that kynd be possibly bettered neither can the parts of it whether internall or externall haue a more pleasing proportion and connexion Therefore who is so voyd of Reason that can enter into any dubious and vncertaine consideration with himselfe whether all this molition and laboursome endeauour in framing a liuing Creature be directed by a power indued with reason wisedome or no Furthermore there are three things here to be considered among which there ought to be a great proportion to wit the Soule of the liuing Creature the body and the Sâ—â—inall vertue And first the Soule ought to be most proportionable to the body For such ought the small body of any little Creature to be as the Anima or soule of the same doth require to performe its proper functions wherfore how great the difference is of Soules so great also the discrepancy is of bodyes if we insist in the figure the temperature and the conformation of the Organs therefore in the nature of euery soule the whole formall reason is contained so as that if a man did perfectly know the nature of the soule from it he might easily collect what the habit figure and temperature of the body ought to bee But who is ignoraÌ„t of the nature thereof must consequently be ignorant of the other for in some one particular or other he shall euer be wanting and neuer attaine to the due proportion in knowledge thereof As for example if the question be touching the small body of a flye how many feet it ought to haue how many flexures or bendings in their legs or thighes what difference betwene euery flexure what temperature proportion connexion how many â—inews in euery thigh how many veines what proportion to its little nayles of which things many are for their smalnes not to bee discerned by the eye for in the small body of the flye there may be found seuerall thousands of proportions as necessary that its soule may rightly sort to the body to all which no man can attaine except the first doth penetrate and consider in his mynd the nature of the soule in the which the reason of all these as in the root dothâ—y hidden and secret Againe the Seminal power ought to haue most perfect proportion with the body that it may produce such a body in al respects as that soule doth require Therefore who first caused and made this seminall power ought afore hand to haue the whole structure of the body exactly knowne vnto him that so he might sute and proportion this seminall seed to the body For as in the soule as in the finall cause the whole reason of the fabrick of the body lyeth and therefore the body ought in a perfect proportion to be accommodated and made fit to the soule In like sort the reason of the making of the same iâ— latent and hidden in the seminall vertue oâ— power as in the efficient cause Wheruponâ— it followeth that there ought to be as aâ— exact proportion betwene the structure oâ— the body and the seminall vertue as is betwene the efficient cause the adequate effect of the said Cause Now from all these premisses it is mosâ— clearly demonstrated that these three to wit the Soule of euery liuing Creature the structure of the body and the seminall vertue haue their source from one and the same beginning which beginning cannot be any nature depriued of reason vnderstanding seing a beginning voyd of reason could not among different things set downe congruous proportions much lesse so exact and so infinite proportions as are betweene the body and the soule and the seminall vertue and the making or fabricke of the body For to performe this requireth a most perfect and distinct knowledge Therefore it is concluded that there is an intelligence or spirit both most wise and most powerfull which through its wisedome is able to excogitate and inuent through its power is of might to performe all these things The reason why this seminall vertue might seeme to be indued with a mynd or vnderstanding is because this vertue is a certaine impression and as it were a foot step of the diuyne art and skil and therefore it worketh as if it had a particuler art and knowledge in working Euen as if a painter could impresse in his pensill a permanent power and vertue of his art and that therupon the pensill should moue it selfe and draw the images as if there were an art and vnderstanding in the Pensill Furthermore it may be here presumed that this diuyue spirit or Intelligence doth conserue this impressioÌ„ with his continuall influxe and doth cooperate with it thus working with his generall concourse Euen as in liuing creatures
existence that is that they may exist after a conuenient maner they are to haue a body that therin they may agree with the soules of beasts and these are the soules of men This argument is confirmed from analogy and proportion in that this degree of things seemeth to be best fitting least otherwise we should passe from one extreme to another without a meane to wit from a nature absolutly mortal drowned in a body to a nature absolutly immortal and separated from a body therfore betwene these two there is to be a nature partly mortal and partly immortal mortall according to the body and immortal according to the Soule And the very Soule it selfe according to its Essence is to be immortal and to be ranged with spirits though according to the manner of its existence and as informing a mortal body it is to be like the soules of beasts For the vnion of the Soule of man with the body as also the informing and the viuificâ—tion as I may tearme it of the whole body decayeth no lesse then in beasts And thus it falleth out that man containeth in himselfe the powers and faculties of both the extremes I meane of spirits and beasts being for the body and sense like vnto beastes for the soule to spirits or intelligences Vpon which occasion the Platonicks do cal man the Horizon of the whole Vniuerse of things created For seing the vniuerse of things doth consist as it were of two Hemispheres to wit of a spiritual nature and a corporal nature Man partaking of both these extremes doth ioyne the spiritual nature being the higher Hemisphere with the corporal nature the lower Hemisphere For this very same reason also Man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the lesser world as coÌ„prehending within himselfe al the degrees of the vniuerse no otherwise then the greaer world containeth THE EIGHT REASON CHAP. IX FOR the more accession of reasons in this point it may be alledged that there is a greater association and affinity in nature betwene the Soule of man and spirits or Angels then betwene man and beasts For as spirits or Angels haue their knowledge and desire circumscribed or encompasled with no limits and are delighted with the beauty of truth and vertue in like sort is the soule or mynd of man In so much that in this respect there is no disparity betwene a soule and a spirit though there be a difference in the perfection of the operations proceeding from the vnderstanding and the will in them both Now the sense knowledge and affection or desire of beasts is restrained to their feeding and to venery Furthermore the Soule of man hath society and familiarity with spirits conuerseth with them intreateth help and ayde from them discourseth disputeth and iudgeth of their â—states and wisheth her selfe to be like in dignity to them But no like affinity is discerned betweene man and beasts for beasts can neither apprehend nor desire the state of man neither is there any communication of Counsell or aduise betweene theÌ„ Therefore so farre forth as belongeth to the condition of Mortality and immortality it is not to be wondred if mans Soule doth rather follow the condition and nature of spirits betweene whome there is so great a similitude and resemblance then of beasts from whome the Soule doth so infinitely differ THE NINTH REASON CHAP. X. IF the Soule could not consist without the body then should the soules chiefest felicity be placed in a corporall life pleasures of the body and her greatest misery in the affliction and death of the body vpon the force of which inference the Sect of Epicures and others who did hold the soule to be vtterly extinguished with the body taught the chiefest good to rest in the pleasures of the body This is further made euident from the testimonyes of those who in the second of the booke of VVisdome conclude that during the tyme of this life we are to giue our selues wholly to pleasure holding this to be mans felicity in that nothing remaineth say they after this life as also froÌ„ the like seteÌ„ce of others who in the 22. of Esay say Consedamus bibamus c. Let vs eate drinke for to morrow we shall dye But if this illation were true then were it laudable in a man to indulge and pamper his belly and studiously to affect and seeke after whatsoeuer may conduce to the same end and the warrant hereof should be because it is most laudable for all things and particularly for man to follow its most supreme good or felicity and to enioy it at all tymes But now iust contrary hereto we find that this coporall sensuality of eating and drinking and the like is holden as a thing dishonourable in man and vnworthy his nature as also that those who abandon themselues wholly to their corporall pleasure are ranged among brute beasts for nothing draweth more neere to the nature of beasts then the pleasure of the body consisting in the senses of tast and feeling And therfore as Tully witnesseth in his booke de senectute Architas Tarentinus was accustomed thus to say Nullam capitaliorem pestem quà m corporis voluptatem à natura hominibus esse datam That Nature had not giuen to man a more capitall plague then the pleasure of the body Againe if the chiefe felicity of man did belong to our corporall life then were it lawfull for the auoyding of death and torments at the commanding and forcing of a tyrant to commit periury and blasphemy to worship Idols and finally to reâ—â—â—quish and shake hands with all piety iustice vertue and truth for it is the law of nature and of it selfe ingrafted in al men that nothing is to be preferred before Summum bonum or the chiefest felicity and that is to be imbraced before all other things that on the other side nothing is more to be auoyded then Summum malum the chiefest infelicity From which position or ground it riseth that in euery euent wherin is necessarily endaÌ„gered the losse of our greatest good or of some other lesser good we are taught euen by nature and reason that euery inferiour good whatsoeuer is to be willingly lost for the retaining of the chiefest good and euery lesser euil to be endured for the auoyding of the greatest euil But now what thing can be imagined more absurd in it selfe or more vnworthy a man then that for the preuenting of death any flagitious or heynous wickednes whatsoeuer may and ought to be cnmmitted THE TENTH REASON CHAP. XI A NATVRE which is intelligent and indued with an vnderstanding is the worthiest nature of all others which are in the world this is proued in that such a nature is capable of all natures for it comprehendeth them all it vseth them al and applyeth them to its owne benefit for it taketh profit not only from terrene and earthly things but also froÌ„ celestial things as from the light darkenes day night wynds
who committed no euill do not feare those who haue offended may euer haue their punishment before their eyes He also in another place thus writeth Si optimorum consiliorum c. If our conscience be euer a witnes throughout our whole liues of our good deliberations and actions then shall we liue without feare in great integrity honesty of mind And the reason thereof is because the soule doth presage that good and happynes which is reserued after this life for all true worshippers of vertue THE XXI REASON CHAP. XXII THE Immortality of the Soule is further euicted from the returne backe of Soules after this life For it is euident euen by infinite examples that the dead haue been raised vp and that the Soules of the dead haue returned from the places wherein they were and haue appeared to the liuing We read in the first booke of the Kings cap. 28. and in Ecclesiasticus cap. 49. that the Soule of Samuel then dead appeared to the Enchantresse Pithonissa and to Saul and did prophecy vnto him his destruction Againe the soule of Moyses whether in his owne body restored vnto him at that tyme by diuine power or in a body assumed by him togeather with Elias appeared in the mount Thabor to Christ and to the three chiefe Apostles Peter Iames Iohn as is related in Mathew cap. 17. and Luke cap. 9. The soules of Onias Ieremy the Prophet exhibited themselues to the sight of Iudas Machabeus and much encouraged him to the vanquishing of his Countries Enemies as appeareth in the first of the Machabees c. 15. The Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul appeared in sleepe to Constantine the Emperour and shewed him a meanes to cure his leprosy as it is recorded in the seauenth Synod Act 2. and testifyed by many Historians S. Iohn the Euangelist and S. Philip the Apostle appeared to Theodosius promised him victory against Eugenius which presently followed and not without great miracle The same apparitioÌ„ was seene also by a certaine souldier at the same tyme least otherwise it might be thought to be forged by the Emperour as Theodoret wryteth l. 5. histor c. 24. The same Euangelist with the blessed virgin exhibited theÌ„selues to the â—ight of Gregorius Thaumaturgus then waking and instructed him in the mistery of the Trinity This point with the forme of the doctrine is recorded by Gregorius Nissenus in the life of Thaumaturgus I omit many other apparitions of our blessed Lady recorded by Gregory the great and other more ancient authours In like sort Ambâ—rse serm 90. wryteth that S. Agnes appeared to Constantia the daughter of Constantine and cured her of a most dangerous impostume or swelling Eusebiuâ— reporteth l. 6. histor c. 5. how S. Poâ—â—miâ—â—â— the third day after her martirdome appeared to her Executioner in the night and told him that she had obtained fauour froÌ„ God in his behalfe in recoÌ„pense of his geÌ„tle proceding with her vpon which apparitioÌ„ the Executioner instaÌ„tly became a ChristiaÌ„ after his constaÌ„t professioÌ„ of the ChristiaÌ„ faith suffered a most glorious death and martyrdome It were ouer labour some to recount all the apparitioÌ„s both of the holy and wicked soules which are found in approued authours all which to say to haue bene forged were ouer great impudence since this were to take away the credit of al historyes and to cast an aspersion of falshood and deceite without any shew of reason vpon many most holy learned and graue authours for many both of the ancient Fathers as also of historiographers especially Christians haue made frequent mentioÌ„ of this point yea euen among the very heathens it was a thing generally acknowledged as appeareth out of Homer Virgil others Therefore seing it is a matter most euident by so many examples that the Soules of the dead haue appeared to the liuing we may demonstratiuely conclude that those Soules did not dye with their bodyes but do continue immortall and haue their reward of glory of punishment according to their actions performed in this life This point of the Soules immortality is in like sort made cleare from the raising of the dead to life Now that the dead haue bene recalled to life is proued by many vnanswerable examples And first the Prophet Elias restored to life the dead Sonne of the widow Sareptana as appeareth in the third of the Kings c. 7. Elisaeus also raised the soÌ„ne of Sunamice as we read in the fourth of the Kings c. 4. Yea Elisaeus being himself dead only by the touch of his bones restored to life one that was dead as we find in the 13. chapter of the said booke Christ our Lord and Sauiour besides others raised to life Lazarus being dead foure dayes afore and this was perfourmed in the eye of all Ierusalem as S. Iohn relateth c. 11. Finally to auoyde all prolixity diuers were restored to life by the Apostles and other most holy men as appeareth from Ecclesiasticall historyes and other approued authours Now the resurrection and rising of the dead is an euident signe that the soules are not vtterly extinct but that they remayne separated after death till through a conuenieÌ„t dispositioÌ„ of the body they be reunited to it For so soone as the whole disposition of the body which is necessary to this vnion shal be perfected and that the soule shall there exhibit it selfe in wardly present then doth this vnion imediatly and freely follow partly like as fire touching chips or any other such combustible matter doth through a mutuall attraction naturally cleaue thereunto For the body being made apt and rightly disposed doth couet through a naturall propension to be vnited with the soule as in like sort the soule desireth to be conioyned to the body which propension or inclination is reduced into Act when the Soule and the body after the last disposition once finished are mutually and inwardly present together THE XXII AND LAST REASON CHAP. XXIII TO conclude this point touching the Soules immortality it may be further alledged that the Soules Immortality is the foundation of all religion Iustice Probity Innocency sanctity Now if this ground-worke be false then is the whole sacred Scripture false and a meere fiction then are the Oracles of the Prophets false false also is the doctrine and preaching of Christ false his miracles Finally false are all those things which are deliuered by the Euangelists touching the resurrection of Christ his conuersing with the Apostles fourty dayes after his resurrection his ascension and the descending of the Holy Ghost vpoÌ„ the Apostles and other the faithfull And thus are all deceaued who haue embraced the religion of Christ And therefore in vaine haue so many thousands Saints tamed and brought vnder their flesh practized iustice innocency temperance all other vertues with indefatigable and incessant paynes In vayne are all the Sacraments of the Church all the institutions diuine laudes and praises all Ecclesiasticall Orders all sacred assemblies all labours
of prelates and Pastours all doctrine of the ancient Fathers and all manner of liuing among Christians For all these things are bootlesse and of no fruite or benefit as being grounded vpon a false foundation if the Soule be extinguished with the body Finally all those men haue bene extremely deceaued who at any tyme haue bene excellent for sāctity of life guift of prophecy glory of miracles or heauenly wisdome on the contrary part the truth of this poynt hath bene reuealed only to prophane wicked and sesuall Epicures all which things are most repugnant euen to the light of Reason Thus far now to draw towards an end haue we alledged reasons and arguments by the which the Immortality of the soule is established confirmed which if they be seriously weighed do so conuince the iudgement as that they take away al ambiguity and doubt of this point Now to these we will adioyne a testimony or two of a heathen Therefore Seneca in his 102. Epistle thus wryteth Magna generosares est humanus animus c. The Soule of man is a great and generous thing It suffereth it selfe to be limited with no bounds but such as are common with God Seneca here meaneth because the Soule extēdeth it selfe to all place tyme. Now this authour further explicateth this point in these words Primùm humilem non accipit patriam c. First the Soule admitteth not to it selfe any obscure or meane Coūtry whether it be Ephesus or Alexandria or any other one place though more populous better furnished with buildings and edifices but its Country is all that which is contained within the compasse of this vniuerse yea all this conuexity within the which the Ayre which diuideth all celestiall things from humane and earthly is comprehēded within which so many Numina or powers still ready to performe their operations are included Now here the word Numina Seneca vnderstandeth the starres and perhaps also the Intelligences or spirits And thus far of the place or Country of the Soule Next touching the age or tyme of it he thus writeth Deinde arctam aetatem c. Furthermore the Soule suffereth not any small tyme to be allotted to it for it thus saith All yeares are myne No age is excluded from high VVits and each time lyes open to my contemplation When that shall come which shall dissolue this mixture of what is diuine and what humane then will I leaue the body where I did find it and I will restore my selfe to the Gods Neither now am I altogether estranged from them though I be heere detained with a heauy and earthly matter By meanes of these delayes of this mortall age preparation is made for a better and longer life Euen as our mothers wombe containeth vs nine monthes and prepareth vs not for it selfe but for that place whither it sendeth vs that so we may be fit to breath and to liue here in sight So by the helpe of this tyme which indureth from our infancy to old age we are made ripe and ready for another birth Another beginning expecteth vs and another state of things As yet we cannot enioy heauen but as it were a far off therefore behold that appointed day without feare or dismayednes since it is not the last to the Soule but to the body VVhat thing soeuer doth here cōpasse vs all is to be esteemed but as an vnprofitable cariage or burdē in an Inne for we are to depart Nature leauing this world is depriued of all things as well as entring into it It is not lawfull for thee to carry more out of the world then thou didst bring in Yea a great part of that which cōduced to our life is to be left off The skin wherwith thou art couered as with thy next garment shal be taken away the flesh and blood shal be taken away the bones sinews which are the strong things of the weaker parts shal be taken away That day which thou fearest as the last is the birth day of Eternity Cast of thy burden Why delayest thou as if thou hadst not afore come out of that body wherein thou didestlye Thou now pawsest struglest against it and yet euen at the first thou was brought out with the like paines and labour of thy mother Thou cryest and bewaylest and yet to cry is most peculiar to a body newly borne And thē Seneca thus further enlargeth himselfe Quid ista sic diligis c. Why dost thou so loue these terrene and earthly things as if they were thine owne Thou art couered ouerwhelmed with these The day will come which shall reueale or lay thee open which shall free thee from the company of a filthy smelling belly The secrets and misteries of nature shal be once made euidēt vnto thee this darknes shal be dispelled and thou shalt be encompassed on each side with a shining light Imagine how great that fulgour shal be when so many starres do mingle their lights together No shadow shal hinder this brightnes Euery part of heauen shall equally shine The day and night are but alternations and enterchanges of the lowest part of the ayre Then shall thou say that afore thou liuedst in darkenes I meane when thou shalt at once behold all the brightnes and splendour together which thou now darkly seest by the narrow helpe of thy eyes and yet dost admire it being so farre of from thee what shall that diuine light seeme to thee whē thou shalt se it in its owne natiue place This cogitation admitteth no base vile or inhumane thing in the mind But in lieu thereof it saith that the Gods are witnesses of all things it commandeth vs that we seeke to be approued accepted by the Gods and teacheth vs that they prouide and prepare Eternity for vs. Thus farre Seneca of this point in which discourse he hath deliuered many excellent things as concerning the Soule of man First that the Soule is like vnto God since it extendeth it selfe to all places and to Eternity Secondly that when it leaueth the body it is ranged amongst Gods spirits Thirdly that we heere stay vpon the earth as but in the way of our iourney heauen it selfe being our Country And that al things in this world which are externall or independēt of the soule are to be reputed in that degree as burdens or prouisions are which serue only the more conueniently to finish our iourneys Fourthly that as an Infant is prepared in nyne months for to liue in this world so ought we during all the tyme we liue here to learne to dispose our selues for the entertaining of the immortal life of the world to come Fiftly that the last day of our mortall life is the beginning of Eternity Sixtly that the Soule being departed from the body is then clearly to see the misteries of nature and a diuine light and splendour Seauenthly and lastly that Eternity is euer to be set before eyes as that we
to wit the mansion for the pious and vertuous soules in heauen for the wicked Hell And this opinion all Antiquity euer did hold Next he asketh Quanta multitud◠c. how great a multitude is there of soules as of shadowes for so many ages To which is to be answered that the multitude of soules is as great as there is number of men which haue liued from the beginning of the world vnto this day For seeing the world tooke a beginning the number of the soules is not infinite but it is comprehended within a certaine number and that not exceedingly great for it were not very difficult to shew that this number exceedeth not two or three Myriades of millions Now the soules are ignorantly called by Pliny Vmbrae Shadowes seing that they are like vnto light and the body is to be resembled rather to a shadow as the Platonicks were accustomed to say After this Pliny thus expostulateth Quae dementia c. VVhat folly is it to maintaine that life is iterated and begun againe by meanes of death But herein as in all the rest he is deceaued for the life of the soule is not iterated after the death of the body but the body dying it continueth and perseuereth After he further enquireth Quae genitis quies c. VVhat rest can euer be if the sense vigour of the soule remaineth aloofe of in so high a place To which is to be answered that not only rest quyet and fredome from the troubles and miseries of this life belongeth to the soules separated but also wonderfull pleasures and ioy if they haue here liued well but misery if they haue spent their tyme in wickednes without finall repentance And this the Platonicks also acknowledge In the next place he thus further discourseth saying that the feare of what is to succeed after this life doth lessen the pleasures of this life Thus we heere see that this is the chiefe reason why wicked men are loth to belieue the immortality of the soule to wit because this their beliefe confoundeth all their pleasures woundeth their mynds with a continuall feare of what is after to come For being conscious and guilty to themselues of their owne impiety and of what they iustly do deserne therefore they wish that their soule might dy with their body since they cannot expect with reasō a greater benefit For so they should be free from misery and torments which hang ouer their heads And because they earnestly desire this they are easily induced to belieue it to come to passe Now the extinguishing of the soule is not the chiefe good of nature as Pliny thinketh but the chiefe euill rather of nature since euery thing chieffly auoydeth its owne destruction as losing al it goodnes in Nature thereby For how can that be accounted the chiefe good of nature by the which all iustice is ouerthrowne all reward and remuneration is taken away from vertue and all chastisement from vyce For though it were for the good of the wicked that the soule were mortall yet it were most iniurious to the vertuous and hurtfull to the publick good of the vniuerse no otherwise then it would be inconuenient to the good of a temporal commonwealth if no rewards should be propounded for vertue nor reuenge for exorbitancy and transgression of the lawes Certainly the cogitation of death the soules immortality increaseth the anxiety and griefe of the wicked since they do not only complaine for the death of the body which depriueth them of all pleasure of this life but also and this with far greater vehemency for the punishments which after the death of the body they are perswaded through a secret feeling of nature their soules are to suffer But now on the contrary part the former cogitation doth increase the ioy and comfort of the vertuous seing they not only reioyce at the death of the body by meanes whereof they are discharged of al the afflictiōs of the world but also and this in far greater measure at the certaine expectation of that felicity and happines wherwith after their death they shal be replenished Now from all this heretofore deliuered set downe it is euident that the obiections and reasons of Pliny are most weake friuolous as proceding rather from an inueterated hate and auersion of the contrary doctrine then from any force and ground of reason But here one perhaps may reply say Be it so that the soule is immortall notwithstāding it may so be that after this life it shall suffer no euill but enioy great liberty busiyng it selfe in the contemplatiō of things Or if it shall suffer any punishmēt yet this sufferance shall not be perpetuall but longer or shorter according to the proportion nature of its offences committed in this world and that greater sinnes shal be expiated with a more long punishment or at least with a more grieuous and lesser with a shorter or more gentle chastisemēt Indeed I grant the iudgement of the Stoick to haue bene that the soule after this life suffered no euill but that instantly after death it returned to some one appointed starre or other and there remayned either vntill the generall exustion and burning of the world if it were vertuous wise or els only for a short tyme if it were wicked and foolish which period being once ended the soule was to be turned into the Element from whence it was taken But these assertions are friuolous and not warranted with any reason for granting that soules do liue after this life what then is more easy to be belieued then that they receaue either rewards or paynes according to their different comporttments in this world Since otherwise where should the Prouidance of God be Or where Iustice But of this point we haue abundantly discoursed aboue Furthermore if Soules for a certayne tyme can subsist without a body why can they not for euer continue so For seing they are simple and vncompounded substances they cānot in processe of tyme grow old or loose their strength and vigour as bodyes compounded of Elements do Now if they can but for one instant exist and liue without a body thē can they for all eternity perseuer in that state as being not subiect to any extinguishment or destructiō as the whole schoole of the Peripatetiks and Aristotle himselfe do teach For there is nothing which can destroy or corrupt a simple substance subsisting by it selfe And therefore it is houlden that Materia as being a simple substance and inhering in no other thing as in a subiect is incorruptible and inexterminable Now touching that which is spoken of the burning of soules in that sense as if they could be dissolued and vanish away into ayre by meanes of fyer as bodyes is no lesse absurd For the soule is not a body or an oyle-substance which can be set on fire but it is a spirit more thin pure and light then either ayre or fyer But what is
dissolued with fyer ought to be corporeall and more grosse and corpulent then the fyre it selfe or that into the which it is dissolued It may be further added hereto that the foundation of the Stoicks wherupoÌ„ they grounded theÌ„selues that soules were to suffer no euill after this life notwithstading their great sinnes and enormities here committed was because they were perswaded that our soules were certaine particles or relicks of a diuinity And this diuinity they did hold to be anima mundi the soule of the world from which soule they further taught as being the common and vniuersal soule of al things that the particular soules of liuing Creatures chiefly the soules of men were decerpted takeÌ„ the which being after freed of their corporeall bonds and chaynes were to returne to that principle from whence they are deryued meaning to that vniuersall soule of the world with the which they finally close themselues All which assertioÌ„s are in their owne nature so absurd as that they need not any painfull refutatioÌ„ For if the soules be parcels of God how can they be dissolued with fyre Or finally how caÌ„ they be depraued with so many facinorous crymes and impieties Yea it would from hence follow that Diuinity it selfe should consist as bodyes do of parts and should be obnoxious to all euils and inconueniences whatsoeuer Therefore this vayne imaginatioÌ„ of the Stoicks is to be reiected which heretofore hath bene well refelled by Tully Origen did indeed confesse that soules were immortall and that they were neuer to lose their owne proper kind and nature notwithstanding he taught that the punishments of them were not sempiternall but were to take an end after certaine ages The same he in like sort affirmed of the paynes torments of the Diuels But this errour of Origen which he borrowed of the Platonicks was further accoÌ„panied with many other errours 1. First that all Soules Diuels Angels were of the same nature and consequently that soules were as free from all corporall commere as Angels were 2. That Soules before they were adioyned to the body did sinne and for guilt of such their sinnes were tyed to bodyes and inclosed in them as in prisons 3. That soules were coupled with bodyes in a certayne prescribed order As first with more subtill bodyes then if they continued sinning with grosser bodyes lastly with terrene and earthly bodyes further Origen taught that these seueral degrees of these soules desceÌ„ding into bodyes were represented by the ladder which appeared to Iacob in his sleepe Genesis 24. 4. That all soules as also the Diuels should after certaine ages be set at liberty and restored to an Angelicall light spleÌ„dour to wit when they had fully expiated their sinnes with condigne punishmeÌ„ts 5. That this vicissitude and enterchaÌ„ge of felicity misery should be sempiternal for euer in reasonable creatures so as the same soules should infinite tymes be both blessed and miserable for after they had continued in heauen for many ages blessed and happy then as being againe satiated and cloyed with the fruition of diuyne things they should contaminate defyle themselues with sinne for the which they were againe to be detruded into bodyes in the which if they liued wickedly they were to be cast into the paines of hel which being for a tyme suffered they were to be restored vnto Heauen This condition state Origen imposed vpon euery reasonable creature by what name soeuer it was called whether Angels Principalities Powers Dominations Diuels or Soules See of this poynt S. Ierome in his Epistle ad PaÌ„machâ—um against the Errours of Iohn of IerusaleÌ„ and Augustin l. de hâ—resibus c. 43. But Origen extremely doteth in these things 1. As first in affirming that all spirituall substances are of one nature and condition 2. That Soules are not the formes of their bodyes but separated substaÌ„ces which are inclosed in the bodyes as in certaine prisons 3. That all soules were created from the beginning of the world 4. That blessed spirits could haue a fastidious cloyed conceit of diuine contemplation and that they could sinne 5. That for such their sinnes they were sent into bodyes there for the tyme to be detayned as in prisons 6. That the torments of the Diuels of all soules are once to be expired and ended 7. That all the damned are at length to be saued 8. Finally that this Circle by the which the Soule goeth from saluation to sinne from sinne into the body from the body to damnation from damnation to saluation is perpetuall and continueth for euer Al which dreames of Origen might be refuted by many conuincing and irrefragable reasons but this is impertinent to our purpose would be ouer tedious to perform Only it shall suffice at this present to demonstrate out of holy Scripture that the paines of the wicked and damned are to be most grieuous neuer to receaue a cessation and end Of the Punishments of the life to come out of the holy Scripture CHAP. XXV ALTHOVGH it be most sorting to naturall reason that Gods diuine Prouidence should allot after this life to euery one a iust retribution according to the different comportment of each man in this world Notwithstanding what this reward shal be whether it be conferred vpon the good or the bad and of what continuance neither can mans reason nor the disquisitioÌ„ and search of the best Philosophers giue any satisfying answere hereto The cause of which inexplicable difficulty is partly in that it dependeth of the meere free decree of God and partly because the nature of sinne and consequently the puuishment due to it is not made sufficiently euident and perspicuous by naturall reason Therefore to the end we may haue some infallible certainty herein we are to recurre to the diuine Oracles of Gods written word in the which we are able to see what the holy Ghost by his Prophets other pious men haue pronounced of this point and especially of the paines of the wicked whereof we now intreate 1. The first testimony then may be taken out of Deuteronomy c. 23. in that most admirable and propheticall Canticle or song of Moyses Ignis succensus est c. Fire is kindled in my wrath and shall burne vnto the bottome of hell and shall consume the earth with her encrease and set on fire the foundation of the mountaines In which words fiue things are to be considered First that the fire with the which sinners shal be punished is already kindled both because the fire of hell is prepared from the beginning as our Lord insinuateth in Matth. 25. and the like is in Esay 30. as also in that though that fire with the which the world shal be consumed be not already enkindled yet it now existeth in Gods most certaine prescience and preordinance For what is certaine to come by the force of Gods decree is said after a propheticall manner now to exist or to be
RAVVLEIGH HIS GHOST Or A Feigned Apparition of Syr VValter Rawleigh to a friend of his for the translating into English the Booke of Leonard Lessius that most learned man entituled De prouidentia Numinis Animi immortalitate written against Atheists and Polititians of these dayes Translated by A. B. Quae haec summa delicti nolle illum agnoscere quem ignorare non pâ—â—â—is Cyprian l. de Idolorum vanitate Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXXI THE APPARITION to his Friend DEARE FrieÌ„d whome I much prized whiles my soule was inuested with Flesh my Body enioyed the Ayre which now thou breathest My Spirit is at this tyme permitted by the Almighty to appeare to thee to intreat a Boone or Fauour Thou well knowest that the World whose dialect is euer deliuered in the blacke notes of Obloquy and Reproach hath at sundry tymes cast a foule most vniust aspersion vpon Me for my presumed deniall of a Deity FroÌ„ which abhominable and horrid crime I was euer most free And not any man now liuing better knoweth the same theÌ„ thy selfe in whose presence if thou doest remember I was often accustomed highly to praise and esteeme the Booke of Lessius written in proofe of the being of a Deity entituled De prouideÌ„tia Numinis Since then that Treatise euen frustrateth with shame and consusion all the impugners of so illustrious and euident a Principle Charactered in our Soules by Gods owne seale therefore my humble and earnest request is that thou wouldst take the paines to translate the said treatise into English and let the Title beare my Name that so the Readers may acknowledge it as done by my sollicitation In the performance of which labour besides the accomplishmeÌ„t of my desire heerein thou payest some small Tribute of that Homage to him who gaue thee me our Being In ipso enim viuimus mouâ—mur sumus So wishing thee true felicity and the world more charity in its Censures I am in hast to leaue thee since my Spirit is not suffered to stay any longer vpon earth but must returne with speedy wing to the place from whence it came The Ghost of W. Rawleigh THE TRANSLATOVR to the Reader COVRTEOVS Reader seing the iniquities of these dayes are such that diuers men there are of so flagitious liues in their conuersation and manners that they liue as though there were neither God Heanen Hell or any Immortality of the soule and it is to be feared that diuers of theÌ„ are in their secret iudgmeÌ„ts so inwardly perswaded Therfore for the awakening of all such so monstrously peruerted and blynded I haue taken the paynes to translate this ensuing Treatise written by the most learned Iesuite Leonard Lessius a man in these tymes of extraordinary talents in learning wherin by many most irrefragable argumets is conuinced and proued the Being of a Deity and the Immortality of the Soule I haue feigned the occasion hereof to be an Apparition of Syr Walter Rawleighs Ghost to a liuing frieÌ„d of his intreating of him to translate the same My reason of vsinge this Fiction is because it is well knowne that Syr Walter was a maÌ„ of great Naturall Parts and yet was suspected of the most foule and execrable crime of Atheisme How truly God and himselfe only know though I must thinke the best of him the rather in regard of that most excellent and learned Description of God which himselfe setteth downe in the first lines of his History or Cronicle Now in regard of his eminency in the world when he was aliue I am the more easily perswaded that the very Name of him by way of this feigned Apparition and the like answerable Title of the TranslatioÌ„ may beget in many an earnest desire of perufing this Booke and so become the more profitable I hope for taking this method I cannot be iustly blamed for if I haue offended any it must be Syr Walter himselfe But him I haue not wronged since I do vindicate free him from the former blot as presuming him to be innocent of the suspected Crime And thus good Reader thou hast the reason of this my proceding And so I remit thee to the Treatise it selfe A. B. THE TABLE OF CHAPTERS The first Booke of the Being of a God VVHO they were that denied a Deity and what were the Reasons persuading them thereto Chap. 1. pag. 2. 2. That there is one supreme power by whose Prouidence all things are gouerned is made euident by many reasons pag. 11. 3. The first Reason is taken from the confessioÌ„ of all Countryes and of all wise men pag. 13. 4. The second Reason drawne from the motion of the heauenly Orbes pag 19. 5. The 3 Reason taken from that that corporeall substances and such as are subiect to the eye and sight caÌ„not haue their being by ChaÌ„ce or Fortune pag 27. 6. The 4. Reason from the beauty of things and the structure and composition of the parts in respect of the whole pag. 41. 7. The 5. Reason drawne from the structure and disposition of the Parts of the world with reference to their ends pag. 59. 8. The 6. Reason borrowed from the structure of making of liuing Creatures and Plants with reference to an end pag. 86. 9. The 7. ReasoÌ„ that all things do worke most orderly to a certayne end pag. 114. 10. The 8. Reason from the diuersity of mens Countenances and voyces and froÌ„ the Pouerty of Man pag. 145. 11. The 9. Reason is from Miracles pag. 153. 12. The 10. ReasoÌ„ taken froÌ„ Prophefies p. 177. 13. The 11. Reason taken froÌ„ Spirits pag. 206. 14. The 12. Reason taken froÌ„ the absurdities rising from the contrary doctrine pag 216. 15. The 13. Reason drawne from the Immortality of the Soule pag. 226. 16. The 14. Reason taken from diuers exaÌ„ples of diuine reuenge and benignity pag. 229. 17. The 15. Reason taken from the secret punishing of Blasphemy Periury and Sacriledge pag. 262. 18. The ArgumeÌ„ts aswered which are broghâ— against the being of a Prouidence and a Deity pag. 276. 19. The second ArgumeÌ„t against the Diuine Prouidence answered pag. 282. 20. The third Argument pag. 186. 21. The fourth Argument pag. 288. 22. The fifth Argument pag. 289. The second Booke VVHEREIN is proued the Immortality of the Soule Chap. 1. pag. 296. 2. The first Reason prouing the soules Immortality pag. 303. 3. The second ReasoÌ„ prouing the same p. 303 4. The third Reason pag. 305. 5. The fourth Reason pag. 307. 6. The fifth Reason pag. 308. 7. The sixt Reason pag. 309. 8. The seauenth Reason pag. 313. 9. The eight Reason pag. 316. 10. The ninth Reason pag. 317. 11. The tenth Reason pag. 320. 12. The eleuenth Reason pag. 321. 13. The twelth Reason pag. 325. 14. The 13. Reason pag. 326. 15. The 14 Reason pag. 328. 16. The 15. Reason pag. 330. 17. The 16. Reason pag. 339. 18. The 17. Reason pag. 343. 19. The 18. Reason pag. 362. 20. The 19. Reason
it is able to driue them about with such a facility with such an incomprehensible velocity and so long a tyme without any slacknes or wearines doth sufficiently discouer it selfe to be the maker and Lord of the said heauens to whose good pleasure they are so seruiceable and obedient and thus it appeareth that from whence they receaue their most wonderfull motion from the same cause also they take their nature and being Doubtlesly no man who entreth into a serious consideration hereof can be otherwise perswaded seing there cannot be a greater argument and signe that a body is not of it selfe but dependeth of another then to shew that it enioyeth not it selfe but is made seruiceable and obedient to another The same poynt is also proued from the consideration of the diuersity of the parts wherof these Orbes do consist For seing these are altogether distinct in themselues and haue different qualities they could neuer meete altogether for the making vp of one and the same Orbe except there were some higher power which did vnyte the said parts distributing to euery one of thē their place their magnitude their measure proprieties and influences And this is further confirmed in that this different situation and disposition of parts whereby for example this Sarre is in this place of the Orbe that starre in another place c. is not of the essence of them nether doth it necessarily flow from their essence therefore it proceedeth from some extrinsecall cause so disposing them THE FOVRTH REASON FROM THE beauty of things and the structure and composition of the parts in respect of the whole CHAP. VI. THE very beauty of things which consisteth in a due proportion of parts both among themselues and with referēce to the whole manifestly sheweth that there is one most wise mynd or intelligence which first conceaued weighed measured and conferred with himselfe all these proportions and then after externally produced them out When we see any magnificent and sumptuous pallace wherein a most precise proportion and symmetry of parts is obserued so as nothing which belongeth to the exact skill of architecture is there wanting no man doubteth but that the same was builded by some one or other most artificiall architect How then cā any one call into question but that this world first had a most excellent and wise artificer and workeman seeing the parts thereof are so perfect and disposed and conioyned together with such an exact proportion sympathy and whose beauty is such as that it is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth adorning beauty or comlines The heauen being extended aboue like vnto a vast and most large vault couereth and imcompasseth all things least they be seuered and dispersed It is for greater admiration beauty and ornament distinguished with an infinite number of starres as with so many Iewels certainly a most faire and pretious vault or couerture of this worldly pallace Now what is more pleasing to the eye of Man then those blewish and purple colours of the Heauens What more pure then those shining gems pretious stones What more solide then that adamantine firmnes of the heauēly Orbs which being neuer worne nor growing old haue continued so many ages inuiolable What is more admirable then the radiant body of the Sunne being the fountaine of light and heat What Nature hath imparted to all these their forme situation splendour and this celestial and vnchangeable beauty fairnes They do not receaue them from themselues since they haue not their being from themselues but from another And if from some other thing they take their essence then from the same they also take their beauty But this other thing cannot be corporeall since no corporeall thing can be more powerful and fayre then those heauenly bodyes are Therfore that which doth impart to them all these qualities must needs be a certaine incorporeall or spirituall substance whose infinite puissance and incomprehensible fayrnes we are partly able to glasse and see as it were by reflexion in so great a worke The Earth also though it be seated in the lowest place seruing as the flore or pauement of this princely and imperiall pallace or rather as a channell wherinto the excremēts of the elements are disburdened yet what pulchritude and beauty hath it What delight is discouered in the moūtaines and the vallies thereof in the springs floods gardens woods fields of pasture and graine orchards and plaines couered with all kind of colours exceeding al tapistry or other such artificial hangings whatsoeuer through its various and diuers vestment of hearbs flowers and groues Who can once dreame that all things are thus disposed of a Nature voyd of reason and vnderstanding seeing that the soule or mynd of man is not able to excogitate or imagine to it selfe any thing more admirable or beautifull Neither auayleth it any thing here to reply that the Sunne and the starres seeme to be the cause of all these things For although without the heat and influence of the starres wherby the generatiue and seminall power or vertue is stirred and the vegetatiue humors are prepared all these things cannot grow increase and come to their perfectiō notwithstanding these bodyes take not from the Sunne and starres their originall Cause and reason of their particular structure forming and making but from some intelligent mynd or spirit which hath impressed in the seeds a certaine power or vertue being as it were the image of its owne cōceit by the which as by its instrument it disgesteth disposeth and frameth the body that it may be altogether answerable and sorting to the intended forme For nether the Sunne nor the starres can know of what kynd euery tree for example will be or what temperature colour tast smell or medicinable vertue for diseases it will haue or with what leaues it is to be couered with what flowers to be adorned or beautifyed and with what fruites to be enriched finally what measure it ought to haue what figure extensions diffusions connexions and innumerable other such obseruations all which appeare in euery such particuler body with admirable artifice and wisdome for there is in euery worke of nature as their phrase it so great cunning skill and subtility as that no art can attaine to the thousand part thereof nor any wit can cōprehend the same Who then is so voyd of reason that can be perswaded that such bodies in whose making so eminent reason and wisedome is discouered could yet be made by any Cause that enioyeth not reason The Sunne of its owne nature imparteth its light and heat and in these two sorts in one and the same vniforme manner it cooperateth with all seedes to wit in heating the earth nourishing the seedes stirring vp the seminall spirit or vertue and in preparing the humours therefore this infinite diuersity of things and this proportion pulchritude which is in them cannot proceed from this Sunne seing his operation and working is vniforme
and a like vpon al bodies but it ought to be reduced to some principle or begining which may contayne distinctly al these things in it selfe through the force of a most working reason which beginning can be no other then some one most excellent spirit which is the Inuentour and workeman of all these things This poynt wil be made more euident if we take into our consideration the body of liuing Creatures Good God how much art is in their structure and making how much wit Each particular liuing Creature consists almost of innumerable parts yet these parts haue a most exact proportioÌ„ both among themselues as also in relation to the whole which consisteth of them which proportion is precisely found in all creatures of the same kynd except some deformity therin happen either out of the aboundance or defect of the matter or by the interuention of some external cause As for example in mans body there is that proportion as that the length of it with reference to the breadth is sixfold as much to the thicknes which is taken from the superficies of the back in a right line to the superficies of the breast ten fould to the Cubit foure fould to the stretching out of both the armes equall to the foot six times to the breadth of the hand 24. tymes to the breadth of the thumbe 72 to the breadth of a finger 96. times The like proportion it beareth to the eyes the nose the forehead the eares to the seuerall ribs to the seuerall internall parts to the bones the bowels the sinewes the arteryes the veynes and the muscles The like certaine proportions do all these parts beare among themselues in so much that there are seuerall thousands of proportions in this kynd which are to be coÌ„sidered in the fabricke of mans body For not only in longitude but also in thicknes in conformation in distaÌ„ce and vicinity in strength and in temperature there ought to be a due proportion in all parts in this symmetry and proportion of parts among themselues and in respect of the whole consisteth all the comlineâ— beauty of the body in so much that â—f but any one due proportion among so maâ—y be here absent then is there something waÌ„ting to the concurrence and making vp of that pulchritude and fairenes which is naturally incident to mans body We may also fynd the like proportion in all other creatures which consisteth in that structure and forme which is most agreing to their natures in so much that the very flyes the gnats and the little wormes are not destitute thereof For the making of euery one of these small creatures is according to their owne kynd so perfect so admirable and so beautifull as that if the wisedome of all men liuing were contracted in one and gathered together it could not find any one part which might be corrected or amended and which is more it were not able in its owne retyred thought and imagination to apprehend the reason wisedome and prouidence which appeare in the structure in any of al these or other creatures Wherupon we may further infer that supposing any one man were so powerfull and mighty as that he were able instantly to make or produce outwardly what he did conceaue inwardly in his mynd yet could he not forme any one flye bycause he could not comprehend the reason of the outward and inward structure composition of the said flye much lesse could he animate it or giue the vigour of sense and motion or plant in it phantasy and naturall inclination since what euery one of these are cannot possibly be imagined or conceaued But to descend to Plants what exceeding beauty is in all kynd of Plants How pleasingly do they apparell and cloath the earth How wonderfully doth the earth thurst them out of her bosome and yet detaynes them by their rootes least they be torne a sunder with the violence of the wynds How great variety is found amoÌ„g theÌ„ of so many trees so many youÌ„g sprouts so many kinds of corne and graine so many hearbs growing in orchards fields and mountaines and to conclude so many fragrant flowers in gardens orchards And touching the vse of these plants the commodity is manifold some of them seruing for building and making of diuers instruments others for the nourishment of man and beasts others againe for the making of linnen cloath as also to burne and for other necessities of mans life Touching flowers they do also delight vs with their seueral formes colours smels as that they deseruedly driue vs into admiration of their maker For there is not greater profusion and wast as I may say of prouidence and diuyne art in any body so base and instantly fading then is in these For what diuersity of formes are found in them They are continued together diuided deepe open or displayed hollow rising in forme of hayre formed like little flocks of wooll winged hooked horned eared like corne spherically bearing their leaues enuironed thicke with leaues like clustered grapes and many other such like different formes In like sort they are of one leafe three leaued foure leaued or of more leaues which leaues bearing themselues in seuerall manners do occasion infinite other formes of flowers Neither is their variety of colours lesse theÌ„ the variety of formes as whyte yellow red bloudy purple ceruleous or blewish and finally all mingled colours whatsoeuer which in regard of their seuerall mixtures are many in number and therefore they al become grateful to the eye To conclude euery particular flower is wonderfull fayre and the seuerall parts of any one flower is disposed in such variety for the greater beauty of their forme according to their nature and the different tymes of their growth as they cannot by any art possible be bettered or amended Now who considering these things with a serious meditation will not acknowledge the infinite wisedome of the artificer and will not admire prayse and reuerence the sâ—me Touching the odour and smel of the flowers there is also great variety and the smell in most of theÌ„ is sweet there is scarce any one flower which hath not a peculiar smell to it selfe different more or lesse froÌ„ all others In some that are the fayrest to the eye a poynt which may serue as a documeÌ„t to vs meÌ„ the smell is lesse pleasing and yet in some others there is an equall strife and contention betwene the excellency of their forme or shape their smel Now from all these obseruations we coÌ„clude that it is a truth more radiant cleare and perspicuous then the Sunne beames are that all these things cannot haue their beginning from a nature or cause voyd of reason but from a most wise and most puissant spirit or Intelligence which conceaued all these things afore in its mynd which also conferred weighed together al these particulers to wit the quantity or greatnes of euery plaÌ„te their figures or formes their
proportions temperatures vertues colours and smels Now then this Spirit impresseth all these in the seeds of things as the image of his conceite and then worketh and frameth them according to the same For the vertue impressed in the seeds do not otherwise worke then if it enioyed reason the cause hereof being in that it is a footstep of a diuyne conception and as it were a sealed impression thereof Therefore from this supreme Intelligence or Spirit as being the first inuenting and informing cause the beauty proportion and perfection of all things doth take its emanation flowing and proceeding Neither only this visible fayrnes and all variety which is subiect to the eye is to be ascribed to this cause but also all inuisible beauty which is inwardly hid in those visible things can be apprehended only by reason is to be referred therto For froÌ„ this inuisible pulchritude the externall and visible doth ryse since what appeareth externally in these corporall things either in respect of forme proportion colour kynd c. it cometh altogeather from the internall and inuisible substance which substaÌ„ce is so much the more fayre and to be admired by how much it containeth in it selfe more highly and simply the reason cause of those externall perfections In the vegetatiue soule by the vertue whereof trees hearbs flowers and the like according to their seuerall kynds do lyue the reason or cause of their structure whole forme or shape which so much delighteth the eye is latent and vnseene In like sort in the sensitiue soule which animateth all liuing Creatures the whole reason of the fabricke or forme of the body lyes hidden imperceptible by the eye the same is also latent in the genitall vertue or power by the which all these things are formed Therefore how great bewitching is the pulchritudâ— and splendour of these soules in whom all these perfections are secretly and simply included And how stupendious wonderfull are these soules in their owne nature which after one vniforme manner contayne in themselues so great multitude and variety of formes and figures Furthermore in the sensitiue soule is not only comprehended the entyre reason of the structure of the body but also of all the senses the imagination the sensitiue appetite all naturall instincts and operations euery one of which in respect of the wonders discouered therin transcends maÌ„s apprehension For how great is the power of the senses How far of doth the eye penetrate in a moment viewing all things apprehending the formes of them and expressing them in it selfe How forcible is the power of smelling in dogs Vultures many other such like And as touching the imaginatiue faculty it is neuer idle still reuoluing with it selfe and variously compounding the formes and shapes of things which it receaueth by the ministery of the externall sense The appetite draweth and inuiteth the soule to those things which the Imagination afore conceaued if they be conuenient and auerteth it from them if they be dangerous and hurtfull To conclude the motiue power obeyeth the appetite with incredible celerity and speed as appeareth euen in the motion and flying of flees It were ouer laboursome to prosecute al things in this kynd Euery power or faculty hath its obiect instrument operation its peculiar maÌ„ner of working so occult secret and wonderfull as no man is able to apprehend it and yet the reason of all these is contained inwardly in the soules of the said liuing creatures so as whosoeuer could perfectly penetrate the nature and the misteries of the soules should fynd the reasons of all the rest more clearly Wherfore I am fully perswaded if one could attayne the perfect knowledge of one small flye the pleasure of that knowledge would ouerballance and weigh downe all riches honours and dignities of Kings For if Pythagoraâ— as is written of him at his finding out of a mathematicke demonstration did so immoderatly reioyce as for the tyme he perfectly enioyed not himselfe then how much ioy exultation of mynd will a cleare knowledge of so many and so great misteries bring which are in themselues discouerable in the making euen of the least flye they being such as yet the most eminent Philosopher that euer was could not apprehend them and such as may serue to entertaine a most sweet and serious speculation of theÌ„ for the space of many yeares Verily touching my owne priuate censuâ—e I am of this former opinion as I said and I doubt not but all such as attentiuely consider the workes of God would conspire and agree with me in iudgment herein But now to speake something of the reasonable soule it transceÌ„deth in beauty worke and dignity the former by infinite degrees in the which not only the reason of the structure or making of the body and of all the senses but also the faculty of vnderstaÌ„ding of recordation or remembring and of imbracing or reiecting any thing freely in the which is included true electioÌ„ freedome of will is contained By the vnderstanding the soule coÌ„ceaueth the whole world and frameth to it selfe certaine inuisible images or pictures as it were of al things By the memory it retaineth al those images of things wrought by the vnderstanding and when occasion is ministred it maketh practise and vse of them Now how vast spacious are those entrances which are capable of so innumerable formes By the will the soule taketh fruition of all things disposeth of them according to its best liking yea and which is more it maketh to it selfe election or choyce of any course of life Neither is the difference here much to be regarded whether the soule performeth al these things immediatly by its simple substance or by distinct faculties powers seing the reason of all these are contained in its simple essence Therfore it necessarily followeth that the reasonable Soule is of wonderfull pulchritude splendour and perfection in so much that if it were to be knowne perfectly as it is in it selfe it would seeme to be a kynd of diuinity in the contemplation whereof the mind would be as it were absorpt and swallowed vp with an incredible pleasure delight seing the essence of it surpasseth by many degrees all corporeall things as also the vegetatiue and sensitiue soules of Plants and liuing creatures in worth and dignity Therefore out of the premises we may gather that there are foure degrees of beauty of things in this world The first which is lowest is of bodyes which are seene by the ye the secoÌ„d of the vegetatiue soule the third of the sensitiue soule the fourth of the Rationall or reasonable soule Therefore it is euident that not only the first but also the rest are formed by some most prudent and skilful intelligence or mind For if the beauty which is found in bodyes be to be ascribed to some such spirit or diuine power for the wonderful proportions appearing in them then much more the glorious
any benefit to it selfe or to any other thing euen as the fruition of great riches should be altogeather vnprofitable if the man possessing them should haue neither knowledge vse nor feeling of them The same poynt is further made euident froÌ„ the motion of the celestiall Orbs which motion bringeth no benefit to the heauens themselues but is wholy applyed to the good and vtility of man of those things which are commodious to the vse of man For first the motion of them is so tempered that all Countries of the earth excepting some few which are beyond 66. degrees neere to the Poles enioy within the space of 24. houres both day and night this being so directed to the most gratefull alteration and change of day and night Furthermore the Sunne by his proper motion vnder the Eclyptick eueÌ„ly cutting the equinoctiall lyne and declining sometimes to the south or at other tymes to the north more then 23. degrees causeth the foure seuerall teÌ„peratures of the yeares I meane Winter Spring-tyme Summer and Autumne all these being most accommodate and fitting for the good of such things as the Earth bringeth forth For the winter so worketh by its cold that the spirit and heat which is within the seeds and buds being inwardly receaued all things may be more strengthned with in that so they may better gather humour and nourishment that they may fasten their rootes in the earth and finally that all such things may inwardly swell therby to burst out in due tyme. The spring through its pleasing and teÌ„pered heat calleth all things forth drawing out buds leaues grasse flowers and the like The Summer with its greater heat consumeth the super abundaÌ„t humour disgesteth crude and raw things extenuateth and refineth things grosse openeth passages in the bodyes diffuseth or powreth in the spirit bringeth fruites to their maturity and rypenes To conclude the Autumne with its humour and moderate heat tempereth a new all things correcteth the drynes and heat of things which the summer aforehaÌ„d bestowed it also disposeth the earth to new seedes and new grothes lastly it repaireth the decayed states of liuing bodyes through want of naturall heat Now out of all these obseruations who seeth not that all this motion of the Sunne and the heauenly bodyes was first ordained euer after is perpetuated and continuated to the benefit of man to the grouth increase and fuller aboundance of all liuing creatures other bodies which may in any sort be seruiceable to the vse of man For no other benefit of it can be assigned theÌ„ this nor any other cause can be alledged why the motion of the Sunne and the other celestiall Orbes should be in any such and such sort Now if any enter into consideration of Wynds raine snow and frosts he shall easily discouer that these are ordayned for the good emolument and benefit of liuing creatures but chiefly of Man And first of Wynds the vse of them is various and great for they ventilate and fan the ayre and so mâ—ke it more wholsome to be breathed in which if it should continue vnmoued and vnshaken would putryxy and being by this meanes affected with some pestilent quality would kil both men and beasts For such close places we may obserue wherin the wynds blow not are become most pestiferous and noysome Secondly the wynds serue to carry the clouds about through the ayre and so to disperse and distribute them to seueral countryes regions for without the help of the wynds the mediterranean places and such as are farre distant from the sea would be euer destitute of cloudes and showers and so would become ouer hoate barren and inhabitable For seing from coasts and places far remote from the sea there cannot be drawne vp sufficieÌ„t store of vapours which may serue for clouds and raine except they being eleuated froÌ„ other places be thither carryed by force of the wynds the said mediterranean countryes would be continually scorched with the sunne and be depriued of all rigation and watering For it is the sea which chiefly ministreth matter for clouds out of whose vast bosome being directly and continually opposed to the Sunne great abundance of vapours are attracted vpwards by the heat of the Sunne which being after by force of the cold gathered into Clouds are lastly resolued into showers of raine wherfore except the wynds did carry these clouds vnto another place all raine would fall into the sea from whence the matter of it doth ryse and the whole earth through want of watering would remaine barren and vnprofitable Neither this aboue would happen but also all fountaines riuers would in a short tyme be drawne dry for these take their begining and continuance from the srow showers which fall vpon the mediterraneaÌ„ and mountanous places For the Snow which during the winter falleth vpon the hils melting by little and little through the Suns heat and distilling into the hollowes and concauityes of the hils doth in the end cause springs or fountaines In lyke sort the waters of showers being receaued and drink vp into the higher places of the hils and after many wyndings to and â—â—o vnder the earth meeting together do in the end fynding an issue or passage breake out into fountaines or springs Now of springs being mixed with other waters whether proceeding of snow or of showers running into one common channel are begotten Riuers And hence it followeth that during the summer when it but seldome raineth riuers are greatly decreased and except they be sed with snow water they are sometymes dryed vp So as if for the space of two or three yeares it should neither raine nor snow it would follow that all riuers and almost all fountaines would cease their ruÌ„ning through want of matter But these things are so disposed and gouerned that for certaine seasons so great store of raine and snow may fall as that therby the springs and riuers may be continually maintayned and fed Furthermore the wynds are necessary to dry vp the vnprofitable humour of the earth to recreate and refresh the bodyes of liuing creatures to rypen fruites to the turning of mils and such machines or workes and finally to the vse of Nauigation for â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ting there were no wynds all Nauigation would almost cease But what great proâ—â— doth ryse by Nauigation to Man For by this what merchandize is in forraine countryes which conduceth either to the commodities of mans lyfe or to the vse of phisick or to the delicacy of nature the same is most easily transported throughout the whole world and what is peculiar to few is by this meanes communicated imparted to all mankynd Neither is the profit of the showers raine inferiour to that of the wynds for it cooleth the ayre refresheth the bodyes of liuing creatures perpetuateth and continueth springs riuers ministers drinke to beasts watereth the earth and maketh it fruitful for without showers of raine the
little and little and by insensible increasings from the mouthes of the riuers where they runne and disgorge themselues into the sea euen to their springs and to other mediterranean places Now if we insist in the speculation of mountaines we shall fynd that in nature there is no necessity of them but only for the behoofe and benefit of man For they first serue to breake the force of wynds which might be very domageable to all creatures if all coasts were plaine euen and no hinderance were interposed to slacken their strength Hence it proceedeth that wynds are more impetuous and boysterous in the open Sea where all is plaine and eauen without any obstacle then in the middle places of the Earth Secondly Mountaynes high hils serue for bounds of regions and kingdomes for they are as it were the limits or closures of great kingdomes by the which the ambition of men and desire of further enlarging their Regality is bridled and restrained least it should incessantly exercise it selfe in vexing and subduing their bordering neighbours Therefore the safety of kingdomes is much preserued and the infinite miseries and pressures still attending vpoÌ„ wares by the difficult inaccessible passages of the mountaines are much hindered Great hils do furthermore suppeditate and miniâ—â—er matter for building as stones lyme wood tyle or slate with many other things either necessary or at least very commodious to mans life For almost all metals and diuers kynds of pretious stones are digged out of the bowels and veynes of mountaines There also do grow vpon mountaines diuers rootes of great vertue and infinite kynds of hearbs as also most excellent wynes and oliues Lastly they containe the origins and beginnings of springs and riuers and they perpetuate stil continue them by feeding theÌ„ with matter and store of water Now let vs next descend to the quality of the Earth and Sea For this is not found to be such as the nature of these Elements being considered in it selfe doth require but such as may best sort to the preseruation of liuing Creatures and commodity of man For if we precisely consider the nature of these bodyes the Elements ought to be simple or without mixture of other bodies vniforme and in euery place of the same vertue operation affectioÌ„ For the earth in its owne nature is vehemently dry and moderately cold the water extremly cold and moyst the ayre moyst and moderately hot and all these are naturally depriued and voyd of al sapour or tast colour and odour or smell But this poynt is far otherwise for there are many diuersities differences of soyles of the earth for they are hoat cold temperate such as may be cruÌ„led away or brokeÌ„ into small peeces light ponderous fatty vnctious dry In colours blackish reddish yellow whyte as also of seuerall tasts â—nd odours or smels and fit and commodious for the bringing forth of seuerall things according to those verses Hic segetes illic veniunt faeliciùs vuae Arborei foetus alibi atque iniussa virescunt Gramina Nonne vides croceos vt Tmolus odores India mittit ebur molles sua thura Sabaei Therefore seuerall soyles earth haue their peculiar fecundity quality impressed in them by him who first created this Element Neither can we ascribe all this diuersity to the Sunne and the starres seing that vnder one and the same Climate there are some places more desert barren other most fertill and such of these places as are fertill do not bring forth the same kynds of plants other liuing Creatures though they receaue one and the same aspect influence from the Sunne and the starres In like sort the earth doth not produce all kinds of metals and minerals in one and the same place but diuers in diuers places For â—n one place it bringeth forth stones in another chalke red lead in a third brasse tyn and lead in others gold siluer pretious stones Therefore the earth in diuers places receaueth diuers vertues forces and operations that therby it may minister to Man all kynd of riches which not only coÌ„duce to an absolute necessity of mans life but also to a greater conueniency delicacy and splendour thereof which poynt doth turne to the greater honour glory laud of so munificent a Creatour In lyke sort the Sea hath its fruitfulnes altogether most admirable this diuers according to the difference of places For not in each part of the Sea all kynds of fishes are found for some kynds do breed in the North others in the South seas Some also only in the East others in the West seas Furthermore all the sea meere contrary to the nature of that Element is of a straÌ„ge saltnes Now from whence doth this come Or what power vertue gaue this saltnes to it and to what end The reason is ridiculous and absurd which some Philosophers haue inuented hereof to wit that this saltnes cometh by reason of the Sunne beames by the which the bottome of the sea is scorched and burned and that adustion and burning causeth saltnes say they is proued from the experience in burnt ashes That this reason is most insufficient is euident for how caÌ„ the bottome or the grouÌ„d vnder the sea being couered with such an infinite store of waters that in some places it is 500. or a thousand cubits deepe be so burnt by the Sunne as that from them all the whole sea should contract such a bryny saltnes For the Sunne burneth not but only by reasoÌ„ of its light which light doth not penetrate in the water further then 15. cubits as diuers Swimmers vnder water affirme and the light is so faynt that the heat thereof can hardly be felt but a little vnder the water Now that saltnes should proceed of adustion it is required that the adustion be so great as that it dissolueth the matter reduceth it to its beginning as experience showeth Neither doth adustion and burning properly cause salt in other things but rather openeth and discouereth it And therefore we see that of seuerall bodyes the salt is seuerall and taketh its seuerall vertues operations from the bodyes so strayned refyned as the Chymickes do experimentally proue In like manner the spirit of euery thing or the oyle which is extracted out of it by fyre doth aforehand lye hidden in the thing it selfe Furthermore if salsity or brynenes proceed from this adustion then ought the Sea to be dosy more and more salt wherupon it would â—ollow that the fishes as not eÌ„during that temperature would in the end dye as it hapneth in the Lake Asphaltites which is called Mare mortuuÌ„ since the nature of fishes requires a certaine temperature of the waters To conclude the increase of this saltnes in the Sea would be noted at least in seuerall ages but no such augmentation hath hitherto bene obserued Of the lyke improbability is that sentence of the first origin of
distribution of it which humour after is either dissipated into ayre through heat or els is purged away through sweat The blood is also mingled with a little gall for the more attenuating and making it thin lest otherwise it should coagulate and thicken Finally the bloud is in like sort mingled with that spirit which is called spiritus naturalis that it may open the pores and let in the nourishmeÌ„t for there is no part of the body which is destitute of Pores In bones muscles bowels sinewes veynes arteryes membranes and grisles there is vis assimulatrix an assimulating power by the which all these parts do conuert the nourishmeÌ„t sent to them into their owne substance nature and kynd As the Liuer doth suppeditate and minister blood to all parts of the body with the which it is nourished as also naturall spirits so the hart doth giue heat and vitall spirits by the which the natiue heat is cherished ventilated and cooled to which end there proceed from the hart two Arteries the one going vpward the other downeward both which deuyde themselues into many branches and these againe into other lesser vntill they end in most small fibrae iust after the manner of the veynes aboue specifyed The smallest branches of the Arteryes are implanted in all the Muscles and all the bowels therby to bring to them heat and spirit Furthermore as in those bodyes which haue hoat bloud the hart doth continually beat it selfe with those two motioÌ„s which are called systole and diastole By diastole or dilatation of it selfe it drawes in new ayre to temper the heat and refresh the spirits by systole or compression of it selfe it expels all fulignious vapours so are all the Arteryes throughout the whole body at the same instant moued with an incessant and continuall vicissitude in dilating and contracting themselues euen for the foresaid ends And this ventilation is of such moment as if it be interrupted as sometimes it is by an afflux of humours then presently is a feuer inflamed and set on fyer The brayne affordeth animall spirits which is diffused throgh all parts by meanes of the nerues or sinewes as bloud and naturall spirits are by the veynes and heat and vitall spirits by the Arteryes But because such store of sinewes which were to be deriued to the bowels and all the Muscles could not proceed from the brayne which is contained in the head therefore the diuyne Prouidence being the maker of Man doth extend and draw out the substance of the braine enclosed in its owne membranes skins from the head by the vertebre or ioynt of the necke throughout the whole spine or ridgebone of the backe so as the medulla spinalis or the inward substance of the back-bone is nothing els then a certayne continuation and production of the braine Now to the end that these animall spirits should not be dryed vp or vanish away so man should suddenly dye therfore the brayne is inuolued and couered with a double skin the one being more thin which is the more inward and next to the brayne the other more hard which is the outward next to the bone of the Cranium or skull In like sort with the same skins the Medulla spinalis is inclosed The sinewes proceed from the braine from the spinal is medulla from the double membrane of them From the braine there are six paire of nerues or sinewes wherof fyue are directed to the organs or instruments of the fiue senses theâ— by to deriue to them the animal spirit chiefly for sense and secondarily for the mouing of the muscles of the head The sixt paire oâ— sinewes is extended out of the head to certaine Muscles of the necke of the larinx of the breast and the orifice or mouth of the stomacke which beareth a great sympathy with the 〈◊〉 From the spinalis Medulla and its membâ—â—nes thâ—re â—o rise thirty payre of syneâ—â—â— whereof euery payre being after deâ—â—ded into many bâ—anches are in the end â—â—â—â—â—ted in the muscles as the like afore we said of the veynes and arteryes When they come vnto the muscles they run into a sin newy matter which they call â—endo and with maketh the head of the Muscle Thus aâ—e the animall spirits transmitted and sent from the braine and spinalis medulla through the concauities of the sinewes to the instruments of sense and to the Muscles by the helpe of which spirits the soule moueth the muscles and the muscles being thus moued do moue euery member as also by the meanes of the said spirits as by its instrument the Soule performeth the operations of both the externall and internall senses The Composition of the sinewes is most admirable for as the braine consisteth of three things to wit the medulla or marrow therein the two skins within the which it is inuolued so in like sort doth euery sinew proceeding from the braine for the inward medulla or marrow of the braine is like to the substance of the braine this medulla is couered ouer with two tunicles or skins so as the Sinewes seeme to be nothing els then the production or continuation of that medulla and of these membranes or skins where of the braine consisteth And by this meanes it is effected that the braine is after a manner throughout the whole body in euery part therof which hath sense and motion For first it is placed in the head wherin are all the organs and instruments of sense From the head it being accompanied with the two foresaid skins is extended through the spine of the backe from the spina dorsi or ridgbone of the backe it goeth into the sinews which being dispersed throughout the whole body are implanted and inserted into all the muscles In like manner the Hart by meanes of the Arteries which imitate the nature of the hart the Liuer through the veynes which retaine the vertue and power of the Liuer may be said to be diflused through out the whole body to exist in the least part of it Therfore with what wonderful artifice and Prouidence are those three principall members to wit the brayne hart and Liuer by the which sense motion the dilatation compression of the hart of Arteryes and Nutrition are performed extended throughout the whole body do exist after a certaine maner in al parts thereof I omit innumerable other poynts which might be deliuered and set downe touching the structure and vse of the parts of the body But I haue somewhat largly insisted in discoursing of the vse end of these three principall members in that the serious coÌ„sideration of them hath seuerall tymes moued me to an admiration of the diuyne Power who so strangly hath compacted and framed them For let the wisedome of all men and al Angels meet together they are not able to excogitate or inuent any thing so wel disposed directed to its end and so sorting
and agreable to the nature of the thing itselfe as these things are Neither only in Man but in the Species or kynds of other liuing Creatures the artifice and skill of these three members are found for seing all liuing Creatures enioy sense and motion it is therefore needfull that they haue animall spirits and consequeÌ„tly a brayne sorting to its nature which is the shop of those spirits as also that they haue sinews deryued from the braine by the which the spirits are deferred and carryed to the Muscles In like sort because al liuing Creatures are nourished it is requisite that they haue a Liuer which prepareth and concocteth the nourishment and veynes by the help of which the nourishment is transferred to each part as also naturall spirits seeing by the benefit of these the aliment penetrateth all parts of the body Finally because the foresaid Creatures are to be cherished with a certaine natiue heate of their owne wherby they may liue it is expedient that they haue a hart from the which the natiue heat and vitall spirits are dispersed and arteryes by the which they are so dispersed Now these three principall meÌ„bers are most appositly and aptly framed and disposed in liuing Creatures not after one and the same maner but after different sorts according to the different nature of the said Creatures and therefore they are found in flies gnats fleas and the least wormes For these small creatures haue their braine their Liuer their sinews arteryes and veynes fabricated and made with wonderfull subtility their inward parts are not confounded in themselues nor of one forme but they haue seuerall perfect organs vnmixte they being of different temperature different faculty different vse different forme different connexion and of different place or situation yet made with such an invisible tenuity and smalnes as is incomprehensible to mans wit And this poynt is fully manifested by the sharpnes of their senses their swiftnes of motion their strange and great industry and sagacity Now it we consider the externall and outward parts of liuing Creatures how wonderfuâ—ly is euery part appropriated to its peculiar vâ—e end How easy expedite and quicke functions and motions haue they And how great variety is there of them according to the variety of their kinds Birds are made with small heads sharpe becks the more easily therby to cline and pieâ—ce the ayre with crooked pounces wherewith to hold fast the boughes of the trees wherupon they sit with fethers growing backward that their flying be not hindred which feathers ly close to the body whyle they fly that the ayre may the lesse enter among them their wings are most light and so framed as they may easily open and close for flying being fitted with a soft hollownes to receaue ayre in while they flye and to couer their body straitly and comely Such of them as feed vpon flesh haue most strong hooked beckes to teare the flesh asunder and sharpe and crooked tallants to apprehend and hould it Such as feed vpon the water haue log necks that they may dyue in to the water the deeper with their head To conclude how many colours are there â—n seuerall kynds of byrds How pleasant is the beauty of their wings How great is the difference of their sound and voyces How sweet is the singng of some of them And euen in some of those which haue but a very small body how shrill and piercing is the sound they make The making of forefooted beasts because they go vpon the ground is farre â—â—ffereÌ„t from the former Such as feed vpon flesh and liue vpon preying haue the members of their bodies fit and accommodated for prey In their mouth they haue two teeth aboue and two below long and strong to hold and teare a sunder their clawes sharpe and faulked or hooked to hold fast which clawes when they goe they so beare that they are not worne in catching their prey they stretch them out like fingars Those other beasts as feed vpon hearbs leaues or fruits haue their teeth and hoofs otherwise formed For the order of their teeth are eauen and equall one not being loÌ„ger then an other of which the furthermost are sharpe to cut the grasse or the new buds of trees flowers the inwardmost are broad blunt to grynd and make small the meat Their hoofs are firme and plaine that they may stand firmerly that their feet be not ouerpressed with the weight of their body Their neck of that length as staÌ„ding vprightly they may grase vpon the grasse and so accordingly Camels by reason of the hugenes of their body haue a very long necke But in an Elephant it is otherwise to whom a long necke would become deformed and would haue made that huge weight of his body to be vnapt to the defence of himselfe Therefore an Elephant hath a most short necke yet in liew therof a long snout with the which as with a hand it taketh any thing and reacheth it to his mouth Now who seeth not that all these things are thus purposely disposed and framed with wonderfull wisedome consideration And to come to â—ihes How fitly and proportionatly are then bodies framed to lyue in the Element of water The head of most of them is narrow the better therby to cut the water the tayle broad and spread out which serueth as 〈◊〉 to guyde the fishes motion with an extraordinary celerity and swiftnes They haue also close to their belly certaine fins wherof some haue two others foure or more these stand insteed of oares as it were by the helpe wherof they either moue in the water or stay their mouing vpon their backe they haue a certaine finne like vnto a skin which they stretch out that they may swin with their bodies downeward and that they may not easily be cast vpon their backs Their gils which they haue vpon the side of their chawes deserue for the casting out of water both of that which they daily draw in to the refrigeration of their hart as also of that which entreth into them whyle they are in taking of their food and nourishment And therefore such fishes as want these gils haue insteed of them certaine holes by the which they disburden themselues of this water And without this help of auoydance it is certaine that they would be presently suffocated and choaked as wanting all respiration Their Scales grow backward to the end they may be no hinderance to their swiming which when the fishes are in motion close neare together Such fishes as breath not much want lungs or lights and haue their hart thinly couered ouer neere vnto their mouth that it may be easily refrigerated and cooled by the attraction of water Those of a strong respiration haue lungs with which the hart is couered and other instruments fitting to the same end To conclude the kynds of fishes and variety of their formes is almost innumerable
rest at whose command all the others do moue or rest quyet Now then by force of this reasō there ought much more to be the like order among spirits so as all are in regard of soueraignty ouer them to be reduced to one supreme spirit for by how much any thing is more excellent by so much it ought to enioy a more perfect order in the world but spirits are far more worthy in nature then corporall things therefore among thē there ought to be the perfectest order to wit of subiection and domination For it were most absurd to grant an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confusion in the noblest ranke of Creatures seeing we fynd the lowest and most inferiour degree of things to be so orderly disposed and distributed This poynt is further confirmed from the most dangerous and imminent inconueniences accompanying the contrary doctrine for if among spirits there were no order that the rest should not be subiect vnto one at the command wherof the power of them were to be restrained then might euery one of them trouble and afflict the world at its owne pleasure might take away mens goods burne and destroy all things might infest mens bodyes with griefes diseases death to be briefe might destroy and ouerthrow all mankynd neither could any redresse be found to the contrary seing there were no supreme spirit to the which this other did stand subiect and so the world could not in any sort long consist For how prone wicked spirits are to hurt and afflict men appeareth both frō the history of Iob all whose substance the Diuell destroyed killed his sonnes and daughters infected his body with most grieuous vlcers as also frō the innumerable sacrifices of the heathens in the which the malignant spirits commāded that mens bodyes should be sacrificed vnto thē still making choyce of that which was most deare to the sacrificer as his sonne his daughter or one who was in great estimation in the Common wealth finally frō the warres and tumults to the which the Diuels vnder the shew of diuyne and celestiall powers haue stirred men Now if they are thus cruell and merciles towards men God but giuing them in some sort the bridle for the offences of men what would they not do with what calamities would they not afflict men and what honours worships would they not extort at our hands if they were at their owne power and liberty receauing from no superiour spirit any restraint or inhibition Yea amōg themselues warres emulations dissētiōs would grow if there were not one that could impose a command ouer them For as among Princes who acknowledge no superiour oftētimes wars are stirred vp with the which the world is miserably afflicted because there is none to whose souerainty they stand subiect and who is of power to compose the rising controuersies among them Euen so among spirits there would grow repinings contentions wars with the which the world would be vtterly extinguished if they stood not in subiection to some one supreme power for euery one of them would seeke to aduance himselfe and labour to draw all things to his owne pleasure and desire wherfore Homer most truly did leaue it registred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is It is not good that there be many Princes in one kingdome let one Prince one King be And answerably hereto Aristotle as borrowing it out of Homer thus writeth in the twelth booke of his Metaphisickes c. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Things in nature do not couet to be gouerned in an euill sort and manner To conclude seeing there are many spirits as is shewed aboue I would here demand from whence this multitude had its begining Or who brought thē into the world They proceed not from bodies in that they are of a more excellent and eminent nature then bodyes are as also in that bodyes do bring forth only bodies Neither is one of them ingendred of another as we see liuing creatures are propagated seeing this kind of generation is peculiar to things which are subiect to corruptiō to wit that by this meanes the species kinds of things may be perpetuated whiles the nature being extinct in the parent is conserued in the issue Neither can it be said that euery one of these spirits haue their being from themselues so as they depend of no other cause granting that any thing receaueth its existence and being from it selfe it is far more probable that this so taking it existēce should be but one not many For it is much more fitting that there should be one certaine Nature independent of any in the which the whole fulnes of beeing resteth eminenter and vnitedly from which one nature the beeing of all things is deriued according to the degree of euery such thing thē to maintaine that there are many Natures which depend not of one supreme nature For where there is a multitude of seuerall species or Indiuidua and particuler things there is also a limitation and imperfection seeing those many things are altogither distinct and seuerall neither do one comprehend the perfection and vertue of another And hence it ryseth that none of those is for it selfe but for another and all together conspyre and meet in one and are as it were parts of one entyre whole which riseth out of them Thus do many bodies make the world many men a Common wealth many spirits one kingdome or cōmon wealth of spirits but what is of it self ought to be altogether perfect and sufficiēt to it selfe needing not the support help of any other thing And what may be the reason thereof Euen this that what is of it selfe is also for it selfe according to that Quod caret principio effectiué caret etiam fine What wanteth an efficient cause wanteth also a finall cause and therefore it selfe becomes the end to it selfe not seeking out of it selfe any ayde light truth ioy or beatitude but hauing all these things in it selfe and from it selfe Therefore that which is of it selfe and independent of another must needes be but one not many to wit a primordiall or illimitable essence sufficient by it selfe being the fountaine of euery thing and of each limitable nature We may ad hereto that to grant a being of many spirits independent of any is to introduce a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or confused company of Gods and many first beginnings as blynd Gentility was accustomed to do assigning proper and peculiar Gods to euery particuler busines affaires of man who should be the authours directours and vpon whome that kind of particuler negotiation should be peculiarly incumbēt So they made Venus the goddesse of loue and lust Diana of hunting Ceres of fruyte Mercury of negotiation Esculapius of curing diseases Mars of warre Pallas of wisedome Apollo and the Muses of Poetry Fortune of casuall euents and the like in diuers other things but all this with a strāge blindnes of iudgment as if one
to the â—â—ue doctrine of the being and not being of a Deity For if there be no supreme oâ— celestiall power then all these acts by the which he is contemned and ignominiously treated are good both because they are certaine protestations of an infallible and secret truth as also in that they fitly serue are of force to take away from mens mynds the false perswasion of the being of a God and his Prouidence no otherwise then as Contumelyes and disgraces committed against the Idols of the Gentils are laudable and good because by those actions we testify no true diuinity to be in those Idols for nothing is more coÌ„temptible then that which neither is nor cannot be Seauenthly it might seeme to follow that the world were as a ship floating on the sea without any Mast or Pylot or as a mighty Commonwealth consisting of all kynds of men in the which there is no lawes no Iudge no gouernour nor any Procurer of tranquillity peace and common good And if it be so how then can the world continue especially seing it consisteth of so different contrary and repugnant things For as a ship without a directour is violently tossed to and fro till it fall vpon some Rock or sands or be ouerwhelmed with flouds or as a Commonwealth wanting a magistrate and ruler wasteth it selfe away with intestine seditious murthers and other calamities so must the world be most exorbitantly and inordinatly menaged and in the end be dissolued through a colluctation and fight of contraries if there be no power which is to sterne the same and to procure a simpathy and accord amoÌ„g those contraries Eightly it followeth that all this vniuerse and disposition and framing of the parts thereof existeth thus by chance For if there be no diuyne power which framed the parts of it digesting them into this forme which now we see then is it necessarily to be acknowledged that it hath its being by chance according to the opinion of Democritus who maintained that all things were first framed of a casual force concourse of Atomi or smal indiuisible bodyes But what is this but mere doting madnes and want of reasoÌ„ for how can it be that that whose frame and making existeth with so great reason prouidence and iudgement should haue its being by chance One seeth a most sumptuous building framed withall art skill all Architects admire the structure of it question being asked who made this curious edifice It is answeared that it is made by no body but that there was long since a mountaine in the same place stored with trees that it falling a suÌ„der through an Earth quake the parts of this mountaine being thus shiuered did through meanes of this collision and fall cast and frame theÌ„selues casually into this curious forme of a pallace Now who is so simple that would belieue this And yet such is the like case in the stupeÌ„dious fabrick of the whole world maintayned not to be made by the hand of any diuine Power These and many other like absurdities incongruences and impossibilities do rise and result from the foresaid deniall of a Deity a Prouidence all which how aduerse they are to all shew of truth how repugnant to the very light of reason how fearefull and dreadfull to be but spoken in words who seeth not Wherefore it followeth that that principle which is the fountaine of such pudled aud stinking waters must of necessity be most far distant estranged from all truth But heere some may reply that euen a false perswasion in matters of religion conduceth much to the deterring and withdrawing man from wickednes and to the perswading and inuiting them to probity iustice and other vertues For the Heathens who belieued diuers Gods to be according to the multitude and diuersity of humane affaires and that their negotiations businesses were guyded by the prouidence of the said Gods that they rewarded and chastised men according to their different deserts al which things were false and impossible did notwithstanding from this strong setled coÌ„ceyt of theirs abstaine from many iniuries offences and enormities as thinking the Gods to be offended therewith and that themselues should be punished by them for the same either in this world or in the world to come I answere hereto and say that this perswasion of the heathens was false in particuler to wit in thinking that there was such a multiplicity of Gods as also in thinking that such and such were Gods as Iupiter Saturne Pallas c. the like and that they had the charge of mens affaires but their persuasion was true in generall that is in thinking that there was a diuyne power that mens affaires were subiect to his prouidence and that he exacted an account of them Wherefore when the Heathens either abstained from euill or did good through feare of offending their Gods or desire of pleasing them they were moued thereto not through any perswasion as it was false in respect of such a God but as it was true in generall Only they did â—rte in the Obiect to wit in ascribing a diuinity and Prouidence to those to whome they ought not and in worshipping it in them Therefore they did not take away or deny the true and formall reason of a deity and of Prouidence but they affirmed and maintayned it and therefore retayned after a certaine manner the true foundation of Politicall iustice But if there were no diuine Power nor any Prouidence then were this foundation of theirs most fictious and false euen in generall and consequently it could haue no force towards vertue and probity of maÌ„ners or if it hath any as by experience we find it to haue then followeth it euideÌ„tly that it is not a thing forged and inuented but most true and vndoubted THE 13 REASON DRAVVNE FROM the Immortality of the Soule CHAP. XV. IF it be so ordayned that the reasonable soule shall not be extinguished with the body but after the death of the body it shall liue and be immortall then there can be no reason pretented for the denying of a diuine power a Prouidence for if the lowest spirit be incorporeall intelligent and immortall why should not then there be a supreme spirit endued with the same proprietyes Since where there are seuerall degrees of natures it is as necessary that there be found one supreme degree as well as the lowest and midle degrees Now it is shewed aboue that there are certaine degrees of spirits far more excellent then mans soule but vnder the soule of man â— there is no lower degree for it selfe is the lowest seing that it is manifest that the soules of beasts do dye with their bodies Furthermore if mans soule be immortall then can we not doubt but there must be after this life a retribution of deeds actions to wit reward for vertue and punishment for vyce for it is most absurd to affirme that those Soules which while they were here
inuested with their bodies did liue wickedly in al affluence and abundāce of riches and pleasures and in committing of wrongs and which before their departure from hence made no recompence for the same should after this life be equall in state to those who wrongfully haue suffred many tribulations and yet liued very vertuously and that there is to be had no account for things committed here therefore it followeth that there ought to be a Prouidence which is to giue a retributiō answerable to euery ones deserts And hence it is that all Philosophers and all religions who maintayned the soule to liue after the body did withall maintaine that there were future rewards and punishments and did confesse a Prouidence of a supreme spirit by the which these rewards punishmēts are iustly dispensed S. Chrysostome in his fourth sermon de Prouidentia handleth this point elegantly in these wordes If nothing be to follow after this life then is there no God for granting that there is a God that God must needs be iust and if he be iust then doth he recompence euery one according to his deseruings And if nothing be after this life then where shall euery one be rewarded according to his deserts Many wicked men do liue here in all pleasure and honour a◠also many vertuous suffer great pressures and afflictions If therefore nothing be to follow hereafter the iust shall finally depart remaining still wronged and the vniust with vndeserued felicity If then this should be so where is iustice For if Man do not receaue retaliation for such things as he hath done then is God not iust and if not iust then he is not God c. But that there is a God all Creatures do preach it therefore it followeth that that God is iust and if he be iust then dispenseth he iustice to euery one And if he giueth what is iust to euery man then followeth it that there must be a tyme after this life in the which al shal receaue answerably to their liues and actions Thus far this Father Therefore once grāting the immortality of the Soule it necessarily is to be inferred that there is a God and that he exerciseth his prouidence vpon all mens affaires as also on the other side taking away and denying the Soules immortality then is all Iustice and Prouidēce of God yea God himselfe is taken away flatly denyed to be Therfore it resteth vpon to proue and demonstrate the immortality of it but because this point requireth a more long and prolixe discourse it shal be handled largely in the second booke here following seposed and appointed only to that end THE 14. REASON TAKEN FROM DIuers examples of diuine reuenge and benignity CHAP. XVI ALTHOVGH the chiefest punishmēt of sinne be reserued to bee inflicted in the world to come when there shal be made to all a iust recompensation for their demerits neuertheles euen in this world oftē tymes there are shewed diuers examples to put men in mind that God doth not sleepe but that he watcheth and obserueth mens actions and to intimate vnto them how seuere punishments do attend wicked men after this life Therefore though the bridle and liberty of liuing according to ech mans will and mind be giuen in this life and that diuers things may be thoght to be carried so troublesomly confusedly as that for the time no Prouidence of any diuyne power may seeme to be in mens affaires the wicked doing all things according to their sensuality and the vertuous being miserably oppressed and afflicted Notwithstanding if Man will take into his consideratiō the passages of all tymes he shall see that Gods prouidence is not so quyet still and silent but for the most part after some tyme passed the measure of the sins being once complete and filled vp in any one Country it discouereth bewrayeth it selfe by taking reuenge of the said coūtry with some heauy and notable punishment of which point there are many examples extant both in the sacred Scripture as also in prophane Authours the store whereof being so great we will insist in some of the most remarkable of them The first then may be the generall deluge in the which al mankind except eight persons was vtterly extinguished for their enormous liues The great Prophet Moyses hath discribed most elegantly this heauy punishment with al its due circumstances in the 6. 7. and 8. of Genesis in the procedure whereof the diuine Prouidence hath seuerall wayes displayed it selfe First in decreeing the abolishment and death of mankind in reuenge of their sinnes and in foretelling it to Noe a hundred and twenty yeares before it came to passe Secondly in that God for a new increase of the world caused an Arke to be made in that prescribed forme measure which might contayne the kinds of all liuing Creatures both vpon earth such as did fly and might reserue thē from destruction to wit it being 300. cubits in length fifty in breadth thirty in height which measure and largenes that it was sufficient for the receite not only of all liuing Creatures but also for meat for them for one yeare may easily be demonstrated and hath already bene made euident by learned men so as it is cleare that this proportion or quantity was appointed not by mās aduise but through the speciall direction of the diuine Wisedome Thirdly because it proceeded from the foresaid Prouidence of God that at the beginning of the deluge euery kind of liuing Creature should resort to the Arke take its fitting mansion Fourthly in that the globe of the water with the increase of the raine which fell continually for the space of forty daies and forty nights was so great as that it exceeded in height the highest hils fifteene cubits Now that so much raine could cause so great an inundation ouerflowing of water may be made iustifyable partly by reason and partly by experience Fiftly the prouidence of God was further manifested in that both so much water could fall vpon the earth and yet after could be exhaled vp in vapours and clouds all this in the space of one yeate for at the end of forty dayes the floud was come to its height and so continued during a hundred and fifty dayes the rest of that yeare to wit 175. dayes it was so wasted away dissipated dissolued into clouds that the last day of the yeare the earth being become dry Noe with his whole family and the liuing Creatures came out of the Arke therefore he continued in the Arke a whole yeare measured by the course of the Sunne that is 365. dayes for he entred into the Arke the six hundreth yeare of his life in the second moneth 17. day and he came ou◠in the 601. yeare the second moneth and 27. day so as he continued therein twelue moneths of the moone and eleuen dayes which make precisely one solare yeare Sixtly in giuing to those miserable men
man cannot possibly performe except it continueth after this life immortall Now the perfection of Mans Soule consisteth in wisdome vertue with the which her chiefest powers are beautifyed adorned and by meanes of which those powers obtayne their ends chiefe perfection But few there are who in this life giue themselues to the obtaining of wisdome and therefore the greatest part of men make small or no progresse therein and those who spend their tyme in the search or purchasing of it do scarcely get the hundreth part of that abundance of wisdome wherof the mynd of man is capable for though a man should liue a thousand yeares yet might he daily profit and increase therein yet not obtaine it in its highest measure Therfore it is necessary that the Soule of Man doth liue after the death of the body that in the next life seing in this it cannot it may come arryue to its perfectioÌ„ since otherwise in vaine should that capacity and extension of the Soule be giuen her in vaine should that vnquenchbale desire of knowledge be engrafted in her for that capacity and desire is in vayne which cannot be filled and satisfyed Besides it is most absurd to say that Nature which in the smallest most despicable things neuer doth any thing without a due purpose end should in the most noble creature of all worke and labour so much in vaine and to no designed drift or proiect THE XIIII REASON CHAP. XV. IT is certaine that the Soule of man cannot know it selfe in this life except it be very obscurely and confusedly euen as he which seeth a thing farre of through a cloud perceaueth it imperfectly as not being able to discerne the colours or lineaments of it Now this want of the Soules perfect knowledge of it selfe was the cause of so many different opinions of the Philosophers touching its owne substance some of them teaching it to be of a fiery substance others an â—yery and some others that it was a substance taken from the ayre from the soule of the world as their phrase was The Soule then knoweth not either what it selfe is or of what quality whether a simple or pure spirit or consisting of a most thin body whether it hath distinct faculties and powers in it selfe or that it performeth all her operations immediatly by it selfe what is the power and nature of those faculties how they performe their functions how the obiects do meet and associate themselues with their faculties how the organs and instruments of the senses do concurre and cooperate with the animal spirits In these and almost all other things belonging to her selfe the Soule is strangely blind and diuineth and coniectureth of them as it were in a dreame Therfore if the Soule doth perish togeather with the body she neuer knoweth her selfe but remaines ignorant thereof both when she is first ingendred whyle she liueth and after her death But now it is most fitting both in nature and reason that sometimes she might be able to contemplate her selfe to see and perfectly to apprehend her owne beauty nature and ornaments for as nothing more clearly belongeth to the Soule then her owne Nature and such things as are intrinsecall and inward to her so no knowledge is more necessary to her then the knowledge of her selfe and things appertaining to her for she is most neere and deâ—re to her selfe Therefore it must necessarily be granted that she is not extinguished after this life but that after she is once freed of the body and of all corporall obiects which afore she apprehended by helpe of the externall senses and that by meanes thereof she enioyeth her owne simplicity then shall she see her selfe distinctly and clearly and shall daily esteeme those her goods ornaments which in this life she so smally prized For one kind of vnderstanding agrees to her whiles she is tyed to this mortall body another when by meanes of the bodyes death she shal be set at liberty shal nakedly exist by her selfe For while she remaynes in the body she can know nothing perfectly but what is corporall and vnder a corporall shew wherupon it followeth that she cannot see or know her selfe but after she is once diuorced from the body she shall then take the forme and manner of vnderstanding answerable to spirits and then shall discerne spirituall things as now she apprehendeth by her eyes corporall things For the manner of knowing doth euer answere to the manner of existence and agreeth to the state of the thing which knoweth since euery thing worketh according to the manner of its owne nature THE XV. REASON CHAP. XVI THIS corporeall World as also all things contained therein were made for man as is aboue shewed for all things are disposed in that sort as they may best serue to the benefit and profit of man Thus the world seemeth nothing els then a vast house furnished withall things necessary whose inhabitant possessour or Fructuarius is man So that supposing man were not then were there no vse of the world but it should be as a desart seruing only for a denne of wild beasts and for a wood of thornes Therfore seeing all things are first instituted for man it followeth that man is a most excellent thing and created for a far greater and higher end then it can attaine in this life for seing so many different seruices of things and so wonderfull riches are prepared for man for his better and more easy leading of this short and mortall life how can it be thought that no good or happynes expecteth him after his death but that his Soule vtterly decayeth with his body Doubtlesly this is a great argument that he is ordained to enioy after his emigration passing out of this life a most noble honourable and admirable felicity happines This point is further confirmed If the Soule doth perish with the body theÌ„ it followeth that the world and al its admirable furniture was only framed by nature that man for a short season and tyme might liue eate drinke sleepe in gender and then presently for euer decay Thus this should be all the good the end and the â—ruite oâ— so worthy and admirable a worke But it is not likely that to so meane small an end the heauens should be incessantly caryed about with such a daily motion That the Sunne Moone and Starrs should still continue their courses that the change of day and night and the vicissitude or continuall circles of tymes and seasons as spring summer autumne and winter should be ordained Againe that winds should blow the clouds should be gathered togeather the showers should be powred downe that the earth should cause so many kinds of flowers and fruits should containe within its bosome such inestimable treasure that the Sea should bring forth such seuerall sorts of fish the ayre should abound with so great store of byrds Nature her selfe should so painfully labour in the producing
sweet and to be desired and on the contrary part an inward and serious reflexion and meditation of the most seuere punishments prepared hereafter for vyce and wickednes causeth the pleasure of it to seeme bitter and loathsome Now what is hertofore spoken of the operations of vertue to wit that it selfe should not be a sufficient remuneration for it selfe is to be vnderstood of those actions of vertue which can be performed in this life For we do not deny but after this life there is an action of vertue which is a reward of it selfe and of all other precedent operations of vertue And this is the cleare vision of God and the loue and ioy flowing from thence for these functions or actions of vertue are chiefly to be desired for theÌ„selues so as no other further commodity is to be expected therein seing in this vision our supreme felicity formalis beatitudo as the Schoolemen speake consisteth Now that these operations make vs happy this riseth not froÌ„ thence that they are the operations or functions of any vertues but in that they conioyne and vnyte the Soule with God who is summum verum suÌ„mum pulchrum summum bonum our chiefest truth chiefest beauty and good Wherefore from hence we may obserue that we do not place in these actions our happines as the Stoicks did in vertue for they reposed their supreme happines in vertue it selfe and in a resolution of the mynd subiect to reason not in the Obiect to the which vertue tyeth our mynd thus they made vertue it selfe to be both the formall obiectiue beatitude that is the subiect from whence this beatitude riseth and the formal cause why in these functions of vertue consisteth maÌ„s beatitude But we place not this our felicity principally in these operations of vertue but in the Obiect to the which these operations do vnyte our soule and mind so as these operations cannot be called our felicity but with reference as they are a certaine perfect vnion and vitall coniunction with our summum bonum or supreme happines Besides the Stoicks taught the operation of vertue to be in our power flowing at our owne pleasure from the freedome of our will wheras we maintayne that blessed function not to be in our owne power but to be a celestiall constant immutable and sempiternall guift diuinely infused But it may be heere obiected that glory and praise is a sufficient incytement to the study of vertue and consequently that there is no need of rewards or paynes after this life And of this opinion Tully may seeme to be who wonderfully magnifyeth this reward in these words following Nulla merces à virtute c. No other reward is to be expected for vertue then this of honour glory Of all the rewards of vertue glory is the most ample and large which comforteth the shortnes of life with the memory of posterity which maketh that being absent we are present and being dead we do liue by which degrees of honour men may be thought to ascend to heauen In like sort in another place he thus wryteth Non vita haâ— c. This is not to be tearmed life which consisteth of the body and the soule or mind but that euen that is truly life which flourisheth in the memory of all ages which posterity nourisheth and which eternity it selfe euer behoâ—deth I answere hereto and say that glory humane praise is no sufficient reward for vertue and this for diuerse reasons First because the desire of glory corrupteth the good perfectioÌ„ of vertue leauing therof only an outward shew and a mere representation for vertue as Aristotle and al Philosophers defyne it is a loue of that which is good or honest only in that respect that it is good Therefore if one do a vertuous worke not through any loue of vertue but through the hope either of profit pleasure or praise it is not the worke of true vertue but only an external pretext thereof for the inward life and as it were the soule of vertue is absent heere for as a liuing creature consisteth of soule body so a perfect worke of vertue is grounded vpon an inward liking of what is good an outward worke And as when the soule leaueth the body there remaineth only a dead Carcas euen so the desire and affection of what is good and vertuous being extinguished nothing is left but only an empty shew or image of vertue So far short then is glory and praise from being a sufficient and efficacious incytemeÌ„t of vertue as that true vertue is euen corrupted and depraued therby no otherwise then certaine hoat poisons do so stir vp awaken the sleeping spirits of a man as that they do vtterly dissolue dissipate and extinguish them Secondly Glory is not sufficient hereto because the scope and End of glory is preuailing only in certaine few externall actions which are performed vpon the open stage of the world for as it is aboue shewed it doth not excite and perswade a man to the inward affection and loue of vertue but only to the outward action this not to euery action but to such as may be most conspicuous and markable in the eyes of many For the humour of glory praise is fully satisfyed if a man seeme externally vertuous honest and valorous though in the secret closet of his soule he is found to be wicked and cowardly Therfore this desire of praise which is but an idle diuerberation or empty sound of ayre rather engendreth Hypocrites then true followers of vertue Thirdly because the reward of vertue ought to be a certaine solid and intrinsecal good which may affect the soule it selfe which is more noble then vertue since the End ought euer to be more excellent then the meanes But humane glory is a thing merely extrinsecall resting only in the perswasion and iudgement of men but bringing no perfection or worth to the mynd For what can the opinion of a coÌ„pany of poore mortall men aduantage me Or what can their speaches and words auaile me Thou maist heere reply from whence then procedeth it that almost all men are ouerruled with the desire of praise and glory For as one saith There is no such humility of mynd which cannot be mollifyed with the sweetnes of glory Which saying is so true as that this affection of Philotimy and loue of honour reputation hath suddenly crept into the mynds of most holy and deuoute men I answere that there are three causes hereof First because there is in all men an innate appetite and desire of excellency which mightily ruleth and swayeth in the mynd for there is nothing more to be desired in that which is good whether it be vertue power or nobility then to excell others in the same good Now honour is the testimony of this excellency glory a knowledge and opinion of the same excellency and praise a diuulging and dilating of the same Whereupon when
to the day of wrath In these words holy Iob insinuateth that the doctrine concerning the punishment of the wicked after this life was generally knowne and made vulgar to others besides the nation of the Iewes eueÌ„ in his owne tyme that is long before the dayes of Moyses for Iob is supposed to be more ancyent then Moyses In like sort Iob c. 20. thus further saith Luet quae fecit c. He shall pay for all things he hath done and yet he shall not be consumed he shall suffer according to the multitude of his inuentions In which words is signifyed the eternity of the torments of the wicked for the damned person shall so suffer that he shall neuer be consumed and wasted away but euer shal remaine whole to suffer fresh torments Againe in the same Chapter we read Omnes tenebrae c. All darknes shall be hid in his secret places the sire which is not blowne to wit by maÌ„s endeauour shall deuoure him that which remaineth in his tabernacles shal be destroyed 4. The fourth Psalm 11. Dominus interrogat c. The Lord will aske that is he wil try the iust and wicked but the wicked and him that loueth iniquity doth his soule hate Vpon the wicked he shall rayne snares fire and brimstome and stormy tempests this is the portioÌ„ of their cup. For the more full explication of this text it is first to be obserued that a sinner whiles he loueth sinne hateth his owne soule as here is said because he procureth to it an euerlasting euill for what hate can be greater then that which purchaseth to the hater so great a calamity Therefore euery sinner while he seemeth most to loue himselfe in doing all things which are gratefull to his lust affections and ambition doth then most hate himself to wit by falling into the greatest euil that is through an inordinate and intemperate loue of himselfe Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares These snares or nets are inextricable and indissoluble links of misery and euill for all future punishments shall become snares because they shall so firmely cleaue to the wicked as that by no art or meanes possible shall they be of force to free themselues of them for the shortest tyme. By the word shal raine two things are insinuated First that these euils shall come from a height to wit from the decree sentence of a heauenly iudge as raine descendeth from heauen SecoÌ„dly that with great force and wonderfull abuÌ„dance they shall precipitatly rush and fall vpon them fire and brinstone and stormy teÌ„pests c. to wit their hereditary portion which for euer they shall enioy Fire with which their bodyes shal burne Brimstone with which they on each side shal be encoÌ„passed And stormy tempests with the which the fire of hell and the brimstone shal be blowne In the greek text it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the spirit or force of a whirle wind In which words it may seeme to be implyed that a most rugged wind shal be stirred vp by diuine power by means wherof the fire those sulphureous lakes shall with a horrible noise coÌ„tinually be blown This kind of fragour and sound is somtimes heard for the space of many dayes in burning mouÌ„taines when they seÌ„d out fire such burning sulphureous matter Some Deuines do vnderstaÌ„d by the former phraze stormy tempests a diuine Power by the which hell fire shal be enkindled and continued 5. The fift is in Psalm 21. Pones eos c. Thou shalt make them like a fiery Ouen in time of thine anger The Lord shall destroy them in his wrath and the fire shall deuoure them The meaning of which place is that at that tyme when the Lord shall shew his anger that is when he shall iudge the world he ouerwhelme his enemies with a mighty fire so as they shall burne as if they were in an Ouen and then after he shall detrude them in his wrath into hell where they shal be tormented with euerlasting fire S. Ierome translateth the foresaid words praecipitabit eos he shall cast them downe headlong because after the fire hath once encoÌ„passed them the earth gaping wyde they shal be precipitated and cast into the gulfe of Hell In the Hebrew it is deglutiet eos because the earth shall swallow sinners vp The fire shall deuoure them Yet not so as their bodies shall perish and decay but that they shal be on euery side so encompassed with fire as that they may seeme to be absorpt and deuoured with it 6. The fixt Psalm 140 Cadent super eos carbones c. Let coales fal vpon them let him cast them into the fire and into deepe pits that they rise not againe In which words is signifyed that not any momentary flame but a solid permaneÌ„t fire such as is of burning coales shall fall vpon sinners from the high commandemeÌ„t of the supreme iudge This shall promiscuously happeÌ„ to all them at the last iudgement when through Gods appointment the fire wherewith the world shall burne shall torment sinners Let him cast theÌ„ into the fire that is first they shall here be punished with fire and then after they shal be cast into another fire to wit into Hell Those words into deepe pits that they rise not againe signify according to the Hebrew reading That after the wicked are heere punished with fire they shal be cast into that fire which is in the lowest ditches to wit into the infernall gulfe out of which they shall neuer be able to ryse 7. The seauenth Psalm 49. Laborabit in aeternum c. He shall labour for euer c. that is the sinner shal be punished for euer and shall neuer be extinguished and consumed away Againe in the same psalme we thus read Sicut Oues c. Like sheepe they lye in hel death deuoureth them that is sinners by â—eards and flocks shal be shut vp in the internall foldes like weake sheepe which cannot help themselues and death shal be their sheepheard who shall feed them with all bitternes for so the word feed is to be taken as appeareth out of the Hebrew Greeke text For in the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is death shall gouerne them as a shepheard And the Hebrew signifyeth the like Behold here the sheepheard and Prince which gouerneth the daÌ„ned By the name of death is vnderstood either the Diuell the authour of death or els it is a Prosopopeia or forging and assigning of a person vnto death And deseruedly shall they haue death there for their sheepheard who here refused life for their sheepheard which was Christ. In the foresaid psalme we also thus read Introibit c. He shall enter into the generation of his fathers he shall not liue for euer And Psalm 92. Quam magnificata c. O Lord how glorious are thy workes and thy thoughts are very deepe An vnwise man knoweth it not and a foole
spouse the Church Thou who art the fountaine of al good suffer the beames of thy infinite mercy to shyne vpon the miserable soules of all such that they may acknowledge their owne cecity blindnes and errours that they may see the danger of their owne eternall damnation that they may imbrace the certainty of thy doctrine the which thou propoundest to all by the Church and finally that they being thus illuminated may acknowledge feare loue praise and reuerence thy Maiesty and prouideÌ„ce both here during the tyme of this temporall life and hereafter for all Eternity Amen FINIS Gentle Reader PAg. 207. lin 17. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rea◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if any the like verball faults haue in otheâ— places escaped it is desired thou wouldst bâ— pleased to correct them by thy owne iudicious reading a Lib. 5. de â—â—uit cap. a Lib 1 de Leg. b Denatura Deoâ—â—â—â— Luer l 1 3. Plin. l. 1â—â— 7. l. 7. c. 55. Man and liuing Creatures CoÌ„pounded bodyes Materia Prima The heauenly Orbes The variety and beauty of things caÌ„not be referred to the Sunne Liuing Nature Mans body Plants Flowers The beauty of â—â—e inward soules or formes of things The sensitiue soule Psalm 93. The Sun not created for it selfe The stares the Orbs and all other bodyes created for the vse of a reasonable soule The motion of the Heauens ordayned for a reasonable soule The 4. seasons of the yeare Wynds showers Cloudes The benefit of wynds The beginning of riuers and welsprings The profit of showers The profit of Snow The profit of frost The wonderfull disposition of the Elements The conformatioÌ„ of the Earth Mountaines The qualityes of the earth and the sea The saltnes of the sea The Caâ—â—â—ityes The world why created Man the end of all visible things of the whole world The CoÌ„sideratioÌ„ of 〈◊〉 body Bones Muscles De formatione â—â—tus The spirits 〈◊〉 The principal parts of the body The engendring of the â—pirits How the spirits are distributed through out the body The distributioÌ„ of the bloud The distribution of the vitall spirits Systole and diastole The distributioÌ„ of the Animall Spirits The production of the brayne and its skins Six payre of sinewes from the brayne Thirty payre of sinewes from the spina dorsi The Composition of the Sinewes How the three principall meÌ„bers are throughout the whole body The thre pâ—incip Membâ—â— are 〈◊〉 in other liuinge Creatures The externall parts of liuing Creatures The shape of Birdes The making of â—ourefooted Beasts The making of fishes a â— 9. c. 33. The naturall weapons and couerings of beasts The fabricke or making of PlaÌ„ts The seminall vertue or power The maner how the seminall vertue worketh The proportion betweene the internall forme the body and betweene the body the seminall vertue The seminall vertue is the impression of a Diâ—yne Art The working of liuing Creatnres are directed to an end The Industry of irrationable Creatures The spyder The industry of Bees The industry of Emmets The Industry of the silk-worme The industry of fishes Oppianus l 5. de piscatura Aâ—lâ—anâ—s l. 8. â— 6. Plutarch de prudentia animal The Industry of Birds Beasts know what is hurtfull to them and what medicinable why naturall instincts guyde beasts like Reason God is euer present to his workes The diuersity of faces Of Pouerty That the former Miracles cannot be said to be forged As S. Augustine l. 3. de Trinit c. 8. teacheth Luke 21. Daniel â— 9. 1 v. 25. 2 v. 26. 3 v. 26. 4 v. 26. 5 v. 27. 6 v. 27. 7 v. 27. 8 v ibid. 1 l. 11. Odiss 2 Exod. 8. 9. â— reg 28. Lib. 2. cap. 7. f Ps 51 An impossible figment cannot be the cause of al vertue If there be no God theÌ„ should Wisedome extinguish all vertue Errour increase vertue VpoÌ„ the foresaid principle the best Men should be the most folish the worst the most wise Vpon the former ground Blasphemyes should not be euill Exod. 7. c. 9. 1 Exod. 16. 2 Ibid. c. 15. 3 Exod. 40. 4 Ibid. 5 Exod. 33. 6 Exod. 17. Num. 20. 7 Num. 11. 8 Num. 26. Num. 16. 28. 9 Num. 10. 10 â—bi supra â— 2â— 11 Ioan 3. 12 Exo. 17. 13 Iosue 3. 14 Ibid. cap. 6. 15 Ibid. cap. 10. 16 Iud. cap. 3. 17 Iud. cap. 3. 18 Iud. cap. 4. 19 Iud. cap. 6. 20 Iud. 10. 21 Iud. c. 14. 15. 16. 22 1. Re 13. 15. 24 3. Reg. 2. 4. 25 2. Paralip c. 13. 26 2. Paralip c. 14. 27 Ibidem 20. 28 4. Reg. 19. 2. Paralip 32. 1 Exod. 5. 2 4. Reâ—s 19. 2 Paâ—â— lip 32. Tobias 1. 3 Daniel c. 3. 4 Daniel 4. 5 Acts 12. Ioseph l. 19. â—ntiquit â— â— 7 2. Ma chab 15. 8 Leuitieus 24. 9 Iudith 6. 10 Ibid. 23. 11 2. Machab. 12 1. Reg. c. 6. 13 Ibiâ—â—â— 14 Daniel â— 15 2. Machab. 3. VVhy diuine Prodence suffereth the courses of the wicked in this VVorld The argument of the Contrary opinion The knowledge of man is illimitable 1 Lib. â— Confess c. â— Aristotle 12. Metaphys c. 9. Whether wicked Men are made in vayne to liue in the world Whether vertue be a reward of it self Pro Archia Poeta Pro Milone 2 Pro Archia Poeâ—â— 3 l. 5. de Ciuit dei c. 12. 2. Ethic. c. 4. Why are men so desirous of prayse Valerius Max c. 8. Prouer b. 22. Eccles 4. 1. Prouerb 16. â— Cor. 4. Psalm 36. Eccles 21. Homeâ— â— 11. aâ—â—bi virgil â— 8. Aenead Ouid. l. 4. Metamorph The 1. ArgumeÌ„t The 2 ArgumeÌ„t The 3. ArgumeÌ„t The Argument of Pliny The vayne iudgmeÌ„t of the Stoicks touching the Soule Vid. Epictetus dissert 1. c. 14. Seneca epist. 92. Cicero Tusc 5. The Errours of Origen The worme of Conscience Mark 9. Esay 66. Math. 13. Sinne the seed of Hell fyre Esay 30. Malach. 4. Math. 25. Psalm 138. Psal 18. Psal 99. Matâ— 5.
fayrenesse which is in the seuerall kynds of soules which comprehends in it selfe the reason and cause of the bodyes beauty and which is much more admirable then it ought to be refered to the same celestiall power Furthermore I would here demaÌ„d how it can possibly happen that any cause not capable of reason wisedome and vnderstanding could forme and make in the beginning so many diuersities of vegetatiue and sensitiue soules seing euery one of theÌ„ is so aâ—mirable and is the Effect or worke of so great a wisedome as that no humane wit is able to penetrate into the seuerall misteries of it or beget in his mynd the true and proper conceit or image thereof To conclude All the pulchritude and perfection of an Effect ought to be contained in the cause for the cause cannot giue that to the Effect which it selfe enioyeth not wherupon it followeth that all the perfection of liuing creatures and all the vigour and naturall working of the senses ought to be comprehended within that cause by the which they were first framed and this not after the same manner as they are in the creatures but after a more excellent eminent sort to wit as the worke is contained in the mynd or art of the workeman This poynt is further confirmed in that there is no cause excepting a mynd or intelligence in the which so great a diuersity of things can rest but in a mynd or intelligence it may well reside euen as the forme of a house and all the measures and proportions of it are said to be in the phantasy or vnderstanding of the artificer Ad heereto for the greater accesse increase of reason herein that himselfe who framed the soule of man endewing it with reason vnderstanding and frewill cannot possibly want reason vnderstanding and frewill but must haue them in more perfect and excellent manner For how can he want reason vnderstanding and will who first made and gaue reason vnderstaÌ„ding and will The Prophet therfore truly said Qui plantauit aurem c. He which planted the eare shall he not heare Or he that formed the eye shall he not see especially seing these are such perfections as the hauing of them is not any impediment to the fruition and enioying of greater perfections since it is far better to be indued with vnderstanding and frewill then to want theÌ„ or to haue any thing which may be repugnant to them from all these considerations then it is most euident that there is a certaine supreme Intelligence or Spirit which is the inuentour authour and architect of all these visible and inuisible beautyes in which spirit as in its cause al pulchritude splendour doth eminently exist this spirit we call God who be eternally blessed praysed and adored THE FIFTH REASON DRAVVNE FROM the structure and disposition of the parts of the world with reference to their ends CHAP. VII EVEN as not any of these things which are subiect to our sight taketh its being from it selfe but from some efficient cause so nothing is made for it selfe but with respect to some extrinsecal end to the which end the whole structure of the thing as also al its parts and faculties of its parts are after a wonderfull manner disposed and framed Therefore of necessity there must be some one most wise mynd or spirit which aforehand conceaued in it selfe all those ends and ordayned proportionable and fitting meanes to the said ends For Nature which is not capable of reason nor endued therwith as it cannot conceaue or comprehend the ends of things so neither caÌ„ it dispose or set downe sutable meanes to the said ends since this is a chiefe worke of art and wisedome we will make this manifest first in heauenly bodyes The Sunne excelling in fayrenesse all visible things is not for it selfe for it can not apprehend or reflect vpon its owne beauty but for the good benefit of other things to wit that it may enlighten the world and cherish al things with its heat not much vnlike as the hart is in man and other liuing creatures which is not for it selfe but for the good of the whole body for as the heart is in the body endued with life so the Sunne is in the whole body of the world which wanteth life This then being thus the Sunne ought to haue a certaine proportionable measure of light and quantity as also a determinate place in the world least that the light being ouer radiant shyning and great or it self in place ouer neere it should burne the earth or on the contrary side the light being too remisse smal or too far of from the earth should not sufficiently lighten it or heat it Now this disposition of a fitting quantity light and place cannot be assigned by any but only by such a mynd or spirit as is able to consider the end and the meanes and of iudgment to set downe a sorting and conuenient proportion betweene them But if the Sunne be made not for it selfe but for some external end then much more the same may be verifyed of the rest of the starres of the heauenly Orbes and of all other corporeal natural bodyes This poynt may be further fortifyed by this ensuing reason That which is for its owne selfe ought to be of that excellency and perfection as nothing can be more excellent for the good whereof this other may be ordained This is euident euen in reason since otherwise it should not be for it self but for that for the benefit wherof it is disposed Furthermore it ought to be of such a nature as that it may conceaue enioy its owne goodnes for if it hath no sense feeling hereof it is nothing aduantaged by such its excellency For what can the domination and gouerment of the whole earth profit a maÌ„ if he neither can take any pleasure therby nor knoweth that he hath such a principality or rule belonging vnto him Therefore it is an euident signe that what caÌ„ not perceaue its owne good is not made for it selfe but for some other thing to the which it becomes profitable But to apply this now no corporeall nature is so excellent but it may be ordained to some other thing more excellent more worthy for the degree of a reasonable nature transceÌ„ds and exceeds much in worth the degree of a corporeall Nature and this to the former for many vses becomes seruiceable Againe a corporeal nature cannot haue any feeling of its owne good but resteth only in being profitable and expedient for some other thing Therefore it followeth that not corporeall or bodily nature is made for it selfe but euen of its essence being is ordained to some other thing to wit to a reasonable nature for whose behoofe and good it existeth From which it may be gathered that if there were no reasonable nature then all the corporeall nature should exist as in vayne bootles as not being able to bring
related as prophecyed by Christ in 21. of Luke Cùm videritis circumdari c. When you shall see Ierusalem compassed about with an army then know that the desolation thereof is at hand Then let them which are in Iudaea flie to the mountaines and let them which are in the middest thereof depart out and let not them which are in the Country enter into it for these are the daies of vengeance that all things may be fulfilled that are written c. they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shal be led captiue into all nations c. All which that it is already accomplished is euideÌ„t out of the history of Iosephus the Iew. I omit many other predictious of our Lord as of the preaching and miracles of the Apostles of their persecution of the crucifixion of Peter of the stay of Iohn of the conuersions of the Gentils of the preaching of the Gospell throughout the whole earth of the continuance of the Church till the end of the world and the like I omit in like sort the innumerable predictioÌ„s of al the holy men which haue liued in the ages since Christ being assisted with the holy Ghost haue foretold future euents and haue reuealed many matters kept afore in great secret Now out of all these things which are here said we may gather three poynts as most true and infallible First that there is a diuyne Power who is priuy to all future euents and to the secretest things that are and by whome all humane matters are gouerned and that he reuealeth to diuers of such which truly serue and worship him those future euents whereof there are no determinate causes Secondly that Christ is the true and only Sauiour of the world since all his actions and doings were foretold by his Prophets so many ages before and since himselfe was so eminent and admirable for his birth works predictions doctrine life end and resurrection Thirdly that the faith of Christ is necessary to saluation for no man can with any shew of reason call these three poynts into question who hath with iudgment and maturity of discourse expended and waighed the forerehearsed predictions and Prophesyes THE ELEAVENTH REASON TAKEN from the being of Spirits CHAP. XIII IT is euident euen by infinite example and long experience that there are Spirits that is certaine inuisible substances indued with an vnderstanding and penetrating all things through their subtility of nature and which do far transcend and exceed all humane power wisedome and industry This is manifest first from Oracles and answeres which were accustomed to be giuen by Idols in all countryes to such as came to take counsell from them For those statuaes or images wanting altogether life and sense could not returne any answere but it was spirits or deuils entring into the said statuaes which so answered In some places these answeres were giueÌ„ by Idolatrous Priâ—stâ— who with certaine Ceremonies â—â—alling vpoÌ„ the Diuel were so possessed by them as if they had been stirred vp by some diuine power these powred out Oracles and answeres the Diuel speaking through their mouths or belly or Nauill or some other part of their body Herupon some were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ventriloqui to wit speaking through their belly These things may not only be proued from the sacred Scripture but also from prophane history for the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos and of Iupiter of Ammon and diuers others were most famous for many ages The Diuels seconded by this imposture and deceit did propagate and spread Idolatry procuring themselues by this meanes to be worshiped as Gods or diuyne powers in their images throughout the whole world for diuers ages together And euen at this day they are so honoured in India China Iapon Taâ—tarr Brasil Perù seuerall other countries So as we see it was truly said of the Prophet Psalm 95 Quoniam omnes dij c. For al the Gods of the Gentils are Idols but the Lord made the heauens Secondly the same is made demonstrable from the doctrine and practise of Nigromanticks and Magi or Wisards which are found in all places For these through certaine ceremonies and verses are able to call vp the Diuels do cause that they not only shew strange effects which necessarily imply their presence but also make them to appeare in a visible forme and to conuerse familiarly and talke with men The forme of this raising vp of spirits is described by Homer where Vlisses calleth vp Tiresias and the spirits of Orcus questioning of them touching his returne The like Negromantical euocatioÌ„ to be made by Scipio is read in Siluius by Tiresias in Statius by Oeson in Flaccus by Canidia in Horace by Ericthon in Lucane from all which it is most cleare that this thing was much vsed in those former times yea that it is most ancyent appeareth from Gods sacred writ which speaketh of the WisemeÌ„ of Pharao and of the Pythonissa and the same is made most plaine euen in this our age I meane touching the commerse association and confederacy of sorcerers and witches with the Diueâ—l 〈◊〉 the iudiciall censures against such persons and the great and daily experience had herein Thirdly this verity is further confirmed by those which are obsessed which are called Energument for two things appeareth in them which are aboue humane power One that such as are possessed do speake strange tongs which theÌ„selues neither vnderstand nor euer did learne The other that they discouer things secret or do relate things done in great distance of place as if they saw them openly Both these two things afford an euident demonstration of a certaine superiour inuisible nature by the power wherof they are performed To conclude this point of the beeing of spirits is euicted from the many apparitions of spirits which are affirmed to haue beene from the testimony of diuers most probable histories From all these proofs then it may be concluded that there are in the world spirits and that in a wonderfull great number Since in all places and from all antiquiÌ„ty they haue most ofteÌ„ manifested themselues In so much as there is no kingdome no prouince no citty no village but there remaineth some memory of their apparitions Pythagoras was of opinion as Laertius wryteth that all the ayre was full of spirits or soules And this also was the iudgement of many of other ancients who taught that euery one had his genius or spirit assigned by God Thus did Hesiode Homer Menander Trismegistus Plato and the Stoickes affirme Now iâ— there be many spirits then it ineuitably may be concluded that there is one supreme spirit to the which all the rest are subiect and at whose command they are gouerned for euery multitude of things except there be a dependency and subordination to one most high begetteth disorder and confusion And hence it is that euen among bodies there is a superiority and predominaÌ„cy of one aboue all the