this corporall life consisteth in the preseruation of those instruments which the soule vseth in the body and that the chiefest of them is heate the second moysture agreeable to the heate which must needes haue something to feede it and keepe it in a moderate stay Lastly wee learned that the nourishing and cherishing of the heate is the preseruation of the moysture and therefore those liuing creatures that are best able to mainteine and keepe these two qualities within themselues are of longest continuance in life So that the chiefe naturall cause of the long continuance of life consisteth in euery mans composition namely if it be hot and moyst by due proportion both in the sinewes and in the marrow in the liquors and humors and in the spirits The second cause consisteth in the long continuance of this temperature which being interrupted and marred by diseases the instruments of life are thereby also spoyled so they failing life it selfe must needes cease Whereupon death ensueth euen as when the instruments and tooles of some handicraftes man are worne and faile him it cannot be but that his arte and occupation should also be at an ende So that death is a defect of those instruments of the soule whereby life is prolonged For the soule leaueth the body by reason of the defect of instruments and not for any disagreement that is betweene the body and it as may appeare by this that it was not any proportion or agreement that ioyned the soule and the body together For albeit a workeman vseth his instruments yet there is no proportion and agreement betweene him and them in regard of the matter and forme of him and of his tooles vnlesse peraduenture this proportion may be imagined 〈◊〉 be betweene the arte of the workeman as he is a workeman and betweene the aptnesse of the toole he vseth whereby it is made fit for the doing of that which the workeman hath in hand Seeing then all life consisteth both in heate as we haue already sayd and also in moysture requisite for the heate wee call that naturall death when heate faileth by reason that the moysture is dryed vp through the heate that drinketh it vp which heate also in the end vanisheth away euen as a lampe doeth when the oyle of it is consumed But that is called a violent death when through some accident either the moysture is drawne out of the body or the heate is put out and extinguished either by some inward or els some outward oppression and violence Internall violence is either by poyson or by gluttony and drunkennes or by such excesse as a when a lampe goeth out because there is too much oyle powred into it And if this oppression be done outwardly it is called externall as when the ayre and breath that refresheth the heart is shut vp and reteined either in the sharpe artery or in the mouth For it is as if a fire were suddenly couered and choked by some great heape of stones or of earth or of ashes layde vpon it We heard before that if the Lungs had no respiration by the mouth nostrils no man could breath but he should be choked by and by as we see it by experience in them that are strangled The reason hereof is because the pipe that reacheth from the Lungs to the throat is so closed vp that it is altogether stopr or at least so narrow and strait that there is not space enough for the ayre and breath to passe in and out by We see also dayly how this windpipe is troubled if whiles wee eate or drinke there fall into it a litle crumb of bread or meate or els a drop of water or of wine or of any other drinke yea although it were but a little drop of our owne spettle For the breath that ascendeth vp from the lungs by this pipe will not suffer any other thing to enter in thereat except it be as subtill and thinne as the ayre is but it driueth it vpward insomuch as when that happeneth to any man hee is in great paine and as it were stifeled for the time We see the like also in the cough For from whence proceedeth it but onely of those distillations that descend from the braine vnto the lungs by this pipe And truely the consideration of all this ought to be vnto vs in place of an other speciall testimony of the infirmitie of our nature that wee may alwayes learne the better by this to humble our selues For what an excellent gift is this life which God hath giuen to man and yet a matter of nothing will depriue him of it For let his breath onely bee taken away which is but a little winde and beholde hee is stifled and dead by and by And for the taking away of his breath and so of his life withall there needeth nothing else but the stopping of his mouth and nosethrilles or of his windepipe onely which is soone done and hee is dispatched presently without all help and remedy by man Therefore Esay hath a good speach depart saieth he from the man whose breath is in his nosethrilles for wherein is hee to be esteemed In a worde his meaning is that man is but as it were a little winde and blast as if hee had his life in his nosethrilles and as if it were as easie a matter to take away his life as his breath Moreouer the mixture and temperature of all the elementary qualities and of all the humours is so necessary for life as wee haue already heard that if anie one be wanting our life can not continue But the chiefest and most necessary of all are heate and moisture placed in the blood which is so necessary for the maintenance of life that after it is out of the body death followeth presently Concerning the members of the body it hath beene tolde vs already that there are som of thē without which the body can not keep life nor bee kept therein amongest which the heart is the chiefest of all for the reasons which wee haue already heard Nowe these things standing thus wee must consider what difference there is betweene the death of bruite beastes and that of man namely this that the soule of beastes perisheth vtterly in their death as doeth the vigour of mens senses in the death of man But the soule of man suruiueth after the death of his body and continueth alwayes in beeing and in life For considering that beastes doe in this life all that can bee done by them according to those giftes which they haue receiued of nature therefore they liue and die heere altogether hauing nothing bestowed vpon them for an other better life But forasmuch as GOD hath giuen vnto man a diuine and immortall spirite which hath heere great impediments and can not well exercise all his offices it is requisite that it shoulde haue an other life wherein it may display all the vertues it hath and
and immortall qualities And so doeth the Apostle expound it saying in the same place The bodie is sowen in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour it riseth in glorie it is sowen in weakenesse and is raised in power It is sowen a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie there is a naturall bodie and there is a spirituall bodie As it is also written The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirite Whereupon wee haue to note that Saint Paul speaketh still of the selfe same bodie which remaineth alwayes one in substance But forasmuch as it altereth in qualities and kinde of life therefore as hee calleth it spirituall in regarde of the Spirite of Christ and of his spirituall and heauenly vertues by which hee changeth the first qualities of it as the Apostle teacheth vs by such as are opposed against them so it is also called an animall or naturall body of the soule which giueth vnto it onely that naturall life that it hath in this worlde and not that spirituall and immortall life which it shall haue after this For the soule which nowe can giue none but this mortall life by reason of sinne shall then haue another vertue when sinne shall bee wholly abolished to giue vnto the body an immortall and blessed life by meanes of that spirituall and diuine vertue of Iesus Christ whereby it shall bee quickened that it may quicken the body with the same life But because this worde Animal deriued from Anima that signifieth the soule is not very common in our English tongue wee finde in the vsuall translation of these places of Saint Paul alleadged by vs these wordes naturall and sensuall insteade of animal which the Greeke worde properly signifieth Therefore in expounding the sence of these kindes of speech vsed by the Apostle wee must vnderstand that hee doeth not call animal or sensuall and naturall the body of man onely or man by reason of his body onely but the whole man compounded of body and soule For hee is altogether animal that is naturall and sensuall both in body and soule without Christ Iesus but being in him so long as hee liueth in this worlde hee is both animal that is to say naturall and sensuall and also spirituall First hee is animal both because hee is not yet perfectly regenerated as also because hee is not yet immortall and glorified as hee shall bee after his resurrection On the other side hee beginneth euen nowe to bee spirituall because hee hath a beginning of regeneration wrought in him which being once made perfect hee shall bee regenerated much more absolutely and made wholly conformable to Iesus Christ both for immortallitie and eternall happinesse For then hee shall be no more animal naturall sensuall and spirituall altogether but onely spirituall according as I haue already declared Wherefore let vs knowe that euery one shall retaine still the selfe same body and soule which hee hath in this life but by reason of that change of euill qualities which being in both shall bee made in the other life Saint Paul calleth it spirituall and not for any conuersion that shall bee of the bodie into the spirite For as a man is called animal in regarde of the soule that is giuen him because the soule is the chiefest thing in him so hee is called spirituall in respect of the other life and of the excellencie that shall be added to the soule and by the soule to the body through the heauenly and spirituall vertue and power of Iesus Christ Nowe then seeing the soule is taken in the holie Scriptures for the naturall life which is not without affections wee may see it sometimes also put for them Therefore when the worde of God woulde expresse a great affection of loue it sayeth of the sonne of Sichem that his soule claue vnto Dinah and after it is added that hee loued her and spake to the heart of the maide that is to say kindely and as her heart coulde wish In like manner it is written of Iacob that his soule was bound to the soule of Beniamin his sonne to signifie that hee loued him tenderly as his owne soule and life And of Ionathan it is saide that his soule was knit with the soule of Dauid which phrase is afterward expounded by the Scripture where it is saide that Ionathan loued Dauid as his owne soule Wee are also commaunded to loue GOD with all our soule as also with all our heart and minde Therefore Iesus Christ sayeth that whosoeuer seeketh and saueth his soule shall lose it but hee that hateth and loseth it for his sake shall finde it and saue it vnto eternall life In which wordes the soule is not onely taken for the life but also for all the commodities thereof and for the desires of the flesh such as are glorie honours riches pleasures delights ease and all kinde of prosperitie for the obtaining of which things many turne aside from the way of saluation and take the path that leadeth to destruction Also we reade many places in the Scriptures in which the soule is taken not only for the whole person liuing but also for the person dead yea for the dead body and sometimes for the spirite separated from the body But wee must well consider in what sence there is mention made of the death of the soule Balaam wisheth that his soule might die the death of the iust but hee speaketh after the manner of the Hebrews who vse many times to say My soule and thy soule for my selfe and thy selfe or for my person and thy person according to that before mentioned that the name of soule and of flesh are often taken for the whole man and for that which wee call Person For this cause whereas Moses sayde that GOD sware by himselfe Ieremie and Amos say that hee sware by his soule in the same sence and signification Likewise the name of Soule is not onely taken for a liuing person but also for him that is dead as when it is written in the Law Let none of you be defiled by the dead among his people it is in the Hebrew ouer the soule of his people that is ouer the dead body of any of the people by touching it after it is dead And when Iob saieth that the soule of a man draweth to the graue and his life to the buryers and that God deliuereth his soule from going into the pit he taketh not the name of soule for that spirituall essence that giueth life vnto man but for the life it selfe or for the man and body it selfe which is laide in the graue after death So that his meaning is no other then to say that God deliuereth man from death whereby otherwise he should be brought into the pit And when Dauid saith Lord thou hast brought vp my soule out of
the graue hee sheweth after very euidently what he vnderstandeth by his soule when he saieth Thou hast reuiued me from them that goe downe into the pit Hee taketh this worde Soule in the same sense when he saieth that God deliuered his soule from death and from the midst of lions and when he prayeth him to deliuer his soule from the sword his desolate soule from the power of the dogge For it is easie to iudge by these wordes that he taketh not the soule in these places for the essence of the soule and proper substance thereof because the soule can not be smitten with the sword nor deuoured of lions nor carried away by dogges Therefore seeing the soule is so often put in the Scripture for corporall life which endeth with the body and which the soule giueth vnto it by meanes of those instruments which it hath in the body the name of Spirite is many times vsed therein to signifie more specially this essence and spirituall substance which wee call the soule and which may be separated both from the body and blood as that which liueth after the death of the body Therefore Dauid did so vse the word Spirite when he recommended his soule to God by the same wordes which Iesus Christ vsed vpon the crosse Afterward Saint Steuen tooke it in the same sense when he saide Lorde Iesus receiue my spirite For this is that spirite of which Salomon saieth that it returneth to God that gaue it after that the body is returned to the earth and to dust of which it consisteth And yet this difference is not alwayes obserued in the Scriptures For as wee haue already heard both the heart and soule and spirite are oftentimes generally and indifferently put for all the partes and powers of the soule and not onely for those of men but also of beastes as when the Wise man attributeth spirit vnto them hauing regard to this corporall life For when Salomon speaketh so it is in consideration of this life that consisteth in breath which is also called Spirit in the holy Scriptures which vse one the same word to signifie both wind and breathing and whatsoeuer we call spirit taking it both for the soule of man for the Angelicall natures and for the Diuine nature Therefore Iob speaking of this present life sayth So long as my breath is in me and the spirit of God in my nosethrilles my lippes surely shall speake no wickednesse and my tongue shall vtter no deceit But when Saint Paul saieth The same spirite beareth witnesse with our spirite that wee are the children of God hee taketh the worde Spirite in an other sence then Iob did in the place nowe alleadged For in the first place hee taketh the name of Spirite for the Spirite of GOD and in the second place for the Spirite of man which signifieth the humane soule It is true that in this place hee taketh it for the soule and for the spirit such as it is in regenerate men but when hee saieth elsewhere that the spirite of man knoweth the things of man hee taketh the spirite simply for a humane Spirite and for the vnderstanding part thereof Likewise the name of soule is put not onely for this naturall life and for the will and affections but also for the selfe same thing that is comprehended by this worde Spirite when one woulde signifie thereby the greatest excellencie of the soule As when Dauid sayeth Our soule waiteth for the Lord for hee is our helpe and our shield Surely our heart shall reioyce in him because wee trusted in his holie name And againe My soule reioyceth in the Lorde and is glad in his saluation And when Saint Peter sayeth Abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule and haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles hee taketh the name of Soule for the spirituall man who hath his minde and all his affections well ruled according to the will of GOD. As then wee haue heard in what sort the soule may die in regarde of this corporall life according to the phrase of the Scriptures and of the Hebrewes so by this which Saint Peter saieth that fleshly lustes fight against the soule wee may learne after what manner the soule may be said to die and to be slaine For nothing can bring death vnto it but sinne Wherefore it is not said without good reason in the Booke of Wisedome that the mouth that telleth lies slayeth the soule Albeit then the soule is immortall in that it can neuer be without life no more then the Angelles who are spirites like to it neuerthelesse it is after a sort mortall so farre forth as being farre off separated from God through sinne it liueth no more that blessed life wherewith it shoulde liue if it were vnited and ioyned vnto him by true faith and sincere obedience For it shoulde enioy the selfe same life which the heauenly Angelles with the soules and spirites of the blessed doe enioy As contrariwise the soules of the wicked liue with the same life that the Diuelles doe which is called dead because it is a more accursed life then death it selfe and therefore called the second and eternall death Nowe wee may thinke our selues sufficiently taught touching the diuerse significations in which the name of Soule is taken It seemeth to mee that wee haue spoken enough of the Anatomy of the bodie and soule of which the most of our discourses hitherto were made which may suffice for the contentation of euery one that will keepe himselfe within the bounds and limits set downe vnto vs by the wisedome of GOD in his word But to finish this whole matter concerning the soule which we haue chiefly considered in her parts powers and effects we are further yet to be instructed in the creation generation nature and immortalitie thereof And because they are marueilous difficult matters and such as are not without great contrarieties of opinions euen amongest the learned I am of opinion that these things are to be discoursed of according to that manner of teaching of the ancient Academickes which wee followed in our first meeting namely vpon the theame propounded vnto vs to ballance the arguments on the one part with the reasons of the other side that so we may diligently search out the trueth Notwithstanding it shal be lawfull for vs to deliuer our opinion so long as wee ground it vpon the infallible testimonie of the worde of God leauing to euery one his libertie to iudge which is best and to embrace and follow the same For our entrance therefore into so goodly a matter thou shalt beginne ASER to morrowe to declare vnto vs what thou shalt thinke good concerning this proposition namely whether the soule is begotten with the body and of the seede thereof or whether it be created apart and of another substance and what is requisit for vs to know therein The end of the
recouery neither was any knowen that hath returned from the graue For we were borne at all aduenture and wee shall be heereafter as though wee had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in the nosethrilles and the woordes as a sparke raised out of our hearts Which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirite vanisheth as the soft ayre Our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloude and come to naught as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sunne and cast downe with the heate thereof Our name also shall be forgotten in time and no man shall haue our woorkes in remembrance For our time is as a shadowe that passeth away and after our ende there is no returning for it is fast sealed so that no man commeth againe Come therefore let vs enioy the pleasures that are present and let vs cheerfully vse the creatures as in youth Let vs fill our selues with costly wine ointments and let not the floure of life passe by vs. I omit other speeches of a voluptuous wicked vniust life which they purpose to lead exercising al iniustice violence cruelty without al regard had to any right or iustice either to poore or rich yong or old but chiefly against the seruants of God who approue not their kind of life but reproue condemne it Therefore it is said after al the discourse that they imagined such things and went astray For their owne wickednes blinded them They do not vnderstand the mysteries of God neither hope for the reward of righteousnes nor can discerne the honor of the soules that are faultlesse For God created man without corruption and made him after the image of his owne likenesse Neuerthelesse through enuy of the deuill came death into the world and they that hold of his side proue it But the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them In the sight of the vnwise they appeared to die and their end was thought grieuous and their departing from vs destruction but they are in peace Wee see then that these men go no farther then they can see with their bodily senses and because they see that man liueth by breathing and cannot liue without and that hee dyeth when his breath faileth they thinke that the soule of man is but a litle winde and breath and so is scattered and vanisheth away as it were winde and breath or as a cloude in the ayre The same iudgement they are of in regard of the blood because life leaueth the body with the blood as if it had no other soule but the blood or breath And forasmuch as the eye discerneth no difference betweene men and beasts in death they iudge also that there is no difference betweene their soules But if they be resolued to giue credit to nothing but to their corporall senses and in death consider only what difference there is betweene men and beasts they wil not beleeue that either beasts or men haue any soule at all that giueth them life because they see nothing but the body onely And then by the like reason we must conclude that not onely the whole man is no other thing but this body which we see but also that there is nothing in all the world but that which may bee seene by the eyes and perceiued by the other senses and so all that which we haue not seene and knowen by them shal be nothing Which being so men shal differ nothing from beasts as indeed we can say no better of these men For beastes thinke of nothing but that which they beholde and perceiue by their senses and goe no further which is so farre from all science and discipline and from all iudgement of man as nothing can be more Therefore they that beleeue nothing but their corporall senses deserue to be compared not onely to little children or to fooles who when they see pictures or their face in a glasse suppose they are liuing men because they goe no farther then they see but euen to the brute beastes who haue lesse sense and vnderstanding then children It is woonderfull to consider howe men take such great pleasure paines to become brutish For if they doe but see a smoke come out of a place they will iudge that there is some fire within although they behold it not and if they smell any ill sauour their nose will tell them that there is some place infected or some carion lying not farre off albeit they see it not What is the cause then that when by their senses they perceiue somewhat more in men then in beastes they are not induced thereby to thinke that of necessitie there must be some what within them which causeth them to differ much from beasts Which is not by reason of the bodie but of the soule that is not seene but onely by her actions workes and effects Whereupon it followeth that if their actions differ from the actions of that soule whereby beastes liue the cause also from which they proceed must needes differ and so consequently that there is great difference betwixt the soule of men and the soule of beastes For let them consider onely the diuersitie of artes which man exerciseth with his hands and the varietie of so many wittie and woonderfull workes as are wrought by him which cannot proceede but from a great spirite and from a passing excellent nature the like whereof is not to bee seene in beastes or in anie thing they can doe Besides doe they not see how the spirite of man discourseth throughout all nature what reason is in him and howe his speech followeth reason which are such things as haue a certaine vertue and the image of a diuine spirite shining in them Wherefore albeeit wee shoulde make man wholly like to a beast by reason of his bodie both in regarde of his birth and death yet wee must needes confesse that hee is of a farre more excellent nature in respect of that great and manifest difference which wee see is in his soule If then the soule of man bee mortall as well as that of beastes to what purpose serue those graces which it hath aboue the other and from what fountaine shall wee say they flowe in it and to what ende were they giuen vnto it But for this time I will leaue these Atheists hoping that to morowe wee will not leaue any one naturall reason able to vrge them in their demnable opinion which shal not bee laide out at large And I demaund of them that haue anie taste of the holy Scriptures and yet seeme to doubt of the immortalitie of the soule or at leastwise are not fully resolued therein howe man is said to be created after the image of God if he shall be altogether dissolued and brought to nothing and where shall we then seeke for this image in him It is certaine that this is not in
the body seeing that God is a spirituall nature and substance and not corporall Then it followeth that this image is to be sought for in the soule and not in the body And if it be in the soule we must necessarily conclude that it differeth very much from the soule of beasts For indeed if they were both one why should it rather be written of man then of beastes that he was created after the image of God And if man bee the image of God especially in regard of the soule it must needs be then of a diuine and immortall nature otherwise there would be no good agreement betweene the image and the thing of which it is an image Therefore a corporall thing cannot bee the true image of a spirituall thing if there bee no resemblaunce or agreement of nature betwixt them For although a corporall image shoulde bee of another matter then the thing is of which it doeth represent neuerthelesse there is alwayes some resemblaunce when both the one and the other is of a corporall matter and when the image hath some agreement in forme with the thing represented Now if any bee desirous to seeke for the image of God in a corporall thing wee shall finde as many of them as there are creatures in the whole world And yet it is not said of any creature no not of the sunne it selfe nor of the moone or starres tâ—at haue no soule nor yet of the liuing creatures themselues which are endued with soule and life that God saide in their creation Let vs make them after our image and likenesse neither that hee created them after his image as it is writteÌ„ of man If then there be no immortalitie of the soule of man where shal we find the image of the immortalitie of God who is immortal And if there be no immortality in man but that his soule is ether the temperament of his bodie or his vitall spirite as in beasts God shall haue no image that shall more neerely resemble him in man then in beasts neither shal he haue any spiritual image agreeable to his nature in any creature vnder heauen Nowe if any reply and say that this image is to bee fought for not in the immortalitie of the soule but onely in reason and in the other vertues where with it is adorned aboue the soule of beasts I say that these things are in such sort linked together that they cannot bee separated Wherefore hee that taketh away the one taketh away the other because the soule of man shoulde not haue that which it hath more then the soule of beasts hath if it were not of another nature theÌ„ theirs is And we know well that whatsoeuer it hath more is not like to any creature vnder the heauens and that it cannot agree but to God or to natures that haue some participation with the diuine nature which cannot be mortall but immortall So that when wee see so many signes and tokens which testifie vnto vs that man hath a celestiall and diuine birth it followeth that hee hath in himselfe some greater thing that is more noble and excellent then can be seene or touched with hands It is true that they who stay onely in the corporal senses as we haue saide shall neuer pearce to the contemplation of these things but they delight rather for their confirmation in that beastly opinion to heare the common bye-worde vsed amongst the vulgar sort that no man knoweth what becommeth of the soules of men after the death of their bodies nor into what countrey they goe because no body as yet euer brought any newes from thence and therefore no marueile if no man either doe or can knowe what is done there Which speeches albeeit they be very friuolous yet are they heard many times from them that thinke themselues to be none of the meanest Therefore it will not be peraduenture without profite if we answere them more at large to morow going forward with our reasons arguments of the soules immortalitie against the Atheists of which matter ASER thou shalt begin to speake The end of the eleuenth dayes worke THE TVVELFTH dayes worke Of those who desire the returne of Soules departed to testifie their immortalitie what witnes haue beene sent vs of God out of another worlde to resolue vs therein Chap. 89. ASER We saide yesterstay that they who stay onely in their corporall senses as brute beastes doe propound commonly against the immortality of soules that which is vsually spoken of the common people namely that it is not known what becomes of mens soules after the death of the bodie or to what countrey they goe because none euer returned from thence to bring anie newes Wherefore say they no bodie can tell what is done there neither can any thing be knowen Nowe before wee make answere to so friuolous and false an argument I would gladly demaund of them whether there were nothing at all of those new-found Ilands which were lately found in our time before they were discouered by them who not onely were neuer there but did not so much as once heare of them before For no body went thither from hence neither did any come hither from thence so that there was no more intelligence betweene them and vs then betweene the liuing and the dead or betweene them that are altogether of another world therefore also their countrey is called the New world Nowe then shall it be thought that this people were not at all because they were not knowne of vs not their manners and kinde of life And yet now the time sheweth euidently that notwithstanding any distance of place that hath beene betweene them and vs there were meanes sufficient to communicate and trafficke together and those more easie then any is betweene the soules alreadie departed out of their bodies and vs who yet remaine in the world with our bodies For concerning the distance and difficultie of the places who doubteth but that it is farre greater betweene heauen and earth Paradise and Hell Therefore also Abraham speaking of the place and estate of the elect and reprobate in another life saith to the rich man There is a great gulfe set betweene you and vs so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither can they come from thence to vs. And this we may say in like manner of our selues and of those that are already departed into another life in regard of their returne vnto the liuing For it is ordained that they shall not returne againe into the worlde as also that they shall depart hence but once And they that goe from hence doe it not with soule and body ioyned together for it is not a voyage like to those which wee make in this world when we goe from one countrey to another Now as the Lord hath determined how long the soules shall abide in their bodies in this life so hee hath ordained and set the time in which they
firme and derideth the ignorance error and terrour of the senses correcting and reproouing them for the same We may then conclude from the euidence of these things that the death of the Spirite is contrary to the nature of it and therefore is afraide of it and abhorreth euen to thinke of it or to make any mention thereof But the senses care not but for this bodily life which the Spirite contemneth in regarde of the other whereby it appeareth that the death of the body doth affect touch it nothing at all but the body onely and those things that are ioyned vnto it as namely both the external and internal senses For this cause those men that are carnall and ledde most by their senses thinke little either vpon the one or the other except it bee when they see themselues in danger of corporall death For perswading themselues that they shall liue long in this worlde or at leastwise gathering to themselues as much hope thereof as they can they thinke nothing at all in a manner of death during the whole life no more almost then if they were borne immortall vntill such time as they see in good earnest that they must dislodge Then are they awaked out of their sleepe and if they be not altogether become brutish they are constrained to thinke both vpon the death of the body and the death of the spirite and the lesse they are prepared against them both the more astonished and amased they are in themselues Contrariwise good and iust men who of a long time yea all their life haue thought vpon both finde themselues lesse troubled a great deale because they are resolutely perswaded and assured of a better life Moreouer wee finde by experience that when the spirit is troubled with affections or cōfounded through fancies and imaginations or ignorant vicious prophane wicked without feare of God and voide of religion it is a great deale more mooued at the cogitation and remembrance of corporall death then if it be sound well disposed and setled quiet skilfull innocent religious and fearing God Whereupon we may consider learne which of these two iudgements is more certaine and true either that of a spirite that is troubled diseased ignorant euill without feare of God and voide of religion or that of a spirite which hath all those perfections rehearsed by vs contrary to these vices It is an easie matter to iudge Therefore if we attribute more as in reason wee ought to that Spirite whose iudgement is most true and certaine the conclusion that I haue made shal be confirmed thereby And as by the difference of desires we may easily iudge of the nature essence of mans soule so we may do the like by those delights wherein it taketh pleasure But I leaue thee ACHITOB to go forward with the discourse of this matter Of the argument that may be taken from the delights and pleasures of the soule to prooue the immortalitie thereof an argument to the same ende taken from the insatiable desires and pleasures of men euen from such as are most carnall of the testimony which they may find euen in their vices to prooue the immortalitie of their soule Chap. 92. ACHITOB. It hath beene a saying heeretofore that it belonged not to a vile person to deny God Which Prouerbe came of this that the nobilitie and gentlemen were so ill taught and so ignorant of true nobilitie that they reserued this occupation to themselues as proper to their estate turning it to their glory and endeuouring to bee feared by this meanes And surely these were faire Armes and goodly scutcheons to set foorth the Nobilitie of their estate by namely horrible and execrable blasphemies which the very Iewes and Turkes would neuer suffer among themselues I woulde to God wee might nowe say rightly that this was once but is no more and so likewise that there were not some among them that think themselues the greatest men who haue this in their thoughts if they dare not speake it openly that it belongeth not to men of courage to beleeue in God and in his word or to thinke that there is a iudgement to come at which men shall appeare but that this appertaineth to the simple and foolish not to these great and noble spirites which flie aboue the clouds and indeede know more then they ought to leade them into hell But as by the difference of appetites and desires wee haue shewed them that the soule cannot be mortall which concludeth a diuine prouidence and a second life as we declared before so it is an easie matter to prooue the same by those pleasures in which the soule taketh delight For by how much the more those things that bring delights do resemble the vertue of the soule that is delighted and the greater affinitie proportion and agreement they haue with it so much the greater sweeter and more pleasant are the delights as also more firme and of longer continuance Indeede it may be obiected vnto me that if we looke to this we shal find that the greatest part of men take more pleasure in those delights which they can receiue by their senses which are more earthy and brutish then in others that are more naturall to the spirit and more spirituall and heauenly and therefore the iudgement that we can gather from hence of the nature and essence of the soule may seeme not to agree to this we speake of It is very certaine that some men are of such a brutish nature that a man may well doubt whether they be men or no and whether they deserue not rather to be reckoned in the number of beasts to which they are more like then to men except it be for their face in which respect also a man may compare them with Apes For if they bee led by the same desires and lustes and satisfie themselues therein as brute beasts and goe no further wherein doe they differ from them and to what purpose serueth that which God hath bestowed vpon their soules more then vpon the soules of beasts if they content themselues with a brutish life pleasure as they do For where is the vse of reason vnderstanding which God hath bestowed vpon them more then vpon beasts And if they vse them no more then beasts doe that are altogether voide of them who can knowe whether they are partakers of them more then they And so consequently how shal that definition cōmonly giuen of man agree to them wherein he is called a liuing creature partaker of reson Therefore when we enquire of the nature and substance of the soule wee must followe that rule which is vsually propounded in searching out the nature and essence of all other things For when a man would haue true knowledge of them hee taketh not in ech kind of them that which may bee in some of the same kinde lesse perfect and monstrous As if there bee occasion to iudge of the nature of
and that hath moe or so many reasons as this whereof wee dispute at this present Howe many things doe these fellowes beleeue according to naturall Philosophie for which they haue not so many nor so euident reasons And howe many things shoulde bee doubted of except so many arguments coulde bee brought for their proofe and confirmation as wee haue alleadged and as might yet bee found out for this matter Nowe what can they alleadge on the contrary side For if they beleeue nothing but what they see and whereof they haue experience I demaund of them howe many things there are in humane Philosophie where of they are throughly resolued and yet haue no experience at all in them neither can haue any certainetie but onely as they giue credite to such as haue written of them who yet are deceiued themselues oftentimes so haue deceiued others And yet they are not so hardly brought to beleeue their reasons as to giue credite to them that maintaine the immortalitie of soules which is a matter of so great consequence and waight And as Spiders turne into poison the sweetest liquors they sucke so they maliciously gather the reasons testimonies and places not onely of Poets Philosophers and others but also of the holie Scriptures which they thinke will serue to confirme them daily more and more in their errours and in their false and wicked opinions howe little likelihoode soeuer they seeme to haue and howe flenderly soeuer they make for them In the meane season they dissemble and make shewe that they see not all the other reasons that fight directly against them which being in number infinite are so cleere and so certaine as nothing can bee more There are many of them that haue no other reason but their opinon who can alleadge no other thing but this It is not so or I beleeue it not or I doubt of it or Peraduenture it is otherwise And in trueth none of them all in a manner haue any reasons of greater shewe or that can vrge them that haue neuer so little iudgement as wee may easily iudge by the examination of one of their cheefe Maisters and strong Pillers I meane Pliny by whome we may iudge of all the rest For if hee who is so much esteemed among them shewed himselfe to be such a grosse and blockish beast and so farre from reason in that which hee wrote touching this matter a man may soone guesse what can bee in the others who are no body in respect of him or at leastwise haue not gotten so great credite and authoritie But let vs heare the reasons of this venerable Doctor First he derideth all that men haue spoken or written of the beeing of soules after the death of the bodies accompting all this to be but toyes and dreames and then hee propoundeth his resolution that there remaineth no more of a man after his corporall death then there was of him before hee was conceiued and borne After that he laugheth at the vanitie of men in that they are so foolish as at the very time of their death voluntarily to flatter and beguile themselues in promising to themselues life euen after life some by the immortalitie of the soule others by the transfiguration thereof and a third sort by attributing sense to the dead and by honoring their soules and making a god of that which hauing beene a man is now nothing at all I maruaile not if Plinie mocked at many foolish opinions that were among the Heathen touching this matter and namely the fooâ—eries of the Pythagoreans and Platonists which I doubt not but hee meant by the transfiguration of soules whereof hee maketh mention For Plato was so farre from yeelding that the soule of man was mortall that hee will not confesse the soule of beasts to bee so because according to his opinion of the creation of soules hee thinketh that there is but one kinde of soule for all sortes of bodies that haue life and that soules passe and repasse from one to an other as wee heard vntill that being well purged they come to the place of the blessed Likewise this Authour of the naturall historie had reason to deride the follie and vanitie of men in deifying them that died and in making them immortall gods that had beene before but mortall men But from these fond opinions he had no reason to conclude that if soules did not passe and repasse from bodies to bodies and if men coulde not become gods after their death therefore they ceased to be men any longer and nothing remained of them but their ashes so that their soules also perished as well as their bodies But what reasons hath hee to vpholde this conclusion For the first hee alleadgeth that men breathe not otherwise then beasts doe because hee seeth nothing of the soule of either of them and goeth no further then to the externall senses as if the soule of men as well as of beasts were nothing else but a breath Wherby we see what a grosse beast he sheweth himselfe to be We may say the same of him in that he requireth both the internall and externall senses after the death of a man and the same offices which the soule performed in the bodie when it dwelled therein concluding that without these things there could be no good for maÌ„ after death Then he taketh this for an other argument that there are many other things in the world which liue a great deale longer then man doth and yet we attribute no immortality vnto them After he demandeth whither maÌ„ goeth after death what lodging he hath and what a multitude of soules there should be in the world from the time it hath bin a world if al they shuld liue that haue bin so concludeth that they should be but as it were so many shadows We haue sufficiently answered all these goodly arguments before when we spake of brutish men who rest only in the witnes of their senses and go no further then beasts doe Besides what an argument is that for so great a man to say that we attribute not immortalitie to many things that out-liue men and therefore why should wee rather beleeue it of mens soules There are not only many beasts whose life is longer then the life of men but also many trees and therefore wee must aske of man why we should think that he is rather capable of reason and more excellent then other creatures are that he hath a soule of another nature more noble then they But I will further vrge these arguments against himselfe according as we made answere to the complaint of som Philosophers who accused nature because she had graÌ„ted loÌ„ger life to many beasts then to meÌ„ seeing it was so necessary for them For seeing Nature hath endued man with so many goodly gifts and so excellent wherewith she hath not adorned beasts certainly she should be a stepmother and no true mother or if she were a
mother yet shee should be a very cruel mother if she had giuen longer life to beasts then to men had not reserued a better a longer for them But this reason would not greatly moue Pliny who is the man himselfe that gaue these goodly titles to nature vnder which name he blasphemed God whom he knew not Neuertheles this argument wil be of force with them that waigh it aright considering the prouidence and goodnesse of God towards mankinde He addeth further that this fantasticall opinion is entred into mens braines because they woulde neuer faile but be eternall But this pretended reason is so far from confirming his opiniō that contrariwise it greatly weakneth the same in that it agreeth with the argument for the immortalitie of soules that was taken from this natural desire which God hath not giuen to men in vaine as hath bin shewed vnto vs by good reasons Moreouer he iudgeth it great follie to keepe bodies in hope that they shall liue and rise againe according to the vaine promise of the Philosopher Democritus who did not rise againe himselfe But I maruel not if Pliny spake so of the resurrection of bodies seeing he held that opinion of the mortalitie of soules seeing those Philosphers who maintained the immortalitie of soules did not so much as once dreame of the resurrection of bodies except this Democritus only at whom I much more woonder then at all this which Pliny writeth of the mortalitie of soules For it seemeth that Democritus could not learn this of reason and of natural philosophy vnles it were so that he builded his doctrine vpon the same foundation that he took from his Motes cōcerning the matter of which all things are made For according to this opinion hee taught that all the essences that euer were shoulde in time haue their beeing againe by the meeting together of those matters of which they had beene compounded Surely a very fond opinion for a Philosopher so that Pliny may well derde it although the argument hee maketh against him is not strong enough to ouerthrowe his imagination For hee woulde haue had Democritus to haue confirmed his opinion by his owne resurrection But his Philosophie did not insinuate so much that it shoulde haue beene done so quickely but after the reuolution of many Ages which Pliny shoulde haue stayed for before hee coulde haue euicted Democritus of his foolish opinion if hee had no better argument to ouerthrowe it Nowe if this Philosopher did not lay this ground for his opinion which I haue mentioned I woulde haue thought that hee might haue vnderstoode the same by some speech come to his eares of the doctrine of the holie Patriarkes and of the Hebrewes touching this matter by meanes of the Aegyptians amongest whome those good Fathers long dwelt because they that wrote the liues of the Philosophers put Democritus in the number of them that descended into Aegypt to learne the wisedome of that people as Pythagoras Plato Orpheus Socrates and Pherecydes with others did the same But let vs returne to Pliny and heare his other reasons such as they be He accounteth it great follie in men to thinke that by death a man may enter into a second life and thereupon breaketh foorth into an exclamation as if men were out of their wits so to thinke But he would haue found it no lesse impossible that generation shoulde come of corruption and that of seede which is but as it were a little slime a man coulde be engendered or a beast if experience had not taught the fame And because hee hath not seene a soule liue after the death of the bodie nor a dead man risen againe therefore hee concludeth that there is neither immortalitie of the soule nor resurrection of the bodie But wee may call to minde that which was vttered to this purpose when wee spake of the similitude that is betweene our first and second birth I omit that which he saieth of the rest and quietnesse taken away for euer from men that are borne if that diuision of the soule separated from the body which some Heathen Philosophers made shoulde take place namely when they so diuided it that the sence of soules remained aboue and their shadowes beneath among the dead for all this is but fopperie Neuerthelesse the argument taken from the common consent of men touching the immortalitie of soules remaineth still and is confirmed euen by Plinie himselfe in this place although peraduenture hee neuer thought it Let vs then come to the finall conclusion which hee maketh of this whole matter Hee calleth it deceit of woordes and foolish credulitie whatsoeuer men speake or beleeue of their immortalitie and accompteth it as a poison that destroyeth the chiefe good of Nature which as hee sayeth is death adding further that by this meanes death shall doubled or as some reade it the greefe of him that is to die shall be doubled when hee shall thinke vpon that which is to come For if it bee a sweete and pleasant thing to liue to whome can it bee pleasant to thinke that hee did once liue Therefore hee setteth this downe for his last resolution that it is more easie and certaine for euery one to beleeue himselfe and that whereof hee hath experience in himselfe then to trust any other and to fetch his assurance from that which a man was before hee was borne Thus wee see howe hee laboureth to perswade that no man can bee blessed in the life to come because the cheefe good thing hee can haue in nature is taken from him except hee bee wholly like to beastes in his death and except hee beleeue that there remaineth no more of him after death then there was before his conception and natiuitie And to confirme and assure himselfe in this opinion hee woulde haue euery one to fetch an argument and proofe heereof from the similitude of that estate in which hee was before hee was conceiued or borne to compare it with that which followeth his death that a man may iudge of the one by the other But what reason is in that For is there the same reason from not beeing to beeing that is from beeing to not beeing Wee knowe well howe man is come from not beeing to beeing but can wee heereby bee so assured that hee shall bee no more after hee hath beene as we knowe hee hath beene after a time wherein he was not And whereas hee woulde haue vs giue more credite to our owne experience in our death then to all that can bee saide by others I woulde demaund of him what that is of which wee haue experience and whether wee ought to conclude that wee die wholly as beastes doe because to the sence of man wee see no difference betwixt their deaths and the death of man It seemeth this is his meaning But as they of his coate aske who euercame from the dead to testifie that soules are immortall so we may aske of him
French Academy as it is diuided into seuerall dayes workes and distinguished by Chapters The first dayes worke Pag. 15 OF the creation of the first man and of the matter whereof the body of man is made Chap. 1. 22 Of the creation of woman Chap. 2. 28 Of the simple or similarie parts of the body namely the bones ligaments gristles sinowes pannicles cords or filaments vaines arteries and flesh Chap. 3. 34 Of the compound parts of the body and first of the feete and legges and of the armes and hands Chap. 4. 41 Of the backbone of the marrow thereof of the ribs and of other bones of mans body Chap. 5. 47 Of the share bone and marrow of the bones of the bones in the head and of the flesh of the muscles and of their office Chap. 6. 52 Of the kernels in the body and of their sundry vses especially of the breasts of women of their beauty and profite in the nourishing of children and of the generation of milke Chap. 7. 57 Of the fatte and skins of mans body and of their vse of the haires thereof Chap. 8. The second dayes worke 62 Of the bodily and external sences especially of touching of their members instruments and offices Chap. 9. 67 Of the eyes and of their excellency profite and vse of the matter and humors whereof they are made Chap. 10. 73 Of the tunicles and skinnes of the eyes of their forme motions of their sundry coulors of the sinewes whereby they receiue sight and of other parts about the eyes Chap. 11. 79 Of the eares and of their composition office and vse Chap. 12. 85 Of the diuers vses of the tongue of the instrumēts necessary both for voyce and speach howe there is a double speach of the forme thereof how the spirite of man is represented thereby Chap. 13. 91 Of the agreement which the instruments of the voyce and speach haue with a payre of Organs what things are to be considered in placing of the lungs next the heart of the pipes and instruments of the voyce Chap. 14. 96 Of the tongue and of the nature and office thereof of the excellency profite of speach which is the art of the tongue what is to bee considered touching the situation thereof in the head and neare the braine Chap. 15. 103 Of the office of the tongue in tasting and in preparing meat for the nourishment of the body of the teeth and of their nature and office of the conduite or pipe that receiueth and swalloweth downe meates Chap. 16. The third dayes worke 108 OF the sence of tast giuen to the palal what tastes are good to nourish the body of the diuersitie of them of hunger and thirst and of their causes Chap. 17. 113 Of helps and creatures meete for the preseruation and nourishment of the body how God prepareth them to serue for that purpose of their vse Chap. 18. 119 Of the nose and of the sence of smelling and of their profit and vse of the composition matter and forme of the nose Chap. 19. 124 Of the vse briefly of all the outward sences of mans body namely in purging the superfluities and ordures of his nose of the diuersity that is in mens faces and of the image of the minde and heart in them Chap. 20. 130 Of the nature faculties and powers of mans soule of the knowledge which we may haue in this life and how excellent necessary it is into what kinds the life and soule are diuided Chap. 21. 136 Of the two natures of which man is compounded how the body is the lodge and instrument of the soule how the soule may be letted from doing her proper actions by the body and be separated from it and yet remaine in her perfection Chap. 22. 142 Of the braine and of the nature therof of the sundry kinds of knowledge that are in man of the similitude that is betweene the actions and workes of the naturall vertues of the soule and of the internall senses Chap. 23. 147 Of the composition of the braine with the members and parts thereof of their offices and that knowledge which ought to content vs touching the principall cause of the vertues and wonderfull powers of the soule Chap. 24. The fourth dayes worke 148 OF the seate of voluntary motion and sense of the office and nature of the common sense of imagination and of fantasie how light and dangerous fantasie is of the power which both good and bad spirits haue to mooue it Chap. 25. 158 Of reason and memorie and of their seate nature office of the agreement which all the senses both external and internall haue one with another and of their vertues Chap. 26. 164 That the internall senses are so distinguished that some of them may bee troubled and hindered and the rest bee safe and whole according as their places and instruments assigned vnto them in the body are sound or perished and of those that are possessed with deuils Chap. 27. 170 Of the reasonable soule and life and of vertue of the vnderstanding and will that are in the soule and of their dignity and excellency Chap. 28. 176 Of the variety and contrarietie that is found in the opinions deliberations counsayles discourses and iugdements of men with the cause thereof and of the good order and ende of all discourses Chap. 29. 182 Of iudgement and of his office after the discourse of reason and how beliefe opinion or doubting followe it of the difference that is betweene them Chap. 30. 187 Of the meanes whereby a man may haue certaine knowledge of those things which hee ought to beleeue and to take for true of the naturall and supernatural light that is in man and how they beare witnesse of the image of God in him Chap. 31. 192 How the vertues and powers of the soule shew themselues by litle and litle and by degrees of contemplation and of the good that is in it of that true and diuine contemplation which wee looke for after this life Chap. 32. The fift dayes worke 198 OF the appetites that are in all liuing creatures and namely in man and of their kinds and particularly of the naturall and sensitiue appetite Chap. 33. 203 Of will and of the diuers significations and vses of these words Reason and Will of the actions freedome and nature thereof of the power which reason may haue ouer her Chap. 34. 208 Of those good things which both men only guided by the light of nature are able to propound to themselues and to follow and they also that are guided by the spirit of God of the power and liberty of the will in her actions both externall and internall Chap. 35. 214 Of the distinction that ought to bee betweene the vnderstanding knowledge and the will and affections in the soule and betweene the scates and instruments which they haue in the body of the agreement that is betweene the heart and the braine Chap. 36. 219 Of the
hath giuen it vnto them to admonish them of the subiection they owe to their husbands and of that power which they haue ouer them in token whereof they ought to haue the head couered especially in the assemblies of the Church Therefore he saieth Euery woman that prayeth or prophecieth bareheaded dishonoure thither head for it is euen one very thing as though shee were shâ—â—en Therefore if the woman be not couered let her also be shorneâ— and if 〈◊〉 be shame for a woman to be powled or shauen let her be couered And a little after Iudge in your selues is it comely that a woman pray vnto God vncouered doeth not nature it selfe teach you that if a man haue long haire it is a shame vnto him But if a woman haue long haire it is a praise vnto her for her haire is giuen her for a couering Wherein the Apostle laboureth chiefly to admonish women that nature hath giuen to them longer haire then to men and that it becommeth them best to haue it so to the end they should keepe their heads couered with some vaile and honest couering for the reasons declared by him sending them to the schoole of nature to learne of her what modestie and honestie they ought to followe and to shewe in their haire For indeed this schoole of nature is the schoole of God the creatour of nature in which he teacheth vs by our owne body and by the nature thereof what is conuenient and honest for vs. Therefore God hath not couered some partes of the body with haire for an ornament only as the beard in men and haire of the head both in men and women and for other causes whereof I haue spoken but also to admonish them to couer that which they can not discouer without shame and villany whether it be by deede or worde Heereupon it is that not onely those parts of the body that are more honorable and noble as the head and face are adorned with haire to giue them greater maiestie but also places more secret are couered therewith to teach vs that the honour wee owe to them is to keepe them couered and hid and that they dishonour them greatly and themselues also who discouer them not only byvile and shamelesse handling but also by infamous and dishonest wordes as many doe that alwayes haue filthie speaches of whoredome in their mouths For that which is dishonest to be seene and to be discouered to the eyes is also dishonest to bee heard and to be disclosed to the eares which wee must keepe chaste as likewise the eies the tongue the mouth and the heart Therefore they that behaue themselues otherwise do as if they meant to despite God and Nature whome they will not followe as mistresse Wherefore when Saint Paul sendeth women to the schoole of Nature to learne that lesson which is there taught them hee openeth vnto vs a great gappe whereby wee may knowe what Mistresse God bath giuen vs in nature and what instructions wee may receiue from her if wee can vnderstand her and haue the wit to knowe and to comprehend all that shee sheweth vs euen in our owne bodies and goe no further into her schoole considering that there is not so little as one haire therein from which wee cannot take instruction Howe great then woulde the profite be if wee coulde consider as wee ought other thinges that are more excellent and of greater importance Nowe that we haue raised vp the frame of mans body from the foundation vnto the very top we must to morrow by the helpe of God in continuing our speach of the compound parts of the body enter into the consideration of those goodly outward members wherewith the head is adorned and of the senses of the body vnto which those serue as instruments Therefore it belongeth to thee ASER to beginne the handling of such an excellent matter The end of the first dayes worke THE SECOND dayes worke Of the bodily and externall senses especially of touching of their members instruments and offices Chap. 9. ASER They that haue the greatest knowledge in humane Artes although it be in naturall Philosophie are not therefore more happy then others vnles they haue learned to ioyne therewith the knowledge of diuinitie For albeit they haue greater vnderstanding of the nature of things created by God then other men that haue not beene conuersant in such studies yet all their skill being blinde in respect of true and eternall wisedome wil profite them nothing but onely to make them more guiltie before God and worthy of greater condemnation then if hee had giuen them no more vnderstanding then beasts haue And who knoweth not that the felicitie and soueraigne Good of man consisteth not in the knowledge of the creatures and of their nature but in the knowledge of the Creatour that made them Therefore wee shoulde labour in vaine to knowe our selues if it did not leade vs to the knowledge of God yea it woulde helpe vs nothing at all but to manifest more euidently our ingratitude towardes his Maiestie and to aggrauate so much the more his iust and fearefull iudgement vpon our heades Likewise wee shoulde reape little benefite by our carefull inquiry into the matter and forme of the frame of man whereof wee discoursed yesterday if it serued not vnto vs for an entrance into a deeper contemplation of the goodly woorkes that appeare outwardly therein and of those corporall senses that haue their seates and instruments in them And all this knowledge woulde doe vs little or no good at all if wee were not ledde thereby to the vnderstanding of the internall senses of the soule vnto which the former serue as messengers and ministers as these latter doe vnto the minde and vnderstanding Therefore in following this order let vs ascend step by step to those things that are most excellent and although the eye of our minde should dasell wheÌ„ we draw neare vnto theÌ„ yet we shal gaine greatly because those things are very great which draw neerest to perfection Hauing before compared the composition of mans body to a building and hauing raised vp all the outward partes of it vnto the verie toppe it remaineth nowe that wee set on the gates and windowes When a man woulde signifie that a house is very lightsome and hath ayre enough wee commonly say that it is well boared or pierced Which may truely be spoken of mans bodie in respect of those outward members which God hath fashioned in the head especially in the face which hee hath appointed for seruantes to the chiefe bodily senses whose seruice also is afterward required for the spirituall and internall senses It is in this part of our building and tabernacle wherein God causeth the greatest beautie thereof to shine I meane in the face which is as it were an image of goodly orient and liuely colours enriched with many excellent workes not onely in regarde of the skinne and painting but also of the
forme and of so many goodly and pleasant members as are ornaments vnto it yea which are so necessary that without them all the rest are as it were vnprofitable neither coulde they preserue and keepe themselues I speake not yet of those partes that are hidden and contained within the head but onely of those members which appeare outwardly which are in such wise disposed euery one in his place that albeit they be not farre distant one from another yet the neere ioyning of them together doeth not cause them one to hinder the office of an other notwithstanding their diuersitie as wee see euidently and shall know more at large by the sequel of our speaches Hereby doth God admonish vs how wee ought to behaue our selues one toward an other and dwell eueryman within his boundoâ— and limites not setting one vpon an other and not incroching vpon any thing that is our neighbours For as these is spare and roome enough in the head for all the senses and members that are there and the like in the rest of the body for all the members whereof it is compounded by reason of the good order concord consent that is amongst them so the earth and the worlde is bigge enough and hath goodes enough for all if wee had skill and coulde beare one with another and be content euery one with his estate and office and with those gifts which we haue receiued from God as members of one and the same body If this good accord and consent were amongst vs a litle place would please vs but if we doe otherwise all the worlde wil not be great enough to suffice vs. No riuers seas or mountaines will be sufficient to keepe vs within our bounds and borders Therefore let vs learne of the senses and members of our body what rule wee ought to keepe one with an other The bodily senses which God hath giuen to man to bee ministers and messengers to the spirituall senses of the minde are fiue in number namely the sight hearing smelling taste and touching To al the members instruments of these senses which shal be hereafter declared vnto vs the facultie of sense is generally giuen by the sinewes which haue their originall from the braine as we haue already touched So that hereby we see what is the dignitie and excellencie of the head seeing God hath placed therein the fountaine and spring not onely of all the sence but also of all the motions of the boby which are wrought by meanes of the sinewes For we must know that foure things are required in the office and vse of the bodily senses The first is the power and vertue of the soule which giueth sense by the animall spirite guided by the finewes The second is the instrument being well applied and made fit for his vse and office by which the soule effecteth her worke The third is that thing that is to be perceiued by sense about which the soule exerciseth her office The fourth is the meane or way which receiueth the obiect of the sensible qualilitie and and carrieth it to the instrument As for example If the question were of sight first there must be this power and vertue of seeing in the soule Next the eie is necessarily required thereunto for it is the proper instrument appointed to receiue light Then there must bee light without which all thinges are couered with darkenesse and made inuisible For although the eies by nature are partakers of light yet that which they haue naturally and which they cary within them selues will affoorde them as small light as if they had none at all except they receiue a greater light that commeth from the heauens or from some light 〈◊〉 body as from fire or from a candle lighted as we see by experience the night time Lastly the meane or middle way is of necessitie required by which the light is to be brought and communicated with the eye and that is the aire through which it passeth as through a glasse or christall or such like bodies which are not so 〈◊〉 that they keepe backe the light from 〈◊〉 through them For if there bee nothing betweene them I meane betweene the eye and the light and those colours which it must beholde a can not apprehend and perceiue them The like is to bee saide of the senses of hearing smelling and tasting as we shall vnderstand berter when wee speake of them heereafter particularly But as for the sense of touching it is most earthy of all the rest Therefore it agreeth with th◠〈…〉 is common to all the partes and members of the body that haue sâ—nsâ— although it bee more 〈◊〉 lesse in some places theâ— in others This sense is giuen to the body to discerne the first qualities by namely hote colde moyst and drie from others that accompany them as heauy and light hard and soft sower and sweete thicke and thinne which are compounded qualities taken from the foure 〈…〉 all corporall things are made of the foure elements Concerning gâ—â—â—atnesse figures members motion and rest they are common to many of the senses Thus much for the sense of touching from which the rest do differ in that euery one hath his proper sense which is not communicated with any other For onely the eyes see the eares heare the nose breatheth the tongue and palate taste And heere wee haue to consider of the great prouidence of God in many points First forasmuch as the body cannot liue without the sense of touching which hath for obiect the elementary qualities it is giuen to all liuing creatures in euery part of the body to the ende that thereby they might knowe according to the proportion of the qualities what is profitable or hurtfull to their bodies in the participation of these qualities and so eschew more easily that which might hurt them But men haue this sense chiefely in the endes of their fingers that touching slightly with them they might make the first triall of all qualities For if they feele that the thing which they touch is too hote or too cold or that there is some other excesse in the quality which might hurt them they are admonished thereby to the end that by a very litle hurt they might auoyde a greater For a man may better cheape feele a litle griefe and that very lightly in the end of one finger or of many then in a whole member or in all the rest of his body Besides God hath further prouided for this sense in that it is not so sharp to â—â—ele suddainely and to the quicke as the sight or hearing to the end the body should receiue lesse dammage by that which it toucheth if it be hurtfull for it Now the eyes because they doe not touch that which they see nor the eares that which they heare therefore they can not be so damnified as the residue of the members may which feele not except they touch Moreouer we haue yet to note
bodily senses whose nature approcheth nearer to the nature of the soule and spirit then any other by reason of the similitude and agreement that is betweene them Therefore by good right they beare rule among all the senses and all the other members of the body as being their guides For they are giuen to man chiefly to guide and leade him to the knowledge of God by the contemplation of his goodly works which appeare pâ—ncipally in the heauens and in al the order thereof and whereof wâ— can haue no true knowledge and instruction by any other sense but by the eies For without the who could euer haue noted the diuers course and motions of the celestiall bodies yea wee see by experience that the Mathematicall sciences among which Astronomy is one of the chiefest cannot be well and rightly shewed and taught as many others may without the helpe of the eyes because a man must make their demonstrations by figures which are their letters and images I passe ouer many other Sciences as that of the Anatomy of mans body and such like which are very hard yea impossible to bee learned and knowen certainly vnlesse they may be seene with the eie Wherefore seeing the bodily senses are the chiefest masters of man in whose house the spirite and vnderstanding is lodged and enclosed the greatest and first honour is by good right to be giuen to the eies and sight Likewise it is the first mistresse that prouoked men forward to the studie and searching out of science and wisedome For of sight is ingendred admiration and wondering at thinges that are seene and this admiration causeth men afterward to coÌ„sider more seriously of things and to marke them better and from thence it is that men fall to enquire of matters more carefully and to sound them deeper In the ende they come to the studie of science and wisedome which is the knowledge of supernaturall light namely of the light of the minde vnto which science and doctrine is as light is to the eye so that it contemplateth and museth by that as the eye seeth by right Therefore we haue to note that it hath pleased God the creator of al things to scatter his light throughout the whole world ouer all creatures as well spirituall and inuisible as corporall and visible His spirituall light hee hath infused into spirituall creatures and bodily light into bodily creatures to the ende that by this benefite the spirites might haue vnderstanding and the eyes sight So that Angelles and the spirites of men which are spirituall and inuisible creatures are illuminated by the meanes of vnderstanding with that spirituall and heauenly light whereof God hath made them partakers as the bodies of liuing creatures and chiefely of man are illuminated with the corporall light of the Sunne by meanes of the eyes For as bodies haue their bodily eyes so spirites haue their spirituall eyes For that vnderstanding wherewith God hath indued them is vnto them as the eyes are to the body Wherefore by that they see God who is their heauenly Sunne and the fountaine of all diuine and spirituall light as bodily eyes beholde the materiall sunne wherein as in a fountaine God hath placed corporall light which he would haue vs see and know by meanes of the eyes which wee ought to acknowledge as a great benefit For the light is a worke of God woorthy of great admiration which discouereth and sheweth to vs a great part of nature and is vnto vs in steade of an image of the best and most excellent natures which without doubt are lights shining natures Neither coulde any man possibly expresse in wordes or teach in any sorte what the light is which sheweth al other things what is the beautie excellencie thereof vnlesse the eyes did beholde and know it distinguish it from darkenes For by meanes of the eyes we may iudge what our life woulde be if it were buried in perpetuall darkenes or if man had no instrument to apprehend and to receiue the light when it shâ—neth Therefore as God hath created the light to discouer and shew all things by it so he hath giuen eyes to man whereby he may apprehend receiue it To this ende he hath made them of a matter that is partaker of light and meet to receiue it that by the agreement of nature that is betweene them the light they might enioy it and by â—he selfe same meanes they might be messengers to the minde to induce and leade it to the consideration of the diuine light whereof corporall light is a very small resemblance and hereby also the mind might knowe that God who dwelleth in a light that none can attaine vnto is a maruailous light as holy men knowe by experience when hee sheweth himselfe vnto them For as the eie is like to a glasse that receiueth the images of thinges offred vnto it so God imprinteth images of him selfe in our mind as in a glasse Wherefore as a glasse cannot receiue any image but of such things as are set before it so the image of God cannot shine not be imprinted in the mind of man vnlesse he alwayes set God before his eies that he may receiue his image And as the eie is illuminated by the beames that proceed from the sunne so the mind is illuminated by the brightnes of the diuine light in which we consider the Father in the vnitie of the godhead as the spring fountaine of al light the Sonne as the beames brightnes ingendred thereof the holy Ghost as a flame proceeding from it which causeth the eie of the mind to receiue it to be made partaker thereof We see then how our eyes together with the light admonish vs of great thinges of most excellent works of God and of great secrets of spirituall heauenly things whose images he hath imprinted in the light and in our cies to the ende that by these corporall and visible images wee may haue some knowledge of those things wherof they are images which cannot be seene perceiued with corporall senses but only with the spirituall senses of the soule Wherefore wee ought greatly to praise God for this goodly gift both of the light of the eies which cannot sufficiently be valewed For although it did vs no more seruice then it doth to brute beasts namely to guide and leade vs in this corporall life yet we ought seriously to acknowledge the excellencie of so great a gift of God how profitable and necessary it is for vs. But there is a great deale more in it by reason of the mind and vnderstanding which God hath giuen to the spirit and soule of man as it were spirituall eies to the end there might be an agreement proportion betweene theÌ„0 the eyes of the body For as the eies declare to the mind what they see that it might take knowledge therof so when the mind hath seene
a lampe to moysten the meate to the end that this fire should not consume it so quickly And because it must alwayes be kept burning otherwise the light thereof which is the life will die together with it it must haue new matter continually ministred vnto it as it were to a fire that cannot alwayes continue kindled in the chimney and not goe out if it be not preserued by wood or coale or in a candle or lampe if it haue not alwayes cotton or weeke and oyle or some other tallowy and moyst matter Therefore wee see that when either of them beginneth to fayle another is put in to supplie the place of it And thus as fire and the light thereof are mainteined in a lampe or candle by meanes of that nourishment they haue both in the weeke and in the tallow thereof so life and that naturall fire which giueth life to the bodie are mainteyned by that food which they receiue ordinarily in eating and drinking The meate then in mans bodie is to nourish and preserue the naturall heate thereof as the weeke is in a candle or lampe and the moysture which it receiueth by drinke is vnto it as the â—oyle and tallowe For this cause if heate bee stronger in a man he shall feele thirst which is an appetite and desire of that which is moyst and colde that is of such qualities as are contrary to the fire which is hote and dry For the moysture must be confirmed strengthened to moderate the burning heate as it is when oyle is powred into a lampe And if both heate and moysture consuming eche other beginne to waxe faint and to fayle they must both bee holpen that they may gather more strength as when we put not onely oyle but weeke also into a lampe And this is the cause of hunger which is a desire of that which is hote and moyst But there is difference betweene the humiditie required in hunger and that which is required in thirst because the moysture desired in thirst is more thinne and lesse earthie then that which is required in hunger And if the moisture be increased ouer much so that the heate decreaseth and languisheth and consequently the appetite to meate and drinke and to receiue nourishment decayeth it must be restored againe by physicke For although all nourishment be as it were physick to the body neuerthelesse there is this difference in that foode repaireth the whole person and all the body whereas physicke repaireth onely the instruments of the body which are to serue for nourishment For this cause food is alwayes necessary for all at all times and in all places but besides that all stande not in neede of physicke they that want it vse it but at certaine times as necessitie requireth For if those members that serue to nourish the body be well disposed and discharge their office so well that all the partes of the bodie receiue due nourishment and the whole body bee healthie and sound there needeth nothing but ordinary foode to preserue the body and to keepe it in good health But if any member be weakened and doeth not his duetie well especially any of those that ought to serue to nourish the whole bodie it must be restored again to strength by the meanes of physicke Now albeit the sense of taste whereof we haue presently discoursed be not so apt to teach especially the knowledge of spirituall and diuine things as the senses of sceing and hearing of which we haue spoken heretofore yet we may receiue much good doctrine thereby For as the body cannot liue except it haue such corporall foode as agreeth to the nature thereof so the soule cannot liue if it haue not that knowledge which God hath appointed for it And as life is kept in the body by heate which is the chiefe instrument thereof to the life of our soules consisteth and is preserued and increased by heate namely by the loue charity of God without which it cannot liue that life that is agreeable to it owne nature For the soule that is separated from the loue of God is dead in respect of the true and blessed life seeing God liueth not in it nor it in God For this cause this loue must be alwayes nourished and mainteyned therein by the celestiall and diuine moysture agreeable to the nature thereof Wherefore as it is of a heauenly and celestiall nature so the foode thereof must be answerable thereunto This foode therfore cannot be had but of God who is the life of the soule as the soule is the life of the body and the meanes which he hath appointed to minister this food vnto it is his heauenly eternall word and those spirituall graces which he communicateth vnto vs thereby But let vs follow our matter subiect of corporall senses And seeing we haue intreated of the meanes wherby the body is nourished we ought to consider more particularly of those things that are meet and conuenient to mainteine and preserue the body of man and see how God prepareth them to this end in which thou shalt instruct vs AMANA Of helpes and creatures meete for the preseruation and nourishment of the bodie how God prepareth them to serue for that purpose of their vse Chap. 18. AMANA God being carefull ouer the welfare of his creatures that haue life hath put in them a desire to preserue themselues to the ende they shoulde followe after such things as are profitable for their health and shunne that which is hurtfull and contrarie vnto it Nowe this preseruation consisteth eyther in the equalitie of heate and moisture nourishers of life or els in an inequalitie that may easily be reduced and brought to an equalitie by that which we eate and drinke For if there bee so great excesse of heate or moysture that the one consumeth the other death followeth necessarily if there be no excesse of either but a good equalitie the body is very well affected But it is very hard to finde a bodie so tempered And although such a one might be found yet it could not long continue in that estate but that it would quickly change as we may iudge by that which we haue learned in the former discourse But when this change doeth not bring with it so great excesse and inequalitie but that it may be kept vpright by nourishment the body is neuerthelesse well disposed vntiil such time as the excesse is greater then can bee repaired by foode For then if foode will not serue the turne wee must haue recourse to physicke and if the inequalitie be so great that by the helpe of physicke no remedie can be found there is no other naturall ayde to be had Nowe this inequalitie that approcheth so neere to equalitie is very pleasaunt as that which is the pricke and procurer of naturall pleasures necessarie for the life of man to incite him to desire them and as it were the sawse to make them toothsome For if
the ground when wee meete with some great infection shal wee not thinke that God turneth his face from vs when he findeth vs so stinking and infected Contrariwise when wee smell some good sauour it ought to bring into our remembrance the odour of Iesus Christ his sacrifice and of those vertues that are well pleasing and agreeable in the sight of God and stirre vs vp with al indeuour to present him with such smels to the end wee may be of good odour before God and men Which the holy worde will teach vs after hee hath giuen vs a spirituall nose whereby wee may attaine to the right sense and smel of that good odour of Iesus Christ and of the Gospel working in vs the spirit of discretion to discerne truth from lying that our soules may be refreshed as the braine is by those good smels that are brought vnto it by the bodily nose and by the sense of smelling that is therein Nowe therefore being come to the end of this goodly matter of the fiue corporall and externall sense me thinks we should profit much by a briefe collection of their vse and of the commoditie which they bring to men considering also the diuersitie that is in their faces and visages in which these goodly organicall instruments of the senses are planted and how their faces are images and pictures of their heart and mind The discourse of this matter appertainth to thee ACHITOB. Of the vse briefly of all the outward senses for the seruice of man namely in purging the superfluities and ordures of his body of the diuersitie that is in mens faces and of the image of the mind and heart in them Chap. 20. ACHITOB. When wee taste some pleasure by considering the workes of God namely those which wee beare about vs in our nature as indeede such contemplation affoordeth great delight to their soules that are not buried in ignorance we ought to thinke that we haue great occasions and certaine meanes to consider what pleasure and ioy it would be to see and behold the Creator and Workmaster who hath made giuen to man such excellent senses such wonderful vertues faculties what delight ariseth of hearing smelling only some smal odour of tasting a litle of his prouidence wisdome goodnes benignity grace mercy much more wheÌ„ they are throghly tasted relished of vs. Which may be performed by them that imploy all care and diligence in meditating in his eternall worde and in considering the workes of his Almighty power vntill such time as by the dissolution of this mortall tabernacle of the body they shall haue put on immortalitie to enioy true contemplation that is to beholde him face to face who onely is able to satisfie soule with goodnes and felicitie as the Prophet teacheth vs where he saieth In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Now then we may know by that which we haue hitherto heard in these our discourses what testimonies God hath plaÌ„ted of his great prouidence in all the partes of our bodies what care hee hath had and still hath of man and how he hath giuen him as many corporall senses as he needeth for the vse and fruition of all those visible and bodily creatures which he hath created For he hath eies whereby he vseth and enioyeth the light and the pleasure of such diuersitie of colours as may be seene in the world as well naturall as artificiall and compounded with the sundry mixtures of naturall things Then by the eares he hath the vse of al kindes of sounds and principally of speech together with the pleasure of harmonies and melodies consisting in the variety of tunes and songs as well of mâ—ns voice as of birdes and other creatures and also of instruments of musicke which are so many and of such diuersitie amongst men And by means of the nose and nosethrils he hath the fruition and pleasure of odours and smels so diuers in nature both naturall and artificiall and by means of the mouth tongue and palat he enioyeth and iudgeth of all sorts of tastes which also are very diuers and chiefly of meates and drinkes wherewithal he is nourished For this good God hath appointed a meane for the preseruation of mans life whereunto he hath ioyned pleasure with profite if men know how to vse the same with moderation and measure rather to make supply no necessity then to satisfie pleasures The like may be saide of all the rest of the feelings and touchings of al the bodily members of which there is great variety But hauing spoken sufficiently of the composition of the externall parts of mans body and of the outward members of the natural senses of man and of their vses we ought to consider also what instructions God giueth by them vnto men concerning their infirmitie For although the body of man be so beautifull and excellent outwardly as wee haue declared yet it hath infection within which of necessitie must appeare and breake foorth outwardly that it may be purged and vnburdned For the body cannot reape that profit of the nourishment it receiueth by al the elements and chiefely of that which it eateth and drinketh as that it can coÌ„uert turne al of it into nourishment substance auoyd all those accidents inconueniences whereunto it is subiect by reason of the infirmity of it owne nature Therefore it commeth to passe necessarily that the body is ful of excrements of much superfluitie ordure which would kill it if it were not discharged and deliuered thereof For these excrements woulde be poison vnto it in steade of nourishment Therefore the prouidence of God hath so prouided a remedy for the same that admonishing man of his infirmitie to the end he should alwayes remember that he is created of clay and earth that he shal returne vnto it againe it hath withal ordained the meanes whereby man should be comforted discharged of those excremeÌ„ts superfluities which might hurt him And for this cause there is no member but hath his proper passages appropriated for purgation seruing in his place yea euen the noblest members For I speake not only of those members which we account most vile abiect shamefull which nature teacheth vs to couer hide being appointed for the voiding of the grosest vilest most filthy excrements but also of those that are the excellentest chiefest in the head face so that there is no part of our body out of which there proceedeth not some infection filthines Insomuch that a man may wel say that our whole body is within as it were a stinking draught or puddle that emptieth it selfe on euery side as it were by sinks gutters For if we coÌ„sider it generally there is no part that is not subiect to sweat which oftentimes sauoureth very strongly and that purgeth not it selfby sweating from that superfluitie which it
fiue They which make fiue sortes distinguish betweene the common sense the imagination and the fantasie making them three and for the fourth they adde Reason or the iudging facultie and for the fift Memorie They that make but three kinds differ not from the other but onely in that they comprehend all the former three vnder the common sense or vnder one of the other twaine whether it be the imagination or the fantasie As for the Sensitiue facultie it comprehendeth the vertues of the fiue corporall senses of which wee haue spoken before As for the Motiue vertue it comprehendeth the moouing of all the outward parts of the body from one place to an other especially of the feete and legges which is to walke and of the handes which is to apprehend and to gripe This moouing is done by the sinewes muscles and filaments as we haue already declared but not without knowledge and will as the other that are more properly called naturall motions of which we may speake in their order And this motion is led by the imagination in regard of beastes but in regard of men by reason But because we haue already handled at large these two last powers of the soule namely the Sensitiue and Motiue when we spake of the externall members of the body we wil now speake especially of the first which comprehendeth the internall senses spoken of by me euen now which answere to the externall senses according to the bond agreement and communication which the body and soule haue together And because wee cannot know the faculties vertues of the soule but only by means of those instruments whereby it worketh as we haue shewed in our former discourses the nature and vse of the externall members and howe the soule is serued by them so now we will do the like by the internall parts to the ende that we may the better knowe the nature of the soule by her operations and instruments as the labourer that worketh by his instruments and frameth those woorkes that are before our eyes For the soule being of a spirituall nature and not bodily we cannot see it in it owne substance and nature nor haue any knowledge thereof but by the effectes by which wee may iudge and conclude of their cause as also by those testimonies of the soule which the Lorde affordeth vs in his worde And although the vnderstanding of man can not attaine to an entire and perfect knowledge of the soule yet that smal knowledge which wee may haue doeth exceedingly profite end delight vs. For seeing it is the most excellent creature that is created vnder the cope of heauen yea more excellent then the heauens themselues or any of the celestiall bodies because the soule only is endued with reason and vnderstanding there is no doubt but the knowledge thereof is more excellent profitable pleasant and necessary yea more worthy admiration then of any other thing whatsoeuer as that which alwaies yeeldeth profit to the greatest things that can be Therfore we ought not to set light by that knowledge of it which wee may attaine vnto For there is in it so great varietie beauty and harmony yea it is so wel adorned and set forth that no heauen nor earth is so wel painted or bedecked with such beautifull liuely and excellent images and pictures as that is On the other side she is the Mistresse and Authour from whence proceedeth the inuention of all Artes and Sciences and of all those wonderfull woorkes that are made throughout the whole course of mans life Therefore no man can beholde her or thinke vpon her without great pleasure and admiration And seeing the fountaine and well-spring of all the good and euill that befalleth vs is in the soule there is nothing more profitable for men then to know it well to the ende they may labour more carefully to keepe this fountaine pure and well purged that all the riuers of their actions and workes may issue and flowe pure and cleane from thence For that man can neuer gouerne his soule wel nor be master of himselfe that doeth not knowe himselfe If wee desire to knowe what workes wee are to looke for of a workeman what hee can doe or what may befall him what hee is good for and for what hee is vnmeete hee must first of all bee knowen what hee is Therefore that sentence of which we haue already spoken that saith Know thy selfe ought heere especially to take place and to bee practised For it is a harder matter to knowe the nature and qualitie of our soule and of our minde the vertues and affections thereof to enquire and consider of it well and to knowe what may be knowen thereof as also the diuerse and holow lurking holes the turnings and windings therein then to know the bones flesh sinews and blood of our bodies with all the matter whereof it is made and all the partes and members thereof Seeing then wee are to make enquirie of the nature and powers of the soule by the effects thereof according as I haue already spoken and seeing the principall effect is the life which it giueth to all liuing creatures let vs first consider of the difference that is betweene the creatures void of life and those that haue life in them Afterward let vs looke into the sundrie sortes of liues that are in liuing creatures as that which will helpe vs well to the vnderstanding of that wee seeke for First then wee must note that all creatures are either spirituall or bodily All they are spirituall creatures that are without bodies and which cannot be perceiued by any bodily sense and such are the Angelles both good and bad and the soules and spirites of men The bodily creatures are all those that are visible and that may bee felt and perceiued by corporall senses amongst which some haue no life and some haue life Againe those creatures that haue no life differ in two respects for some of them haue no naturall motion as stones metalles mineralles and such like creatures Others haue their naturall motion among which some are mutable corruptible and subiect to change others are immutable incorruptible continuing alwaies firme in their estate during the course of this world The water the aire the windes and the fire are creatures hauing motion albeit they haue no life but they are subiect to corruption and so are all the creatures that are compounded of the elements whether they haue life or no. For being made of contrary matters and qualities they corrupt and change not in respect of their first matter and substance which can neuer perish according to the testimony of Philosophers notwithstanding it alter in forme but alwayes returneth to the first nature Stones and metalles albeit they be very hard yet are they not freed from corruption and consuming through vse But the celestiall bodies are of that matter and nature that they mooue continually and yet abide
alwaies intire and in their first forme not being subiect to any change in respect of their bodies neither do they weare or consume away as other creatures do that are vnderneath them Insomuch that none of the celestiall spheres are either wearied worne or spent more with all the labour they haue vndergone by the space of so many yeeres then they were the first day of their creation For we must not take it for a change of their natures and qualities that according to their diuerse course the sunne moone and other planets starres are sometimes further off sometimes neerer each to other that they haue their oppositions coniunctions diuerse and different aspects according to the diuersity and difference of their course and motion We may say as much of the Eclipses both of the sunne and moone For the change that is amongst them is not in their owne bodies substance qualities but onely in regarde of vs and of our sight Concerning the creatures that haue life they are for the most part diuided into three kindes but they that distinguish more subtilly make foure kindes And because life is giuen by the soule the Philosophers make as many sortes of soules as they doe of liues and call them by the same names They call the first the nourishing or vegetatiue soule or life the second the sensitine the third the cogitatiue the fourth the reasonable soule or the soule partaker of reason Touching the first there is a kinde of life that hath no other vertue in the creature to which it is giuen of God then to nourish and cause it to encrease and to keepe it in being vntil this life faile it The soule that giueth life with these effects is called nourishing or vegetatiue this is proper to al herbs trees plants that are maintained kept in their kinds by the seeds or by planting setting such like propagations The second kind of life named sensitiue is so called because it giueth not only nourishment and growth as the first but sense also and feeling They that will haue but three kinds make but one of this and of that which is called cogitatiue by them that make foure who attribute the sensitiue soule to the sea spunges to oysters cockles and to those creatures which the Graecians and Latins call by a name which in our language signifieth as much as plant-liuing creatures because they are of a middle nature betweene plants and liuing creatures hauing life and sense as if they were compounded of both these natures together so that they are more then simple plants and yet are not perfect liuing creatures as those are to whom is attributed the cogitatiue or knowing soule And this is a soule and life which not only giueth whatsoCuer the two former imparteth to the creatures in whome they are but also a certaine vertue and vigour as of cogitation of knowledge and of memorie that they may haue skil to preserue their life and know how to guide and gouerne themselues according to their naturall inclination This soule is proper to brute beastes whome some thinke to be partakers after a sorte of reason so farre foorth as it concerneth things belonging to their nature But wee will proceede no further at this time in this disputation onely let vs note that they which make but three kindes of soule or life doe giue to brute beastes that which wee called Sensitiue comprehending them vnder that kinde of life vnto which they attribute the same vertue and vigour whereof wee nowe spake and which is distinguished by others from that kinde of soule that giueth onely simple sense vnto the creature The fourth kinde of soule and life is that of men which hath all whatsoeuer is in the former kindes and ouer and besides that which is most excellent it is partaker of reason and vnderstanding wherein it agreeth with the life of Angelles as wee will declare more at large in place conuenient and shew also the difference that is betweene them For this cause the soule of man giuen vnto him is commonly called a reasonable soule as all the former are called by mans agreeing to their nature as wee haue declared Therefore seeing this kinde of soule and life comprehendeth all the vertues and properties of the rest it may bee called Uegetatiue Sensitiue Cogitatiue and reasonable altogether But wee must note here that there is great difference betweene the soules of men and those other of which wee spake before For beside that the soule of man is partaker of reason and vnderstanding with all properties that are in the rest it hath that common with the Angelles who are spirites created of GOD to liue a spirituall life without bodies that it is immortall also as well as they But of this immortalitie wee hope GOD willing to intreate at large heereafter as also of the creation and proper nature of the soule In these two pointes then of vnderstanding and of immortalitie the soule of man doeth much differre from that of beastes For although they haue a soule that gyueth vnto them life motion and sense with all other things touched by mee yet it is not partaker of vnderstanding nor of an immortall nature as the Angelles and soules of men are but it is of a mortall nature which endeth and dieth with the body Therefore albeit the soule of man hath in it whatsoeuer is in the rest beside that which is proper vnto it aboue the rest and that which it hath common with the Angelles neuerthelesse it is called onely by the name of that thing which is the principall chiefest and most excellent in it as also the like is done with all the other kindes of soule and life But mee thinkes we ought to consider more fully of that which man hath either common or diuers in his nature from the soule of beasts and what are the proper actions of the soule ioyned with the body and how it is hindered by the body without any change of nature For the consideration hereof will greatly further our knowledge of the internall and spirituall senses of which we are to discourse that wee may step by step ascend vp to the highest vnderstanding and knowledge which the minde of man can attaine vnto concerning the soule Let vs therefore heare AMANA of this matter Of the two natures of which man is compounded how the body is the lodge and instrument of the soule how the soule may be letted from doing her proper actions by the body and be separated from it and yet remaine in her perfection Chap. 22. AMANA Albeit the greatest excellencie of man which farre passeth that of all other liuing creatures ought to be valued according to the soule that God hath giuen him differing from the soule of all other liuing creatures his body being mortall corruptible as that of beasts is yet there are other points of excellencie in the matter forme and vse of all
it cannot doe those woorkes by a maymed and lame hande which it will doe by him that hath both his handes nor cause a lame creeple wanting a foote or legge or hauing some defect in those partes to walke as well as an other that hath all these sounde and perfect And a man may iudge of my speech by that which happeneth not onely to them that fall into an Apoplexie but also to such as haue some quaume about their heart so that they faint and sowne and are for the time as it were dead and yet afterwarde plucke vp their spirites and come againe to their former estate But before they be reuiued they seeme as though they had no soule in their bodies because it is not perceiued by the woorkes thereof as it is when the bodie is well affected And this is chiefly to be seene in a strong Apoplexie or falling sicknesse in which the patient looseth all motion and sense Wherevpon it hath come to passe oftentimes that many haue bene buried for dead in that case who were notwithstanding aliue and some haue recouered and done well afterward as wee haue many examples both in common experience and in histories olde and newe Nowe whilest the soule is thus letted from performing her actions by such inconueniences who would not iudge that she were cleane extinguished with the body Neuerthelesse afterward when she can vse her instruments shee sheweth plainely that the fault commeth not of her but of the instruments that faile her Therefore when we speak of the soule and of the body we must put the same difference between them that is betwixt a Workman and his tooles considering the nature of both and what they can doe both ioyntly and seuerally For an instrument hath neither knowledge nor force nor vertue of it selfe being able to doe nothing alone but onely so farre foorth as it is set on woorke by some Woorkeman But there is another reason in the Woorkeman For although hee cannot vse his arte without those instruments that are necessary thereunto yet hee hath alwayes abiding within him that arte power force and dexteritie whereby he woorketh So that when wee speake of the soule wee are to consider what shee can doe of her selfe and of her owne nature without the bodie and what shee cannot doe without it For we learne in the holy Scriptures that when Angels appeared to men because they are spirits and haue no speech like to that of men as being bodilesse and wanting instruments necessary for the framing therof therefore they tooke mens bodies to appeare and speake to men in and by them No marueile then if the soule which is created to vse the members of the body as instruments speaketh not without a tongue as it doeth with one and with the other Organs of voyce and speech Now forasmuch as wee know that the soule giueth life motion and sence to all the body and that it hath sundry instruments in the body in which and by which it perfourmeth those workes for which they were created of God we are now to consider what facultie power and vertue it hath in euery part of the body For albeit that we cannot assigne to the soule especially to the spirite and vnderstanding which is the most excellent part therein any certaine place of lodging as if it were inclosed within any one part or within all the partes of the body neuerthelesse we may iudge of the nature thereof by those instruments whereby it worketh and by their nature and by the workes it produceth And in this consideration we haue a goodly glasse wherein wee may contemplate God that is inuisible making him visible and knowne vnto vs by his workes euen as the soule is become as it were visible and sheweth it selfe to vs by the bodie in which it dwelleth and by the workes which it doeth therein Therefore let vs propound vnto our selues this whole visible world as it were one great bodie then all the partes as members thereof next let vs consider how the soule of all this great body namely the vertue and power of God worketh therein and effecteth all the workes that are done therein according to that order he hath set therein as the soule worketh in the bodie of man and in euery member thereof Thus doing as we know that there is a soule in the bodie and another nature beside that which is bodily and which worketh therein and this we perceiue by the effects thereof so let vs marke withall by the works done in this visible world that there is another nature that effecteth them which being inuisible differeth from all this world wee see as that which is farre more excellent which filleth the whole and by vertue and power is in all the partes thereof as a soule in a bodie But in propounding this glasse before our eyes we must take heede that we fall not into their dotage who haue thought and affirmed that the worlde is the body of God and that himselfe is the soule thereof For therevpon it would follow that God is mortall and corruptible in regard of his body and that some part or other thereof would alwayes corrupt as we daily see corporall things doe Againe if it were so God should not be infinite and incomprehensible as he is for the worlde doeth not comprehend and containe him but he all the world whereof he is the Creator and by whom the world is and consisteth Seeing then the soule is the image of God in man as the body of man is the image of this great world in which God worketh as the soule doeth in the body of man let vs cōsider how God hath distributed the powers vertues and offices of the soule in the body and in euery part thereof as he manifesteth his glory and vertue in all this visible world in all the partes of it For first they agree herein that as there is but one soule in one body which is sufficient for all the partes and members thereof so there is but one God in the world sufficient for all the creatures Next if we cannot conceiue howe the soule is lodged in the body or how it giueth life vnto it neither yet howe it worketh displayeth therein the vertues which it hath but onely so farre foorth as it testifieth the same by those diuers effects which we see and perceiue in euery part and member thereof no marueile then if wee cannot with our eyes discerne or comprehend how God is throughout all filling heauen and earth how he displayeth his power and vertue howe he worketh in all his creatures and how hee guideth gouerneth and preserueth them by his heauenly prouidence For if wee cannot comprehend the creature nor the nature thereof how shall wee comprehend the nature of the Creator And if it be not in our power to know the workes of God wrought in vs neither the woorkes of our owne soule how shall we know his works done
excellent and wonderfull then is the simple apprehending of them This facultie and power is giuen for the knowledge of things and that to the instruments in the brayne as it appeareth by experience in this that according as the braine and the partes thereof are well or ill affected it is perceiued in the internall senses of which they are the instruments as wee will expresse more plainely in the sequele of our speech But concerning this present matter in hand we are to note that there are three kindes of knowledge The first knoweth those bodies onely that are present before it the second knoweth those also that are absent and the third those things that haue no bodies Wee see by experience that although plants haue a certaine agreement with other liuing creatures namely in this that they inioy the same life with them which we called before the Vegetatiue or Nourishing life neuerthelesse other liuing creatures haue this more then they that they know see heare taste smell and touch which things are without them whereas the whole life of plants hath nothing but that which is within them hauing no sense or knowledge outwardly Concerning that knowledge which taketh notice onely of corporall things that are present before it it is the same that belongeth properly to the external senses of which we spake before and which are giuen by God to liuing creatures for their preseruation For seeing they are bodily natures and must liue amongst bodies hee hath endued them with a certaine knowledge of those bodies to the end they may desire and follow after such things as are agreeable to their nature and eschewe that which is hurtfull Now that which is hidden within anything is knowen by some outward means And therfore the bodily senses were giuē vnto thē to the end that by them they might know whatsoeuer is external being annexed to the things that are perceiued And although God hath not giuen to all liuing creatures outwarde senses alike yet they that are perfect haue all those fiue senses spoken of in our former discourses by which they are able to perceiue and knowe all outward things so that nothing can bee found which is not comprehended vnder the knowledge of these senses Wherin God hath so prouided that according to mans iudgement we see that all perfect liuing creatures ought to haue iust so many not one more or lesse For if they had lesse they should not be so perfect as they are and if they had moe they woulde be superfluous and for no vse at leastwise so farre forth as our smal capacitie could conceiue leauing in the meane while to the incomprehensible wisedome and infinite power of God that which we are not able to comprehend For we owe him this reuerence seeing he alone knoweth all things that are necessary and expedient for all creatures Now besides this outward knowledge of things present we see plainly that there is another knowledge within of things that are absent For our owne experience teacheth vs that euen then when our externall senses are retired and withdrawen from doing their dueties the imagination thought consideration and remembrance of those things we haue seene heard tasted smelt touched and perceiued with corporal senses remaine still in vs both waking and sleeping as it appeareth by our dreames in which the images and resemblance of those things which the bodily senses perceiued waking are represented to our internall senses when we are asleepe We see testimonies of some part of this knowledge euen in brute beastes which causeth them to haue respect to such things as they neede but yet they haue it not as men haue who haue farre greater knowledge moe internal senses then beasts as being partakers of reason and vnderstanding The third kinde of knowledge which is of things that are not bodily is the principal effect of the vnderstanding which lifteth vp all the senses of mā to the cotemplation of the diuinitie of the spiritual and supernatural things which kind of knowledge is proper to man and to no other liuing creature Of this knowledge we will intreat more at large hereafter when we shal speake of those principall and most noble senses of the soule namely vnderstanding and reason In the meane time that we may the better know the facultie vertue and office of euery one of those internal senses of which we will intreate we are to vnderstand that the soule worketh by them in their places almost after the same manner it doeth in the diuers kindes of her naturall faculties and vertues according to the nature of euery one of them For this power and vertue which we call naturall and which before we saide was the third facultie that continually worketh in man and neuer ceaseth is diuided into three sortes The first is the vertue of nourishing the second of augmenting the third of ingendring and these haue sixe other vertues and faculties common to them altogether The first draweth vnto it the second holdeth fast the third digesteth the fourth distributeth the fift assimilateth and incorporateth that is conuerteth into it owne substance that which is dispensed vnto it and so turneth it into the substance of the bodie that receiueth it the sixt driueth forth whatsoeuer is superfluous For the nourishment which the bodie receiueth would doe it no good vnlesse it had some vertue in it to drawe the same vnto it selfe as also members and instruments meete for this woorke as we will declare more at large by the helpe of God when we shal speake more particularly of this matter Besides it is not enough for the bodie to drawe foode to it selfe but it must also retaine the same And because the thinges that are taken cannot nourish the bodie except they bee turned into the nature thereof therefore they must first bee digested and prepared by this meanes as wee vse to prepare such meates as haue neede of dressing before wee eate them But because they are not sufficiently prepared by this first dressing they must bee once againe dressed by the naturall heate that is in the bodie without which neyther the heate of the materiall fire nor the heate of the sunne will serue the turne vnlesse this naturall heare also doe his duetie Nowe after the meate is thus digested and prepared it must bee distributed and parted to all the members that euery one may take such nourishment as is meete for it And because the matter is diuers in the whole composition of the bodie as namely bones gristles ligaments sinewes arteries veynes fleshe and other kindes of matter whereof wee haue spoken heeretofore therefore must the food also be so conuerted in euery member as that it is to bee altered into a substance altogether like to euery seuerall part it hath to nourish Nowe forasmuch as all that the bodie taketh in for nourishment is not fitte for that purpose after that nature hath taken that which may doe her good shee
reiecteth the residue wich is not onely not profitable but also very hurtfull for her vnlesse shee did cast it foorth and so discharge and purge the bodie thereof Nowe let vs see howe the like is wrought in the brayne betweene the internall senses and the Animal vertues For first there must bee some facultie and vertue that receiueth the images imprinted in the senses the knowledge whereof is as single and plaine as may bee because it is onely of thinges that are bodily and present as I haue alreadie declared This vertue is called Imagination or the Imaginatiue vertue which is in the soule as the eye in the bodie by beholding to receiue the images that are offered vnto it by the outward senses and therefore it knoweth also the things that are absent and is amongst the internal senses as it were the mouth of the vessell of memorie which is the facultie and vertue that retaineth and keepeth whatsoeuer is committed to the custody thereof by the other senses that it may be found and brought forth when neede requireth Therefore Memorie is as it were their treasurer to keepe that which they committe vnto it and to bring it foorth in due time and season Nowe after that the Imagination hath receiued the images of the senses singly and particularly as they are offered vnto it then doeth it as it were prepared and digest them eyther by ioyning them together or by separating them according as their natures require They that distinguish Imagination from Fantasie attribute this office to Fantasie others say it belongeth to the Common sense vnder which they comprehend both the former faculties because the office thereof is to receiue the images that are offered vnto it and to discerne the things as they are presented by all the externall senses and to distinguish them as they doe Afterwarde it is requisite that all these things thus heaped together shoulde bee distributed and compared one with another to consider howe they may be conioyned or seuered how one followeth another or how farre asunder they are that so a man may iudge what is to be retained and what to be refused And this office belongeth to Reason after which Iudgement followeth whereby men chuse or refuse that which reason alloweth or disalloweth For it belongeth to reason to discourse and memory afterward as I haue alreadie touched hath this office to retaine and keepe all Thus you see the similitude and comparison that may be considered of betweene the actions and workes of the naturall vertues of the soule and those of the Animal vertues in the internall senses which may greatly helpe vs to the better vnderstanding of that which wee haue alreadie touched before concerning the spirituall foode of our soules which properly belongeth to the internall senses Nowe because all these senses faculties and vertues haue their instruments in the brayne before we speake more at large and particularly of their office and nature wee must see howe these partes are placed in the head and what vessels and members they haue in the brayne and this ACHITOB shal teach vs. Of the composition of the Braine with the members and partes thereof of their offices and of that knowledge which ought to content vs touching the principall cause of the vertues and wonderfull powers of the soule Chap. 24. ACHITOB. The actions faculties and vertues of the soule are so high obscure that their excellency far surmounteth the capacity of our vnderstādings For we haue no other soule aboue this that effecteth these works whereby we might see and know the nature hereof as by this we come to the knowledge of corporall things whose nature being of lesse excellencie more base our soule which is of a more high and noble nature is able to know comprehend and iudge of them But because there is no nature in vs more high excellent then our soule none can know it as it is but onely the creator that made it especially that reasonable part of the soule wherein the image of God is more liuely and shineth more clearely then in the rest Therefore we may in some sort know by this part facultie and vertue which is the chiefest what is the nature of the rest that are inferiour vnto it But because there is no part in vs aboue that we cannot perceiue and know how it vseth the internal senses with their vessels and instruments as by this wee may iudge of the Vital vertue which it sheweth vnto vs in the heart and of the Nutritiue vertue which it discouereth vnto vs in the liuer and in other partes and members seruing to these faculties as also to the vertue of generation Therefore wee must waite for a more ample knowledge of our selues chiefly of our soules and aboue all of that part which is most excellent in it when we shall by the goodnes and grace of God beholde face to face the creator that created it and shal behold and know our selues in him and contemplate him in all perfection and truth But seeing we vnderstood by the former speech that all the Animal faculties and vertues and all the internal senses in the knowledge whereof we desire to be instructed more at large haue their seates and instruments in the braine let vs nowe consider howe these partes are placed within the head And first of all wee must call to minde what wee hearde before of the outwarde partes thereof As for that which is within there are hollowe places called Little Bellies distinguished by distaunce of place as it were diuers chambers in one building Therefore there are certayne membranes or skinnes both to distinguish them and knitte them together as also to preserue and keepe them from all hurt and danger Nowe albeit these skinnes haue this office yet it is much to bee marueiled at howe this whole frame can keepe it selfe and continue so firme as it were the roofe of a house or Church considering that the matter there is great spongie and very tender The first of these skinnes is a thicke couering which is one of the chiefest skinnes that belong to our body The substance thereof is thicke and harder then any other skinne and therefore it is called the Harde mother because it bringeth foorth and preserueth all the rest The vse and profite thereof is to wrap and foulde in rounde about the whole braine and to keepe it that whilest it moueth it shoulde not be hurt with the bone of the head which is commonly called the skul For nature vseth to set a meane betweene two contraries as well to knit them together as to preserue both the one and the other Therefore because the bones of the skull are hard and the braine is soft and tender God hath placed this couering which is of a middle substance betweene them both and is so tyed to the one and the other that it hangeth as it were betweene both and toucheth neither of
wayes First because wee may in some sort take a viewe of nature by searching out therein those thinges of which shee doeth heere set before vs very euident testimonies euen those thinges which may bee demonstrated although grossely according to the capacitie of our dull vnderstandings The second way which is the chiefest and most sure is by that testimonie which himselfe affoordeth vs in his worde For let vs not thinke that the minde can pronounce any thing for certayne but as it is directed by the testimonie of GOD seeing the senses which hee hath giuen vs come short herein and are not able to ascende vp so high For the excellencie of this creature and of the nature thereof is such and so great that it cannot perfectly knowe and comprehend itselfe especially where it is of greatest dignitie So that if wee desire to haue certaine knowledge whither should we haue recourse in this defect of our senses but vnto him that is able to certifie vs truely in this poynt And who can testifie the trueth of the worke but the Workemaster that made it and therefore knoweth it better then any other and all the perfection that is in it Why then doe wee not yeelde to GOD that honour in a thing not to bee comprehended by vs which wee doe to men of whome wee are well perswaded in thinges which wee cannot knowe but by their testimonie For howe manie thinges doe wee beleeue of which wee knowe not the causes and for which wee haue no other reason shewed vs but onely the testimonie and authoritie of men whome wee iudge woorthie of credite who notwithstanding may themselues bee deceiued and deceiue others But GOD cannot bee deceiued nor deceiue those that giue credite to his testimonie which hee hath not so hidden from men but that it is manifested vnto them yea hee hath chosen some amongst them to testifie the same from him to others And if it hath pleased him to haue such witnesses amongest them a man may soone see that hee hath chosen them in whome hee hath caused his image to shine most excellently and whome hee hath made more like to himselfe aswell by the reuelation of his holy spirite in all those excellent graces and vertues wherewith hee hath indued them as also by those holy and heauenly woorkes which he effecteth by them whereby hee hath as it were marked them with his seale to giue them authoritie and to cause them to bee acknowledged of all for his faithfull witnesses and seruants If then wee desire to haue certaine and true witnesses in any such matter where can we finde them sooner then amongest the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles with all those Martyres and other holy personages whose doctrine and life testifie vnto vs howe farre they differ from other men But aboue all howe highly ought wee to esteeme the testimonie of the very Sonne of GOD who is to bee preferred before all others Seeing therefore wee haue so many faithfull witnesses let vs keepe vs to their testimonie wayting for that perfect light and more cleare and ample knowledge which shall bee reuealed vnto vs in that heauenly glorie In the meane time let vs consider howe wee are able to comprehende the infinite nature of the Creator of our soule seeing wee cannot conceiue the nature of the soule which he hath created and let vs reiect those dogges and hogges those Atheists and Epicures who iudge of God and of the soule of man so farre foorth onely as they are able to knowe and comprehend by their naturall sense whereby they see no further into the soule of man then they doe into the soules of beasts whome themselues resemble But suppose they had no other testimony of the celestiall and diuine nature of the soule but that which it affoordeth vs daily by those faculties and vertues where with God hath endued it and the effectes it sheweth vs yet ought they to learne to iudge otherwise Now to morrowe it will be thy part ASER to beginne the particular handling of these goodly internall senses whose vesselles and instruments wee haue considered of in this speach as also thou art to teach vs who be the chiefe ministers of the soule for all her actions The end of the third dayes worke THE FOVRTH dayes worke Of the seate of voluntary motion and sense of the office and nature of the common sense of imagination and of fantasie and howe light and dangerous fantasie is of the power which both good and bad spirites haue to mooue it Chap. 25. ASER The knowledge of many things is so natural to men that being borne with them it is like to a light attending vpon the minde as the sight doeth vpon the eyes For the knowledge of numbers and of order the Principles and beginning of Artes the knowledge and distinction of things honest and dishonest proceede from such a light And when Saint Paul sayeth that the Gentiles and all that haue not receiued of God the Lawe of the two Tables as the people of Israel did haue notwithstanding a Law written in their hearts that doeth accuse or excuse them no doubt but by this Lawe hee vnderstandeth that naturall knowledge which men haue both of God and of good and euil which issueth from a higher spring then from the outward sences and which euery one hath for a schoolemistress within himselfe euen they also that would extinguish wholly this light if they could For although God hath imprinted many similitudes and testimonies of himselfe in all creatures whereby hee manifesteth himselfe vnto vs yet should we know nothing more then the brute beasts do if there were not a light in our mindes that causeth vs to see and knowe them and to conclude that which wee doe which light is not in beasts albeit they haue outward senses as wel as wee But it is commonly said that there is nothing in the vnderstanding which hath not first beene in the outward senses that is to say that it can know nothing which is not first discouered and manifested vnto it by them But wee must vnderstand that saying of such things as fall vnder their powers and faculties which being knowen and noted by the senses doe awaken and stirre vp the vnderstanding which after by that vertue it hath in it selfe proceedeth forward namely from signes and effects vnto causes from accidents to substances and from particular things to vniuersalities But let vs consider how We must first remember the diuision which before wee made of the animal facultie and power and thereupon wee note that the sensitiue and motiue powers whereby the soule vsing the meanes of the sinewes and muscles giueth voluntary sense and motion to all the body haue no speciall place or seate in the braine as the other internall senses haue but are dispersed throughout the whole substance thereof Concerning the chiefe power and facultie we were told before how some distinguish betweene Imagination fantasie and the Common sense
For all these senses and vertues of mans mind agree so well together that as the outward senses serue the common sense so the common sense serueth Imagination and imagination fantasie fantasie vnderstanding and consideration consideration recordation recordation conference and conference reason and lastly memorie serueth them al as they also serue memory Therfore it is not without the great wisdome prouidence of God that the seate shop thereof is in the hindermost part of the head because it must looke to the things that are past So that we haue in that part as it were a spirituall eye which is much more excellent and profitable then if wee had bodily eyes there as wee haue before or else a face before and an other behinde as the Poets fained that Ianus had Thus we may learne by our speach what reason is and the discourse thereof and how it causeth the nature of man to approch in some sort to that nature which is diuine and heauenly making man farre to excell all other nature in the world For it goeth from things knowen to them that are vnknowen and descendeth from generalles to specialles and from them to particulars and mounteth aloft againe by the same steppes from one to another and compareth one with another For after that Imagination hath receiued the images and impressions of things offered vnto it by the outward senses the consideration of Reason followeth which enquireth of all that may be in the minde of the plentie or want that is there and causeth it to returne to it selfe as if it did beholde and consider it selfe to take knowledge what it hath or what it hath not howe much it hath and of what qualitie and nature it is After this reason draweth out and concludeth inuisible things of visible of corporall things it concludeth things without bodies and seeret things of plaine and euident matters and generalles of particulars then it referreth all this to the vnderstanding which is the chiefe vertue and power of the soule and that which comprehendeth all the faculties thereof as wee will discourse in place conuenient yea that which finally resteth in the contemplation of the spirite which is the ende of all enquirie of trueth and as it were a setled and assured view of all those things that haue beene culled out by reason and receiued and approoued by iudgement Heereof it is that wee say there is a double discourse of Reason in man whereof the one consisteth in speculation hauing Trueth for the scope and ende thereof and goeth no farther after it hath founde the trueth The other consisteth in practise and hath Good for his ende which after it hath found it stayeth not there but goeth on to Will which is an other power of the soule of great vertue as wee wil declare heereafter and is giuen of God to man that hee should loue desire and followe that which is good and hate eschew and turne from euill But these things shal be handled more at large in the sequele of our speeches Now to resume and finish this present matter as wee learne that man by the discourse of reason that is in him lifteth vp himselfe aboue the outward senses yea aboue Imagination and fantasie and knoweth well that hee is inclosed within the body as in a prison which neuerthelesse can not altogether hinder him from vnderstanding and contemplating the things hee seeth not so also hee vseth the helpe of Memorie to keepe and retaine in his minde whatsoeuer hee hath knowen by any of the senses eyther externall or internall Therefore is the Memorie compared to a Picture For as a Picture by the sight of the eyes giueth the knowledge of that which is painted therein so is it with Memorie by the sight of the minde endewed with vnderstanding and knowledge for it doeth not onely looke vpon things simply as beasts doe but considereth of them and diligently enquireth into them and hauing found them it placeth them in the Memorie and there keepeth them And the better to haue them in memorie it often thinketh and meditateth of those things it turneth and tosseth them to and fro that they may bee the better imprinted therein For this cause some Philosophers attribute vnto man beside memorie both recordation and remembrance which is one recordation vpon another whereby we call to mind that which was slipped out of it For it commeth to passe oftentimes that that which before we haue seene heard and knowen and euen kept a while in our memory is escaped vs and so forgotten that we thinke of it no more then if wee had neuer vnderstoode or knowen it neither should we euer remember it vnlesse some body did put vs in minde of it or some euident token made vs to thinke of it Some things also there are which albeit they are not cleane gone from vs but are somewhat better registred in our memory yet wee cannot readily remember them and bring them foorth without great and long inquirie Therefore must the minde turne ouer all the leaues of his Booke or Register of Memorie or at leastwise a great part thereof to finde them out as if a Chauncellour or Secretary shoulde search all his Papers and Registers and all his Rolles of Chauncery vntill hee had found that which hee sought for And wee see among our selues what notes and obseruations wee vse that they might bee as it were a memoriall booke vnto our memories You see then why some haue attributed to man both recordation and remembrahce thereby to put a difference betweene them and bare memorie without any other consideration which they say is in beastes who forgetting presently what they perceiued by their senses when they see those things againe that in some sorte putteth them in minde thereof then they call them to minde as if they had knowen them before But nowe that wee vnderstand the nature office order and seates of the internall senses of the soule that all may be more casily perceiued I thinke wee ought to shewe by some familiar examples howe a man may knowe that these internall senses are so distinguished disposed and ordained and that they haue their seats and instruments in the braine in such sort as wee haue already spoken Let vs then heare ARAM discourse to this purpose That the internall senses are so distinguished that some of them may be troubled and hindered and the rest be safe and whole according as their places and instruments assigned vnto them in the body are sound or perished and of those that are possessed with Deuilles Chap. 27. ARAM. Howsoeuer it pleased God to enrich man with heauenly gifts and graces aboue all visible creatures yet foreseeing the future pride of mankinde he alwayes and in all things gaue him great matter of humilitie and modestie to the end that they which knowe howe to profit thereby should neuer forget the graces receiued from the goodnesse of their Creator and
so neuer become vngratefull towards him And truely wee ought to be very carefull to keepe our selues from pride and vaine boasting of the senses of our mind and spirite which God hath giuen vs howe ingenious excellent and diuine soeuer they be yea rather humbling our selues before his Maiestie wee are to yeelde him continuall thankes and pray that it would please him to keepe them alwayes sound and safe and to augment his gifts and graces in our minds For he sheweth vs by experience euery day that hee can trouble our mindes with a small matter yea the mindes of those that are most witty prudent wise and skilfull and the most diuine spirites that can be found amongst men Howe many doe wee see daily yea many times of those that are admired of all for their singular wit great prudence knowledge wisedome vertue credite and authoritie that loose the vse of their senses and vnderstanding insomuch that they doe not onely growe foolish as if they were become litle children againe but also haue lesse direction gouernement in them then the poore beasts haue And how many doe we see that become frensie mad behauing themselues as it were brute and sauage beastes and continue in that estate vnto the death The consideration of these things will cause vs to vnderstand better that which wee haue heard of the distinction disposition order and seates of the internall senses of the soule and of their vesselles and instruments Wee haue then daily great testimonies and very euident signes heere of in frantike and bedleme persons in such as are oppressed with melancholy in furious folkes and in all those that are beside themselues For there are sundry sortes of them some being troubled but in one part of the minde onely hauing the other partes sound some more troubled then the former and othersome that haue nothing sound and vntouched Heereof it is that wee see some whose imagination and fantasie onely are out of frame insomuch that they iudge a thing to bee that which it is not Therefore they conceiue strange opinions which they imprint so deepe in their braine that they are not easily rooted out againe Some imagine and beleeue that they haue hornes others that they haue a serpent or some other beast in their bodies others that they are become water pottes or glasses and thereupon are afraide lest some body should iustle against them and breake them in peeces There haue beene some that were so verily perswaded in their fancie that they were dead that they coulde neuer after be brought to eate or drinke anie thing but dyed in that opinion And yet all these did vnderstand very well and conceiue what was saide vnto them and remembred it as well afterward Whereby it appeareth that they haue reason and memorie more sound then imagination and fancie as Galen and other Physicions mention many examples of such and our selues do often see some like to those of whome I speake nowe There are others also that haue their imagination fancie yea and their memorie also sound but their reason is so troubled that they can not vnderstand nor conceiue that which is tolde them nor make any discourse themselues neither examine or conclude anie thing by reason Galen alleadgeth an example of one who after hee had cast downe out of a windowe certaine glasses and violles with other vesselles of brittle matter threwe downe a little childe which was slaine This man knew well enough that hee helde in his hand glasses and other vesselles of such matter and that the childe hee threwe downe was a childe and he remembred well what hee had seene heard and done but hee had not his wittes so aduised nor his reason so stayed as to discourse consider and iudge thus with himselfe that bee coulde not cast those vesselles downe but hee must breake them considering the matter whereof they were made nor the childe but hee must kill it I omit many other examples I coulde alleadge to this purpose which many skilfull Physicions speake of in their bookes because I meane not to touch this matter but as it were by the way Concerning them that loose their memory and yet keepe the other partes sound wee haue many examples of them For there haue beene plagues sometimes whereby many haue lost their memories in such sort that they cleane forgat whatsoeuer they knewe before yea their owne names their parents and their friends And the disease called the Lethargie bringeth with it forgetfulnesse and want of memorie as the name it selfe giueth vs to vnderstand in the Greeke tongue from whence it is taken Therefore wee see howe the internall senses of the soule may be perished seuerally one without an other whereupon we may well conclude that as they may bee all sound together so they may all bee perished at one and the same time Example heereof is daily seene in many that are frensie and madde hauing all their senses troubled which sometimes they had sound and perfect Yea there are some that behaue themselues like dogges and wolues as Physicions report because they thinke they are transformed into those kinde of beasts by reason of the violence of Melancholy and of that malady which is thereupon named by the Graecians Cynanthropie and Lycanthropie It pleased God to punish Nebuchadnezzar with this kinde of chastisement to beate downe his glorie and pride when his wittes were taken from him in so much that hee did not thinke himselfe to be a man any more but a beast and so indeede liued in the fieldes like a wilde beast Nowe therefore wee may knowe by the sequele of our speach and by the examples which wee haue alleadged howe the internall senses are distinguished one from an other in such sorte that euery one hath his office apart as the members that are in a mans body And if any desire to knowe more particularly in what parte and place of the braine euery particular sense hath his lodging and seate for to exercise his office in wee may iudge heereof somewhat by experience which teacheth vs that they who haue receiued some blowe or are vexed by sickenesse about the former ventricles of the braine haue then common sense their imagination and fantasie perished when the instruments about those partes eyther suffer or haue suffred violence If the same happen to the middle ventricle the like is seene in the defect of reason if to the hindermost ventricle the memorie faileth as it hath befallen many vpon the receit of a blowe in that place yea which is more then that experience doeth not onelie shewe this when blowes and diseases light vpon the head and braine but it appeareth also in the composition and making of all that part of the body For according as the head shall be either well or ill framed and proportioned either before in the middest or in the hinder part thereof or in all three together so shall a man finde greater excellencie
qualitie of that Good which being fitte for them is the greatest they can attaine vnto so also hath man a knowledge according to his nature and to the ende for the which hee was created So that the knowledge that God hath giuen him serueth to stirre vp his appetite and desire of that Good which hee knoweth and this appetite also serueth his knowledge so farre foorth as man being mooued and pricked forward to loue God reioyceth and reposeth himselfe in him huing knowen him to bee his soueraigne Good But to the end wee may the better vnderstand this whole matter we must note that there are three kinds of appetites among the creatures which are commonly called the one naturall the other sensitiue and the third voluntary As for the naturall wee may diuide it into two sortes For there is one generall to all creatures whether liuing or without life which is nothing else but a naturall inclination without any action proceeding from any soule or life as when wee say that heauy things desire to go downeward and light things vpward as wee see it in the nature of the Elements which are without soule and life But beside this naturall appetite common to all creatures there is an other that hath action ioyned with the inclination which neuerthelesse proceedeth not of any sense This appetite is proper to the vegetatiue and nourishing soule and life whereof plants are partakers For wee see by experience that they haue a naturall appetite to drawe vnto them and to retaine that which is meete for their nature and foode and to expell the contrary For if a plant waxe drie it desireth to be watered and draweth and keepeth humour and moisture necessary for it selfe Wee see the like in mens bodies For when the members want nourishment they sucke the veynes and the veines drawe vnto them blood And as the members desire their foode so they desire to bee vnburthened when they haue too much The appetite which we call hunger thirst may be referred to this kind of naturall appetite if this be excepted that we can not say it is without sense and feeling For beside the desire of eating and drinking there is withall a sense of this attraction whereby the members sucke the veines and the veines the blood and this sense is not without greefe and displeasure So that euery liuing creature is stirred vp to seeke for his foode and to take his refection Wherevpon wee may diuide this naturall appetite also into two kindes whereof the one shal be proper to plants that haue no sense and the other belong to liuing creatures that haue this feeling of which I made mention euen now and which differeth from that sense that is proper to the outward senses already spoken of The reason whereof is because it is properly such a kind of feeling as those creatures haue which keepe a meane betweene plants and liuing creatures beeing partakers of both their natures and yet are neither simply plants nor perfect liuing creatures as it hath beene already shewed As therefore we heard in our former discourse speaking of the growing vp of mans body and of the manifestation by little and little of the powers of the soule namely that as long as the child is in his mothers wombe he is like to plants so also hee hath then great agreement with these middle sorts of creatures in regard of this kinde of appetite and of the manner of nourishing whereby it is fedde For the seede whereof hee is begotten and conceiued is nourished and groweth vp as plants do vntill such time as the Infant that is fashioned haue sense and feeling much like to that sense of the aforesaide creatures which are partakers of the nature both of plants and of liuing creatures For as yet he hath no vse of his externall senses vntill such time as hee be borne Nowe the seate of this kinde of naturall appetite is chiefly in the liuer and in the stomacke and generally in all the members that serue for nourishment For these members haue that appetite that is ioyned with this kinde of sense of which I spake euen nowe And as for the appetite of the other members which serue not for the nourishing of the whole body but onely for themselues it is more like to that appetite that is in plantes For they feele neither hunger nor thirst as other members doe And thus much for the natural appetite and the kinds thereof Concerning the sensitiue appetite it is that which accompanieth the sense and belongeth onely to liuing creatures There are two sorts of this For either it is made with touching or without touching Pleasure and griefe belong properly to the first kinde and the instruments and seats thereof are in the sinewes or els in that small sinewy skinne which giueth the sense For those things delight the sinewes which agree with their nature and looke what is contrary vnto them the same affecteth them with griefe which tendeth to their destruction as delight procureth their preseruation So that heate colde drynesse and moysture reioyce helpe and comfort the sinewes or els grieue hurt indamage them according as they are eyther wel or ill applied vnto them Therfore the sinewes were created to the end they might be instruments of sense and motion and that they shoulde receiue pleasure and paine Now all these sorts of appetites are not in the will and power of man neither proceed they from his imagination For whether he will or no he shall be subiect to hunger and thirst and shall in the same manner feele and perceiue thinges as they are applied vnto him if he be so disposed in body as he ought to be True it is he may wel abstaine from eating drinking from touching whatsoeuer he pleaseth but this abstinence in the meane time wil not take from him that appetite which hee hath but will increase it the more For it cannot hinder but that all the members will still desire their nourishment and the body will alwayes haue this sense and feeling And as for the sense of touching it will alwayes feele that which it toucheth and euen such as it is when it shal be touched But there are appetites of an other kinde which are bredde without any touch at all and follow the thought and imagination of a man These are properly called affections and haue their seate in the heart Therefore they must bee distinguished from others that hauing sence of delectation and of griefe are placed in the stomacke or in the sinewes or in the rest of the body Now by the affections we meane properly those motions of the heart which follow knowledge and either seeke after or reiect that which is offered vnto them so that according to the order of nature knowledge goeth before these motions Hereof it is that we commonly say that a man must know before he loue and that no man desireth that which
dispensed to the eyes and sounde to the eares in good measure and moderation For if the light bee too great the eyes cannot receiue it insomuch that they will bee hurt and offended in steade of receiuing delight On the other side if it bee too little it will not suffice them and therefore it must bee betweene both And as euery mans sight is sharper and stronger or more dull and weaker so must the light bee dispensed according to that measure The like may bee sayde of soundes in regarde of the eares and of all other thinges in respect of those sences vnto which they agree And if this moderation bee requisite for the outwarde sences it is no lesse necessary in respect of the inward senses and of all the powers of the soule Therefore as God is incomprehensible and infinite so is hee receiued with delight of that part of the soule which commeth neerest vnto his nature and which is most incomprehensible most ample and most infinite in regarde of other partes and that is the Spirite and Vnderstanding On the other side because there is no proportion or agreement in greatnesse and infinitenesse betweene GOD and the Soule shee receiueth and comprehendeth him by such meanes whereby hee may bee applied vnto her and shee made after a sort capable of him For if hee shoulde present himselfe vnto her such as hee is in his high and diuine maiestie especially man beeing in this estate wherein hee is in this mortall life shee coulde not beare so high maiestie as beeing too exceeding great for her So that insteede of receiuing pleasure ioy and delight shee shoulde not onely bee very much frighted but euen wholly ouerwhelmed and swallowed vp as a droppe of water woulde bee consumed beeyng throwen into a great fire as wee may iudge by so many examples as are in the holie Scriptures to this purpose For when God manifested himselfe to the Patriarkes hee neuer appeared vnto them in the greatnesse of his maiestie but tooke vnto him alwayes some shape and vsed such meanes as were agreeable to their nature Therefore also it is verie requisite that GOD shoulde descende and applie himselfe vnto our small capacitie to the ende wee may enioy him and his Goodes and take pleasure and delight in them For this cause hee hath not onely appointed the ministerie of his worde and Sacraments to shewe and communicate himselfe vnto vs by them applying himselfe vnto our nature and capacitie but hath also manifested himself in flesh in the person of his sonne Iesus Christ to become more like vnto vs and to drawe neerer vnto vs in our owne nature to this ende that wee might enioye him and all his benefites the better and receiue more true and entire delight in them And thus much for this poynt of the agreement that ought to bee betweene the thing that delighteth and that which receiueth pleasure Next wee are to note that a man may take pleasure by all those partes whereby hee may knowe as well by the internall as the externall senses and by all the powers of the minde and soule Whereupon it followeth that as euerie one is more or lesse addicted to any of these partes so hee delighteth most in those pleasures which hee may receiue by that part vnto which hee is most giuen Therefore wee see that the baser and more vile sort of people and such as are most rude and ignoraunt are more mooued by corporall and externall thinges which moue the bodily senses then by spirituall and high things that are more meete for the spirite and wherein it taketh greater pleasures But with prudent and wise men and such as are more spirituall it is otherwise So that as euery ones nature is more noble and excellent or more vile and abiect and according to the nature of those things wherein euery one delighteth so is the delight either more noble and excellent or more base and contemptible more pure quiet or more impure and troublesome of longer or of shorter continuance and hath moe or fewer pleasures and those either more or lesse tedious Now among those delights which a man may take by the bodily senses the basest and most abiect of all is that which is receiued by the sense of touching For as it is most earthy of all the external senses so are the pleasures that are taken by it That delight which is taken by the sense of tasting is a litle more honest and lesse contemptible and yet is it brutish enough As for the delight that may bee receiued by the sense of smelling it is very light and nothing so pleasant as the yrkesomnesse that commeth of the contrary is vnpleasant For a good smel bringeth not so great pleasure as an euill smell causeth displeasure besides that this sense of smelling is not so sharpe in man as in beasts And concerning those pleasures which a man may receiue by the eares they haue some more beautie and excellency in them For the more they holde of the nature of the ayre they are so much the lesse earthy and brutish And those which we receiue by the eyes are yet more excellent then all the rest because the eyes are of the nature of the fire which commeth neerest to the celestial nature And thus much for those pleasures which a man may receiue by the corporall senses of which the noblest and best are baser and of lesse excellency then the least of those which we may receiue by the basest parts powers of the soule For as much as the soule is more noble and more worthie then the body so much is the least thing in it greater and more magnificall then that which is most noble and most excellent in the bodie And as there are diuers degrees of pleasures according to the varietie of the externall senses and according to the difference that is betwixt them and the powers of the soule so is it betweene the powers of the soule as some of them are more noble and more diuine then others For those which appertaine to the nourishing and generatiue powers are more corporall earthy and brutish then those that belong to the vitall partes and to the heart And those that are proper to the spirite and minde are purest and best of all among which that delight that is in contemplation is the chiefest as we may iudge by that which we haue alreadie spoken Wherefore if we would consider well of all these degrees of delight and pleasure and could iudge well of them we should not be so deceiued in them as commonly we are preferring the least before the greatest the basest before the noblest those that are most earthy before them that are most heauenly and those that fade soonest before them that continue longest Besides the very enioying of euery one of them ought to suffice to make vs know their nature and the difference betweene the one and the other and how farre one is to be
in those things wherein it coulde doe nothing of it selfe For the soule cannot create her bodie But after that God hath created the bodie for it and that by his appoyntment nature hath disposed and fitted the same for the soule so farre foorth as is requisite before it can shewe what vertue it hath and settle it selfe to worke in the bodie then is shee left to doe that which shee is able to performe by the powers of her presence and to exercise her selfe therein beginning alwayes at the least and basest of her offices before shee apply her selfe to the chiefest by displaying her principall powers For whilest the childe is in his mothers bellie the soule practiseth vpon it her Vegetatiue and nourishing vertue by which it is nourished and groweth in greatnesse as wee see the like in plantes And when it is borne it receiueth besides from the soule the power of moouing and of sence as we see beastes haue and last of all by litle and litle the soule displayeth her other principall vertues But to speake of our matter subiect and to handle particularly those instrumentes of the soule which shee vseth in the nourishing and augmenting of the bodie wee will beginne at the Ventricle commonly called the stomacke Nowe because this name is vsed diuersly wee are to note that the Physicions who distinguish the partes of the bodie more exactly and properly apply this name of stomacke more specially to the vpper mouth of it and call the whole by the name of Ventricle whereof wee will speake anon Oftentimes also they take the stomacke for the whole passage and pype called Oesophage or the throate but commonly the whole Ventricle is called by that name Therefore I will vse it indifferently thereby to apply my selfe the better to the vsuall manner of speaking Wee are to knowe then first of all that amongest all the members seruing to nourishment GOD hath appoynted this to bee the first as that which receiueth the meate and drinke sent vnto it by the throate And to the ende wee may the better knowe the prouidence of God in the offices and commodities of this member I will first speake somewhat of the figure and forme thereof then of the situation of it and last of all of the substaunce of it The figure of it is rounde and long much like to a bagge-pipe as that which is beeing somewhat larger at the bottome and arising vpwarde towardes the left side groweth narrower by litle and litle For seeing it was to occupie the whole pace that is betwixt the liuer and the spleene it was requisite that it shoulde bee long to the ende it might not trouble that place which is assigned vnto them but giue them place Likewise it was requisite that it shoulde bee rounde both because the rounde forme is most capable and also because it will not so easily be broken and marred as other formes will be Vnto the stomacke is ioyned this narrow pipe called Oesophage to the end it might receiue into it thereby all kinds of meate and drink as wee declared when we spake of the pipes in the throate and of meates and drinkes For this cause there are two mouthes or doores in the stomacke called Orifices of which the one is called the higher Orifice or mouth because it is vppermost and the other for the same reason is called the lower Orifice The first is to receiue the meate that is sent to the stomacke by the Oesophage And this is that which the Physicions call by the proper name of stomacke as wee hearde before although commonly it is called the heart For when wee feele any weakenesse there or anie desire to vomite wee commonly say that wee are ill at the heart or that something lyeth vpon our heart But this sense of griefe is not at the heart but in that part of the Ventricle which is called the vppermost Orifice or stomacke whose seate and place is on the left side neere to the backe-bone And this Orifice or mouth of the stomacke is a great deale more large then the nethermost because the meate is oftentimes not well chewed besides many great and hard morsels that are swallowed nowe and then Againe this part is verie sensible because there is the originall and place of appetite by reason of those nerues of which it is chiefely made that growe together like vnto nettes Heereof wee may note this that the prouidence of God hath so well prouided for all the members and instruments of nourishment that there is not one of them but it hath some small sinewe to giue it sense whereby it may feele and perceiue what humours are hurtfull vnto it that by the griefe which it receiueth men may be moued to haue recourse to such remedies as are able to releeue it But to returne to our matter wee are to knowe that the vpper Orifice hath the Midriffe ioyned vnto it which is in steede of a doore to close and shutte it vp that when it is full of meates and drinkes they shoulde not ascende vp againe by the throate Concerning the nethermost Orifice it is both by the Greeke and Latine Writers called by a name that signifieth a Doore-keeper being made to let out the meate concocted in the Ventricle together with the superfluities and excrementes Therefore also it is narrower then the vpper Orifice and compassed about with a certaine kernelley fleshe to the ende that nothing shoulde passe by which were not well digested before and that by meanes of the mouth of it made in the manner of a ring It is situated on the right side vnder the hollownesse of the liuer a little lower then the other Orifice But it is not at the very bottome of the Ventricle but a little higher to the ende the foode beeing retayned and kept at the bottome might bee heated and digested there So that after the stomacke hath receiued into it the meate and drinke both these doores as well aboue as beneath are shut that the heate within might be retained and kept close For this cause there are certaine filaments or small stringes of which some are direct and straight hauing in them a marueilous secret vertue of nature to drawe vnto them others are ouerth wart and passe cleane crosse the former through certaine little corners that lie long-wise Their office is to close vp the vpper part from the body of the stomach Besides there are other crooked filaments which through oblique corners passe alongst the sides of both the other and these because they close the whole body of the stomacke haue power of retaining and serue to shut vp the mouth of the stomacke So that these filaments or threedes in regarde of their office may be compared to the strings of a purse whereby it is shut And because the stomacke being closed and shut vp digesteth the meate a great deale better then if it were gaping and wide open therefore nature
vitall and naturall together with all the instruments which they haue in the bodie and in the members thereof For first beholde the braine signified by the golden ewer then the pith of the chine bone and the chine bone it selfe by the siluer coard uext the liuer by the well which hath also his pitcher and lastly the heart which is signified by the cisterne As for that particularly spoken of the pitcher and wheele broken which drawe water out of the well and cisterne it is all one as if he had saide that when the fountaine of blood in the liuer waxeth drie and decayeth the wheele aboue namely the head is broken because all the senses both exteriour and interiour and the animal vertues faile in the body For the soule wanteth sound instruments to giue life motion and sense vnto it they being worne consumed by those meanes and causes which we shal vnderstand heereafter But to follow our purpose and not to depart from the matter we must intreate of the nature of blood and of other humors in the body of their diuersity and nature This then ACHITOB shal be the matter subiect of thy discourse Of the blood and of other humours in the body of their diuersitie and nature of the agreement they haue with the elements of the similitude that is betweene the great garden of this great world and that of the little world touching the nourishment of things contained and preserued in them Chap. 64. ACHITOB. If in many of our discourses wee sawe great testimonies of the image of the great worlde in man the matter we haue now to handle will set before our eies such as are most cleere and euident For looke howe the sea is as it were the great fountaine and womb of all waters and of the floods riuers that issue out of them to water the whole earth so likewise the liuer is as it were the fountaine of the blood and veines which are like to brooks and riuers to carry distribute the blood throughout the whole body to the ende that all the partes of it might be moistned soaked and nourished according to their seuerall natures So that the liuer in mans body in man who is the litle world is as the sea in the great world and the veines are like to the floods riuers Neither are the parts of the body by this means moistned watred and nourished with blood only but also with all the other humors wherewith it is tempered and without which the body cānot liue For the blood carieth al the rest with it But that we may the better vnderstand this matter and what is the proper nature of blood we must first know what a humor is how many kinds of it there are We vnderstand by a Humor a liquide running body into which the foode is conuerted in the liuer to this ende that bodies might bee nourished and preserued by them And as there are foure elements of which our bodies are compounded so there are foure sorts of humors answerable to their natures being al mingled together with the blood as we may see by experience in blood let out of ones body For vppermost wee see as it were a litle skimme like to the floure or working of new wine or of other wine when it is powred foorth Next we may see as it were small streams of water mingled with the blood And in the bottome is seene a blacker and thicker humour like to the lees of wine in a wine vessell So that if we knowe how to consider wisely of these things it will bee easie for vs to vnderstand the distinction of these sundry humours and their nature Now concerning the first of them wee are to knowe that the proper nature of blood is to bee hote and moist wherein it answereth to the nature of the aire It is temperate sweete and fatty as also the best and chiefest part of nourishment For albeit all the other humours doe nourish likewise and are carried of the blood neuerthelesse that humour which is properly called blood is the chiefest part of nourishment For it is requisit that nourishment should be sweete or at leastwise tempred with sweet liquor Next that thinne skimme which is seene on the top of it resembling the floure of wine is that humour that is called yellow choller or the cholericke humor which is hot and drie of a bitter taste and answering to the nature of fire which is of the same nature For it is bred of the hottest and driest parts of that liquor in which the nourishment of the body consisteth when through their great heate they boile together Moreouer those smal streams of water which we see mingled in the blood proceede of the flegmaticke humour that is colde and moist like to water of whose nature it holdeth For this humour is in part concocted for the turning of it into blood but not wholly perfected Hereof it commeth that the colour of it remaineth white much like to water and without taste or as some affirme it is some what brackish but not fatty Lastly the blacke humour and most earthie which looketh like the very bottome of a deepe redde and thicke wine or like the lees in a vessell full of wine or oyle is the melancholike humour or as some terme it blacke choller being colde and drie like to the earth with which it hath some agreement and of taste somewhat sharpe Nowe in this diuersitie of these humours mingled altogether with the blood two things are worthy to be well marked First the agreement and conformity which they haue with al the elements of which the body of man is compounded so that each of them hath his proper element agreeable to his nature to the end they may nourish and preserue all the parts of the body according to the nature of the elements of which they hold The other point is not only the disagreement but euen the manifest contrariety that is between al these humors as there is betwixt the elements again the vniō that appeares to be betwene thē in the midst of this contrarietie as the like is among the elements whose nature they followe Moreouer wee see that betweene light and darkenesse day and night colde and heate drienesse and moysture betweene the diuerse and contrarie seasons of the yeere besides sundry other such contrarieties that are in nature in al other things I say betweene these so contrary God frameth notwithstanding such a wonderfull concord tempering and knitting them in such sort one with an other that they are so farre from defacing and destroying each other as contrariwise they coulde not possibly bee preserued except they were tied together with such a knot and coniunction Nowe beside that which wee haue heere spoken of the nature of these humours wee haue further to note that they doe not onely agree with the elements in qualities but also in regarde
yea they haue some sense and perseuerance of the alteration of seasons according as they fall out by the course of the spheres but yet not by any such knowledge and vnderstanding as is in man Nowe sense and knowledge cannot proceede of the power of the elements but is deriued from some higher thing For it is by meanes of a more celestiall power that beastes are distinguished from plants holding more of the excellencie of their Creatour declaring it a great deale more But man hee mounteth vp much higher For hee ascendeth vp aboue all the heauens euen vnto God and to those spirituall natures by meanes of reason and vnderstanding which make his soule capable of heauenly light and wisedome and of diuine inspirations Whereupon it followeth that the originall and birth of the Soule is celestiall And therefore in this diuersitie of the faculties and powers of the soule and life of man wee must note this that the lower kindes of the soule and life are not the Well-springs and fountaines of the highest as if those powers and faculties did first set these latter awoorking or as if the highest did spring of the basest and receiued their vertues from them but they are onelie certaine aydes and degrees of helpe whereby the highest and chiefest descende and ascende So that the Vegetatiue and nourishing life and vertue is not the originall of the sences and sensitiue vertue but onelie a degree by which the facultie of sense is deriued to the bodie and by little and little ascendeth vp to her powers and offices The like may bee sayde of the vnderstanding and of reason in regarde of the sensitiue facultie For euerie sort and kinde of life and euerie power of the soule hath beginning of it selfe and certaine boundes within which it is conteined Wherein we haue to consider a marueilous woorke and prouidence of GOD in that hee hath ioyned and linked togethet in man things that are so diuers For wee take this as graunted that the soule of man is a spirituall nature and not corporall that it is immortall and created for the contemplation of celestiall and eternall things On the other side wee see howe this so excellent and diuine a nature is ioyned to that part and power that is called Vegetatiue and Nourishing which seemeth rather to bee corporall then spirituall to bee more terrestriall then celestiall and to bee as it were the Kitchen of the bodies of liuing creatures and the Store-house and Originall of their generation So that there is no man of any sounde minde who knowing this marueilous coniunction of nature in thinges so diuers and considering that it cannot come to passe by happe-hazard and at aduenture but hee must needes bee rauished with great admiration and acknowledge an admirable prouidence of God the Creator and Lord of nature But they that are instructed in the holie worde and in the doctrine of the Church haue yet a further consideration of these thinges For they knowe well that albeeit this Kitchin of mans bodie shall haue no necessarie vse in the life to come neuerthelesse God hath established this order and woulde haue it thus ioyned to the soule and spirite to the ende that those beginnings of eternall life and of that true and perpetuall wisedome which hee hath put into vs shoulde bee kindled and inflamed in this mortall life For they shall not shine foorth in anie there who haue not heere had some beginnings but haue suffered those to bee cleane extinguished which they haue receiued of GOD. For this cause doeth the voyce of God and of his heauenly doctrine sounde in mens eares and to these endes hath hee ordayned that gouernement which ought to bee amongest them and hath bounde and fortified it with manie bondes and rampires Wherefore wee stande in neede of doctrine of instruction and discipline vnto which things the consideration of mans nature may greatly helpe vs. For there is no science or humane wisedome howe great soeuer it bee that is able to rehearse and comprehende the great profite which this consideration can affoorde to men euen so farre foorth as they may verie well learne and knowe And of this wee may the better bee resolued if we consider well of that which hath alreadie bene handled yea we may the better iudge hereof if wee perfectly vnderstand that diuision of man made by S. Paul and mentioned by vs in this discourse Therefore AMANA proceede you in the residue of this matter giuing vs first to vnderstand what is the nature and offices of those pure animal cleare and bright spirits which we saide were seruiceable to the soule for all kinde of vnderstanding and knowledge Afterwardes you may more easily instruct vs at large and teach vs what difference there is not onely betweenethe soule and the instruments thereof whereby it worketh but also betweene the instruments themselues and their nature and offices and which of them are nearest or remoued farthest from the soule Of the nature and varietie of the animall spirites and how they are onely instruments of the soule and not the soule it selfe of the nature of those bodies wherein the soule may dwell and worke of the difference that is not onely betweene the soule and the instrumenes by which it woorketh but also betweene the instruments themselues and their natures and offices and which of them are neerest or farthest of of the degrees that are in the vnion and coniunction of the soule with the bodie Chap. 78. AMANA It is requisite that workmen should haue instruments answerable to those works which they are to make and if they haue taken in hand but one single and simple worke they neede but one toole fitte for that purpose as to sawe timber there needeth but a sawe But they that are to make many workes or one woorke that is full of varietie stand in need of many instruments as painters ioyners carpenters masons and such like The same may bee saide of the soule and therefore it hath many members in the body that are giuen vnto it as instruments to serue for those woorkes which it hath outwardly to perfourme Moreouer the soule hath humours to preserue and vphold the members and to keepe them alwayes ready for their worke by those meanes which we haue heard already besides it hath vital spirits of which the animall spirites are bred which serue in steade of a light to garde and conduct it in the actions both of the external and the internall senses And as there is great force in a toole or instrument to cause a good or euil worke so is there in the humors spirites and members of the bodie whereby we are made fitte to exercise and to execute all actions whether they concerne life and sense knowledge and vnderstanding or will and affections For it fareth in this matter as it doeth in the disposition of the aire which the thicker and more obscure it is the lesse cleare will the light
of soule spirite and heart are taken with the causes wherefore Of the diuisions of man made in the holy Scriptures as well in respect of the soule as of the bodie in what significations the names of soule spirit and heart are vsed therein and the causes why of the intire sanctification of man howe the soule is taken for the life and for the members and instruments of nourishment and for nourishment it selfe Chap. 79. ARAM. Forasmuch as God so honoureth our bodies as to call them Temples of his holie spirite I thinke they cannot bee such in deede except they bee wholly dedicated and consecrated vnto him so that wee separate them from all filthinesse and pollution by giuing our selues to all kinde of sanctimonie and honestie of life For then is the body wholly sanctified when all the senses and members applie themselues onely to good and holy woorkes commaunded by God and when they abstaine from the contrarie Whereupon it commeth to passe that the eyes turne aside from beholding all vaine things and take pleasure onely in seeing that which may rauish man with admiration at the excellencie of the woorkes of God and induce him to well-doing The like may bee sayde of soundes of voyces of wordes in regarde of the eares And as for the tongue it is not polluted with vile speeches with lying slandering and blasphemie but prayseth God and rehearseth his works and woonders speaking alwayes with a grace to the edifying of all In like manner the mouth serueth man for the selfe-same vse as the stomacke also and the bellie with all the rest of the members that serue for the nourishing of the bodie are not defiled through gluttonie and drunkennesse So that the bodie liueth not to eate but eateth to liue and to make supplie to those necessities vnto which GOD hath made it subiect Therefore it obserueth sobrietie and is contented to minister to the naturall affections that God may bee serued in this life Neither doeth it abuse the members of generation to whoredome and villanie but conteineth them within their office and lawfull vse And as for the feete and hands with all the rest of the externall members it keepeth them also within the compasse of their duety But seeing the whole body all the members therof take from the soule all their actions and vses they cannot bee sanctified for the seruice of God and of holy things vnlesse the soule be first sanctified which giueth vnto them life motion and sense For this cause Saint Paul speaking of the sanctification which he wisheth to the Thessalonians before hee maketh any mention of that of the bodie hee beginneth with the Spirite and Soule as wee haue alreadie heard Now because the soule hath diuers powers he vseth two wordes the better to note them out especially the chiefest of them For as it hath beene alreadie declared vnto vs albeit the soule hath manie powers and offices in the bodie of man yet there are not so manie soules in the bodie as there are faculties and effectes thereof but one onely soule which doeth all that For this cause the name of soule is diuersly taken in the holy scriptures Sometime it is taken for that spirituall substaunce that is ioyned with the bodie to giue life vnto it and for all the powers thereof and sometime againe for one part of those faculties and powers The like may be sayd of the name of spirite and of heart and that for the same reason Thus doeth the Scripture sometimes diuide the whole man into two partes onelie namelie into bodie and soule as when Iesus Christ sayeth Feare yee not them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in Hell And often also the same holie worde taketh the one of these two partes for the whole euen in that signification wherein wee take the name Person in our tongue For this cause wee reade so often in the worde All flesh and euerie soule for euery person Also Giue mee the Soules for giue mee the persons And all the Soules of the house for all the persons thereof Nowe because the vnderstanding and the will are the principall faculties and powers of the soule when the Scripture meaneth to set them downe distinctly and to expresse them together with the nature and vertue of the soule it taketh the spirite for the one and the soule for the other namely the spirite for the reason and vnderstanding the soule for the wil affections For otherwise how should euery man be entire souÌ„d vnles his thoughts were pure holy all his affections rightly ruled finally his whole bodie made obedient and seruiceable to euerie good woorke For wee haue hearde alreadie what Lordship is attributed to the reason and to the vnderstanding then howe the will and affections are in the middest to commaund and lastly the bodie to serue and obey So that a man is then altogether pure and sounde when he thinketh nothing in his minde desireth nothing in his heart neither executeth any thing with his members but that which pleaseth God Wee haue a place in Esay which teacheth vs verie clearely that the spirite and soule are so taken and distinguished as wee say The desire of our soule saith he is to thy name and to the remembraunce of thee With my soule haue I desired thee in the night and with my spirite within me will I seeke thee in the morning We see how first he attributeth desire to the soule thereby to declare the affection of the people towardes the Lorde Then hee maketh mention of the remembrance and memorie that hee hath of God which is in the minde So that it seemeth hee comprehendeth the vnderstanding and will in the first verse vnder the name of Soule Afteward in the verse following he distinguisheth them more specialy attributing desire to the soule then watchfulnesse and diligent inquisition to the spirit which is not without thinking and discoursing that appertayne to the minde Wherefore the Prophet minding to signifie how he was wholly addicted to the Lordè with all his senses and vnderstanding and with all his heart and will and that all his affection was towardes him hee vseth this distinction betweene the soule and the spirite Likewise wee finde these two names Soule and Spirite ioyned together in this signification in the Psalmes and I am perswaded that for the same reason the blessed Virgine ioyned them together in her song when she sayd My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioyâ—eth in God my Sauiour Nowe as the Scripture vseth this distinction the better to expresse the faculties and powers of the soule so Saint Paul sometimes distinguisheth them into three that they may the better bee knowen as when hee writeth to the Ephesians in these woordes This I say therefore and testifie in the Lorde
and what agreement is betweene them touching the soule of brute beasts and the nature and substance of it of their opinion that deriue the soule of man and the soule of beasts from one fountaine of them that ascend higher and of their reasons Chap. 82. AMANA That which wee read of Iesus Christ his saying to Nicodemus in these woordes If when I tell you earthly things yee beleeue not howe shoulde yee beleeue if I shall tell you of heauenly things may giue vs occasion to say in like maner that if wee can not knowe the earth neither the body and soule of man nor the nature and vertue thereof howe shoulde wee attaine to the knowledge of Heauen and of those spirituall natures of God and of his workes And if wee can not comprehend in our selues the woorkes of our soule howe shall wee vnderstand the woorkes of GOD in the whole world And if wee be not able to conceiue them doeth it followe therefore that hee doeth them not and yet there are many that conclude after that manner For they beleeue no more then they are able to knowe and comprehend by their naturall reason according as they deale also with their soule For because they vnderstand not what is the proper essence of it neither can see it after it is entred into the body and ioyned therewith nor yet when it departeth away therefore they conclude that it is no other thing but as it were a fire that lasteth so long as there is matter agreeable to the nature of it and is quenched when that faileth But for that which you deliuered to vs ASER of the sayings of certaine touching the diuerse kindes of soules and the powers of euery one of them it seemeth to mee that vnderstanding them as you say these men doe one of these three things will followe of their opinion For they must of necessitie yeelde to this either that the soule of man is partly immortall and partly mortall or that a man hath three soules one immortall and two mortall or lastly that the powers of the reasonable soule which wee call Sensitiue and Vegetatiue are not of the proper essence and substance thereof but onely of the body and that they are instruments of the reasonable soule as members thereof For I doubt not but they will readily confesse this that the soule is immortall and if that part of the soule which they call Vegetatiue and Sensitiue be of the selfe same essence and substance in that respect it shall be mortall Nowe if wee so distinguish all these three sortes of soules in man that wee make three kindes of them the first and principall shall be immortall and the other two mortall And if they will say that they take not the vegetatiue and sensitiue soule in man for two diuerse kindes of soules but onely for two sundry powers of the reasonable soule I demaund of them whether these two powers are so ioyned vnto it that it may be a soule as it is both without them and with them euen as before we said that it might be with the body and without the body I doubt not but euery one will answere mee to this question according to that opinion hee hath conceiued of the nature of mans soule If the question be made touching the soule of beastes the Philosophers agree well amongst themselues heerein that it is of the same matter of which their bodies are compounded whether it bee deriued and taken from the same or whether it bee the proprietie of the matter Therefore they meane that it is the Vitall spirite onely therein that giueth life vnto them which is of a corporall matter and substaunce or else that it is the temperature or temperament of the whole bodie generally which is the proprietie of that matter And so the soule in beastes shal be the life it selfe of which the Vitall spirites or the temperament are the instrumentes Which seemeth to agree well with that which Moses saieth That the soule of the flesh in the blood thereof that is to say the life according as we shewed when we spake of the nature of blood and of those meanes by which it giueth life to the creatures For when Moses speaketh so a man might say that it is as much in effect as if he saide that the blood is as it were the pipe and instrument that conueyeth life to the bodie and that the Vitall spirites are the thing that giueth motion sense to the bodie which is the same that we call Soule neither is there any inconuenience to yeelde to this in regard of the soule of beastes And albeeit wee see not with the eye howe these Vitall spirites or the temperament of all the partes of the bodie doe giue vnto it that life which it hath yet a man may iudge and haue some knowledge heereof by the things wee see in nature which haue some agreement and resemblance with this For we conceiue well howe the flame is nourished by the oyle and match that is in a lampe or by the waxe and weeke that is in a candle In which we see two sortes of matter differing one from another ioyned both together Besides we see how that by meanes of this coniunction and of the temperature and agreement that these two matters haue eache with other the flame being kindled in them is nourished and preserued So likewise we propound the Vitall spirite in the bodies of liuing creatures as a thinne flame engendered of the blood by vertue of the heart and this flyeth as it were throughout all the partes of the bodie distributing vnto it Vitall heate which quickeneth it and endueth it with that vertue by which it hath motion and sense and exerciseth all her actions so that euery member doeth his office Nowe we see well in this comparison the matter that is in the lampe or in the candle and the temperature and agreement that is betweene the partes of it and howe the flame is fedde and mainteyned after it is lighted Wee may see also from whence this flame is brought to the lampe and how this matter is lighted and that neither the matter nor the agreement and temperature thereof breede this flame of themselues but that it is brought from elsewhere In like manner we may easily conceiue that which hath beene told vs of the vitall spirite and of the blood whereof it is bredde and of the vertue and power of the heart in the generation of it But one may say vnto mee that there is great difference betweene the comparison we made of a lampe or candle and of his flame and betweene that which we haue spoken of the generation of the vitall spirite because this flame which we cal the vitall spirit springeth of the self-same matter by which it is nourished preserued is kindled there And therfore it were requisite that we should further knowe what is the cause of this as also why the life
heare from heathen Philosophers so many goodly instructions as they haue left vs concerning the nature and immortalitie of the soule It is true that the reason of man cannot of it selfe contemplate the soule in her first perfect nature in which it was created but it doth consider of it as it is at this present and yet as though it were verie sound Whereupon the Philosophers greatly magnifie the nobilitie and excellencie thereof Therefore when they are to consider of those points vpon which they ground the powers and vertues of the soule for the first they take the vegetatiue vertue which it hath common not onely with the beasts but also with the plants and this comprehendeth three other faculties vnderneath it namely the vertue of nourishing secondly of encreasing lastly of procreation as it hath bene already declared vnto vs. This vertue with the rest that are comprehended vnderneath it is the basest most earthy and vilest of them all besides that it followeth the sensitiue vertue which may be referred aswell to the internall as to the externall senses So that we may diuide it into two parts and more properly call that the sensitiue vertue which the soule hath in taking knowledge of corporall things by corporall senses and by their vse in the body The other part that belongeth to the internall senses may more specially be called the cogitatiue vertue And because these two powers serue to encrease knowledge and vnderstanding they are as it were the fountaine thereof or rather helps and instruments The Astronomers who referre all to the vertue of the starres and planets place the influence of the vegetatiue power with the parts of it vnder the Moone of which the soule as they say receiueth it the other two parts of the sensitiue power of which I spake euen now they place vnder the Sunne as they doe the fourth which is the will and vertue of desiring vnder the planet Venus The fift which is called the angry faculty giuing heart courage to a man and moouing him to wrath vnder the planet Mars Then for the sixt they place the vertue that giueth motion from one place to another For the seuenth that which the Physicians call the vitall vertue and others the spirituall because it conteineth vnder it the power of respiration and both these are attributed to the same because it is a propertie of the sensitiue power to moue and breathe Now all these powers of the soule are common to man with beasts or at least wise there is no great difference But these which now follow are proper and peculiar vnto him namely the reasonable power of which the other that ensue are kindes of which number the Philosophers or Astronomers place in the first ranke the vertue of speech where by the soule expresseth her conceits thoughts affections And although all mē vse northe same words to vtter their thoughts ech to other by reason of the diuersitie of languages that is amongst them notwithstanding as the things which they vnderstand conceiue and by which they are moued to speake are al of one substance and nature amongst all nations so all the conceits and affections of men which are signified by their language are alike in their soule and minde where they are written and ingrauen This vertue they attribute to Mercurie as the other that followeth to Iupiter which they call the practicke and actiue vertue whereby a man that hath his will at libertie doeth by counsaile and setled reason exercise and bring to passe through arte prudence and wisedome those things of which he hath sure knowledge For it is not enough to haue the contemplatiue vertue vnles the actiue also be ioined vnto it to declare it by effect Thus you see where they place free will which comprehendeth vnder it first election then action which is the practicke that followeth it And because the practicke dependeth of the theoricke which is the speculatiue and contemplatiue vertue and goeth before the actiue vertue therfore they ioyne this to that and so referre it to the planet of Saturne which is melancholicke And this is that vertue of the soule whereby man hath vnderstanding knowlege wisedome it comprehendeth the seats of such things as the minde is able to vnderstand and comprehend as also those generall rules and principles which it must afterward bring into vse and practise For this cause this speculatiue vertue must of necessitie go before the actiue because the practike is not very certain and sure without the theorike Afterward followeth that which they call the pollitike vertue which hath for her subiect al morall philosophie They vnderstand by this vertue of the soule that whereby a prudent wise and well experienced man moderateth his naughty desires pernicious affections through his vertue wherby he declareth by practise and setled reason that vertue goodnes which is requisit in the publike societie of men that not onely in his priuate behauiour but also in his publike affaires The principall vertues contained vnderneath it are prudence iustice fortitude and temperance which are commonly called cardinall vertues because they are chief containe vnder euery one of them many other vertues which depend of them as branches do of their stock He is accompted a ciuil good man a iust that hath this vertue which is diuided into sundry kinds according to the diuersity of estats that are in common societie For it is sufficient for a priuate person to haue so much of it as whereby he may know how to guide himselfe honestly according to his estate If he be a father of a family he hath need of that prudēce skil which is necessary for the gouernment of his house If he haue any publicke charge concerning ciuil affaires it is needful for him to haue that art skil and those vertues without which he cannot wel execute his office according to that place degree in which he is set For if he occupieth the roume of a Lawier or Counsailour at the Law he must haue skill and knowledge of the lawes If he be a captaine or souldier he must be skilful in military discipline If he be a iudge magistrate it is necessary likewise that he vnderstand what belongeth to his office If he be a diuine and pastour in the Church the science of Diuinitie which is the knowlege of the holy scriptures is necessary for him not only so much as is requisit for his owne saluation but also that he may be able to instruct others and to direct them in those things that appertaine to religion Besides to al these vertues they adde the heroicall vertue which is no vulgar common vertue but very rare and excellent if I may so speak rather diuine then humane In regard wherof they that were endued with this vertue among the Heathen were placed in a ranke degree by themselues betweene
but of some other thing before and aboue that or else farther off vnto which it tendeth We see this in all the senses both externall and internall which are common to vs with beastes For they know nothing else beside that which is of this nature which we see neither doe they ascend higher but our spirite not content with the sight and knowledge of the heauens starres and Angels themselues mounteth vp to God and being come thither can go no further What other thing els doeth this signifie and declare vnto vs but that the soules of beasts are engendered of this corruptible and mortall nature beyonde which they cannot lift vp themselues but that ours are produced of God aboue the power of this nature And so that may bee saide of our soule which is spoken of a spring water namely that it ascendeth as much vpwarde as it descendeth downeward but can goe no higher For when a man woulde carie the water of a spring any whither and would haue it mount vpwarde it will be an easie matter to bring it as high as the spring-head from whence it floweth but no higher except it bee forced by some other meane then by it owne course and naturall vertue Notwithstanding it will easily descend lower And so fareth it with our spirite For as it came from God so it is able to mount againe to the knowledge of him and no higher but it descendeth a great deale lower And as for our senses they remaine lower then the woorkes of nature and pearce not to the depth of them but are alwayes busied about the externall face of them Neither is it to bee doubted but that Moses meant to teach vs these things by that which hee rehearseth of the meanes vsed by God in the creation of man which differed from that hee kept in the creation of all other creatures either liuing or without life For we haue heard what deliberation and counsaile he vsed before he put hand to the worke how he fashioned the body and how he placed the soule therein by and by after Therefore in that the Prophet describeth the creation of the bodie apart and then that of the soule he giueth vs to vnderstand that wee must seeke for something more high and excellent in that of man then in that of beastes whose soules were created with their bodies and of the selfe-same matter with them Moreouer he teacheth vs this very plainly when he saith that God created man after his owne image and similitude which hee did not say of beasts as we haue alreadie heard Therefore there must needes be in the soule of man some other power and vertue then that by which it giueth life to the bodie and which is common to it with those of brute beastes So that as God gaue to this dead bodie taken out of the earth a soule that endued it with life motion and sense so hee imprinted and ingraued his image into this soule vnto which immortalitie is annexed Therefore when Moses sayeth that man was made a liuing soule no doubt but by the name of soule he meaneth another nature and substance then that of the bodie And in that he calleth it liuing hee declareth plainly that the bodie hath not of it self and of it owne nature that life wherewith it is endued but from the power of this soule And although hee there maketh not any speciall mention of the other vertues thereof it is because hee considered the capacitie of the people with whome he liued vnto whom he would frame himselfe being content to speake openly of that power of the soule which appeared best without and which the externall senses might most easily know perceiue by the effects thereof But I thinke it will not be vnfit for this matter if wee returne to that question which before we touched concerning the creation of the soule namely whether since it was created by God in the first creation of man it be still created after the same sort as it were by a new miracle in them that are daily borne in the worlde or whether it bee naturally created but yet of God by a certaine order appointed for that ende by him Nowe albeeit it bee very requisite that we should bee sober and not rash in this matter for the causes alreadie set downe notwithstanding we will here propound the opinion of some learned men grounded vpon that order which God hath accustomed to obserue in his workes and in his creatures For seeing he hath set a law in nature for all other creatures according to which he createth produceth them not by any new miracle it is more likely that he createth soules naturally and that he hath ordained a stedfast law for mankind but differing from that of beasts so much as his creation differed from theirs For hauing once established an order he vseth not to change it into a diuers or contrarie order but keepeth still the same except it bee that sometimes he vseth extraordinarie meanes by way of a miracle For although all his woorkes bee great miracles and chiefely man neuerthelesse wee call none by that name but onely those which he woorketh by supernaturall meanes not against but beside the common order of nature But that which I say derogateth nothing from the nature immortalitie of mans soule For although it be placed in that matter which is alreadie prepared and appropriated for the fashioning of the body yet he doeth this aboue the vertue of the matter and of the worke of nature by a lawe which he hath established to that effect For this cause he doeth not onely giue a soule to them that are begotten by lawfull marriage but to those also who are brought foorth in whoredome whether it be adultery incest or any other such like For although that honestie which is enioyned mankind by God be not kept in such a birth and generation but contrarieth the same yet it is not contrary to the lawe of generation ordayned by God as that generation is which is by buggerie wherein not only the Law of honesty is violated but also the law of nature We will conclude then that it is not only true that our soule is not brought forth by the power of nature but by the benefit of God only but also that it is expedient and very behoofefull yea necessary for mankind that it should be true and because it is behoofefull and necessary it is true also without all question For God hath omitted nothing that is agreeable to his glory and profitable and expedient for mankinde For seeing the soule is placed within the bodie not by the vertue of nature but properly and peculiarly by a speciall benefite of God man oweth the chiefest and best part of himselfe not to nature but to God Which is the cause why he should acknowledge him as the onely father of his spirite consecrate the same wholly to him alone not yeelding
any right and interest therein to any other besides him onely who is soueraigne almightie and the onely father of spirites For if the question be of the body and of all the senses thereof many may claime an interest therein vnder God namely Fathers mothers the children themselues nature the kinred the countrey friends kings Princes Lords But the soule belongeth to none but to God alone which he willeth commandeth should be reserued to him only for our happines because he only is the author and creator thereof If it be so then that our soule is not begotten or produced by this nature which is the handmaide of God and worker vnder him but by God alone it followeth very well that nothing in nature can extinguish it but God onely who is able to do it if he please Now it is not likely or credible that God would make a thing by it selfe and that after a different manner from other things which should haue nothing besides the creation of it then within a while after would destroy it For if it were otherwise why woulde hee obserue another meane in the creation of man then in that of beasts Why would he not rather haue bestowed vpon nature the power of the generation and corruption of mans soule as he hath done that of other liuing creatures Wherefore woulde hee seeme to reserue that thing as proper to himselfe which hee woulde make subiect to the law and common condition of other things Thus much then for those arguments which we may take from the knowledge that God hath giuen to mans soule from his constant worke in the creation of it to proue the nature and immortalitie therof Now we are to consider what arguments we haue to the same purpose in that vertue of desire which is giuen vnto it These things then we may learne of thee Aram. Of the argument for the immortalitie of the soule that may be taken from that naturall desire thereof and of perpetuitie which is in it of another argument to the same purpose of the desire which men haue to continue their name and memory for euer an argument to the same ende taken from the apprehension and terror which men may haue both of the death of the body and also of the soule and spirit Chap. 91. ARAM. These three things are so linked and knit together namely Gods religion his diuine prouidence and the immortalitie of the soule that they neither may nor ought to bee seperated in any wise For if our soules were not immortall no rewarde or punishment for good or bad doings were to be looked for and then God should not seeme to haue any care ouer vs which if he haue not why should wee worship him Our hope should be in vaine and religion vnprofitable But if without the grace and goodnes of God we cannot liue and if he wil be sought vnto of vs by prayer then religion is very necessary and the immortalitie of the soule certaine And euen as a man cannot renounce those excellent giftes which naturally are planted in his spirit and minde and in that reason which God hath bestowed vpon him but hee must renounce himselfe and become like to the bruite beast so fareth it also with him when he renounceth his immortalitie But seeing we are now in handling the powers of the soule to shewe that it dieth not and seeing wee haue spoken of knowledge wee will consider what arguments to the same ende may bee taken from the vertue of desiring that is naturally in it Heretofore we learned that all knowledge both in man and beast is giuen to this ende that they should desire whatsoeuer they know to be good and eschue that which they know to be euil Concerning the knowledge of our sences they conceiue well ynough what it is to be present and so do the sences of beastes of which and of our whole nature we may iudge both by our external and internal sences that are common to vs with them so we may discerne of all such like things But the appetite or desire of beasts goeth no further then the time present For that naturall desire of their owne preseruation which is in them proceedeth not frō any knowledge which they haue of things but from the workemanship of nature and from that naturall inclination which they haue thereunto without any motion of reason or vnderstanding Whereupon it followeth that their desire to preserue themselues and their power of procreation proceedeth not from their knowing vertue that is the chiefest in them but from the vegetatiue vertue which is the basest most abiect But man goeth a great deale further For man hath knowledge of perpetuitie and of eternitie as we heard in the former speach and because he knoweth that eternitie is a good and profitable thing for him he doth also desire the same This desire then is naturall and if naturall it followeth also that it is a very meete and conuenient thing for vs and so consequently that it is not giuen to man without cause and to no purpose Wee must then conclude hereupon that it may be accomplished and that of necessitie it must be sometime or other For if it were otherwise to what purpose should this knowledge serue which man hath of so great a benefite and which also mooueth him to desire the same if he could neuer attaine to the fruition thereof And why should God teach the same to men if he would not make them partakers of it Were it not rather to debase then to aduaunce them aboue beastes whereas hee hath created them Lordes and as it were his last and principall peece of worke in his worke of creation Should it not seeme to be not onely a vaine thing but also if I might so speake as though God delighted to torment men to cause them to desire that thing of which they should neuer haue any participation Were it not better for them at leastwise as good that in this respect hee should haue created them like to bruite beastes For so they should liue a great deale more quiet and not torment themselues as they doe after a thing which is altogether vnpossible for them to attaine vnto Nowe wee haue a very euident signe and testimony in vs of the continuall being of this desire of enternitie in that longing which men haue to make their name eternall as much as may be and that their memory might remaine in all ages that shall follow long time after them And which is more this affection is so naturall and imprinted so deepe into mens hearts that euen they who deny the immortality of soules and who thinke that euery man doeth wholy vanish away by corporall death doe couet notwithstanding the immortality of their name and to haue a good report amongest men still after their death Heereof wee haue very good proofe in the last will and Testament of Epicurus himselfe the Captaine and standard-bearer
mans body no man will take them that haue some defect of Nature or that are more deformed and monstrous then others but the soundest goodliest and most perfect bodies We must doe the like when wee search into the nature and essence of the soule For to know it wel we must not make choice of men that are borne brutish so that a man can knowe nothing in them whereby they differ from brute beasts except the outward shape of a man Yea there are some borne with lesse sense and gouernement of themselues then beasts haue The like may bee saide of them who being better borne voluntarily become brutish of themselues For this cause we must chiefly consider what effectes the noblest and most excellent soules bring foorth if wee wil iudge of the nature of al other soules that are of the same kind For albeit the soules of some men are more brutish then of others yet it followeth not but they are al of one and the same nature substance seeing they are all of one kind but the difference betwene them proceedeth from hence that some are more degenerated from their true and proper nature then others are Neuertheles this changeth not their naturall essence but that alwayes continueth one and the same in all as the ill disposition of bodies taketh not from them that nature essence which they haue common with others notwithstanding they differ from them as a sicke and deformed body differeth from a sound and perfect body Nowe there is no doubt but that the noblest and most excellent soules take more pleasure in the internall senses then in the externall and more in reason then in fancie and imagination but aboue all in the contemplation of the Spirit And among those things which the Spirit doth contemplate it delighteth most stayeth longest in them that are spirituall and eternal that are highest of greatest soueraigntie And as the spirit longeth most after these pleasures and retaineth them with greatest affection so it is lesse wearie in searching for them and in the contemplation of them Whereupon it followeth that spirituall and eternall things are more conformable to the Spirite then those that are corporall and temporary and that it hath greater participation and agreement with heauenly things then with earthly For it is maruailously delighted and contented with spirituall things as if they were his owne things which is by similitude proportion and agreement of nature as contrariwise both the internall and externall senses please themselues in corporall things and are not able to comprehend or attaine to the other but onely by coniecture Whereas if the Spirite were as mortall as the senses then the excellentest Spirites and such as approch nearest to the heauenly Spirites and to the nature of God woulde giue themselues to transitorie and corruptible things as much as the senses doe and would search after them as earnestly as it doeth after true and perfect pleasures But wee see by experience that they ascend vp a great deale higher Yea the Spirits euen of most carnall and brutish men in that they neuer meete with any pleasures in transitorie things that doe fully content and satisfie them thereby giue euident testimonie that they are borne to enioy greater pleasures then they can find in all this nature and that they are of another nature surpassing them which mounteth aboue corporal and temporary things For who euer sawe an ambitious man satisfied with honours or a couetous wretch with riches And from whence commeth this that they are so insatiable but onely because the spirite that God hath giuen them is of so noble a race and of such an excellent nature that howe much soeuer it be fallen from his first nature and nobilitie yet it can neuer content it selfe with any thing that is of another nature more base and vile then it owne as that which is too much vnworthie and vnbeseeming the Spirite and very much disagreeing from the essence of it For although being buried in this body as in a sinke of all carnall and brutish affections it can not so well perceiue it owne nature dignitie and nobilitie nor acknowledge the same so well as the noblest and most excellent spirites and such as are farthest from this stincking puddle are able to do neuertheles without thinking therevpon as it were it hath euermore a secret sense of it owne nature and dignitie which keepeth it from being contented with any thing whatsoeuer although it be with neuer so great liking and abundance except it enioy that thing which is most proper and agreeable to his natural disposition which is of a more high noble and excellent nature then any thing proceeding from this mortall and transitorie masse But because it is buried in this darknesse which sinne hath brought vpon the mindes of men the same thing happeneth to the spirite of which wee haue already spoken concerning the immortalitie and eternitie of name and renowne For the right and naturall desire of true and immortall honours and of eternall riches agreeable to the nature of mans soule is degenerated into this false and corrupted appetite of worldly honours and temporall riches Notwithstanding this is manifest heereby that as euery Spirit always searcheth after God as a blind man goeth by groaping as wee haue heard already so it seeketh after riches and honours agreeable to it owne nature But because that darkenesse with which it is ouerwhelmed hindereth it from knowing them well and so consequently from taking that way which it ought to enter in that it may attaine vnto them therefore it changeth them into others that are of a differing and cleane contrary nature So that it can neuer finde out or attaine to that which it seeketh because it is ignorant thereof and so seeketh for it vnder a maske which it taketh for the true face and vnder a shadow which it taketh for the very body whereby it commeth to passe that the maske and shadow remaine with it instead of the very face and body that are lost by means of thē In which the same thing hapneth to the spirite that doth in the matter of religion when it forgeth vnto it self new strange gods and idoles instead of the true God whō it searcheth after because it knoweth not who he is although it seeketh him desireth to find him Wherefore being thus deceiued not knowing it neither the means whereby it is deceiued it still desireth because it perceiueth very well whether it wil or no that it hath not attained to that which it wanteth as indeede it might wel know the same if it were not becom very brutish by reason that it neuer findeth any contentation in any thing that it doeth or can attain vnto By which things we may further learne that men shall find euen in their vices testimonies of the nature essence and immortality of their soules wherby they may be conuicted namely in their ambition couetousnes
we haue here but a very little taste and weake beginning Therefore if wee could neuer goe further would it not be a vaine and ridiculous thing if God had giuen this desire onely to men and neuer woulde vouchsafe to let them haue the effect of it And if it were so that God had not ordained an other time and place for the finishing of that which is heere beginne in this life it seemeth that the complaint made by some of the greatest Philosophers against Nature shoulde not be without some ground of reason For what iust cause is there that hee shoulde giue a longer life to some beasts then to men seeing it skilleth not whether beastes liue long or no because long life cannot make them more learned or more wise then they are at their birth But it is otherwise in man For seeing that knowledge and wisedome are his greatest Good whereby hee approcheth neerer to the nature of God and of which all his other good things chiefely depend it seemeth to stand with reason that God should haue giuen a longer life to men then to beasts that so they might the better attaine to so great a Good so necessarie for them in regarde of which especially they are preferred before beasts and differ from them For wee see by experience that wee must die so soone almost as wee beginne to taste of Sciences and to waxe wise But we haue no cause to make this complaint against the wisedome prudence and goodnesse of God who hath granted vs life long enough wherein we may learne heere as much as wee neede if wee coulde vse it well both to passe away this life and also to attaine to the other in which wee shall abound in knowledge and wisedome and be fully satisfied therewithall And although God had giuen vs a life twice as long in this world as that wee nowe enioy so that we might liue as long as the ancient Patriarkes whose yeeres were so many especially before the flood as Moses testifieth yet all that which wee coulde possibly learne during the time of so long life woulde bee very little in comparison of the knowledge reserued for vs in that Eternitie For the eies of our spirite and minde are not able to endure so great brightnesse of heauenly knowledge and wisedome whilest it is heere shut vp and as it were imprisoned in this body of sinne and in a manner wholly ouerwhelmed with darkenesse but it fareth with the spirite in this respect as it doeth with the Owle in regarde of his eies and of the light of the sunne Therefore euery one hath better cause to assure himselfe that God hath appointed an other time and place for the full accomplishment of this desire of knowledge and wisedome that is so firmely engrauen in the nature of men then to accuse God as if he offered them iniurie to depriue them thereof by the shortenesse of their life Now let vs come to other particular reasons of Philosophers concerning this matter wee haue in handling Although Aristotele so famous amongest them be very obscure and wauering where hee handleth the same so that it is a very hard matter to vnderstand what was his opinion and resolution therein neuerthelesse hee dares not plainely say that the spirit of man is of a bodily nature and corruptible matter or that it is mortall as the body is But in one place hee saieth that if the Spirite be able to vnderstand without the fantasie it may bee separated from it but if it cannot vnderstand without it then it cannot be separated Which is all one as if hee saide that if the spirite could vnderstand without the senses and the vnderstanding and reason without fantasie and imagination then a man might certainely conclude that there is a difference in nature and substaunce betweene these things and that there may a separation bee made so that the destruction of the one doeth not bring with it a corruption of the other Wherefore none may conclude the mortalitie of the spirite that is capable of reason and vnderstanding by the mortalitie either of the externall or internall senses But Aristotele leaueth it doubtfull in this place whether this separation may bee made yea or no and whether a man may conclude thereupon that the spirite is of an other nature and substaunce then the senses are and so consequently immortall But it followeth not that if the soule being in the body vnderstandeth things bodily that is to say by the bodily instruments that are outward and then by the conueiance of the internall senses therefore it can vnderstand nothing but that which they declare and bring vnto it For after the internal senses haue gathered together the images and similitudes of those externall things that are offered vnto them and so retaineth them fast being secluded and separated from all matter the vnderstanding is to receiue from thence the first and simple knowledge of things So that as the qualities of externall things are the matter subiect of the internall senses so their images conceiued by the internall senses and purged from all bodily matter are the matter subiect of the vnderstanding and spirit And the spirite labouring about them draweth out certaine motions and knoweth many things from them which can not mooue the senses and which the senses can not know And yet the spirite is first mooued by these images as the senses are by externall things But wee must declare these things somewhat more familiarly We vnderstand already howe corporall things are the subiect and obiects of the corporall senses and that the bodily senses receiue and know them corporally euen such as they are presented vnto them euery one according to his nature and office But they cannot receiue or perceiue any more then that which is laied open vnto them and manifesteth it selfe outwardly Nowe after the outward senses haue thus receiued them and their matter couered with their qualities the internall senses to which the externall are seruiceable conceiue the images without the matters and qualities of those things whereof they are images For the eye cannot see either the sunne or the light of it nor yet any other creature discouered by the light except it bee present before it But the Fantasie and imagination receiue and conceiue the images of things euen in darkenesse although the things of which they are images appearant to the eyes nor yet are perceiued at that present by any corporall sense We see then already how these images are separated from the matter of which they are images and how the internall senses behold them without their matter bodies as the external senses look vpon them being ioined with their bodies Then hauing receiued them thus purged from their corporall matter the spirite receiueth them yet more pure and goeth further in the knowledge and vnderstanding of them then all the senses doe comprehending other things of which the senses can haue no knowledge or
apprehension And thus the Spirite beholdeth and vnderstandeth corporall things corporally that is by meanes of those instruments which it hath in the body and spirituall things it beholdeth spiritually without those instruments Whereupon it followeth that although it vseth the senses and such kinde of instruments neuerthelesse it is not so tied vnto them that it can not be separated or do nothing without them or not knowe and vnderstand that which they are not able to conceiue or know So that it is no hard matter to beleeue that the soule is of another nature and substance as a man may iudge also by this that it is the fountaine and beginning of motion begunne by it selfe and not by any other but as we haue already declared Likewise by this that it is capable of the knowledge of infinite things of which it retaineth the memorie and that it inquireth into secret things separated from all corporall matter which can not be perceiued by any sense and that it doeth so many and so great things without the helpe of any bodily nature Whereupon the Philosophers conclude that it is of a simple nature not compounded and so consequently that it is immortall For that nature which is adorned and decked with such vertues and with the facultie to vnderstand the like whereof is not in the body and which can vnderstand by it selfe without the vse of the body can not be compounded of an earthly and mortall nature nor haue any part thereof mingled with it selfe but it is stayed and sustained by it selfe it subsisteth of it selfe and is immortall Heereof also it followeth that if the soule of man be of such a nature then it cannot be rent in sunder or diuided or pulled into peeces or haue any thing in it that can be separated from it and so it must needes be that it can not die or perish And therefore the best and most excellent Philosophers holde that sentence as immooueable which Aristotle saieth in an other place namely that the spirite is a thing separate and distinct from the senses and from the body as an immortall thing from a mortall and that it commeth from without and else-where then from the body as we haue already touched it in another place Whereby to my thinking he hath declared very plainely that he did not take the soule of man to be mortal But yet it is somewhat hard to iudge what his opinion was because he doth not shew himselfe so openly as the matter requireth Yet whatsoeuer he thought or resolued with himselfe the soule shal not be therfore any whit the more mortall or immortall For the immortality therof depēdeth not vpon his opinion or of any other mans whatsoeuer Neuerthelesse seeing so subtill and sharpe a Philosopher durst not affirme that it was mortall euerie one of anie sound mind may wel iudge that hee knew there were too many arguments to the contrary and those so waightie that they deserued to bee diligently examined and were not so lightly to be reiected For hee was not so shamefast and modest but he durst boldly reiect and condemn the opinions and sentences of all others that were as wel in his time as before him how great and famous personages soeuer they were when he thought he could doe it with any shew of reason insomuch as hee spared not his master Plato Therefore albeit we had no other resolution from him touching this matter but this only that he was in doubt and durst affirme nothing on either side yet his authoritie ought to preuaile much with vs against them who depende onely of humane Philosophie and reason and are so easily induced to approue rather of the mortalitie then of the immortalitie of the soule For at leastwise they may imagine that so great a Philosopher who is in such woonderful estimation amongst all learned men did not iudge their reasons friuolous and vaine who mainteined the immortalitie of the soule as our Epicures and Atheists thinke because they are more blockish and foole-hardie And therefore they boldly condemne that which either they will not or cannot conceiue and comprehend not considering what a confusion of things their opinion worketh in all mankinde For besides that which wee haue spoken to this purpose alreadie if it were so that the soule were mortall the wickedest and most desperate men should haue that which they desire most and which is most expedient for them and that should befall the best and iustest men which they abhorre most and flee from as very hurtful for them contrary to that which Salomon saith in the Prouerbes That the wicked shall fall into the euill he feareth and that the desire of the iust shal be accomplished In regard whereof good men shoulde haue farre greater reason to feare death then the wicked to desire it For what good man is there of noble courage who will not greatly abhorre death when hee thinketh with himselfe that it consumeth and swalloweth vp the whole man as if he were buried in perpetuall darknesse What consolation will serue him and what comfort can a man offer him that will be able to surmount the feare and horrour of death but that he will expect and suffer it with great impatiencie and despaire when he shal be through necessitie brought vnto it As for that consolation which is taken from the necessitie of nature and from the common condition of all men it is very leane if there be no other We see by them who are so greatly tormented that they wish and aske after death as after a hauen wherein they may bee deliuered from that tempest and torment in which they are although the greefe which they suffer breede such vowes and desires in them yet if they haue but a smal respite they gather some consolation to themselues by some assurance that their griefe will in time cease or els that time and custome will make it lighter vnto them and will teach them to beare it patiently To be short life is acceptable and beloued of euery one that such as are most miserable and wretched cannot bee brought to leaue it but with great griefe no not those who destroy themselues with their owne handes Whereby wee may iudge howe much more bitter it is to them that haue not all these occasions to desire it For euery one may imagine what extreame griefe it woulde bee to a good man who for liuing honestly all his life time and for all the good which hee had euer thought spoken or done shoulde not onely receiue no honour nor recompence in this world but which is woorse as it commonly falleth out among men shoulde receiue nothing but euill for good And yet in the meane time hee shoulde see the woorst men that wholly giue ouer themselues to dishonour and despite God enioy the honours riches and pleasures of this worlde and contrariwise himselfe to haue nothing but dishonour shame confusion famine pouertie miserie sorowe torment and
oftentimes cruell death What comfort can such a bodie haue if hee thinke that there is no other rewarde after this life nor anie better estate for him then for the most wicked and abhominable person in the worlde And although none of all this shoulde euer happen to good men yet what contentation coulde they finde in all the rewardes which they shoulde receiue in this worlde for recompence of their vertue It is an easie matter to iudge by this that the memorie of the name and prayse of well-doing doeth not alwayes take effect neither is it alwayes due to them that haue it but oftentimes verie vniustly giuen But from thee ARAM wee shall receiue more full instruction touching this matter Of that praise and reward which wisedome and vertue may receiue of men in this world how miserable it is if there be no better prepared for them els-where how death would be more grieuous and lamentable to the best learned and wisest men then to the ignorant and foolish if the soule were mortall how the best and most certaine iudgement of men is for the immortalitie of the soule of them who not beleeuing the same say that it is good for men to be in such an errour Chap. 95. ARAM. If the Philosophers might draw many arguments of great waight from the natural desires of men to proue the immortality of soules this which we haue now to propound of the purpose reward which euery one naturally desireth is of great consideration touching this matter For it is very certain that the best most iust among mē albeit they could auoide all hurt from wicked men wherewith commonly they are rewarded from procuring their good yet they should not enioy any true and sound contentation in any of these rewardes which they might haue in this world as a recompence of their vertue But rather whilest they were expecting and hoping for them they should be euer in doubt and feare of missing them by reason of the inconstancie of men and of the vncertaintie of all humane things So that nature might well seeme to haue giuen vnto them this desire of praise and of reward if they should neuer enioy their desire els-where but in this present life Whereof wee may easily iudge by the reasons that are to be set downe For the first the memory of a mans name and the praise for wel doing doth not alwaies come to passe neither doth it fal out aright in regard of all but is for the most part very vniust For how often is glorie and honour attributed to vices yea to very execrable crimes and to the wicked whereas it ought to be giuen to vertue and to good men And if these haue sometime any commendation yet it is very sparing But it falleth out much woorse when vertue receiueth blame in stead of praise And when something is giuen to them vnto whom it appertaineth it cannot be stretched out farre by reason of the diuersity and contrarietie of natures of minds and of opinions of the manners of men and of people and nations For howe often commeth it to passe that some condemne and blame that which others approoue and prayse Yea manie times one and the same man will contradict himselfe through the inconstancie of his iudgement nowe dispraysing that which before hee had praysed and contrariwise On the other side albeit fame and commendation should be neuer so great yet it could not bee of any long continuance considering that time consumeth and bringeth an ende to all that is vnder the heauens Moreouer we see what great alterations are daily wrought by time and although praise were perpetuall among the liuing yet what could it profite the dead or what feeling can they haue of that more then of blame and infamie For the praise which good kings and Princes haue purchased by their vertues and the memorie they haue left behinde them among men can profit them no more in regard of the world then the memorie of that infamie and dispraise which tyrants haue left behind them can doe them any hurt For how wel or ill soeuer men speake and thinke one of another the dead haue no sense at all thereof Yea it is likely that they care not greatly for it and that they rest neuer the lesse at their ease for all that Therefore wee may well conclude that notwithstanding all the praise and reward which wisedome and vertue can receiue from men in this world yet they are still very miserable if there be no better prouided for them else where And if wise and vertuous men hope for another rewarde they must needes beleeue a second life in which they shall bee recompensed for their good and iust works But further when a learned and wise man hath by his spirite discoursed and gone through the heauens the planets and starres beasts men and through all nature yea hath reached to the Angels and euen to God himselfe the Creator and king of the whole worlde and hath passed through all histories both new old and hath gotten the knowledge of all things contained in them that haue come to passe in the world I pray you let vs consider what hee can be tolde of that wil be more grieuous more bitter and feareful vnto him then of death and what consolation can he receiue when hee shall vnderstand that his soule which hath seene and beheld so great riches so many goodly and excellent things and which hath beene as it were the storehouse and treasurie of them shall be wholly extinguished in the middest of such a goodly pleasaunt and wonderfull scaffold and theatre that is so excellently adorned with all kinde of beautie so that it shall neuer be againe at any time or in any place nor shal haue any more sense and feeling then the soule of a beast hath What is he who after such a consideration of death should not haue great cause to feare it in so great misery as may befall him in this life Doe we thinke that these men among the Heathen who haue heeretofore slain themselues to eschew the hands of their enemies and that shame and infamie which they feared to receiue among men and who haue accounted it an acte of great vertue and constancie to kill themselues in that maner for the auoyding of shame would haue done that which they did if they had not thought that there had beene another life besides this At leastwise Cato Vticensis for his part part testifieth this vnto vs who the same night in which hee had purposed to kill himselfe which he did because he would not fal into the hands and subiection of Iulius Caesar against whom he had taken Armes in that ciuil warre caused those Dialogues of Plato to bee read vnto him in which hee mainteineth and confirmeth the immortalitie of the soule according to the doctrine of his master Socrates We may then iudge by the contrarie what consolation it is to a
it might make the sensuall and earthly part as it were celestiall and diuine by drawing it with it selfe if it woulde obey reason rather then the affections of the flesh and if it would looke more towardes heauen then towardes the earth as men commonly vse to doe For as they are in the middest betweene Angels and beastes if they woulde looke more towardes heauen from whence their soules haue their Originall then towardes the earth out of which their bodies are taken they should become celestial and diuine like to the Angels and finally like to God who hath created them after his owne image But if insteede of beholding the heauens vnto which their faces are lifted they looke downe to the earth as brute beasts doe hauing more care of that then of heauen they shall become altogether earthie and brutish like beastes Therefore it standeth euery one in hand to bethinke himselfe seriously which way he aymeth whither he desireth to come and whom he had rather resemble either the angels or beasts Let vs then consider wel of our nature and of that order which God setteth downe therein and follow the same and beware that we doe not peruert it Let vs learne to acknowledge the image of God in vs and to beholde his great wisedome therein as it were in a little world First let vs know by our soule which is a spirituall and no corporall nature that God is a spirite and of a spirituall nature which is not shut vp and inclosed in any place For neither our spirite hath any abiding in a place as if it were inclosed and shut vp therein notwithstanding that it remayneth in a place as it were in regarde of that coniunction which it hath with the bodie Neuerthelesse it is not so inclosed therein but that it is able not onliâ— to raunge through heauen and earth and throughout this whole visible worlde but euen higher and farther so that the whole world is not of sufficient bignesse to containe the same or to content and satisfie it but that it will goe beyond it What then shall wee thinke of GOD who hath created it And howe forgetfull shall man bee of himselfe if whereas the whole worlde is not great enough for his spirite hee content himselfe with a little angle of the earth and doe after a sort burie himselfe therein Likewise let vs knowe and beleeue that God is inuisible seeing our soule is so and cannot bee seen with bodily eyes For it is not painted with any colour neither hath it any corporal figure whereby it may be seene and knowen which is doen onely by the acts and deedes of it Let vs not seeke then to knowe the essence and nature of God by the eyes but onelie by the spirite For hee cannot bee seene by them but onelie by the eyes of faith neither can hee bee founde or conceiued by corporall senses Againe wee ought not onely to consider but euen to woonder howe hee hath ioyned our soule with the bodie and distributed the vertue thereof into all the partes and members of the same and howe hee doeth so excellently knitte together and conioyne so manie members so distant one from another euen from the one ende vnto the other all which receiue life and vertue from the soule according to their nature and office and are all gouerned by one and the same spirite Let vs consider then howe hee woulde haue that part of the soule which is partaker of reason to haue the principalitie and dominion ouer the part in which he hath placed the affections to the ende that the chiefest should commaund and the other obey as himselfe hath the Lordshippe and soueraigntie ouer all his creatures as they that must obey him Let vs not then suffer the spirite to bee brought into bondage by the perturbations of the affections neither let vs suffer them to bee so lifted vp against reason as to bee able to turne the vertue of the soule against it In like manner let vs remember how God worketh in our mindes in such sort as that the knowledge of those things which wee knowe first is not abolished by the vnderstanding of other things we learne after but they are all kept together very surely in the chiefe part of the soule and that in good order by meanes of the memorie without confusion one with another euen as if they were written and engrauen in a table or in a piller of brasse Wherefore we should be very vngratefull and brutish if any thing in the world cause vs to forget God and if we haue not his benefites towards vs in perpetual remembrance FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 6. 6. 1. Cor. 12. Iob 33. 3. Psalme 12. 2. Prouer. 15. 28. and 16. 23. Gen. 1. 1 26. Psal 139. 13. Iob 10. 10 11. Rom. 1. 20. Psalm 139. 14. Isay 44. 2. Hebr. 11. 6. Act. 17. Rom. 1. 19. Psal 20. Act. 17. 27. Protagoras Diagoras Epicurus Lucianus Plinie Sen. Cassius Brutus Lucretius Pope Iohn 13. Pope Leo. 10. Frances Rabelais Iodellus A citizen of Angiers Isaiah 11. 9. 54. 13. Ier. 31. 34. Psal. 119. 71. Psal. 16. 1. Act. 19. 19 20. Matth. 15. 14. iohn 9. 39. Esay 29. 14. 2. tim 3. 13. 2. thes 2. 10 11 12. Rom. 1. 18 19. c. Matth. 24. Acts 2. 37. Psal. 19. 1. What we learne by the view of the world Psal. 8. 1. 4 5 6. Psal. 32. 9. Isai. 1. 3. Euery creature hath his proper motion and disposition The difference betweene the naturall and supernaturall desire of man to good 1. Cor. 2. 14. Isay 64. 4. Psal 16. 11. How we may see God How Plato came to the knowledge of God The knowledge of God and of our selues ioyned together Two books that reach vs to know God The necessitie of the word The name of God Exod. 3. 14. Steps to ascend vp by to the knowledge of God Gen. 1. 26. Three things to be considered in the creation of man Isa. 40. 13 14. rom 11. 34. Prou. 8. 22. c. The trinitie of persons in the vnitie of the godhead Gen. 1. 27. Gen. 〈◊〉 7. Gen. 3. 19. Mans body compounded of the 4. elements Of what element eâ—ery sence holdeth most The first matter the mother of all things An argument of all Atheists against mans creation Aristotles errour was that the worlde had no begâ—nning Nature commeth of the Latine word Nascor which signifieth to be borne How we must ascend vp to the knowledge of God by his creatures Gen. 2. 15 18. What great knowledge of naturall things was in Adam Man was created for societie The creation of woman and vse thereof In Hebrew Ish signifieth man and Ishah woman Ephes 5. 29. How Atheists scofle at the womans creation Genes 2. 21. Of the mvsterie of Christ and his Church in the creation of the woman Ephes. 5. 30. The opinion of naturall Philosophers touching the nature of women Genes 1. 27. 1. Cor. 11.
a lamp and mans body The causes of chirst and hunger Of physicke and the causes therof Instructions from the sense of taste The equality of heate and moysture preserueth life Of the inequality that is in the nature of the body A testimonie of the great prouidence of God What meate is fittest for infants From whence commeth the different substance of our members Men haue more varietie of drinks then beasts We must eate neither too much not too litle The chiefe end of foode Iohn 1. Vnthankful men are like to hogs Luke 12. 48. 1. Tim. 4. 4. Food must be receiued with thankeâ— giuing Some more like to madde dogges then men What beautie is and wherein it consisteth The nose is very seruiceable to the braine Why the sense of smelling is placed so neere to that of tasting Of the agreemeÌ„t of these two senses How men abuse these senses Iohn 12. 3. How the spirites are resâ—estâ—ed with sweete odours Of the diuers vses of the nose Of the matter of the nose How the nose is in steade of a spowt to the braine Of the nosethrils and of their parting asunder Of the spungie or siue-bone Of the muscles of the nosethrils and of the sinews of smelling Notable instructions for the soule Psal 16. 11. Of the vse of the externall senses Of the fupersluities that proceede out of the body Of the passages meete to purge the body by Of the pores in the skinne Of the spowts of the braine and head The face compared to a Limbeck Good instructions for all men The profite of care-waxe The diuersitie of faces is wonderfull The great variety of noses Varietie of countenance in one man The description of an angry visage Of an arrogant countenance Pride is seated vpon the eie lids Matth. 23 12. Luke 14. 11. The seate of shame Esay 48. 4. Ezech. 3. 8. Of the true Physiognomy Iob 10. 12. Genes 2. 7. Three sortes of faculties in man Of the animal power Of the sensitiue Of the motiue How we come to the knowledge of the soule The knowledge of the soule how necessary and excellent it is The knowledge of our selues very necessary The diuision of creatures Of creatures without life The celestiall bodies are immutable Of creatures hauing life Of the vegetatiue life Of the sensitiue Of the cogitatiue Of the reasonable soule The soule of man differeth from that of beasts in vnderstanding and immortality The soule is the proper inhabitant of mans body Two natures in man Two sorts of spirites The description of Angels Mens soules haue alwaies life in the. Matth. 10. 28. Luke 12. 4 5. The soule compared to a cunning workman To a musicion To an inhabitant The soule is the workeman the body the toole A glasse to see God in The world is not the body of God How the soule in the body resembleth God in the world The absurd collection of Atheists Of the Animall vertues Three bellies attributed to mans body Of the braine of the image of God therein The braine most resembleth the heauens Three kindes of knowledge Of the first kinde of knowledge common to all liuing creatures Of the second kind of knowledge Of the third kind of knowledge Of the naturall vertue and of the kindes thereof Of the Animal vertues and powers in the internal senses Of Imagination Of Memorie Of Fantasie and Common sense Of Reason and Iudgement The nature of the reasonable part in the soule is hard to be knowne Of the litle Bellies of the braine Of Dâ—â—a mater or the hard mother Of the skull Three vses of the hard Mother Eccles. 12. 6. Of Iia mater or the godly mother Of the braine and office thereof The diuision of the braine Of the presse and Vault in the head Of the Like worme and of his office Of the passage whereby the superfluities of the brain are voyded None can here attaine to a perfect knowledge of the essentiall power of the soule The mind cannot perfectly know it selfe God cannot deceiue nor be deceiued The testimony of the scriptures most firme Rom. 2. 15. Of the seate of voluntary sense and motion Of the Common sense and of his office Of Imagination and of Fantasie Dan. 2. 28 29. The giddinesse of Fantasie Fantasie is dangerous It is very subiect to the motions of good or ill spirites How sorcerers are deluded by the Diuell The deuill counterfaiteth the workes of God Of the force of imagination The strong fancie of women with childe Imagination preuaileth much in beasts Good counsaile for euery one Psal 119. 37. Beasts search only after corporall things belonging to this life Of the seate of reason and of his office Reason is the iudge of Fansie Of Memorie and of his office Dan. 2. Of the seate of memorie Causes of good and bad memories Of the agreement betweene all the senses The memorie is a spirituall eye Of the effects of Reason Of vnderstanding and contemplation A double discourse of Reason in man Memory compared to a picture What remembrance is The minde compared to the keeper of Rolles A good admonition to humble vs. Diuers kindes of madde folkes The imagination troubled Reason troubled The memory lost Dan. 4. How a man may â—â—dge of the â—eats of the senses Of such as are possessed with Deuilles The power of euill spirites Matth. 26. 4â— and 6. 13. Iob 7. 15. 1. Sam. 16. 14 15. 314. Good instructions for all men Psal 148. 8. Of contemplation and action The senses of â—â—â—serue for the good of his soule Contention betwixt the spirite and fantasie What is meant by the reasonable soule Proofe that the soule of beasts is mortall but of men immortal What is in plants aboue stones and in beasts aboue plants in men aboue beasts The end of mâ—nâ— being Only God knoweth the soule perfectly What actions men doe which beasts cannot How beasts discourse Ezech. 37. 1. Act. 10. 3 10 11. 2. cor 12. 2 3. Of the VnderstaÌ„ding and of Will The memory coÌ„pared to the rolles of Chancerie What degrees are betweene Iudgement and Will What knowledge we may haue of variable things In what things coniecture taketh place Of what things science or knowledge may be had In what things wisedome taketh place Ephes 1. 16 17 18. The author of wisedome Ephe. 3. 19. Much darknesse mingled with our natural light The cause of the diuersity of knowledge and of ignorance in men 2. Cor. 4. 4. Causes of the variety of mens opinions The manners of men follow the disposition of their bodies Two kindes of discourses Of the end of al discourses A comparison The seueral powers of the soule Of the office of Iudgement A sound iudgement is an excellent gift of God Two kindes of consents Agreement betwixt Beleefe and Science What Opinion is What doubting is Of saith in diuine things Of the light of faith Of the senses of faith Ephes 4. 30. 2. cor 1. 22. Ephes 2. Hebr. 11. The conclusions of faith are most true
that his 〈◊〉 â—â—â—cheth ouer all that the soule of man is immortall and that after this lâ—se there is a place of happinesse for the good and of torments for the wicked is as I may terme it a supernaturall error or rather cleunâ— againsst 〈◊〉 religion nature and all The trueth whereof appeareth both by the common consent of all nations who haue generally approoâ—ed those points as inuiolable principles and maximes in nature and also by the iudgement of the sounder sort of Phylosophers and Lawmakers amongst the Heathâ—â— who knowing that all mens consciences did naturally acknowledge not onely a being of a diuine power but a subiection also thereunto pretâ—nded that their lawes and superstitions came from some one or other of their supposed gods goddesses as Minos King of the Cretensians made the people beleeue that he had receyued his lawes of Iupiter Lycurgus the Dâ—â—â—demonian lawmaker of Apollos oracle Numa Pompilius a Romanâ— king of Aegeria the Nimph and so the rest of others And in truâ—th they that deny the diuine essence what do they but deny themselues and the being of all things in the world besides For as Aratus the heathen Poet 〈…〉 is also confirmed vnto vs by the Apostle Paul In God we liue 〈…〉 haue our being so that without him it is impossible wee should haue any being one moment of an houre And it is strange to consider 〈◊〉 these reaonable beastes for men I dare not call them standing so 〈◊〉 vpon reason and sense as they would seeme to do cannot in reason 〈◊〉 that this great variety exquisite order which they behold and see in nature natural things must of necessity haue some superiour cause from which they receiued both their first beeing and their contiâ—â—al 〈◊〉 in the same When they looke vpon any excellent picture they presently iudge as the truth is that it was wrought by some cunning painter and euery 〈◊〉 building leadeth all men to the consideration of some exquisite master builder that framed it And shall not the view of the worlde and the knowledge of so many admirable things therein as are subiect to all our senses constraâ—â—â—â—s to acknowledge a superiour cause and creator of them all Doeth any shippe sayle his right course without a Pilot or is there any Citie well gouerned without a Magistrate And shall any surmize that the celestiall lights could obserue their right motions without the direction of him that made them or that the terrestriall globe of the earth coulde 〈◊〉 so well ordered by the course of nature were it not that all things are 〈◊〉 by him that 〈◊〉 them all But such is the blockishnesse of these 〈…〉 that they will beleeue nothing but that which they may see with their eyes and 〈◊〉 knowledge of by the light of their bodies As though if their eyes were plucked out of their heads there could be no sunne in the 〈…〉 nor light in the worlde because themselues were in darkenesse and coulde see nothing How many things are there in nature which 〈…〉 and yet no man maketh any question of their being no not they 〈◊〉 who notwithstanding deny that there is any diuine nature any 〈◊〉 soule Angell or spirite because they are not visible and subâ—ect to â—ight Can any of them see the winde looke vpon the voice of a man beholde the sweete harmony of musicke Nay can they take a viewe of the heartes in their bodies or of the braines in their heades Are they therefore without heart and brainelesse Surely it seemeth they are cleane voyde of brayne â—it and common sense that nayle all their beliefe so fast to the sight of their bâ—dily eyes And yet were it so that they would not most wilfully 〈…〉 the euidence of their owne hearts they should there behold with the eyes of their mind as it were in a christall glasse that which may bee knowen of God Nay the holy Ghost proceedeth further and telleth vs that euen our bodily eyes may and doe after a sort looke vpon the eternall poweâ— and Godhead which are seene by the creation of the worlde being viewed in the workes thereof And because it may so fall out by the 〈◊〉 iudgement of God that these beetle-eyed Atheists may aswell be depriued of their bodily eyes as they want the sight of their mindes the creator and Lorde of the whole worlde hath set such markes of his diety in his workes that such as haue onely the direction of nature may euen with their eyes closed vp touch and handle him if they will but grope after him in whom we all liue mooue and haue our being What should I presse them with the certayne testimony of their owne hearts and consciences which will they will they drawe them to a fearefull acknowledgement of the mighty power of God whensoeuer eyther by his terrible voyce of thunder he shaketh their heartes or by some irrecouerable disease as a messenger of death hee 〈◊〉 them to appeare before his tribunall seate and throne of iustiâ— But there needeth no other proofe to coâ—â—nce them then the wordes of their owne mouthes For doe not their horrible oathes whereby they blasphâ—â— the Maiesty of God and asmuch as lyeth in them teare him in pieces â—e aâ—e â—â—â—nesse against themselues that the Lorde whom they despite in that 〈…〉 hath a being howsoeuer otherwise they deny the same And if no reason will sinke into their braines yet mee thinks the waight of Gods iudgement which haue from time to time seased extraordinarily vpon these Atheists that haue sprung vp in the world should cause them more seriously to consider of their miserable estate It is reported of Protagoras who was one of the first of that stamp that being banished from Athens and his Books publikely burnt he was drowned in the sea as he sailed into Sicilia Diagoras was violently slaine by certain men whom the Athenians had hired with mony for that purpose Epicurus also who placed his felicitie in corporall pleasures died miserably in a vessell of hot water after that he hadbin foureteene daies together extremely tormented with the stone in the bladder Lucianus surnamed by his owne countrimen the Blasphemer as he behaued himselfe most currishly in barking both against the gods of the Heathen and against Christ Iesus the Sauiour of the worlde so his ende was thereafter by being torne in peeces and deuoured of dogges Plinie the elder denying the immortalitie of the soule of man and placing Nature a creature in the steade of God the Creatour whilest he was ouer-curious in searching out the cause of the burning of Aetna was choaked with the smoke that issued from it A iust punishment for him to ende his life by smoke who esteemed his soule to be no better then a little vapour Cassius being a professed Scholler of Epicurus Brutus most brutishly railing vpon the prouidence of God because his enterprises against Caesar succeeded not to his
soules in what sence not only the Poets and heathen Philosophers but also Saint Paul haue sayd that men were the generation and linage of God of their error that say that soules are of the very substance of God of the transmigration of soules according to the opinion of the same Philosophers Chap. 84. 509 The chiefe causes as learned men thinke 〈…〉 Pythagoras and 〈…〉 transmigration of soules and transformation of bodies the ancient opinion of the Iewes touching the same thing Chap. 85. 515 Of the Pythagoreans of these dayes amongst the Christians and of their foolish opinions of the opinions of many Doctors and and Diuines touching the creation and ordinary generation of mens soules of the moderation that ought to be kept in that matter of the cause of the filthinesse and corruption of mans soule Chap. 86. 5â—â— Of those powers and properties which the soule of man hath common with the soule of beastâ—â— of those powers and vertues which are proper and peculiar to it selfe according to the Philosophers of the difference and agreement that is betweene humane philosophie and christian doctrine touching thâ—se things Chap. 87. 5â—6 How men can haue no certaine resolution of the immortality of the soule but by the word of God of the peruersnesse of Epicures and Atheistes in this 〈◊〉 of the chiefe causes that hinder 〈◊〉 from beleeuing the immortality of the soule and of their blockishnesse and euill iudgement therein how wee must seeke for the image of God after which man was created in his soule Chap. 88. The twelfth dayes worke 5â—â— OF those who desire the returne of soules departed to testifie their immortality what witnes hath binne sent vs of God out of another world to resolue vs therin Chap. 89. 53â— Of naturall reasons whereby the immortality of soules may be prooued against Epicures and Atheists and first of the argument taken from the faculty of knowledge which the soule hath and from that knowledge of eternity which 〈…〉 howe it appeareth that it is not begotten of this corruptible nature because it ascendeth vp vnto God and how by a speciall benefite of God it is dayly created and not by the vertue of nature Chap. 90. 541 Of the argument for the immortality of the soule that may bee taken from that natural desire therof of perpetuitie which is in it of another argument to the same purpose of the desire which men haue to continue their name and memory for euer an argument to the same end taken from the apprehension and terrour which men may haue both of the death of the body and also of the soule and spirite Chap. 91. 546 Of the agreement that may be taken from the delights and pleasures of the soule to prooue the immortality therof an argument to the same ende taken from the insatiable desires pleasures of men euen from such as are most carnall of the testimony which they may find euen in their vices to prooue the immortality of their soule Chap. 92. 551 Of the testimony that men haue of the immortall nature of the soule in their very body by the composition and frame thereof of that which is in the motion and rest of their soule how the creation of the whole world shoulde be vaine and how there should be no prouidence of God no religion no diuine iustice if the soule were mortall of the multitude and qualities of the witnesses that stand for the immortality thereof Chap. 93. 556 Of another argument for the immortality of the soule taken from that naturall desire which men haue of knowlege of Aristotles opinion touching the nature and immortality of the soule of other reasons of Philosophers to proue that the spirite cannot be a corruptible and mortall nature and how iust men should be more miserable and shoulde haue more occasion to feare and to eschew death then the vniust and wicked if the soule were mortall Chap. 94. 563 Of that prayse and reward which wisdome and vertue may receiue of man in this worlde how miserable it is â—f there bee no better prepared for them elsewhere how death would bee more grieuous and lamentable to the best learned and wisest men then to the ignorant and foolish if the soule were mortall how the best most certaine iudgement of men is for the immortality of the soule of them who not beleeuing the same say that it is good for men to bee in such an error Chap. 95. 569 Of those internall testimonies which all men cary within themselues to conuince them that doubt of the immortality of the soule and of the iudgement to come which shall be in eternall happinesse for the good and perpetuall torment for the euill howe the very heathen acknowledged asmuch by reasons taken from the testimonies of nature Chap. 96. The thirteenth dayes worke 575 OF the testimonies which euery one may take from his conscience of that feare vnto which all men are naturally subiect to prooue the immortality of the soule a iudgement of God vpon the iust and vniust how that which the Atheistes say that feare causeth gods amongest men serueth to ouerthrow their damnable opinion Chap. 97. 581 Whether Epicures and Atheists bee reasonable beasts yea or no and what reasons they bring to ouerthrow the immortality of the soule of the false opinion of Pliny touching the same and of his friuolous and brutish reasons to this purpose of the brutish conclusion vnbeseeming the whole race of mankind which hee maketh of this matter and of the iudgement of God vpon him Chap. 98. 588 Of them who say that wee cannot know by the light of nature but that the soule is mortall of them that alledge a place of Salomon against the immortality of the soule howe wee ought to consider of the iudgementes of God vpon Epicures and Atheistes how the absurdities which follow their doctrine declare plainly the grossenesse of it of the force of those argumentes that were produced before for the immortality of the soule Chap. 99. 594 Of the image of God in the soule of man and of the image of the worlde in mans body of the coniunction that is betweene God the Angels and men of the sundry degrees of Good that are therein of those lessons and instructions which wee ought to receiue from the wonderfull composition aud coniunction of the soule and body Chap. 100. FINIS THE FORESPEACH OF THE INTERSPEAKERS IN this Academy wherein is handled the cause of their future discourses touching the naturall historie of Man The names of the discoursers ASER which signifieth Felicitie AMANA Trueth ARAM Excellency ACHITOB Brother of goodnesse ASER My companions I greatly bewayle the misery of our age wherein so many Epicures and Atheists liue as are dayly discouered amongst vs in all estates and callings True it is that the disagreement in matters of religion amongst them that beare the name of Christians is very great and causeth much trouble in the Church neuerthelesse I doubt not but that
agreement might soone bee made if the word of God onely might be the iudge of true false religion For all that feare God and are carefull to doe nothing contrary to their duety that accompt the holy scriptures to be the true doctrine of the spirite of God and are assuredly perswaded that there is another life after this and a iudge before whome they must appeare they I say are not so hardly induced to peace and concord but that a man may hope well of them But they that feare nothing that call all things into question that esteeme all religion to be opinions only tormenting mens braynes they likewise that stifly resist euen the trueth it selfe whereof their owne consciences conuince them labouring as much as lyeth in them to extinguish not onely the light of God within them but that also which they learne in his word such monsters I say will trouble all Christendome more then the contentions about religion vnles the goodnes of God prouide some conuenient remedy for the same For they must be taught to beleeue one God one Iesus Christ the immortalitie of the soule the resurrection of the body a second euerlasting life full of ioy and happinesse for good iust men but full of griefe and paine for the wicked and vniust generally they must be taught to beleeue whatsoeuer we learne in the holy scriptures concerning the creation and end of euery nature These things being spirituall and heauenly cannot be seene nor comprehended without a celestiall and supernaturall light nor without spirituall eyes ioyned with the vertue and power of the spirite of God who onely is able to clarifie our eyes and to giue them sight For albeit God gaue spirituall eyes to man when hee endued him with a reasonable and vnderstanding soule yet they are euen blind through sinne if they alwayes haue not God that great and euerlasting Sunne to illuminate them with his diuine light as the eyes of the body remaine in darkenesse when bodily light is taken from them Hereupon they are called blind in holy scripture that haue not the true knowledge of God by the light of his word For although they that are most ignorant haue some little knowledge and sence of the diuinitie by that small remnant of naturall light which man receiued at his first creation neuerthelesse because this sparkle is so small in regard of that darkenesse which filleth the mind of man it is not sufficient to leade them to God and to the right way of saluation Therefore they soone goe astray and wander hither and thither and for the most part followe superstition in place of religion and lies in stead of trueth because it is an easie matter for the deuill to disguise his inuentions vnder a false shew of piety that they may not discerne betweene trueth and falsehood betweene that which God liketh and which he disliketh For seeing the sparke of naturall light in mans vnderstanding is so small there needeth no great troubling of the spirite neyther any great impediments to bee cast in his way to confound and amaze him and to take away or vtterly to ouerturne his iudgement whereby to makâ— him as vnable to iudge of the trueth as a blind man is to iudge of colours But they are in farre worse case that voluntarily separate themselues from all truth both naturall and supernaturall For they easily beleeue that which the Epicures long since taught against the immortalitie of soules and against the prouidence of God towards men insomuch that they hold this for most certaine that the soule perisheth as the body doth and that there is no God that intermedleth in the gouernment of humane affaires but that they are guided eyther by fortune or by prudence or by the folly of men according as matters fall out I quake to thinke that such monsters are to be found amongst them that berare the name of Christians and haue in former times receiued the markes and seales of Christianitie in the Church of Iesus Christ But my quaking is doubled when I consider that many of them that professe learning and humane philosophie and that are thought to haue most skilfull sharpe and subtill wits are not onely infected with this execrable Atheisme but professe it open a schoole thereof and know how to poyson many with it For as there was neuer yet opinion error or heresie so strange or monstrous in the world that hath not alwayes found men ynowe to receiue it so long as there were Authors and masters to set it abroach so these professours of Atheisme are neuer without great store of disciples because after this maner God punisheth the curiosity ingratitude and peruersenesse of men the contempt of his word and hatred of the trueth which is commonly in them as also the pleasure they take in vanitie and lies Therefore God by his iust iudgement giueth them ouer into a reprobate sense so that they cannot but alwayes reiect the trueth and imbrace error and lying as he often threatneth them by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles Examples hereof wee see dayly in such as thinke themselues the wisest men who haue this in their cogitation if they dare not speake it openly that it belongeth not to men of wit to beleeue in God and his word but to such as are simple and foolish not to these great and noble spirits that flie aboue the clouds who in trueth know more then they should to bring them to that place of weeping and gnashing of teeth We are to liue my companions amongst such kind of men and I suppose that ye as well as my selfe haue heard some of them speake especially since of late times the seruice of Princes hath longer retayned vs neere vnto them then we were wont in our yong yeers when the study of good letters did wholy possesse vs. Therefore we ought to be very desirous to fortifie our selues dayly with strong and powerfull reasons against whatsoeuer wee may heare vttered by these scorners of all pietie not for feare that wee shall at any time bee deceiued by them for I am most assured of the graces and gifts which we haue receiued from God but that we may haue abundantly wherewith to resist the vaine and weake arguments of these deceiuers when wee light among them especially in the company of ignorant folks whom they may easily draw to their side if we should be silent Besides although we should not be able to confound them by reason of their obstinacy yet we shall at the least giue them occasion to thinke more seriously of their error I know well what small accompt they make of the testimonies of holy scriptures and how they esteeme of them but as of fables and dreames made by some doters and idle persons for so they call the Patriarks Prophets and Apostles As for the writings of Philosophers they will beleeue Epieurus Pliny Lucretius Lucian and others of their sect who deny all diuinitie and
when he sayth According to our own image and likenesse which is the second thing we haue to note For by these wordes he plainely declareth that he mindeth to make a worke the like wherof was not before and to draw our an image more agreeable to his nature and more worthy his Maiesty then he had done before amongst all the worksâ— of his hands For although he had already idomed and replenished the whole heauens 〈◊〉 gooâ—y lights yea al thee 〈◊〉 and residue of the world with all sorts of creatures yet there was not one creature vnder heauen which he had made capable of vnderstanding and reason to know and glorifie God the creator of the whole world And 〈◊〉 the Angels being 〈◊〉 spirits had this vnderstanding and knowledge yet he would haue man besides vpon earth for whose sake chiefly he had created the world to the end hee might know and glorifie him together with his Angels Therefore Moses addeth the third thing which we haue to consider in this deliberation of mans creation thereby the better to let vs know the excellency of this creature aboue the rest when hee declareth that God would create him that he might rule ouer the rest of the liuing creatures and ouer the whole earth as if man should be his Lieutenant and as it were a litle terrene god vnder the great soueraigne God that created him But some man may aske with whom God maketh this deliberation For he speaketh as though he would haue some helpers and companions in the making of this so excellent a work The Prophet Isaiah answereth to this saying Who was his counseller or who hath giuen to him first and he shal be recompensed For he had no other counsaile or helpe but of himselfe and of his heauenly and eternall wisedome as it is testified by Salomon Therefore we must not thinke that he had the Angels for counsellers and helpers either in the creation of man or of any other creature whatsoeuer as some haue presumed to imagine and to affirme For that were to derogate too much from the nature and maiestie of God and to take from him the title of Almightie which agreeth to him onely For the creature cannot be a creator And as there is but one onely God so there is but one creator of all things For the worke of the creation can agree to none but to God only But Moses by this maner of speaking in the plural number meant to giue out some obscure knowledge of the trinitie of persons that is in the vnitie of God and that vnion which they haue together in the worke of the creation which is common to the Father with the Sonne and the holy Ghost as are all the other workes of God For although there bee distinction of persons in one and the same diuine essence yet there is no diuision betweene them nor separation And as they are vnited together in one and the same essence so likewise are they in all their works For the Father doth nothing but by the Sonne that in the vertue of the holy spirite Therefore the Prophet addeth immediately God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female We see here that Moses doth not propound vnto vs three Gods or three creators but one onely And in that he doeth twice repeate this that God created man in his image it is to let vs vnderstand that this point ought to be well considered of and weighed as that wherein consisteth all the excellencie of man and the true difference that is betweene him and the other liuing creatures which are but brute beasts We shall know where we ought to seeke this image of God in man after we haue heard the rest of the historie of his creation For after that Moses hath briefly and summarily spoken as wee haue saide he taketh the same matter againe into his hand and intreateth thereof more specially He saith then That the Lo 〈◊〉 of the dust of the ground breathed in his face breath of life that the man was a liuing soule Wherby he sheweth euideÌ„tly that God did not create the body soule of maÌ„ both at one time as he had created the beasts but the body first then the soule which he ioined therwith not only to giue life vntoit as it is giuen to brute beasts by the soule which they haue but also to make it capable of vnderstaÌ„ding as we shal vnderstand more at large hereafter For we speak not now by what means or at what time the soule is ioined with the body in the coÌ„mon ordinary generation of men but only of the mean order which God obserued in the creatioÌ„ of the first maÌ„ according to the rehearsall which Moses maketh Now touching the matter wherof he made him because the chiefest most apparant was taken froÌ„ the earth it is said expresly that he was made therof that he should return thither as we see it true in the death of euery one But this is most certain granted of al the great philosophers yea euideÌ„t to be seen that mans body is compounded of the 4. elements of all their qualities as also all the other bodies of creatures vnder heauen And because the greatest part which remaineth of that which wee see of man is of the earth therefore it is said that he returneth to earth although whatsoeuer is taken of the other elements in the compositioÌ„ of his body doth likewise turne againe into theÌ„ For the flesh of man agreeth aptly with the earth his vital spirits with the aire the fire his humors with the water The sence of seeing agreeth with the fire that of hearing with the aire that of tasting w e the element of water the sence of touching with the earth that of smeling with the aire and fire as we shall vnderstand more at large hereafter when we handle them Yea there is no piece so small in the whole frame of man wherein euery one of the elements doth not intemeddle his power qualities although one of theÌ„ doth alwaies command aboue the rest This is to be seen in the blood which is the first chiefest of those 4. humours in the body is properly of the nature of the aire For the muddy dregs which coÌ„monly thickeÌ„ settle in the bottoÌ„ of it are of the nature of the earth are called Melancholy the pure blood that swimmeth in the midst doth represent vnto vs the aire that humour that swimmeth in a rounde circle is watrie sleame and the skumme that appeareth aboue is the choler which is of the nature of the fire If we coÌ„sider the ordinary generation of men the matter is humour naturall heate is as it were the master buylder drynesse hardneth the body and colde refreshings doe not onely moderate the heate that the moyst matter should not bee
insensible as the bones gristles are neither can they giue any motion or sense as the sinewes can but serue only for baÌ„ds to tie the bones one to another to knit the other members vnto them But the sinews which proceede either from the braine or from the marrow of the backe bone whose originall is from the braine are of a teÌ„der soft white substance of that nature that they haue al sense which they impart to al the sinewy parts of the body And of theÌ„ also some giue both sense motion together Therfore their substance is not so dry nor so hard as that of the ligaments neyther yet is it so soft tender as is the substaÌ„ce of the flâ—sh or of the kernels or of the skinnes of such other like parts wherof we wil speake hereafter As for the pannicles cords or filaments which are litle long threeds slender white solide strong we may comprehend them vnder the name of sinews ligaments because they take part of both natures For some of them haue sense with the sinewes others haue none with the ligaments The office of the pannicles which are litle skins made of sinews ligaments is to defend to knit together the members to impart to many of them sense as to the liuer the heart the lungs the splene the kidneis And as for the filaments they serue the body some to draw nourishment others to retaine and keep that which is meete to nourish the body and some to driue forward and to cast forth those excrements and superfluities which help not to nourish it but are only a burthen and griefe vnto it The veines are thinne and slender pipes carying the thicker blood wherewith the body is nourished and they haue their beginning from the liuer For in that the hollow veine is greater and larger then the rest and out of that all the other veines extend themselues into all the body as it were branches proceeding from the body of a tree Herein as we will do in all our discourse we follow the common opinion approued of the late learned Philosophers Physicions Anatomists For Aristotle wrote that the heart was the original of the veins But Hippocrates taught otherwise whom Galen followed confuting Aristotles opinion As for the Arteries or pulses they are pipes that proceed froÌ„ the heart For in that is the great artery planted which is the stock of al the rest which serue to cary the vital spirits throghout the body they are couered with litle skins that are strong thick to keep the spirits from breathing out for the same cause they haue their passages more streight So that they haue two skinnes or couerings whereof that which is vnderneath is fiue times thiâ—ker then the skinne of a veine To conclude the Arteries and veines are ioyned together to the ende that the vitall spirites might draw and receiue from the veines conuenient matter for their nourishment as also that by their heat they might warme the blood that is within them For there are certaine mouthes in them both for this mutuall communication both that the spirit might draw his nourishment from the veines as flame fetcheth the preseruation of his light from the lampe and also that the veines might receiue spirit and heat from the arteries As for the flesh it is a substance of blood which is then made when the thickest part of it is as it were congeled and with that all the members of the body are clothed outwardly Wee must speake more largely of the vses and properties of all these simple partes which wee haue here laid open in few wordes In the meane time in this litle that hath bin discoursed wee see a maruailous prouidence of God who hath disposed and tempered the matter of the body in such wise that hee made it so apt to effect that worke which hee purposed that by proportions and mixtures so well contriued from one degree to another as he hath done in the elements to the end that all the partes of the body might the better be preserued one by an other And although mens bodies are compounded of earth and of the other elements as we haue already touched yet God sheweth himselfe very wonâ—e full in this whole worke and matter of man For as he turneth the earth into diuers natures so that of one peece hee maketh gold of another siluer of this brasse iron and other metâ—alles of that mineralles of another pretious stones of sundâ—y sortes which are as it were â—he bones of the earth besides a great many other things of diuers kinds which were infinite to rehearse so of one selfe same matter appointed for the composition of the body hee maketh vaâ—iety of workes that 〈◊〉 may be framed and furnished in al respects For we see what difference there is betweene the bones which partes are most earthy and so consequently driest hardest and coldest because of al other partes they dâ—aw nearest to the nature of the earth Then the gristles obtaine the second degree next after the bones for agreement of nature as that which is in then iddest betweene the bones and the ligaments as the ligaments are of a middle nature betweene the gristles and the filaments and the filaments betweene the ligaments and the sinewes and so of the rest Therefore as God the great workmaster of nature hath framed all the partes of mans body of matter taken from all the elements so also hee hath tempered his matter according to the worke he meant to make and to that office which it pleased him to appoint vnto euery part and member of the body So that the matter of some partes holdeth more of the earth of other partes it hath more water or aire or fire or else is more or lesse mingled of all together Whereby it appeareth how aptly this workemaster can apply himselfe vnto his worke Wee haue also another notable testimony of his prouidence in that hee hath made the ligaments so strong and firme according to the necessitie of their office hauing ordained them to knit the bones in their ioynts and to bee as it were bands cords to tie and conioyne them together euen as the thongs of harnesse keepe the parts thereof bound and tied one to another We may say as much of the filaments but chiefly of the sinewes which in their places serue for bands to the body And here wee haue also to note that because God hath created them to giue both motion and sense to the body therefore hee hath planted their roote partely in the braine partly in the marrow of the backebone which is also deriued from the braine as the originall of the ligaments is either in the bones or in the gristles or in the skinne and the beginning of the filaments both in the ligaments and in the sinewes according to that vse for which they were made And that the motion
the hippe-bones in them that bring foorth children Others saye that there is no opening but onely that it stretcheth foorth and inlargeth it selfe There are some also that thinke it is so called because it is so necessarie vnto life that after it is once hurt death followeth After this bone the rest that followe are lesse and lesse vntill you come to the highest insomuch that the lowest are biggest and the highest least to the ende that as they are the foundation one of another so they might bee able to beare that charge which they are to sustayne and bee the lesse burdened And as for the coniunction and vniting of them together it is so well contriued that it hath so much strength as is necessarie for it and is neyther too soft nor too harde too drie nor too wette and slipperie but that which is meete for their motions This order of bones and turning ioynts thus raunged is properly called the Backebone or Chine and in Latine Spina dorsi because of the sharpe endes or poyntes which eche of them hath oneuerie side for his defence as it were thornes This whole chine hath a marow proceeding from the hinder part of the braine and reaching downe to the nether ende of the backebone which beeyng rounde in shape is as a riuer whose spring is in the brayne from whence it proceedeth as the great Arterie doeth out of the heart and the hollow veyne out of the liuer as wee haue alreadie declared and may intreate thereof more at large in speaking of the inner partes of the bodie Therefore as the great arterie is as it were the stocke of all the rest being planted in the heart from whence it springeth and the hollowe veyne whose fountaine is in the liuer is as it were the stocke of the other veines so the marrowe of the chine is as it were the stocke and spring from whence all the sinewes issue which afterward like to litle riuers impart their sence and motion And because the fountaine of this riuer is in the braine therfore also the originall of sinewes is attributed thereunto notwithstanding that all those sinewes which giue motion and sence to the partes that are vnder the head except it be to the intrals and guttes proceede from the marrowe of the chine Hereby we may note once againe that that place alleadged by mee out of Salomon where hee calleth the backbone a siluer chaine agreeeth also very fitly with that which is here spoken For seeing the sinewes distribute sence and motion to all the members of the body as it hath bene already told vs and haue their beginning from the braine and marrow of the chine we may well say that it is a chaine and coaâ—d of a great length which extendeth it selfe very farre by reason of other chaines and strings proceeding from it For as the backbone may be resembled to a chaine so the marrowe within it is like to a coarde whereof all the sinewes which are as it were the little strings of all the members of the body haue their beginning and increase And therfore some in stead of a siluer chaine translate a coard or threede of siluer as wee reade in the common Latine translation but the sence is all one And that which Salomon addeth after of the golden ewer which is broken in olde-age with the exposition of the best learned giuen thereof agreeth also very well to this effect For by this golden Ewer they vnderstand the skinne that couereth the braine which is of a yellowish colour resembling the colour of golde It is very fitly called a Ewer because it is a vessell contianing the matter and nourishment of the sinewes and as it were the fountaine of all the motions and sences of the body it is as it were the lodging of all the animall partes and the originall of all the sences both internall and externall Wherefore the matter of the braine contayned within it is of a more celestiall nature then any other part of the bodie and commeth neerest to the spiritual and diuine natures So that this vessell is not without good and iust cause called by Salomon the Ewer of gold For there is in it a fountaine out of which man receiueth great treasures Nowe because the sinewes arteries and veynes were to haue their passage and issue from their fountaine without let or hinderaunce it was requisite that the backebone should haue such holes as it hath and that the bones therof should be of that fashion they are to the ende that neyther themselues nor the marrow within might be easily broken and that the next partes and members might not be hurt For it is very dangerous to haue any rupture or hurt in the chine aswell by reason of the marrow as of the sinewes And because it pleased God to lodge there those internall members of the bodie that are most necessarie for life and for the preseruation thereof he fastened the ribbes to both sides of the backebone namely twelue on euery side and hath left a sufficient space betwixt them that the place might bee able to receiue those members for whose cause they were so built disposed So that there are before and behinde especially about the noblest members very long and large bones to defend them on al sides as it were good harnesse and strong bulwarkes but chiefly behind because the armes and handes cannot so well defend them as they may the other before Therefore God hath better armed them with bones making those of the shoulders so large behind as they are and knitting them also vnto the backebone by their bande but yet so that they touch it not Likewise they are fastened to the highest bone in the brest which reacheth vp to the throate aboue the first ribbe by two litle bones which passe ouer the ribbes that are betwixt them For this cause these bones are called the keyes of the throate For they close and shutte vp these partes as it were keyes so that without them shoulder blades would fall backeward beeing no more able to keepe close together then the poldron of an harnesse not beeing fastened to the gorget The armes likewise are fastened to the shoulders as also the thighes and legges to the hippes then the handes are ioyned to the armes with their ioyntes and bandes as hath beene touched before Now we are to note further according to that I spake euen nowe that the backebone is in a mans body as the keele in a ship so that as the rest of the matter and forme of the shippe must bee well proportioned and framed according to the keele so is it in the composition of mans body and in that correspondencie which all the members ought to haue with the ridgebone of which they all depende otherwise there would be no good agreement but great deformitie And as for the ribbes and brest bones they haue such workemanship as is requisite for the members contained within the
ribbes For seeing the members of mans breathing are closed within needefull it is that they should not onely bee defended and armed with bones for their garde and preseruation but also that these bones should bee so placed that they might inlarge and restraine themselues open and close againe in such wise that the breathing and members thereof be not hindered in their motions Therefore they are all by nature lesse harde then the other besides they are many to the end there might be spaces betwixt them not only for the inlarging restraining of the breast but also that the muscles might bee placed betweene the ribbes And this is one cause why it was needfull that the backebone should be framed as it is namely that it might bee moe commodious for respiration And because the stomacke also standeth in neede of inlargement and restraint according to the quantity of the meate which it receaueth and according as it is lift vp and pressed downe thereby therefore it was requisite that it should haue the like helpe But forasmuch as it might soone bee hurt by reason of the hardnesse of the ribbes if they were driuen and forced against it God hath so disposed those ribbes wherewith he hath defended the stomacke that they are neyther so long nor so hard as the rest For they are of a softer kind of bone drawing neerer to the nature of gristles then the other and the more they descend downward the shorter they are Therefore the lower part of the ribs are commonly called the false ribbes or bastard ribbes which on eche side are fiue in number the other seuen ending at the breast-bone to the end they may defend and garde the heart lungs which are vitall parts Hereupon when any hath bene wounded to death it is often said in the holy scriptures that he was stricken vnder the fift ribbe because no blow pierceth those partes but it hurteth some one of the vitall members which cannot be wounded but that death followeth therevpon We see then how the prouidence of God did well forcsee whatsoeuer was requisite in this worke of mans body and hath prouided thereafter as need required as we may easily iudge by that which wee haue heard of the bones onely which parts are most earthie and massy and are voyde of all sence Wherefore we may well conceaue how excellently this wisedome hath wrought in the other partes and members that are more noble But we may iudge a great deale better of all this if we consider that our treatise of the bones onely is but very litle in comparison of that which might be spoken if a man would vtter it as Phisicions doe and distinguish properly of all the kindes of bones and of their vses Nowe to ende the outwarde composition of the body touching the bones we must consider of the share bone and of the bones of the head of the marow that is within the bones and of the vse of the necke Last of all wee will clothe with flesh this dry Anatomy that afterward we may come to those parts of our building that are most noble and excellent Therfore it belongeth to thee AMANA to intreat of this subiect Of the share bone and marrow of the bones of the bones in the head and of the flesh of the muscles and of their office Chap. 6. AMANA Nothing maketh the worke of God in the composition of mans bodie more woonderfull then the beautie of his shape and the exquisite arte vsed in the worke wherin a man cannot change so much as a naile or an eyelidde which is but haire but that some imperfection must be acknowledged therein and some discommoditie following thereupon will cause it to be perceiued For this cause the kingly Prophet considering his creation speaketh as one rauished with admiration I will sayeth hee prayse thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully mad marueilous are thy woorkes and my soule knoweth it well Hee could not in all that Psalme maruaile sufficiently at so excellent a woorke of God Therefore he vsed a word which signifieth as much in the Hebrewe tongue as if in stead of our speech thou hast framed or fashioned me hee should haue saide I haue benewouen or wrought in tissue and interlaced and fashioned artificially as it were in broadery woorke And truely no image or picture howe well soeuer it bee painted and purtrayted is to be compared with the forme and figure of mans bodie neyther is there any woorke of tapistrie so well wrought and imbrodered or that hath such varietie of exquisite arte and such diuersitie of figures as that hath And from what paterns doe Painters and Ingrauers take the fashion and forme of those Images and pictures which they would drawe foorth but from this What is a piece of tapistry or imbrodered woorke in comparison of a mans bodie which is as it were an image of the whole world and wherein a man may finde almost the varietie and draughts of all things contained in the whole frame of the world This will euidently appeare vnto vs in the sequele of our speeches touching the compounded parts of the body Therefore to finish the externall composition of this humane building concerning the bones we will first note that God in creating the bellie hath not compassed it about with bones as he hath done the other parts of the body and that chiefly for two causes First it is most meet it should be so by reason of the meat it receiueth Secondly for the benefite of women that beare children But to the end it might be vpholden together with that burden it beareth God hath giuen vnto it the Share bone for a foundation which also standeth insteed of a bulwarke for the bowels And because a man cannot alwayes stande vpright but must oftentimes sitte downe not onely to rest himselfe but also to dispatch many works which he hath to doe therefore he hath the buttocke bones and the flesh wherewith they are couered which are vnto him in stead of a stoole and a cushion to sitte at his ease And forasmuch as the bones are to be nourished they haue for their familiar foode the marrow which by nature is moist soft fat and sweete Therefore it hath neyther sinew nor sence but is within the bones as the sappe of trees is in the middest of their stockes and braunches For this cause Iob speaking of the prosperitie of the wicked saieth His breasts are full of milke and his bones runne full of marrowe But this is strange that seeing it is made of the thickest of the blood as it were a superfluitie of the meate how it can be ingendred within the bones and draw nourishment from the veines as other parts of the body do But God knew well howe to prouide for that and to make way for nourishment through the hardnes of the bones which are not all alike full of marrowe For as some of them are more drie or
moyster more hard or softer then others so they haue more or lesse marrowe and some haue none at all because they neede it not Now this marrow whereof we speake nowe differeth from that in the chine-bone which the Arabians call Nucha and is of the nature of the substance of the braine from whence it proceedeth as a riuer from his fountaine for the generation of sinewes to which ende the other marrow is not appoynted of God but onely for the nourishment and preseruation of the bones Seeing then we are come to the braine we must consider with what bones God hath inclosed it on euery side for the defence therof how many in all there are in the head both before and behind on the right side and on the left aboue and beneath of what forme breadth length and hardnes and how they are ioyned one with another by seames and bands and that not without great reason and consideration of the Workmaster which made such an excellent peece of worke For first there are commonly sixe bones which compasse the braine on eche side besides that which is called the Wedge-like bone which is vnder the pallat of the mouth and vnto which all the rest are fastened And because there are many vessels and members in the braine and head God hath made the head of a round figure reaching somewhat in length and bulking out somewhat more both before behinde Now forasmuch as vapours fumes and smokie excrements mount vpward therefore he hath created the head and those bones of the head that are highest not so solide and thicke as the rest to the end the vapours and fumes should not continue inclosed within the braine but might euaporate and so disburthen the brayne otherwise it would be very ill at ease and subiect to many diseases Therefore all of them together are so made one bone that yet they are not all of one and the same piece but ioyned together not by ligaments as many sundrie and seuerall bones are but by such a proper and apt coniunction that there appeareth betweene them as it were a seame made after the manner of a Sawe or Combe as if they were verie finely sewed together And because the bones behinde coulde not haue that helpe of the handes for their defence which the bones before may haue God hath created them more harde and stronger Besides they all are to the brayne and to euery part thereof in stead of an helmet and murrion to defende it on euery side Thus you see the composition of the head touching the bones thereof which is so ioyned to the body by the backebone that nothing but the neck which is the vpper ende of the chine is betweene them For it was necessarily to haue motion both aboue and beneath before and behinde and on both sides which could not haue beene if it had beene fastened to the shoulders without any space betweene which is necessarie also both for breathing for voyce and for manie other purposes that may bee noted heereafter And albeit the necke serued for nothing else but for voyce yet is it so necessarie that without it a man coulde haue no voyce nor any other creature to which it is giuen as appeareth in those that haue no necke For all beastes that want the necke want also the voyce as wee may see both in fishes and in those beastes which the Latins call Insecta animalia the reason is because they haue no necke whereby to ioyne their head with the rest of their bodie but onely as it were a litle threede which holdeth both the one and the other close together Nowe that wee are come to the toppe of the building of mans bodie and haue set him vpright as it were a dryed Anatomie we must come next to the couering of the bones sinewes and other partes mentioned by vs to the ende that after wee haue finished the description of the outwarde partes wee may speake also of those that are within The flesh then is the first garment wherewith the bones are couered and it is properly called by that name which is giuen to that part whereof the Muscles are compounded For some vnder the name of Flesh comprehend the Kernels and the fatte because of the agreement which these partes haue one with another and by reason of their vse For as for the flesh it hath this in common with the Kernels and fatte that it is soft and tender but heerein it differeth from that matter whereof Kernels are made in that the matter of Kernels is more Sponge-like Wee learned before that Flesh is a substance of blood and howe it is made thereof Concerning the Muscles wee vse to call by that name the proper instrument that mooueth voluntarily all the members of the bodie Therefore it is compounded and made of threedes proceeding from the sinewes and of ligaments compassed about with a great deale of flesh insomuch that when the Muscles are taken away from the bodie there remayneth almost nothing but bare bones Their proper place is in all places of the bodie where there are ioyntes and where motion is required For without them the bodie cannot haue that voluntarie motion whereof I spake euen nowe and which is so called because thereby a man may mooue and remooue his members from one place to another as he thinketh good and as hee shall iudge it needefull for himselfe Wherefore we must knowe that the brayne which is the seate of the animall partes and the originall of the all the sinewes and of all motions and sences giuen to the bodie by them is in respect of the whole bodie like to a Waggonner that guydeth his Waggon and the Muscles are like to the bittes and brydles of horses to cause them to retyre or set forwarde as the Waggonner pleaseth eyther to draw them backewarde or to driue them forwarde to pull in or to let loose the bridle The sinewes are as it were the reynes and leathers fastened to the bridles to holde them in or to let them loose and to turne them both on the right hande and on the lefte then those members of the bodie which moue it from one place to another are as it were the horses that are ledde and guided by this meanes and the rest of the bodie is like to the Charet and the burden which it caryeth And for this cause the Muscles are compounded of ligaments sinewes and flesh For as the ligaments serue to knit them together and the sinewes minister sence and motion so the fleshe serueth to the benefite of those litle strings that proceede from the ligaments and sinewes first to nourish them then to holde them vp fostly as if they leaned vpon little cushions and pillowes and lastly to keepe them aswell against the vehemencie of internall heate as against the heate colde and hardnesse that comes from without Likewise the flesh perfourmeth all these thinges vnto the rest of the
with spirituall eies those images that are offered vnto it by the bodily eies it causeth them to see a great deale more clearely then the eies of brute beasts do For because they want minds vnderstanding their eiesight pierceth no further then vnto those corporall thinges which they behold Wherfore when they see the light of the sunne they only prepare themselues to be guided by it neuer cōsider or looke any further But man if he be not altogether brutish as beasts are stayeth not there but passing further he cōsidereth the beauty of the sunne those great benefits which it bringeth with it And being ascended so hie by the means of corporall light he ascendeth euen to the spirituall diuine light to God who is the eternal infinit Sunne Man also hath so much the more knowledge of the nature of corporall light of the effects therof hath also so much the more celestiall heauēly light whereof bodily light is an image as his mind is illuminated by the word and spirit of God For otherwise men see litle clearer not much farther by the light of the body then brute beasts do Moreouer we made mention in our former speach of 4. things requisit to see by which also are to be vsed in the other sences I will only adde a litle of the fourth thing which is of the meane that receiueth the obiect of the sensible quality beareth it to the instrument If those bodies that are set before our eies are so thicke by nature that the light can not pierce through thē thē doth the light appeare vpon them but not in so great measure nor so cleare as in the aire in other bodies as in glasse christal or such like that are not so thicke that they wil hinder the light frō piercing through them This part of light that is vpon thicke bodies is called colour which is of diuers sorts according to the mixture of light darknes that is in them For first there are 2. kinds of simple colours by mingling of which together al other colours are cōpounded The one is white which hath most light in it of all others and therfore wil take any other colour Thē there is black colour which hath least light in it therfore it wil take no other color Now according as these 2. kinds of colors are mingled together al other colours being infinit in nūber are cōpounded taking their diuersity difference as they haue more white or black mingled in thē For this cause some are red others yellow these greene those skie-color others gray or blew or tawny In a word it wold be a difficult matter yea impossible to reherse al their differences varieties But God sheweth himself yet more wōderful in the diuersitie that is seene euen in one kind of colour For let vs consider in a medow or garden al the herbs trees plants that are there with leaues floures we shal see no green in any one of thē which differeth not in some thing from the greene of another kind although they be all greene The like may be said of their floures For whether they be white or blacke or red or yellow or azure or of any other color we shall not find one that differeth not in somthing frō others of the same colour but of a diuers kind So is it with diuers fethers colors of birds amongst which there are such sundry colours that a mā cannot tel what certain name to giue thē as for exāple we see about the neck of a Ring-doue And althogh Painters indeuor as much as lieth in thē counterfaite all these diuersities in their printings mingled with many colours and howsoeuer as followers of nature they come very neere her yet they can neuer approch so neere as to be able to represent any colour so liuely as she brings it forth Now if the eies were not capable of light they could not see any colour nor discerne one from another and if they could not see colours they should see nothing For nothing can be seene but by meanes of colours no more then it may bee seene without light of which those are made And as the eyes cannot well see if they haue not as much light as is needefull for them so if they haue too much and more then they want they will see a great deale lesse or if it be very great they will be dazeled and as it were blinde Therefore it must be dispensed vnto them by iust measure and proportion according to their capacitie and then through the reflexion of those thinges which it discouereth vnto them it imprinteth their images in them as the image of a ring is imprinted in sealed waxe Now hauing spoken of the principall vse of our eyes if I shoulde enter into a more particular consideration of their nature I knowe not almost at which ende to beginne For there is nothing either in the matter of which they are made or in their forme composition and vse howe small soeuer it be which is not able to cast all men into great admiration For first if you aske after their matter they are compounded of three sortes of humours of which the one is like to water the other to glasse molten or to the white of an egge and the third to yee or christall and therefore they take their names of those things which they resemble Concerning the Christalline humour it is not so thinne but more firme then the other twaine much like to waxe melted Neuerthelesse it is a great deale more cleare and more glistering then both the other so that there is the same difference betweene these three humours and that which may bee seene through them which is betweene christall glasse and water and that which a man may see through them The Christalline humour is giuen to the eye to impart light vnto it therefore it is in the eye as it were a little round Christall glasse very glistering And although the other twaine are very bright so that the light may passe through them as it were through water and glasse yet they haue no light of themselues as the christalline humour hath which coulde not receiue that light which it doeth from without if of it selfe also it were not partaker of light and if by that participation which it hath there were not in it a naturall agreement with the other The other twaine are ioyned vnto it not onelie to nourish and moysten it that it drie not too fast but also to helpe to preserue it and to moderate the vehemencie both of those spirites and colours that might hurt it Nowe because these humours are liquide and soft they had neede of fitte vesselles to keepe euery one in his place appoynted for the executing of their office The christalline humoris in the middest of the other twaine because it is the glasse of the eye which receiueth
the light and the images of those things that by the light are disclosed vnto it Therfore it hath behind it that which resembleth molten glasse or the white of an egge which is not altogether so soft and liquide as the other before that resembleth water Thus hath God disposed them according to that naturall cōueniency which is betweeue them that they might be so knit one to another as is meetest both for them and their vses And being all ioyned together they serue to fill vp that hollow place within which the eyes are inclosed so also the other partes and namely the fat whereof they are well prouided serueth not onely to fill vp voyde roome but also is appointed to this end that the eyes might rest them more at ease and be moystened the better In all which things great wonders of Gods prouidence appeare most cleerely namely in this that the humors are so distinguished euery on keeping his place without mixture or confusion as also in this that the christalline humour which is partaker of light and which ought to receiue it is so well compassed about and fortified on all sides For this cause it is more firme then the other that it might both keepe and distribute better the light which it receiueth and also preserue it selfe and helpe the other humors that are ioyned vnto it which being as it were Nurses vnto it doe in like manner helpe it againe Moreouer wee are greatly to maruaile at the prouidence of God in considering the coates and skinnes of the eyes their forme and motions their diuers colours and the sinewes whereby they receiue sight the discourse of which matters I lay vpon thee ARAM. Of the tunicles and skinnes of the eyes of their forme and motions of their sundrie colours of the sinewes whereby they receiue sight and of other partes about the eyes Chap. 11. ARAM. If we would stand to consider of all those things that are worthy of admiration but in one eye onely aswell in respect of the matter as of the forme and meanes whereby they receiue the vertue of seeing and performe their duetie as the Phisicions she we these things in an Anatomi◠a man might make a very great booke thereof as likewise of all the other members For there is no member so little wherein there is not most exquisite arte and wherein a man may not see maruellous workes of Gods prouidence so that I shoulde bee wonderfully abashed to see any Phisition proue an Atheist if he haue neuer so litle knowledge of the nature of mans bodie and of the composition and Anatomie of the partes of it were it not that God punished them with the like iudgement that he hath done other great Philosophers whome he casteth into a reprobate sence because through pride and ingratitude they abuse that knowledge of naturall things which he hath giuen them Let vs learne therefore to know the Creator by the knowledge of the creatures and let vs look vpon the workmaster in the excellencie of his works And now to this end according to out intent let vs with the eyes of the minde behold the eyes of the body seeing they looking vpon all things yet cannot see themselues Nowe as we haue perceiued that God hath disposed the matter and humors of the eyes according to that office whereunto he hath assigned them so he hath appointed tunicles or coates which are little skins in which they are contained as it were in their vessels and compassed about with them as it were with litle bands to keepe them vnited and close together and to preserue them that they mooue not forth and runne out and withall to bee vnto them a sure defence These skinnes according to their offices and vses are disposed one after another and interlaced between the humors of the eyes according to that agreement of nature which they haue both amongest themselues as also with those humors which they serue and which in like sort serueth them to the end that neither the one nor the other should easily receiue hurt And amongst those fiue seuerall tunicles which there are of them according as the Phisicions and Anatomists distinguish them one is very slender like to a smal spiders web or to a very litle fine white skinne that is betweene the partes of an onion Then there is another that is like to a litle threede and the third resembleth in colour the stone of a redde grape I meane the outward side of it They are named by the Grecians and Latines according to the similitudes and likenesse of those things which they resemble But the chiefest strongest and hardest of them is like to a flender and cleere horne I meane that horne whereof Lanterns are made but that it is not so hard and thick by a great deale and by reason of the similitude which it hath with horne it is called by the same name This hath God created in this sort both that it might bee a stronger defence to all the humors of the eyes and also that it might serue for the light which they are to receiue through which it shineth as the light that is in a Lanterne besides the horne of which it is made There is yet another white skinne which serueth to keepe in the whole eye vnto the head in the place assigned for it and this is the first as that like the spiders webbe is the last and then the other are placed betweene these in the same order that I haue named Heerein appeareth the woorke of God namely his prouidence is to be well marked in this that he hath not placed the eyes so farre out in the face and head as hee hath done the nose eares and lippes but more inward as it were in holes and litle dennes by reason of the humors whereof they are compounded to keepe them so much the more fast and close together because they are liquide Therefore they are shut vp in their holes as the water of a Well is in that place where it is gathered together For this cause the Hebrewes often vse the solfesame word to signifie both the eyes and fountains Next God hath created thē of a round forme both because it is the fairest most seemly and most perfect as also because it is most moueable and easiest to turne and returne on euery side as the office of the eye requireth For seeing they are giuen to man and to al creatures for the direction of the whole bodie and of all the members thereof they ought not to be so fastened in the place where they are that they can neuer looke but one way nor stirre themselues on any side Therefore God hath appointed to euery eye seuen muscles both to keepe them firme and steady as also to cause them to remooue and turne vpward and down ward on the right hand on the left crosse-wise and round And as the round forme is most perfect so it is most fit for
his prouidence towards vs to make vs more then ashamed and confounded We haue yet another point to bee noted touching their situation which causeth a certaine proportion and agreement to bee betweene the heauens and the head and betweene the eyes of the great little worlde and those of the body and soule For it is most certaine that they could not be placed more conueniently then in the highest part of al the bodie as it were in the highest towre seeing they are to serue all the other members in place of Warders and Watchmen and of guides and leaders Therefore Salomon had reason to call them the Lookers aut by the windowes For the holes of the head in which they are placed as it were Looking-glasses are their windowes through which they see and behold We may also say asmuch of the apple of the eye which looketh within his litle circle as it were by a window For this cause as God hath placed the sunne moone and all the rest of the lights aboue in the heauens so he would that there should bee some proportion betweene the heauens and the head of man and betweene those goodly lights aboue named and the eyes that are created to receiue light from them and to be that in man who is the litle world which the sunne moone other lights of heauen are in this great vniuersall world Therefore forasmuch as the eyes are as it were the images of these goodly bodies and celestiall glasses they occupie the highest place in this bodie of the litle worlde as the lights doe in the great bodie of the world whereof they are as it were the eyes to giue it light on euery side For this cause also the eyes are more fierie and haue more agreement with the nature of fire then any other member that belongeth to the corporall senses And as they are in a high place so they are admonished thereby of the place vnto which they ought to looke according to that which Dauid saith I lift vp mine eyes to thee that dwellest in the heauens In all these things we see a goodly harmonie and agreement between the great and the litle world the like whereof we shall also finde betweene the worlde and the spirituall heauen whose sunne and light is God and between the eyes of the soule and of the mind Therefore Iesus Christ said very well The light of the bodie is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shal be light but if thine eye be wicked then all thy body shal be dark Wherfore if the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknes So that the eyes being as it were the lanterne lampe and flame of the whole body they could not haue a more apt place or more conuenient for their nature then that where God hath placed them The like also may be said of the spirituall eyes of the soule of the mind For God hath lodged the vnderstanding and reason in the braine of man as it were in a high towre in which it ought to raigne as a Queene and Princesse and guide vnder her lawes all the affections and actions of men as the eyes guide all the members of the body And when God who is the sunne and light of the world of the spiritual heauen reacheth out his beames to these eyes of the soule by his eternall Sonne and giueth them life vigour and vertue by his spirite then is the minde wel lightned and then doth she happily and to her proper end direct al the parts of the soule Now for the conclusion of our speech seeing wee haue spoken largely enough of the eyes of the bodie and of their nature beautie and excellencie and what goodly images of the spiritual eyes they represent vnto vs let vs yet a litle better acknowledge the greatnesse of their Woorkmaster by considering apart the matter whereof they are made I meane by it selfe and without the woorkmanship as if we should now behold their substance without that disposition and form which he hath giuen them What is an eye pluckt out of the head but a litle clay and mire as indeed it is the matter whereof it is made Now what a wonderfull thing is it that God hath so appropriated it as to make such a goodly piece of woorke thereof and such faire instruments for the seruice of men And therefore our Sauiour Iesus Christ meant to represent this diuine woorke when hee made the blinde to see by putting clay vpon his eyes Let vs therefore vse their sight which is such an excellent gift of God to behold his workes and those goodly images of the diuine nature which on euery side and continually are before our eyes and let vs beware that wee feede them not with the sight of prophane and dishonest things least they serue to poyson the minde and soule whereas they ought to become messengers to declare vnto it honest healthful things For he that doth otherwise is woorthy to haue not onely his bodily eyes put out and pluckt out of his head but also the eyes of his mind that so he may be blinde both in body and soule as it commonly falleth out to many But let vs follow our matter propounded touching the senses and their members and speake vnto vs ACHITOB of the eares and of their composition offices and vse Of the Eares and of their composition offices and vse Chap. 5. ACHITOB. The wisedome of God is so great he prouideth so wel for al things by his prouidence that he neuer doth any thing in vain insomuch that there is nothing whatsoeuer in all nature which hath not his proper vse and which is not compounded of matter and forme agreeable thereto for the instruction of men But forasmuch as men are rude of vnderstanding and by reason of their natural corruption easily turned aside from the chiefe ende of their being namely the contemplation of celestiall and heauenly things in place whereof they betake thēselues to the care of those things that are earthly corruptible it commeth to passe that hauing eyes and eares they neither see nor heare any spirituall thing so that their very light is become 〈◊〉 And then how great may we thinke the darknes to be in those partes that ought to be guided by thē that are capable of light Therfore as we haue learned that the eyes are the first guides and houshold masters that God hath giuen to euery one and the first authours and inuentors almost of all artes sciences and disciplines because by their sight we know the light colour greatnes figure number situation and motion of bodily things both neere and farre off so now we are to know that the heating and the cares are very conuenient for one man to communicate his knowledge with another as if one shoulde powre wine or water out of one vessell into another But they are especially giuen by
the end we should know the great skill and wisedome of the Woorkmaster that made them Now for the conclusion of our speech let vs learne that although our eares did vs no more seruice then the eares of brute beastes doe to them and reached onely to the vse of this life yet coulde we not sufficiently acknowledge that good which God doth to vs by them But wee must make a greater account of this that by the meanes of his worde which he will haue declared to our cares he causeth them to serue to his honour and glory and to our owne saluation Therefore let vs apply these so beautifull and artificiall members with all the rest of our senses to their principall ende yea to the end of all nature namely to the glory of their Maker and let them be deafe and stopped vp against all dishonest things that might poyson them and so consequently our mindes by them For that which Saint Paul saith That euill wordes corrupt good manners ought to be extended to euery vile dishonest and wicked thing which the eares may heare Wherefore they that abuse them so vilely deserue that God shoulde pluck them off and stoppe them and make them altogether deafe not only their bodily eares but also those that are spirituall as hee maketh them blind according to that threatning which he giueth out by Esay Now to follow our purpose touching corporall senses and their instruments I thinke we ought to intreate of the tongue because it serueth chiefly for speech whereof we haue already made some mention and for the sense of taste in which we must be instructed Therfore ASER declare vnto vs the diuers vses of the tongue and what instruments are necessary both for voyce and speech Of the diuers vses of the tongue of the instruments necessary both for voyce speech how there is a double speech of the forme thereof how the spirit of man is represented thereby Chap. 13. ASER. If wee were onely of a spirituall nature as the Angels are it is certain we should by and by vnderstand one another by that minde vnderstanding whereof we are partakers as they vnderstand eche other neither should we need speech tongue eares or eyes to heare and see by no more then those natures that consist only of spirit hauing all those things spiritual wherby they communicated both with God amongst themselues But we can haue no such communicatiō among our selues by the vnderstanding of the mind spirit only because of that corporall nature which commeth between the soules spirits one of another Wherfore the helpe of speech aswel as of the other external senses is very requisite for vs in euery part of life Also because our soule being kept vnder our flesh as vnder a vaile vseth cogitations discourses it stādeth in need of speech of words of names by means of which it may vtter publish that that lieth bid as it were in a deep darke place where nothing is seene Forasmuch therfore as the tongue is the principal instrument wherby God giueth speech to mē without which they would be dombe seeing also it serueth the sense of taste as wel as the roofe of the mouth it shall not bee without good consideration if intreating now of this mēber of the vse therof we place it in the order of our discourses betweene the instruments of hearing whereof we spake before and those of taste of which we will speake hereafter for the agreement it hath with them both God hath giuen the tongue to man not for one vse alone but for many namely for three at the least which are all very necessary for the life of man The first is to frame the speech the second for the taste the third to helpe to prepare the meate that is chewed in the mouth for the nourishing of the body And because the first is the noblest of all and giuen to man onely whereas the other twaine are common to him with beasts I wil begin with that whereunto this may be added that because of the conueniencie it hath with the hearing and with the eares these two matters will agree the better beeing ioyned in order one after another Next we will handle the other vses that appertayne properly to the sense of taste to the nourishing of mā Now we haue first to note that God hath placed many instruments in the body without which speech could not be well pronounced expressed For first speech could not be without voyce for the which God hath created many instrumēts the are all necessary for that purpose as namely the wesell of the throate the windepipe the throte the lungs the breast and certaine back-running sinewes appointed therunto by reciprocal motions All these partes helpe onely to make the voyce of man without any framing of speech except it be the wesell of the throte which is a litle fleshy and spongie bodie in figure like to a pine-apple hanging at the end of the palat whose vse is manifold For it serueth first to stay the aire from rushing in ouer fast violently into the lungs from entring in too cold ouer sodainly vnto them Then it serueth also to diuide distribute the aire when it ascendeth from the lungs the it may be the better scattered dispersed into al parts of the mouth And by this means this instrument fashioneth the voyce causeth it to yeeld a sound so prepareth it for the tongue that it may be articulated and framed into speech by the same Therfore besides the wesel of the throat which serueth for these two vses there are fiue other instrumēts which in regard of this present matter serue only to frame the voice into speech that otherwise would be but a confused voyce The first is the tongue which hath the chiefe place among the rest then the palate the teeth the lips and the nose For although a man may speake when hee hath not all these parts perfect yet his speech wil not be well framed if hee want any one of them as we see by experience in them that haue lost their teeth or their lips or the roof of the mouth or that haue their nose cut stuffed or otherwise troubled For this cause the Hebrewes name their letters some gutturall because they are pronounced more in the throat others dentall because a man cannot wel pronounce thē without the teeth and so they call others labiall that is letters of the lips and others letters of the palat because they cannot bee well expressed without those parts of the mouth The like is in all other languages albeit they doe not distinguish their letters by such names Now in such varietie of instrumēts made for the seruice vse of one only thing we ought to acknowledge the great nobility and dignity of speech with which God hath indued honored man aboue al other creatures For he
hath not giuen it to any of them but to him only by that he hath put a difference betweene him the beasts as also by reason and vnderstanding whereof he hath made him partaker in respect wherof he hath giuen him speech which is as naturall vnto him as reason which is the spring head thereof and from whence it proceedeth as a riuerfrom his fountaine For how could men make known their counsailes thoughts without speech And what good should they receiue by that sense vnderstanding which God hath giuen them more theÌ„ to beasts if they had no more speech then they haue wherby to make it known And to what purpose would speech serue them if they knew not what to say And what should they haue to speake if they had no more vnderstaÌ„ding reason then other liuing creatures haue Were it not sufficient then to haue a coÌ„fused voice only as they haue Therfore also we see how God hath ioined these twothings together graunting speech vnto man because hee hath created him paâ—taker of reason and vnderstanding And hauing depriued beasts of the one hee hath also depriued them of the other so that they are partakers neither of reason nor speech For this cause Ecclesiasticus hath ioyned these things together saying That God hath giuen to men counsell and tongue and eyes eares and an heart to vnderstand and sixtly he gaue them a spirite and seuenthly he gaue them speech to declare his woorkes Hee filled them with knowledge of vnderstanding and shewed them good and euill Whereby he teacheth vs plainly what is the right true vse of speech to what end it is giuen to man and from whence it springeth For he placeth counsell in the first place and next the tongue Againe after the heart and spirite he placeth speech that we might know who is their messenger Whereupon we may conclude that the one is giuen for the other and both to glorifie God by shewing foorth his works and marueilous actes To which effect Basil the great saith very well that God hath created vs and graunted vs the vse of speech to the end we might haue the ability and meanes to lay open one to another the counsels and thoughtes of our heartes and to distribute amongst vs that which is in euery one by reason of that communicable nature in which we are created For the heart ought to bee in man as a secrete treasurie or as a larder or pantry in a house out of which all things necessary for the vse thereof and for the maintenaunce of the whole familie are dayly taken The heart also is like to a seller or garner wherein counsels and thoughts are locked and closed vp and the tongue is like to the steward who draweth out and dispenseth whatsoeuer is to bee distributed For as wee saide in the beginning of our speech our soule vseth thoughts and discourses which cannot bee declared so long as it is inclosed in this tabernacle of flesh without speech wordes and names by meanes of which she bringeth foorth and publisheth that which was inclosed and hidden in the secrete closet of her vnderstanding And so wee say that there are two kindes of speech in man one internall and of the minde the other externall which is pronounced and is the messenger of the internall that speaketh in the heart Therefore that which is framed in voyce pronounced in speech and brought into vse is as a riuer sent from the thought with the voyce as from his fountaine For before the thought can vtter any outward speech by meanes of the voyce first the minde must receiue the images of things presented vnto it by the corporall senses And then hauing receiued them by the imaginatiue vertue that is in it reason must discourse to knowe and to consider of them well and to separate or ioyne things according to that agreement or difference that concorde or discord which they may haue amongst them Next it is necessary that iudgement should follow this discourse to make choise of and to followe that which it shall iudge to be meete and conuenient and to reiect and shunne the contrary Lastly all must be vttered by significations apt and conuenient for euery thing so that when the minde hath giuen ouer to the office of the vocall instruments that which it hath comprised and resolued vpon in manner aforesaid the same is manifestly declared outwardly by the aire framed into voyce I meane by the moouing of the articulate and distinct voice whereas before it was hid and couered Now when this voice and speach is pronounced with the mouth as it is inuisible to the eyes so it hath no body whereby the hands may take hold of it but is insensible to all the senses except the hearing which neuerthelesse cannot lay hold of it or keepe it fast as it were with griping hands but entring in of it selfe it is so long detained there whilest the sound reboundeth in the eares and then vanisheth away suddenly But albeit the sound and the voyce passeth so sodainely as if presently it flew away hauing respect to the outward speech neuerthelesse the internall speach remaineth not onely in the spirite heart and thought that ingendred it not being in any sort diuided cut off or seperated but also it filleth all the hearers by reason of the agreement that is betweene the spirites and mindes of men and the speach that is bred there and because it differeth not much from the minde and from the thought where it first beganne and was bred And thus the thoughtes and counsailes of the minde and spirite are discouered and manifested by speach So that al voice is not speach For the name of voyce generally taken comprehendeth all sounds and things which bring any noise to the eares Neuerthelesse it is more properly and specially attributed to those sounds which all sortes of liuing creatures are able to make with their throat to signifie any thing therby But man onely hath articulate and well distinguished soundes vnto which birdes of all other beastes approch neerest so that euen many of them are taught in some sort to frame mans voyce but it is without vnderstanding And because that instruments of musicke do after a sort imitate the distinct voyce of men wee attribute voyce to them although the sounds which they make be more without iudgement and vnderstanding then that of beasts But in men voyces framed into wordes are signes and significations of the whole soule and minde both generally and specially namely of the fantasie and imagination of reason and iudgement of vnderstanding and memory of will and affections Wherefore it is an easie matter to iudge by his speach howe all these partes are affected namely whether they bee sound or haue any defect in them For if a man be dull witted or haue his fantasie and imagination troubled and his memory slowe and heauy he shall haue much adoe to speake
those things which God hath giuen them for nourishment yea in their mouth also to the end to render vnto him honour glorie and prayse Whensoeuer beastes doe eate their tongue serueth to feede them no otherwise then that of men doeth helpe them but they prayse not God with that tongue which serueth to nourish them because he hath not giuen them that gift of speech wherewith he hath endued man and that for the cause which we haue already heard For as a fountain cannot be without a riuer so a riuer cannot be without a fountaine For this cause seeing reason of which God hath made man partaker is as it were a fountaine in him and speech as the riuer that issueth from it the Grecians expresse both reason and speech with one and the same worde which Saint Iohn also vsed when speaking of the Deitie of Iesus Christ he said In the beginning was the worde and the worde was with God and that worde was God For as all the woorkes of God are perfect in their kinde so hee maketh nothing without cause and which hath not his vse So likewise he giueth nothing to any creature but withall he giueth the instruments and meanes which it ought to vse thereby to be made seruiceable as the thing it selfe requireth Heereof it is that hee gaue not speech to beastes because hee made them not partakers of reason without which speech would stande them in no steade so that it woulde haue beene a superfluous woorke of GOD. Therefore seeing it is so God requireth not of beastes that they should by speech praise him with their tongue as he requireth it of men vnto whome hee hath giuen the meanes to performe it For beastes haue neyther reason to vnderstande what is spoken nor speech to vtter any thing thereby whereas man hath both the one and the other He hath both the fountaine and also the riuer that runneth from it Wherefore when hee sitteth downe to meate and whilest hee is taking his refection to which vse his tongue serueth him according as we heard before and when hee riseth from table truely he is much more brutish then any brute beast if with the selfe same tongue he doeth not prayse and glorifie God acknowledging as he ought the goodnesse of that celestiall Father that giueth him that foode and that nourisheth him If he doe otherwise hee looketh no more from whence the meate commeth vnto him then doeth the hogge who with his snowte alwayes towardes the earth feedeth vpon the akornes that are vnderneath the Oakes and neuer looketh or considereth from whence they fall Yea the hogge doeth a great deale better discharge his duetie in praysing GOD then such men doe that eate and drinke as brute beastes without giuing thankes to God for the benefites hee distributeth amongest them For hee prayseth God in his kinde as all other creatures doe in theirs according as the kingly Psalmist testifieth in many places of his Psalmes Neither doeth God require more of them then he hath giuen vnto them But seeing he hath giuen more to man then to all other visible and bodily creatures he requireth so much the more of him and that very iustly For as it is written To whome much is committed more shal be demaunded of him Wherefore man is not onely too too inexcusable but more vile and sauage then any brute beast if his tongue serue him no farther at the table for the praysing of God thereby then if beastlike his snowte and nose were in a cratch or manger For howe shall the foode in the vse thereof bee sanctified by the worde of God and prayer if hee take it after that sort And if it bee not sanctified vnto him by that meane as Paul teacheth hee vseth it not as the childe of GOD but as a theefe and a very prophane man For as Euery creature of God is good when it is receiued with thankesgiuing so it is defiled to the filthie not through any fault of the creature but of such as abuse it like to Infidels But all they abuse it that giue not thankes for it to the Creator Wherefore as euery thing is cleane to the cleane that haue their heartes purified by the worde of God which they haue receiued by faith so nothing is cleane to the defiled and to infidels But if these men of whome we speake bee vnwoorthy to be taken for men yea to be compared with hogges then whom they are much more vile and detestable wee may easily iudge what is to be saide of those that doe not onely not prayse God or giue him any thankes but which is woorse blaspheme and as it were despite him in liew of recompensing him for the benefites they haue receiued of him which is vsually done by gluttons drunkards and swearers What shall wee say of such men but that they deserue rather to bee called madde dogges then men except wee had rather call them children of the Deuill whose instrument tongue and mouth they are And as for those that cease not to prattle and babble about vaine and vnprofitable matters and that take delight in backbiting and slandering euery one wee may with good reason compare their tongue to the clacket of a mill For seeing euery one of vs carrieth a mill in his mouth as wee shewed before these men may truely boast that their mill is better furnished with all kinde of instruments then others are But they are not the more to bee esteemed for that but rather the lesse for the reasons which wee haue alreadie hearde And when they adde to their clacking euill speech and backebiting infecting all tables where they come with their tongue they may well bee compared to dogges that doe not onely barke but also bite But it is time to draw the last draught of the pensill vpon the face of mans bodie by considering the sense of smelling with the member that belongeth vnto it wherein we looke to be instructed by thee ARAM. Of the Nose and of the sense of smelling and of their profite and vse of the composition matter and forme of the Nose Chap. 19. ARAM. Forasmuch as beautie is a grace that proceedeth of the proportion agreement and harmonie of things it is then very seemely in mans bodie when it followeth nature onely and is without any blemish or defect Nowe this beautie consisteth in soure thinges namely in figure in number in greatnesse and in situation For the members of the bodie are well or ill coloured according to the disposition of the matter And the correspondencie of the members one towardes another aswell in the number as in the length and greatnesse of eache of them well compassed and proportioned together is one cause also of beautie as likewise the placing of euerie one of them in his proper place most conuement and agreeable to his nature and vse For if any thing bee wanting of all these thinges in any member of the bodie there is
deformitie in stead of beautie But if wee consider onely the beautie of the head and of the face thereof whereof wee discoursed yesterday wee shall not finde any one member that hath not singular beautie in it and that agreeth not very fitly with the rest being of so good proportion and measure and hauing such a great and excellent grace that a man may truely say that the whole woorke hath in each part thereof so great perfection that nothing can bee added or taken away nothing can bee wished to make it more faire profitable excellent or perfect then it is in it owne nature To the setting foorth of this beautie the nose whereof wee are to speake serueth very much yea so much that hardly any member in all the face or head so disfigureth a man or maketh him more deformed then the nose if it bee euill fauoured disfigured or taken cleane away But besides this beautie which it bringeth to a mans head we are to knowe that it is very seruiceable to the whole bodie and chiefly to the brayne lodged in the top thereof as it were the Lorde and Master that as it giueth motion and sense to all the members so it might bee compassed about with all the senses as it were with seruitours men of garde Therefore as it hath neere about it the eyes eares tongue and palat which are the instruments of seeing hearing and tasting so the nose is needfull to serue the sence of smelling Neither is it placed so neere the sense of tasting without the great prouidence of God For there are many things in nature which if they be tasted onely are deadly or at leastwise very dangerous and hurtfull as appeareth chiefly in thinges that are venimous and poysonfull For this cause albeit the sence of smelling bee not altogether so necessary for liuing creatures namely for such as are most perfect as the other sences so that they may more easily want it neuerthelesse GOD hath giuen it them to the ende it might bee as it were a messenger to the taste to shewe what is good for it and what not and this chiefly for two reasons The first is to keepe men from hazarding themselues through an immoderate desire to eate and drinke before they haue discerned by the smell of such things as are to be taken whether they bee profitable or hurtfull for them The second reason is to take all suspicion and feare from them which otherwise might cause them to abstayne from those thinges that are good and profitable for them And therefore this sense of smelling is neerely conioyned and hath great agreement with the sense of tasting For this is a generall rule that albeit euery thing that smelleth well hath not alwayes a good taste yet whatsoeuer a man findeth good to his taste the same hath also a good smell and contrariwise that which is founde to haue an ill relish the same hath also the like smell For the taste and smell are giuen not onely for profite but for pleasure also and delight Neyther doe those thinges which serue for delectation alwayes bring profite but sometime the contrarie principally through their fault that knowe not howe to vse them moderately For they are so subiect to their pleasures that they can neuer keepe measure in anything as wee see by experience especially in these two senses of taste and smell For as the ordinary meates satisfie not the delicate appetites of men but they must haue new dainties daily inuented to prouoke their appetite further and to cause them to eate and drinke more then is needefull to their great hurt so men are not contented with naturall odours which nature bringeth foorth of it selfe but nowe they must haue muskes and perfumes with infinite varietie of distilled waters and artificial smelles in regard of which naturall fauours are nothing set by And yet if they were vsed with sobrietie there were no cause of reprehension seeing all the creatures of God are good if they be vsed moderately and a they ought with thankesgiuing Heereof it is that they are oftes mentioned in Scripture in the good part And not to seeke farre off for examples we haue the testimonies of the holy Euāgelists as our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe who was neither nice nor voluptuous but the perfect paterne of al sobriety and temperance did not reiect nor condemne pretious ointments and sweete odours but sometime permitted the vse of them vpon his owne person Moreouer it is certaine that the animal spirites in the braine are greatly relieued and recreated by those good and naturall smels that are conueyed vnto them by means of the nose and of the sense of smelling placed therein as contrariwise they are greatly offended by euill odours yea oftentimes by artificial sauours which commonly cause rhumes catharres and great head-aches For the spirits of the head are subtile pure and very neate so that sweete smelles are good for them and stinking sauours contrary vnto them To this end therefore that the braine might receiue this benefit of good odours God hath placed both the sense and instrument of smelling so neare vnto it the instrument to keepe and conuey odours vnto it the sense to discerne and iudge of them Therefore this sense of smelling hath some agreement both with the fire and with thicke aire because smels are stirred vp by heate as smoke is by fire which are after carried by meanes of the aire vnto the sense and receiued and kept by the nose Forasmuch also as the braine needeth aire to nourish and preserue the animal spirites the nose in this respect also standeth it in great steade Therefore God hath created it not only to serue the sense of smelling but also for respiration that it should be the principall pipe and passage by which both the braine and lungs may draw in or let out breath as neede requireth For this cause the braine doeth stretch out and restraine it selfe and as by stretching foorth it selfe it draweth in the aire by the nosethrilles so by keeping it selfe close together it retaineth the aire And so the externall aire being drawen in by the nosethrilles is distributed by the cranies that are open in the palat in such sort that the greatest part is drawen into the lungs and the residue goeth to the braine by the passages holes that leade vnto it And although the mouth serueth also for respiration yet the nose is appointed more especially for that purpose and is much more fit and apte for the same Therefore God hath giuen it both matter and forme agreeable for that office For first concerning the matter it is not made all of bone nor all of gristles because if it were all of bone a double inconuenience woulde ensue thereof The first is that the bones would be in danger of breaking chiefely about the end of the nose when it should hit against any hard thing because they would not bend and giue
place easily as sinewes will do The second inconuenience would be this that the endes of the nosethrilles could neither open nor shut neither enlarge nor restraine themselues but woulde continue alwayes at one stay whereupon two other mischiefs would follow First the nose could not open and inlarge it selfe so much as were requisite many times to drawe in great store of aire to coole and refresh both the lungs and the braine especially when they are heated and set on fire For at such a time there is perill of strangling Secondly forasmuch as the nose is giuen to man that it might serue the braine in stead of a pipe and spowt to purge it of slegmatike humours a man could not by blowing close it together and straine it to get the filth out of it as neede requireth many times For the humours that distill from the braine are not alwaies very liquide running but sometimes so grosse thick that a man cannot easily purge the braine or nose except it be closed and strained hard Thus you see two euident causes why it was needeful that the nose should be compounded of gristles not of bones onely at lest wise from the middle downward On the otherside if this lower part had beene made of flesh onely or of kernelles or of skinnes the nosethrilles could not so well haue bin inlarged or rēstrained nor continued so open as is requisite for the seruice of all those dueties and offices already mentioned besides that those parts could not so well withstand the inconueniences whereunto they might be subiect if they were of a more tender matter Lastly as it was needefull that one part of the nose should consist of that matter for those causes spoken of so also it was necessary that the vpper part should bee made of bones not onely to keepe the sense of smelling the better which is in that part and to be as it were a buckler vnto it but also to serue in steade of rampires both for the eyes and for the braine As for the inward parts there are two nosethrilles distinguished one from another by a gristle which is betweene them both as it were alittle wall to diuide them to the ende that if the one be stopped the other may alwayes discharge the offices assigned to them both And to the end they may more easily draw in the aire for the seruice as well of the lungs as of the braine and also receiue in the odours they are larger at the first entrance and after as they ascend vp they waxe more narrow and that not without good reason of the prouidence of God For hee hath in a manner taken the selfe same course that he did in the composition of the eares which he made large wide at the entry hauing that form that hole within which we heard spoken of before together with the causes why The self same reason in a maner may be rēdred here For as it is to be feared that ouer great soundes woulde hurt the eares if they entred in all at once so the lungs and much more the braine might be ouer cooled by the ayre that should enter in at the nosethrilles if it should ascend vp too fast at once too sodainly or too vehemently By reason wherof it is requisite that it should be retained in some sort to the ende that by the tariance which it maketh it should bee heated and better tempered The like consideration is to bee had of the vapours and smelles in regarde of the braine not onely of euill sauours but also of those that are good For some are so violent by reason of the abundance of heat in them which falleth out chiefly in such as are most excellent that if they be not dispensed moderately they hurt the braine This commeth to passe in some persons through the weaknes of their braine There are others and namely such as care not for sweet things who take no peasure no not in good smels so that oft times the sweetest most delicate odours are hurtful to their head Now God hath wel prouided for al these things hauing placed a little bone in the top of the nose which is pierced through like to a litle siue Hereupon it is called by the Phisicions the siue-bone or otherwise and that more properly the spūgy bone because the holes therof are not strait as are those of a siue but somwhat slopewise like to the holes of a spunge And this serueth for the better more cōmodious discharging of all those vses declared by vs for the auoyding of those discommodities which we haue heard of Whereunto may be added that the humors which descend from the braine may not fall downe so fast together but distill better by little and little and the good humours be kept more easily from falling downe all at once together with the euill I passe ouer heere briefely the muscles giuen to the nosethrilles to mooue them as also the nerues which are sent from the braine to the sense of smelling to bring vnto it the vertue of smelling as the eyes eares palat and tongue receiue from thence their nerues also which bring vnto them that facultie and vertue that is meete for their nature Wherein wee may further note one goodly point of the prouidence of God in that giuing motion and sense to euery member of the bodie by the sinewes hee giueth a speciall and proper sense to those nerues that are to minister vertue and power to euery one of the corporall senses which the other sinewes haue not For there is none that giueth the sense meete for sight but those that are allotted to the eyes for that purpose The same may bee said of those that are giuen to the eares for hearing and to the tongue and palat for the taste and to the nose for smelling Now to end this speach wee are to draw out some instruction meete for the minde according as we haue done in our discourses of the other senses of the body As then wee iudge by the nose sense of smelling which God hath giuen vnto vs what difference there is betwene a good and a stinking smell and how the one is pleasant delightsome and the other vnpleasant abominable so likewise we ought to consider what small pleasure God taketh in the infection and stinch of our sinnes and how he is delighted with the sweete smell of the iustice and vertues of Christ Iesus when wee are prefumed therewith and when hee smelleth the sauour thereof in vs. Therefore whensoeuer and as often as we feele some stinch and abhorre the same that euil smel ought to admonish vs of the filthines of our sinnes and teach vs to haue them in greater abomination then any catrion smell whatsoeuer and to abhorre our selues when wee present our selues before God prefumed with such an infernall sauour For if we turne our faces aside and stoppe our nose and euen spit vpon
casteth forth by that meanes Therefore the prouidence of God hath so wel prouided for this that the skin hath in it litle holes called by the Physicions Pores which are so subtill and so small that they cannot be perceiued by the eie Through these pores the superfluities that are euaporated by sweat haue their issue so that it commeth to passe oftentimes that sicke persons are cured by this onely remedy or at least wise they are greatly comforted thereby But let vs come to the noblest members in the head and in the goodliest part of man which is the face The eies eares nose and mouth serue for pipes and spowts to the braine and head to purge it of those superfluities that otherwise might oppresse it Wherein wee are againe to consider of the prouidence of God and of that care which he hath of vs. For seeing the head is the principall member of the whole body and seeing the braine within the head is so noble a part God hath giuen vnto it more passages for the purging of it then he hath done to al the other members Therefore we see what store of flegme doth daily issue out by the nose and mouth so that a man is many times much troubled both in blowing his nose in spitting In this respect it seemeth the nose maketh the face to looke like a Limbeck albeit the water that distilleth through it hath no very good smell neither is pleasant to looke vpon no more is the spittle that commeth out of the mouth As for the eares they are not without their filth so that they must be oftentimes looked vnto and cleansed and the waxe that is in them taken foorth which differeth much from the waxe that is made by Bees For as Physicions testifie this eare-waxe is nothing else but the superfluitie of the chollericke humour which is purged there by those pipes as they say also that the melancholy humour is purged by the eyes which are many times watrish and very foule by reason of the rhumes and sundry humours that fall downe vpon them Whereby we see howe God doeth admonish vs on all sides through the infirmities of al our members what account we are to make of our selues For if the goodliest most noble members if the pleasantest most delicate neatest parts are so foule filthy what shal we say of the rest that are the basest most abiect which are appointed for no other vses then to be as it were the draughts sinks of the whole body But on the other side let vs consider how God by humbling vs on the one side doth yet on the other side prouide for our necessities by those means of purging which he hath appointed for the body of mā Where we haue further to obserue that there are some superfluities excrements purged from the braine which are profitable for those members that are assigned to be the instruments of their euacuation as we see it plainly in that yellow humour that is purged by the eares For it defendeth them against fleas litle flies and other small wormes and beastes that might otherwise enter within them We haue further to cōsider for our better humiliation that God hath so created al the mēbers instruments belōging to our corporal senses as that he admonisheth vs therby of their nature what they can do of themselues For there is not one of thē but it is in some sort made hollow to giue vs to vnderstand thereby that they exercise their principall chiefe office by receiuing frō without that which belongeth to their nature and not by sending foorth any thing of their owne For when the eies see they receiue into them the images of those things that are before them And if they send foorth any thing it is so farre from helping them to see better that it hindereth and dimmeth the sight as we see when men weepe or when any humour runneth out of their eyes Likewise our nose hath no sense of the odours by means of that wind and breath which proceedeth out of it but when it draweth in the aire with which the odours are conueyed into it And so it is of the other senses Whereby wee are taught to knowe the nature of our soule which can bring foorth no good thing if it haue not receiued it before of God to whome shee can giue nothing but onely receiueth from him You see then many good lessons which wee are taught by the instruments of our senses and by our owne nature but wee commonly passe them ouer and neuer thinke of them at all or if we muse vpon them sometimes we say as much indeede and confesse it in word but in the meane time we are nothing humbled thereby Now then we haue bestowed doores and windows vpon the frame of mans body and may with ease beholde the outward excellencie and shew thereof in regard of so many goodly workes as are cut out and ingrauen in euery externall part of it We are by and by to looke vpon the inward furniture being enriched with all sortes of rare great and sumptuous workes But for the end of our present matter seeing wee are taught that so many profitable and pleasant senses and members are planted chiefely in the face and visage of man it cannot be without fruit and great admiration at the prouidence of God if we consider that amongst so many faces as there are of men women and children a man shall hardly finde two in all the world that resemble each other so neere but still some difference will appeare to him that looketh narrowly vpon them And if therebe any so apparant resemblance that a man cannot finde any difference yet that falleth out very seldome Neither is this seene only in the whole countenance but also in the seuerall parts thereof and namely in the nose whereof there is so great variety as that you shall finde very fewe that are like in all points so that it is to be wondered at that in such great similitude of faces there is so great dissimilitude For there is great likenesse in that they are all humane faces made of the same matter and hauing the same partes but yet they are very vnlike in respect of the particular differences which are in each of them and of their partes Now if we haue occasion to admire this diuersitie that is among many what shal we say to the dissimilitude and difference of countenance that is to be seene in one the same man as if he had many faces to vse change at his pleasure as we see men may change maskes before their faces It is certaine that there appeareth great difference in the countenance of one and the same man as he is either yong or olde sound or sicke For as a mans yeares alter so there will be stil some change in his face bearing his countenance according to the health or sickenes that
is in him But I speake not nowe of this diuersitie but of another which happeneth to men in all ages and at all times For there is great difference to be seene in a mans face according as hee is either merry or sad angry or pacified humble and modest or loftie and proude For if hee be quiet and modest hee will haue a sweete milde and gracious countenance if hee bee angry hee will haue a furious face as though hee were transfigured into a sauage beast hauing fierie eyes as if hee cast from them flames of fire hee will cast foorth smoake at his nosethrilles as if hee had a fornace kindled within him his whole countenance will be as redde as if fire came out of it Therefore it was not without reason saide of a Philosopher that angry and furious men shoulde beholde themselues in a glasse to the ende they might know thereby how such passions change their countenance and how they are transformed thereby and looke hideous and fearefull And if a man be lofty and arrogant his visage will testifie the same sufficiently especially his eyes and eie-lids which will be lifted vp as if pride and arrogancie had there placed their seate For if wee denie or graunt any thing that pleaseth or displeaseth vs wee declare it by them speaking by signes as the tongue doeth by woordes And although pride be conceiued and bredde in the heart yet it is seated on the eye-liddes where it sheweth and manifesteth it selfe For seeing it desireth alwayes to be aduaunced and to be lift vp aboue all yea to be alone without any companion that place is very fitte and conuenient for it being high emiuent and apparant But a proud person ought to consider that that place is very much declining to the ende hee may thinke of the danger of falling downe as they that are in some high and sleepe place where they can take no holde For it can not bee but that pride will haue a fall howsoeuer it may seeme long first For that sentence of Iesus Christ is alwayes true who sayeth that Whosoeuer will exalt himselfe shall be brought low and whosoeuer will humble himselfe shall be exalted The eyes also do speake and testifie of the heart within For if the heart bee humble modest chaste and well stayed the eyes will be so answerable thereunto that their very lookes will declare sufficiently howe it standeth affected Contrariwise if the heart bee proude vnchaste loose impudent and lasciuious the looke and countenaunce of the eyes will openly bewray the same Also wee say commonly of such as haue lost all shame that they haue brazen and shamelesse foreheads And it seemeth that the French worde Affronteur is deriued from thence because they that are of that occupation must haue good foreheads they must be bolde and shamelesse like to harlots and murtherers And as shame is seated and appeareth principally in the forehead and cheekes so is it a note of impudencie when shame is banished from thence as that which then possesseth the place assigned to shame and modestie Therefore the Scripture attributeth a brow of brasse and of yron a hard forehead and a strong face to them that are impudent and past grace to such as are vntractable and rebellious By these things then we know how the face is the image messenger and witnesse of all the affections of the heart insomuch that it is very hard for him do what he can to couer and conceale them Also it is the image and witnes of a good and euill conscience For as a good conscience causeth it to appeare ioyfull and open so contrariwise an euill conscience maketh it sadde and hidden as it were the visage of a condemned person We commonly call Physiognomy the Science whereby men iudge of the nature complexion and manners of euery one by the contemplation of all the members of the body and chiefely of the face and countenance But there is no Physiognomy so certaine as that which-wee haue nowe touched whereby men may bee easily conuinced of that which they thinke to hide in their heartes which notwithstanding is quickely descried in their countenances as if wee read it in a Booke Nowe it is time to enter into our edifice and building there to contemplate the internall and spirituall senses which the foule vseth in her woorkes and operations But first wee will make the way more easie to attaine to so high a matter by learning briefely what is the nature faculties and powers of mans soule and what are the sundry kindes of soules the burthen whereof I lay vpon thee ASER. Of the nature faculties and powers of mans soule of the knowledge which we may haue in this life and how excellent and necessary it is into what kindes the life and soule are diuided Chap. 21. ASER. If God hath shewed himselfe wonderfull in the creation composition nature and vse of the externall senses and members of mans body of which wee haue hitherto discoursed both in the matter whereof they are made and in the forme giuen vnto them and in all other things that belong vnto them no doubt but wee shall haue much more cause to maruaile at the excellent workemanshippe of his prouidence in the composition nature and vse of the internall senses and members which lie hidden within the bodie whereof the sequele of our speach requireth that wee shoulde intreate For these are the principall by meanes of which the other receiue life and are kept and preserued in life But forasmuch as the soule giueth life to the whole body and to all the members thereof wee are withall to consider of the nature thereof what faculties and vertues it hath and howe it worketh in all the partes of the bodie according to that knowledge which GOD hath giuen to men both by the testimonie of his worde and by the effectes of the soule For neither the bodie nor any member thereof shoulde haue any more motion or feeling then is in a blocke or stone if it had no soule to giue it life For this cause after Iob hath spoken of the creation and composition of his body hee addeth Thou hast giuen mee life and grace and thy visitation that is to say thy prouidence hath preserued my spirite This agreeth with that which we haue heard before of Moses where hee sayeth That the Lorde made man of the dust of the ground and breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a liuing soule First therefore wee must vnderstand that there are in man three kindes of faculties and vertues that worke continually within him and neuer cease the first is commonly called Animal the second Vital the third Natural Of these two latter wee will speake heereafter Concerning the Animal facultie it is diuided into three kinds the first is called Principall the second Sensitiue the third Motiue The Principall is diuided by some into three kindes by others into
in the whole world And if we be not able to vnderstand or comprehend them doeth it followe therefore that he doeth them not yet there are many that conclude after that sort For they beleeue nothing but that which they are able to cōceiue know comprehend by their natural reason And so because they cānot know how the soule being of a spirituall nature is ioyned with the bodie which is cleane of another nature nor conceiue howe it is lodged and worketh therein therefore they must conclude that they haue no soule which worketh that in them that is there done For they see not neither can they shewe howe it worketh by those instruments which it hath in the bodie but onely so farre foorth as they behold the worke But we shall haue occasion elsewhere to handle this more at large For this time let vs goe forward with our speech of the powers and faculties of the soule considering first of the braine which is the principall instrument thereof and the seate of the internall senses already mentioned by vs of which wee are to be instructed particularly Of the Braine and of the nature thereof of the sundry kinds of knowledge that are in man of the similitude that is betweene the actions and woorkes of the naturall vertues of the soule and of the internall senses Chap. 23. ARAM. The woorkemanship which God hath wrought in the whole course of nature as well in the nature of the heauens as of the elements of liuing things of plants mettals and other creatures doth vndoubtedly containe in it great miracles and very excellent and euident testimonies which shewe plainely vnto vs that the nature of all things yea of the whole worlde commeth not by fortune and at aduenture but that they were created and ordeyned by a more excellent nature then any can be found in al the world But there is not a more expresse and clearer image of the diuine nature then in that part of man wherein are to be found those great and marueilous vertues and properties which are commonly called Animales as namely the thought vnderstanding and knowledge of numbers and of order reason iudgement memory with the discerning of honest things from those that are dishonest of good things from bad together with the election or reiection of them Therefore the contemplation of these vertues and powers is very necessary for vs that by the knowledge of them wee may dayly learne to knowe GOD the better by that resemblaunce and similitude of his wisedome which hee hath vouchsafed to transferre and to imprint in mans nature and that wee might bee induced thereby to glorifie him and that wee shoulde labour to the vttermost of our power to haue this image shine in vs more and more and daily to encrease in likenesse vnto the paterne from whence it is taken Nowe let vs followe that diuision which wee haue alreadie made of the sundry faculties vertues properties and offices which the soule hath in the bodie namely the Animall Vitall and Naturall and that diuision also which wee made of mans bodie vnto which many attribute three seuerall partes and call them bellies the first and highest of which they place in the head for the Animall faculties and vertues the second which is the middlemost belly in the breast and stomacke for the Vitall vertues and the last from the Midriffe to the share-bone for the Naturall faculties They vnderstande by the first the whole brayne which they diuide also into sundrie partes and call them likewise Bellies and little Bellies Wee haue alreadie hearde of the excellencie of the head of the place and situation thereof of the goodly outward members wherewith it is beautified of the bones whereof it is made and of the couering wherewith they are couered that the braine might haue his conuenient lodging and such a one as is requisite for the nature and office it hath that it might be wel fortified and defended on euery side to preserue and keepe it well against all outward inconueniences that might come vnto it and to the end also it might haue neere about it all those seruaunts and senses which it guideth and gouerneth and all those instruments which it standeth most in neede of both in regard of the workes it is charged with as also for the purging thereof Forasmuch then as it is lodged in the head we are to know that as the head hath a certaine agreement with the heauens and the eyes with the celestiall lightes as wee haue already touched so is it likewise with the braine For it is of a more heauenly nature and approcheth neerer to the spirituall and diuine nature then any other part of the whole body as that wherein a man may finde all those excellent vertues and Animall powers of which I made mention in the beginning of my speech and which are no actions or workes of a brutish nature Whereof also it followeth very wel that the Woorkemaster and authour thereof cannot bee of a brutish nature without vnderstanding and knowledge of order of things honest and dishonest and of good and bad Which teacheth vs moreouer that hee greatly esteemeth of the preseruation of nature and of humane societie detesteth whatsoeuer is contrary therevnto seeing hee hath imprinted in man such an image of his diuine nature as hee would not willingly haue defaced blotted out Wherfore although we cannot throughly know either the nature of the braine or the actions thereof or of the soule which it serueth yet that which may come to our knowledge will greatly helpe to confirme more more this testimony of God and of his prouidence which is already imprinted in our hearts by the light and law of nature Therfore it were very good and profitable for vs to consider diligently of that resemblance of God which euery one of vs beareth in a very small image that wee may giue him thankes and referre to their proper ende all those giftes and excellent partes which he hath placed in our nature Wee are to note then for the first poynt that as GOD manifesteth more excellently his diuine nature and the glorie of his maiestie in the heauens and in the highest partes of this great visible worlde then he doeth in other partes more base and terrestriall as we may easily knowe by the contemplation of them so dealeth hee with the head and brayne of man which is as it were the lodging of the internall senses already named which are farre more excellent and noble then the outward senses For if liuing creatures and chiefly man should onely and barely apprehend those things that are before them without any imagination thought or consideration of them thereby to know how to chuse or reiect them as they may be eyther profitable or hurtfull it would not be greatly profitable to haue them presented to the outward senses For this cause God hath ioyned vnto them another facultie and vertue which is much more
them but there is space betweene them to the ende that the motion of the braine might be free without any let or hinderance The second vse thereof is to serue for a passage to the veines and arteries for the nourishing of the braine and gouerning of the vitall spirites Last of all it serueth to distinguish the whole brayne first into two partes namely into that before and that behinde then into the right side and the left It is of this skinne whereof some men thinke Salomon spake when he made mention of a golden Ewer broken in the extremitie of olde age and so wee expounded it when wee intreated of the marrowe in the chine-bone Besides this skinne there is another named the Godly mother which is fine and very slender wouen of many veynes and arteries seruing not onely for it owne life and nourishment but also for that of the brayne Neither doeth it onely compasse and wrap in the braine round about as the Hard mother doeth but entreth also into the bowels and windings thereof to tie and knit it togither on al sides As for the braine which is the fountaine and beginning of the sinewes and of the voluntary motion and the instrument of the chiefest faculty of the soule namely the Animal and reasonable facultie it is greater in man then in any other creature as that which filleth almost the whole skull I say almost because if it filled it full and wholly the motion thereof could not be perfect His office and vse is to woorke and make fine the Animal spirite which is necessary for the whole body and to serue as an instrument to the facultie of reason which is the chiefest facultie and vertue of the soule The first part of the brayne retayneth the name of the whole beeing diuided into two partes namely into the right part and the left The hinder part is called the little brayne and that in comparison of the other partes So that when a man considereth the whole brayne hee shall finde within the substaunce thereof foure Ventricles or hollowe places which are ioyned together by certaine wayes Nowe although wee cannot see with our eyes nor well vnderstande and conceiue howe the soule woorketh by her instruments neuerthelesse God giueth vs a certain entrance into some knowledge thereof by the matter and forme which they haue And therefore it seemeth that these litle bellies of the braine haue such wayes from one to another to this ende that by them the spirites that are made and imprinted by the sensible and intelligible kindes and images might passe and bee communicate one with another Nowe because they must not onely bee well wrought but also throughly cleansed of all excrements God hath created those vessels and instruments in which this woorke is to bee begunne greater then the others which are to receiue the spirites alreadie wrought and almost perfected Therefore the two first are the greatest hauing their situation before namely on each side one and being in fashion like to two halfe moones The thirde is vnderneath them right in the middest of the braine The fourth and last is vpon the bending downe of the nape of the necke As for the two first ventricles they are so conioyned the one with the other that they end in one common pipe or passage like to two paire of smithes bellowes And it seemeth that God hath made them of that fashion as if hee meant thereby to shew vs that the spirite of the saide ventricles hauing receiued his forme of the kindes and images propounded vnto it is caried by this passage into the middle ventricle or bellie I omit to speak at large of many vessels and instruments which serue the brayne for sundry purposes amongest the which there is one which both the Greeke and Latine Physicions call by a name that signifieth a Presse because the blood is pressed into it for the nourishing of the braine and another called a Vault both in respect of the fashion and of the vse For it is like a Vault or arch-roofe fet vpon three pillers and is as it were the roofe and couering of the middle ventricle that there might bee a more free and easie space for the motion of the Animal spirite that is made therein and also that it might more easily sustaine and beare the greate quantitie of brayne that leaneth vnto eache side of it I omitte also other instruments which serue in like manner to strengthen and support the partes thereof There is also one instrument made as it were of many pieces ioyned together like little wheeles which is called Like-worme because of the likelihoode it hath with those great white wormes that are founde in rotten wood It seemeth that this piece was placed there to bee as it were the porter to shutte and open the passage of the spirites that goe into the hindermost ventricle to the ende they shoulde enter therein measureable and so auoyde the confusion of the memorie that is placed there which otherwise would happen if they shoulde enter in too sodainly and too much at once There is likewise a pipe to euacuate the grosse and thicke excrements of the braine aswell by the roofe of the mouth as by the nose and therefore because it resembleth a litle basin or rather a funnel it is called by those names Moreouer there is a pipe that passeth from the middle ventricle to the last which is as it were the chariot of the spirite to passe from one to another In all which thinges and in many others particularly obserued by Physicions and Anatomists in this part of the brayne wee may note a woonderfull woorkemanshippe both for the varietie of instruments and for their fitte application to those dueties that are assigned them Wherefore wee may well say that it is in this part of man chiefly wherein GOD doeth most excellent manifestly his diuine nature and the glorie of his maiestie And this wee shall better perceiue by considering particularly and in order vnto which of the internall senses all these partes of the brayne are vessels and instruments in which the faculties and vertues of the soule are contained and doc shewe themselues But as was sayde in the beginning of our speech let vs not heere looke for a sounde and perfect knowledge of that substantiall power whereby the soule effecteth so many marueilous woorkes by the meanes of these senses For so high a secrete beeing layde vp and hidde in wisedome and trueth it selfe cannot fall within the small capacitie of mans sense and vnderstanding vntill the light thereof bee purged from that corporall darknesse wherewith it is couered and compassed about during this life Neuerthelesse by a diligent contemplation of that matter which wee haue noted woorthie of admiration wee shall finde sufficient wherewith to content our mindes by causing them to looke to themselues in respect of that which it hath pleased GOD heere to reueale and manifest two manner of
and how others comprehend them all in one But be it that we ioyne or separate them let vs nowe consider of the nature and places of each of them The Common sense is so called because it is the first of all the internall fenses of which we are to speake as also the Prince Lord of all the externall sense who are his messengers and seruants to minister and make relation vnto him of things in common For it receiueth all the images and shapes that are offered and brought vnto it by them yea all the kindes and resemblances of materiall things which they haue receiued only from without as a glasse doth and al this for no other cause but that they should discerne and seuer euery thing according to it owne nature propertie and afterward communicate them to the internall senses For although all the knowledge that is in the minde of man proceedeth not from the outward senses as we shewed in the beginning of our speach neuertheles they are created of God to the end they should send to the vnderstanding the similitudes of things without and be the messengers of the minde and witnesses of experience and also to the ende they should awaken and stirre vp the mind to behold and marke the things that are without it that by considering of them it may iudge of and correct the faultes Wee must then obserue that the externall senses haue no iudgement of that which they outwardly receiue but by meanes of the common sense vnto which they make relation and then that iudgeth so that they ende where that beginneth In this manner therefore as the Common sense of all the internall senses is next vnto the external so is it the meanes whereby they communicate one with an other For afterward it caryeth to the other internall senses whatsoeuer hath beene communicated vnto it by the externall Now after this sense hath done his duety Imagination and Fantasie execute their offices both which are taken by many for one and the same facultie and vertue of the soule but yet distinguished from the Common sense others ioyne them both with the Common sense because these three senses whether they be distinguished or taken all for one haue their seates vessels and instruments in the former part of the braine Therefore there will be no danger if we vse these two names Fantasie and Imagination indifferently For Fantasie is deriued from a Greeke worde that signifieth as much as Imagination and it is translated by Cicero into a Latin word which is as much as Vision This faculty therfore and vertue of the soule is called Fantasie because the visions kindes and images of such things as it receiueth are diuersly framed therein according to the formes and shapes that are brought to the Common sense Therefore Daniel called the dreame of Nebuchadnezzar the visions of his head which hee had vpon his bed according to the thoughts whereupon he mused and fell on sleepe For although this was a heauenly dreame yet God vsed therein the internall senses which hee had giuen to Nebuchadnezzar vnto which hee represented the image of those things hee woulde haue him to vnderstand and knowe as afterward they were expounded vnto him by Daniel Moreouer this facultie of the fantasie is sudden so farre from stayednes that euen in the time of sleep it hardly taketh any rest but is alwaies occupied in dreaming doting yea euen about those things which neuer haue bin shal be or can be For it staieth not in that which is shewed vnto it by the senses that serue it but taketh what pleaseth it and addeth thereunto or diminisheth changeth and rechangeth mingleth and vnmingleth so that it cutteth asunder and seweth vp againe as it listeth So that there is nothing but the fantasie will imagine and counterfaite if it haue any matter and foundation to worke vpon without which it can build nothing as wee may iudge by that which hath bene already shewed namely that man can neither think imagine or doe any thing else of which hee hath not some beginning and ground in nature and in the woorkes of God from which after hee hath his inuentions But although fantasie can doe nothing without this gappe and entrance yet it is a wonder to see the inuentions it hath after some occasion is giuen it and what newe and monstrous things it forgeth and coyneth by sundry imaginations arising of those images and similitudes from whence it hath the first paterne So that in trueth fantasie is a very dangerous thing For if it bee not guided and brideled by reason it troubleth and mooueth all the sense and vnderstanding as a tempest doeth the sea For it is easily stirred vp not onely by the externall senses but also by the complexion and disposition of the body Heereof it proceedeth that euen the spirites both good and bad haue great accesse vnto it to stirre it either to good or euill and that by meanes vnknowen to vs. For as wee haue many meanes to prouoke one anothers imagination and fantasie which are not in beastes neither can be comprehended by them so these spiritual natures by reason of the agreement of their nature haue one towardes an other which wee neyther knowe nor can comprehend whereby they haue accesse to mooue our fantasie diuers wayes Wherefore as the Angelles haue meanes to represent to our mindes the images of good heauenly and diuine things both waking and sleeping so can euill spirites greatly trouble them by diuers illusions the proofe whereof wee haue in many whome badde spirites find apt and disposed thereunto and namely in sorcerers whose minde they trouble in such sort by sundry strange illusions that they verily thinke they haue seene heard spoken and done that which the deuill representeth to their fantasie yea such things as neither men nor deuilles themselues can possibly perfourme and yet all that while they stirre not out of their bedde or out of some one place But the diuell hauing once power ouer them doeth in such sort print in their fantasie the images of those things hee representeth vnto them and which he woulde haue them beleeue to be true that they can not thinke otherwise but that it is so that they haue done such things and that they were awake when indeed they slept For as God appeareth to his seruants by heauenly visions both when they sleep when they wake and printeth in their mindes the images of those things which it pleaseth him to reueale vnto them so the diuell who endeuoureth to counterfait all the woorkes of God to deceiue men hath his deuilish illusions for his visions whereby he mooueth and troubleth the fantasie and mindes of those ouer whome hee raigneth through their infidelity and wickednesse Therefore it is very needefull that men should recommend themselues to God to the ende these euil spirites may haue no such power ouer them and that their iudgements may be
sound to discerne the images of those things which hee representeth to their mindes from all Diabolicall illusions And surely no maruaile if wicked spirites so oftentimes deceiue men when as Iuglers haue so many waies to abuse them shewing them such strange sights that if they were not wrought by those kinde of men a great many woulde take them for miracles Yea although they be done after this manner yet wee wonder thereat being hardly able by the sharpnesse of our wits to attaine to the knowledge thereof so that many are perswaded that such things cannot be done without the power of the deuill But let vs returne to our matter This imaginatiue power of the soule hath moreouer such vertue that oftentimes the imagination printeth in the body the images of those things which it doeth vehemently thinke of and apprehend the experience whereof is very euident especially in the longings and imaginations of women with childe Many times also we see some that can hardly goe ouer a bridge without falling by reason of the apprehension of the danger which they haue conceiued in their fantasie and imagination But which is yet more strange it falleth out oftentimes that the fancies and imaginations of great bellied women are so vehement and violent that vpon the bodies of the children they goe withall they print the images and shapes of those things vpon which they haue fixed their fancies and vnto which by reason of their fancie they are most affectionated Wee see examples heereof a great many continually Neither is it altogether without reason which wee vse commonly to say that fancie breedes the fact which it imagineth For wee see many fall into those mishaps and inconueniences which they imprint in their fantasie and imagination Wee may also obserue heere howe wee are prouoked to yawne and gape when wee see others doe so and driuen into a desire of many things of which wee should not haue dreamed vnlesse wee had beene incited thereunto by the example of others or by some obiect presented to our senses and prouoking vs thereunto Yea this imaginatiue vertue can do much in beastes as among other things wee may see it in this that they desire rather to make water in a puddle or in a riuer or in some other water or vpon a dunghill or in a stable then else-where For the things that are offred to their senses soone mooue their fantasie and imagination which afterward stirreth them vp either in respect of the agreemēt that is betwixt those things namely water and vrine or because of their custome to doe such a thing in such a place which putteth them in minde and helpeth them to doe it more readily by reason of the imaginatiue vertue that is in them Nowe if imagination hath such vertue in beastes wee may iudge also what it is able to do in the minde of man which is a great deale more quicke and ready Therefore we ought to eschew all occasions of euill that may be presented to our senses to stirre vp our imagination and fantasie to wicked and dishonest things For one only wicked looke or one dishonest speach is sufficient to trouble our minds with diuers imaginations and fantasies Which as it is well knowne to the deuil so knoweth he also how to giue occasion and to offer the means of stirring all the stuffe in our fancies But we keep such bad watch in this respect that in steade of eschewing occasions of euil we seeke after them and where we should shut the doore against euill we set it wide open that it may enter more easily into vs. Wherein wee followe not the example of the Prophet who prayed vnto the Lorde saying Turne away mine eyes that they beholde no vanitie but wee rather take a contrary course to whet our selues forward to all beastlinesse Seeing therefore Imagination and Fantasie haue so little holde of themselues wee haue neede of an other facultie and vertue aboue that to be able to iudge of things imagined and perceiued by sense of which wee haue hitherto spoken and that is reason the discourse where of I reserre to thee AMANA as also of memorie which is the fift and last internall sense of the soule Of Reason and Memorie and of their seate nature and office of the agreement which all the senses both externall and internall haue one with another and of their vertues Chap. 26. AMANA They that haue curiously searched into the nature of beasts haue found in them especially in such as were most perfect as many externall and internal senses as are in man yea they perceiued that their braine and all the partes thereof did not differ much from that of men whether wee respect the substance or the fashion But all these excellent giftes of nature reach no farther in them then to the vses of this present life and the necessities thereof For they haue no reason giuen them to enquire after that which is good to the ende their will might followe and embrace the same Moreouer their Good consisteth only in corporall things belonging to the bodie which they easily knowe and discerne as standing in neede of no other reason or vnderstanding to make enquirie after it then of that bare knowledge and naturall inclination that is giuen them But the Good that belongeth to man is hidden in the soule and spirite For this cause hee must of necessitie enquire after it that hee may come to the knowledge thereof least he chuse euill in steade of good for want of knowledge of his proper and true Good and so be deceiued by the appearance of a false Good which is not so in trueth but in opinion onely and by errour whereby the greatest part of men are commonly beguiled preferring the supposed Goods of the body before the true goods of the soule and temporall things before eternall Therefore as our eyes stand in neede of light to keepe vs and to cause vs to see in darkenes so our soule and spirite hath neede of reason to guide it in the middest of errour and ignorance that it may discerne trueth from lying the true Good from the false and that which is profitable from the contraty This facultie and vertue of the soule so necessary in man and which is able to iudge of things imagined and perceiued by the other senses of which we haue spoken before to knowe whether they be good or bad and what is to be embraced or eschewed is called the Iudging or discoursing facultie namely Reason which is the principall part and vertue of the soule and beareth rule among all the other senses For this cause he hath his seate by good right assigned him in the midst of the braine as in the highest and safest fortresse of the whole frame of man to raigne amiddest all the other senses as Prince and Lord ouer them all For it is he that discourseth and iudgeth of trueth from falshoode that knoweth the agreement
let vs not mocke or despise them but rather haue pitie and compassion ouer them pray to God in their behalfe and succour them asmuch as wee can acknowledging the grace of God towards vs in keeping vs from such inconueniences and beseeching him to preserue and keepe vs continually For whatsoeuer befalleth others shoulde as it were hang before our eyes as often as it pleaseth him to beate them with such scourges which we our selues haue no lesse deserued then they that are beaten yea oftentimes a great deale more The Lord striketh whome it pleaseth him that by them others might take instruction Therefore if we cannot profite by such teaching nor learne at other mens cost to feare and honour him to call vpon him and to giue him thankes it is to bee feared that he will send vs asmuch that so we may learne at our owne charges Yea and then also he is very gratious vnto vs if he suffer vs to haue our vnderstandings to knowe how to profite by his roddes and chastisements and giue vs not wholly ouer into the handes of Satan our Aduersarie But enough of this matter And nowe that wee haue seene the nature and office of the internall senses of the soule with their seates and instruments the sequele of our speech requireth as I thinke that we should intreate of vnderstanding and will which are two faculties and vertues in the highest and most principall part and power of the soule of man and in regard of which it is properly called by the name of a reasonable soule and life as wee shall presently learne of ACHITOB. Of the reasonable soule and life and of vertue of the vnderstanding and will that are in the soule and of their dignitie and excellencie Chap. 28. ACHITOB. Although beastes without any iudgement and reason follow after that which they conceaue to be agreeable to their nature and eschew the contrary according as their natural inclination driueth thē thereunto yet they passe not those bounds of nature which God hath set them nor violate the lawes thereof Wherby we see that through a secret sense of nature they draw alwayes towards God their Creator in that their nature bendeth still towardes that which God hath appoynted to bee the chiefe Good vnto which they can attaine And no doubt but God hath giuen them such inclinations to bee as it were rules to direct them to that which is their proper and naturall Good which consisteth onely in corporall thinges belonging to their bodies Nowe if hee bee thus carefull for beastes we may not thinke that hee hath depriued Man of such a benefite but that hee hath also giuen him his inclination to leade him to his proper Good and to the trueth which in respect thereof is necessarie for him For what likelihoode is there that such a woorkeman as God is woulde create Man the most excellent creature vnder heauen in worse estate not onely then beastes but also then all other bodily creatures which are nothing in comparison of the excellencie which is in him who notwithstanding following their naturall disposition Prayse GOD and fulfill his worde as the Psalmist saith As therefore God hath ordayned and prepared a farre greater Good formen then for beastes and hath layde vp the same in his soule and spirite so hath he giuen them the meanes to enquire and finde it out But the difficultie that is in finding it out proceedeth through their owne fault For the darknes of ignorance and error which sinne hath brought into their minds is that which hindereth them which had not taken holde of them if mankind had continued in the perfection of his first nature Neuertheles what defect soeuer there be yet we see that in the minde of man there shineth alwaies this naturall light that is giuen vnto him aboue that which beasts haue I mean Reason which serueth to guide the soule and spirite amidst the darknesse of errour and ignorance to the ende they may be able to discerne trueth from falsehood and the true Good from the false as we see the light serueth the eyes to keepe vs and to cause vs to see in darkenesse Therefore we sayde before that there was a double discourse of reason in man whereof the one is Theoricall and Speculatiue which hath Trueth for his ende and hauing found it goeth no farther The other is Practical hauing Good for his end which being found it stayeth not there but passeth forward to the Will which God hath ioyned vnto it to the end it should loue desire and follow after the Good and contrariwise hate eschew and turne away from euill Therefore when the question ariseth of contemplation reason hath Trueth for her vtmost bounds and when she is to come into action she draweth towardes Good and hauing conferred together that which is true and good she pronounceth iudgement So that reason considereth of thinges with great deliberation and beeing sometimes in doubt which way to take shee stayeth and returneth as it were to her selfe and maketh many discourses before shee iudge and conclude But sinne hath so troubled our spirite that these naturall rules which shoulde euermore cause vs to encline to that which is right and good are greatly depraued and corrupted Neuerthelesse there remayneth in vs a small remnant of that great Good which testifieth sufficiently vnto vs what losse and damage wee receiued by our fall Therefore both the internall and externall senses serue vs not onely for the good of the bodie and for this life as they do to beasts but also for the good of the soule and helpe vs to lift vp the minde higher to seeke for a better life and for a greater Good then can be found among all the creatures and in which alone the minde findeth true felicitie agreeable to such a nature as it selfe is Heereof it commeth that it cannot content it selfe with that wherwith beasts are contented nor stay there where they stay For after the spirite is somewhat setled vpon that knowledge which it hath by his imagination and fantasie he lifteth vp himselfe higher by the meanes of reason namely to the vnderstanding of spirituall and diuine things For hee knoweth well that because he is as it were shut vp in an obscure prison and compassed about with darknesse he is hindered from attaining to the vnderstanding and knowledge of many things whereof he is ignorant and can neither see nor know that which he would so neerely cleerely and perfectly as if hee were at greater libertie nor vse that naturall vigour that he hath being in this prison of the bodie In this sort doeth man consider of himself and of his nature and from that knowledge which he hath of the highest and most excellent things in nature there springeth in him a loue towardes them insomuch that the spirit ascendeth vp and attaineth vnto God who is the authour and Creator of all For this cause there ariseth contention betwixt reason and fantasie For
imagination and fantasie being neerer to the corporall senses draw the soule to those things that are bodily but reason and the spirite pricke it forwarde and cause it to lift vp it selfe to more excellent things For the spirite which the Philosophers expresse by Vnderstanding mounteth vp vnto those things that cannot be knowen nor comprehended of imagination and fantasie nor of any other sense Moreouer it keepeth fantasie brideled and bringeth it into the right way which otherwise wandreth farre wide and entereth into many turnings and windings Neither doeth the spirite wholly yeeld vnto euery present profite or decline the contrary but calleth things past to remembrance coniectureth and foreseeth things to come and searcheth out what is true and what false to giue iudgement thereafter and then to followe after or to eschew that which ought to bee followed or fledde from Thus you see what the reasonable soule bringeth to men which is not in beastes nor in their soule Besides from this vigour and nature of the spirite speech proceedeth which being his messenger is wanting vnto beastes because they are voyde of reason and vnderstanding in regard whereof speech is giuen as wee haue already hearde Therefore we vnderstand by the reasonable soule and life such a soule and life as hath counsaile iudgement and reason and which was created to this end that knowing God her Creator and louing him in respect thereof she might honour and serue him and finally by degrees attaine to immortall life and happinesse which is appointed for her ende For as nothing is more excellent then reason whereof God hath made man partaker so there is nothing more beseeming reason then to know loue and honour God seeing there is nothing greater more excellent or that may be compared vnto him Therefore as man differeth from brute beasts in respect of reason wherewith God hath indued him so he differeth from them in that he is capable of religion created and borne thereto which consisteth in the things alreadie touched But beasts are not capable of any kind of religion being altogether voyde thereof as on the other side there is no man but he hath some sense of it Whereby wee may gather a good argument that beasts are not onely voyde of reason but also that their soules are mortall and the soules of men immortall For the fountaine and fruit of the religion and seruice of God consisteth not in this mortall life and therefore it must needes bee in some other that followeth And for this cause Reason which is so great and excellent a gift of God in man is not bestowed vpon vs for things of so smal price and so transitorie as these are which we vse and enioy in this life and in which it is wholly busied much lesse for those whereby the life of beastes is preserued but in regarde of these thinges which I haue nowe declared Therefore as God hath not giuen such a life to stones as he hath giuen to trees and plants nor yet sense imagination and fantasie to trees and plants as he hath done to beasts so hee hath not graunted reason to beasts as he hath to men and that not without iust cause For as it is enough for stones in regarde of the perfection of their nature to bee heauie and such as they are and sufficient likewise for trees and plants to haue a Vegetatiue soule seeing they want not that which beastes haue more then they so beastes stand not in neede of that which men haue aboue them For it sufficeth for the preseruation and defence of their life and beeing that they haue some kinde of cogitation ioyned with imagination and fantasie although they want reason which is not necessary for them as it is for men for the causes already specified and chiefly because they were not created by meanes of the knowledge of God and of true religion to come to a better life then their brutish life is Therefore as man is created to the end that the light of the knowledge of God might shine in him and that God might communicate with him his wisedome and goodnesse so he would that the soule of man shoulde bee an euident testimonie of himselfe For this cause it was said in his creation that God made man after his owne image and likenesse as wee haue already heard Seeing then there are in the reasonable soule so cleere and excellent testimonies of God and that by it especially the difference appeareth betweene man beasts as also in the diuers gouernments of their liues it behoueth vs to conâ—ider thereof very diligently And albeit this glasse of God cannot be so euidently seen as those that are made of steele or of glasse and lead by the hand of man to represent the image of our bodies neuertheles the actions and works of the soule doe plainly shew that there is such a power and vertue in vs which God hath giuen vs more to vse for our benefite then to know it and that for the causes already touched by vs. For the true and perfect knowledge thereof belongeth to God onely who being aboue it hath created and giuen it and will cause vs to know it better when we shal be in that eternall light in which wee shal know those things that are nowe hidden from vs. In the meane time let vs in this life consider of and distinguish the actions and workes of the soule whereby we are seuered from beasts and which being very euident testimonies of God in vs gouerne the life of man and bring foorth all honest sciences and artes We haue spoken alreadie of the powers and vertues of the soule which by the vse of corporall instruments labour and manifest themselues but it appeareth euidently that there is in man another higher power because we haue many actions and doe many woorkes which beastes cannot performe nor imitate For man hath the knowledge of numbers and can reckon hee vnderstandeth not onely particular things but also generall and vniuersall things he discourseth that is gathereth and concludeth one thing of another and that very farre he inuenteth artes and disposeth them he iudgeth of his owne reasons and discourses and marking his owne faults he correcteth them he changeth his intents and purposes he discerneth vertues from vices honest things from those that are dishonest finally hee deliberateth by a long discourse of reason As for beastes they haue not these thinges common with vs as they haue the vse of the senses as of seeing hearing smelling tasting and other such like things wherein they oftentimes excell vs in many respectes For many of them haue these senses more sharpe then wee haue And although they haue some imagination fantasie and apprehension of thinges offered to their bodily senses yet that holdeth but for the present and in the place or fielde where the thinges are offered vnto them The like may bee sayde of those discourses of reason which many thinke are in
are soone perswaded to giue ouer all care to seeke for and to prouide thinges necessary for the soule And if the bodie be neuer so little out of square yea the verie feare least they should procure it any griefe causeth them wholly to abstaine from labouring the minde in the searching out of wisedome and trueth so that they voluntary become ignorant There are others that haue running heads who will neuer continue and stay in one thing and some also that when they shoulde hearken to that which they are about haue their wittes a wool-gathering and as wee vse commonly to say are building of castles in Spaine But aboue all we must herein acknowledge that God distributeth his giftes and graces to men and bestoweth witte and vnderstanding as it pleaseth him Nowe that we haue intreated sufficiently of the vnderstanding and of the discourses of reason therein let vs speake of Iudgement which followeth it and of his office This then shal be the matter subiect of thy speech AMANA Of Iudgement and of his office after the discourse of reason and how Beleefe Opinion or doubting follow it of the difference that is betweene them Chap. 30. AMANA If I iudge aright of the doctrine contained in our former discourses which handled the nature powers faculties and vertues of the soule I finde that the spirite is as it were the chiefe part therin in which is the Mind the Vnderstanding Memory The Mind is as it were a white paper wherein as a man groweth in yeeres and iudgement so he writeth his cogitations and thoughts which he hath by learning and by the instruction of wisedome Vnderstanding is framed by the knowledge of reason and last of all Memorie followeth For there is great difference betweene that which the senses and the vnderstanding are able to doe in the time of infancie and that which is done by them in other ages wherein there is greater vse of them And although the seeds of al the operations of the soule are included within it euen from the beginning of the creation thereof neuertheles God hath created it of that nature that as hee hath ioyned it to the body which hath his degrees of growth in euery part thereof so the soule hath some agreement therewith in this respect touching the manifestation of her powers and vertues If then any man bee endued with an excellent spirite that is quicke and ready to conceiue and with a memory apt to retaine and holde fast it is a great meane for him whereby to attaine to the knowledge of the trueth But for the perfection of these two great giftes of nature it is necessary hee shoulde haue a good and found iudgement proceeding from a sounde disputing and discoursing of reason lightened by the spirit of God and by it purged of errour illusion and of all vaine opinions which the nature of man hath of his owne inheritance and which hindereth him from iudging aright of the trueth Nowe the office of Iudgement is to like or dislike the discourses of reason and the conclusions which are made thereby For it belongeth to Iudgement to iudge whether reason discourse and conclude well as it ought to doe And therefore it is in the spirite and in the minde as a rule or as the skoles in a payre of balance and whilest reason is a woorking it is quiet But when shee hath concluded and done iudgement afterwarde examineth and considereth whether there bee any fault in the discoursing or in the conclusion or in both or whether all bee well referred before it eyther approue or mislike any thing And if it finde any thing that breedeth feare least it be deceiued then it beginneth againe to aduise of the matter Nowe the greatest cause it hath to feare least it bee deceiued ariseth of probable reasons which albeeit they bee like to bee true yet indeede are not true And because there are some which haue such great shewe of trueth that it is a very harde matter to bee able to discerne them from true reasons and not take them to bee such indeede therefore the Iudgement may bee often deceiued by this meanes For it will not easily flippe aside but abide constant in that wherein it is once setled if it bee not ledde and induced to allowe or disallowe of a thing eyther by vertue of true and certaine reasons that may mooue it or of such reasons as are so verie likely and carry so greate a shewe of trueth that they cannot bee knowne and discerned for others Therefore wee may well saye that a good vpright and sounde iudgement is an excellent gift of God neither is there any thing more necessary in all artes and disciplines yea in the whole course of mans life and chiefly for the principall end of our being which is to know and to serue God For as Good is a thing agreeable to the Will so is Trueth agreeable to the Minde whereupon it followeth likewise that as Euill is contrarie and an enemie to the Will so is lying in respect of the minde Wherefore if iudgement iudgeth that the conclusion made by reason is true and followeth well it ioyneth it selfe thereunto receiuing and imbracing it as agreeable to it selfe This approbation is called Consent But if it iudge the conclusion to be false it turneth aside and reiecteth it and this refusall may be called dissent because it is contrary to consent when there is no agreement of sentences but disagreement and contrarietie As touching Consent we may diuide it into two kindes For one kinde thereof is firme and stedfast and another weake and vnstayed If the consent bee firme certaine and throughly resolued it is called Beleefe But there is difference betwixt that beleefe or faith which concerneth humane matters and that which is of diuine thinges For then doe wee giue credite to humane thinges when wee take them to bee so certaine that wee doubt nothing thereof as namely when wee are so perswaded eyther by very euident reasons which remoue all doubting from vs or els by testimonies which we take to bee most certaine Wherefore wee may say that there is great agreement betwixt this kinde of beleefe and betweene Science because there is a certaine resolution both in the one and in the other For Science is a kind of knowledge in which the demonstration made vnto vs compelleth vs to approue that which is spoken because we see the reasons so certaine that we cannot gainsay them nor thinke otherwise The like is done in beleefe which is a kinde of knowledge that causeth vs without doubting to giue credite vnto that which is tolde vs because wee are ouercome by witnesses and by authoritie which wee approue For if wee doubted any thing our consent woulde bee yet weake and so it coulde not properly be called beleefe but rather Coniecture or Opinion For considering that in this there is some kinde of consent which inclineth to one part rather then to another
therefore it tendeth to disliking which is wholly against consent For this cause wee call Opinion a knowledge that moueth vs to encline rather on the one side then on the other in regard of the appearance and shewe of reason that it hath so that wee are not fully resolued therein Nowe albeeit this consent which is called opinion or coniecture bee not altogether so firme as that which wee call beleefe neuerthelesse it differeth from Doubting which is as it were a neuter iudgement hanging betweene consent and his contrary and inclining neither to the one side nor to the other As for that beleefe which is of diuine things there is such a firme consent required therein as that all doubting must be vtterly excluded For faith is not perfect if it doe not allowe for certaine whatsoeuer God hath reuealed vnto men by his worde which is a certaine testimonie of his will And although hee hath giuen vnto vs the same meanes to instruct vs by in these things that he hath done in humane things yet hee goeth further For hee doeth not onely teach vs by experience by reasons and demonstrations which appeare manifestly to-our senses both externall and internall and of which our minde can iudge as well as of humane things but he requireth chiefely of vs that wee shoulde beleeue his testimony and those witnesses which he sendeth vnto vs and that wee shoulde content our selues with his authoritie And because heauenly things surpasse the capacitie of our vnderstandings God maketh them capable by the light of faith which is a supernaturall and diuine light whereby wee see that in God which we cannot beholde in all the creatures and which our humane reason cannot naturally comprehend Now as much as this light is more certaine then all other naturall light either externall of the eyes of the body or internall in respect of the eyes of the soule and minde so much more certaine is our sight and knowledge of that which wee see and knowe by meanes of that light For this cause when our vnderstandings are lightned with this light wee beleeue more firmely that which it manifesteth vnto vs I say not onely then that whereunto wee may bee perswaded by all the humane reasons which can be alleadged but also then that which we see with our owne eyes and heare with our eares and touch with our hands For these externall senses and those internall senses also whose messengers the other are are not so certaine witnesses to our spirite as the senses of faith which are more then humane For they are heauenly Wherefore shee hath eies whereby she seeth diuinely and not humanely which can neuer be deceiued as the eyes of the body may The like wee may say of her eares and of her handes For there is no sense so certaine as all hers are because she receiueth them diuinely by the spirit Therfore as she hath not in her any imagination or fantasie that can deceiue her so she can neuer faile either in her discourses or in her iudgements whereupon shee resolueth because she is alwayes guided in them by the holy spirite whome she followeth for her rule in all things and who assureth her by his testimony as if she bare the markes and seales imprinted in her selfe and in their mindes and hearts in whome shee dwelleth Heereof it is that Saint Paul so often saieth that God hath sealed vs by his holy Spirite speaking as it were of a seale imprinted in our hearts and mindes and as of an earnest and gage which God hath giuen vs for the best and most certaine assurance that can bee No maruell therefore if the children of God endewed with this true faith become so resolute so firme and constant that no authoritie power wisedome force eloquence no humane reasons nor any thing that men or deuils can imagine think say or doe is able to make them to change their mindes whereof we haue most euident examples especially in the person of all the Martyres who could neuer by any violence in the world be ouercome but their faith hath euermore gotten the victory and triumphed ouer all their enemies And by this wee may assuredly knowe that it is better grounded then vpon all the reasons and perswasions of men that may be Therefore it is not without cause that S. Paul calleth it the gift of God neither is it without great reason commended so much in the Epistle to the Hebrewes For being come to that point that it hath such an illumination as to accompt all that God reuealeth in his worde to bee more certaine then any thing that wee either see with our eies or touch with our hands hereof to haue a true sense and feeling of the testimony of the holy spirit then doth it exclude al doubting which is contrary thereunto and differeth much from that which we hold only in opinion wherein there is as yet no great assurance So that we may conclude hereupon that according as faith is more or lesse in vs wee shall neuer conclude ill nor at any time giue ouer our conclusions For faith neuer concludeth any thing which God hath not before spoken whose word and authoritie is vnto it as in deede it ought to be in steade of all reason For seeing it is that wisedome and trueth which can neuer faile or lie it needeth not to doubt in any respect to conclude alwayes therewith neyther hath it cause at any time afterward to forsake or change the conclusion it hath set downe Wherefore when our faith is shaken and beginneth to alter it is a signe and testimony that it holdeth more of the nature of opinion then of beleefe and that it hath not yet a iudgement throughly resolued in the conclusion which it hath taken So that heere wee may learne what difference there is betwixt beleefe opinion doubting and infidelitie or incredulitie For seeing incredulitie is contrary to beleefe it goeth farther then doubting which concludeth nothing on either side as both beleefe and opinion doe but incredulitie concludeth contrarie to them both For it giueth no consent as beleefe and opinion doe but taketh the cleane contrary and therefore it may well be called dissent or disagreement as being opposite to that consent that is in beleefe Now to end this speech and to take away al doubting that may arise of this word Beleefe or Faith I will only adde this that wee are to know that it is diuersly takē in the holy scripturs For the name which it hath in the Hebrew tongue is taken frō the word whereby they expresse veritie or truth which they also take for constancie assurance The word which the Euangelists and Apostles vse according to the Graecians in whose language they wrote signifieth properly Perswasion And the name vsed by the Latines from whome wee haue taken our Faith signifieth that constancie and trueth which men keepe in their wordes and promises whereupon
they call it the foundation of iustice Therefore faithfull signifieth as much as true constant and firme in that which a man hath spoken and promised namely when one hath kept his faith Heereof it is also that God is so often in the holy Scriptures called Faithfull in respect of vs because hee neuer falfifieth his faith but is alwayes firme and constant in al his words and workes But when the Scripture speaketh of Faith in regarde of men towardes God it doth not onely comprehend a beleefe whereby wee beleeue that to bee true which wee heare and which is spoken vnto vs as when one telleth vs some historie but it is also a trust which assureth vs that God will performe that vnto vs which he hath promised vs. Therefore true faith includeth in it a certaine and vndoubted confidence of heauenly things and an assured perswasion of the accomplishment of Gods promises towards vs. Now to prosecute our purpose seeing we haue learned that the knowledge of the truth which is the principall obiect of reason and vnderstanding is verie hard for men to attaine vnto let vs consider of the meanes whereby wee may bee certaine and sure of those things which we are to beleeue This discourse ARAM. belongeth vnto thee Of the meanes whereby a man may haue certaine knowledge of those thinges which he ought to beleeue and take for true of the naturall and supernaturall light that is in man and how they beare witnesse of the image of God in him Chap. 31. ARAM For a man to knowe himselfe to be ignorant is a goodlie science and so necessary for men that without it they cannot be truely skilfull For the ignorant person that knoweth not himselfe to be such a one but supposeth hee knoweth that which hee doeth not in deede is as vnteachable a beast as can be because hee will neuer seeke for a master to be instructed by but if any offer themselues hee will reiect them and rather himselfe take vpon him to teach them Therefore Socrates was greatly commended by the ancients because he saide that hee knewe but one onely thing namely that he was ignorant and knewe nothing True it is that if wee speake of things which may be knowen by the corporall and spirituall senses of men euen as nature hath giuen them vnto vs and of things belonging to naturall and morall Philosophie there are many men to bee founde whose knowledge therein is so great that other men in respect of them may seeme to bee but poore beasts But when we must ascend vp to the knowledge of things reuealed vnto vs in Iesus Christ and in the Gospell no sense or vnderstanding of man is able to comprehend any thing therein if the spirite of God doe not teach him and dwell in him to seale and to confirme in his soule the doctrine of those heauenly mysteries wherein the skilfullest men are no better taught of themselues then those that are most ignorant For that abideth alwayes true which Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee knowe them because they are spiritually discerned Nowe I finde foure meanes whereby men may be made certaine of those things vnto which they ought to giue credite whereof three of them are naturall and according to naturall Philosophie the fourth goeth further and is proper to diuinitie The first is generall experience the second the knowledge of principles the third naturall iudgement of these three wee will first speake and then come to the fourth Generall experience is that iudgement which al men of sound mindes doe giue all after one sort of those things whereof they haue certaine experience by their corporall senses as is to be seene in naturall things For who knoweth not that the fire is hote And who woulde not take him for a senselesse man that should affirme the contrary Yea who coulde affirme it being conuinced of the trueth thereof by his owne senses Likewise who seeth not the difference that is betweene death and life and what are the effectes both of the one and the other For euery one knoweth these thinges by a generall experience common to all Wherefore this knowledge is certaine and where it is so there needeth no other proofe or demonstration fetched farther then from such experience For God hath so created the nature of things that men must needes confesse it to be so as generall experience doth declare it to be And he that will not beleeue it let him take triall thereof himselfe and he shall know whether it be so or no. So that whosoeuer would stand against this common and generall experience he should make open warre against God and nature in denying all order which he hath set downe therein Concerning the knowledge of principles wee must first knowe that there is vnderstoode by principles that naturall knowledge that is borne with vs which is the seede of all Artes and a beame of the light of God in vs to the ende that by this meanes all Artes necessary for life should be inuented and put in vse As for example euery one knoweth naturally that the whole of any thing is more then the halfe or then a part of it onely and that three are moe then two To be briefe the knowledge of numbers of measures and of other such like things is naturall vnto vs and is not found in the nature of beastes and therefore they haue neither the inuention nor vse of any Arte as wee haue already heard But let vs proceede farther and consider whether there be no natural knowledge in men whereby they vnderstand that there is a diuine nature wise iust true good that loueth goodnesse and hateth and punisheth euil with which nature the soule of man hath some agreement and is as it were an image thereof for which cause he ought to be made conformable to God by folowing after wisedome trueth iustice goodnesse and all vertue and by shunning the contrary vices In this respect he that followeth this rule obeyeth God doing that which is pleasant and right in his eies and he that leaueth this rule disobeyeth and displeaseth him committing wicked and dishonest things whereby hee becommeth woorthy of punishment In a worde wee may referre to these naturall principles whatsoeuer God hath imprinted in mens hearts and mindes of the law of nature which serueth all men for naturall diuinitie the Bookes of which they carry printed in their soules And yet out of all question this diuinitie will scarce serue vs but to condemnation if we go no farther because the booke thereof is so blotted in vs that there is not so much as one small peece or leafe thereof whole sound which is not very much blurred torne Neuertheles that which remaineth is a sufficient processe against vs before God and able to conuince and condemne vs at
word of God But forasmuch as the darkenesse which sinne hath brought with it keepeth man from hauing any sound and perfect knowledge of God or of heauenly things as he had in his first estate it is necessary therefore that hee should restore and kindle againe in him this diuine and perfect life which hee hath lost by the benefite of regeneration and spirituall renouation as if hee created him anew giuing him a minde to vnderstand his worde and a will to followe and to embrace it This is that which I thought we were to note and learne concerning the meanes that bring vs certaine knowledge of such things as we ought to iudge and accompt for true Let vs nowe consider howe the spirit of man being enriched in measure with heauenly gifts and graces doeth finally attaine to the ende of all inquisition and searching out of trueth which is contemplation that followeth iudgement as iudgement followeth reason and the discourse thereof Therefore doe thou ACHITOB take vpon thee to discourse of this matter subiect and so ende all speaches of this dayes worke concerning vnderstanding that afterward wee may looke particularly into the will which is the second part and vertue of the highest and most soueraigne power of the soule How the vertues and powers of the soule shew themselues by litle and litle and by degrees of contemplation and of the good that is in it of that true and diuine contemplation which we looke for after this life Chap. 32. ACHITOB. I was much troubled oftentimes about the vnderstanding of these two words Soule and Spirite in seeking to find what difference or agreement they haue one with another seeing that many times I sawe one of them taken for the other and also opposed as repugnant one to another In the ende I learned of skilful men that wee might vse the worde Soule to signifie man as hee is borne hauing onely the giftes of a humane soule namely the humane senses and those other powers and vertues both animall and naturall of which wee haue already spoken And as for the Spirite that wee must vnderstand thereby whatsoeuer heauenly grace and knowledge of the trueth is giuen to man by the spirite of God dwelling in him which guideth and leadeth him to the contemplation of the diuine nature wherein consisteth his good and felicitie Moreouer wee may see in sundrie places of the Scriptures according to the Hebrew phrase the worde Soule taken not onely for the life of man and for all things belonging thereto but also for the whole nature of man and thus also is the worde Flesh taken Therefore when the flesh is opposed and set against the spirite in man wee vnderstand thereby not the body only but also the soule of man I meane such a one as it was at the beginning when being left vnto it selfe it followed the corruption of it owne nature And likewise by the spirite wee meane that which is regenerated in euery part of man whereby hee being withdrawen from the peruerse desires and corrupt affections of his nature is lift vp to the contemplation of celestiall and eternall things But our God vseth in such sort to apply himselfe to the nature and abilitie of his creatures that by little and little and by degrees he dispenseth vnto them those things which hee will bestowe vpon them alwayes keeping that order which hee hath vsed and followed in the creation of the worde For as Moses testifieth hee first created it of nothing Then hauing created the matter of all natures hee brought it into a woorke and gaue vnto it a forme and so polishing it by degrees and day by day at length hee set it in that perfection which hee minded to bestowe vpon it Wee see likewise that in the continuation of his woorkes hee beginneth alwayes at the basest and least thing and so goeth on encreasing augmenting and ascending vp vntill hee hath placed them in their perfection whereof we haue daily experience principally in plants and liuing creatures For the generation of plants commeth of their seedes from which they take their beginning And when the seede which is the least part of the whole plant is put into the ground it taketh roote therein and then commeth foorth encreasing dayly vntill it come to those bounds that are alotted vnto it by the Creatour which it can not passe because it can not attaine to greater perfection being of that kinde but then daily falleth to decay vntill it be wholly consumed and returned to the elements from whence it was taken The like is done in the generation of all liuing creatures and namely in that of man For what is his beginning and what is his conception natiuitie childehoode adolescencie youth mans estate and then old-age Wee see howe small his beginning is and howe hee groweth steppe by steppe and from age to age vntill hee commeth to the flower of his age and to his full strength as plantes doe and from thence the neerer hee draweth to olde-age the more hee fadeth and decayeth vntill hee come to death whereby the body returneth to the Elements out of which it is taken For as God hath giuen him a beginning so hath hee appointed him limites vnto which hee may ascend vp vntill hee come to his highest and then hee is to descend as the ordinance of God shall leade him As for the soule the same can not befall it in regard of bignesse seeing it is not corporall as the body is neither yet in respect of death seeing it is immortall For it can not be resolued as the body may to returne into the elements out of which it is not taken but it abideth alwayes in that substance and nature which first it had because it is of a celestiall and diuine nature But if the question be of the faculties powers and vertues thereof the seedes of which it hath in it selfe wee see by experience howe they shewe themselues more and more perfect and howe the vse of them is greater in one age then in an other For as long as the infant is in his mothers wombe no man can perceiue that as yet hee vseth anie other vertue and facultie of the soule that is in him then that which heeretofore wee called the vegetatiue or nourishing facultie by which hee is nourished as plants are After when hee is borne hee continueth a long time like to other liuing creatures as though he had only a vegetatiue and sensitiue soule as they haue Then by little and little as hee groweth from one age to an other those vertues of the soule whereby hee differeth from beastes appeare euery day more and more And yet hee hath no other soule in substaunce nor any other senses and minde throughout his whole life then hee had when it first mooued as also hee hath no other body But a man may easily iudge that this cōmeth not of the nature of the soule but of the instruments it hath in
through a cloude For that is the contemplation of all contemplations seeing it is the beholding of God with whome nothing may bee compared Then there shall be no cloude of ignorance when wee shall haue not a likely or probable but a most certaine and true knowledge For the trueth shall bee shewed vnto vs most certaine in GOD who is the Authour and Father thereof in whome wee shall throughly and perfectly see and knowe the causes of all things For our spirites shall be helde no longer in such an obscure and darke prison as heere they are constrained to suffer in our mortall bodies Therefore there shall bee no more diuersities disagreements or contrarieties of opinions and iudgements that some shoulde condemne that which others approoue but all shall be of the same iudgement But seeing we are fallen into the matter of contemplation it shall not be vnprofitable if vpon occasion of that diuision which is commonly made of the actiue and contemplatiue life wee note that although the spirite desireth aboue all things the pleasure that is in contemplation as the proper foode and delight thereof yet wee must alwayes consider that wee are not only borne for ourselues but also for others and to this ende that wee shoulde all in common serue one an other both generally and specially For God doeth not onely commaund the performance of that seruice which hee requireth of vs towardes his owne person according to that which is contained in the first Table of the Lawe but he commaundeth vs also in the second Table to doe that which hee requireth of vs towardes other men Therefore hee will not haue vs dwell alwayes in contemplation but wee must put to our hand and discharge vs of our dutie towards euery one according as he teacheth vs by his word Wee are then to learne that so long as wee liue in this world we must not separate the actiue life from the cōtemplatiue but alwayes ioyne them both together vntil we come to that blessed life which shal be altogither contemplatiue when we shal be deliuered frō al the miseries and necessities and from al the troubles lets in which wee are wrapped and detained in this mortall life God graunt vs his grace to vse all our senses so well both externall and internall and all the powers faculties and vertues of our soule and spirite of which wee haue hitherto spoken that wee may cause them all to serue to his glory and that wee may attaine to that blessed contemplation which is prepared for all his elect in his celestiall pallace and that to this ende hee woulde dispose in vs our will and all the affections of our soule of the nature of which we will beginne to morrowe to discourse And first ASER I thinke thou art to intreate of those appetites that are naturally in man seeing Desire is the proper subiect of the Will as thou shalt instruct vs more at large The end of the fourth dayes worke THE FIFT DAYES worke Of the Appetites that are in al liuing creatures and namely in man and of their kindes and particularly of the Naturall and Sensitiue Appetite Chap. 33. ASER. As God and all that is in the worlde is propounded to the minde of man that hee might knowe him so farre foorth as is needefull for him so is hee also propounded to the will that hee might will desire and folowe him as farre as his nature is capable thereof Wherefore if man had not sinned but had continued in his first estate wherein God created him this great and eternall Goodnes had shed in our soules that diuine worde together with his holy spirite which worde being the eternall sonne of God woulde haue alwayes taught and shewed vs the Father of whome bee was begotten before all time and woulde haue lightened our mindes with the light of all wisedome that we might haue beheld and seene him and the holy spirite would haue ioyned our hearts and willes vnto the Father and to the Sonne through a mutuall loue replenished with all ioy and gladnesse and through certaine motions agreeable with the diuine nature By which meanes there should haue bin in our hearts a great fire of loue towardes God and next to him wee should haue loued all other good things according to that order which is shewed vnto vs in his heauenly wisedome and doctrine and should haue desired them for the loue of him But nowe in the estate of naturall corruption in which wee are all this goodly agreement harmony and concord which ought to be betweene God and man is wholly peruerted and ouerthrowen For in place of the true knowledge of God there is nothing but ignorance and doubting in our mindes and as for the will it searcheth after and desireth other things whereunto it applieth it selfe and seeketh not after God Neither doeth it keepe any order in those things which it hath for obiects and which it setteth downe in steade of the things commanded in his word So that while it thinketh to attaine to that good whereunto naturally it aspireth it obtaineth nothing to it selfe but a very great euill Nowe when wee spake before of the braine and of the internall senses of the soule and of the principall part and vertue thereof we made some mention of the wil which ought to be directed and ledde by vnderstanding and reason It remaineth nowe that we looke more narrowly into the nature thereof and of the affections of the soule of the vitall vertue of the heart and of other members which are the seates and instruments thereof euen as when wee intreated of the animall vertues of the soule wee considered of their seates and instruments First then we must marke what hath beene hitherto spoken namely that God hath giuen to all his creatures a naturall inclination that leadeth euery one of them to that which is naturall and agreeable to itselfe Beasts haue an appetite to follow that good that is fitte for them and therefore also hath God giuen them the knowledge of that good and senses meete for that purpose to the end they might shewe vnto them what is good for their preseruation to followe it and to shunne the contrary Wee haue learned also howe God hath giuen both the one and the other to man and vnto what degree concerning both of them hee hath lifted him vp aboue all liuing creatures For as hee hath created him to enioy a farre greater and more excellent Good then hee hath beastes and hath giuen vnto him a will to wish and desire it so hee hath endued him with a deeper knowledge whereby to knowe that Good because hee coulde not wish for it and desire it except hee did knowe it and he could not knowe it if he had not a minde capable thereof and endewed with greater knowledge then that is which hee hath giuen to beasts For this cause as they haue a kind of knowledge agreeable to their nature and to the
it is as it were begotten by reason and brought forth by Will But that wee deceiue not our selues in these names of reason and of Will we are to knowe that both of them are taken diuersly as the names of Minde and Vnderstanding are For sometime they are taken for that vertue of vnderstanding which is in the soule and sometime for the action thereof and the thing which it doeth vnderstand as when we say that wee haue the vnderstanding of something So reason is sometime taken for the minde that giueth direction and counsaile and for the will which obeyeth it and restraineth the affections and in this sence it comprehendeth both the Vnderstanding and the Will But sometime it is taken onely for that part which vnderstandeth and hath knowledge to conduct and guide as nowe we must so take it in making it the Mistresse and counsailour of the Will Besides reason is also taken oftentimes for the arguments and discourses of reason as when we say of a man He hath good reason in that or els He hath proued his saying by good and pregnant reasons that is to say by good arguments And if we take reason so it signifieth not only that power and vertue of discoursing which is in the soule and in the minde but also the act and effect therof The like may be said of this word Will. For it is commonly taken not so much for that power and vertue which the soule hath to Will as for the Will it selfe which is the action and effect thereof as when one speaking of tyrants saith that their Will is all their reason For then we meane that they take nor Reason for their counsailer neither follow the aduice thereof but onely their Will and that which pleaseth them So then wee vse this worde Will for that which proceedeth from it and so likewise it is often taken in the holy Scriptures when they speake of the Will of God whereby we doe not vnderstand that power of Will that is in him but that which hee willeth and commandeth vs. And therefore we craue that his Will may be done and not that which we will But speaking now of the Will of man we take it not in this sence but we vse it for the power and vertue of Willing that is in the soule which power is aboue the sensitiue appetite whereof we haue already spoken For we see by experience that there are certaine degrees of appetites and that the appetite of the senses is subiect to the Will as I hope we shall intreate more at large in the sequele of our speech Wherefore the Will is the highest and most soueraigne vertue of desiring farre aboue all other appetites and that which woorketh with libertie after the minde hath shewed vnto it what it ought to follow and what to eschew what to make choyse of and what to refuse The actions thereof are to Will and not to Will and the meane or middle thing which shee hath betweene them twayne is to suspend her action vntill shee decline eyther on the one side or the other And as concerning the naturall disposition of the Will it is to will that good which is truely good or that which seemeth to bee so and to shunne euill eyther that which is euill in deede or that which it thinketh to bee so Nowe if shee choose and followe euill for good it followeth not therefore but that shee woulde alwayes followe the good as that which properly appertayneth vnto her and reiect euill as her enemie But the reason why shee maketh choyce of euill for good is because shee is deceiued taking one for another which commeth to passe through the ignoraunce and corruption that is in the nature of man For albeeit shee can will and not will that thing which is propounded vnto her yet shee cannot simply will and not will one and the same thing all at one time nor yet make choyse of cleane contraries For shee can desire nothing but onely vnder some shewe of good nor refuse any thing but vnder some shewe of euill Wherefore it may well bee that it will not desire that which shall bee shewed vnder some appearaunce of good but it cannot hate or reiect it Likewise it may peraduenture abstayne from reiecting or flying from that which shall bee presented before it with shewe of euill and not of good but it cannot desire loue and pursue the same Wherevpon it followeth that our Will is at libertie and free and cannot bee constrayned yea God the Creatour and Lorde thereof woulde haue it so otherwise it shoulde not bee a Will It is verie true that it followeth reason alwayes because the Will hath no light of it selfe but onely so farre foorth as it receiueth the same from reason which guideth and directeth it And therefore it neuer applieth it selfe to any thing whatsoeuer but hath reason alwayes for a guide whome it followeth Neuerthelesse it is not so subiect therevnto as that it may compell it to followe all the reasons that are propounded vnto it by reason or tye it to any of them but that alwayes shee hath her libertie to make choyse of which reason shee please out of all those that are set before her And so it is alwayes a Will although it change sometime beeing perswaded by reasons to will when it was vnwilling or disswaded from Will to bee vnwilling But in the meane time shee willeth whatsoeuer shee will and that as long as it pleaseth her to remayne in one opinion For not onely no creature whatsoeuer is able to take from her that which GOD her Creator hath giuen her but shee cannot depriue her selfe thereof no more then she may not be that which shee is For as God will haue his image shine in the minde of man by vnderstanding and wisedome of which hee hath made it partaker so hee will haue his image also to shine in the Will by that freedome and libertie which hee hath giuen vnto it As therefore hee cannot bee constrained but woorketh and doeth what pleaseth him with all libertie as beeyng a Soueraigne that hath no superiour so hee hath appoynted that the Will which hee hath giuen to men and Angels shoulde bee alwayes franke and free and not bee subiect to violence or constraint to the ende hee might haue them children not slaues because hee requireth of them a voluntarie obedience and such a seruice as is not forced or constrayned but agreeable to his owne nature For as hee doeth nothing himselfe by constraint so hee will not constrayne those by whome hee will bee obeyed neither delighteth hee in any seruice that is not voluntary and proceeding from a good heart and from a sincere and pure affection towardes him Therefore seeing God hath so loued vs and done vs so great honour as to create vs after his owne image and likenesse wee are vile and ingratefull wretches if wee doe not acknowledge the same and cause
Therefore he hath giuen them a nature that is partaker of Vnderstanding and prescribed vnto them rules of iudgement and of certain knowledge which are vnto them as it were lawes ordained by a soueraigne Prince for the ruling of his subiectes And to the end that these lawes should not be in vaine he hath placed in man a Will to execute them and an affection of ioy that is brought to him by meanes of the good which he receiueth or expecteth when he obeyeth these lawes that command nothing but iust things So that hee would haue the nature of man to leade a ioyfull life and by this meanes be preserued that he might solace himselfe in the knowledge of God his Creator and in obeying him settle and rest himself in him As contrariwise it pleased him to place there an affection of sadnesse to take vengeance of rebellion against his lawes and of the transgression of them to the end there might be a flame of anger and griefe to destroy that nature when it doeth not conforme it selfe to the rule of his diuine wisedome and will Hereby we know by experience what difference there is betweene a ioyfull life and that which is sad full of griefe and how ioy preserueth and maintaineth the one and sorow consumeth and extinguisheth the other But to the end we may fully vnderstand these thinges and bee able to iudge aright of the diuers powers vertues and offices of the soule wee must diligently consider that as GOD hath distinguished the Vnderstanding from the Will and affections and the Animall vertue and life from the Vitall so also hee hath giuen them diuers seates and instrumentes in the bodie There is likewise great difference betwixt Vnderstanding and Knowledge and the Will and Affections as we see it by experience in common life For it falleth out often that after we know a man we either loue him or hate him And if at the first we loued him wel yet after hee is knowen vnto vs we may fall to hate him or if wee first hated him afterward vpon better knowledge we may receiue him into our loue Nowe although these affections of loue and of hatred bee thus mutable in vs yet the selfe same knowledge remayneth alwayes with vs. For if wee did not still knowe him wee coulde neyther loue nor hate him because as a man cannot loue without knowing the thing loued so hee cannot hate that which is vnknowen Therefore it is no difficult matter to iudge that the Vnderstanding differeth from the Will and affections and that they are distinct offices and seuerall properties and vertues of the soule which haue also their diuers seates and instrumentes For the internall senses are ioyned with that power which the Soule hath to knowe and the heart with the power of the Will and Affections Heereof it is that wee see manie endued with great knowledge of honest and vertuous thinges but they haue no good affection to followe after them and to put them in practise so that their heart agreeth not with their braine nor their will and affections with their vnderstanding reason Contrariwise there are others that haue not so great knowledge of goodnes and of their duetie and yet they haue a good affection and Will to do wel but for want of vnderstanding what is right and iust they obserue and keepe it not according to that measure of desire which is in them Where wee see againe how and in what sort there is no good agreement betweene the brayne and the heart and betweene those powers and vertues of the soule which wee haue alreadie named So that wee may compare the former sort of men to one that hath eyes to guide him but no legges or feete to goe vpon or if hee haue any yet hee will not set them on woorke As for the other sort they are like to blinde men that long to goe and to walke and haue legges to carrie them but they cannot goe whither they woulde because they haue neyther eyes nor sight to direct them nor guides to leade them Nowe by the consideration of these two sortes of men wee may well conclude and iudge with ourselues what they are that want all these thinges mentioned by vs because they haue neyther sounde knowledge of the trueth and of that which is good nor Will and desire to haue any nor any affection to followe that which is good whome I woulde compare to them that are blind and withal haue both hand and feete lame at one time But this matter may yet bee vnderstoode better if wee make this our speeche to agree with that which Saint Paul wryteth to the Romanes where hee sayeth That the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For wee may vnderstande by trueth those true and naturall impressions of the knowledge of GOD and of his lawe and of good and honest thinges which are in men as beames of the diuine wisedome shining in that part of the soule whereby hee knoweth But because the Will and the affections of the heart agree not with this knowledge and there are no diuine motions nor celestiall flames to stirre vp and to kindle the heart with the loue of God and to procure it to followe after that knowledge therefore men are detayned in vnrighteousnesse and yeelde not vnto God that honour and obedience that they owe vnto him Wherein they shew themselues vnthankefull and vnrighteous And therefore the Apostle expounding himselfe saieth by and by after That when they knewe God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imagination and their heart voyde of vnderstanding was full of darknesse Whereby hee declareth that their ingratitude and naughty heart was the cause why they abused that vnderstanding and knowledge which they had receiued of God and afterward also he depriued them of these excellent gifts of his grace which he attributeth to the heart for certaine reasons which wee are to note For wee may see in many places of the Scripture and in their writings and exhortations that folowe the doctrine and stile thereof that the heart is often taken for the seate of the minde of the vnderstanding and of reason as well as for the affections of the soule Neuerthelesse the Philosophers and they that followe them in such discourses attribute these soueraigne powers of the soule onely to the braine which they make the seate of them as wee haue sufficiently shewed heeretofore and as for the affections of the soule they assigne the seate of them to the heart Now one body hath not two but one soule Therefore although it haue many faculties powers vertues and offices yet they are all comprehended vnder those two and depend of them euen as in one body there are many members appointed to diuers operations Nowe because reason ought to be the Gouernesse and Mistresse
of the aire and that for two notable causes For first seeing the lungs haue not their motion of themselues neither are fastned to the body to receiue motion from it it was needefull to haue them of such matter that they might bee easily mooued and followe the motion of the breast Next they will receiue the aire more easily without any violence if at any time it enter in vehemently and in great quantitie To conclude this point they are so seated in regarde of the heart that they wrappe it and clothe it both on the right side and on the left and serue to defend it against all the neighbour-bones neere about it But heere wee are to note the agreement and mutuall relation which the heart hath with the heauens in that as the first motion of the whole worlde beginneth by the heauens of which all the other motions that are in nature doe depend so the heart is that member in mans body which first receiueth life and motion and which is the wel-spring and fountaine thereof whereupon also it is the first that liueth and the last that dieth And because God hath created it to put into it the vital facultie and vertue from whence the life of liuing creatures proceedeth hee hath also appointed the arteries who receiuing their originall from the heart are afterward distributed and spread throughout all the members of the body as the sinewes and veines are to giue vnto the aire and vitall spirites necessary for life euen as the blood is likewise distributed by meanes of the veines that come from the liuer to nourish them withall and as sense and motion are carried by the sinewes that are deriued from the braine and marrowe of the backe bone as wee haue already shewed Therefore as the aire hath his motion and the windes their course euen such as GOD hath appointed them in the whole body of this great worlde so wee see that the ayre and vitall spirites are in mans body which is the little worlde as windes that haue their course and passages therein to bee carried vnto all the members and to be distributed and communicated vnto them by meanes of the arteries Hereof it is that they heaue and beate in those places where arteries are appointed to be so that by their peace and quietnesse Physitions iudge of the vertue and strength of the heart and consequently of the whole body of health and sickenesse of life and death and of the whole position thereof Therefore the heart hath a double motion to serue for this vse which I speake because it hath yet a third motion and that of another nature of which wee will speake hereafter But as for this first double motion which is heere mentioned it is so called because the one is made when the heart giueth out and the other when it shrinketh in For when it extendeth it selfe foorth then is it refreshed and cooled thereby and when it gathereth inward and restraineth it selfe then doeth it expell and driue out those fuliginous and smokie excrements which otherwise woulde stifle it This two-fold motion is naturall proceeding from the proper nature of the heart and not voluntarie as that of the muscles is which is gouerned by the motion of the braine and sinewes that come from it For the heart hath his filaments or small threedes apt and conuenient for that purpose Nowe this motion serueth not onely for the vses already spoken of but also for the nourishing of the vitall spirite I meane to drawe the blood wherewith it is nourished and also to prepare foode for the lungs thereby to returne such mutuall helpe vnto them as it receiueth from them For as the lungs serue to send breath vnto it thereby to coole it and to further it in the execution of that office which it hath so the heart serueth to nourish and feede the lungs Whereby wee haue a goodly aduerticement concerning that mutuall agreement that ought to be in vs and of that reciprocall helpe which wee owe one to an other and howe wee ought to acknowledge the good turnes that are done vnto vs and doe the like againe to them according to that abilitie which euery one shall haue so to doe For if wee deale not in that sorte it will be all one with vs in humane societie as if one should separate in our body the heart from the lungs that the one might not doe his duetie towardes the other which questionlesse woulde cause the death and ouerthrowe of the whole body Moreouer wee must note that betweene these two motions of the heart nowe spoken of there is some small space in which there is a little rest and then doeth the heart restraine it selfe and drawe from all sides rounde about the aire which is drawne in by the lungs which it enioyeth and hath vse of And for this cause the heart whose flesh is hard and can hardly suffer hath three kindes of filaments called Fibres which serue for all these motions Thus you see the heart that is lorde of mans life howe hee hangeth as it were in his coffer and withdraweth himselfe into his chamber or closet being in a manner separated from the rest of the body to which he giueth life but onely that hee is ioyned thereunto by veines arteries and sinews which hee vseth as pipes some to receiue the benefites that come vnto him from others some to distribute his good things by Wherein we haue a faire resemblance of that mutuall communicating which ought to be among men For although the heart be as the fountaine of life which it imparteth to all the rest of the members and partes of the body yet can it not liue alone without those necessary helpes of the other members vnto which it is seruiceable Nowe we are to consider the substance situation and countepoize thereof with the nature and vse of the vitall spirite which shall be the matter subiect of thy discourse AMANA Of the substance situation and counterpoize of the heart of the nature and vse of the vital Spirite and of the forge vesselles and instruments thereof of the sundry doores and pipes of the heart and of their vses Chap. 38. AMANA All men howe ignorant and brutish soeuer they be cary about with them in their hearts a great testimony that they haue both a God and a Iudge who approoueth that which is good and punisheth the euill For although they neuer heard one worde of his worde yet they cannot be ignorant of this which they sensibly feele and knowe by experience in themselues that nothing but euill can befall them for euill howsoeuer it be long a comming and that they cannot feele the euill which their sinne hath brought vpon them but they will repent them for committing it and wish it had neuer bin done This is naturall Diuinitie which no body can be ignorant of Whereunto Saint Iohn leading vs saith very wel If our heart condemne vs
and euill to the ende that all the actions therof might agree with these rules which are the beames of heauenly wisedome in our selues For it is an order which God hath so ordained established And forasmuch as the soule was to dwell in the body God gaue vnto it this naturall power of the affections that it might bee wakened and stirred vp by them as it were with prickes thereby to be kept from idlenesse and from being lulled asleepe and oppressed with the heauines of the body and so neglect all care of good things of that which is very expedient profitable for it self For this cause the soule hath her affections of which some serue for spurres to pricke her hither thither as oftē as need requireth others serue for a bridle to keep her back to stay her from rushing vnto euill from following those things that are hurtful for her And indeede we stand in need of such spurtes and bridles but herein we erre greatly in that we knowe not howe to keepe a moderation betweene these twaine For because wee make these spurres too sharpe and pricke the horse too much which we haue to guide the bridle on the other side is two grieuous vnto him so that he lifteth vp and girdeth forward ouer furiously And this commeth to passe because wee doe not content our selues with that which is requisite for the succouring of our naturall necessities but we adde there vnto infinite superfluities For vpon some light necessitie that might soone be dispatched we torment our selues a great deale more then neede is because wee perswade our selues that our necessities are greater then they bee and so seeke after moe remedies and helpes then is requisite Of this wee haue daily experience in that care which wee take for thinges necessarie for this life which is the cause that wee burne continually with insatiable couetousnesse which is such a marueilous spurre vnto vs that wee take very little rest for it For if wee woulde bee contented with enough it woulde not put vs to that torment which wee dayly suffer But nothing sufficeth vs and therefore the affections are in our soule as the windes vpon the sea For some windes are very small and mooue the water but a little others are more vehement and rayse vp certaine waues and some againe are so tempestuous and make such horrible stormes and gustes whereby the Sea is so mooued that sea and sande and fishe and all seeme to bee turned topsie toruie The like may bee sayde of the motions of the soule For some are so light that they seeme to bee nothing els but small beginnings of moouing There are others stronger which moue it somewhat more And some also are so violent that they altogether trouble the soule euen in such a vehement manner that they driue her from her seate of iudgement Therefore these two first kindes of motions are properly called affections and the other that are so violent are termed Commotions and Perturbations For they bring a kinde of blindnesse with them which is the cause that iudgement and reason see neuer a whit Whereupon it followeth seeing neither Reason nor Iudgement beare any more rule that the soule is as if shee had no more power ouer her selfe but were subiect to the iurisdiction of some other The Grecians terme such affections with a worde that signifieth as much as if wee shoulde say passions And in deede wee commonly say that a man is passionate when hee is tormented by such violent affections For as the whole bodie suffereth when it is mooued or thrust too and fro and stricken on euerie side so is it with the soule beeng violently mooued euerie way And as the moouing is more or lesse moderate so shee suffereth more or lesse and if the motion bee verie violent confusion followeth thereupon Nowe for the sequele of this speech let vs consider how the affections are more or lesse moderate according to the disposition of the iudgement and what is the spring and originall of so many sundry affections as we see in men It belongeth then to thee ARAM to handle this matter That according to the dispposition of the iudgement the affections are more or lesse moderate or immoderate of the cause of all the motions of the soule and heart of the varietie of affections of the generation nature and kindes of them Chap. 43. ARAM. Whatsoeuer we doe or wish for wee doe or desire it for some Good whether that which we iudge to bee good bee so in trueth or in opinion onely And therein wee resemble God our Creator who is not only good but also goodnes it selfe euen the perfection of all Good Wherefore if we desire to know what is the true Good we must vnderstand that there is but one onely true Good euen the same by participation of which we are first made good and then of good most happie For we cannot be happy and blessed which is the end we all looke for but we must first become good For as there is no true felicitie and blessednes but in Good being th source and fountaine yea the perfection of all happines and contentation so also there is no felicitie nor blesse dues but in goodnes which is as proper to God as his very diuinitie because that as he cannot be God except he be good so he cannot be good with that goodnesse that is in him but he must bee God And as he is the essence of all essences so he is the essential Good and the essential Goodnes of al Goods and of al Goodnesses But although our nature doeth of it selfe alwayes tend to that which is Good as wee haue shewed in the handling of the chiefe powers of the soule Vnderstanding and Will neuertheles we differ much nay we are cleane contrary to God when wee come to the election of Good because of the bad iudgement we haue by reason of the darknes of ignoraunce wherewith our mindes are blinded Hereof it commeth that the more the iudgement is corrupted infected and deeper plunged in the flesh the more euill and carnal are the affections the moe in number and the more violent yea such as doe not onely trouble and peruert the internal senses of the soule but the external senses also of the body This we may obserue in them that are caried away with loue who thinke oftentimes and are verily perswaded that they see and heare those thinges which indeede are nothing so Contrariwise the purer the iudgement is and the higher it is lifted vp from the fleshe and from the earth the fewe◠and lighter are the affections which trouble and molest it For then it taketh greater heed and marketh what trueth or what falsehood what good or what euill there is in all thinges Whereupon it commeth to passe that the iudgement is not so often nor so easily mooued And when it is mooued it is not so violent nor headie but more mature
so some of them are brideled and restrained by others For the first enuy hatâ—ed and anger spring of loue For they are motions of the heart that loueth against him that hateth or hurteth her who is deâ—re or beloued And desire riseth of reuenge and the ioy that commeth thereby proceede from anger and malice If a man loue any thing he wisheth it would come and hopeth also that he shall enioy it and contrariwise hee feareth that it will not come to passe If it come to passe hee reioyceth If it come not to passe when hee thinketh it will or when hee expecteth it he is grieued In like manner great ioy is lessened through greefe and enuy through mercy or through feare And one greefe altereth another when it is greater and feare maketh griefe to be forgotten and causeth the lame to runne To be short these sundry motions of affections are like to stormy waues and billowes which being driuen one of another doe either augment or diminish or wholy oppresse one another Wherefore the like happeneth in the motion of our affections that commeth to passe in a sedition and ciuill dissention in which no man considereth who is the worthier person to obey and folow him but who is the stronger and most mighty So in the fight of the affections there is no respect had to that which is most iust but only to that which is strongest and most violent and which hath gotten such power ouer the soule that it hath wholly subdued her to it selfe which thing wee ought to stand in great feare of But whatsoeuer affections are in vs there is alwayes some griefe or some ioy ioyned with them Therefore following our matter it shal be good for vs to consider particularly of the nature of these two contrary motions of which ioy serueth greatly for the preseruation of life but griefe drieth vp and consumeth the heart euen vnto the death of it as wee shall now learne of ACHITOB. That Ioy or Griefe are alwayes ioyned to the affections and what Ioy and Griefe are properly Chap. 44. ACHITOB. The knowledge of the Affections of the heart and soule is very necessary for euery one because they are very euill and dangerous diseases in the soule but yet being knowen they may be cured more easily This cause hath mooued vs after wee haue spoken of the heart and of the naturall motion thereof and of the vse it hath in this life of the body to enter into the consideration of a second motion it hath which serueth not onely for this corporall life but also for that spirituall life in regard of which it was chiefely giuen and of which we saide that there was as it were an image and representation thereof in the first motion Now we shall better vnderstand this by the subiect of this discourse propounded vnto vs being handled particularly as wee intend to doe For as by the first naturall motion of the heart it receiueth such refreshing as is necessary for the sending of life vnto the whole body and for the maintenance and preseruation of the same as also for the expelling and driuing out of all such things as might hurt and stifle it euen so is it in this second motion as farre as wee can conceiue of the nature of it For seeing God hath appointed ioy as a meanes to preserue life hee hath likewise put this affection in the heart whereby it is as it were enlarged to receiue within it selfe and to embrace all Good that is offered vnto it as also it restraineth and shutteth it selfe vp through griefe which is contrary thereunto Moreouer wee shall finde that there is no affection in vs which is not intermingled with some griefe or else with some ioy For seeing the heart is the proper seate and instrument of all the affections when it is as it were stricken and beaten with some vnpleasant thing that is offered vnto it then doeth it retire close vp it selfe and feele griefe as if it had receiued a wound then doeth it flie from the thing it liketh not Yea the heart doeth alwayes either enlarge or shut vp it selfe according to those affections that are within it the causes of which are in it owne nature God hauing so disposed and willed the same for the reasons which we haue already touched For if the heart be ioyfull the ioy that it hath doeth bring so great pleasure vnto it that thereby it is opened and enlarged as if it would receiue imbrace and lay holde vpon that thing which reioyceth it and bringeth vnto it that pleasure which it hath in this ioy Nowe because there is ioy in loue and hope the blood and spirites are gently and mildely dispersed by their moouings by reason of the reioycing at the Good that is present or that is expected as if it were already present And forasmuch as such motions are made by the enlarging of the heart whereby we embrace the thing offered vnto vs the face also appeareth smiling cheerefull and ruddy For a man may easily iudge that the obiect presented to the heart mooueth that power whereby it is stirred vp because that before the heart doth mooue it selfe it must know the thing that offereth occasion vnto it to be moued either with ioy or griefe or some such like affection For as wee haue learned already the outward senses do first perceiue the things that are offered vnto them and then they present them vnto the common sense which presently by a singular prouidence of God sendeth them to al the other senses and to al those powers that are in the sundry parts of the soule and body This done if there be matter of ioy the heart being striken with that which is acceptable vnto it enlargeth it selfe and being thus gently enlarged as it were to embrace the same it disperseth much naturall heate with the blood besides great quantitie of spirites of which it sendeth a good portion to the face if the ioy be so great that it mooueth a man to hearty laughter For the face it selfe is in some sort blowen vp and enlarged the forehead is made cleere and smoothe the eyes glister and shine the cheekes become ruddy and the lippes gather in themselues In a worde the heart doeth so enlarge it selfe that it is represented in the face as it were in a glasse or in an image framed to expresse the ioy and gladnes which it hath Moreouer experience teacheth vs sufficiently what difference there is between a cheerfull and a sad countenance Therfore when we loue one wee embrace him as if wee woulde ioyne him to our selues and put him into our bosome and heart as some deere and very pretious thing Which wee see chiefly in mothers when they holde their little infants betweene their armes and embrace them with great affection of heart For this cause Saint Paul being desirous to let the Corinthians vnderstand what good will hee bare them howe louing ready and
preferred before another For how do we see men giuen ouer to those pleasures wherein they delight not onely in eating and drinking in dainty morsels and delicate drinkes but also in other carnall pleasures that are more earthy and vile especially when they are excessiue and vnmeasurable as they are in whoredome For those which wee receiue in eating and drinking belong to the sense of taste which is brutish enough but these others to the sense of touching which is a great deale more brutish We know by experience also that these senses are sooner wearied and tyred with their pleasures then any other and that such delights commonly bring with them more yrkesomnes and loathing then ioy and pleasure leauing many times behind them a long and shamefull repentance for pollutions receiued by them The pleasures that belong to the other senses as they are of longer continuance so they weary not a man so quickly especially those that delight the sight Yea the baser and more vile the pleasures are the sooner doe they loathe a man as they know by experience that are giuen to whoredome For how insatiable soeuer they be yet can they not but be glutted therewith neither are they able to continue their vnrulinesse so long in that pleasure howsoeuer they want no good-will as in the pleasures that come by eating and drinking Neither can the greatest gluttons drunkards and daintie mouthed persons follow so long together after the delights of their gluttony drunkennes and daintie diet as they may after those which they receiue either in smelling or in hearing or in seeing As for the pains that are to be taken in the obtaining and vsing of these pleasures the more earthy brutish the delight is the greater labour is to bee had about it and the more excessiuely the pleasure is vsed the greater hurt commeth thereby as wee daily see in gluttons drunkards and whoremongers by the testimonie of those diseases which take holde of them through their excesse Thus then we may learne by the vse of those pleasures which are receiued by the bodily and outward senses which of them are to be preferred before others with the agreement necessary therein and the moderation that alwayes ought to bee obserued in them But to goe forward with our matter we are now to compare together the delights and pleasures that are receiued by the spirituall and internall senses and to vnderstand what difference there is betweene the vse of the pleasures of the spirite and of the body and howe the one driue away the other Nowe let vs heare what ACHITOB will tell vs of this point Of the comparison of pleasures receiued by the internall senses and howe men descend by degrees from the best to the basest pleasures of the difference betweene the vse of spirituall delights and corporall and howe the one chase the other Chap. 48. ACHITOB. Experience daily teacheth vs that we need but a little griefe to diminish a great pleasure or otherwise to take it cleane away and to change it into great displeasure yea to turne a great ioy into extreame sorow and sadnes But few there are that meditate and knowe the cause thereof The trueth is we can thinke of no other cause then of the corruption of our nature of the estate and disposition of our bodie of the course of our age and life which decline continually and waxe worse and worse Therefore a small griefe findeth greater strength within vs to cause our heart to giue back and to close vp it selfe and wholly to cast vs downe then a great ioy and delight is able to open and inlarge it and to sustaine and holde vs vp For a little force will throwe downe this shaking and reeling bodie but there had neede to bee a great deale of strength to vnderproppe and stay it vp firme and stedfast On the other side wee can more easily want pleasures then not feele their contrary griefes For wee doe not perceiue so much the want of a good which we haue not as the presence of an euill which wee suffer For in the first it seemeth that wee want nothing but in the other the sense is afflicted and the sounde estate and disposition thereof is cleane taken away and ouerthrowne Nowe if wee desire to feele such griefes as little as we may and to approach as neere as our nature will permit to true delight and pleasures wee must withdrawe our selues from vile and abiect things and contemplate most high and excellent things Nowe as we haue learned by the former discourse that those delights and pleasures which are receiued by the chiefest senses that sauour least of the earth are of longer continuance then the other so we are to knowe that the pleasures of the fancie are more stable and firme then those which come by the corporall senses Hereof it is that men are cloyed a great deale sooner not onely with the pleasures of eating and drinking and of other more abiect thinges but also of sweete smelles of musicke of harmonicall soundes and of the beholding of goodly sights then with those good that are in the fancy and in opinion whereby the minde is deceiued as namely the getting and possessing of siluer of riches of power of honours and of glorie For these Goods are goods rather in opinion then in truth But because fancie propoundeth them vnto her selfe for Goods therefore shee taketh pleasure and delight in them Therefore the couetous man delighteth in his golde siluer and riches and the ambitious man in his power gloy and honours which are the pleasures of fancie and with which she is not so soone wearied as the bodie is with corporal pleasures but contrariwise the more shee hath the more her delight encreaseth and becommeth insatiable But the pleasures of reason of the minde and of the spirite continue a great deale longer then they because the spirite is not wearie or tyred but is recreated and refreshed But none can iudge well of this but those that haue had experience thereof No maruaile therefore if such men as are addicted to these other more base and earthly pleasures mocke and deride them that contemne their delightes and make so great account of these spirituall and heauenly pleasures that they are content to renounce all the rest and to forgoe all the goods in the worlde that they may enioy these as wee see it was with those holie personages that haue tasted of them As for those carnall and beastlike men wee may say of them as wee doe of hogges that delight more in a puddle or sinke then in pretious stones or sweete odours namely that they followe that which is most agreeable to their naturall disposition because they want iudgement to discerne the value of those thinges which they contemne and make no account of Nowe among the pleasures of the spirite those that consist in contemplation are of their nature by which wee shall become blessed in the the
other as also we shall be altogither a great deale more conioyned with and in God For this cause Saint Paul had good reason to say that Loue doeth neuer fallaway though prophecyings be abolished or tongues cease or knowledge vanish away Wherefore in this respect hee concludeth that loue is the greatest of these three Faith Hope and Loue. But wee haue spoken enough of the nature of Loue for the subiect of our discourse of the naturall historie of man Nowe I thinke it will not bee vnprofitable if wee say somewhat of other affections that are neere neighbours vnto Loue and ioyned with it as of fauour reuerence honour and pitie which haue such good or ill qualities in man as the nature of that loue hath which bringeth them foorth as ASER will giue vs to vnderstand Of fauour reuerence and of honour of their nature and effectes of those outward signes whereby they shew themselues of pitie and compassion and how agreeable it is to the nature of man Chap. 53. ASER. I cannot marueile enough at the drowsines of many great spirits who are so delighted with the vaine dreames of their own fancies that they employ all the giftes and graces of their minde to lift vp euen vnto the heauens the pleasures that are receiued in the loue of humane and mortall things especially in the fruites of concupiscence and yet the least of them cannot be gotten without a thousand troublesome discommodities besides that they leaue alwayes in man an insatiable desire of them I would aske of them gladly when the most voluptuous man of them all hath not euen in the middest of his pleasures sighed and bene subiect to passions desiring some other thing besides or when there was euer founde betweene twaine that loued ech other corruptly that conformitie of wils that communication of thoughts those continual agreements that concord of life which is necessary in all true loue especially seeing it is a hard matter yea impossible to see a wicked man that is not daily at variance with himselfe insomuch that if he could leaue himselfe as two men forsake eche other there are many who vpon euery occasion woulde leaue themselues to take another body or another soule And as when one being very desirous to eate and thereupon falling asleepe dreameth that he is feeding and yet is not satisfied because it is not a dreame of meate that will content the sense and appetite which seeketh to bee appeased but substantiall meate it selfe euen so it falleth out when men dreaming in spirite which is as pernicious a thing as the sleepe of death giue themselues by a certaine natural inclination which they haue to the loue of Good to seeke for the beautie contentation delight thereof vpon earth when they are not to be found in the whole worlde As for their shadowes which in some sort appeare in corporall and earthly things and in those delights which proceede of them they doe not feede their mindes with sound and good thinges but rather abuse and deceiue them Therefore we ought to take great heed that wee set not our heart and affection rather vpon those miserable corruptible and deceiueable pleasures wherein worldlings and carnal men doe glory then vpon that great and infinite brightnesse of which the sunne is but a very small beame and vpon those singular blessed and heauenly trueths which the worde of life doeth teach vs and which are the onely true and solide meates that can content and satisfie our spirits eternally It is certaine that nature mooueth vs to set our affection chiefly vpon some one thing rather then vpon another forasmuch as loue is a gift bestowed by the Creatour vpon all natures at the time of their birth Nowe vnto Loue many other affections are ioyned among which Fauour commonly hath the first place This affection is a kinde of good will and liking which springeth from a iudgement conceiued of some Good so that wee may call it a loue begunne For in this iudgement of Good wee esteeme well of him towardes whome our fauour is extended and iudge him woorthie of some good thing and by this meanes wee beginne to loue him Wherefore although fauour may bee without true loue yet loue cannot bee without fauour Notwithstanding when wee fauour one before wee loue him euen then wee enter into the way that leadeth to loue him And for the least shadowe of loue in our heart towardes another wee fauour him as wee see it in those that are linked vnto vs by some degree eyther of consanguinitie or of affinitie or by meanes of some acquaintance and knowledge Now forasmuch as GOD loueth vs he beareth vs fauour also although not in the regarde or for the iudgement of any good which hee seeth in vs or in our corrupted nature but because of the loue hee beareth vs in Iesus Christ his welbeloued in whome by his grace hee hath made vs acceptable to himselfe Therefore this fauour bringeth with it the perfection of all Good vnto vs. For what can hee want that is fauoured of God who can doe all things This fauour which God beareth vnto vs is called grace and blessing in the holy Scriptures which comprehendeth all those benefites which wee receiue of his goodnesse For they proceede all of this fauour and this fauour of the loue hee beareth vs in Iesus Christ Reuerence also commonly accompanieth loue whereby we vnderstand an affection proceeding from the iudgement of some great good that hurteth vs not For if wee thought it woulde hurt vs there woulde bee feare ioyned with hatred and not true reuerence For although there is euermore in all reuerence some feare mingled with shamefastnesse neuerthelesse this feare bringeth no hatred with it This reuerence is bredde in vs by comparing the greatnesse of another with our smalnesse as if wee admired those excellent thinges that are in him For as the heart doeth enlarge it selfe through the consideration and opinion it hath of it owne greatnesse so doeth it restraine and close vp it selfe vpon the reputation and conceipt of another mans greatnesse so it bee good or at leastwise without hurt Therefore if wee compare our greatnesse with some other mans that is farre greater we know our owne smalnesse thereby Whereupon it commeth to passe that we doe not onely esteeme woorse but euen dislike and contemne our selues by which meanes wee become more humble whereas before wee were puffed vp with pride through the opinion of our greatnesse of which wee haue experience as often as wee compare our selues with GOD and lift vp our spirite euen to the consideration of his diuine maiestie comparing that with our basenesse For then beeing rauished with admiration of his highnesse and infinite greatnesse wee honour and reuerence him by reason of his power vnto which wee ioyne also his wisedome and goodnesse And according to that reuerence wee beare towardes him wee reuerence those also in whome wee see the same
the miserie of our like Whereupon it followeth that as euery one is of a more tender heart so he is more mercifull as contrariwise hardnesse of heart extinguisheth mercie and compassion As for this word Compassion it signifieth asmuch as alike compassion that is a like sense and feeling of euil and of griefe as if we our selues suffered that which we see others endure by reason of that coniunction which we ought to haue one with another as members of one and the same body among which there is such agreement that if one suffer all feele it and so all are carefull for it Therefore it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrewes that brotherly loue continueth Bee not saith he forgetfull to lodge strangers Remember them that are in bondes as though ye were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye were also afflicted in the bodie Wherefore we may well conclude that this affection of mercie is very necessary for men yea as sweet as milde and as profitable an affection as any can be amongst them which they haue receiued of God for their mutual succour and consolation in the midst of so many miseries as commonly happen in the life of man And this hee commaundeth vs expresly in infinite places of his woorde that the image of his vnspeakeable mercy might shine in vs by our mercy towards others Hitherto we haue spoken of man as of man and of those affections that are most humane in him now others remaine which often make him more brutish then any sauage beast that is For seeing they come of the opinion of euill they prouoke and stirre him vp greatly making him marueilous wilde and vntamed To the end therefore that we may enter into the discourse of this matter we will first see what Offending and Offence is in the heart and soule consider what degrees it hath and what good or euill may be in this affection This we shall learne of thee AMANA Of offence in the heart and soule of the degrees of offence of the good and euil that may be in this affection of contempt that is bred of it and of mockery which followeth contempt Chap. 54. AMANA The Philosophers haue set downe foure causes of al the troubles of the soule from whence all the residue proceed into which they returne and haue their end namely immoderate desire vnbrideled ioy vnmeasurable griefe and extreame feare These as they say proceede through imprudence or ignorance of the minde and pusillanimitie of heart from the opinion of good or euill things present or to come which we imagine to be in the things of this worlde being vnperfect and of small continuance Now forasmuch as these foure causes are the springs of all vices and sinnes into which men plunge themselues in this life they are called perturbations of the soule which if they be not mastred by reason doe so carie the soule hither and thither that in the ende they constraine the reasonable power thereof to giue ouer all authoritie and libertie and to obey the lustes of the sensuall and vnreasonable Will Nowe desire and ioy they commonly accompanie the perishing goodes of the bodie For they are of that nature that they inflame the soule with an insatiable lust inso much that the obtaining of one thing is the beginning of a new and vehement desire of hauing another And the enioying of them besotteth the spirite with a sugred poison of fained delight and pleasure vnder the yoke of which it easily suffreth it selfe to be ouercome to be bound and to be gouerned As for griefe feare although they also be not farre remooued from such false and vading goods of the body yet for the most part they respect those aduersities and miseries which in our opinion wee iudge to be in the want and priuation of those goods For they fill the soule with trouble and disquietnesse as she that thinketh her estate to be most miserable if she obtaine not the ende of her carnall and inordinate affections So that if the body endure neuer so little shee casteth foorth strange cries and complaintes And although the bodie suffer nothing at all yet is shee alwayes in extreme feare least some euill shoulde befall it But these very passions may bee diuided into good and badde For honest desire modestioy and moderate griefe and feare are naturally in vs for the preseruation of our being Yea all these affections are endued with the qualities of commendable vertues if they respect the soueraigne Good of man as we may learne by our former speeches touching this matter which were chiefly of good affections and of such as are most natural in man Therefore following our matter subiect we must from hencefoorth consider of a great number of other affections of the heart which for the most part make men more beastlike then the very beasts themselues that are voyde of all vnderstanding and reason yea then the wildest beastes that are All which affections take their beginning from the opinion of euill as these that are good proceed from the opinion of Good For the feare of euil doth wonderfully prouoke a man when he is touched therwith he waxeth very sauage and wilde Now the first sting and byting of euill is offence by reason that the heart is offended euen as when one rusheth against a thing hurteth himself Therfore by offence we vnderstand properly a certaine griefe of the soule of the heart which commeth through some touch of euill that agreeth not to our nature This first sence of griefe is like to the first pricking of ones bodie and is contrarie to the first pleasure which we receiue of some Good that is offered vnto vs and is agreeable to our nature So that as this pleasure when it is confirmed is turned into loue so out of this first feeling of griefe which I call offence the other affections that are ioyned with griefe doe budde foorth afterwarde namely anger hatred enuie indignation reuenge crueltie and such like The euill that may offend vs is whatsoeuer we iudge to be contrary to vs and to our nature as well in regard of the body as of the soule For as the bodie is offended by those euils which trouble the harmonie and temperature thereof and which bring griefe and hurt vnto it so is it with the soule and with all the powers senses and affections thereof For she may be offended in her imagination and fantasie in her reason in her will and in her affections Nowe because euery one followeth his affections or his natural inclination and not the right rule and iudgement of reason it is an easie matter to offend and displease many and that in many things but not so easie to please them For there is but one onely reason or at leastwise it hath no great diuersitie in it But the naturall dispositions of men are infinite and wonderful
diuers and disagreeing yea cleane contrarie one to another And because there is nothing in all the life of man in which both good and euill are not mingled together or at leastwise some shew of them therefore also there is nothing that may not be taken both wayes eyther this or that way Whereupon that which pleaseth some displeaseth others beside that the want of the true knowledge of things and of examining throughly what good or euill is in euery one of them is the cause of this errour that beguileth men so But howsoeuer it be we ought to be very warie that we offend no man by doing euill and by turning aside from the dueties of true charitie And that which offendeth is so much the more grieuous as it pearceth more inwarde and deepe into the thing offended For the chiefest part of any thing is that which is most inward Wherefore that which entreth in so farre toucheth the quicke indeede and so offendeth and hurteth For this cause that offence and hurt is very grieuous but those offences that are in the will are greatest of all As for those that are in the reason they are not so grieuous and those that are in the other senses especially in the senses of the bodie are lesse then they Nay we thinke not our selues offended at all if our will be not offended Therefore we will suffer many things done by some which we will not abide in others according as we esteeme them to be friendes or enemies and as wee are well or ill affectioned towards them Likewise many things please vs that are done or vttered by our selues which would offend vs if they were spoken or done by others And forasmuch as there is no offence but where there is sense and feeling therefore they are soonest offended and most difficult to please that are most tender and delicate both of body and soule whether they be so naturally or through custome or of weaknesse And surely amongst all liuing creatures man is most testie and can suffer least For hee can beare with nothing and himselfe is intolerable to all Wherefore if all men generally be so harde to serue no marueile if there be nothing so well so iustly and holily spoken that can please a whole people or a great multitude But some are so accustomed to contemne all things that they are offended at euery thing and grieued without any iudgement or distinction Yea there are some to be found amongst them that thinke it a poynt of great wisedome to doe so and to like of nothing howe well soeuer it be done Nowe when men are ledde with such a frowarde and peeuish affection they are very carefull to enquire diligently into all things but with an vniust iudgement to see if they can finde any thing to condemne thinking thereby to shewe their great witte which notwithstanding none will commend but fooles and ignorant persons For they must needes be so who admire such a kinde of people whereas they ought thereby to be moued not onely to despise them but also to hate and condemne them For as we vse to speake in common prouerbe That it is an easier matter to reprehende then to imitate so it is easier for euery one to condemne all or to commende all indifferently then to discerne aright betweene the good and the euill and to giue a good iudgement thereof because there is none so ignoraunt or blockish or malicious which cannot doe the first with ease but the last is not so easily done but by men of good wittes and vpright of heart Nowe hauing saide that offence is the first sense and feeling of euill let vs shewe that it is not without certaine degrees by which it ascendeth vp higher The lowest degree then that is in it is simply to turne aside from that which displeaseth it and this degree may bee called Dislike or Trouble The next aboue that is when offence waxeth hote in it selfe and kindleth the heart in such sort that all the body is mooued therewith And when offence is as it were shut vp that it cannot range at will then it turneth into rage and offereth violence to it selfe extending it selfe euen vnto those that haue not offended it at all For it is stirred vp and waxeth sharpe in it selfe and by this meane it encreaseth more and more continually So that in the ende it is like to a madde dogge which byteth as many as it meeteth withall And although this affection doeth then testifie sufficiently that it sauoureth wholly of the corrupt nature of man neuerthelesse if it were well ordered and did not exceede measure it were commendable so that wee might iustly place it amongest the affections of nature beeing sound which ought to bee the seedes of vertues in vs. For God hath giuen it vnto man to the ende he shoulde presently withdrawe himselfe as soone as hee perceiueth any euill euen at the first taste and touch of it that so it may goe no farther least through custome he growe into a liking of euill and afterwarde followe it with might and mayne For if he sodainly retire as if he touched a serpent and feared to be bitten he will depart so farre from it that it cannot hurt him but if he stay in it and like it neuer so little hee cannot withdrawe himselfe in such due time but that hee shall feele some hurt thereby For euill is like to thornes which a man cannot come neere vnto or handle them but hee shall bee pricked as likewise no man can touch pitch and not be defiled therewith But the remedie to cure offence so farre foorth as it is vicious is the moderation of the heart whereby it becommeth so deepe and so well tempered that it is able with ease to swallow vp and to digest those troubles and offences which others can in no wise beare or endure But nowe that we know what this affection is we may easily conceiue howe it breedeth contempt For contempt is an offence and displeasure conceiued of some euill that cannot hurt and thereupon is esteemed to be vile and abiect So that it proceedeth of an euill whereof wee are not afraide For we vse not to despise them whome we feare but them onely of whome we make small account because they haue not abilitie to hurt vs howsoeuer they want no good will Therefore although wee desire not to doe him good whome wee despise yet wee will not hurt him if there bee in vs but onely a simple contempt of him Wee thinke it enough for vs to mocke him and to shew what small account wee make of him and what small regard is to be had vnto him Heereof it is that proude persons are such great despisers and mockers of others For seeing they esteeme of none but of themselues it cannot bee but that they disdaine others and so consequently mocke them For derision and mockerie followe contempt and they are expressed by manie
him not onely manie diseases but oftentimes death it selfe Therefore although wee knewe not what hurt this affection doeth to the soule yet the euill which it bringeth to the bodie ought to bee of sufficient force to turne vs from it For it is a vice that hath woonderfull effectes in the bodie and such as are verie vnbeseeming a man For first of all when the heart is offended the blood boyleth round about it and the heart is swollen and puffed vp whereupon followeth a continuall panting and trembling of the heart and breast And when these burning flames and kindled spirites are ascended vp from the heart vnto the braine then is anger come to his perfection From hence commeth change of countenance shaking of the lippes and of the whole visage stopping of speech and such other terrible lookes to beholde more meete for a beast then for a man For this cause the Philosopher that counselled an angry man to beholde his face in a glasse had reason so to doe For hee that beholdeth his owne face and countenance when he is in choler shoulde finde matter enough to be appeased Now because anger is a griefe proceeding of the contempt of those good thinges that are in a man who thinketh that it ought not to be so therefore hee desireth to shew that they are not lightly to be esteemed of which he supposeth may be done this way by making his power knowne especially in hurting Whereupon this appetite of reuenge is engendered which is common to anger with offence hatred and enuie so that anger is alwayes mingled with sorow and with desire of reuenge And indeede reuenge is a motion of the heart whereby it doeth not onely turne aside and withdrawe it selfe from that which offendeth but laboureth withall eyther to repell it or to ouercome and vanquish it and to punish him that is the cause of it Wherefore we may note herein two motions as there are two respectes namely the one to eschew the euill that offendeth and the other to pursue with great violence him that is the authour thereof Hereof it is that some when they are angry become pale because the blood retireth vnto the heart and these are most couragious and most dangerous Others waxe redde because the blood ascendeth vp to the head therefore these are not so full of stomacke nor so much to be feared in respect of those causes which were shewed before when we spake of Feare But howsoeuer the difference is yet in anger the blood doeth not wholly goe backe vnto the heart as it doeth in feare and sorow but disperseth it selfe outwardly For the heart is as if he stroue to goe out of his hoste or campe not vnlike to a Prince or Captaine that is desirous to marche forwarde in battell aray whereupon hee sendeth foorth the blood and the spirites as his men of warre to repell the enemie which is not done without great mouing and tumult and much stirring in the heart which setteth it on fire and inflameth the blood and spirites Whereupon it followeth that by reason of this motion of the blood and of the confusion of the spirites which ensue thereof the actions and motions of all the members of the bodie are troubled But the braine is chiefly offended because that also is heated by the inflamed blood and by those burning spirites which mount vp thither by whose motion it is stirred vp and disturbed as also by the sinewes which come euen to the heart For howe hote soeuer the heart and breast are or may bee yet man abideth alwayes still and quiet if the heate pearce not vp to the braine For it falleth out herein as it doeth with a drunken bodie who is not saide to bee drunke because hee hath taken in store of wine except it ascende vp into his head and trouble his braine and senses Heereof it is that vehement anger is often accompanied with frensinesse and with the falling sickenesse And because the heart beeing inflamed the blood and spirites also are set on fire they cause the whole bodie to tremble yea the very bones themselues For the blood that boyleth in the breast puffeth vp and thrusteth forwarde the Midriffe whereupon it followeth that the motions of angrie men are verie troublesome like vnto those of drunkardes Nowe because there are many meanes to stirre men vp to anger and wrath and seeing it is so dangerous a passion it is very needefull for vs to haue manie good remedies against it as indeede there are many to be found Although wee shoulde not stande in neede of so manie if wee woulde onelie consider who wee are and compare our selues with God and marke narowly howe many wayes wee offende him daily what causes wee giue him to bee bitterly incited and kindeled with wrath against vs and howe hee beareth with vs turning his anger into pitie and compassion towardes vs. For if wee enter into this consideration first we shall be greatly ashamed that we are angrie secondly our anger will bee easily appeased For who can despise vs as wee deserue and moue vs to anger seeing wee despise God vnto whome wee owe all honour and reuerence and whome wee ought to set at so high a price aboue all other things that we shoulde esteeme all the worlde as nothing in respect of his value And yet wee shewe plainely howe farre we are off from this seeing we stande in so little awe to offende him yea are more afraide to displease men then him Beside wee commit no offence against him in which there is not great contempt of his maiestie euen hie treason against his diuine maiestie Whereas if wee feared loued and honoured him as wee ought to doe we shoulde rather feare to offende him then to die But there is nothing which wee care for lesse Wherefore questionlesse before him who is a terrible auenger of his contempt wee are all lost if hee shoulde pursue vs in his anger as wee deserue and as wee pursue others and not change his anger into mercie If wee consider well of these things we shall knowe what occasion we haue to swell with pride like toads and to thinke so well of our selues as we doe or to be so soone kindled with choler against them that haue offended vs wee shall know what excellencie and dignitie can be in vs that are but dust and filth whereby we should be so soone prouoked when we see our selues despised and wronged of others Moreouer when we know that we are vtterly vndone except GOD extende his grace and mercie towardes vs shall wee not in steade of anger and reuenge bee ashamed to craue pardon of him if wee continue still to bee angrie and vse no pitie and fauour towardes them that haue offended vs as we desire that God should shew fauour vnto vs And indeede what cause haue we to hope for it vpon any other condition For it is written that the Lorde will take vengeance of him
hath prouided in this sort Wherein wee see it resembleth a pot set to seething which retaineth the heate and seetheth that which it containeth better when it is close couered then when it is without a couer Now we are further to knowe that the stomacke is made of two coats or skins one within an other consisting partly of a fleshy and partly of a sinowy substance The innermost is fuller of sinewes and thicker hauing straight filaments within wherewith as it were with fingers it draweth the meate downeward and without it hath certaine oblique filaments which compasse it about and serue to holde it in The outward coate which is more fleshy hath ouerthwart filaments that serue for expulsion For when the stomacke is sometime ouercharged with meate so that it is not able to embrace and keepe it for digestion then by meanes of the expulsiue vertue it driueth out that which is superfluous and prouoketh a man to vomite to the end it be not stifled through the waight and burthen of the meate it beareth For this cause the throate is a pipe appointed for the moouing of things vp and downe not hauing any attractiue force in it but being onely a meere way and place of passage through which meates and drinkes passe to and fro as neede requireth Concerning the seate of the stomach it is placed in the middest of the body betweene the liuer and the splene and that in such sort that the liuer embraceth and warmeth it on the right side and the splene doeth the like on the left side As for the substance of it it is of the nature of sinewes that is cold and drie For it is very conuenient it should bee so first because of the sense and feeling that it might bee incited by such things as agree with it reiecting all others secondly in regarde of appetite that it might be the greater and of more efficacie Moreouer it was requisite that it shoulde be of such matter to the ende it might bee the harder and receiue the lesse hurt from the hardenesse and sharpnesse of meates And besides the naturall heate which it hath of it selfe it is heated also by the neighbour partes to the ende it may the better perfourme that duetie that lyeth vpon it For this cause it hath on the right side the liuer which is vnto it in steade of a boyling pot or cauldron and on the left side it hath the splene for the same purpose the muscles of the chine bone are behind it and before is the skinne commonly called the Kell Likewise as the heart is not farre from it so the midriffe lying ouer it doeth greatly heate it by continuall motion Whereby we see how the prouidence of God hath well fenced and clothed it on all sides that it might haue as much heate as is needefull for it Touching this skinne called the Kell it is a double coate or couering spreading it selfe wholly ouer the intralles being in fashion like to a purse by reason that it is double and wouen like to a nette consisting of fatte of veines of atteries and of a skinne Moreouer the stomach is warmed by the spirits that enter into it in great abundance by reason that it is knit vnto the neighbour partes by veines and arteries Nowe because it serueth to the nutritiue facultie the naturall vertue thereof is to desire foode the sense and feeling of which appetite is in the vpper Orifice into which many sinewes are wouen that come downe from the braine Therefore when the members of the bodie being empty desire nourishment and labour to drawe it from the veines and the veines from the liuer and the liuer from the stomach and the stomach from the Orifice then is there a certaine contraction and wrinckling as it were of the Orifice by reason of the veines that sucke it In which contraction and gathering together of the stomachs mouth there is by meanes of the nerues a kinde of sense and griefe which we call Hunger whereby liuing creatures are stirred vp to seeke after foode and nourishment I make no repetition heere of that which hath beene spoken before namely of the drawing reteining altering and expulsing vertues of the vegetatiue soule For by our discourses wee may easily vnderstand how euery one of them doeth his duety both in the stomach and liuer and in all the other members of the body But the altering vertue is the chiefest whose office is to change in the stomach and to conuert into iuyce and liquor that meate which it hath receiued This liquor is called by the Physicions Chylus which is a Greeke worde and resembleth the reme of a ptisame it is concocted in the stomach vntill it bee so well prepared that it may be sent vnto the liuer Which concoction is first and principally made by the naturall vertue of the stomach as it appeareth in this that euery stomach doth after a wonderfull manner embrace and warme all the meate which it receiueth euen as the whole wombe embraceth her burthen and fruite vntil it come to ripenesse and when the time of birth is come the expulsiue vertue thereof driueth it foorth So fareth it with the meate in the stomach excepting this difference that the stomach needeth not so long a time to finish his worke in as the wombe doth Afterward this naturall vertue of the stomach is holpen and warmed by those meanes before declared And when the stomach hath finished this first concoction whereby the meate receiued is so duely prepared that it may bee sent into the liuer then the lower Orifice and doore called the Porter openeth it selfe and sendeth this liquor into the intralles and bowelles which are ordained as well to receiue it as to purge foorth the superfluities and excrements Therefore AMANA thy speach shall be of these that so wee may goe forward with our matter of those instruments of the vegetatiue soule which shee vseth in her naturall workes Of the intralles and bowelles and of their names and offices of the nature of the three smaller guttes and of the other three that are greater of the instructions which wee may learne by these things Chap. 62. AMANA If there were no other reason but this that the poorest and basest persons amongest men are the creatures of GOD and created after his image and likenesse as well as the richest mightiest and highest in dignities and honours and that as well the one as the other are members of the bodie of mankinde it were enough to with-holde vs from contemning any person of what condition estate or qualitie soeuer hee bee so that his vocation bee of GOD and profitable for mankinde For in contemning any creature and his estate GOD who created him and ordained his vocation is contemned and iniuried thereby considering that hee is his worke which cannot be mocked but the workemaster that framed it must needes bee scorned Besides wee are to consider that many of
iudgementes of God whereby he punisheth men neuertheles these water-floods which we alwaies carie about vs ought to admonish and induce vs to feare him to call vpon him by prayer and day and night yea hourely to recommend our life vnto him seeing he can take it from vs by stopping our breath yea by a very small matter or at least depriue vs of all motion and sense as though our bodies had neither soule nor life in them but were like to poore dead carkases For the doing hereof hee needeth not to thunder or lighten from heauen against vs but onely to cause a small showre of water to powre downe from our head which is the highest the goodliest and most noble part of all the bodie and as it were the heauen of the litle world or if it please him to cause a fewe droppes onely to distill downe vpon the sinewes and ioyntes it will torment men more grieuously then if they were in some continuall torture as the daily songs of such gowtie persons doe testifie who are impatient and voyde of the feare of God Now besides this profitable aduertisement which euery one may take by that which hath bin here vttered wee ought on the other side to consider the prouidence and goodnesse of God towardes men in that as he holdeth vp in the aire and cloudes the water that hangeth ouer vs not suffering them to breake downe vpon vs all at once to ouerwhelme all the earth by them with all the beastes and other creatures conteined in it but distributeth them by good and iust measure so dealeth he with the humours that ascend vp continually and are kept in our braine where they haue their vessels to retaine them in as it were in sponges which yeeld foorth water according as they are either loosened or restrayned and closed together And as for that which is said of the testimony which we haue of the frailtie of our life appearing in the principal and most noble part of our bodie as the like was shewed vs before in that instruction which we learned by the office that God assigned to our lungs and to the passages allotted by him for the taking in end letting out of the aire so wee haue a very notable lesson in the consideration of the liuer and of the blood of which that is the forge and fountaine and of the distribution thereof into all the partes and members of the bodie by meanes of the veynes as wee hearde yesterday For as a man may iudge by outward appearance that the life of man consisteth in his breath and that he giueth vp both soule and life when hee dyeth as it were in giuing vp the last gaspe so it seemeth also that it is placed in the blood as that which goeth as it were with the blood so that when the blood is drawen out of a mans bodie the life also may seeme to bee drawne out therewithall Herevpon as the soule is oftentimes in holy Scripture put for the life because it giueth life to the bodie so it is also put for the blood and the blood likewise called soule because it is the instrument and meanes whereby the soule giueth life and when the Lorde forbiddeth his people to case the flesh with his soule that is the blood thereof Whereby his meaning is to teach men to abhorre the effusion of mans blood and therefore hee sayeth further I will require your blood euen the blood of your soules Wherefore hee that sheadeth blood doeth as much as if hee drewe the soule out of the bodie Nowe forasmuch as the blood is so necessarie vnto life wee are likewise to vnderstande that as it is either pure and sounde or vnpure and corrupted so is it disposed either to health or sicknesse and to life or death For as the naturall life of man consisteth especially in heate and moysture so a man may easily iudge that as euery thing is bred by meanes of them chiefely liuing and sensible creatures so nothing can bee preserued in this bodily life without these two qualities that are proper to the ayre and to blood as wee haue alreadie hearde But these qualities must bee so tempered that there bee no excesse on either side And for this cause GOD woulde haue all the humours to bee mingled together with the blood that so it might bee tempered as is requisite for the life of man For if it bee too hote and drie or too moyst and colde it cannot doe that office for the performance whereof it is ordayned but in steede of bringing health and life it will breede diseases and in the ende cause death For naturall death commeth onely of diseases amongest which olde age is to bee reckoned which is an incurable sicknesse that lasteth vntill death Neither doe diseases proceede but onely of the distemperature that is in mens bodies and in the humours of which they are compounded For as long as they are in a good moderate and proportionable temper and are distributed to all the partes of the bodie according as neede requireth so that none of them exceedeth then is there an equalitie in all the bodie which doeth not onely preserue it in life but in health and good disposition For there is the like concorde and harmonie betweene these humours that is betweene the partes of a good consort of musicke agreeing well together or of an instrument of musicke well tuned from which you shall heare nothing but pleasaunt melodie Whereas if all the partes thereof agree not well together there will bee no musicall harmonie but onely a very vnpleasant discorde The like may bee saide of all the concordes and discordes that may fall out in the humours of our bodies And therefore GOD had so tempered them in the first creation of man as was requisite so that hee woulde haue preserued him in a perpetuall life if by true obedience hee had alwayes beene knit and vnited vnto God his Creatour But since man fell at variance with God through sinne all this goodly concorde which God had placed not onely in mans bodie but also betweene the rest of his creatures hath been troubled and turned into discord by meanes of sinne So that all this goodly temperature and harmonie of the humours in which mans bodie was created was dissolued and broken asunder and that in such sort that it was neuer since sounde and perfect in any man of howe good constitution soeuer hee hath beene For euen in the best complexions there is alwayes some defect or excesse in some of the humours so that if there were no other cause yet no body coulde naturally bee immortall For alwayes in the ende the excesse or defect that is in it woulde cause it to decay and finally bring it to corruption But besides this there are so many other wantes and superfluities throughout the whole life of man whereby this euill alreadie become naturall is so much augmented that there die moe without
weapons both because that had bene superfluous hauing giuen vnto him that which is farre better as also because his beautie had bene thereby much diminished and his spirit should not haue bene so well knowen as now it is by meanes of that skill and of those artes of which God hath made it capable For what could he inuent and doe and wherein should he shew that naturall light and dexteritie that is in him if nature had furnished him with all those things wherewith his reason giuen vnto him is able to inrich him But to conclude our speech hauing spoken sufficiently of the creation generation and birth of man let vs looke into this beautie that is in the forme and figure of mans body by calling to remembrance our former discourses And let vs know that both for the matter also for the forme and composition thereof there is not the like worke in all the worlde none so goodly so proper nor so well vnited knit together none so wel proportioned polished in euery respect in euery part thereof So that when we consider thereof from one end of it vnto the other we shal find that the workemaster that made this body hath throughout the whole worke ioyned beautie and profit together But there is yet another excellencie worthy of great admiration in that hee hath not only beautified this body with so goodly a shape as we see it hath but hath also endued it with vertue and abilitie to make other bodies altogether like it selfe as we heard yesterday Wherefore men shewe indeede that they knowe nothing of the excellencie of their nature and that they haue altogether forgotten or at leastwise very ill considered of that instruction which God hath giuen them by the composition of their bodies but principally by the soule that is lodged therein if despising celestiall and eternal things for which they are created they affect and seeke after earthly and transitorie things preferring the earth before heauen as commonly they doe Which is all one as if they declared openly that they are displeased that God hath made them men and not beastes ramping on the earth or marching vpon all foure and turning their snoute alwayes downeward because they haue nothing in them that sauoureth of a diuine and celestiall nature as man hath and so they deale no otherwise then as if they would reproch God for that honour which hee hath bestowed vpon them by creating them differing from brute beastes vnto whome notwithstanding they had rather be like But enough is spoken of this matter And seeing wee may be sufficiently instructed by all our former discourses what are those principall partes powers and offices of the soule I meane the animall vitall and naturall vertues as also what instruments they haue in mans body let vs nowe looke into the life and death thereof and consider more narowly then hitherto we haue done what are the causes both of the one and the other Whether the life of the body can proceede either of the matter or of the composition forme and figure or of the qualities thereof or els of the harmony coniunction and agreement of all these whether any of these or all of them together can be the soule of the length and shortnes of the diuers degrees and ages and of the end of mans life of death and of the causes both of life and death of the difference that is betweene naturall and supernaturall Philosophie in the consideration of things Chap. 74. AMANA Iesus Christ purposing to teach vs that we cannot haue life but in him by him who is the life and who hath the words of eternal life compareth himselfe to a Vine his disciples vnto Branches For as the branch hath life vigor and beareth fruite so long as it remaineth in the vine receiueth nourishment from thence so if it receiueth no sap from thence or if it be cut off it withereth and dyeth We may say the same of the members of the body if the soule be not in euery one of them and if it giue not life vertue and vigor to them all for the performance of their offices For if it fall out so that it withdraweth it selfe altogether from any one part of the body that part is without life as we see by experience in a member dried vp or putrified or cut off from the body And so is it with the whole body when the soule is separated frō it But we are to handle this matter more at large By our former discourses wee may learne the nature both of the soule and of the body what is that vnion and coniunction which they haue together albeit their natures substances and essences are diuers and very different also we haue learned that the one of them namely the spirituall essence is a great deale more excellent then the other which is corporall Wherefore we may well conclude that the life in the body proceedeth not of the matter whereof it is made nor of the qualities ioyned vnto it nor yet of the composition forme and figure thereof For if the life and soule were in the matter of the body the larger and greater mens bodies were and the more matter they had in them the more life and soule the more wit spirit and vnderstanding should be in them But we see by experience that it is farre otherwise and that there is no more life soule in a great body then in a litle And if it were so that the life proceeded from the matter a dead body should bee as well a man as a liuing body We may say the same both of the qualities ioyned to the matter according to the nature of the elements as also of that conformation and agreement that is betweene all the members both within and without And as for the harmony coniunction and concord that floweth from the diuersitie of these qualities and from their temperature it may be increased and diminished Wherefore that cannot be the effect of nature which causeth a thing to be that which it is and giueth vnto the same thing his forme and kinde that continueth alwayes in his estate and naturall disposition For if it were otherwise the nature of kindes might bee changed which neuer any of the Philosophers did so much as imagine or thinke to affirme And as for the composition and figure of the body there is yet lesse reason to say it commeth from thence forasmuch as that continueth the same in a dead body which it was in a liuing Againe those liuing creatures that resemble most the nature and forme of the members of mans body and the matter thereof are oftentimes farther off from the nature of humane sense and vnderstanding then they that do lesse resemble thē Which we may easily know by considering the natures of a Hog and of an Elephant For they that through want and famine haue bene constrained to eate
mans flesh haue testified that no flesh or meate whatsoeuer approcheth neerer in taste or is more like it then the flesh of a Hog And if we consider the inward members and parts there is no beast if we will giue credite to them that haue had the experience thereof that hath them liker to those in man then the Hog hath both for substance disposition forme and figure Contrariwise wherein doeth the Elephant resemble man either for forme or composition of body or of the members both internal and external in comparison of a Hog And yet there is no beast more teachable then the Elephant or that approcheth neerer to the sense and vnderstanding of man as on the other side there is no beast further off in this respect nor more hard to be taught and more brutish then is the Hog And if any man thinke that the industry and docilitie of an Elephant proceedeth either from the greatnesse of the matter whereof it is made or from the abundance of the qualities ioyned vnto the matter or from the harmony coniunction and concorde that is betweene them or lastly from the composition forme figure of his body and of the members thereof wee will oppose vnto him the Ant which is one of the least among the creatures of the earth as the Elephant is the greatest of all as farre as we know The like may be said of the Bee For are there many creatures although greater in substance that yet haue such industrious ingenious natures as these litle beasts haue that are to be reckoned among the smallest of them And by this it appeareth plainly that the soule of beasts is of some other substance nature then their bodies notwithstanding there is great difference betwixt the soule of beasts the soule of mē But we haue further to note touching the soule of man that the spirit doth not only not folow the nature of the body but which is more gouerneth carieth recarieth it whither it pleaseth yea it withstandeth the affections which approch neerest to the corporal terrestrial nature And as for the facultie of sense of the senses it is a vertue that surpasseth all bodily power and vertue all things depending of the body so that there is no facultie of the body that is able to expresse the actions thereof What shall we say then of the vertue of vnderstanding which is the highest and most soueraigne facultie that is in man Which wee cannot say is a body compounded of matter and forme For that thing is the fountaine and original of life which first mooueth a liuing creature to the works belonging vnto life So that when wee inquire what this fountaine and spring is then doe we seeke to know what the soule is Nowe we may soone know by that which hath bene spoken what the soule is not but as yet we cannot perceiue what the proper substance and nature thereof is And in deede it is not that which wee haue to speake of at this time hereafter we may say somewhat of that matter Let it suffice for this present that we know that the true cause of the life of the body in regard of second causes is in the soule next vnto God who is the first and principall cause of all things Therefore it is hee that hath ordained and limitted to euery liuing creature his appointed time wherein to liue and to grow and next to decrease and to dye and as it pleaseth him either to prolong or to abridge their life so doeth he dispose of the second causes and meanes whereby hee will haue it brought to passe Wherefore although euery one hath his certaine bounds and terme of life set him yet none but God onely can attaine to the knowledge thereof For all come not to the last age which hee hath appointed to be the ordinarie end of euery ones life following those degrees into which it is diuided according to that diuision which we make of dayes and yeeres For the infancie of man may be resembled to the morning and to the spring time of the yeere mans age to midday and to the sommer olde-age to the Euening and to Autumne and death to night and to winter Therefore Iob sayth very well speaking of man the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe Nowe if it be demaunded what is the ordinarie terme of life appointed by God we are to know that nature by the ordinance of God appropriateth the matter being in the forme of members vnto the soule that is to giue life vnto the whole body Nowe when the soule is entred into it and hath taken possession thereof by little and little it prepareth and maketh fit the internall instruments vntil at length it hath brought them to that perfection which the qualitie constitution and composition of the matter is able to receiue and to beare And after these instruments are come to their greatest perfection by vsage they waste and consume away returning by little and little vnto their first nature so in the end wholy corrupt and dye Thus you see how the members are appropriated in the belly of the mother howe the spirits and humors are fitted in the time of infancie after which the flower of age in youth is as it were the vigor and vse of the perfection of the instruments and olde-age is the decreasing age wherein they decay continually become worse and worse euen vntill they come to their corruption which is death And this death we call naturall when following this course it attaineth without violence to these bounds Nowe although this bee no long course yet there are but very fewe that hold out to the vttermost end thereof in regard of them that stay by the way of whome some are cut off euen before they haue begunne their course others presently after they haue begun it and some in the midway and that through so many sortes of sicknesses with other inconueniences and accidents that a man cannot possibly comprehend or conceiue them all Therefore Moses sayd long since that the time of our life is threescore yeeres and ten and if they be of strength foure score yeeres yet their strength is but labour and sorowe for it is cut off quickly and we flee away And after hee hath compared man to a streame of water caried violently away to a Morning dreame to the grasse that florisheth and groweth in the Morning and in the Euening is cut downe withereth he giueth the reason of all this saying for we are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance for all our dayes are past in thine anger we haue spent our yeeres as a thought Iob also agreeth well with Moses in this point when hee sayeth Man that is borne of a
it is so there is but one onelie Soule in euery liuing creatures body by which it doeth liue but yet this soule is distinguished according to the vertues and offices thereof Wherein it falleth out with the soule as it doeth with a man that hath many charges and offices or that exerciseth many Artes and occupations which hee practiseth in seueral places at sundry times and by diuers instruments and seruants Yea the very varietie of those instruments which the soule vseth and the repugnance that is betweene the actions thereof doe shewe manifestly that there is but one workemaster from whome the whole proceedeth and which gouerneth and moderateth all as a liuing creature ought to doe For there could not be so great agreement in such diuersitie if there were diuers workemen and so many soules as there are effects and actions in all the partes of man Besides if there were such diuersitie of kindes of all things as there is diuersity of effectes the number of them woulde bee infinite whereupon there woulde great confusion follow in the searching out of nature and of naturall things Therefore seeing there is but one soule in euery body we must learn whether it hath any certaine place and seate in the body or whether the whole body be the lodging for it Now as euery forme of each body is in the whole body so the soule is wholly in the whole body in which the true forme principall essence of man consisteth For if there were any part thereof that had no soule within it that part should haue no life as we see it by experience in a member that is dry or putrified or cut off from the body So that as an Husbandman hath his sundry instruments for the trimming of the ground and by them effecteth diuers works according to the vse of each seueral instrument so fareth it with the soule in the bodie For the husbandman worketh another woorke with his plough then hee doeth with his harrowes and otherwise with his spades and shouels then with the other aboue named instruments so that according to the diuersitie of his tooles he worketh diuers workes And yet all this while there are not so many husbandmen as there are sundry instruments but one alone vseth all these to serue his turne And hee that should demand in which of all his instruments the Husbandman were should he not thinke you mooue an impertinent question For hee may be both without his instruments also with them and when he vseth them he applieth them to himselfe and himselfe vnto them And to aske which of his instruments is the chiefest were not to speake very much to purpose For euery one of them is principall in his vse and for that worke whereunto it it is applied and so is it with the soule and with the instruments thereof For it can be both with them and without them in that maner that hath beene already declared And as the plough is the chiefe instrument which the Husbandman hath to cutte and diuide the grounde into furrowes and the pickaxe to digge in hard places so the eye is the chiefe instrument the soule hath for seeing the eare for hearing the brayne with the thinne cleare and bright spirits therein for all kinde of vnderstanding and knowledge and the heart for the fountaine of life Nowe because the soule hath so many sundry powers offices and actions it is also taken in diuers sences and significations but especially in the holy scriptures as God willing we shal learne hereafter In the meane time that vnion which it hath with the body is marueilous and ought to be diligently considered of vs. Wee are to know then that all things whatsoeuer are ioyned together in nature are alwaies so knit and vnited by some means which meane consisteth either in this that the essence of two extreames doe participate one of another ioyne together or els in the agreement of action and of worke Now as the bond of the first meane is between the elements themselues and also betweene them and that matter whereof bodies are compounded because there is betweene them an agreement and participation of nature euery one in his degree according as they are neerer or further remoued off one from another so we haue the bond of the second meane betweene the body and the soule namely the agreement of action and worke Let vs then consider of the coniunction and agreement that is betweene a workeman and his worke together with those instruments whereby he effecteth his worke For there is an agreement and coniunction betweene the painter and his picture by reason of the pensill wherewith hee woorketh And the like may be said of all other workmen Euen so the form and kinde of all things is as it were the Workemaster in regard of the matter and the qualities and fashioning of the matter are the instruments whereby the Species or kinde of any thing is vnited and knit vnto the matter Now the soule is ioyned to the body as light is vnto the aire For by reason of the coniunction of the aire and light together the aire is made cleare and lightsome and yet the aire and light remaine whole and perfect without any mixture or confusion of the one with the other For they are not mingled together as the elements are in naturall mixtures or as hearbes that are beaten together into powder or drugges of the Apothecary in a medicine that lie mingled and confused one within another But the vnion and bond of two substances ioyned together is a great deale more neere in other kinds and creatures then in the soule wherein it is remooued farther of by reason that the nature of corporall things admitteth of a neerer coniunction and agreement among themselues then there can be naturally betweene corporall and spirituall thinges So that the greater agreement of natures there is the straiter is the bonde and vnion-betweene them Nowe wee may knowe of what nature euerie kinde of thing is by the offices and actions thereof As if the question were touching the nature of that soule which heeretofore we called the Nourishing and Vegetatiue Soule it appeareth by the office and actions thereof that it is hote and that it taketh part as also all the actions thereof of the nature of fire which is the highest and purest element and that which approcheth neerest to the celestiall natures But that kinde of soule which wee called Sensitiue and Cogitatiue such as it is in brute beastes ascendeth yet higher and by agreement is linked neerer to the heauens and to the nature of heauenly bodies And therefore beasts haue not onlie sense but some kinde of knowledge also whereby they doe in some sort marke and perceiue the course of the heauens and heauenly bodies and doe seeme after a sort to vnderstande them For they haue knowledge both of the day and of the night of Winter and of Summer
appeare vnto vs and contrariwise the more pure and thinne it is the brighter and more shining it will shew it selfe vnto vs. Nowe for this matter wee must call to minde what wee heard concerning the generation of spirites both Vitall and Animall in those discourses of the nature and office of the heart And as they are thinne vapours engendered of blood concocted and sette on fire through the vertue of the heart that they might bee as it were little flames hauing diuers actions in diuers members so according to the puritie and impuritie of the blood in the composition of the bodie wee are to iudge of the spirites that proceede from them And albeeit they haue all one and the same fountaine namely the heart in which they are bredde neuerthelesse they change according to those places and members wherein they woorke and being so changed they haue diuers and seuerall actions Wee vnderstand then by the Vitall spirite a little flame bredde and borne in the heart of the purest blood whose office is to carie naturall heate to the other members and to giue them vertue and strength to put in practise those actions and offices which they exercise by the same heat It hath beene tolde vs also before that the arteries serue to carie this vitall spirite to all the members But wee are farther to learne that when the vitall spirites bredde in the heart are in part transported to the braine others are engendered of them which are called Animall spirites in that sence in which wee called those Animall faculties and powers from whence the Soule deriueth her vessels and instrumentes in the brayne For after the spirites sent by the heart are come thither they are made more cleane and bright through the vertue of the braine and agreeable to the temperament thereof and then beeing infused into the brayne by meanes of the sinewes they are insteade of a light whereby the actions of the sences are incited and stirred vp as also those motions which are from place to place And as wee haue hearde that a good temperature of the blood and of other humours doeth much helpe forwarde and profite the manners and conditions of men the same may bee saide of the heart and of the spirites proceeding from the same For when the heart is in good temper so that it is not troubled either with anger or sadnesse or any other euill affection it is manifest that the spirites are a great deale the better in the braine Nowe let vs consider the woonderfull woorke of God wrought in man by meanes of the Vitall and Animall spirites For what are the chiefe actions effected in him Are they not the preseruation of life nourishment and generation and then sense and motion with cogitation and the affections of the heart And what were all these thinges without spirites Hence it commeth that in the holy Scriptures the heart is taken for the fountaine not onely of life but also of all the actions of men as it hath beene alreadie declared vnto vs. And for this cause also some haue sayde that these spirites and little Vitall and Animall flames were the soule it selfe or the immediate instrument thereof that is to say the verie next whereby it woorketh immediately so that there is none betwixt them twayne But the latter is more certaine and more agreeable to trueth then the former For if the soule were nothing else but the Vitall and Animall spirites it shoulde fayle and perish with them as the bodily life doeth and so it shoulde not bee immortall But seeing they are but the instruments thereof as the humours of the bodie are and namely the blood from which they proceede the soule can well bee without them albeeit they cannot bee without it and although it cannot without them perfourme the woorkes it doeth with and by them And forasmuch as God hath giuen them to bee as it were a light it is certaine that the light of these surmounteth the light of the Sunne Moone or starres and that all these lights haue great agreement one with another But it is yet a farre more woonderfull woorke of GOD when not onelie the soule vseth these instrumentes for the life of man but also when the celestiall spirite ioyneth it selfe vnto them vsing them in the elect and making them more cleere by his heauenly light that the knowledge of God might bee more euident that their assuraunce and trust in him might bee more firme and that all the motions of his children might bee kindeled the more towardes him So likewise the euill spirite knoweth well howe to take occasion by the badde temperature of the humors to abuse men as wee haue alreadie declared thereby to set forwarde their ruine when hee possesseth the heart troubleth and poysoneth the spirites in that and in the brayne Whereupon hee attempteth to hinder reason and iudgement to bring men to furie and madnesse and to thrust forwarde their heart and their other members to committe foule and execrable factes Whereof wee haue examples in the furie of Saul and in his death in the death of Achitophel of Iudas and of manie others whome hee hath brought to slaye themselues as likewise in manie other horrible factes dayly committed by men Therefore it is very requisite that wee shoulde diligently consider our nature and bee carefull to gouerne and guide it well Wee are to knowe that our spirites are the habitations of the holy spirite and therefore wee are to pray to God through his sonne Christ Iesus to repell and keepe backe euill spirites farre from vs and to inspire his diuine and celestiall spirite into our spirites heartes and mindes that it may guide and gouerne them And this agreeth verie fitly with that prayer which wee hearde alreadie vttered by Saint Paul touching the entire sanctification of the whole man whome hee diuided into spirite soule and bodie So that if wee haue throughly tasted of the former discourses as well concerning the nature of the bodie as of the soule wee may perceiue wherefore the Apostle hath thus diuided the whole man For first wee cannot doubt but that the soule beeing the principall Woorker is such a substaunce and nature as dwelleth in a bodie apt and meete to receiue life in I speake this purposely because all sortes of bodies are not capable of soule and life and they that are capable are not yet capable of euerie kinde of soule and life but onelie of such as are agreeable to their nature hauing those instrumentes in themselues which may bee vsed by them according to their nature Wherefore the soule of man must of necessitie haue another bodie with other instruments and of another nature then the soule of beastesmay haue and the soule of beastes another then the soule of plantes according as euerie one of them differeth from other both in nature and offices But of what nature soeuer eyther the soule or the bodie is the soule hath this
tenth dayes worke THE ELEVENTH dayes worke Whether the soule of man is engendred with the body and of the same substance that the body is of or whether it be created by it selfe and of another substance whether it be needfull for vs to know what the soule is and what is the essence thereof or onely to know of what qualitie it is with the workes and effects thereof Chap. 81. ASER I am of opinion that in discoursing philosophically concerning the knowledge of the soule we ought to practise that which Socrates saide being tired with the consideration of the nature of things namely to bee very carefull lest it happen to vs as it doeth to them that are busie beholders of the Sunne eclipsed whose sight is dazeled thereby except they beholde the image thereof in water or in some such like thing For euen the Spirite that is wholly giuen to the vnderstanding of it selfe is often as it were amazed and carried farre out of the way of true contemplation vnlesse it knowe howe to consider it selfe in the glasse of all brightnesse layed open in the sacred worde of GOD and not stay altogether in the discourses of naturall Philosophie and humane reason which many times blinde euen the sharpest wittes of men True it is that wee haue many things in Nature that affoorde vs euident testimonies of the creation nature and immortalitie of the soule which haue greatly mooued not onely those Philosophers that haue borne greatest reuerence to GOD and acknowledged him to bee the Creatour of all things but euen those also that were most prophane and made the greatest Idole of Nature Neuerthelesse the knowledge of so high and difficult a matter coulde neuer bee perfectly comprehended but of them onely that haue heard the doctrine of the Spirite of GOD and haue receiued the testimonies of his worde as certaine demonstrations of those thinges which the sense of man is not able to conceiue For in deede wee can not pronounce anie thing certaine of so high a nature as is that of the soule except it bee by his testimonie who hath created it and who onelie knoweth it as the workeman knoweth his worke Yet wee ought not to contemne naturall reasons founde out by the learneder sorte which are as it were beames of that true light but rather diligently consider of them as helpes that may greatly further vs in the vnderstanding of that wee seeke and serue for the confounding of so many Atheists as impudently dare to deny the immortalitie of the soule and that iudgement of God which shall be to the euerlasting happinesse and ioy of the good and to the perpetuall griefe and torment of the wicked Nowe albeit the soule of man hath no partes nor members into which it may bee diuided as the body may neuerthelesse in the sequele of our discourses concerning the Anatomy of the body wee haue also made as it were an Anatomy of the soule in regarde of her faculties powers and offices whereby wee may attaine to some good measure of knowledge touching the nature thereof and of the difference that is betweene it and the soules of all other creatures that haue soule and life But there remaine yet very great difficulties concerning the creation and substance thereof vpon which points it shal be very profitable for vs to be well resolued Wee knowe well enough by that which wee heard before that the soule of man can not bee of any corporall nature or compounded of any corruptible nature as the body is For if it were so then must it necessarily bee mortall as the body is and be farre from doing that which it doeth Besides it woulde followe thereupon that the soule of man differed in nothing from the soule of beastes But wee knowe by the effectes of it that there is great difference betweene them yea greater then betweene heauen and earth which being so it followeth well that it is not engendered with the body of the same substance with it and that the substaunce of the soule is not deriued from the same seede Againe if the soule bee created of some other substance and not begotten with the body of any humane seede a man may aske from whence then commeth that pollution that is in it through sinne whereby the whole race of mankinde is corrupted and what power Originall sinne ought to haue ouer it For if GOD daylie createth soules for those humane bodies that come into the worlde continually as wee doe beleeue and that to place and lodge them in those bodies euen from the wombe surely hee createth them no otherwise then hee did all other creatures which hee created good Whereupon it followeth that hee created not soules corrupted and infected with sinne but pure and sound as those were of our first Parents before sinne entred into the worlde Neuerthelesse wee see that the chiefe corruption and infection in man through sinne is in the soule For if the soule were not infected the body shoulde not bee stained therewith as that which is but the lodging and instrument of the soule and as it were the seruant thereof Wherefore when the soule is cleane and pure the whole man both bodie and soule is altogether pure but when that is defiled all is defiled From whence then will some man say doeth the soule receiue this infection of sinne wherewith shee is polluted after her creation Hath she it of her selfe or of the body after shee is lodged therein and of the corruption of that seede of which the body is begotten These are very profound questions and woonderfull difficult about which many great Diuines haue troubled themselues a long time But the wiser sort enquire soberly into them so as they giue euident testimony of that modesty wherewith they seeke after the vnderstanding of the great secreats of God rather then make profession that they haue found them out Others there are who one while with coniectures according to their fancie an other while with reasons drawne from the nature of things set downe for a certaine trueth whatsoeuer commeth into their minde Nowe then being to heare what reasons can be alleadged wee will omit and passe ouer as well them that walke wholy in the darkenesse of ignorance as those that will not goe faire and softly and as it were feeling with the hand but runne on swiftly whither they please without feare of downefalles Wee wil take a middle course neither too high nor too lowe keeping our selues within the limites of the worde of trueth which teacheth vs that wee incurre originall sinne because wee are all the children of Adam to whome and to whose posteritie God gaue originall iustice which made man obedient to God and the body subiect to reason But it was giuen him with this condition that if he kept not the commandement of God both he and his posterie shoulde bee depriued of that gift and priuiledge euen as if some nobleman hauing committed treason shoulde
from this natural and diuine heate Therfore the soule lieth now in this estate and condition but when it is repaired amended it shal returne againe to the condition of a spirite or mind Which being so it seemeth that the departing and declining of the soule is not alike in all but is turned either more or lesse in the soule and that some spirites or mindes doe yet retaine somewhat of their first vigour other some either nothing at all or very litle These soules by reason of many defects of the spirit stood in need of more grosse and solide bodies so that for their sakes this visible world was made created so great that it might containe all those soules which were appointed to bee exercised therein And forasmuch as all of them did not depart alike from goodnes the Creator of all things tooke vnto himselfe certaine seedes and causes of varietie to the ende that according to the diuersity of sinnes he might make the worlde variable and diuers This is Origens sentence concerning soules which self-same opinion we may reade also in Saint Hierome writing to Anitus whereby wee may see howe this opinion agreeth in part with that of the Platonists For the greatest disagreement betweene them consisteth heerein that these Philosophers attributed the cause of the infection of soules to the bodies into which they were sent frrom heauen And Origen with many that followed him supposed that the soules were sent into bodies as prisoners to bee punished for their offences committed in heauen From such fancies haue issued so many dreames about soules as are to be read in infinite writings But doe thou ACHITOB take occasion hereupon to continue our discourses Of the opinion of the Platonists and some others touching the substance of mens soules in what sence not onely the Poets and Heathen Philosophers but also S. Paul haue saide that men were the generation and Image of God of their errour that say that soules are of the very substance of God of the transmigration of soules according to the opinion of the same Philosophers Chap. 84. ACHITOB. It is woonderfull to consider howe harde a matter it is to finde out the trueth of such thinges as are commonly disputed of because notwithstanding any solution or answere that is made yet still some doubt may arise in our mindes insomuch as there is no poynt howe doubtfull soeuer it bee but that a man may alleage likelihood both with it and against it But this commeth to passe especially in matters of greatest reache the difficultie of which is so much the harder to be defined as the true knowledge thereof is more necessary for vs. Those men therefore are happie who are assured of that which they beleeue by certaine testimonies cut of the worde of trueth especially when the question is concerning the soule which is the instrument of God whereby he worketh in vs and lifteth vs vp to the contemplation of his diuinitie Nowe my companions by your three former discourses wee may gather both what agreement and what difference there is amongest those whome you haue mentioned touching their opinions as well in regarde of the birth of soules as of their distinction diuision and corruption For they agree herein that they are not engendred with the body neither of the same seede and matter at leastwise the reasonable soule but say that it is of a celestiall diuine and immortall nature But herein they disagree in respect of the nature of the matter and about the time creation and birth of the soule and also in regard of the meanes by which it is defiled and infected with sinne The Platonists affirme that the soule is so extracted out of the diuine nature that it is a part and portion thereof Which thing cannot agree with the nature of God because it would folow therupon that it were not one but might be diuided into diuers parts and that those partes of which the soules should be created might be subiect to the pollution of sinne a thing too contrary to the nature of God Or else they must say that there is but one soule in all and through all and that God is this soule And this were to fâ—l into their opinion who said that God was the soule of the world and that the worlde was his bodie which is farre from the trueth For if it were so then must God bee mortall and corruptible in respect of his body and that still one part or other should be corrupted as we see corporall things daily to corrupt On the other side God should not then be infinit and incomprehensible as he is neither is it the worlde that comprehendeth and containeth him but it is he who comprehendeth containeth the world Wherfore neither is the world God neither is God the world but the Creator thereof and he by whome it is and doeth consist So that forasmuch as all these opinions are very strange and vnwoorthie the diuine nature they deserue not that we should stay any longer in them as they that ouerthrowe themselues But I knowe well that some would haue that place alleged out of the Poet by Saint Paul to serue their fantasticall opinion where it is said that We are the linage and generation of God For Saint Paul doeth not alleage it onely as an opinion of an Heathen Poet but doeth also approoue and confirme the same taking his argument from thence that our soule beeing of a spirituall and diuine nature wee ought to make the same account of God whose linage and generation wee are Nowe albeeit the Apostle speaketh thus yet his meaning is not that the soules of men are of the verie substaunce and essence of God as wee say that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one and the same essence and substance in the the vnitie of God beeing distinguished and not diuided into three persons Neither doeth he meane that the soules are engendred of the proper essence and substance of God or that they proceede from it as wee say that the sonne is begotten of the Father and that the holy spirite proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne according as it is testified vnto vs in the holy Scriptures But hee woulde haue vs learne that the soule of man is of another nature and substance not onely then the bodie of man is but also then the soule of beastes and that the nature and substance thereof is celestiall and diuine not because it is drawen from the very substance and essence of God but by reason of that difference which is betweene the soule of man and the bodies and soules of beastes and also in regard of that agreement which is betweene it and the diuine nature both because of the immortalitie of the soule as because it approcheth more neere to the nature of God then of any other creature except the Angels whome wee say also are of a diuine nature and celestiall for the like
bodie into another vntill such time as it hath done and finished whatsoeuer can bee done in the worlde whether good or euill accounting both euill deedes and good deeds vices as well as vertues to bee a kinde of penance and purgation of soules Besides these Heretikes affirmed as the Libertines their successours doe the like in our dayes that there was no sinne but onely in the opinion and fancie of men and that it is but a conceipt in their minde that breedeth this opinion Nowe when I thinke vpon this manner of regeneration and passage of the soule from one bodie to another I muse howe it is possible that euer any men especially those that are taken for such great Philosophers should fall into such foppery and aboue all how Plato shoulde bee of that opinion who is by them surnamed The diuine For first of all we haue alreadie learned by our discourses of the nature both of body and soule that the soule cannot dwell nor exercise her offices in any other then in the bodie of a man seeing that is the true forme and perfection of man and of that kinde without which hee cannot bee man Wee may say the same of the soule of beastes and of plants For if euery creature had not his proper forme and some thing in which the perfection of it consisteth without which it cannot bee that which it is and by which it differeth in kinde from other creatures there woulde bee a woonderfull confusion throughout all nature yea the whole order thereof woulde bee ouerturned For all kindes of nature shoulde bee confounded together neither shoulde there be anie one kinde certaine and distinct which thing is contrary to all naturall reason and to all order appointed by God Therefore it is a very hard matter to beleeue that euer any man of a sounde minde and good iudgement would admitte of such a fantasticall opinion But wee may learne of thee ASER in proceeding with the matter of our discourse what thou hast learned of skilfull men concerning this that Plato hath written of transmigration of soules The chiefe causes as learned men thinke that mooued Pythagoras and Plato to broache the transmigration of soules and transformation of bodies the ancient opinion of the Iewes touching the same thing Chap. 85. ASER. The worlde was neuer without certaine wittie men that boasted they coulde answere vpon a sodaine to any thing that shoulde be demaunded of them And there haue beene alwayes some others that in euery controuersie and disputation mainteyned one while this part and by and by the contrary which hath giuen occasion as I thinke to certaine of the auncient Philosophers to beleeue that a man can know nothing perfectly and that no man ought certainely to determine any thing otherwise then vpon his bare and simple opinion But in my minde this consideration will finde but fewe defenders nowe adayes except it bee amongst the ignoraunt who leauing all search of things liue onely at all aduenture or else amongest them that beleeue euery thing that is tolde them and are ledde with euerie sentence which they heare of others without any further inquirie made of the reason thereof Nowe as we would bee loath to perish with the ignoraunt so wee must beware that wee commit not our selues and our beleefe so easily to the daunger of other mens errours And in deede oftentimes wee iudge not aright of their meaning namely when the question is concerning the sense of their writing As I purpose to let you see my companions in that which hath beene alreadie spoken of Plato I haue learned of manie skilfull men that Pythagoras and Plato neuer beleeued that transmigration of soules into manie bodies which we reade in their writings but that by these fayned kindes of speech their meaning was rather to withdrawe men from beastly affections vnwoorthie their nature and thereby to paint out and to expresse the diuersitie of those affections and to set them as it were before their eyes thereby to declare vnto them howe by reason of their vnruly affections they resemble all other creatures and chiefely brute beastes Wherefore wee may with good reason call man a little worlde if there were no other cause but this albeeit in this respect it standeth not with his honour and credite For there is no kinde of beast whatsoeuer nor yet of any other creature vnto which hee doeth not in some sort transforme himselfe by his affections and by his maners and vices For when he pleaseth he transformeth himselfe one while into a sheepe then into a woolfe againe into a foxe or into a hogge or into a dogge or into a beare or into a Lion or into some other such like beast Moreouer sometimes hee transfigureth himselfe not onely into one kinde of beast but into many together and yet those very differing and contrarie the one from the other And as he can at his pleasure transforme himselfe into an Angell so doeth hee likewise turne himselfe into a Diuell It is not then altogether voyde of reason that Plato sayeth that the nature of man is as it were a monstrous nature yea hee compareth it to a Monster whose vppermost part resembleth a Virgine whose breast which is the middest is like to a Lyon and the lowest part to a barking and bawling dogge For hee compareth the highest part to a Virgin because hee placeth reason in the head as in the proper seate thereof and of the animal powers of the Soule for their nature and office sake Next hee saieth that the breast resembleth a Lion because he taketh the heart to bee the seate of the Vitall power of the Soule and also of the affections that often may well bee likened to a Lion and to furious beastes Lastly hee compareth the lower partes to dogges because that part is appoynted to be the seate of the naturall and nourishing power of the soule and of the generatiue vertue as that which is very brutish and giuen to all carnall pleasures and chiefely to fornication If then a man cannot moderate his affections and concupiscences hee maketh himselfe like to so many beastes as hee hath affections holding of their nature This also is the cause why the spirite of God in the holy Scriptures so often compareth men to sundry sortes of beasts to teach vs that they are as it were transformed into them and into hideous and horrible monsters to the ende they might bee the more ashamed of themselues and that knowing howe they turne themselues into beastes and into Diuels by their vices they should learne also howe contrariwise through vertue they become men of beastes and angels of Diuels Therefore it is very like that Pythagoras and Plato had respect to this which hath beene saide in those transformations and transmigrations of soules of which they spake I thinke also that the Poets following the same inuention haue for the like reason fayned the transformations of men into diuers beastes and into other
enter into the combat with vs. It belongeth therfore to thee ACHITOB to beginne the skirmish How men can haue no certaine resolution of th'immortalitie of the soule but by the Word of God of the peruersenesse of Epicures and Atheists in this matter Of the chiefe causes that hinder men from beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule and of their blockishnes and euill iudgement therein How wee must seeke for the Image of God after which man was created in his soule Chap. 88. ACHITOB. We are now fallen into a time which discouereth vnto vs not onely false religions but euen an Atheisme that is farre worse For they that are altogether without Religion are farther distâ—â—t from true pietie then they that follow a false religion and yet at this day there are as many or moe that declare themselues to be Atheists and Epicures as there bee of such as are taken for good Christians And if in outward shew they pretend some exercise of Religion it is but to couer themselues with the vaile thereof to the ende they might not bee esteemed and accompted for such as they are in trueth But in their heart and with their companions they doe but make a mocke of the holy Scriptures and of al those testimonies that we haue in them of another life besides this of Heauen of hell of the blessed immortalitie and eternall death of the soule Now it is an easie matter to conuince such felowes of error and lies But this is a thing worthy to be bewayled in all the affaires opinions and counsailes of men that when any question ariseth of the trueth and of that which is Good no proofes or testimonies how rich or of howe great authoritie soeuer they bee seeme sufficient to vs and worthy to bee beleeued And yet if the question be of any euil falsehood and lyes no testimony how slender and bad soeuer it be but satisfieth vs very well For by reason that we are euil and ignorant ful of blindnesse and darkenesse by nature we are alwayes the readier to follow that which is like our selues namely wickednes and falsehood lies and error as we see it by experience in Atheists and Epicures and in all infidels and scorners of God and of his Word For there are many skilfull in Artes and humane learning and in naturall Philosophie who reprehend and condemne Epicurus Lucretius Pliny and other such like Philosophers Epicures and Atheists in that which they haue taught and written of naturall things belonging to this life and call them ignorant men and voyd of experience But in that which they haue spoken against the prouidence of God the immortalitie of soules and all Religion abolishing them wholie by their false doctrines and by Philosophie they imbrace and praise them for the skilfullest and most excellent Philosophers that euer were as hauing deliuered men from the greatest torments that could seaze vpon them and brought vnto them the greatest good that could befall them by taking from them all feare of God of hell and of all punishment after this life and all opinion and hope of Paradice and of a better life after this In a worde they extoll them as if they onely had found the beane in the cake as wee vse to say and as if they onely deserued to be the Kings of beanes among their fellowes Forasmuch then as we are entred into this matter of the immortalitie of the soule and seeing at this day so many Atheists herein followe the opinions of these Epicurian Philosophers before named I say not onely more then they doe all the best Philosophers but also then the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and the testimonie of God in them we cannot gather too many arguments whereby at leastwise to cause them to ponder the matter more diligently if they will not be confounded wholy by naturall reasons seeing they make so small reckoning of that celestial and heauenly doctrine It is true that it will bee a very hard and difficult matter to perswade such in this point as giue no more credite to this testimonie of the word of God then they doe to all humaine and naturall reasons that can bee alleadged vnto them For although the arguments of those Philosophers that maintaine the immortalitie of the soule are strong and waightie yet they can neuer wholy and fully assure men of their immortalitie except this testimonie of God take all doubting from them But that argument of all others is most forcible which hee hath giuen vnto vs in the resurrection of Iesus Christ whereby his soule was vnited againe vnto his body and so wrought those heauenly workes which followed his resurrection and ascention into heauen and namely by the gift of the holy Ghost which hee sent vnto his Apostles and by the effects thereof which according to the promise of Iesus Christ appeared so great and manifest throughout the whole world and that in so short a time that no prudence wisdome skill eloquence authoritie power or force of man was able to hinder that vertue or the course of the Gospel But because Epicures and Atheists accompt these things for fables and are of so peruerse and monstrous a nature that they had rather sight against nature it selfe and cleane to the worst opinions most vnworthy the nature of man then to follow the reasons of the best Philosophers grounded vpon a more sure foundation let vs at leastwise put them to some further trouble by vrging them to be fully resolued in that opinion which is contrary to the immortality of the soule For certainly I doubt not but they wil be alwaies without resolution And in deed froÌ„ wheÌ„ce should they fetch this resolution of theirs seeing they haue no certaine ground of their false opinion and seeing there are so many and so forcible reasons to the contrary But wee must note that the principall cause that keepeth men from beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule is partly their ignorance partly their malice and peruersenesse For some there are so blockish that they measure all things according to the knowledge and reach of their bodilie senses so that they set downe with themselues to beleeue nothing but that which they are able to knowe and perceiue by them Others there are who besides this are so wicked and peruerse that they would not onely haue their soules not to bee immortall but wish also that there were no God to the ende they might haue no Iudge For by reason they are so wholly addicted to the worlde and to their carnall pleasures they would haue no other God or other life after this but wish that all life might end with their delights and the soule with the body that so they might haue no accompt to make to any Iudge Therefore they are of that number whereof mention is made in the Booke of Wisedome who make these discourses saying Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no
of all Atheists and Epicures who haue receiued their name of him For hee appointed therein that the day of his natiuitie shoulde be yeerely celebrated and that at certaine times assigned by him a banket should bee made for those of his sect in remembrance of his name Whereby wee see that this dogge himselfe who made no difference betweene the death of men and of beastes and who denied vtterly the immortalitie of the soule of man coulde not for all that plucke out of his owne soule the desire of immortalitie but doeth what lay in him to make himselfe immortall after his death by the perpetuitie of his name and memorie We may take the like argument from that which men vsually appoynt at their death touching their funerals sepulchres and tombes For why is it that they will haue sumptuous funeralles and stately and magnificent tombes Why haue manie caused Churches and chappels to bee erected themselues to bee engrauen and their escutchions to be hung vp where they haue laide themselues It is certaine that if they desired not to make their name as immortall as they coulde and their memorie eternall among men their death would not bee so ambitious neither would they leaue behinde them such markes of their ambition and of their desire of immortalitie And as great men affoorde this testimonie of their desire so the common people are not without some one or other for their part For a poore Artificer as a Tayler or Shoemaker or some such like if hee bee able hee will appoynt to haue a stone layde vpon his graue in which his name shall bee ingrauen and his marke or some such like thing to this ende that the Suruiuors and they that come after him should knowe that hee once liued and was in the worlde and that hee woulde still liue at leastwise in name and memorie And this is further confirmed by them who albeeit they cannot continue their name and memorie by any good deedes and valiant actes yet they striue to make themselues immortall by wicked and execrable dooings As among others wee haue the example of Herostratus who set on fire the Temple of that great Diana of Ephesus for no other cause but onelie that hee might bee spoken of and that the memorie of him might remaine and continue for euer amongest men as in deede it hath done notwithstanding the contrarie endeuour of the Ephesians who by a publicke Edict ordayned that his name shoulde neuer be written in any place But it may bee obiected vnto mee that this argument deriued from the desire of men to continue their name to proue the immortalitie of soules thereby is not very fit nor of great force because this desire is rather found in men that are most foolish vaine carnal and wicked then in the wiser sort of men and such as are more graue spirituall and vertuous For who couet more this immortalitie of name and memorie then they that are most vainglorious and ambitious vnto whose ambition death it selfe can bring no end but it reuiueth and liueth still therein We see also that they who least of all beleeue the immortalitie of soules and scoffe most at it are greatliest affected with this ambition and labor most to become immortall after that maner because they expect no other immortalitie All this I confesse is true yet mine argument continueth still firme For first we haue alwayes this testimonie from them that they know and acknowledge a certaine immortalitie and perpetuitie and desire to enioy the same as much as they may thinking to continue the same euen after their death which knowledge and desire is not to be found in brute beasts And whereas the vainest and worst men are more moued with this foolish desire then the wisest most vertuous men are the reason thereof is good and euident For the wisest men and such as are endewed with most vertue make least accompt of this temporary and fading immortalitie which is but as it were a winde that goeth from mouth to mouth or is but in paper parchment wood stone brasse or in some such corruptible matter because they expect a better perpetuitie that is more certaine more glorious and of longer continuance of which they are certainely perswaded Which perswasion can not be vaine in them seeing it is grounded vpon the testimony of Gods Spirit which saith that the iust shal be had in euerlasting remembrāce not onely before men but also before God and Angelles But the other sort of men busie themselues about an immortalitie which deserueth not to be accompted so much as a shadowe and image of true immortalitie because the desire thereof is infected and corrupted with that darkenesse of errour and of ignorance which sinne hath brought vpon the minde of man with those peruerse affections that proceede from the same and with their euil educcation and instruction who are not taught in the word of God By means whereof this natural desire of true immortalitie degenerateth into a foolish desire greedy of fame name amōg men euen as whē good seed falleth into bad groūd but stil it proceeds from a good beginning fountaine if it were not corrupted As we see also that it falleth out with the greater part of men in that natural desire they haue of skil knowledge which albeit it be in them by nature yet they turne it into a vaine and foolish curiositie that endeuoureth to knowe that which is not onely not profitable but very hurtfull and dangerous for them in stead of seeking to know that which is more profitable and necessary But besides that which wee haue already spoken our affections also tell vs plainely what the nature is as well of our spirite as of our senses both internall and externall and what difference there is betweene them For if the Spirite entreth into a cogitation of it owne death the internall senses with fancie and imagination are not greatly moued or troubled therewith but passe it ouer well enough as if they had no feeling thereof supposing that this corporall life will last a long time but the spirit is so confounded and troubled that it feareth and flieth nothing more then it And surely I doubt not but that they who being pressed and oppressed with great euilles desire death through a blind fury of their mind and wish to be wholly extinguished woulde change their purpose and abhorre that kinde of death and thinke it to be a greater mischiefe then all those which they suffer if they might haue leasure and means for some small time to come out of their dispaire and to returne to their right minde that so they might haue some rest from the troubles of their spirite and thinke seriously vpon the death thereof And as all the senses are presently troubled and as it were carried out of themselues through the cogitation of corporall death so the spirite contrariwise if it be found quiet and well setled abideth
7. What the word 〈◊〉 importeth in the â—â—eation of the woman Genes 2. 22. The true ende and vse of knowing thâ— booke What the simple or similary parts of mans body are Of the bones of mans body Gods prouidence great in the creatioÌ„ of the bones A fit similitude Of the ligaments Of the gristles Of the sinews Of pannicles and â—ilaments Of the veineâ— Of the arteriâ— Of the flesh The bones most earthy of all the parts A double vse of Anatomy Esay 40. 6. Iob 14. 1 2. Foure principall parts of the body Of the midriffe Eccles. 12. 3. Psal. 6. 2. and 22. 14. isay 38. 13. Iob 21. 24. Esay 66. 14. Three parts of the legge Of the armes and handes The agreement and difference betweene the workes of God and the workes of man Psal 33. 9. rom 4 17. All handy workes ought to tend to common profite Of the Arte of Palmestrie Of the Palmestry of Christians The vse of the hand The properties of the nayles Of the three partes of the whole arme Three parts of the hand Of the backe-bone Eccles. 12. 6. Of the holy bone Of the marow of the chine Eccles. 12. Of the skinne of the braine called the golden Ewer Of the ribbes The keyes of the throate Of the workemanship of the ribbes and of other bones How many false ribbes there are 2. Sam. 2. 23. 3. 27. Psal 139. 14. Why the belly is not enuironed with bones Of the Share bone or taylâ—bone Of the buttocke bones Of the marow Iob 21. 24. Nucha Of the bones of the head Of the necke and vse thereof Of the flesh Of the muscles What voluntary motion is A comparison betwixt the body and a chariot The differences of flesh Diuers vses of the flesh Two kindes of Kernels in the bodie The least part in man full of admiration and very profitable Of the pappes of their situation and vse The difference betweene the care of men and beasts ouer their litle ones A good lesson for children Of the forme of the pappes Psal. 8. 2. How children â—resed in their mothers belly How and whereof milke is made How the milke is wrought and whited Whereof womans milke is made How and where an infant receiueth breath and foode in the wombe A similitude The vses of fatte in the body Three skinnes of the body The first skinne hath no feeling noâ— blood Of membranâ—â— and tunicles Of the haires Good lessons for the gray headed Eccles 12. 5. Prou. 20. 29. Leuit. 19 32. Of the beard Esay 15. 2. 2. Sam. 10. 4. Of womens haire 1. Cor. 11. 5 6. Vers. 1â— 14 15 The schoole of Nature is the schoole of God Wherein true 〈◊〉 consisteth Of the beautie that is in the face A good instruction for euery one Fiue corporall senses Foure things required in bodily senses Of the sense of touching No body can live without some sense of touching Some members of the body absolutely necâ—â—â—tie to life A prouerbe An other point of Gods 〈◊〉 The hands sometimes stand in stâ—ade of the tongue and cares The opinion of the Stoics and Academics In Phad in 〈◊〉 14. de â—rapâ—â— Euang. c. â— Of the eyes and of their vse The eyes draw neerest to the nature of the soule Sight is our first mistresse Oâ— spirituall eyes spirituall light 〈◊〉 the light 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 6. 16. The difference betwixt the sight of men and of beasts Of colours and of their nature varietie and vse All compound colours made of blacke and white mingled Nothing seene but by colour Of the matter and humours of the eyes Of the Christalline humour How the humorâ— are placed How Gods prouidence appeareth in the eyes Of the tunicles and skinnes of the eyes Fiue tunicles A testimonie of Gods prouideÌ„ce Of the forme of the eye Of the muscles of the eyes Of the visuall sinewes The vse of the kernels neere the eyes Of the cyclids of their haires The vse of the eyebrowes Against the priâ—â— of women Psal 94. 9. Of the proportioÌ„ betweene the heauens and the bead Eccles. 12. 3. The eyes drawe neerest to the nature of fire Psal. 123. 1. Matth. 6. 22. 23. The agreement betweene the eies of the soule and those of the body Iohn 9. 6. The situation of the cares Of their making Of their forme The cares of men and apes only are without mouing Of their vse Of the place of hearing Three small bones in the eares Of two skinnes within the eares What profite and pleasure is receiued by the eares Eccles. 12. 4. How doctrine is learned The benefite of Lectures Prou. 1. 5 6. How hearing is framed in the eares 1. Cor. 15. 33. Esay 6. 9 10. Three vses of the tongue The instruments of the voyce The vse of the wesel of the throte Fiue instruments requisite to leaâ—â—e the voyce into speech Of the dignitie of speech Ecclus. 17. 5 6. 〈◊〉 sermon Two sortes of speech in man The degrees by which we come to â—â—eech What voyce is Speach representeth all the partes of the soule Who is to be accompted eloquent Hebr. 1. 3. Of the image of the heauenly word in the speach of man There must be an harmony betwixt the heart and the tongue Of the nature of the lungs Why the heart and speach must agree together Iob 33. 1 2 3. Iam. 4. 11. psal 12. 2. Matt. 12. 34 35. luk 6. 45. Prouer. 6. 21 23 24. Prouer. 12. 13. Prouer. 29. 11. Of the pipes and instruments of the voyce Of the wind pipe From whence proceedeth the change of voice in sickenes Eccles 12. 4. The Anatomists call it Laâ—inx How the voyce is made great or small A testimony of the prouidence of God Faire Organs within euery man The praise of eloquence The description of the tongue Of spittle and the profite thereof Our speach ought to be vpright The profit of speach Gene. 11. 7. Actes 2. 3 4. A miracle of letters The benefit of letters The difference betweene voyce and speech The vses of GraÌ„mer Logicke and Rhetorike We caÌ„not speake wisely without the knowledge of God and his worde Why the tongue is placed neere the braine 1. Cor. 14 2 14 15. The mistresse of the tongue Iames 3. 6. Why the tongue is so fashioned and fenced on euery side One member may seâ—ue for many offices Why the mouth is the fittest place for the tongue The officer of the tongue Of the mill of mans body Eccles. 12. 3 4. Of the kitchin of the body God ministreth food to all creatures Of teeth and of theirs diuers kindes The tongue like to a baker Of the Gullet or Weâ—â—â—â—d Of the Epiglt or litle tongue Good lessions for euery one What the palat is Iob 12. 11. 34. 3. Of the prouideÌ„ce of God in the varietie of tastes The sence of taste necessary for Physicions Another vse of the spittle How the senses agree with the elements Of heate and humiditie the preseruers of life A comparison betweene
22. Of the ioy of the godly Luâ—e 6. 21. matth 5. 4. Esay 61. 3. Ioh. 16. 20 21. Philip. 44. Eccles. 7. 4 6. Prou. 6. 25. How worldlings deceiue themselues What hope is Difference betweene ioy and hope Of the true and certaine hope The profite and necessitie of hope Ephes 4. 4. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Psal 25. 3. Rom. 5. 2. Rom. 12. 12. 15. 13. Hebr. 6. 19. Ier. 17. 7 13 17. psal 65. 5. and 91. 2 9. psal 31 1. and 71. Psal 118. 8 9. Prou. 10. 28. Iob 8. 13 14 15 The wickâ—d can not abide to speake or heare of God What feare is How palenesse colde and shaking are bâ—ed in the body How death commeth through feare Esay 13. 7 8. A place of Esay expounded The cause of cowardlines and the signe of courage Iob 41. 16. Effects of Feare in the soule Iosua 7. 5. Psal 22. 14. Ierem. 4. 9. The definitions of assurance and boldnesse Iosua 2. 9. Psal 53. 5. Psal 112. 1 7 8 Psal 56. 3 11. and 118. 6. prou 14. 26. Iohn 14. 1. Lâ—uit 26. 36. Deu. 28. 65 66 67. God is the authour of courage Why God hath giuen men affections The diuers effects of feare in the godly and in the wicked A fantasticall Good Who are to bee accounted wise men Eccles. 2. 1. Of delight and pleasure what it is and how it is receiued How God communicateth himselfe vnto men Of the diuers degrees of pleasures according to euery mans nature The delights of the bodily senses The delights of the internall senses CoÌ„templation is the greatest delight of the soule Of the abuse of pleasures Against the immoderate vse of pleasures The cause why a little griefe is stronger in vs theÌ„ a great pleasure Of the pleasures of fantasie The pleasures of reason and of the minde How we descend from true pleasures to false delights Of pleasures which men seeke crosse-wayes Of the vse of the delights of the spirite How the spirit is hindred in his actions How the spirite must bee occupied How corporall and spirituall pleasures chase each other Natural pleasures are more purethen artificiall Degrees to ascend vpto sound and perfect delight The knowledge of the affections very requisite What loue is How loue is engendred Of the kindes of desire Of the loue of men towards God The loue of parents towardes thir children The loue of God towards men The originall of friendship In what sort by loue we ascend vp to God and descend againt Of the vnion that is in loue Similitude is a cause of loue Beautie draweth loue Gen. 1. Beautie a flower of goodnes A caueat for faire women The force of Beautie The causes of the abuse in beautie Beautie maketh vice more vgly A good vse of Looking-glasses Three kindes of Loue. God created the world by Loue. Diuers kindes of beauty and loue Loue tendeth to vnitie Iohn 17. 21. Iohn 11. 52. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Sinne the cause of our seperation from God A double ground of loue Loue is free Iob 1. 9. Two sortes of hired loue Actes 20. 35. Loue descendeth but doth not ascend 1. Iohn 4. 8. Loue breedeth Loue. The heart of a louer compared to a looking glasse Loue ought to shew it selfe by workes Euils must be resisted in the beginning What Desire is Diuersitie of Goods Goodâ— belonging to this life Goods of fanciâ— and in opinion onely The effects of ambition and couetousnesse Of the false opinion of want The right vse of coueting The diuerse kinds of Desires Two sorts of Loue. The last ende of Loue. Acts 4. 32. Communitie among friends Loue bringeth equalitie Loue must first beginne at God Three meanes of knowledge The benefites that come of true loue whose scope is God The first benefite of true loue Diuers estimations of Loue. The cause of mens errour from the true Good The second benefite that is in true Loue. The third benefit Galat. 2. 20. The highest degree of Loue. Knowledge requisit in Loue. Two sortes of knowledge in Loue. The difference betweene Loue and Desire Rom. 8. 22. 1. Cor. 13. 12. Of friendship betweene wicked men What foundation the friendship of good men hath 1. Corint 13. 8 A similitude shewing the vanity of the loue of worldly delights What sauour is Why God fauoureth vs. Of reuerence The caause of humilitie A good lesson for princes Reuerence requisite in true friendship Of honour and of maiestie Rom. 12. 16. Of the signes of honour and of reuerence Of Mercie and Compassion Rom. 12. 8 9 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 12. Heb. 13. 3. Math. 5. 7. Luke 6. 36. Prou. 21. 21. Iam. 2. 13. Foure causes of all the troubles of the soule The nature of corporall goods How the passions may be good Of offence What euill may offend vs. Why men are so easily offended What offences are most grieuous Of the nature of mankind how hardly it is pleased Of the degrees of offence How offence may be welâ— vsed The remedy to cure offences What contempt is Of mockery Esay 53. 7. Diuers opinions of the Philosophers touching the affections What anger is How it differeth from offence Of rancour The violence of anger Prou. 27. 4. Ecclus. 8. The fruites of anger What effect it hath in the body The fountaine of the appetite of reuenge The causes of looking pale and red How anger troubleth the braine The best remedy against anger Ecclus. 28. Another remedy against anger Why the affection of anger is naturall what good commeth by it What Hatred is The causes of it Why it is an easier matter to hate then to loue 1. Ioh. 3. 10 12. The fruits of Hatred Of a good kinde of hatred Rom. â—2 9. Amos 5. 15. How loue is turned into hatred Remedies against the euill kinde of hatred Description of Enuy. Diuers sorts of Enuy. Enuy is neuer without griefe Against what good things Enuy is most bent How an enuious body is tormented The countenance of an enuious man Prouer. 14. 30. Ecclus. 30. 17 24. Of a good kinde of enuy 1. Cor. 12. 31. 2. Cor. 9. 2. Roman 13. galat. 5. 21. Esay 3. 16. and 48. 4. Ezech. 3. 8 9. Psal 34. 15. 1. Pet. 3. 22. Esay 29. 23. Exod 13. 14. Iob 40. 4. Exod. 15. 7 8. Iob 9. 17. What Iealousie is Iames 4. 1 2. A good kinde of iealousie What mutuall loue ought to be betweene man and wife Why Iealousie is attributed to God What Indignation is From whence Zeale proceedeth Ioel 2. 18. Isaiah 9. 7. What Zeale is 2. Cor. 11. 2. A good lesson for Princes and Pastors The abuse of Indignation and of Zeale Rom. 10. 2. 1. Timot. 1. 13. Act. 26. 10 11. Hebr. 10. 30. Matth. 10. 28. Luke 21. 19. prouer 20. 22. What reuenge is What Rage is Of Crueltie Three sortes of Crueltie How magistrates ought to punish With what affection God punisheth offendors What Shame is Blushing commendable in some persons A second kind of
our birth What similitude there is betweene our spirituall and our natural birth Why we abhorre natural death The first point to be considered touching mans nakednes Gen. 3. 19. The second point Man by nature hath least defence for himselfe A commendation of the hand of man The third point A double vse to be made of our wants Wherin men excell all other liuing creatures The fourth point What we ought to learne by the proportion of our bodies What man is The excellent frame of mans body Who they be that know not themselues Ioh. 15. 1 2 3 4 The soule proceedeth not of the matter Nor of the qualities Nor of the harmonie Nor of the composition of the body The nature of a Hog And of an Elephant The soule of a beast differeth from the substance and nature of his body The facultie of sense commeth not from the body The cause of the life of the body The degrees of mans age Iob 14. 5. The cause of the length and shortnes of life What naturall death is Psal 90. 10. Psal 7. 8 9. Iob 14. 1 2. Of the true difference betweene naturall and diuine Philosophie The cause of so many Atheists Gen. 3. 17 18. Iob 5. 6. The cause of barrennes Nothing abideth still in the same state The cause of the length of life What death is Naturall death Violent death Of the windpipe From whence the cough commeth Esay 2. 22. The blood necessary for life The difference betweene the death of beasts and of man An image of our spirituall death in the bodily Only sinne hurteth the soule What it is to be well A comfort against death Rom. 8. 22. Naturall philosophie affoordeth no found comfort against afflictions or death A profitable contemplation in nature The miserable estate of Atheists that haue no hope of another life Philosophicall reasons against the feare of death Sinne the cause of death Atheists more miserable then beasts The common sayings of Atheists Naturall reason not sufficient to stay the conscience Two sorts of Atheists Why there must needes be a second life What Nature is Nature is a creature The error of Galen such like Atheists nowe adayes What we are to iudge of Nature 1. Thes 5. 23. Dan. 9. 24. Man diuided into three parts One soule in one bodie The soule like to a man that hath many offices Of the seate of the soule in the body The soule compared to an Husbandman The chiefe instruments of the soule Two kinds of vniting things together Of the vnion betweene the soule and the body How the soule is ioyned to the bodie Diuers degrees of nature in the soule Beasts haue some kinde of knowledge The originall of the powers of the Soule An admirable worke of God Why God hath ioyned the body to the soule The naturall knowledge of mans body very profitable Why the soule worketh with sundry instruments Of the Vital and Animal spirites and of their operations The effects of the Vital and Animal spirits in man The Vital Animal spirits are not the soule A wonderfull worke of God 1. Sam. 18. 10. 31. 4. 2. Sam. 17 23. Matth. 27. 5. 1. Thess 5. 23. A comparison of the soule and a workeman A similitude Against the transmigration of soules The aptest instrument for the soule The necessary vse of the humours The humors are in continuall motion What partes of the body come nerest to the soule 1. Cor. 6. 19. Of the entire sanctification of mans bodie The body liueth not to eate but eateth to liue 1. Thes 5. 23. The name of Soule taken diuersly Math. 10. 28. Gen. 6. 17. esai 40. 6. luc 3. 6. leuit 4. 2. ezech 18. 4. rom 13. 1. Gen. 14. 21. 46. 27. When a man is perfectly sanctified Esay 26. 8 9. Luk. 1. 46 47. The soule deuided into three partes Ephe 4. 17 18. Iohn 1. 9. and 8. 12. and 9. 5. and 12. 46. Why the naturall powers are not mentioned in these diuisions Genes 37. 21. Deut. 19. 21. Ierem. 11. 21. Matth. 2. 20. Esay 5. 14. Esay 29. 8. Ierem. 31. 25. Ezech. 7. 19. Deut. 24. 15. leuit 19. 13. Deute 24. 6. Matth. 16. 17. Iohn 1. 12 13. 1. Cor. 2. 11 12 What is meant by liuing soule Genes 1. 1. Cor. 15. 44. What is meant by a naturall and by a spirituall man Genes 2. 7. What is meant by an animal or naturall man The soule put so the affections Gen. 34. 3. Gen. 44. 30. 1. Sam. 18. 1. Deut. 6. 5. matth 10. 39. mar 8. 35. luke 9. 24. iohn 12. 25. How we are to vnderstand that the soule dieth Num. 23. 10. Gen. 22. 16. Ierem. 51. 14. Amos 6. 8. Leuit. 21. 1. The name of soule put for the dead body Iob 33. 18 22. Psalme 30. 3. Psalm 56. 13. and 22. 20. What is meant by Spirite in the Scriptures Psalme 31. 5. luke 23. 46. Actes 7. 59. Eccles. 12. 7. Iob 27. 3 4. Rom. 8. 16. 1. Cor. 2. 11. Psal 33. 20 21. 1. Pet. 2. 11 12. Wisd 1. How the soule is after a sort mortall The ancient Academicall kinde of teaching Pâ—atâ—n Phad The word of God the true glasse for the minde Who know the soule best The soule is not bred of corporall seede Genes 1. Modestie requisite in searching the trueth How we become guiltie of original sinne What originall sinne is How wee must learne to know the soule When wee shall know our sâ—lues perfectly What the soule is Varietie of opinions touching the essence of the soule Iohn 3. 6. Why one soule is called vegetatiue another sensitiue the third reasonable Iohn 3. 12. Of the distinction of the soule from the powers there of The soule of the beast is of a corporal substance Gen. 9. 4. Leui. 17. 14. The Vitall spirite compared to the flame of a lampe It is engendred of the blood in the heart God the author of nature Sundry opinion of the reasonable soule The soule proceedeth not froÌ„ the elements Rom. 11. 33. Galens opinion of the soule Gal. dâ— plâ—s Hip. Platoes opinion touching the soule Aristotles opinion of the soule Occams opinion of the soule Of the creation of soules according to the Platonists Lib 11. chap. 23. of the citie of God Origens opinion of soules The Platonists opinion of the soule confuted God is not the soule of the world Act. 17. 28. Arat. Phae. How men are the linage of God Platoes opinion of Daemones or celestial spirits Plato dwelt with the Egyptians Lactautius lib. 2. cap. 13. Ecclus. 24. 5. The Soule created of nothing Of the transmigration of soules The regeneration of the Pythagoreans A fond opinion of certaine Heretikes Against the transmigration of soules Why Plato inuented the transmigration of soules Mans nature compared to a Monster How meÌ„ become like to beasts The ignorant wrest the sence of good writers Math. 14. 2. marke 6. 14. Luke 9. 7 8. Mat. 16. 13 14. luke 9. 19. Of the Iewes opinion of the transmigration
of soules Mark 6. 3. matt 13 55 56 iohn 6. 42. Mala. 4. 5. Iohn 1. 21. Matth. 11. 14. and 17. 12 13 Luke 1. 15 16 17. Numb 11. 25. 1. Cor. 12. 11. The fountaine of Gods graces diminisheth not 2. King 2. 9. Esay 29. 14. 2. tim 3. 2 3. 2. thes 2. 10 11. The Pythagoreans of our time Of the true transmigration of soules Of the creation and generation of soules How God rested the seuenth day Actes 17. 28. Another opinion of the creation of the soule Gen. 2. 7. The nature of the soule is not curiously to be searched after How the soule is stained with sinne Rom. 5. 12 15. Verse 19. Humane philosophie is blinde The causes of errours Three faculties vnder the vegetatiue vertue Two parts of the sensitiue vertue How the Astronomers referre the powers of the soule to the starres Powers proper to the â—easonable soule Of speech Of speech Of the speculatiue and actiue vertue Of the politike vertue The kindes of it Of the heroicall vertue Against the astronomicall influence of vertues Philosophers esteeme too highly of mans nature What iustice God approoueth Foure contemplatiue vertues according to the Platonists Howe those agree in some sort to foure christian vertues Why men encline to lies rather then to the trueth The diuelish infection of Atheisme Reasons to proue the immortalitie of the soule Why men beleeue not the immortalitie of the soule Wisd 2. 1 2 c. The sayings of Epicures Verse 21 c. Wisd 3. 1. The corrupt opinion of Atheists and Epicures Atheists may wel be compared to beasts Reasons to shew the soule of men to differ from that of beasts The image of God is to bee sought in the soule An answere to an obiection A reason of Atheists confuted by a similitude Luke 16. 26. marke 16. 14. Math. 28. 9. luke 24. 36. iohn 20. 19 20 act 1. 2 3 10. 1. Cor. 15 6. Exod. 3. 6. mat 22. 32 33. mar 12. 26. luk 20. 37 38. The resurrection of the dead proued 2. Thess 1. 6 7. How we know the hidden things in nature An argument taken from the knowledge of the soule to proue it immortall Eternitie considered diuerâ—ly A speciall difference betweene the soule of man and 〈◊〉 beasts A firme proofe of the soules immortalitie A fitte comparison Gen. 1. 26. Why man was saide to be a liuing soule How God dayly createth soules What a miracle is Buggery violateth the law of nature God is the onely father of our spirite Three things vnseperable The desire of perpetuitie an argument of the soules immortalitie Another desire which is to continue our memory for euer Another desire of perpetuitie appearing in funerals An obiection The answere to it Of the true immortalitie An argument taken from the apprehension of death to prooue the immortalitie of soules Of the ende of good and euill men The right Armes of Machâ—auâ—llian Nobilitie An argument of the pleasures of the soule to shew the immortalitie thereof Some more like to beasts then men How we must iudge of the nature of the soule Of the true pleasures of the soule An argument from insatiable pleasures for the immortalitie of the soule A corrupt spirite taketh the shadow of things for the things themselues An argument taken from vices for the immortalitie of the soule How God punisheth vicious deâ—ires Esay 38. 12. 2. Pet. 1. 13 14. 2. Cor. 5. 1 2. Hebr. 13. 14. An argument taken from the frame of mans body to prooue the immortalitie of his soule Another argument taken from the motion and rest of the soule Of a fish called Vranoscopos Except the soule be immortal man is created in vaine The immortalitie of the soule is linked to the religion prouidence of God An argument taken from the consent of all people Other reasons to the same end Actes 3. 21. What the endâ— of a thing is Of the multitude and qualitie of witnesses to prooue the immortalitie of the soule What kinde of Philosophers Atheists and Epicures were An argument taken from the desire of wisedometo prooue the immortalitie of the soule 1. Cor. 13. 12. An obiection made by some Philosophers The answere Aristoteles opinion touching the immortalitie of the soule How the vnderstanding commeth to the knowledge of outward things by the senses Howe the outward senses looke vpon things How the internal senses receiue the same things How the Spirite receiueth them from the internall senses Other reasons for the immortalitie of the soule The soule can not be diuided Other reasons for the immortality of the soule Prou. 10. 24. Euery one naturally desireth life Reasons taken from reward and praise to proue the immortality of the soule The dead haue no feeling of praise Death most lamentable to the best men if the soule were not immortal Cato beleeued the immortality of the soule What comfort it is to beleeue a place of rest after this life What store of testimonies stand for the immortality of the soule Of such as say it is good to keepe men in this opinion of the immortalitie of the soule and yet themselues beleeue it not How wee must iudge of a wise man Ioh. 12. 31. 2. cor 4. 4. Ephe. 6. 12. The inconueniences which follow the former opinion of perswading men to goodnesse by false meanes That which corrupteth the spirit is contrary to the nature of it The difference betwixt conuincing and conâ—ounding a man Internal testimonies of the immortality of the soule The cause of true ioy in the spirite Where God is said to be especially The true cause of grief torment How men cary about them the matter of two fires Deut. 4. 24. heb 12. 29. Esay 66. 24. matth 22. 13. 25. 30. A sure argument in the wicked of their future torment in another life Naturall reasons to proue the immortalitie of mens soules The naturall knowledge of good and euill an argument of our immortality The nature of loue and hatred The necessitie of another life after this Gen. 4. 6 7. A similitude Sorow euer followeth sinne What conscience is Why it is called Synteresis Of the Philosophers Anticipations Ephes 4. 19. Atheists compared to drunkards and madde folks A sit similitude The wicked alwaies condemne themselues Foure offices of the conscience The more wicked a maÌ„ is the greater is his feare The Deitie prooued by that feare which is naturally in men The greatest persons liue in most feare The Atheists prouerbe that feare made gods turned against themselues The difference betwixt the feare in men and in beasts Strong reasons against Atheists Feare is a natural testimonie of a diuine essence What this worde Animal signifieth Atheists are reasonable beasts Atheists sitly resembled to Spiders Plinies brutish opinion touching the immortality of the soule Plato his opinion of the creation of soules Plinies reasons against the immortalitie of the soule Plin. lib. 7. ca. 55. Pliny blasphemed God vnder the name of Nature Democritus beleeued the resurrection of bodies What Philosophers went into Egypt to learne wisedome The conclusion of Plinie touching this matter The iudgement of God in Plinies death Plin. Nep epist ad Oâ—â— Taâ— The absurd consequents of Plinies opinion Mat. 28. 12 13. Against them who say that the soule can not be knowen to bee immortall according to nature Of them that alleadge Salomon against the immortalitie of the soule Eccles. 3. 18 19 20 21. Eccles 12. 7. Chap. 12. 1. The iudgement of God vpon Lucian and Luâ—retius two Arch-Atheists Euseb Hier. Crin de Pâ—â—at The doctrine of Epicurus commended by Lâ—cretius Epicures thinke themselues kings and gods The blasphemie of Atheists The absurdities that follow the opinion of the Atheists Of the force of arguments alleaged before for the immortalitie of the soule The summe of this whole book The world compared to mans body and God to his soule Against such as say that God is the soule of the world The image of God in mans soule Iohn 3. 12. Of that coniunction which is betweene God and his creatures Of God the first greatest Good Mal. 3. 6. Of spirituall natures which are the second Good The spirit of a man moueth not in place Of the body which is the 〈◊〉 Good The right end of our creation Mans will must looke vp to the head not downe to the bellie Man is a middle creature between Angels beasts A spirite is not shut vp in a place It is inuisible The coniunction of our soule and body is a wonderful work of God
and of the waters and cloudes contayned therein and in what perils men are 〈◊〉 why the soule and blood are put one for another of the temperature of the humors necessarie for the health and life of the body of the causes of health and of diseases and of life and death Chap. 65. 368 Of the vses and commodities of the humors ioyned with the blood and what vessels are assigned vnto them in the body and of their nature and offices and first of the cholericke humor and of the spleene then of the flegmaticke humor and of the kidneys and other vessels which it hath to purge by Chap. 66. 373 Of the names whereby the humors of the body are commonly called with the causes wherefore of the comparison betweene the corruption and temperature of the humors of the body and betweene the manners and the affections of the soule of the meanes whereby the humors corrupt and of the feauers and diseases engendred thereby of the sundry naturall temperatures in euery one Chap. 67. 379 Of the diuers temperatures and complexions of men according to the nature of humors that beare most sway in them of the disposition whereunto they are naturally mooued by them eyther to vertues or vices of the means to correct the vices and defects that may be in our naturall inclinations Chap. 68. 383 Of the restauration and reparation of all natures created by the generatiue power and vertue that is in them and namely in man what generation is and what the generatiue power of the soule is what the seede is and how generation proceedeth of strength and of infirmity Chap. 69. 388 Of the powers of the generatiue vertue and of their offices of the principall cause why God gaue to man the power of generation in what sence the reines are taken for the seate of generation how we ought rightly to consider of the generation of man Chap. 70. 393 Of the fashion of a childe in the wombe and how the members are framed one after another in the mothers belly of the time and daies within which a child is perfectly fashioned Chap. 71. 398 Of childbirth and the natural causes thereof of the great prouidence of God appearing therein of the image of our eternall natiuitic represented vnto vs in our mortall birth Chap. 72. The tenth dayes worke 404 WHy God created man naked and with lesse natural defence then he did all other liuing creatures how many wayes he recompenceth this nakednesse of the generall beauty of the whole body of man ioyned with profite and commodity Chap. 73. 409 Whether the life of the body can proceede eyter of the matter or of the composition forme and figure or of the qualities thereof or else of the harmony coniunction and agreement of all these whether any of these or al of them together can be the soule of the length and shortnes of the diuers degrees and ages and of the ende of mans life of death and of the causes both of life and death of the difference that is betweene naturall and supernaturall Philosophy in the consideration of things Chap. 74. 414 Of the causes generally of the length and shortnesse of bodily life of naturall and of violent death in what maner the life of man consisteth in his breath of the principall things required to life and without which it cannot be of the difference betwixt the life of men and the life of beastes of the image of the spirituall death in the corporall of the true comfort which wee ought to haue therein Chap. 75. 420 Of the chiefe consolations which the wisest among the Pagans and Infidels could draw from their humane reason and naturall Philosophy against death of the blaspemies vsed by Atheists and Epicures against God and nature what nature is and who they be that attribute vnto it that which they ought to attribute to God Chap. 76. 426 That there is but one soule in euery seuerall body that one and the some soule hath in it all those vertues and powers whose effects are dayly seene of the seate of the soule in the body and of the principall instrument thereof of the vnion of the body and soule of the diuers degrees of nature and of the excellency that is in it of the fountaines and bounds of all the powers and vertues of the soule Chap. 77. 432 Of the nature and varietie of the animal spirits how they are only instruments of the soule and not the soule it selfe of the nature of those bodies wherin the soule may dwell and worke of the difference that is not onely betweene the soule and the instrumente by which it worketh but also betweene the instruments themselues and their natures and offices and which of them are nearest or farthest off of the degrees that are in the vnion and coniunction of the soule with the body Chap. 78. 438 Of the diuisions of man made in the holy scriptures aswell in respect of the soule as of the body in what significations the names of soule spirit and heart are vsed therein and the causes why of the intier sanctification of man how the soule is taken for the life and for the members and instrumentes of nourishment and for nourishment it selfe Chap. 79. 444 What is meant by a liuing soule what by a sensuall and naturall body and what by a spirituall body how the name of soule is taken for all the desires of the flesh and for all things belonging to this life and not onely for the whole person aliue but also for the person being dead and for a dead 〈…〉 for the spirite sepâ—rate from the body Chap. 80. The Eleuenth dayes worke 490 WHether the soule of man is engendred with the body and of the same substance that the body is of or whether it be created by it selfe and of another substance whether it be needefull for vs to knowe what the soule is and what is the eâ—â—ence thereof or onely to knowe of what qualitie it is with the workes and effects thereof Chap. 81. 495 Whether there be any thing mortall in the soule of man of the distinction betweene the soule and the powers of it of the opinion of Philosophers and what agreement is betweene them touching the soule of brute beasts and the nature and substance of it of their opinion that deriue the soule of man and the soule of beasts from one souâ—taine of them that ascend higher and of their reasoâ—â— Chap. 82. 499 Of the opinion of Galen of Plato and of Aristotle touching the substance and nature of mans soule of the opinion of Occâ—m touching the vegetatiue and sensitue power thereof and of the distinction of soules he maketh in man of the sentence of the Platonists and of Origen touching the creation birth and nature of the soule of the coniunction of the soule with the body and the estate thereof in the same Chap. 83. 503 Of the opinion of the Platonists and some others touching the substance of mens
and disagreement of things that ioyneth together whatsoeuer is to be ioyned and separateth that which ought to bee separated that distinguiseth things which followe or are contrary each to other by comparing one thing with another by considering all circumstances by referring euery thing whither it ought to be referred It is requisite therefore that he should keepe his owne place and not be shuffled vp and confounded with imagination and fantasie of which hee is the Iudge to approoue or condemne that which is good or euill as also to correct to stay and to keepe them in awe For if reason intermeddle and mingle it selfe with them it will be so troubled that it will not be able to iudge as it ought of those things which they present and bring vnto it but will bee so carried away as if it were deposed and thrust out of it owne place and as if maides shoulde rule their Mistresse and take place before her The like also happeneth vnto it when it is carried away with the affections which it ought to rule moderate and gouerne But if it be vpright and sound after it hath well considered and debated of the whole matter brought and laide before it by the former senses it giueth sentence as Iudge and iudgeth finally without appeale For there is no other iudgement after that Hereof it is that it hath a iudiciall seate in the middest wherein being placed it heareth sutes and causes Besides it hath neare vnto it Memorie which is in place of a Notary and Secretary and as it were a register booke in which is entred whatsoeuer is ordained and decreed by reason For as we haue neede of such a Iudge as reason is to conclude and determine finally in the minde whatsoeuer may bee called into question and doubted of so it is requisite that the conclusion and definitiue sentence should be registred in Memory as it were in a roll or booke of accompt that it may alwayes be ready and found when neede requireth For what good should we get by that which imagination fantasie and reason conceiue and gather together if it shoulde all vanish away presently through forgetfulnesse and no more memorie thereof should remaine in man then if nothing at all had bene done The like would daily happen to vs that befel Nebuchadnezzar when God reuealed vnto him by dreame in the vision of an Image what should become of his Monarchie and Empire and of those that followed him For he remembred well as himselfe testifieth that he had dreamed a dreame whereupon his spirite was troubled whilest he laboured to vnderstand it but hee was so farre from knowing the signification of his dreame that he remembred not what he had dreamed and seene therein Where wee see that his imagination and fantasie were so mooued by the image and vision represented vnto them in this dreame that they imprinted in his memory how they had seene a vision and that it was very strange and woonderfull Yea reason it selfe iudged that the vision and image was of another nature then those that are cōmonly in the imagination or fantasie or those which they coyne themselues in sleeping and dreaming and that it had some diuine signification And this did reason imprint in the Kings memorie who remembred all these things generally but when he beganne to enquire of the matter more specially and particularly hee could not call to minde the kinde and manner of his dreame but confessed that the thing was gone from him Afterward hauing heard and vnderstoode Daniel hee knewe that hee spake a trueth and then remembred what hee had dreamed and was gone from him because it was not well imprinted in his memorie but had passed ouer lightly by it Heere then wee see how necessary this secretary and register whome wee call Memorie is for the vnderstanding and spirite not onely to marke lightly such things as passe by it but also to note and ingraue them as it were in tables or pillars of stone or brasse Therefore hath God assigned his seate and lodging in the hindermost part of the braine to the ende that after such things as are to be committed vnto it haue passed by all the other senses they should be committed to it to keepe as to their secretary And for this cause that part of the braine is lesse moist and most solide and firme for two manifest and apparant reasons First because it is the fountaine of the marrowe in the back bone of which those sinews are deriued that giue the strongest motions to al the members of the body Therefore also it was requisite that they shoulde bee of a more firme and solide matter then the rest that are taken from the substance of other partes of the braine which are not to sustaine so great stresse Secondly forasmuch as the memory is as it were the Register and Chancery Court of all the other senses the images of all things brought and committed vnto it by them are to be imprinted therein as the image and signe of a ring or seale is imprinted and set in the waxe that is sealed Therefore it is needefull that the matter of the instrument of Memorie shoulde bee so well tempered that it be neither too soft nor too hard For if it be too soft the images will be soone ingrauen but they will not stay there any long time as they that will be quickely blotted out Contrariwise if it be ouer hard it wil be a harder matter to imprint them therein But when it is well tempered it receiueth the images easily and keepeth them well For the Memorie hath two dueties as well as the hand namely to receiue and to hold fast Therefore they that are of a moist braine receiue more easily into their memories that which is offered vnto them and they that haue a drie braine retaine and keepe better in memorie But following that which wee haue hitherto spoken of all the internall senses we are nowe to obserue and note this that the knowledge of things which wee haue by the outward senses is as if wee beheld the shadowes of them and that knowledge which wee haue by the common sense by Imagination and Fantasie is as if wee did looke vpon the images which represent vnto vs those things whereof they are images moreliuely and cleerely then their shadowes can do And the knowledge wee haue by vnderstanding of which facultie wee will intreate heereafter is as if wee viewed not onely the shadowes or images of things but also their very bodies which is more And that knowledge which wee haue by reason is as if besides all this wee sawe their effectes and vertues Therefore there is as much difference betweene the knowledge that a man may haue by euery one of these faculties and powers as there is betwixt the shadow and image and body and effects or vertues of one and the same thing to the end that the nature thereof may be throughly knowen
moderation or defect in the internall senses which exercise their offices in the head as well particularly as generally Therefore it is not without reason sayde in our common speach of him that hath a good spirite sense and iudgement that his head is well made and contrariwise that his head is ill made that wanteth these things For whatsoeuer the inhabitant or workeman is that laboureth the lodging in which hee dwelleth or the tooles and instruments which hee vseth are of great moment to further or hinder him in his worke But nowe that we are in hand with frenetike persons and haue saide before that good and ill spirites haue great meanes and such as wee can not comprehend whereby they mooue the imagination and fantasie of men it shall not be altogether fruitlesse if we speake somewhat of them that are possessed with spirites For there are some who thinke not that the Deuilles in their very substance enter into the bodies or soules heartes or mindes of men I speake not heere of such as thinke there is neither God nor Angelles nor Deuilles but euen of them that beleeue all these thinges who neuerthelesse thinke that euill spirites trouble the heartes and mindes of men onely by prouocations temptations and illusions Others there are that referre all the madnesse of Lunatike folkes to naturall causes as if they proceeded either from melancholike or cholerike humours or some such like causes as frensinesse madnesse and furie or some such diseases whereby men are carried beside themselues True it is and cannot be denied that many are thought to be possessed with Deuilles when in deede they are nothing so For there are some counterfeit crankes as many haue beene taken with the maner who vpon some occasion haue by meere knauery fained themselues such And some also there are that bee but melancholy madde and carried away by some disease of the braine but because their melancholie and furie is very violent and strange ignorant people suppose they are possessed with some spirite Notwithstanding wee may not doubt but that euil spirits desirous to hurt men both in their goodes bodies and soules vse al the meanes and occasions they can possibly inuent and finde out to execute their malice when it pleaseth God to giue them leaue For they can driue forward and mooue the hearts and mindes of men and set them in such a fury that euen their reason and iudgement wil be wholly confounded and as it were cleane extinguished Heereupon it commeth that many being caried headlong with such madnesse teare and kill themselues or their owne wiues children or others whereof we may daily see many examples Neuerthelesse we say not that the naturall light which God hath giuen them is wholly put out in them much lesse in those that are not so farre gone but the Deuill doeth stirre them forward with such violence that they are as it were taken perforce from themselues when they are forsaken of God Which examples ought to admonish vs to call vpon God incessantly that hee woulde gouerne vs by his sonne Iesus Christ who is come to destroy the woorkes of the Deuill that so the light of reason and of iudgement may not be darkened or put out in vs and that our heartes be not so possessed and pusshed on by Satan that wee rush our selues through a deuilish furie against the will of God And this did our Sauiour teach vs to demaund of him when hee saide Pray that yee enter not into tentation and when hee taught vs to say Leade vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill For if euill spirits durst set vpon those that were sounde both in body and soule after that manner which I haue spoken of according to that power that was giuen them wee may not thinke that they spare such as are sicke especially those that are already troubled in braine and beside themselues For the Deuill as our mortall enemie continually watcheth for those occasions that are fittest and most for his aduantage to hurte vs withal Therefore he intrudeth himselfe amidst our diseases and miseries chiefely when there is weakenesse of braine ioyned therewith vsing against vs those weapons which hee findeth in our owne nature as also those which his owne malice and rage ministreth vnto him whereof wee haue a very profitable example in the historie of Iob. Hee declareth plainely by his speach that if the feare of God had not kept him backe he had rather haue strangled himself then liued in that miserable estate wherein he was And no doubt if God had not helde a strong hand ouer his seruant Iob and brideled the rage and euill will of Satan that persecuted him the Deuill had had great power ouer this good man to haue perswaded him to make away himselfe desperately as Achitophel and Iudas did Nowe if the Deuill preuailed so farre with Iob by that leaue which God gaue him to afflict and trouble him wee may well thinke what hee can doe with the wicked and reprobate whome GOD wholly abandoneth and giueth ouer vnto him We haue a very plaine example in Saul of whome it is written that the spirite of the Lord went from him and that hee was giuen ouer of the Lord to an euill spirite which troubled and vexed him and that in the ende he fell into such desperation that hee vtterly forsooke God and slew himselfe We may know also by that which the holy Euangelists haue written of such as were possessed and were healed by Iesus Christ and by his Apostles what power euill spirites haue ouer thē whilest God suffered them to execute their rage and furie A man may easily iudge that such persons are not onely out of their wits through sicknesse but that euill spirites possesse them For he so troubleth their minde and spirite that they knowe 〈◊〉 more what they doe then the veriest bedlems that can be And although hee horribly vexeth their bodies yet they feele not his torments or if they doe feele them yet they cannot abstain from vexing thēselues So that it is easily knowen that the deuill is in them and that it proceedeth not onely of a simple frenzie or melancholy humour seeing some of them haue done such things as coulde not possibly bee perfourmed by the power of man whereof some of those are witnesses whom the holy scripture rehearseth vnto vs. Wherefore it is out of all question that euill spirites haue wrought both in them and by them Therefore we haue good occasion offered vnto vs by all that hath beene hitherto spoken to humble our selues before God and to pray vnto him continually as wee saide in the beginning of our speech For being as we are we ought still to praise God who distributeth his graces as it pleaseth him and that by a most exquisite kinde of iustice And when wee see those that are infirme and beside themselues some for a certaine time and by fittes others continually and after diuers manners