Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
city_n wicked_a work_n world_n 48 3 4.1091 3 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A05370 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.; De providentia numinis, et animi immortalitate. English Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Knott, Edward, 1582-1656.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618. 1631 (1631) STC 15523; ESTC S102372 201,300 468

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

done Of this fire Dauid the Prophet speaketh Psalm 50. Ignis in conspectu c. A fire shall deuoure before him and a mighty tempest shal be moued round about him as also Psalme 97. Ignis ante ipsum c. there shall go a fire before him and burne vp his enemies round about Both which places are interpreted of the fire of the last iudgment Secondly in the foresaid words of Moyses we are to note that this fire is kindled in the wrath of God that is his will and firme resolution of punishing the wicked and this not after an accustomed fashion but after a horrible vnheard manner and such as fury is wont to suggest and inuent For the anger and wrath of God are not passions in him as they are in vs but a peaceable and quyet will in him gouerned with reasō notwithstanding it is most seuere efficacious and most powerfull inflicting eternall punishments Seing then that the effect of God herein doth equall and indeed transcend all fury it may therefore most deseruedly be called fury wrath and indignation Thirdly that this fire is to burne vnto the bottome of hell meaning hereby that that fire shall not only heere on earth burne the wicked when God shall iudge the world but also in hell and this for all Eternity Fourthly that this fire shall consume the earth that is the whole superficies of the earth what proceedeth from the earth as trees wood hearbs and all works of man now extant as Houses Cittyes the proud Palaces of Princes Towers Munitions all riches contained in them All these things shal be consumed with that fire and turned into ashes as S. Peter whose testimony hereafter we will set downe plainly witnesseth Fiftly and lastly that the foresaid fire being the minister of Gods indignation reuenge shall not only wast the vpper and exteriour parts of the earth what it shall find thereupon but also shall penetrate vnto the bowels of the earth so as it shall consume the very bottome of the highest moūtaines Whereupon it followeth that all mettals pretious stones and all other riches of the earth with the pryde whereof the world now vaunteth and insulteth so much shal be destroyed by the same fire Since all these for the most partlye in the lowest part of the mountaines and in the bowels of the earth Thus nothing shal be found of that solidity as to be able to resist the rage and fury of this fire Yea all such bodyes compounded of Elements which by a generall name are called by the Philosophers Mixta shall in a short tyme be dissolued with the force of the said fire and shal be reduced to their first principles This is insinuated in the 97. Psalm which intreateth of the Iudgement to come though in a propheticall manner it speaketh of things as though they were already performed for thus the Prophet there saith Montes sicut cera c. The mountaines melted like waxe at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth And in Iudith likewise c. 16. we thus read Montes à fundamentis c. The mountaines leape vp from their foundations c. The rockes melt at thy presence like waxe We know by experience that through vehemency of heat stones are dissolued ●ūne through the plaines of the fields like to a fiery torrent Now all these effects which are wrought by this fire are showes and forerunners of the horrible interminable punishment of the wicked 2. The second testimony is taken out of Iudith 16. Dabit ignem c. The Lord shal sēd fire wormes vpon their flesh that they may feele and be burnt for euer In which words we fynd expresly that the punishments of the wicked shal be for Eternity The like place hereto is that of Ecclesiasticus c. 7. Memento irae c. Remember that vengeance wil not slacke Humble thy mind greatly for the vengeance of the wicked is fire and wormes But to returne to the former text of Iudith The Lord shall send fire vpon their flesh This is said because the very bodyes of the wicked shall instantly after the resurrection be punished with fire and shall so burne like wood as that they shall not need any externall matter to nourish the same although this also shall not be wanting both which two things shall hereafter be explicated out of other passages of Scripture But to proceed to the words following of the foresaid text And wormes c. I do not thinke that these wormes shal be corporall so as they shall hurt the flesh of the dāned with their teeth though some graue Authors may seeme to hold the contrary for to what end shall it be needfull to make such base and vile creatures immortall by force of a new miracle and to liue in a most raging fire for the punishing of men seeing the bytings of any beast whatsoeuer in comparison of the paines of that fire are to be estemed but as sports and of no moment I here omit that the damned by reason of their fury and impatiency shall wound with their teeth both themselues and their fellowes Therefore by the name of wormes in this place may be vnderstood those very small sparkes and flames of fyre which in a thousand places breake out of the flesh of the damned like vnto little wormes or els the worme of Conscience may be signifyed thereby whose most bitter byting gnawing doth in hel afflict euen the body And ● that this construction may the rather be admitted it is to be knowne that two seuerall cogitatiōs do daily present themselues to the minds of the damned to wit not only that through their sinnes they are depriued of eternall glory the which they might with small labour and paines haue purchased but also that they are mancipated and bound to euerlasting torments which easily whiles they liued they might haue auoyded Now from hence is engendred a double griefe which with extreme bitternes gnaweth byteth like a worme the heart of those miserable soules And these former cogitations afflictions of spirit are most stinging wormes whose bytings are the chiefest torments of the damned For the apprehension of so incomprehensible a good lost and so infinite and insufferable a punishment to be endured and both these for all eternity more afflicteth the wicked then the only paine of hell fire doth This point may be confirmed in that out Lord in the Ghospell the Prophet Esay in his booke do expresse the torments of the wicked by fire by the word worme If then the foresaid double cogitation and the double griefe proceeding from thence be not vnderstood thereby thē the chiefe torment of the damned may seeme to be omitted and not spoken of by eyther of thē 3. The third is in Iob. 21. Interrogate quemlibet c. Aske them that goe by the way c. For the wicked is kept vnto the day of destruction and he shal be brought forth
ages it hath done seeing it belongeth and is peculiarly incumbent to the office of a Gouernour not to suffer the wicked to rule and sway much but to chastice them with diuers punishmēts therby not only to cause them to cease from afflicting the vertuous but also by amending their manners to affect and prosecute a vertuous life And for example heereof let vs suppose any one Citty the which the worst most wicked mē do daily gouerne who without any feare of lawes cōmit rapyne vpon the goodes of their neighbours do violate and desile the beds of others and without restraint do satisfy their lusts in all things who would say that this Citty ēioyed a Gouernour that is wise and prouident Wherefore since in the whole world there is such disturbance of order that we can hardly conceaue a greater perturbation then it i● to wit the religious worshippers of God to be oppressed to endure extreme want and other calamities to liue in a despicable and contemned state of life and finally most miserably to dy and on the contrary syde the wicked to gouerne sway all to liue affluently abundantly in all riches to insult ouer the vertuous to wallow in sensuality lastly to haue a quyet end and death Now who would here think saith the Atheist that Prouidence by the which all thinges are dispensed and giuen in an euen measure should haue any presidency or power in the vnequall disposall of these worldly affaires For from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and want of order and from this confusion of things the former men did coniecture that there was no supreme gouernour which had any care in the dispensatiō of temporal busines This argument is the chiefest for the strengthing of this most wicked assertion which preuailed much not only with some of former auncient tymes but also with diuers in our daies Secondly they obiect that it is euident euen by experience it selfe that mens negotiations busines receaue their successe for the most part answerable to the industry endeauours employed in them not according to the right equity of the mater hēce say they it procedeth that many waging most iniust wars haue obtained the victory either because they were more numerous powerful in souldiers● or in that they were more industrious painful in their designments In like sort such men as maintaine vnlawful suites do oftentymes by periuryes and false witnesses purchase the sentence of the Iudge Finally we find that mens owne industry and laboriousnes doth much more predominate and rule ouer all their mutuall commercements then the prouidence or influence of any higher cause Al which obseruations may seeme to intimate that there is no superiour Diuyne Power gouerning and moderating mens actiōs but that euery one is lest to his owne particuler prouidence and watchfullnes Thirdly we see that things consisting of nature do euer proceed after one the same manner keeping one immoueable course order Thus the Sunne euer ryseth setteth rūneth the same circles occasioning with his approach the Spring and Sūmer with his departure the Autume Winter in like sort things natural do grow and after decay or dye still one thing begetting another without cessatiō or end to the perpetuating of the same species or kind which is a signe that all things are gouerned by the force of Nature and that there is no other higher power then Nature her selfe by the which all these thinges are effected Fourthly we obserue that man is first begotten formed in his mothers wōbe borne increaseth comes to his full groth or vigour growes old and dyes after the same māner as other more perfect liuing creatures do and that he consisteth of the said members and organs therfore there is the like end of mās life as of other creatures and as they do vtterly perish away after death s also doth man Lastly if there be any supreme spirit or diuine nature it is credible that it doth not intermedle with mans affaires nor busieth it selfe with things done among vs. First because this seemeth vnworthy the maiesty of so great a Deity for as a mighty Monarch doth not trouble himselfe with the particuler actions of his Cittizens workemen or bond-slaues litle regarding what they say thinke or do as houlding the care of such small matters to be an indignity to his regall state In lyke sort Men scorne the labour busines of Ants or flees as not regarding their policy or course they hould But now in reference comparison to that supreme power we men are far lesse inferiour then the Ants. Furthermore seing that Diuinity is perfectly blessed containing all sufficiency within it selfe and seeking nothing that is extrinsecall or externall why then should it be sollicitous and carefull of our Actions Finally the former point seemes true in regard that by the meanes of humane things howsoeuer they happen there is neither any more neere approach or further distance from the sayd Deity Other Arguments to proue the same then are here alledged I fynd none and these former arguments are answered solued in the fiue last Chapters of this first booke THAT THERE IS ONE SVPREME Power by whose Prouidence all things are gouerned is made euident by many reasons CHAP. II. BVT the contrary sentence of this poynt is to be acknowledged and set downe as an inexpugnable verity to wit that there is a supreme Diuyne Power by whose prouidence and wisdome all things both humane others are gouerned and this power we cal God Now this truth is not to be belieued only by force of diuine reuelation but also is made most euident by many reasons and demonstrations which are most obuious and familiar vnto vs and are to be apprehended euen by our senses For although a diuine nature or diuinity in respect of it selfe is altogether inuisible notwithstāding there appeare so many perspicuous notes and prints thereof in sensible thinges so many footsteps euery where finally so many sparcles of this light or splendour are shining in euery thing as that who will diligently insist in the cōtemplation of them cannot possibly doubt either of the being of a God or of his Prouidence Fourteene or fifteene reasons do occurre to me from which this truth receaueth its proofe or rather demonstration which I wil briefly here explicate to wit first from the generall confession of all Countryes and wisemen 2. From the motions of the heauens 3. From that that thinges corporall and subiect to sight cannot receaue their first being from themselues 4. From the pul●hr●●ude and beauty of things and from the structure and position of parts in respect of the whole 5. From the structure of the parts of the world in reference to their end 6. From the structure and position of parts in liuing Creatures and plants in reference also to their ends 7. From that that the actions and operations of all things most directly orderly tend to their end
Againe when Alexander the Macedon did take by force Miletum a most strong citty in Ionia and that some of the souldiers burst into the temple for the spoyling of it suddenly a flame of fyre burned and blinded the eyes of them all as Lactantius wryteth lib. 2. cap. 8. and Valerius Maximas lib. 1. c. 2. Appius Claudius the Censour for taking away of sacred things of the false Gods was stroken blind Fuluius the Censour in that he tooke certaine marble tyles or plate out of the temple of Iuno Lascinia with the which he couered the building which he made at Rome called Aedes Fortunae Equestris became madd and in the end dyed through griefe conceaued for the losse of his two sonnes in the warrs in Greece Pirrhus King of the Epirots for robbing the treasury of Proserpina Locrensis suffred shipwracke vpon the shores neerest to that Goddesse where there was after nothing to be found safe but the siluer which he had taken afore These things are related out of ancient wryters by Lactantius lib. 2. cap. 8. and diuers other approoued authours make mention of the like euents in this kind For answere hereto it is to be said that these punishments do not proceed from the true God but from the Diuells who are emulous of diuinity who that they may be accounted Gods and that they may the more easily extort diuine honours endeauour to imitate the custome proceeding of the true God And from hence it riseth that there are so many visions apparitions and Oracles so many false and adulterate miracles perfourmed by them so many benefits seeming to be bestowed by them vpon their worshippers and so many punishments inflicted vpon such as seeme more negligent in their honours for by their prestigious sleights and endeauours it was brought to passe that a statua or Image of Iuno Veiensis spoke to a souldier that it intended to go to Rome that the Goddesse Fortune was accustomed to denounce perill danger in a Womans forme or show that a ship drawne with a string did follow the hand of Claudia that Rome should be freed of the plague if a serpent were sent from Epidaurus that Ceres Theb●n● Ceres Milesia Proserpina Locrensis and Iuno Lascinia did Ireuenge themselues vpon those who bore themselues sacrilegiously towards them finally that for the same matter Hercules tooke punishment of Appius Iupiter of Atinius and Apollo of a souldier of Scipio But of this point see more in Lactantius l. 2. c. 17. God suffered these euents both for the sinnes of those men who deserued to liue vnder the tiranny of the Diuells as also because the Heathens in committing indignities against their false Gods did either sinne against their conscience which perswaded them that there was a kind of diuinity in them or otherwise committed these disgraces with contempt not only of false Gods but also of all diuine and supernaturall power whatsoeuer For seeing they were ignorant of the true God the creatour of all things and with all did know by the light of reason that those vulgar powers which were worshipped of the common sort were no Gods they might more easily be induced to thinke that there was no diuine power at all by the which the world is gouerned but that all things had their being and euent by a fatall necessity or bytemerity and rashnes of fortune And from this ground it is that among the Iaponians thē of China such as are ignorāt are eyther Atheists and open contemners of all diuinity or at least do greatly fluctuate stagger in their iudgments therein Therfore when the Heathens as in the examples aboue related do commit any sacrilegious act against their false Gods either they sinne against their conscience in the which they belieue that there is a certaine diuinity in those Gods or els they sinne through a generall contempt of all diuine power wherfore whatsoeuer the reason is it is not strange if the Heathens suffer punishments for such their actions Neither is it any preiudice to what is deliuered in this Chapter that among blasphemous sacrilegious and periured men there is a far greater number of those who are not punished in this life then of those who are punished Seing this is no signe or argument of any defect or want of Prouidence but only of the delaying of the punishment For it doth not necessarily belong to the nature of prouidence to punish all sinnes in this world but to suffer actions and things for the tyme to be carryed according for the most part to the forces of the worker the chiefest punishment being reserued for the tyme to come Since otherwise mankind would shortly be extinguished and the offices or operations of vertue would rather seeme to be seruilely coacted and enforced then free or proceeding from any ingenuous or generous lyking of vertue It is certaine that Prouidence manifesteth it selfe sufficiently if it taketh punishment of some particular men in this world after an vnaccustomed manner and this in the eye of the world with admiration and astonishment of all as acknowledging the secret hand of Gods power and omnipotency therein THE ARGVMENTS ANSVVERED which are brought against the being of a Prouidence and a Deity CHAP. XVIII THE first argument against a diuine Prouidence may be this Yf the world be gouerned by the Prouidence of some supernatural power then would not impiety wickednes so much preuaile and predominate nor haue such prosperous euents against vertue and innocency for it may seeme chiefly to belong to the prouidence of a gouernour not to giue the bridle of liuing loosely to the wicked but to curbe them and force them to better courses and on the other side to defend and cherish the pious and to aduance them to honours and riches Yf in any great Citty the most licentious and prophane persons should continually gouerne and sterne all matters wronging with all impunity others and the vertuous should euer rest thus afflicted who would say that this Citty were gouerned by a prouident iust Ruler Wherfore seeing in the world we may obserue such a perturbation of Order as that a greater can hardly be conceaued to wit the wicked ruling and doing euery thing to their owne sensuality and the vertuous miserably afflicted oppressed all which may seeme to impugne that the world is gouerned by one supreme Prouidence which iustly disposeth and measureth all things I answere hereto and say that the prophane Athists do chiefly ground themselues vpon this argument as also that the faithful are sometimes troubled and distracted therwith as the Prophet Dauid in his Psalme 72. insinuateth himselfe to haue bene moued herein But the answere hereto is obuious facile and easy For as there is a double end the one belonging to this temporal life to wit the tranquillity and peace of the common wealth the other to the life to come and this is the eternal glory in heauen euen so we are to consider a double Prouidence wherof
sh●●●odow after the seauen first weekes the Mess●●s shal be slaine that is after 483. yeares or ●●●●e 70. weeke And it shal not be his people which shal deny him c. that is the people of the Iewes shal not be accoūted any longer as the people of God And the prince shal come and shal destroy the ●i●y and the sanctuary c. that is the Roman army with Titus and V●spasian And the end therof shal be with a ●lo●d and vnto the end of the battel it shal be destrored by desolations c. To wit which God 〈◊〉 and foretold And he shal cōfirme the couenānt with many in one weeke that is Christ being the captaine shal confirme his Euangelical law by many miracles and many wayes in the last week to wit the 70. Weeke for Christ after his baptisme preched three yeares and some months And in the weeke he shal cause the sacrifice the oblation to cease c. For Christ suffering death in the m●●dest of the last wèeke the reason of al the old sacrifices shal cease which were instituted to prefigure the sacrifice of the Cro●●e And there shal be in the Temple the ab●ominatiō of desolation c. In which wordes is m●nuated the detestable faction of the Zelotyts which was the cause of the whole desolation ouerthrow as ●os●phus sheweth Lib. 6. de bello ●udaic cap. 16. c. 4. l 7. Or otherwise it is signified hereby that the army of the Gentils causing the desolation vastity shal not only pos●es●e destroy the citty but also the T●ple And the desotion shal continue vntil the consumation and end of the world c. Al which things the last only excepted we see fulfilled and therfore we are not to doubt but this last also shal be performed seeing that the desolation dispersion of the fewes haue already cōtinued almost 16. ages 26. The conuersion of the Gentils to the faith of Christ is prophesyed in Gen●● 18. In semine tuo c. In thy seed all nations shall be blessed And in Psal 22. Reminiscetur c. Al the ends of the world shal remember and turne to the Lord and al the kinreds of the nations shall worship before thee for the kingdome is the Lords and he ruleth ouer nations c. The same is prophesyed also in Isay 49. Parum est c. It is a smal thing that thou shouldest be my seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iacob and to restore the desolatiōs of Israel I wil giue thee for a light of the Gentils that thou maist be my health vnto the end of the world And in c. 66. I will send those that haue escaped of them vnto the nations of Affricke Lydia Italy and Greece and vnto the Isles a far of that haue not heard my fame nor haue seene my glory and they shall declare my glory among the Gentils and from all nations they shall bring an offering vnto God These and many other were foretold of our Lord by the Prophets many yeares before his incarnation which we fynd to be already accomplished But our Lord himselfe as prescious and foreknowing of all things deliuered also wonderfull predictions in which he manifested his diuinity of which I will relate some For he foretold most particularly and in order all the seuerall passages of his Passion as in Matth. 20. Ecce Ascendimus c. Behold we goe vp to Ierusalem and the sonne of man shal be deliuered vnto the chiefe Priests and vnto the Scribes and they shall condemne him vnto death and shall deliuer him vnto the Gentils to be mocked and to be scourged and the third day he shall rise againe Which is oftē els where insinuated in Math. c. 16. 17. and 26. Marke 9. Luke 10. Iohn 3. 2. The abnegation and denyall of Peter in Marke 14. For thus saith our Lord to him Amen dico ti●i c. Amen I say vnto thee this day euen in this night before the Cock crow twace thou shalt deny me thrice Doubtlesly this so particular and precise a prediction was most strange especially seing that at the speaking of these words Peter seemed most constant and firme and that the tyme of this euen was so short and that his premonition might haue bene a sufficient forewarning vnto Peter From which former words of Christ we may not only gather that he knew this thing so to come to passe but also knew that telling Peter afore hand of it should not in any sort hinder preuent the euent 3. His prodition or betraying of Iudas and the flight of his disciples in Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. Iohn 13. 4. The meeting of the man carrying a vessell of water was prophecyed in Marke 14. and Luke 22. Mittit duos c. He sent two of his d●s●●ples and sa●d vnto them Goe into the 〈◊〉 and ibere shall a man mee ●e you bearing a pitcher of water Follow him and whither soeuer he goeth●m say to the Maister of the house Our maister saith where is the resectory where I shal eate the Pasche with my disciples And he shal shew you a great chamber adorned there prepare for vs. So his disciples went forth and came to the citty and found as he had said vnto them 5. The like prediction of the ●oale of the Asse is in Luke 19. and Math. 12. touching the coyne of siluer in the mouth of the fish which was first to be taken we haue it foretold in Math. 17. Vt autem non scandalizemus eos c. And that we may not scandalize them goe to the sea and cast in a hooke and take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt fynd a peece of twenty pence that take and giue it to them for me and thee In which words he sheweth himselfe not only to foreknow things to come but also to be the Lord both of the sea and fishes as hauing in his power all things though they be absent far distant from him 6. Lastly touching the euersion and finall destruction of the Iewes we read it foreshewed in Math. c. 24. Videtis haec omnia Do you see all these things Amen I say vnto you there shall not be ●eere left a stone vpon a stone which shall not be destroyed As also in Luke c. 19. Videns ciuit at●m fleuit c. He beheld the Citty and wept vpon it saying Because if thou hadst knowne and that in this thy day the things which appertaine to thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes for the daies shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall compasse thee with a tr●●●h and enclose thee about and straiten thee on euery side and ●all beat thee flat to the groūd and thy children which are in thee and they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou hast not knowne the tyme of thy visitation The same matter is also
the Immortality of the Soule THE SECOND BOOKE WHEREIN Is proued the Immortality of the Soule CHAP. I. IN the former booke we haue demonstrated that there is a God and a diuine Prouidence In this second the Immortality of the soule is to be proued For these two Articles are in themselues so linked together as that they do reciprocally presuppose the one the other for admitting the one for true the other doth ineuitably follow For if there be a God and a Prouidence it is necessary that the Soule after this life be immortal that it may be rewarded according to its merits and if the Soule doth liue after death it then must needes be that there is a God and a Prouidence which is to dispense to euery one answerably to the deserts of ech mans life as incidētally we haue shewed out of Chrysostome Againe supposing that there is no Prouidence or deity then is the immortality of the Soule taken away and supposing no immortality of the soule then is the being of a Deity denyed of which point we shall heearefter speake Now because this sentence of the Soules Immortality may be fortifyed and strengthned with many other reasons and that there are not few who do doubt thereof although perhaps they may seeme not altogether to doubt of a deity or of a Prouidence I hould it worthy the labour to discusse this point more elaborately and particulerly And here we dispute of the Soule of mā not of beasts for it is euident that this is mortall and corruptible since it desireth nothing nor reposeth its delight in any thing but what belongeth to the benefit and pleasure of the body Therefore that the soule of man which as it is endued with vnderstanding and freewill is called Animus or Mens is immortall may be demonstrated by many arguments which we will here briefly and clearly set downe And first if authority should sway or determyne the point herein it is certaine that whosoeuer haue bene at any tyme noted for eminency of wisedome haue belieued the soule of man to be immortall to wit the Sagi and wisemen among the Hebrewes or Iewes among the Chaldeans the Egiptians with their Trismegistus Mercurius among the Indians the Gaules whom they called Druides In like sort the Pithagorians the Platonicks with their first Maisters the Stoicks vnanimously maintayned the Soules Immortality though diuers of them were deceaued in this that they thought al the Soules of men to be certaine partes or particles taken frō Anima mūdi or the Soule of the world which they said was God that they were to be dissolued in the conflagration and burning of the world and being then dissolued they were to returne to their simple forme to wit into the soule of the world like as mixted bodies are resolued into the Elements of which they are framed What Aristotle thought herein is somewhat doubtfull because he speaketh variously and vncertainly yet in his secōd booke de ortu animalium c. 3. he thus writeth Solam mentem c. Only the soule of Man entreth into the body from without and it only i● a certaine diuine thing and the reason hereof is because the operation or working of the body doth not communicate it selfe with the operation of the Soule Now the soules of other liuing Creatures he affirmeth to be ingendred in the matter through the force of the seed in that all their operations depend vpon the body Now heere he euidently teacheth that mans Soule doth not depend of the body and therefore it is not ingendred by the vertue of the seed but proceedeth from without Vpon which ground or reason diuers followers of Aristotle do ascrybe the sentence of the Soules immortality to Aristotle To conclude all men whosoeuer that haue bene illustrious and markable either for sanctity of life the gui●t of Prophecy or working of miracles haue euidētly and indubiously houlden the Soules Immortality and who haue denyed the same were for the m●●●●art most impious and wicked men as the Epicureans the Atheists Now if this point should be discussed by Philosophicall reasons the aduerse opinion would ●ynd small firmnes therin seing that reason wherupon it chiefly grounds it selfe is most weake This reason is taken from the similitude of bodyes which is found betwene Man and Beast For we see say the Patrons of this heathenish opiniō that men and beasts are conceaued formed borne nourished do also increase grow old and dye after one and the same māner In like sort they consist of the like parts of the body both internall and externall which like parts haue the like vses in them both Therefore conclude they that whē a beast dyeth and breatheth out his last the Soule vanisheth euapourateth it selfe into nothing nor any thing of it remaineth after life so also it may seeme to be said that man dying his soule also dyeth and turneth into nothing But this reason is most feeble and of no force for though there be a great affinity betwene the soule of Man as it is endued with reason is called Mens the soule of beasts the difference is infinite frō the which great disparity we may deseruedly gather that the Soule of man as being of a high and diuine order or nature dyeth not though that of beasts is absolutly extinguished euen with the body For beasts do not perceaue in any sort those things which belong to men neither is there any communication or commerce of busines or deliberation betwene man and them As for example dogs and horses know not whether their maister be rich or poore noble or ignoble old or young healthfu● or diseased maryed or vnmaryed vertuous or wicked an Italian or a Germane None of these I say do beasts vnderstād or make difference of whereupon it followeth that they neither conceaue griefe nor ioy of those thinges which happen to men Againe they see the Sunne the Moone trees houses cittyes and villages but they know not nor thinke what they are to what end they are directed or from whēce how they proceed All their knowledge is restrayned to few things to wit to those things as are pleasing or displeasing to their nature Of these only they iudge and this after a confused and brutish manner conceauing them vnder the shew and title of being profitable or disprofitable conuenyent or inconuenyent for they loue not their maister for any other respect but because by the help of their phantasy they apprehend him vnder the shew of profit in that he giueth them meat or the like In like sort on the contrary part the sheep● flyeth the wolfe for no other cause but by reason that by instinct of nature he conceaueth him as his enemy Therfore seing beasts haue a knowledge so imperfect and limited and apprehend nothing but what appertaineth to the cōseruation of their bodyes and lyues nor are delighted or grieue at any thing but in respect as that thing affecteth their body well or