in it self no contrariety or principle of error Neither could he sinne in the pleasures of his mind they deriving from the contemplation of his Creator VII It is also certain that God as he is Creator and King of and over all his creatures did require obedience from them whereby they should expresse their subjection humility and love to him Wherefore no doubt he imposed some one commandment upon them which would be sufficient to testifie their obedience and subjection This command did not reach to the immediate or pure object of the soul but necessarily to the object of the Body The command upon the object of the body must have been aninterdiction of some one of its pleasures to which it was inclined otherwise had there been but little difficulty in it it would have expressed but an indifferent observance or love The pleasures of the body consists mainly imâ—ating so that it is probable some edible thing was interdicted from which man was to abstain And although this command did immediately extend to the body yet there being that sympathy between the soul and it the one could easily move the other whereby it did also mediately reach the soul also The breach of this commandment must have threatned some punishment for to imprint a fear upon man VIII This punishment was imposed upon that which should be the first inticer which necessarily was the body through its appetitive faculty No question but man sustained also the force of the Devil because we are yet minutely attached by him who wrought upon him in a disguise for had he appeared to man in his own shape man would have shunned him more by cunning and stratagems than as an open enemy By diverting him from thinking upon God in drawing his understanding to a sensual object so that he wrought first upon man's body in proposing some pleasant object to its appetite which did soon entice the soul's will Wherefore Man could not have deflected from God without yeelding to this attraction of the Devil and ceasing for a while from contemplating God to whom had he but returned in time it would soon have recalled him from all the allurements of the evil spirit However man went on in hearkning to the evil spirit And so much the more because it is probable the Devil appeared to him professing an entire friendship in proposing somewhat which might conduce to the amendment of his condition and pleasure of his Body This done the Devils work was the better half finisht Hereupon man yeelding to the Devils persuasion and to please his lust soon after forfeited his happinesse His distinct knowledge of things failed him his fruition of God was lost his bodily appetite was now more increased than ever and thence committed the same sinne a thousand times over All God's creatures disobeyed him beasts grew fierce herbs poisonous The Elements lost their purity the Sun yeelded of his light and brightnesse the starres of their virtues and influences This great alteration immediately hereupon succeeding he soon perceived that he had sinned and at the same instant felt the punishment for sin he needed no trial for his conscience yeelded Now let us collect what man 's punishment was for this alone first sin IX It was not a present unavoidable eternal separation from God for then God would have cast him into hell immediately like he did the Devil whose crime was unpardonable since he aspired to have been God himself and in whom there remained not the least spark of good but being rendred altogether evil there remained nothing in him worth saving Hence by the way I confirm my former proposition that man had a principle of good remaining in him after his fall for otherwise God should have cast him into hell immediately 2. It was a present temporal unavoidable death namely a separation of the soul from the body which he soon concluded from the alteration of his body and disposition to sicknesse through which his body at last must necessarily be brought to a temporal death yet this temporal death did not exclude an eternal one in case he neglected the most gracious means destained for his restitution 3. It consisted in a partial unlikenesse to God for before he knew all things distinctly by one operation of mind now by many then without errour now subject to mistakes and errours 4. The losse of Paradise The seat wherein he was first constituted was before full of all perfections abounding of all things for the good of man all herbs were nourishing flowers fragrant beasts of a soft pleasant and delightfull nature the Elements in their splendour the Earth fruitfull the waters sweet the air clear and wholsome the fire pure Soon after all was changed some herbs became venemous others still reserving some goodnesse in them some flowers changed into a stink others retained yet some sweet odour so some Beasts became wild others remaining tame a part of the earth remained barren and a part fruitfull c. X. Had man then become quite evil through this one act all that which had been subservient to him before would now have become noxious and destructive to him His knowledge of God was not totally blotted out his knowledge of all other things was not quite abolisht for he knew them still although not with the same distinction and evidence Since then it was so that part of mans enjoyments were yet remaining and that part changed into crosses it is probable that a part of the good in man remained and a great part of evil entred for had man not retained some good in him God would have taken all good away from him Now after the shipwrack of man's happinesse and admission of evil let us also examine what remained in him that might still be termed good 1. There remained in man after his fall a knowledge of his Creator 2. A Reasoning faculty 3. His body as yet in health but disposed to sicknesse and death 4. A place wherein to live All these Relicts were much impaired to what they were neverthelesse God left them for some end namely that they might serve man as a means for his restitution I had almost forgot to insert among man's remains his free-will for no question the first man had a free-will to good and evil which it is probable remained also partially in him after his fall CHAP. XVIII Of the manner of the Suppression Extinction Predominance and Triumph of the Habit of Good 1. The repetition of some of the principal principles of this Treatise 2. What it is that hindreth the Habit of Good 3. How the good Habit happens to be deaded and overcome by the evil habit How the good Habit happens to suppresse and vanquish the evil habit 4. That we are apt to incline most to those things that are forbidden 5. A proof inferring darknesse to proceed from the prevalence of the corporeal appetite 6. Why it is that a man must necessarily die The ground detected upon which the
This name doth in a large sense expresse Philosophy and in a strict sense denotes Theology as it is defined here above The wise Apostle James seemeth to impose this very name in that place of his Epistle Wisdome that is from above is c. What is wisdom from above but the wisdom of God II. The Genus of the Definition is a Habit which is a rooted disposition whereby we are inclined to operate with ease It is not the enjoyment of one single happiness which can make a man happy for one act is transitory and is not at all durable but it must be a rooted happiness the possession of which doth make us happy for ever Since we are to live for ever we must either be rooted in happinesse if we intend to be everlastingly happy or else rooted in evil whereby we continue in misery without end III. The happinesse which we reap from this Philosophy is not an ordinary happinesse but it is a happinesse in its highest degree and Perfection or it is a durable contentment accompanied with the greatest joy that is possible to be enjoyed by us in this world On the other side the misery which attends the habit of evil is no lesse tormenting dismall and dolefull than the other is joyfull IV. The Differentia of the Definition is to possesse the greatest good and to live in the greatest happinesse All Practick Sciences do operate for an end and therfore are to be defined by that End To live happily is to live in contentment and joy There seems to be a Medium between living in joy and living in misery which is to live for a Passe-time For there are many who do all things for a Passe-time they play at Cards Dice and Bowls they discourse and all for a Passe-time Some take Tobacco and drink themselves drunk for to passe away the time Certainly these can neither say that they are affected with joy or misery but seem to be in a neutral state Of these doth Sallust justly give his opinion Multi mortales dediti ventri at que somno indocti incultique vitam sicut peregrinantes tranfiere Quibus profecto contranaturam corpus voluptati anima oneri fuit Eorum ego vitam mortemque juxta aestumo quoniam de utraque siletur There are many men who being given to their gut and to sleep continuing unlearned and rude have passed away their dayes like unto Travellers To whom indeed against nature their body was a pleasure and their soul a burden These mens life and death I judge alike for there is no notice taken of either V. Theology is Natural or Supernatural VI. Natural Theology is a natural habit of possessing the greatest good and living in the greatest happinesse that a natural man may attain unto in this world and in the world to come Supernatural Theology is a supernatural habit of possessing the greatest good and living in the greatest happinesse that a man may supernaturally attain unto in this material and in the next spiritual world It is not my drift to treat of supernatural Theology in this volume neither do I pretend more in that than a Christian Disciple and not as a Teacher to which a special Call and an extraordinary spiritual disposition must concur but my chief design and aim is rationally to demonstrate a Natural Theology such which a man through his natural gifts of reason and understanding may reach unto without an extraordinary concurrence of God with him The benefit which is hence expected serveth to convince those desperate and carnal wretches from their affected Atheism yet must be lesse affected with it than to be rooted and confirmed in it In which if otherwise they are Reasoning will not take any effect upon them The first doubt or query which a natural man doth or may propose is Whether it is possible for him to know through his reasoning if his soul be immortal For saith he if my soul is mortal it will prove in vain to make further search after happinesse then is or can be enjoyed in this world The second scruple which a man or rather the Devil doth foolishly move to himself is Whether the soul now being demonstrated to him to be immortal there is a God For whence can he expect any happinesse after death but from God Thirdly Whether it is possible to a Natural man by his own power and Gods ordinary assistance or concurrence to procure the possession of the twofold before-mentioned Summum Bonum But before I apply my self to the solving of these Doubts I must explain what the greatest happinesse is which I intend to perform briefly and clearly in the next Chapter I need not adde many words to the illustrating of the eminence and worth of this Divine Science since the name it self doth speak it The eloquence of Cicero doth thus set forth the dignity of wisdom in his 2. Offic. By the immortal Gods what is there more to be desired than wisdome what is better to a man what is more worthy of a mans knowledge The same may be better applyed to the wisdome of God that is concerning God God saith Austin is wisdome himself through whom all things are made and a true Philosopher is a lover of God in that he is a lover of wisdom If we are ignorant of God we are no Philosophers and through that ignorance we fall into great Errors Lactantius in his third Book doth expresse himself much to the same tenour where speaking of Philosophers he saith It is true they have sought for wisdome but because they did not search after it as they should have done they fell further into such errors that they were ignorant of common wisdom CHAP. II. Of the end of Natural Theology 1. Wherein Moral Philosophy differeth from Natural Theology and wherein it agreeth with it That the Heathen Philosophers were no true Philosophers Aristotle his dying words Epicure his miserable Death after so pleasant a Life 2. A Description of the greatest Happinesse Queries touching the greatest Happinesse 3. Whether the greatest Happinesse is the neerest and principal end of Theology 4. How the greatest Happinesse is otherwise called 1. ONe or other may object against our Definition of Natural Theology that I do confound it with Moral Philosophy I answer Moral Philosophy is taken in a large sense for a habit of living in the greatest happinesse here and hereafter and then it is synonimous to Natural Theology Or in a strict sense for a habit of living in the greatest happinesse only in this world which may be tearmed an Epicurean Moral Philosophy and is such whose object vanisheth with the expiration of the soul out of the body This last is grounded upon a false maxime of its End to wit that the greatest happinesse which â—â—â— be enjoyed in this world is essentially different from 〈…〉 which we may enjoy hereafter It is essentially different because according to their folly there is no happinesse to be expected any where
Papists were induced to state a Purgatory Their error rejected 7. That the proportion of these two Habits is various in every individual subject I. BY what hath been proposed in the fore-going Chapter you may now fully comprehend the nature of Darknesse or habit of evil and how man fell into it You may further remember that man had no habit of Good because nothing resisted his natural powers wherefore it is no absurdity to assert That man acteth now good and evil through acquired or infused habits Moreover let me desire you to take notice how man fell into sinne viz. That it was through the inclination and enticement of his corporeal or sensual appetite and that thereby his reason was not drawn aside violentè or coactivè but inclinativè and dispositivè that through this the body as it were got the upperhand of the soul insomuch that after the soul had submitted her self once to the command of the body she thereby forfeited her superiority that the body after the fall being corrupted and grown lesse serviceable to the soul it had stronger influence upon the soul than ever That the habit of the soul is nothing else but an easinesse of working its acts whether good or evil which is attained through frequent repetitions of the same acts and through it at last makes the organs easie and the objects fitted II. Where as all habits presuppose a difficulty through which the former acts have been hindred that which hindreth the good habit is the forcible drawing and prevalence of the sensual appetite whereby it is set on and inclined to sensual acts which for the most part prove to be evil III. Wherefore this good habit is nothing else but the same principle of good somwhat deaded and diverted by the sensual inclinations of the body for as a flaming fire may be deaded and choakt through black smokes whereby it is hindred from flaming and yet continue a fire and may blaze again were the smokes but discussed in fire we see when it begins to blaze a little by degrees it blazes more and more untill at last it gets to a flame which keeps its life the better and expelleth the smoke more vigorously but if it begins to leave flaming and come to blazing and from blazing return to a deadish light then the smoke overcometh it and deads it again Even so it is with the habits of the soul man's light keeps blazing untill it is deaded and choakt through the dark smokes of his inordinate sensual appetite but if it be ventilated and stirred up by frequent repetitions of good acts it is vivified and lasteth This light if it is once come to an intyre flame it can never be totally darkned possibly it may now and then remit somewhat of its lustre but in case this light doth only blaze a little now and then or it may be flame a while yet if it rise not to burn clear quite through neverthelesse it will perish and is to be counted for a flash IV. It is then the inordinate appetite of the body which smothereth up the light of the soul because through it she is led aside by harkning altogether to its motion and suffering the understanding and will to bend to its pleasures and especially to such which are forbden Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata That which the Law doth most from us require Is most gain-said by our perverse desire Herein is the habit of the soul deaded and overcome by the evil habit of the body The soul may produce good acts although with difficulty because she is opposed by the evil habit of the body But the oftener those acts are repeated the more the soul doth triumph over the body and subdueth it under her command yet not so as to tie up its whole force because the body being once corrupted cannot be redintegrated in this world there remaining a debt to be paid to wit death which was contracted as hath been shewed through guilt of the first transgression You may here enquire Why God through his infinite mercy doth not forgive man this debt of death I answer That God through his justice cannot that requiring plenary satisfaction otherwise God's threatnings and ordinances might be supposed to be in vain V. From all this it appeareth that the darknesse of the soul proceeds from the predominance of the corporeal appetite misleading the soul and consequently that the good habit of man is per se and the evil habit per accidens for the same perfections which the soul of the first man was indued withall are also conferred upon every individual soul because each of these doth immediatly emanate from God and therefore is most perfect Ergo the perfection or good of every soul is inherent in her per se and the evil which doth assault her is per accidens for it is from the body By the way let me tell you in case you doe maintain originall sinne and assert it to be propagated through infection you must agree in this very tenent viz. that it is propagated through the infection of the body which is per accidens to the soul for it cannot be propagated through the infection of the soul for that was created pure and perfect or otherwise you must affirm that the soul is ex traduce which is impious and atheistical VI. The body since it is so corrupted must be purified which cannot be unlesse the soul leaveth it for a while but as for the soul if it deserteth the body with an assurance of and in God's mercy and goodnesse it needeth not to die because it was not essentially corrupted but accidentally and expiring out of the body arrives to God's presence in the same purity and perfection as it was indued with at her first infusion Wherefore the Papists do most heretically mistake in arguing that the soul for to be purified must abide a while in Purgatory Here may be objected If the soul remaineth good per se and the evil be per accidens then the soul of every wretch being dissolved from the body is entirely pure and holy I deny the consequence for as long as God's justice is not satisfied for their sin committed in the flesh both their body and soul must necessarily be damned but as for the soul of a regenerated man the guilt of his sins being taken away and God's justice satisfied in this world the soul when dissolved from the body remaineth essentially and naturally good without any further purification VII The proportion which there is between these two habits is very various and different in most persons for we see that some persons their bodies and appetites are more depraved than others and consequently their good habits more deaded and that some have much more ado to rebuke their sensual inclinations than others CHAP. XIX Of Original Sinne. 1. How it is possible for two contrary Habits to inhere in one subject 2. The absurdities that follow this Assertion viz.
aeternum O the harmony of their quavering wings and smooth voices O the glorious order in their moving O the splendour that encompasseth them O the glistering of their appearances O those bright Stars moving swister than the Heavens O the â—lustery descent of the myriads of Seraphims then of Cberubims and of Thrones O but what misery is it to be shut out from this celestial consort and have ones brains dashed against the fiery pins and burning stakes of Hell Wo the most horrible sight of that monstrous Arch-devil Satan piercing the most tender sinews of man with his serpentine tongue haling each limb of him with so many Drakes heads scruing his conscience by trusting his eyes into that dread magnifying glasse of Hell which serveth him to shake his shattery bones through seeing the monstrous greatnesse of his sins Wo that multiplying Glasse expressing the vast number of his detestable wicked deeds Wo the fearfull thunder of those innumerable legions of wretches roaring out through the most intollerable pains of their sinews the rigid torments and the gnawing fretting distracting inflaming Gangrene of their sad consciences Wo the everlasting pricking pinching convulsion rotting of their sinews Wo the deformity of their ulcer'd swelled rankled bodies Wo the fearfull spectacle and disorder of hellish monsters here is a fiery Serpent there a roaring Lion here stands a dreadfull Drake formed out of the body of an Atheist there a raging Crocodile grown up out of the body of a Traitor Wo the unexpressible innumerable torments and dreads of Hell And this you see is the end of Good and Evil and of this Treatise CHAP. XXII Comprizing a brief account of the Religion of the Heathen Philosophers 1. Socrates his belief of God 2. What God is according to Homer 3. What Plato thought God to be 4. Thales his saying of God 5. Instances proving the Heathens to have known Gods Attributes particularly That Thales believed God's Omniscience and God's unchangeable Decrees 6. That Socrates asserted God's Omniscience Omnipotence his creating of the world in time his justice and mercy God's Omnipresence 7. The Articles of Plato 's Faith 8. Aristotle 's Belief 8. Virgil 's opinion of divine things 10. The divine Song of Orpheus 11. Trismegistus upon the Creation of the world AFter the proposal of a Rational Divinity and its evidence through humane Reason it will not a little conduce to the proof thereof that Heathens have through the light of Nature attained to the same I. Socrates who might more justly be surnamed Divine than his Scholar Plato who received most of his learning from him constantly used to say That the only amiable wisdome was to know and understand God and Nature which knowledge saith he was not be got in men but it was called to mind as if he would have said the soul must needs retain some impression from whence it was derived He asserted also That the supream God was the Father and maker of all things II. Homer declared God the Father of all the gods which are created and maker of beasts and all other things that had no souls By gods here he meant men who for their excellency of wit and parts were after their death remembred with Sacrifices and honoured with the name of gods Neither did men really take these for gods but only in the same manner as Papists do their Saints for they were not ignorant that these had been men and could then perform no more than men Hence Heraclitus affirmed That this world was not made by any of the gods or men III. Plato his assertion was That God of all causes was the most excellent and the first IV. God saith Thales is the most ancient of things for he never had beginning or birth V. Now I come to produce that they had attained a particular knowledge of God's Attributes Thales being demanded whether a man might do ill and conceal it from God no nor think it said he Stobaeus relates of Thales that he being asked what was the strongest answered Necessity for it rules all the world Necessity is the firm judgement and immutable power of Providence A golden saying inverting Fate into God's unchangeable Decree VI. Socrates his knowledge of God was after this tenour viz. That God knoweth all things said done or silently desired That God through his care sustains all his creatures in providing light water and fire for them But particularly for man for whose service and subjection he hath ordained plants and all other creatures That God is one perfect in himself giving the being and well-being of every creature what he is I know not what he is not I know That the way to true happinesse is Philosophy whose precepts are two to contemplate God and to abstract the soul from corporeal sense That God not Chance created the world and all creatures is evident through the reasonable disposition of their parts as well for use as defence from their care to preserve themselves and continue their kind That he hath had a particular regard to man in his body is no lesse apparent from the excellency thereof above others from the gift of speech from the excellency of his soul in Divinations and fore-saying dangers That he regards particular beings from the care of their whole kind That he will reward such as please him and punish others that displease him from his power of doing it from the belief he hath ingraffed in man That he will do it That he is professed by the most wise and civilized Cities and Ages That he at once seeth all things from the instances of the eye which at once over-runs many miles and of the mind which at once conceiveth things done in the most remote places Lastly That he is such and so great as that he at once seeth all hears all is every where and orders all Plato maintains That God is incorporeal and an unchangeable Light That the knowledge of God was the true wisdom and that we are render'd like to God through our justice and holinesse What saith Austin concerning Plato That his followers would have been Christians a few words and sentences onely being changed That the greatest happinesse consisted in knowing God and in being like to him But possibly you may reply That Plato according to what is asserted by Justin Martyr had read some Books written by an inspired pen as the Books of Moses and the Prophets Unde Plato inquit currum volantem Jovem agere in Coelo didicit nisi ex Prophetarum Historiis quas evolverit Intellexit enim è Prophetae verbis quae de Cherubim it a script a sunt gloria Dom ini ex domo exivit venitque in Cherubim sumserunt Cherubim pennas suas rotae eorum cohaerebant Dominique Dei Israel eis in Coelo coharebat gloria Hinc profectus Plato clamat his verbis Magnus in Coelo Jupiter currum volantem incitans alioquin à quo alio nisi à Mose
Prophet is haec didicisset Whence saith he had Plato learned that Jupiter rid in a flying Chariot but out of the Histories of the Prophets which he had over-lookt for out of the Books of the Prophets he understood all those things that were thus written concerning the Cherubims and the glory of the Lord went out of the house and came to the Cherubims The Cherubims took their feathers and they hung together in circles and the Glory of the Lord of Israel did abide upon them in Heaven Hence Plato descending cries out these words Iupiter great in the Heavens driving his flying Chariot Otherwise from whom should he else have learned these things but from the Prophets And so Clem. Alexand. lib. 1. Strom. orat ad Gent. speaking as it were to Plato Leges quaecunque verae sunt tibi ab Hebrais suppeditatae sunt What ever true Laws thou hast set down are supplied thee by the Hebrews To this I answer That it is very improbable that Plato should have collected his Divinity out of Moses or the Prophets their writings being in his time not yet translated out of the Hebrew I should rather believe with others that he had sifted his divine Notions out of Hermes Trismegistus an AEgyptian who according to Suidas flourished before Pharho and was called Trismegistus because he had through a divine inspiration written of the Trinity And Sugul saith that he was called Ter optimus maximus the thrice best and greatest because of his greatest wit or according to others because he was a Priest King and a Prophet 'T is not only thought of Plato that he had gathered some riddles of God from the AEgyptans but also of Theodorus Anaxagoras and Pythagoras But I continue Plato's sentences The body being compounded is dissolved by death the soul being simple passeth into another life and is uncapable of corruption The souls of men are divine to whom when they goe out of the body the way of their return to Heaven is open for whom to be best and most just is most expedient The souls of the good after death are in a happy state united to God in a blessed inaccessible place the wicked in convenient places suffer condign punishment But to define what those places are is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence being demanded what things were in the other world he answered Neither was I ever there or ever did speak with any that came from thence VIII We must not forget Aristotle who lib. 3. de anim c. 3. closes with Homer in these Verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Homer agreed in the same That the minds of mortal men were such as the Father of Gods and men did daily infuse into them Moreover lib. 1. de anim cap. 3. t. 65 66. he calleth our understanding Divine and asserts it to be without danger of perishing And lib. 2. de gener cap. 3. delivers his sense thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore it remains that the mind alone doth advene from without and that she alone is Divine for the action of the body hath not at all any communication with her action IX Virgil 4. Georg. wittily sets down God's ubiquity Deum namque ire per omnes Et terras tractusque Maris Coelumque profundum Hinc pecudes armenta viros genus omne ferarum Quemque sibitenues nascentem arcessere vitas Et 6. AEneid Principio Coelum ac terras composque liquentes Lucentemque Globum Lunae Titaniaque astra Spirit us intus alit totamque infusa per artus Mens agitat molem magno se corpore miscet That is For God doth go through all the earth the tracts of the Sea and the deep of the Heavens Hence do beasts and men and what ever is born draw their thin breath And in the sixth Book of his AEneids In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth and the melting fields and the shining Globe of the Moon together with the Titanian Star A spirit doth nourish it within speaking of the world and a mind being infused through its members doth move its mole and mingles its self with that great body X. The admirable Poesie of that Divine Orpheus lib. de Mundo is worth our observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter is the first Jupiter is the last Jupiter is the head Jupiter is the middle God made all things Jupiter is the foundation of the earth and of the starry heavens Jupiter is a male Jupiter is an immortall Nymph Jupiter is the spirit of all things Jupiter is the mover of the unruly fite Jupiter is the root of the Sea Jupiter is the Sun and the Moon Jupiter is a King Jupiter is the sulminating Prince of all for he covereth all he is a lighr to all the earth out of his breast he doth wonderfull things XI Trismegistus lib. 1. Pimandr renders himself very divinely The mind of the divine power did in the beginning change its shape and suddenly revealed all things and I saw that all things were changed into a very sweet and pleasant light And below in another place A certain shadow fell underneath through a thwart revolution And Serm. 3. Pimandr The shadow was infinite in the deep but the water and the thin spirit were in the chaos and there slourished a holy splendour which impelled the Elements under the sand and the moist nature and the weighty bodies being submerst under the darkness did abide under the moist sand Empedocles defined God a sphere whose center is every where and circumference no where Vincent in spec hist. l. 4. c. 44. Pythagoras described God to be a mind diffused throughout the universal parts of the world and the whole nature out of which all living creatures that are born do draw their life In another place he cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soul of the universe Heraclitus being at a certain time of the winter crept into a Cottage for to warm himself and being enquired for by some who were ashamed to come into so mean a place called to them to come near for said he the gods are also to be found here Athenagoras an Athenian Philosopher expresseth himself very profoundly God saith he hath given man a judgement of reason and understanding for to know intelligible things the Goodnesse of God his Wisdom and Justice ERRATA PAg. 4. lin 6. read of their l. 31 wisdom it self p. 6. l. 8. r. with those p. 8. l. 17. r. those l. 25. r. into good p 13. l. 19. r. wherein p. 15. l. 12. r. into that l. 28. r. according to p. 17. l. 29. r. those of the. l. 35. r. these causes p. 22. l 33. r. a man doth p. 25. l. 32.
the Peripateticks touching the Souls action That according to the same Opinion a Substance is said not to act immediately through it self but through superadded Powers p. 85. 2. That a Substance acteth through as many different Powers as it produceth different Acts. p. 86. 3. That the said Powers are really and formally distinct from the essence of the Soul ib. 4. That Powers are concreated with the Soul and do immediately emanate from her Essence p. 87. 5. That immaterial Powers are inherent in the Soul as in their Agent Material ones in the Matter as in their Subject ib. 6. That Powers are distinguisht by their Acts and Objects The Authors Intent in treating of the Faculties of the Soul ib. CHAP. II. Of all the usual Acceptions of power 1. The Etymology of Power The Synonyma's of Power p. 88. 2. The various Acceptions of power ib. 3. What a Passive Natural Power and a Supernatural Passive or Obediential Power is ib. 4. Various Divisions of Power p. 89. CHAP. III. Of the Nature of Power according to the Author 1. The Analogal Concept of Power as it is common to all its Analogata p. 90. 2. Whether there be Real Powers 91. 3. Certain Conclusions touching Powers p. 93. 4. That all Substances act immediately through themselves p. 95. 5. That a Peripatetick Power is a Non Ens Physicum p. 97. 6. That all Powers are really Identificated with their Subject ib. 7. That Powers are distinguisht modully from their Subject p. 98. 8. How Powers are taken in the Abstract ib. 9. The Manner of the Remission and Intention of Powers p. 99. 10. The Number of the Formal Acts caused by a singular Substance ib. 11. The Number of the Formal Acts caused by an Organical Substance p. 101. 12. The Solutions of several Doubts touching Powers ib. 13. That all Creatures have an absolute Power secundum quid of acting p. 102. 14. In what sense Hippocrates and Galen apprehended Powers ib. The FIRST PART The Fourth Book CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Natural Theology 1. What Theology is p. 1. 2. That Theosophy is a fitter name to signifie the same which is here intended by Theology That in knowing God we become Philosophers p. 2. 3. What a Habit is ib. 4. What it is to live happily That there is a mean or middle way of living which is neither living in happiness or living in misery p. 3. 5. How Theology is divided ib. 6. What Natural Theology is What Supernatural Theology is The first Doubts of a Natural man ib. 7. The Dignity of Theology p. 4. CHAP. II. Of the end of Natural Theology 1. Wherein Moral Philosopy differeth from Natural Theology and wherein it agreeth with it That the Heathen Philosophers were no true Philosophers Aristotle his dying words Epicure his miserable death after so pleasant a life p. 5. 2. A Description of the greatest Happiness Queries touching the greatest Happiness p. 6. 3. Whether the greatest Happiness is the neerest and principal end of Theology ib. 4. How the greatest Happeness is otherwise called p. 7. CHAP. III. Of GOOD 1. What Good is p. 7. 2. That Aristotle 's Definition of Good is erroneous ib. p. 8. 3. Diogenes his Definition of Good 9. 4. The Explanation of the Definition of Good How the several kinds of Good differ from one another ib. 5. What Moral Good is what moral evil is p. 10. 6. What Theologick Good and evil is ib. CHAP. IV. Of Moral Good and Moral Evil. 1. An Explanation of the Definition of Moral Good What is understood by a Natural State The ambiguity of the word Natural p. 10. 2. What Moral Good it is which doth respect the Body What Moral Good it is which respecteth the Soul p. 11 3. An Explanation of the Definition of Moral Evil. That God doth not properly bend to his creatures p. 12. 4. The Distinction between these two predicates to be Good and to do Good ib. 5. How Moral Good turns to Moral Evil. p. 13. 6. That Man as he is in a neutral state is in a middle state between supernatural and preternatural ib. CHAP. V. Of Theologick Good and Theologick Evil. 1. An Explanation of the Definition of Theologick Good p. 14. 2. An Explication of the Definition of Theologick Evil. ib. 3. What honest usefull and pleasant Good is p. 15. 4. What Natural Sensible and Moral Good is ib. CHAP. VI. Of the greatest and highest Good 1. A further illustration of the greatest Good p. 16. 2. That the highest Good is the neerest end of Natural Theology ib. 3. What the Summum Bonum is otherwise called That the greatest Good is our last end p. 17. 4. The inexpressible Joy which the soul obtains in possessing the greatest Good ib. 5. Two great benefits which the soul receiveth from the Summum Bonum p. 18. CHAP. VII Of the false Summum Bonum 1. The Summum Bonum of the Epicureans unfolded and rejected p. 19. 2. That Wealth is a greater terment than a Summum Bonum The Riches of Seneca That we ought to follow his example p. 20. 3. That to be taken up in merry discourses is not the greatest happiness ib. p. 21. 4. That it is not the greatest happiness to be merry twice or thrice a week at a mans country house p. 22. 5. That honour is not the greatest good ib. 6. That swearing is no happiness ib. 7. The Author's ground why he was compelled to make use of so light a style in this Chapter p. 23. 8. That all these enumerated instances are highly to be embraced as good but not as the greatest Good That meat and drink are to be taken with temperance ib. 9. That Riches are not absolutely to be rejected p. 24. 10. That mutual converse is commendable ib. 11. That a constant society is necessary to man ib. 12. That we ought to give honour to whom honour is due p. 25. 13. That we ought not to refuse an Oath tendred by the Magistrate ib. CHAP. VIII Of the Subject of Natural Theology 1. Man consisting of Body and Soul is the adequate subject of Natural Theology p. 26. 2. Reasons proving the Soul to be the original and principal subject of Theology ib. 3. That the Understanding and Will are really and formally one The confutation of the vulgar definition of will A full explication of the will and the manner of its acting What speculative and practical signifie p. 27 c. 4. What the will is in a large sense p. 34 5. What the will is in a strict sense ib. 6. An explanation upon the first description of will p. 35. 7. The effects of the will Whether appetibility doth not equally imply volibility and appetibility in a strict sense p. 36. 8. Whether mans appetite is distinct from his will ib. CHAP. XIX Of Free-will by reason 1. Wherein man doth most differ from Animals or Naturals p. 38. 2. To what acts the freedom of man's will in reference to its acting doth extend What the
most rational spirit p 88. 2. That Man by means of his first and second Light understood all beings perfectly in their proper natures as they were p. 89 3. That the first man did not sleep during his incorrupt estate ib. 4. That the first man did eat and drink ib. 5. That the first man would have generated in the same manner and through the same parts as he did afterwards but without that shame and sinfull lust That there were no co-Adamites The absurdity of that blasphemous opinion touching prae-Adamites ib. 6. That the first man was beyond danger of erring in any action proceeding from his soul. p. 90 7. A rational inquiry into the first sinne and knowledg of the first Commandment ib. 8. The manner of man's fall proved by reason His punishment for the breach of the first Commandment p. 91. 9. A further collection of man's pupunishment for his first sinne That a present unavoidable temporal death was part of man's punishment and not a present unavoidable eternal death ib. 10 That man after his fall was not become utterly evil p. 92. 11. An enumeration of the relicts of Good in man p. 93. CHAP. XVIII Of the manner of the Suppression Extinction Predominance and Triumph of the Habit of Good 1. The repetition of some of the principal principles of this Treatise 94. 2. What it is that hindreth the Habit of Good ib. 3. How the good Habit happens to be deaded and overcome by the evil habit How the good Habit happens to suppresse and vanquish the evil habit ib. 4. That we are apt to incline most to those things that are forbidden p. 95. 5. A proof inferring darkness to proceed from the prevalence of the corporeal appetite ib. 6. Why it is that a man must necessarily die The ground detected upon which the Papists were induced to state a Purgatory Their error rejected p. 96. 7. That the propertion of these two Habits is various in every individual subject ib. CHAP. XIX Of Original Sinne. 1. How it is possible for two contrary Habits to inhere in one subject 97. 2. The absurdities that follow this Assertion viz. That the evil habit inheres in the soul perse ib. 3. In what manner the Habit of good is taken to inhere per se in the soul. p. 98. 4. That God created every man theologically good Several Objections relating to the same assertion answered ib. 5. How the soul partaketh of the guilt of Original Sinne. The opinion of the Synod of Rochel upon this matter p. 99. c. CHAP. XX. Of the manner of Man's Multiplication 1. The state of the controversie 101. 2. That the Rational Soul is not generated or produced by generation That there are three kinds of productions out of nothing ib. 3. That the Soul is not propagated either from the Father or Mother ib. 102. 4. That impious opinion concluding the Rational Soul to be generated tanquam ex traduce confuted 103. 5. An Objection against the Authors opinion answered ib. 6. That the foetus before the advent of the Rational Soul is informated with a form analogal to a sentient form p. 104. 7. That God is the remote cause of man's generation ib. 8. That man doth generate man naturally and perse ib. 9. The opinion of Austin Jerome and others upon this matter p. 105. CHAP. XXI Of Practick Natural Faith 1. What a man is to consider to prevent his downfall p. 207. 2. Man's danger and folly the Devils policy A certain means whereby to be delivered from this imminent danger The whole mystery and summe of man's salvation ib. 108. 3. The main Question of this whole Treatise decided p. 109. 4. Scripture proofs accidentally proposed inferring implicit faith in a natural man to be justifying ib. 5. The general Rules of Practick faith p. 110 6. The occasion of man's fall briefly repeated ib. 7. Fifteen Reasons against all passions p. 111 112. 8. Arguments against all bodily pleasures p. 113. 9. The military discipline of a natural man instructing him to warre against all his enemies that oppose him in his way to his greatest happiness p. 114 115. 10. The greatest and most necessary rule of this military art A scandal taken off from Physicians p. 116. 11. Another great measure of the said Art p. 117. 12. Whence a natural man is to expect assistance in case he is weakned by his enemies p. 118. 13. Whether the soul expiring out of the body is to be an Angel or for ever to abide without office What the office of a separated soul is 119. 14. How long she is to continue in office The consummation and description of the change of the world The resurrection proved by reason The description of the second Paradise concluded by reason ib. 15. To what objects the faculties of men when possest of the second Paradise will extend That they shall remember and know one another That they shall eat and drink that they shall not generate that the same person who redeemed man from his misery shall reign over him in Paradise p. 120 121. CHAP. XXII Comprizing a brief account of the Religion of the Heathen Philosophers 1. Socrates his belief of God p. 122. 2. What God is according to Homer p. 123. 3. What Plato thought God to be ib. 4. Thales his saying of God ib. 5. Instances proving the Heathens to have known Gods Attributes particularly that Thales believed God's Omniscience and God's unchangeable Decrees ib 6. That Socrates asserted God's Omniscience Omnipotence his creating of the world in time his Iustice and Mercy God's Omnipresence ib. 7. The Articles of Plato 's Faith p. 124 125. 8. Aristotle 's Belief p. 126. 9. Virgil's opinion of divine things ib. 10. The divine Song of Orpheus p. 127. 11. Trismegistus upon the Creation of the world ib. 128. Natural Philosophy The SECOND PART The First Book CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Natural Philosophy 1. THe Etymology and Synonima's of Natural Philosophy p. 1. 2. The Definition of Natural Philosophy p. 2. 3. An Explanation of the said Definition ib. 4. What a Natural Being is ib. 5. What a Natural Essence is ib. 6. What Nature is ib. 7. The various Acceptions of Nature ib. CHAP. II. Comprehending an Explanation of the Definition of a Natural Being 1. What is meant by Disposition p. 3. 2. An Objection against the Definition of a Natural Being answered p. 4. 3. What it is to act according to Truth ib. 4. That the Subject of this Science is more properly named a natural Being than a natural Body ib. 5. Aristotles Definition of Nature rejected by several Arguments p. 5. 6. That Nature is a property of a natural Being p. 6. 7. The difference between Nature and Art ib. 8. That Nature in respect to God acteth constantly for an End p. 7. 9. The Division of Nature ib. CHAP. III. Of the Principles of a Natural Being 1. That Privation is no Principle of a Physical Generation or of a Physical Being That
turned-round with ones hand doth turn contrary against the motion of the Glass p. 437. 4. Why a breath being blown with a close mouth doth feel cool and efflated with a diducted mouth feel warm ib. 5. Why an armed point of an Arrow groweth hot in being shot through the air ib. 6. Why Beer or Wine will not run out of the Cask without opening a hole atop ib 7. What difference there is between an Oâ—iâ—â—e and a Travada ib. 8. Whether it be true that Winds may be hâ—red from Witches or Wizards in Iseland p 438. 9. Why is it quieter in the night than in the day ib. CHAP. IV. Containing Problems touching the fire 1. Why doth water cast upon unquencht chalk or lime become boyling p. 439. 2. Why doth common salt make a cracking noise when cast into the fire ib. 3. Who were the first inventers of Gunpowder ib. 4. What are the Ingredients of Gunpowder 440. 5. Whence arrives all that flaming fire that followeth the kindling of Gunpower ib. 6. Whence is it that Gunpowder being kindled in Guns erupts with that force and violence ib. ERRATA PAg. 3. l. 16. r. did produce p 4. l. 12. p 9. l. 1. r. Properties p. 4. l 38. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 10. l. 7. r. taught l. 36. r. others p. 11. l. 16. r. Invectives p. 12. l 14. r. Quadripartition p. 13 l 37. r. into p. 16. l 25. r. upon our senses p. 22. l. 3 r. those beings l 39. r. Hircocervus p. 34. l 27 r. those species p. 38. l. 37. r. those two p. 41. l. 2. r. those yearly l. 26. dele ad p. 42 l. 2 10 r. into p. 43. l. 29. r. those men p. 52. l. 18. r. into l. 24. r. needs p. 58. l. 37. r. into unity p. 64. l. 20. r. transcendence Philosophy in general The FIRST PART The first Book CHAP. I. Of matters preceding and following the nature of Philosophy 1. The derivation of Philosophy 2. What is was first called and why its name was changed 3. The original of Philosophy The first Inventers of it 4. What dispositions are required in a Philosopher The difficulty in attaining to Philosophy The pleasure arising from the possession of it 5. The esteem and worth of Philosophy and Philosophers 6. The use and fruits reaped from Philosophy and redounding in General to every one in Particular to a Divine Civilian and Physitian I. PHILOSOPHY is a word of a mixt signification and thereby soundeth Love to Wisdom both which being implied in its composition out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom II. This name was politickly framed by Pythagoras to cover the genuine and first denomination of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to hide its secrecy and excellence the fame of which did attract so numerous a body of Contenders who being ambitious to be renowned by the possession of it before they had scarce made their first attempt abusively stiled themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wise-men that through their multitude they overclouded a few others who might justly have challenged their title from it Since then this new imposed word implied but little Fame or Worth the greater part soon deserted it whose eager pursuit being more after the shadow than the thing it self they freely resigned both to the real deservers thereof III. Knowing nothing more certain than that all which we do enjoy redounds to us by inheritance we cannot doubt but that Philosophy was also a Relict of the Forefathers successively conveyed to us who did attribute the original acquisition of it to the first man Adam for he in his primitive and incorrupt state being adorned with a full and perfect Knowledge of all Beings it is probable that after his Fall he retained a measure of the same Knowledge which although being different from the former in perfection yet by his industry had much promoted it and so having committed it to the further accomplishment of his antediluvian Successors to wit Seth Enos Cainan Malaleel Jared Enoch Methusalem and Noe it did attract such increase and degree of perfection from their experience that we have no great cause to admire whence the profound Learning of the postdiluvian Fathers did arive to them who were either sacred as Abraham Moses Solomon c. or prophane as the Magicians among the Persians the Chaldeans of Babylon Brachmans in India the Priests of Egypt the Talmudists and Cabbalists among the Jews the Druids among the ancient Britains and Gauls with whom many of the famous Poets Homer Hesiod as also the seaven wise men of Greece were coetaneous after which Pythagoras flourished who lived much about the time of Nebuchadnezzar and spread his Doctrine throughout Italy whence it was soon propagated through most parts of the world and yet is over all the East-Indies IV. As there was an apt capacity required in these lovers of wisdom to receive the Discipline of their Masters so there was also necessary in them an indefatigable study to add to the Inventions of their Predecessors which to cherish and excite they proposed the greatest pleasure and contentment of mind thence undoubtedly resulting to themselves according to that trite Saying Arduum quod pulchrum That which is lovely is hard to be attained unto which did abundantly satisfie their labours This is verified by the Relation which the Mathematicians give of Archimedes who was so much enamour'd with his Speculations that at those times which most did dedicate to the rest of their minds and intermission from their Studies he was most busied in his thoughts insomuch that when for his healths sake anoynting his body with Oyl which was an ordinary Preservative in those dayes he used to make Geometrical Figures with it upon his Breast and other parts of his body that so he might avoid the depriving of his Soul from one moments happiness when he was inevitably forced to consult the safety of his Body At another time sitting in a Bath he observed the water to be much swelled through his immersion in it collected thence a way whereby to find a proportion of Silver to Gold when both united in one Mass. This Contemplation did profuse such a joy in him that he brake out into these words Inveni Inveni I have found I have found No less effect will it produce in us when finding that in our nebulous state of Ignorance which we lost in our perfect state of Knowledge by falling from our Integrity This seemeth incredible unless attempted by the serious and diligent application of our minds to it V. The Scales whereby to weigh the worth of a thing are frequently judged to be the Subject wherein it is inherent or the possessors of it whose worth found is the production of the worth of the thing proposed The assent of this doth infer Philosophy to be the worthiest and most transcendent of all For Kings and Princes whose worth is not to be
that they should really divide the Will from the understanding or Mind which of its own nature is formally indivisible So that the forementioned Objection doth not conclude any thing against my Assertion since it infers not the will and understanding to be distinguished formally but to differ only in matter from which our division is prescinded V. Practick Knowledge is divided in Logick Moral Philosophy and the Art of Nature whereby she is helped and may otherwise be called the Art of Physick in a large sence These tripartited Parts being less universal and less mediate are drawn from a triple end or effect of Philosophy determined by a triple Object 1. The Soul 2. The Body 3. The Manners The end of Philosophy upon the Soul is to help it in its Defect consisting in its subjection to Errours which constitutes Logick The effect of Philosophy upon the Body is to relieve its Defects consisting in nakedness want of Conveniences and subjection to Diseases To this the Art of Physick prescribes Remedies and Helps 3. The Effect of Philosophy upon the Manners which are actions produced by Soul and Body joyned in unity is to regulate them in their Extravagancies and Depravations which specifieth Moral Philosophy Note that Logick and Moral Philosophy are here taken in their largest signification Theoretick Knowledge is divided according to the universal formality I mean Formality in respect to one another of the subdivided Members and not to Philosophy it self to which these are only material Subdivisions of the speculative Object which is threefold 1. A Material Object inherent in material Essences which limits it to Natural Philosophy 2. An Immaterial Object depending from immaterial Beings which determines it to Pneumatology 3. An Object communicable to both or abstracted from each which is a Being in general as it is communicable to material and immaterial Objects which constitutes the Subject of Metaphysicks VI. All inferiour and less universal Knowledges must be comprehended in some one of the divided Members of Philosophy otherwise it would be an erroneous Distribution wherefore some of the Liberal Arts as Arithmetick Grammar Rhetorick are reduced to the Art of Logick as it is taken in a large sense implying a Habit of guiding Reason being defective in its Judgment and in Elocution or Utterance The Arts of Musick Geometry Astrology are comprehended in the Art of Nature as also the Art of Physick strictly so called and the servile Arts as the Art of Husbandry of Weaving of Warring c. Likewise are Oeconomicks and Politicks referred to Moral Philosophy Astronomy to Natural Philosophy VII The most universal parts of Philosophy namely Theoretick and Practick are treated of inclusively as far as their Inferior Parts do contain them So that thereby Authors save the labour of discoursing of them separately and of repeating the same Matters in vain Nevertheless was that Partition necessary because through it Philosophy is contracted to its less universal Parts VIII The common quadripartited distribution of Philosophy is too strict the subjected Members exceeding its extention for example to what part of Philosophy will you reduce the Art of Medicine possibly you may refer it to Natural Philosophy which may not be because the one is practick and the other speculative The like Question may be demanded concerning all the Servile and Liberal Arts Wherefore it was requisite to add the Art of Nature to the practick Knowledges Pneumatology hath been abusively treated of in Metaphysicks because its Object namely Spirits is more contracted then a Being in general If you answer that it is a part dividing a Being in general and therefore it ought to be reduced to its whole then by vertue of that Argument Natural Philosophy ought to be referred to the same Science because that is the other opposite dividing part for a Being in Metaphysicks is treated of as it is abstracted from a Material and Immaterial Substance CHAP. V. 1. What Method is requisite in the Ordering of the particular Treatises of the several Parts of Philosophy 2. What Order is observed in the Placing of the General Parts of Philosophy I. THe Method requisite in the Ordering of the particular Treatises of the several Parts of Philosophy is not indifferent most preferring a Synthetick in Theoretick and an Analytick Method in Practick Knowledges all excluding an Arbitrary Method in matters necessary and such are Philosophick II. The Order observed in the placing of the General Parts of Philosophy is drawn from their Dignity or primality of Existence If from their Dignity Pneumatology is the first because of its most excellent Object The next Metaphysicks because of its most general Object Moral Philosophy is the first in respect of time because our Will is the first Faculty we exercise next after our Production whose first act is to incline a Child to suck which being subject to be immoderate in it is learned by use and direction of its Nurse to be better regulated in its appetite and to know the Rule of Temperance Hence it is an universal saying Disciplinae fuerunt prius in usu quam in arte Disciplines were in use before they were in art The Will being the first which required the help of Prudence and Moral Philosophy was the only cause which moved Socrates to teach Morals first and not because the Science of Physicks were or seemed to be obscure and hard to be known for even in them he was more skilful and learned than any ever was among the Heathens The first in Nature and respect to Knowledge is Metaphysicks comprehending all the others in it self The first quoad nos is Logick which doth dispose our understanding for the Discipline of the other parts Each of these Parts obtain a distinct consideration Metaphysicks are considered as abstracted and Immaterial that is most remote from Singulars not properly immaterial as a Spirit but as inherent in its less universals and by contraction may be material Physicks are considered as a less universal and nearest to Singulars which by their common habit and Representation exhibit a common unity which constitutes a less universal wherefore whatever cannot be proved by experience that is by our Senses to be existent in Singulars makes an Opinion or Errour in the universals So that the proof of Pneumatology as well as of Natural Philosophy depends from our Senses and experience in Singulars Wherefore every Philosopher ought to make probation of all Assertions in whatever part of Philosophy it be by Arguments drawn either mediately or immediately from Singulars and especially in Natural Philosophy which way of Arguing produceth a Certainty and Evidence or Demonstration Metaphysicks The Second Book CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Metaphysicks 1. Of the Etymology and Synonima's of Metaphysicks 2. The Authors Definition of Metaphysicks That a Being is univocal to an objective and a real Being 3. The true formal and adequate Object of Metaphysicks 4. Wherein Metaphysicks differs from Philosophy IT will be needless to propound any thing
1 B. of the Parts of Liv. Creat C. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we ought to divide a being by them parts which are contained in its essence and not by its Accidents The division of Matter in Metaphysical and Physical may be rejected upon the same ground These divisions as they are objective appertain to Logick where only second notions are treated of and are very useful to the directing of Reason VI. Forms are divisible in material and immaterial If material is understood to be that which doth inhere in matter which is its most frequent and ordinary acception for most Philosophers take it in that sense then all worldly beings are material what being is there but which doth inhere in Matter You may say mans soul. The soul of man according to this acception is material But if you take immaterial for that which can or doth exist out of matter then there are immaterial forms Neither can this be naturally for a Natural Form is which giveth an actual specification and numerication to matter If so how can a form give an actual Specification and numerication to matter when it is not united to it I prove that the Form giveth an actual specification and numerication to matter Forma dat esse i. e. Specif Numer non posse esse materiae A Form giveth a being not a power of being to Matter For matter hath the power of being from it self and not from the Form This is true for most Peripateticks hold that Potentia is essential to matter The Soul of man when once freed from its tye to the body ceases to be a Form but therefore doth not cease to continue a being So that I conclude there are immaterial beings but no immaterial Forms It is ridiculous to doubt whether the Soul of man when separated hath an Appetite or Inclination to its Body or to that matter which it did once informate because the soul in its separated estate is a compleat and perfect being and doth not need a Body neither is the Soul a Form in that state Wherefore should it then have an Appetite to its Body Such an Appetite would be in vain You may answer that it wanteth a Subject to inhere or subsist in I grant it and therefore it subsisteth in God VII A Form is improperly divided in an assistent and informating Form because one being is satisfied with one Form for had it two forms it would be a double being 2. That which they intend by an assistent form is coincident with an Efficient Cause CHAP. XXIV Of the Theorems of Causes 1. That a Cause and its Effects are co-existent 2. That there are but three Causes of every Natural Being 3. That there is but one Cause of every Being 4. That all Beings are constituted by one or more Causes 5. That all Causes are really univocal 6. That all Natural Causes act necessarily 7. That the Soul of a Beast acteth necessarily 8. That all Matter hath a Form That Matter is capable of many Forms I. A Cause and its Effect are existent at one and the same time This Theorem is received among most Philosophers who render it thus Posita Causa ponitur Effectus The Cause being stated that is reduced into action its Effect is also stated or produced The Reason depends upon their relation one to the other to whose Relata it is proper to exist at one and the same time according to that trite Maxim Relata mutuo sese ponunt tollunt Relations do constitute and abolish one another II. There are three Causes of every Natural Being whereof one reduced to Action supposeth the others also to be reduced to action The Proof of this is demonstrated by the same Axiom by which the next forementioned was inferred III. There is but one Cause of all Beings A Cause here is taken in a strict sense for that which produceth an effect essentially and really distinct from it self In this Acception is an efficient the only cause of all Beings Matter and Form are no Causes according to this Interpretation but Principles because they do not constitute an effect essentially different from themselves A Cause sometime is taken in a strict sense for that which produceth an Effect different from it self modally and so there are two to wit Matter and Form Lastly A cause as it signifieth in a middle signification participating of each acception comprehends a triplicity of causes viz. An Efficient Matter and Form IV. All beings are constituted by one or more Causes God is of himself and not from any other as from an efficient cause and consisteth of one pure formal cause By formal Cause understand an immaterial being Angels are constituted by two Causes namely by an Efficient and a Form All other Beings are constituted by more V. All Causes are univocal This is to be understood of Efficients only Whatever Effect a Cause produceth it is like to its Form and is formal only For it cannot generate matter that being created Wherefore it cannot produce any thing else but what like to it self and consequently produceth alwaies the same effect whereas an equivocal cause should produce different effects You may demand why it hapneth that many effects are different as we observe in the Sun which by its heat doth produce Vegetables and Animals which are different I answer that the Difference doth result from the diversity of the Matter upon which it acteth and not from the causality that being ever one and the same The diversity of Effects is accidental to the Efficient and therefore not to be allowed of in Sciences VI. All Natural Causes act Necessarily Hence derives this Maxim Natura nunquam errat Nature doth never erre because she acts necessarily Against this Maxim may be objected that Nature erreth in generating a Monster This is no Errour of Nature It might rather be imputed an Errour if when it should produce a Monster it doth not That which acts after the same manner at all times doth not erre But Nature doth act in the same manner at all times Ergo she doth never erre I prove the Minor If she acts differently at any time it is in a Monster But she doth not act differently in a Monster as in the example forenamed of a Dog without Legs she doth through the Efficient cause educe a form out of the matter which she extendeth according to the extent of the subjected matter the matter therefore being deficient in quantity it is accidental to Nature if thereby a being is not brought to the likeness of its Species The Soul of man may be considered either 1. As a Natural Cause and so it acteth also necessarily in giving a Being and Life to the Body For as long as it abideth in the body it cannot but give Life to its Parts 2. As it is above a Natural Cause in that it hath a power of acting voluntarily without the Necessity or Impulse of Nature VII The Soul of a Beast doth act
we should not do and not doing that which we should do if we should do a thing it supposeth we can do it otherwise it would seem absurd No dispute but we do and can will evil as evil and consequently the Definition is erroneous 2. The second Solution doth not clear the point in supposing that the evil which we do will we will it not as evil but as apparent good This is futil for what is apparent good but a real evil A thing must either be formally evil or formally good betwixt these there can be no Medium The third is grounded upon a false distinction because good as it is good doth not imply formally honesty usefulnesse or pleasure neither is it universally coveted by all bodies as it is affected with any of these accidents but as it doth perfect them So that a pleasant good is frequently not coveted as a pleasant good but as a pleasant evil and we do know that same pleasant evil to be so before we do will it The same may be said concerning good as it is usefull Neverthelesse may good be also coveted sometime as it is pleasant or usefull or honest but these are only accidental to good III. Diogenes the Stoick defines Good to be that which is perfect in its own nature Herein he confounds perfection with good which are formally different one from the other as I have shewed in my Metaphysicks Besides Good is here considered as it is relative or related to another Being although in Metaphysicks it is treated of as absolute to a Being IV. Good is whose end is to perfect that which doth bend to it all Beings bend to each other because they perfect one another By perfection understand the further constitution and conservation of a Being for all Beings are further constituted and conserved by other Beings This end may prove frustraneous to many bodies but that is not through the default of Good but of that Body to which it proveth frustraneous although bent to it Note that it doth not follow that all which a Being is bent unto is good for it although it followeth that all which doth perfect a Being is good All Beings are essentially bent to what is good but accidentally they bend also to what is evil A depravate will is accidental to man and therefore man doth accidentally covet evil This evil although it is coveted accidentally by man yet by his will it is desired formally and per se. IV. There are several degrees of good which do not differessentially from one another but have a resemblance and proportion one to the other so that one can become the other or change into the nature of the other According to this good is gradually distinguisht into Moral Good and Theologick Good V. Moral Good is whose end is to perfectionate man as he is in a natural state Moral Evil is whose end is to corrupt man as he is in a natural state VI. Theologick Good is which doth perfectionate a man in a supernatural state Theologick Evil is which doth corrupt a man as he is in a preternatural state Of these I purpose to treat of distinctly in the next ensuing Chapter CHAP. IV. Of Moral Good and Moral Evil. 1. An Explanation of the Definition of Moral Good What is understood by a Natural State The ambiguity of the word Natural 2. What Moral Good it is which doth respect the Body What Moral Good it is which respecteth the Soul 3. An Explanation of the Definition of Moral Evil. That God doth not properly bend to his creatures 4. The Distinction between these two predicates to be Good and to do Good 5. How Moral Good turns to Moral Evil. 6. That Man as he is in a neutral state is in a middle state between supernatural and preternatural FIrst It is requisite to unfold the ambiguities of the terms contained in the Definition of Moral Good What it is to perfectionate I have already declared It remains to amplifie how man is understood to be in a Natural State A Natural Being is frequently taken for a Being which is in the same state wherein it was created or produced A man then is said to be Natural when he is in the same state wherein he was created There is a two-fold Creation 1. There is an immediate Creation of man whom God did create immediately through himself no other mediate effect being interposed 2. A mediate Creation of man is whereby he is mediately through his Parents created by God Man being created by an immediate creation as long as he continued in that nature and state wherein he was created was natural but having corrupted that state through his appetite after Evil he became counter-natural in respect to his former state A Natural Being is also understood for that which continueth in the same state wherein it is as it is produced by a mediate creation and in this sense we are to apprehend it here Here may be offered an Objection That a Being cannot be said to be created by a mediate Creation and yet be counter-natural Pray observe me well here in this place I say that man who is created by a mediate Creation is counter-natural but I do not say that God who created him did create him counter-natural for he created him Natural Of this more at large elswhere And to return to my purpose Man as he is natural according to the latter acception doth perfectionate himself by that Moral Good which he doth bend unto and that same moral Good doth conservate and further constitute a man in that nature wherein he was created by a mediate Creation Man is sometimes taken disjunctly for his body and soul or else joyntly and integrally as he doth consist of both united II. According to the first distinction there is moral Good which chiefly concerns the Body of man as meat drink and cloaths There is also a moral Good chiefly respecting the soul as speculative and practick objects are morally good to the soul. You may demand how practick and speculative objects do perfectionate the soul I answer That they by their objectivenesse do conservate the souls action in its goodnesse for had the soul no moral good object to act upon it would be without a moral good action which is repugnant to that Maxim Omne quod est est propter operationem All which is is for to operate In like manner do food and cloaths conservate the Body of man in its natural state III. Moral Evil doth corrupt a man as he is in a Natural state and makâ—â— him counter-natural that is worse than he is in a Natural state I am required here to illustrate two obscurities 1. How Moral Good can be said to be good 2. How Moral Good turneth to Moral Evil. In reference to the first we are to call to mind the definition of Good which is whose end is to perfect that which doth bend to it If then Moral Good obtains a virtue to perfect
usefulnesse and convenience Pleasant Good is which is coveted for its pleasure and delight which it affordeth These two are not to be desired for their own sake but for their covenience and pleasure which do accompany them This Division is erroneous upon a double account 1. Because Good doth not formally include in its formal concept any delight usefulnesse or honesty but onely a perfectionation 2. The dividing members cannot be equally attributed to all the kinds of good and therefore the distribution is illegitimate IV. Good according to the subject wherein it is inherent or according the appetite through which it is coveted is either Natural Sensible or Moral Natural Good is which is coveted from a natural Being The appetite through which natural Beings do covet Good is commonly called a natural Propensity or Inclination Sensible Good is which is coveted by living creatures Their appetite is called a sensitive appetite Moral Good is which is coveted by man His appetite is otherwise known by the word Will. Before I conclude this Chapter I must intreat you to remember and take notice of the several acceptions and distinct significations of Natural Supernatural Counter-natural Preter-natural of Good Moral Good and Theologick Good For you are to interpret their significations variously otherwise you will much mistake my meaning CHAP. VI. Of the greatest and highest Good 1. A further illustration of the greatest Good 2. That the highest Good is the neerest end of Natural Theology 3. What the Summum Bonum is otherwise called That the greatest Good is our last end 4. The inexpressible Joy which the soul obtains in possessing the greatest Good 5. Two great benefits which the soul receiveth from the Summum Bonum I. IT was necessary for you first to know what Good was in General before you could conceive what the highest Good is So then having laid down the Doctrine of Good in short it now remains to open to you what the greatest Good is The greatest Good is that which doth make us most perfect and that is God alone I prove it There is nothing can perfectionate usmost but God alone Wherefore he is the onely Summum Bonum II. The highest Good is the neerest end of Natural Theology I prove it That which we do immediately and neerest incline unto and covet is the neerest end But we do immediately and neerest covet and incline unto the Summum Bonum Wherefore the Summum Bonum is the neerest end I confirm the Minor We do immediately covet that which doth perfectionate us because it is out of necessity The necessity appears in this in that we must live to God for without him we cannot live or exist and consequently we cannot be perfectionated without him Now that which is most necessary must precede that which is lesse necessary for it is possible for us to live without happinesse and only to enjoy our being if God had so pleased And therefore happinesse is not absolutely necessary but is superadded to this our appetite meerly from Gods bounty We ought first to bend and incline to God because he is our Summum Bonum and doth perfectionate us and not only because he doth make us happy In this bending to God we answer to our end and are true beings The same is also witnessed by Scripture Prov. 16. God hath made all things for himself III. Summum Bonum is otherwise called our last End because it is that in which all our good Actions seem to terminate I prove that the greatest Good and happiness is our last End All Trades and Professions tend to make provision for mans life This provision as meat and drink c. serveth to keep the Body in repair that so it may continue a convenient mansion for the Soul and serve her through its organs The prime organs are the inward and outward Senses which are subservient to the Soul in advertising her of all things which may be prejudicial to man and in pleasing her by conveying the objects of all external beings to her and commending them to her Contemplation which doth chiefly consist in the discovery of the causes of all things The Soul being now brought and seated in the midst of her speculations doth not come to any rest or satisfaction there but still maketh way and passeth through them untill she arrives to the last object and its last end which is the farthest she can dyve This last object is God because he is the last end of our contemplations for beyond him we cannot conceive or think any thing It is also certain that all beings have their end and are terminated by it This doth infer that the actions of man must also have their end The principal actions of man are them of the Soul to wit his understanding The understanding is not terminated by any material substance for it can think and understand beyond it neither are created immaterial substances objects beyond which the Soul of man cannot imagine for it doth imagine know and understand God but beyond God it can imagine nothing All Beings have their causes them causes have other causes these other causes at last must owe their being to one first Cause otherwise causes would be infinite which is repugnant Wherefore we cannot think beyond the first Cause IV. The Soul having sublimed her self into a most sublime thought of God there she resteth and admireth his great power in giving a Being to all sublunary and superlunary things She admireth his wisdome and providence in preserving them all She is astonisht at his infinite love towards mankind in Breathing his Essence out of his own brest The joy and acquiessence which the Soul findeth in the contemplation of this last End and first Cause is so great and unexpressible that there is nothing in this vast World to resemble it unto but to it self Thus I have demonstrated how all the Actions of man tend to one last End and Summum Bonum V. From the Greatest Good we receive two benefits First it makes us most perfect and most happy Secondly it terminates our faculties for in all other Things we can find no rest but in the Summum Bonum only All other things can give us no rest because they are ordained for a further end and subject to changes and alterations every moment but the Summum Bonum is the same for ever and ever As for the happiness which doth redound from the possession of the Summum Bonum it is a Joy and contentment beyond expression None is capable of conceiving what it is except they who are the possessors of it The joy is such that if a man hapneth to it and is confirmed in it he can never desert it a moments want of it would seem to be the greatest misery CHAP. VII Of the false Summum Bonum 1. The Summum Bonum of the Epicureans unfolded and rejected 2. That Wealth is a greater torment than a Summum Bonum The Riches of Seneca That we ought to
sutable to him he cannot let his desires slide another way The worst actions which men do act are either when they are alone or when they are in other company and absent from their partner When they are in other company they are apt to be drunk to swear and to project base designs which a man seldome or never doth perpetrate in the presence with his mate Or if he did it is an hundred to one if her fear modesty or some other vertue did not prevent him Man could seldome think evil thoughts because his companion is supposed to divert him in proposing pleasant or usefull discourses What woman is there which can be inordinate in any of these fore-instanced actions if she is suted to a mate and adheres to his fellowship onely 'T is true women and men although both joyn'd in a constant adherence have sometimes agreed in wicked designs but this hapneth alwayes in a couple unsutably paired and consequently much given to wandring so that they did not contract that evil habit from themselves but from others Had the first man and the first woman continued constantly together it would have been a far harder task for the Devil to have deluded them but they being separated although but for a few moments and either of them admitting conference with the Devil were soon corrupted What an easie task of Government would it be if most men were paired so as never to be asunder from their fellow They could hardly assent to mischief or if they were bent to it Law might sooner work upon their joint-interest than if it were single But take this only as by way of discourse XII It is necessary among men to give honour to whom it is due and to return it with thanks when they do deserve it Were it only to cause a distinction of persons in respect to civil Government it doth imply a necessity It is proper for us to know what honour is for how could we else acquit our duty in this part to God to the supream Magistrate or to our Parents XIII We are not to be over-scrupulous in taking of an oath provided it tend to the preservation of the Commonwealth and that the supream Magistrate be it the King Prince or plural Magistrate do require it We are obliged to it upon a double consideration 1. Because the Magistrate doth command or imposed it which is obliging among all Nations 2. Because it tends to the preservation of the whole body of the people And this common reason doth convince to be binding CHAP. VIII Of the Subject of Natural Theology 1. Man consisting of Body and Soul is the adequate subject of Natural Theology 2. Reasons proving the Soul to be the original and principal subject of Theology 3. That the Understanding and Will are really and formally one The confutation of the vulgar definition of Will A full explication of the Will and the manner of its acting What speculalative and practical signifie 4. What the Will is in a large sense 5. What the Will is in a strict sense 6. An Explanation upon the first description of Will 7. The Effects of the Will Whether appetibility doth not equally imply volibility and appetibility in a strict sense 8. Whether mans appetite is distinct from his Will I. THe fourth Question proposed is Which is the Subject of Natural Theology By Subject I mean the Subjectum inhaesionis wherein this habit is inherent To answer you in general The whole man as he consisteth of soul and body is the subject of Theology for the effects of it to wit happinesse and joy are as sensibly received by the body as by the soul for the body receiveth its essence conservation and bodily pleasures from it The soul cannot alone be properly said to be the subject because the soul without the body is not man II. The soul is originally and principally the subject of Theology I say originally because the soul is the original cause of the pleasures of the body yea and of its constitution for the body was created for the soul and not the soul for the body The soul is the original cause of the pleasures of the body in that the soul doth make choice of them and applieth them to the body for example meat drink and other pleasures are applyed to the body in that the soul makes choice of them and conceiveth them to be pleasant to the body otherwise the body could not attain to them The soul can enjoy pleasures when the body is in paine but the body cannot when the soul is in paine The soul is the principal subject of Theology because the greatest happinesse and good is enjoyed by it the delights of the body not being comparable to them of the soul The soul receiveth its pleasure by instants of time the body onely by succession III. The operation whereby the soul doth imbrace the greatest good and happinesse is from the understanding as it is speculative and practick and not as it is a two-fold faculty formally distinct through the understanding and the will for these are not really and essentially distinct I prove it if the understanding cannot understand without the will or the will without the understanding then they are not really and essentially distinct because it is proper to beings which are really and essentially distinct to operate without each other But the understanding cannot understand without the will neither can the will will without the understanding Therefore they are not really distinct I prove the Minor The will is primarly a bending of the understanding to an action of the mind but the understanding cannot understand unlesse it bends to that action of the mind So neither can the understanding be bent to action unlesse it understandeth Wherefore the one doth imply the other The most there is between them is a modal distinction You may object that it follows hence that a man may be said to will when he understandeth to understand when he willeth which predications are absurd I answer That it includes no absurdity at all for a man when he understandeth doth will every particular act of the understanding which he understandeth or otherwise how could he understand On the other side a man understandeth when he willeth according to that trite saying Ignoti nulla Cupido That which a man doth not know he cannot desire or will Wherefore I argue again that the one includeth the other the will implyeth the understanding and the understanding the will Possibly you may deny my supposed definition of will which is a bending to an action of the mind If you refuse it propose a better Your opinion it may be is to wander with the multitude and so you commend this The will is through which a man by a fore-going knowledge doth covet a sutable or convenient good and shunneth an inconvenient evil I will first account the absurdities of this definition and afterwards prove them to be so First you
a total annihilation there still remaining some part of the thing thus a man saith his eye is out when he can see but a little It is possible for a man to be in either of these conditions if he is in the first questionlesse he is in a lost condition and is uncapable of recovery for the objected reason The continual acting of evil produceth a total habit of evil wherein if a man be habituated that small portion of the remaining good is totally extirpated As in an Atheist who is one wherein the habit of Good is totally extinct which maketh him affectately and perversly ignorant of God and in whom the habit of evil is radicated whereby he becometh a blasphemer against God in denying his being III. An Atheist hath not so much virtue or power in him as thereby to do one good action A good action is which doth resemble its pattern Bona censetur actio quae suae ideae fuerit conformis and therefore must 1. Proceed from a good principle 2. Be imployed about a good object 3. Be intended to a good end A good action here taken in a moral not physical signification whose principle and object is right Reason and moral good Its end is to be agreeing with a good will So that an Atheist cannot work a good work his principle of Good to wit right Reason being totally depraved and corrupted for he in denying God denieth his right Reason when as I have proved in the Doctrine of Souls right Reason cannot but must necessarily retain an impression of God's existence goodnesse and omnipotence from whom she received her production or he in denying God denieth his own being his being consisting in a resemblance to the Image of God the perfect pattern of his once perfect essence which doth argue that his right Reason is totally extinct and that there remaineth a plenar possession of corruption and depravation in his understanding and will through which he judgeth of all things otherwise than they are And this is farther evident because our understanding judgeth of all things in ordination to action all our actions are performed in ordination to our last end which being positively denied by him proveth the truth of the fore-stated Conclusion The second Qualification of a good action is That its object must be good A mans will is carried forth to a triple object whereof two have respect to the body the other to the soul. Of the two respecting the body one is desired for the conservation of the body the other for conservation of the species or kind These as being Physical objects are Physically good to all natural Bodies for Ens bonum convertuntur a Being and Good are convertible Wherefore this maxime Omnia appetunt Bonum All Beings covet good and cannot covet evil is onely to be understood of Physical good objects The third Object relating to the soul is moral good whose objectivenesse is only proper to rational essences The last condition required in a good action is its direction to a good end which is to God's glory and praise to the admiration of his Wisdom Omnipotence and all others of his Attributes If we compare the actions of an Atheist with these three qualifications we shall find them infinitely different and deffective from them they proceeding from the worst of principles and being imployed about improportionate and bruitish objects and directed to a wicked malicious and hellish end namely to Gods greatest dishonour IV. Summarily to give you a Character of an Atheist An Atheist is a most horrid monster once a man now worse than a Brute a Devil in the shape of a man ungratefull beyond the expression of a tongue rigidly injurious to God and man a sinner beyond the worst of sinners a fit object for God's vengeance and the greatest torment that the depth of Hell and envy of Devils are able to spue out Is there a sinne which God although he is infinitely mercifull hath resolved not to pardon it is confirmed Atheisme this is the only treason which man can commit against God The injury which he doeth unto God is in Blaspheming his sacred Name robbing him of his Honour and of all his Attributes and that which doth infinitely augment his sinne is his persistence in it after such an unexpressible indulgence It is impossible that all vices should lodge and center in one man for I could never hear that any natural man was so vicious but he had some good I mean good as the vulgar calleth it quality in him Many have accused such a one for being a Drunkard another for a Robber or a Cheat yet some there will be still who you may hear say although such a one is a Drunkard yet he is honest or kind or civil c. or of another although he is a Robber yet he is no Murderer although a Cheat yet he is no Drunkard so that I say there is no natural man so vicious but there is something in him which people will say is good But an Atheist hath a nest of all vice in him there is not a vice so detestable or deform'd although it be against nature but he dares make tryal of it because he dreads neither God or his Law An Atheist will wrong cheat revile his own parents he will murder his own relations friends or others if it be for his interest or pleasure he will Rob steal defame blaspheme and what not 't is true he doth not alwayes do these acts because he fears the Law of man nevertheless his will is not backward but prone to all manner of wickedness what should hinder him his conscience will not because that is deaded but it quickneth again a little before his death and then beginneth his rage and torment then the Devils come about him each busied in increasing his woe and misery then Hell and Eternity is at hand There are many who seeming to judge charitably of all men cannot be perswaded there are Atheists In these I shall soon correct their tendernesse There was never a subversion of a legall government but there appeared hundreds of Atheists They at such times are called subtil Politicians who finding such successe by making Scripture and Religion or rather hypocrisie a cloak for to cover all their wicked designs imagin thence that Religion and Scripture were invented for that same purpose because it hath so well served their turns Pray what is this but absolute atheism yea more than this if they see it is for their interest to murder an innocent person or persons yea were it a whole Nation they will not stick to do it out of hand if they stand in want of treasures they will steal and rob it from the people and tell them it is for the good of the Commonwealth in general although their intent is to make it good to themselves alone in particular What crime is so great but is committed at such times There is no History that treats of
must also expect her preservation from a spirit hence concludes that the same spirit to whom he acknowledgeth his Creation and existence must be the onely means of his preservation and restitution The soul having now discovered a means she directs her next aim to a further search How and whereby to procure the said means she argues with her self God through his goodnesse hath given me a being Summum Bonum est sui maximè diffusivum And the same attribute which moved him to confer an essence upon me will certainly move him to preserve it from perishing and restore it to its primitive state This produces a hope in the soul which is a middle passion between a certain knowledge and an utter despair partaking somewhat of an assurance and as much of a Despair During this anguish the soul further disputes with her self God is good and therefore will save her on the other side her conscience accuseth her in that she hath put her happinesse at a stake by offending against the goodnesse of God and deflecting from her primitive perfection which no doubt but God's justice will be satisfied for God's justice is an attribute whereby he separateth all those from his presence that are unlike to him The soul now in a tempest surrounded with innumerable waves of doubts and commotions of spirit laboureth with all her strength to come to an anchor or to make for a harbour here she beats against the rock of God's justice ready to founder then beats off again to Gods goodnesse and saves her self from danger of the first stroak yet the same perill being imminent upon her she agreeth with her self to steer another course whereby to consult her safety at last lighteth upon an infallible Pilot God's mercy which brings her clear off to a harbour of assurance and quietness which is a natural faith III. God's mercy is an attribute through which he is moved to succour a perishing soul labouring for its own recovery This attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the capacity of humane reason is called compassion and pity Compassion in us is an endeavouring to help a man grappling with his misery The same compassion hath a resemblance to that which is in God although infinitely inferiour to it for we spying the misery wherein a man is involved bearing down and overcoming his happinesse do endeavour from a principle of love through which we incline to what ever is like to us and reject what ever is unlike to support and aid him by adjoyning a force of the same nature to that which is suppressed But when a man is render'd altogether miserable and unsupportable then we reject him and our compassion towards him ceaseth because his misery hath overcome his happinesse or his evil hath totally expelled his good and so he remains in a desperate state for instance A man who is a going to be hanged for sacriledge and he persisting in his crime untill the last is desperate and quite lost as having no good in him now our compassion cannot be moved towards such an one because he is totally evil whom to pitty proveth in vain IV. But to return to the exposition of the definition of mercy First I say it is an Attribute God's Attributes are principles and perfections whereby we conceive him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to effect acts really distinct one from the other They are called Attributes because we attribute them to him thereby to make a distinction in our understandings of the several acts proceeding as it were from distinct powers which really do not for in God there is no distinction to be imagined that supposing a composition and a composition an imperfection so that what ever we attribute to any of God's Attributes is to attribute it to God himself Nihil est in Deo quin sit ipse Deus There is nothing in God but what is God himself V. The Act which floweth from God's mercy doth succour and strengthen the soul in this contention by expelling the cloudinesse which the material species and depravate appetite of the body have cast about it whereby they draw the soul from God and inchant her to sottish pleasures God's mercy is distinguisht from his goodnesse because through his goodnesse he acteth that which is good totâ suâ Naturâ in it self or acteth upon good having no part of evil opposing it as to create man or the world or to preserve man in his innocence His mercy hath a respect to good as it is opposed by evil as to redeem man is an act of God's mercy CHAP. XVI Of the Light and Darknesse of Man's practick understanding 1. That Light and Darknesse are analogal to principles of good and evil 2. Queries concerning Light and Darknesse 3. The two kinds of Light What the first Light is and how it produceth the second Light 4. What the Habit of Light is That the first man acted without habits How a habit is acquired 5. That the first man acted through a natural disposition and not through any habits I. WE have sometimes made mention of Good and Evil Light and Darknesse which being in this Treadse stated the two principles of mans actions whether good or evil it will not be impertinent to unfold the nature of each By the way you are to take notice that Light is analogal to the principle of good and darknesse to the principle of evil which analogy containing a clear and expresse emblem of good and evil we shall therefore the rather retaine its Analogata for to explain II. Concerning Light and Darknesse may be inquired 1. What Light is or what the habit of Light is 2. What Darknesse is and how it is to be taken in this place 4. How it is otherwise called 5. How it got its first footing in man 6. What proportion there is between the remaining Light and this habit of Darknesse 7. How two contrary habits can both inhere in the same subject at the same time 8. Whether the habit of Light is a habitus per se and the habit of Darknesse a habitus per accidens 9 How one contrary habit doth act against the other 10. How the one at last happens to extirpate the other III. Light as you may know further in the second Book part 2. is either primitive or derivative The first is called Lux and through its emanative power is by some said to cause the second otherwise named Lumen or in English the former may be rendred a Light the latter an Enlightning The soul her self is the primitive Light which irradiates or enlighteneth the whole body This illumination is more splendid and of greater lustre in the brain and animal spirits than in any other part because the Lumen is reflexed through a repercussion against the arterial and membranous parts of the brain IV. The habit of Light is nothing else but the facility or easinesse of the first Light in actuating the second which hapneth through a lesse opposition
That the evil habit inheres in the soul per se. 3. In what manner the Habit of good is taken to inhere per se in the soul. 4. That God created every man theologically good Several Objections relating to the same assertion answered 5. How the soul partaketh of the guilt of Original Sinne. The opinion of the Synod of Rochel upon this matter I. NOw we may easily explain how two contrary habits can inhere in one and the same subject No question it is impossible two contraries should inhere both per se in one subject for the nature of contraries is to expell one another out of the same subject Yet it is not repugnant but that two contrary habits may inhere both in one subject provided the one exist in it per se and the other per accidens or that they be not inherent in one partial subject although they may in the total for it is possible for a man to be afflicted with two contrary diseases in two parts of his body yet both are sustained by one total subject In like manner may the evil habit be principally and originally inherent in the body and the good habit in the soul yet both these are contained in one man II. Notwithstanding all this there are some who obstinately do affirm that the evil habit inheres in the soul per se but how do they prove it Certainly upon these suppositions 1. That the habits may be altered and the substance remain the same 2. That the first man acted through habits 3. That the good habit being removed the evil habit succeeded in its steed and consequently that an Accident doth migrate è subjecto in subjectum which is against their own maxims These suppositions being all false as hath been proved at large cannot be a firm foundation for any conclusion whatever they have built upon them And therefore I conclude again 1. That in the first man there was a natural disposition of acting good but no habit 2. That there became two habits in man after his fall the one of good and the other of evil III. That the habit of good inheres in man per se Quatenus actionis principium dicatur anima inest ei habitus bonus per se aut prout habitus sit accidens secundum istud potest animae attributi inesse per accidens quia ipse habitus est accidens quae tamen mihi est in usitata locutio And the habit of evil per accidens Non quatenus proficiscatur ab anima tanquam à mali principio sed duntaxat quatenus sit animae instrumentum Here one may object If an evil act proceed per se from the soul than the evil habit is also inherent in her per se. As to this the same I may argue from a good act and thence infer the inherence of the good habit per se. But it is certain that two contrary opposites secundum idem ad idem cannot exist together at the same instant in the same subject so that the one habit must necessarily inesse per se and the other per accidens Before I go farther let me tell you once for all when I say that the good habit is per se in man I do not imply that it is ex se but è Dei gratia è voluntate potentia divina ordinata to deny this is to rob God of his honour and is no lesse than a blasphemy wherefore it ought to be a great caution to all men how they assert good habits per se or good works per se lest they offend IV. God creates every man theologically good that is God infuseth the soul theologically good into the body being good also for otherwise God would be supposed to joyn good to evil How could the body be evil before the advent of the soul If it were evil it must be morally evil for there is no doubt but it was and remaineth physically good but that cannot be admitted because there is no moral evil without a rational will Good and evil is taken in a double sense 1. Good or evil is that which is agreeable or disagreeable with the Law of God 2. Good or evil is which is convenient and sutable or inconvenient and unsutable to a being According to the first acception The soul is infused good into a good body because of the reason fore-mentioned But according to the last it is not Here may be demanded Whether it agreeth with God's goodnesse to infuse a good soul into an unsutable body I answer That it doth not detract one title from God's goodnesse for he hath ordained that man should multiply and increase and therefore hath given man a power of increasing and multiplying The power which man exerciseth to multiply is through propagation of his body only and uniting the soul to it The body being then prepared for the souls reception the soul at that instant is raised out of the body è potentia materiae receptiva not out of it as è materiali principio eductivo like unto material forms but by the divine power which is ever present where God hath ordained his benediction so that God doth not withdraw his power of creating a soul when ever a body is prepared for it although that body is generated by the worst of men because God hath ordained it for God doth create a soul not because a wicked man hath disposed a body for the reception of it but because of his ordained blessing to mans increase V. The soul being united to the body immediately partaketh of the guilt of original sinne What original sinne is me thinks is not distinctly expounded by our ordinary institutionists They say It is a natural disposition to evil naturally descending from Adam to all men it is that which is called The sinne dwelling in man The Law of our members The old man The flesh The body of sinne c. First I demand What sinne is I shall be answered That it is a breach of God's Law Ergo A sinne is an act for to break God's Law is to act against God's Law A disposition say they is whereby an agent can act Ergo A disposition to sinne is no sinne because a disposition is no act but whereby we can or do act So that original sinne is the first act of sinne which the first man acted who comprehending in him whole mankind since all men were to descend from him the sinne which he acted was also acted by whole mankind and consequently the guilt of that sinne is imputed to every man The habit of sinne being entered through one act whereby we are render'd prone to evil and commit actual sinne or do act sinne the same habit and disposition hath also ceased on all mankind So that original is rather the first actual sinne after which followed the habit of sinning and with the original or first sinne of man the habit of sinning is withall communicated to mans posterity This very sense
may be dtawn from their own words although it was against their intentions The Synod held at Rochel in the year 1607. in the moneth of March rendreth her self in these words as further appears by their Confession We believe that whole mankind ever since Adam is corrupted with such an infection as original sinne is to wit an original defect And in the 11th Artie We believe that this defect is a sinne and is sufficient to damn whole mankind from the highest to the lowest yea moreover the Infants in their Mothers womb What can any body apprehend by this original defect but an actual sin or how could Infants be guilty of it CHAP. XX. Of the manner of Man's multiplication 1. The state of the controversie 2. That the Rational Soul is not generated or produced by generation That there are three kinds of productions out of nothing 3. That the Soul is not propagated either from the Father or Mother 4. That impious opinion concluding the Rational Soul to be generated tanquam ex traduce confuted 5. An Objection against the Authors opinion answered 6. That the foetus before the advent of the Rational Soul is informated with a form analogal to a sentient form 7. That God is the remote cause of man's generation 8. That man doth generate man naturally and per se. 9. The opinion of Austin Jerome and others upon this matter 1. I Had almost in the last Chapter fallen unawares into that intricate Controversie about man's multiplication and increase but fore seeing the extent of it I thought it fitter to retire my self to this Chapter and treat of it here singly Man consisteth of body and soul as touching the body there is no doubt made of it but that it is propagated tanquam ex traduce All the stumbling is at the rational soul whether she be infused or propagated in like manner as the body or I may state the Question thus Whether the soul of man is created or produced by generation Conclus The Rational Soul is not generated or produced through generation I prove it That which is indivisible is produced in an indivisible part of time namely in an instant But the Soul of man is indivisible and therefore is produced in an instant Again that which is produced in an instant is created and not generated Because generation doth follow alteration which is by succession Ergo The Soul would not be constituted in an instant but successively and consequently would be corporeal 2. If the Soul had a power of generating a Soul it had also a power of destroying it by means contrary to those wherby she had produced it 3. Generatio unius est corruptio alterius vice versa Ergo Quicquid est generabile est corruptibile The generation of one form or being is the corruption of another and the corruption of one is the generation of the other Ergo What ever is generable is corruptible and what ever is corruptible is generable So then when ever the soul is generated another soul or form is corrupted And when the soul is corrupted another form or soul is generated which may be as the Indians hold the soul of an horse or of an asse c. and so the soul is made material To this possibly your answer will be That it is so in natural productions but not in supernatural I ask you then Why do you object this for an argument to prove the propagation of the soul viz. that man Homo generat sibi similem doth generate his like otherwise he would be inferiour to a beast Ergo You assert that man doth generate naturally like unto other creatures 4. If otherwise to generate its like were a property belonging to supernatural beings then Angels would have a power of generating other Angels which they have not Or if this power of generating were onely superadded to one kind of supernatural beings namely to souls then a soul would be more noble than an Angel 5. There are but two wayes of producing a substance to wit è materia praeexistente vel è nihilo out of a preexistent matter or out of nothing What is the soul produced out of a preexistent matter as out of a potentia eductiva If you grant this you expose your self to be suspected for a Plinianist and to assert the soul to be material Ergo It must be created out of nothing Now there are three kinds of productions out of nothing 1. Enihilo termini ulterioris sed aliquo materiae 2. Enihilo materiae sed aliquo termini 3. Enihilo materiae nihilo termini Here you must take terminus for forma for what is it that doth terminate the matter but the form and so the world was created ex aliquo materia sed nihilo termini for it was created out of the Chaos which was a rude matter without an ulterior forma or terminus After the same manner was the body of man created for neither the Chaos or dust out of which man was created had an ultimate form Neither are you to imagine here that generation and this kind of creation is one for although in generation there is not that form existent in the matter which is intended in it yet generation is ab aliquo formae ultimae in eadem materia praeexistent is The last kind of creation is exemplified by the creation of the Chaos of the dust of Angels and of Souls This manner of production is proper only to an infinite power But you may demand Why cannot God invest the soul with this power I answer It is impossible to God Non simpliciter sed secundum quid and to the nature of the soul. As to God it is impossible because should he confer his infinite power upon man he would make him equal to himself 2. It is impossible to the nature of the soul because she being limited cannot be unlimited or infinite at the same time Omne quod est idem quod est necesse est esse IV. Were the soul extraduce then she would be propagated either from the Father or Mother or from both Not from the Father for then the rational soul would be inherent in the geniture at the same moment of conception which all grant is not then from the Mother as James Hostius his opinion was which is absurd for all grant that the Mother is a passive and the Father an active principle besides if so men's souls would be extreamly weak not from both for then the soul would be of a mixt nature which is no lesse absurd Give me leave here to examine Sealiger's notion which Sennert Kyper and others do assume to demonstrate the manner of the souls propagation Seal Exerc. 6. D. 11. An anima catelli sit pars animae patris Cur non dividitur ad materiae divisionem material is anima totaque est in sui parte quod in plant is manifestum est Gignit autem animam anima sui promotione eadem sanè ratione
quemadmodum à lampadis flamma flammam excipimus illa nihilominus integra remanente He moveth a Question Whether the soul of a whelp is a part of the soul of the dog that begot him And why not For a material soul is divided according to the division of the matter and she is whole in its part which is most evident in plants Wherefore a soul begetteth a soul by protruding her self much after the same manner as we kindle a flame with a flame of a lamp the which neverthelesse remaineth entire Here Scaliger explains the propagation of beasts and plants and others do impiously apply the same to the rational soul and consequently make her material But to the point the rational soul cannot protrude her self in this manner because she is indivisible As for a flame that protrudes its self because it is divisible and communicateth a part of its self to another combustible matter and so raiseth a flame but this is not so in the soul. V. After the confirmation of my opinion it is requisite I should answer to what may be objected against it If the soul cannot generate a soul may one say or cannot generate his like then man is inferiour to other living creatures which do generate their like I answer That man doth generate his like for it is apparent that the Sonne i◠like the Father and that in a nobler manner than animals or vegetables who do naturally generate their like as to matter and a corruptible form but man doth generate the matter and disposeth it for the reception of an incorruptible form which done the form is immediately united to it in instanti not from the soul singly and originally but from the divine power which is alwayes concomitant to God's benediction by which he hath through his ordained will freely tied him self The divine power being then alwayes present and concomitant to the generating soul doth as it were give a rational soul to the plastick faculty of the genitures when she is ready to unite it to the body where observe that the generating soul is a subordinate and mediate cause of the infusion of the other rational soul. The creating power of God is the primar principal and immediate cause of man's rational soul and its production It is the primar and immediate cause of the soul because it createth her God of his goodnesse and blessing doth give the soul now at that instant created to the generating soul as to a subordinate and instrumental cause VI. By the generating soul I intend a material and divisible form inherent in the genitures mixt out of that which is contributed from the Father and that other from the Mother This form is analogal to a sensitive soul but notwithstanding must not be counted to be of the same species and doth informate the body of the Infant untill the advent of the indivisible immaterial immortal and rational soul and then it doth acquit the name of a form and becomes a faculty power and instrument to the said rational soul. VII God is the remote cause of man's generation and production because God doth notimmediately unite and insuse the soul into the body for were God the next cause of uniting the soul to the body then true enough man could not be said to generate man because the introduction or eduction of the form into or out of the mattor is the generation of the whole Now then man is the subordinate cause of the soul and its infusion by reason his propagature receiveth the soul which is to be infused from God who is the primar and original cause of it VIII Conclus 2. Man doth generate man naturally and per se although he doth not propagate the soul from himself I prove it He that uniteth the form to the matter as in this instance of uniting the soul to the body doth produce the totum compositum as to generate or produce the whole man But man uniteth the soul to the body therefore he generates or produces the whole man 2. Man generateth man naturally and per se because he hath an absolute secundum quid power of uniting the soul to the body for otherwise he were inferiour to other creatures This power is given him in these expressed words of Scripture saving my purpose Let man multiply How could man multiply had he not this power For did God infuse the soul immediately as Divines generally hold man could not be said to multiply but God The generating soul therefore is the Causa proxima of the infusion of the soul into the body Wherefore there are alwayes souls ready that are created at the same moment when needfull which are given to the generating soul otherwise were its uniting power in vain V. It is well expressed by Austin If the soul be seminated with the flesh it shall also die with the flesh And by Jerome If the soul of man and of Beasts be ex traduce then consequently both must be corruptible Plato in his Dialog Phaed. infers the soul's advent from without as an Herculean argument to prove her immortality Coelius Rhodoginus lib. 6. Antiq. Lect. doth wittily expresse Aristotle's meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first whereof was asserted by him to be mortal the latter to be immortal And if I mistake not he seems to affirm no lesse Lib. 2. d. gener cap. 3. viz. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is inherent in the sperm but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a divine rice and immortal Well may Tho. Aquinas pronounce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon all those that should maintain the rational soul to be extraduce since most Heathen Philosophers did believe otherwise What because those dull Lutherans had not the wit to know that original sinne was propagated through the body therefore they must revive that Bombastin opinion concluding the soul to be propagated likewise for to demonstrate her to participate of the said sinne This we have shewed with more probability already and therefore let us henceforth beware of so dangerous and atheistical an assertion CHAP. XXI Of Practick Natural Faith 1. What a man is to consider to prevent his downfall 2. Man's danger and folly the Devils policy A certain means whereby to be delivered from this imminent danger The whole mystery and summe of man's salvation 3. The main Question of this whole Treatise decided 4. Scripture proofs accidentally proposed inferring implicit faith in a natural man to be justifying 5. The general Rules of practick Faith 6. The occasion of man's fall briefly repeated 7. Fifteen Reasons against all passions 8. Arguments against all bodily pleasures 9. The military discipline of a natural man instructing him to warre against all his enemies that oppose him in his way to his greatest happinesse 10. The greatest and most necessary rule of this military art A scandal taken off from Physicians 11. Another great measure of the said Art 12. Whence a natural man
is to expect assistance in case he is weakned by his enemies 13. Whether the soul expiring out of the body is to be an Angel or for ever to abide without office What the office of a separated soul is 14. How long she is to continue in office The consummation and description of the change of the world The resurrection proved by reason The description of the second Paradise concluded by reason 15. To what objects the faculties of men when possest of the second Paradise will extend That they shall remember and know one another That they shall eat and drink that they shall not generate that the same person who redeemed man from his misery shall reign over him in Paradise I. ARt thou not stupified or hast thou not lost thy reason through a confirmed Atheism then what hath been hitherto delivered may take place in thee and gain thee a full insight into thy past present and future state On the one hand you know your misery and pravity by comparing the course of your life with that rule which is imprinted in your heart On the other hand you may fadom your own strength and since that is decayed and weakned you may spie God ready to assist and succour you in this contention and strife against your enemies labouring all to pull him down But how to procure God's aid and succour 't is that which I am about to advise you in In the first place consider whose enemy thou art and ever hast been and what associates thou art adjoyned unto under whose banner it is thou fightest to what end or what victory it is you expect II. As to the first thou art God's enemy and hast been so from the minute thou wast conceived in The associates among whose company and number thou hast ranged and listed thy self are Infidels Atheists Wretches and Devils The Banner under which thou marchest and fightest is Satans or the Prince of Devils The end and victory which thou fightest for were it possible is to throw God out of his Throne Now bethink thy self art thou not a fool that fightest against the mighty one who is able to destroy thee in a moment Art thou not blinded to fight with such associates Were that mote but removed out of thy eye thou wouldst soon be astonisht at their wickednesse and detest their company The Banner is as a vail cast before thy eyes to keep thee ignorant of the Devils aim and craft which tends to lead thee into utter destruction The Design whereunto thou hast subscribed is the greatest piece of rebellion and treachery Now then is it not time for thee to flie and make thy escape Yet a moment and God soundeth his alarm and so ye are all laid in the ground and cast into an everlasting dungeon But whither canst thou flie but God will pursue thee Thou canst not cast thy self immediately upon God for his justice doth judge thy crime high treason and therefore unpardonable so that thou art condemned to execution First satisfie God's justice and then submit But how may you enquire Certainly O man if thou art to satisfie God's justice and to appease his wrath then thou art lost and cast away for ever and yet since man hath sinned man must surely expect God's wrath Now the means for thy escape is to cast thy self upon God's mercy which is infinite and therefore of an equal weight to balance his justice and believe assuredly that God's mercy will move his infinite-wisdome to find out some way or other whereby to satisfie his justice 'T is true we have all sinned in one man to wit the first man but if God doth send one righteous man into the world who through his perfect obedience to the Law doth intirely recover God's favour through his sufferings doth satisfie God's justice through his death acquit us from the guilt and punishment of and for the first or original sinne and he afterwards rise again from the dead as a Conquerour of Death and sinne this one man's satisfaction and obedience is sufficient to blot out all men's guilt and merit God's favour and acceptance for all men because as the sinne of one first man is the original cause of all our sinnes and as his sin is imputed to us so the satisfaction of one second man provided he be of the same stock that we are of is enough to satisfie for the sinne of that one first man and consequently also for the sinnes which we have committed through the participation of that first sinne and his plenar obedience if it be imputed to us as the first sinne was is sufficient to compleat and perfect all our imperfect good actions and to make them theologically good But some may reply That it is repugnant to man's nature if he be of the same stock that we are of to undergo death and rise again or to be born without sinne which is requisite for otherwise how can he be throughly righteous You have great reason to doubt of this for it is a mystery which doth exceed man's capacity and is impossible for a natural man to dive into or ever come to any particular knowledg of it unlesse immediatly revealed by inspiration to some men from whom it should descend to us Neverthelesse this very thing is possible with God and therefore we ought not to doubt of it in the least but according to that divine saying of Solon De Deo non est inquirendum sed credendum We are not to enquire of God but to believe in him and particularly in his mercy and wisdom This is the great mystery ground and summe of our salvation III. But the main Question that may be moved here is Whether this implicit faith may be termed justifying that is Whether man in believing inclusively in God's mercy and goodnesse as including that God is most wise and therefore can order or appoint a means for his restoration and redemption and that he is mercifull and therefore will order and appoint those means of salvation to such who earnestly desire it and believe in him Mark I said also Goodnesse for that is necessary to be believed into because although that through God's mercy we are redeemed and restored to our primitive perfection yet it is through his goodnesse or grace as Divines usually expresse it that we abide with him to all eternity To this may be answered that it is not improbable for since it would be impious to affirm that all children are damned because they have not an actual faith we may safely suppose that God being infinitely mercifull will save them as farre as they have an inclinative faith or a disposition to it an actual faith cannot be required because of their immaturity If then children are saved through their inclinative faith certainly this fore-mentioned actual faith doth counterpoize that of children Besides man in believing according to the state of this Question doth his uttermost and that from a good principle to a good
end which questionlesse God will accept of Lastly Men's consciences are even in this faith at rest and satisfied and their hopes are fixed but all this cannot be in vain Ergo. IV. I thought it not amisse although beyond my purpose to adde a Scripture or two Ezek. 18. 21 22. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins c. Rom. 1 19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse Is not this a plain Text testifying that there is a natural faith in the hearts of all men or at least may be Luc. 13. 3 5. Acts 11. 18. 2 Corinth 7. 10. Psalm 36. 40. Prov. 26. 25. John 3. 3. Galat. 5. 6 c. This implicit faith is generally called faith in God Heb. 6. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 3. and many other places Now to believe in God is to believe in him implicitly and inclusively that he is mercifull and wise and therefore can and will find out a means of redemption Lastly What was the faith of the Patriarchs in the Old Testament but an implicit or inclusive faith V. This accidentally and now I go on to finish what belongeth to practick Faith For observe that Faith is either contemplative which is a contemplation or bare knowledge of the precedent present and future state of man and of a means of redintegrating his nature 2. Or Practick when we institute that theory in action which doth principally consist in applying its rules and Theorems to our selves in particular Now Faith in general and absolutely implieth both in the same manner as Logick which is a practick Science comprehends theoretick Logick and practick Logick the first being ordinarily called Logica docens the latter Logica utens and so we may say Fides docens and Fides utens The general practick rules of Faith are these 1. By such wayes and means as are like to those in matter but not in form whereby man fell into evil man is to recover himself from it 2. A man is to recover himself by insisting in the same way but by contrary steps and using the same means but in a contrary manner 3. This contrariety of insisting and use is a conformity to the insisting and use of means of the first man before his defect VI. Man fell first by omitting the contemplation of God but for a few minutes and by yeelding to his sensual appetite and the perswasion of the evil spirit Pray observe here that the condescending of the soul to the body was not a sinne That being necessary for how could man have eaten else But the condescending of the soul to the body to a bad end or so as to be taken with the pleasures of it more than with its own was a sinne and caused his fall because the pleasures of the body and those of the soul are contrary the one expelling the other if you take delight in the meditation of divine things then the pleasures of the body are laid aside or if in them of the body then God is put by Again pleasures or delights of the body when the soul is habituated to them turn into passions As for instance If a man takes delight in drinking and often repeats that act at last he will be besotted with a doting love upon it so as he will scarce be content but when he is a drinking There are some men whom it is no easie matter to find sober although betimes in the morning they drink all day and go drunk to bed they awake in the morning half foxed with their brains yet dulled scarce being cleared of the last nights intemperance presently after they call for a mornings draught and drink untill noon then sleep all dinner â—â—ne and in the afternoon go to it again and tipple untill night and so drink they the whole year about if at any time they are reproved for it they will answer and swear to it when ever they leave off drinking they shall die The like turning to passion you may observe in all other pleasures VII A man is to return by stepping backward out of the same wayes and means as 1. Above all things he must bridle and constrain his passions as love anger hatred c. for by these the soul is altogether smothered up 2. A passion seldom ceaseth on a man but it leaveth a cindar so that it easily blazeth again 3. A passion is abominable in God's sight or nothing is more agreeing with the nature of Devils than alwayes to be in a passion 4. A man is no lesse justly taken for a beast than so called in the vulgar language as when a man is taken notice of to dote upon a thing people compares him to an asse and say he is a doting asse or when he is incensed with hatred they say he is as full of hatred or venom as a Serpent or when he is inflamed with anger they resemble him to the Devil in saying he is as angry as a Devil 5. The greatest advantage which the Devil ever takes of men is in their passions How many are there that hang and murther themselves in wrath love sadnesse c How many are there killed through jealousie hatred or anger 6. One passion seldome ceaseth on a man without being accompanied with many other vices and sinnes in anger love and hatred they are apt to lye abuse murther and what not 7. A passionate man is by wise men accounted a fool For it was one of the tenents of the Stoicks That no wise man was passionate and a very true saying it is for what foolish thoughts are men suggested with that are in love sorrow anger c You may object That it is wisdom to love God I answer That that love is no passion because it lasteth besides it is a necessary property inhering in the soul whereby it inclineth to God with all her faculties therein she answers to her end for which she was created which is to love God or to be carried forth naturally to God Neither is a Saints hatred against the Devil a passion but a natural aversion from him Compassion in a wise man is no passion for it doth not alter him it is rather a quality analogal to it through which he succours a man in misery A passion is violent and not lasting the fore-mentioned seeming passions are natural and therefore lasting So that a wise man cannot be a wise man and yet passionate because it perverts his reason and detracts him from his meditations and if at any time a wise man happens to fall into a passion for that time he is no longer wise but foolish in declining towards his passions 8. There is no passion but what is full of pain All passions cause a violent alteration
which doubtlesse must prove painfull Joy which is supposed the best of passions is painfull it rendring a man restlesse and full of anguish not knowing where to bestow himself The like may be attributed to Fear Love Anger Sorrow Hope c. 9. Passions are vain fading away and leaving no real good behind them A man when his passion is over wondreth how he could have been drawn into such a passion One that hath been lately in love with any thing after a while when that love to such an object is ceased in him admireth at himself how he could have loved it and so of all the rest 10. All passions whether good or evil are redoubled with sorrow and melancholly 11. All passions are hurtfull both to soul and body to the soul because she thereby is taken off from her Summum Bonum to the body because passions do dissipate or suppresse the vital and animal spirits whence we may observe that a passionate man is seldom long lived 12. A passion is a great sinne 13. Most men are apt to shun others that are passionate or seem to be so For we commonly say I care not for such a one because he looks like an angry or spitefull man or he looks like a doting fool 14. Atheism is a collection of the habits of all passions in one man Wherefore it is necessary for a man who endeavoureth to live eternally in happinesse with his Creatour to wean himself from all passions whatsoever and shun them as being most detestable VIII Secondly Pleasures of the body are to be waved and contemned as much as possible because by these man's soul was first drawn aside Are we not apt to shun and be a verse from any thing that offended our bodies or caused a sicknesse Much more ought we to shun that which cast our souls into a mortal disease Pleasures of the body consist in the enjoyment of objects coveted by our sensual appetite but these are beyond necessity or more than our bodies require for instance to eat and drink of variety or more than our natures require is counted a pleasure but that is beyond necessity So that all pleasures are beyond necessity Wherefore when we say such an one eats or drinks for pleasure that is he eats or drinks beyond necessity or more than his nature requires We must then also forbear going to see idle showes or playes for they rob our souls of her pleasure and diverts her from contemplating her Summum Bonum Pleasures in the fore-mentioned sense differ from passions only Secundum magis minus more or lesse since that each of them if often repeated may easily turn to a passion how detestable they are hath been shewed already The pleasures of the body destroy both body and soul their natural effects enervate our strength their moral ones damn our souls Bodily pleasures belong only to beasts to those of the soul to men Let us not then be so foolish as to make an exchange Pleasure is the Devils bait whereby he sweetly draweth us to Hell A bodily pleasure is also a great sinne because thereby we do not answer the end of our Creation Had the first man not eaten more than his nature required or had he abstained from variety both which being pleasures he could not have sinned but eating beyond necessity he fell into a pleasure and afterwards into a passion by repeating the same over and over again IX Thirdly You must resist the Devil with all your force who since you are fallen back from his party will prove no mean enemy to you and therefore 1. Consider where he intends to attack you and be sure always to have a Sentinel abroad who may give you a timely alarm when he approaches for to make an assault upon you Then as a prudent Captain you are to know your strength and view your whole Fort first where you are the weakest 2. wherein your greatest strength lies that so you may alwayes be in a readinesse of relieving your Fortresse Besides it will be a piece of prudence in you to know whence to procure assistance if upon occasion you should be fiercely set upon Your greatest weaknesse is in your out-works which are your external senses and some of your in-works as your sensual appetite and internal senses Your greatest strength consisteth in your soul namely in her reasoning faculty and will Your aid and assistance is God whom you are constantly to implore for succour and relief Consider withall your enemies weapons wherewith he intends to encounter you And lastly take notice of his strict discipline and policy in managing of his affairs and therefore how much the more ought you to bestir yourself and look about you Now I will take leisure to unfold your weaknesse to all There is never a sense but it hath its weaknesse attending it 1. The Eyes they are apt to be inchanted with shows and playes and especially such as are obscene Your Ears with immodest discourse Your Taste with gluttony and drunkennesse Your Sent with noxious perfumes And lastly your other Sense with lust All these are great and dangerous weaknesses Are not some people so corrupt and slavishly tied to see shows and playes that there is nâ—â—â—r a day but they must see either a show or a play they dream of playes they do constantly talk of playes and if there was but a fine show or play to be seen the next discourse is what have you not seen such a show such a rare play Now mark the Devils policy there is never a tempting play or show but the Devil sets it off either by casting a lustre upon their eyes or a pleasantnesse upon the gestures a splendour upon the habit and a clangour upon the speech of the Actours You cannot imagine how dead and simple a play would seem without the Devils vernishing of it and this is evident many having seen rare playes upon whose eyes the Devils could not work and to them they appeared as nauseous and simple as it proved admirable and rare to others upon whose eyes this glosse would take The like may be said of painted or patcht faces how strangely are they set off with a glosse upon some mens eyes and how ugly they appear to others whose eyes are uncapable of a glosse To these they seem like a picture or a patcht thing made up by Art like to a hansome doublet with a patch upon the elbow And is not this a pretty stratagem of the Devils What a harmony doth an immodest tale strike upon some mens ears O pray say they tell that once over again it is one of the best that ever I heard Do you not think that the Devil gives a little touch here to to set off this melody To others again it proveth a harsh discord so that while men play thus upon the Organs the Devil he blows the Bellows The Pallat or Taste is as ready to be enticed as any of the others Pray listen to
a Drunkards story I was yesterday saith he at such a Tavern and there I had my fill of the best Canary in Town and yet my head doth not ach a sign of its excellency come let us go and have another taste of it Surely the Devil did not neglect his opportunity in putting his paw into the cask to set off the wine with a relish and when he hath caught a man in drunkennesse how doth he serue blasphemy out of his mouth How doth the Devil then ride him leads him by the nose whither he list it may be directs him to a ditch and so he is drowned or leaves him in a dead sleep in the high-way and there he is robbed or murthered or puts a sword into his hand to kill one or other and so he comes to the gallows and thence home or sends him to a naughty house and there he is infected with the Devils leprosie How doth the Devil perfume womens looks to enchant mens nostrils or what a nitour doth he overshade their faces with to raise mens lusts As for the weaknesse of your appetite it is not hidden when you do every day feel its force and bending to evil objects and lastly how wickedly are mens thoughts for the most part imployed In all these lieth your weaknesse and there doth the Devil most attack you Now then the defensive part of this military Art will lie in making your sallies upon the Devil when you ever spie him moving towards you If your eye is enticed with any thing shut it or look another way go from it and so do in the case of the other senses For a retreat in these assaults is as honourable as a resisting Do not willingly or wittingly runne into these temptations for your strength is but weak at the strongest If neverthelesse thou art ex improviso encountred by any of the fore-mentioned accidents and that thou art forced to withstand a repulse direct your thoughts to the Summum Bonum and so undoubtedly you are in salvo Remember then that thou shunnest contemnest and goest back from all such objects and persist in contemplating the Summum Bonum untill the last for since the first man fell through waving this happinesse but for a moment thou must surely he open to thy enemies and be devoured by them if thou settest it aside Think that all bodily pleasures are torments in comparison to the enjoyments of the soul. X. Fifthly We must return to our first operation of mind which consists mainly as I hinted just now in contemplating God and admiring his Attributes either immediately or mediately through his wonderfull works so that what ever object we behold meditate or discourse of we must behold meditate and discourse of it as created from God and having a mark upon it of his Omnipotence Wisdom and Goodnesse If we consider our selves as first our bodies we cannot but remark its admirable structure and variety of organs one subserving the other which revealeth God's Omnipotence and Goodnesse and cannot but be a great happinesse if we do but reflect that this God who is so Omnipotent so Wise and so Good is our God When one heareth that another who is his friend and hath a kindnesse for him is promoted to great dignity and power how is he rejoyced at it because now he is assured he hath a friend in power but how much the more ought that man to be transported with joy who hath God for his friend whose friendship and power is infinite beyond expression Are we now so much astonisht at the formation of the body what may we then be at the soul by far exceeding the body this consideration will be enough to carry forth a man into an extasie So likewise there is nothing existent in the world but its nature is so admirable that we cannot but admire God in it Here you may take notice of the erroneous and hard opinion the vulgar harbours of those that study Nature and natural bodies meaning only Physicians What do they say of them They study Nature so much that they imagine that all comes by nature What a foolish saying They would speak truer if they said they study nature so little that they imagine that all things rise from themselves and not from Nature So that it is not the study of Nature but the ignorance of it protrudes them to Atheism I have likewise ever observed that such as asserted that blasphemy were rash foolish fellows having neither skill or learning in them This is a more frequent ignorance among Chirurgeons who thinking they know something yet obstinately affect ignorance What shall I say are there not some among them who have not thought it a crime to speak the greatest blasphemy of God and Christ that tongue can expresse Have the same Atheists spared of spitting out their venemous treason against their supream Magistrate and Countrey although afterwards excusing themselves by pretending it was out of policy The pestilence of these fellows breaks out in fiery heats and botches in their butcherly faces But God forbid all should be so many of that Profession being as knowing and religious as of any others XI Sixthly We are to persist herein untill we are arrived to a compleat habit for before we have attained to it every evil act although we have made some progresse sets us very much back yea sometimes renders us in as bad a condition as we were in before in the same manner as when we are a rolling up a great stone towards the top of a mountain if we slip but a little or do not continue in our strength and roll on the stone tumbles down again to the bottom Wherefore think that the least evil act which you commit sets you back and may endanger you of returning to your old condition for as a stone inclineth naturally contrary wayes to the force of the driver so do we naturally incline contrary wayes to the motion of the good that is yet remaining in us Be sure then to persist and persevere in your labour lest you do labour in vain Let what ever you think speak or do have a relation or a reflexion to God and so you shall soon come to the top of the hill where you shall have rest enough XII If you perceive your strength begins to fail which seldome is otherwise then pray to God and constantly implore his aid and assistance for without it all our labour is labour in vain Here you may enquire How one may know that God will be sought by prayer I answer Nature doth shew us as much for when ever misery doth surprize us we do naturally as if stirred through a necessary and forcing principle call upon God and what is Nature but God's intended work 2. It is consentaneous to the nature of misery for that needs relief and succour which is no other way procured than by zealous prayer Possibly you may suggest to your self that it is to be got by praising
God By no means God is not pleased with any praises but of such as are like to him as for others they are an abomination to him Praising denotes a gladnesse or joy which cannot he in any one who is yet detained by his original misery We must therefore desire God to help us in striving and resisting against all bodily pleasures and passions I say strive for we must labour hard or else God will scarce help us And this was not unknown to the worst of Heathens as their common saying doth witnesse Dii laboribus omnia vendunt The gods sell all things for labour When now you begin to feel your misery to be lessened then praise God with all your heart and with all gladnesse for his Mercy and Goodnesse extended towards you and herein you are to abide for ever for as God's Mercy is without end even so must you continue in praises without end Lastly Beg of God to illuminate your understanding that you may understand all things more distinctly thereby to admire God the more And now you do begin somewhat to resemble the first man in all his mental operations and felicities But the body still remaining unclean it is necessary for the soul to leave it for a while that it may be purified through fire with the rest of the Elements and so be made a fit palace to receive the soul in again The soul needs no purification and therefore ascendeth directly to God's bosome So that I do much agree herein that there is a Purgatory for the body but none for the soul. XIII Hereupon enquiry may be made Whether the soul expiring out of the body and carried to God if Good or to the Devil if evil is to be an Angel or to live with God for ever without any office Or Whether she is to be re-united to the body when purified It is probable that the soul deserting the body is to be immediately an Angel and to continue in office untill such time that the compleat number of souls have likewise finisht their course I prove it It is improbable that the soul should desist from serving God and professing its duty because she was created for the same end Secondly Her condition would exceed that of Angels were she exempted from all duty these being also created for God's service for Spirits are called Angels from their Office which is to serve God The word is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoting a messenger which again from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I send The Office which the separated soul is capable of exercising is of taking care of souls yet in the body in helping and assisting them for as the Devil doth seduce us by depraving our appetites and fancies so to the contrary do Angels enlighten our understandings and suppress our immoderate appetites XIV This office they shall remain in untill the consummation of the world at which time every soul shall be re-united to its body now purified by fire and transformed into a splendid substance All the Elements shall then be sublimed into a pure nature and all other things else shall return to what they were at the time of the first man's innocency Beasts shall receive new natures their wild ones shall become tame and obedient to man as formerly The poisonous herbs shall be changed again into wholsome All flowers shall re-indue their primitive fragrancy Summarily all men that shall escape the terrour of that great day of judicature shall be placed in the same state and Paradice which the first man enjoyed and the same Law shall be imposed upon men as before Man shall abide eternally in Paradise he shall eat and drink but he shall not generate The great instrument and cause of man's redemption shall eternally reign over him Here I have described man's second Paradise there remains only the proof of its particulars 1. That the separated soul shall be re-united to its body is apparent because God created her at first with a natural propensity to the body and that she should be a perfection to it which propensity is yet remaining in her because God doth not recall any thing that he doth or hath done This propensity is a certain sign that God will raise up its body again otherways it would be in vain The body 't is likely will be the same Quoad formam accidentalem figuram according to its precedent form shape and figure because thereby the saved souls may know one another again when they meet in Paradise and rejoyce together alwayes praising God for his mercy and goodnesse XV. The soul being now returned to its body must be contained by a corporeal place This corporeal place must be a Paradise upon earth because God did first bestow it upon man as being agreeable to his integrity and perfection and of the other side as being consentaneous to God's infinite goodnesse through which he conferred a compleat and entire happinesse upon man The same now remaining to wit man's perfection and God's goodnesse it is certain that he will conferre the same happinesse upon man namely Paradise because God in his wisdom finding it to be suitable to man then will ordain the same again now his wisdom being the same If God then is pleased to conferre the same Paradise upon man it is evident that all the Elements shall be purified otherwayes how could it be a fit place for to imbrace so pure a substance The same Law 't is probable shall continue because the same obedience and duty will be required from man as before Beasts Herbs and Flowers the second Paradise shall abound with because God judged it convenient before and therefore his wisdome being unchangeable will judge the same then He shall eat and drink because otherwayes the fruits of Paradise and mans nutritive organs should be in vain He shall not generate because the number of men will be compleated The cause and instrument of our Redemption was an entirely righteous and effentially holy man yet more than a man for it was impossible for man alone to satisfie God's justice since then the chief instrument of our salvation was a man his body being of the same nature with others must require a corporeal place but of this little can be said since man through his reason cannot dive unto it neither is it revealed unlesse obscurely What shall I say more to you O that most splendid second Paradise abounding with innumerable springs of ineffable joys This is the Palace whither the victorious Soul shall be conducted by a number of glorious Angels to the greatest of Kings attended by myriads of Cherubims there in the sight of them all to receive the Laurel and to be installed into an everlasting dignity office and possession Thence she takes her place among those illustrious attendants and sings Hymns to the melodious ear of the chief Musician O hear their sweet noise ring Gloria Gloria Deo in excelsis Te Deum laudamus in
observe that nature is the Seal and Impression of Gods Will and Omnipotence upon every being through which they are that which they are Hence Nature is called the Hand of God Hence it is also called the Order and universal Government among all natural beings through which one being doth depend upon the other and is useful and necessary to the other This is evident in many moving living Creatures as most Cattel whose dependance and Preservation is from and through Vegetables as from Herbs their 's again is from the juyce of the earth and that from a mixture of all the Elements The same subordinate use and good is also observed among all other beings in the world Hence nature is called the strength and vertue of a being for their strength and vertue is nothing else but an actual disposition and propension in beings In this sense we say the nature of fire is to levitate of earth to gravitate IV. I did rather chuse to say a natural being then a natural body for to avoid an improperty of speech because a body is properly and ordinarily taken for matter and so we usually say that man consisteth of a Soul and body and that a natural being consisteth of a form and body or matter Neither is it a motive rather for to say a natural body then a natural being because a being is of too large an extent for a being is restricted from that Latitude of signification by adding natural V. After the exposition of this Definition of nature it will not be amiss to compare that of Aristotles to it Nature is the Principle of Motion and rest of a being wherein it is existent through it self and not by accident It was the Opinion of Aristotle that nature was a substance and nevertheless here he seemeth to make an Accident of it for that which acteth immediately through it self is not a substance but an Accident because according to his dictates a substance doth not act immediately through it self but through its accidents if then a natural being acteth through its nature that is its Matter and Form then nature must be an accident and consequently matter and form are also accidents which he did in no wise intend 2. Suppose that nature were a substance it would be absurd to assert that a natural being did act through a substance of rest and motion which doth inhere in it self for then there would be a penetration of bodies and an Identification of Subsistencies You may reply That nature is not a substance of motion and rest but a substantial Principle Pray what is a substantial Principle but a substance 3. It is plainly against the Principles of Aristotle to say that a Principle is no substance for Matter and Form are Principles but these he granteth to be substances 4. If again granted that these are substances and not vertues then it must necessarily follow that a Form being an active Principle doth act through it self and thence a Form is called active It must also follow that Matter which is another Principle of motion acteth efficiently withal because motion proceedeth from an Efficient or from a Form and wherefore is Matter then called a passive Principle Your Answer to this will be that Matter is not the Principle of Motion but of Rest. I take your Answer but what kind of rest do you mean Is it a rest from local Motion or a rest from Alteration or Augmentation It must be a rest from some of these three It cannot be a rest from local motion because all beings are not capable of a rest from local motion then it must be a rest from alteration or augmentation Neither can it be a rest from any of these For all beings are constantly and at all times in alteration and consequently are either augmented or diminished What rest can it then be It is no rest from Action for then matter could be no Principle or cause for all causes do act 5. How can Matter and Form which are Principles before their union be substances since that a substance is a perfect being which doth subsist in unity through it self and thereby is distinct from all other beings but matter or form can neither of them subsist through themselves or have any unity or distinction 6. A Form is not a Principle of rest in all natural bodies through it self but by accident for all bodies are through themselves continually in motion as will further appear in its proper place VI. Wherefore for to avoid all these Absurdities Contradictions and Improperties of Speech it is necessary to assert 1. That Nature is a Property of a natural being through which it acteth 2. That a Property is really Identificated with its subject and consequently that Natural is not really differing from a natural body This property denotes a propension or actual disposition through which the said body is rendred active By activeness I understand whereby all is constituted whatever is actually inherent in a being as Existence Subsistence and all its other Properties so that Nature or Natural in Physicks is a Property equivalent to the Modes or Attributes of Truth and Goodness in Metaphysicks VII Nature differeth from Art in that she acteth conformably to the Divine Idea or Intention but Art acteth conformably to the intellectual Idea Wherefore nature is infallibly immutable constant perpetual certain because it dependeth from an infallible immutable constant perpetual and certain Cause but Art is fallible changeable inconstant and uncertain because it dependeth from the humane Intellect which is fallible changeable inconstant and uncertain As man is uncapable of acting without God so is Art incapable of effecting any thing without Nature Nature is infinitely beyond Art What Art is there which can produce the great world or any thing comparable to the little world Whatever excellent piece a man doth practise through Art it is no further excellent then it is like unto Nature neither can he work any thing by Art but what hath nature for its Pattern What is it a Limner can draw worthy of a mans sight if natural beauties are set aside VIII Whatever nature acteth it is for an End and Use It is for an end in respect to God who created all things for an end it is for an use in respect to one another because all beings are useful to one another as I have formerly demonstrated but we cannot properly say that all things act for an end in respect to one another because that which doth act for an end is moved by that end and doth foreknow it but natural beings do not foreknow their ends neither are they moved by them IX Nature is either universal or singular An universal nature may be apprehended in a twofold sense 1. For the Universe or whole world containing all singular natures within it 2. For a nature which is in an universal being and so you are to take it here A Singular nature is which is inherent in every
it is but one 2. Were there more then one all the others would be created in vain because the Chaos being the greatest is sufficient to produce a thousand worlds for otherwise it could not be said to be the greatest 3. Or thus in other terms The Chaos is an universal quantity but were there more then one it could not be universal 4. Unity is the beginning and root of all plurality but the Chaos is the beginning and root of all plurality of bodies ergo it is but one 5. The Scripture mentions but of one Chaos Gen. 1. 1 2. 6. The Chaos is eval naturally like as the soul of man is eval and also immortal Eval that is of sempiternal duration yet counting from a beginning I prove it Eccles. 12. Let the dust return to its earth and the spirit return to God who gave it Here the body first returns to dust thence to earth but not to an annihilation for then the Scripture would have mentioned it Eccles. 1. 4. 2. The Chaos is to remain were it but to retribute the matter of humane bodies in order to their Resurrection 3. Annihilation is the greatest defect or imperfection for it supposeth an imperfect Matter and Form which cannot be imagined to be immediately created by God 4. Goodness lasteth for ever but the Chaos was good Gen. 1. 31. 1 Tim. 4. 4. Ergo. 5. Should the Chaos be annihilated then God would have created it in vain But that is impossible Ergo. CHAP. X. Of the first Division of the Chaos 1. Why the Chaos was broken 2. That the Chaos could never have wrought its own change through it self The Efficient of its mutation 3. The several Changes which the Chaos underwent through its disruption The manner of the said Disruption 4. How Light was first produced out of the Chaos What a Flame is 5. A perfect Description of the first knock or division of the Chaos By what means the Earth got to the Center and how the Waters Ayr and Fire got above it Why a Squib turnes into so many whirles in the Ayr. 6. The Qualifications of the first Light of the Creation A plain demonstration proving the circular motion of the Heavens or of the Element of Fire to be natural and of an Eval Duration I. IT was an Elegant Expression of Clem. Alex. Lib. 3. De Recogn Like the shell of an Egge although it seemeth to be beautifully made and diligently formed nevertheless it is necessary that it should be broken and opened that the Chicken may thence come forth and that that may appear for which the shape of the whole Egge seems to be formed Wherefore it is also necessary that the state of this world do pass that so the more sublime state of the Heavenly Kingdom may appear in its brightness The same I may aptly apply to the Chaos that it is to be broken and opened that so a more glorious substance may thence appear and come forth II. One Substance can have but one first power or vertue of acting and therefore the Chaos having no more could not act any effect but which it did act and so had no principle of changing it self from that which it was and consequently would have remained in that shape for ever For this reason we must grant that the Creative power and universal efficient wrought a mutation upon it This mutation was gradual a perfecto ad perfectius It was not by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or creation of the first manner but of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Moses sets down through that he said fiat let there be and this was the Note of the mediate Creation The manner as we may best conceive to our selves was by expansion division or opening of the Chaos III. Through the first diduction and opening the Fire and Ayr being light Elements and so entirely knitted into one must necessarily have diffused themselves above the superficial weighty Elements these falling nearer to the Center The fire having hereby acquired a greater liberty and more force by being less oppressed by the water its contiguous parts were notwithstanding united and suppressed through the continuity of the ayr and conveyed a great part of earth and water with them the ayr also could not be detracted from the universal mixture without the adherence of some water and earth wherefore that appeared also very thick IV. The fire being the lightest and of most activity towards the Circumference must have been vented in the greatest quantity yet not as I said without incraffated ayr which united to the vibrating parts of the fire were both changed into a flame A Flame is a splendent heat Flamma est calidum splendens wherefore by this two new qualities were produced to wit heat and splendor By Calidum heat understand a red hot fire Ignis candens Fire is named candent quod candorem efficiat because it begetteth a candour that is the brightest light But how fire became at once through this division burning and candent I shall distinctly evidence hereafter The Representation of the Chaos after its first Division V. Through this concussion the waters being also somewhat freed from the minima's of the earth tending to the Center were continuated a top of the earth like unto a fleece or skin for the points of the earth which did before discontinue the water being through their more potent gravity descended the water getting a top must needs have acquired its continuity which as you have read â—â—fore is the first quality of water The water therefore got above the earth not because it is less weighty per se but per accidens through its continuation The flame of the first division was yet thick and reddy not exalted to that brightness which afterwards it was The heat of this division was hot in the first degree because there was not yet so much fire drawn out as to make a greater heat This flame I may compare to the flame of a torch or candle which is either but newly lighted or near upon going out the heats which these flames then cast forth are in reference to their highest state as it were but in the first degree Their light is a dusky red The first motion of this fire being to diffuse it self to the circumference of the ambient ayr is there arriving beaten back and reflected through the external surface or coat of the ayr not through the thickness of it for no doubt that was rather thinner there then below but through its own natural motion whereby it moves to its preservation for a same cannot subsist but by the help and sustenance of the ayr It so whither can it move not directly back again retorting into it self that being its extream contrary motion but rather to the sides moving circularly about the surface of the ayr in the same manner as fire in a rooft Furnace where we see it first diffuseth its self directly towards the Circumference of
substantia agens acting substance which if so then an accident is not really distinguisht from a substance and a substance must be conceived to act immediately through her self Aristotle lib. de respir. describes life to be the permansion or abiding of the vegetable foul with the heat From which that of Scaliger exercit 202. sect 5. is little different Life is the union of the soul with the body Here the Philosopher appears only to describe life to be a duration which is but an accident neither doth Scaliger's union signifie any thing more 2. They distinguish the soul really from the heat and body which in the same sense are identificated The matter and form of life of a living substance or a Plant are originally the matter and form of the Elements That the matter of living substances is Elementary there are few or none among the wandring Philosophers but will assert it with me yet as for their form their great Master hath obliged them to deny it to be Elementary and to state it to be of no baser a rice than Coelestial Give me leave here to make inquiry what it is they imply for a form Is it the vegetable soul which Aristotle makes mention of in his definition of life Or is it the soul together with the heat wherein it is detained which is accounted of an extract equally noble with her Be it how it will the soul is really distinguisht by them from the matter and from the Celestial heat here they take heat in a sense common with Physicians for Calidum innatum that is heat residing it the radical moisture its subject and acknowledged for a form So likewise the heat Calidum innatum is diversified from the matter and from the soul wherefore it is neither matter or form What then Their confession owns it to be a body Celestial and therefore no Elementary matter Were I tied to defend their tenents I should answer that there was a twofold matter to be conceived in every living body the one Celestial and the other Elementary But then again one might justly reply That beings are not to be multiplied beyond necessity They do answer for themselves That it is to be imagined a tye vinculum whereby the soul is tied to the body So then according to this Doctrine of theirs I should understand the vegetable soul to be immaterial and of the same nature in respect to its rice and immortality with the rational soul for even that is in like manner tied to the body by means of the Calidum innatum and are both apprehended by Aristotle to be Celestial of no mixt body and really differing from their matter If so the vegetable soul must be received for immortal as being subject to no corruption or dissolution because it is Celestial and consequently a single Essence without any composition and to which no sublunary agent can be contrary But again how can it be a single essence since it is divisible and therefore consisteth of a quantitative extension and is a totum integrale Such is their Philosophy full of contradictions and errours In the next place I would willingly know how this innate heat together with its primogenial moisture may properly be termed Celestial since it is not freed from corruption and dissolution whereas all Celestial bodies are exempted from dissolution and therefore the Philosopher takes them for eternal Are not coldness and dryness as much necessary per se for life as heat and moisture Are heat and moisture sole agents without coldness or dryness or are fire and water sufficient principles for actuating life In no wise for as you have read they are uncapable of existing in one subject unless accompanied by air and earth II. Wherefore I say That the form of life is spirits or subtilities of the Elements united in mixtion and a just temperament Spirits are derived from the word spiro I breathe as being bodies no less subtil than a breath Their constitution is out of the best concocted temperated and nearest united parts of the Elements in which parts the Elements embracing one another so arctly minutely and intimately do of a necessity separate themselves from the courser parts of the mixture and so become moveable through the said course parts they acquire withal a great force through the predominancy of fire condensed by earthy minim's and glued together by incrassated air The force and agility in motion of the influent Spirits depends upon the compression of the weighty parts of the body depressing the said spirits out of their places because they hinder the weighty parts from their center which being through their incrassated air naturally gendred glib and slippery do the easier yield to slip out and in from one place to another The efficient of spirits is the universal external heat viz. The Celestial heat mainly proceeding from the greater mixt bodies contained within the heavens For although the peregrin Element's contained within the earth are capable enough of uniting themselves and constituting a mixt body through their proper form yet they remain unable of uniting themselves so arctly as thereby to become spiritous and constitute a living substance wherefore they do stand in need of the external efficiency of the Celestial bodies which through their subtil heat do accelerate their most intimate union in uniting the internal heat before dispersed through the parts of a body to a center whereunto they could not reach without the arct and firm adherence of some incrassated aerial and terrestrial parts which here are yet more closely united into one and refined from their grosser parts Hence it is that Vegetables are no where generated but where a sufficient influence may arrive from the Celestial bodies and for this reason the earth at a certain depth doth not harbour any living Creature as any Vermine or Plants but only near to its Surface The qualification or gradual distinction of this heat partially effects the difference of living bodies for to such a Vegetable only such a degree and qualification of Celestial heat is requisite and to another another and withal observe that this efficient heat doth not become formal neither doth it unite it self to the intrinsick heat of a Plant but exhales after the execution of its office The reason is because it is in many particulars unlike to the internal spirit of a Vegetable and therefore being unfit to be united to it must consequently after the performance of its function expire The spirits predominating in fire reside in an incrassated air the which being continuated throughout the whole matter is the immediate subject whereby the spirits are likewise extended throughout the same body and are although mediately rendred continuous III. The properties of a vegetative form are to be moveable forcible actually warm mollifying attractive recentive concocting expulsive nutritive accretive and plastick The two former I have touched just before Touching the third I say those spirits are actually warm but not sensible to our
the way VI. Before I go on any further I will prove that such a vast measure of fiery winds blows down from each of the Polar Regions for six months together It is certain That a great proportion of fiery clouds is cast from the middle or Equinoctial of the fiery Heavens towards the Poles because there they are the strongest as appears by their strong and swift motion measuring more way by far there than about the Polars wherefore the greatest part of those fiery clouds must necessarily be detruded towards the Polars as being the weaker parts of the heavens and therefore the apter for their reception These clouds being obtruded thither in great quantities are compressed by the force of the Superiour heavens whereby the condensed fiery minims break forth in great showers which blowing constantly for six months do alwaies blow the Sun from them towards the opposite side 2. If clouds of the air are most detruded towards their Polars and blow thence constantly for a long season as Mariners tell us they do Ergo the same must happen in the fiery Region since the efficient causes and materials are corresponding 3. The fiery Region pressing strongly about the middle parts must needs cast up most air towards the Polars 4. Before there can be an eruption of these fiery clouds there must a certain abundance or proportion be collected through whose over possession and exceeding swelling they may sooner give way to burst out and then being opened they continue their fiery winds for six months and by that time they are quite evacuated In the mean time the other Polar side is a filling and is just grown swell'd enough for to burst out against the other is exhausted Here may be objected That whilst one Pole is evacuating it should attract all the matter from the other Pole because it gives way whereas the other cannot I answer That those fiery clouds through their giving way are still daily somewhat supplied by the continual casting up of the heavens for otherwise their ventilation could hardly be so lasting but however that is sooner evacuated than the clouds can be shut up again so that the ventilation lasteth untill all its contained matter is expelled 2. It is impossible that the air should be attracted from the opposite side since the greatest force of the middle parts of the inferionr Region is between which screweth the matter up equally towards each Pole VII The Suns deficient motion that is when he is accidentally moved through the succession of the Constellations of the Zodiack if compared to himself is observed to be regular that is in comparing one tropical or deficient course with another both do agree in the measure of space being over-runned in an equal time viz. of 360 Solar daies and in an equal Velocity moving in the same swiftness through the same Constellations in one year that he doth in another But if the particular motions of one defective or tropical course be referred to others of the same annual motion we shall find that the Sun is more potently withheld under the Meridional Signs than under the Septentrional ones That is moves swifter through the Austral Mediety in the Winter consuming but 178 daies 21 hours and 12 minut in that peragration and flower through the Boreal Signs in the Summer spending 186 daies 8 hours 12 minutes computing with the Vulgar 365 daies 5 hours 49 min. 16 sec. in the year so that the difference is 7 daies and 11 hours 2. The Sun appears sometimes at some seasons of the year higher then at others that is sometimes nearer to us and other times farther from us or otherwise the Sun is at the highest and farthest in the Summer in the month of June being then in Cancer and at the lowest or nearest in the moneth of December being then in Capricorn VIII The greatest declination of the Sun hath formerly in the daies of Hipparchus Ptolomy been observed to be of 23 deg 52 mi. which according to Copernicus his observation is reduced to 30 min. by others since to 28. The cause is evident and is to be imputed to the Suns or rather the fiery Regions gaining upon the inferiour Elements namely the water gains upon the earth and diducts her mole the air gains upon them both and insufflates their bodies and lastly the fire gains upon the air through which means it must necessarily incline nearer to the Center of the Earth which approximation must cause a diminution of the Suns declination For instance suppose the Sun in Hipparchus his time to have been at the height of o being then in his greatest declination from the Equinoctial a b if then since through the fiery Regions having gained upon the other Elements the Sun is descended from o to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being there nearer to the Center of the Earth his greatest declination in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be less to ε than it is from o to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IX Hence we may easily collect the duration of the World thus If the fiery Region hath gained from the time or years of Ptolomy to Copernicus so many minutes of the other Elements in how many years will the fire gain the restant minutes This being found out by the rule of proportion will resolve us when the World shall be returned again into a confusion or Chaos so that you may observe as at the beginning of the world the weighty Elements did gradually expell and at last over-power the light ones so the light ones do now gradually gain upon the weighty ones and at last will again over-power them and so you have a description of the long year consisting of 20 thousand Solar Circuits gaining near a degree every 68 years but towards the latter end will prevail much more because the nearer they incline the more forcibly they will make way And so you see all things are like to return to what they were viz. The immortal souls of men to God and the Universe in o the same Chaos which as I said formerly will abide a Chaos to all Eternity unless God do divide it again into a new World and raise new Bodies for the Souls that have of long been in being At the latter end of this descent you shall have Christ descending in the greatest Triumph Glory and Splendor appearing in a body brighter than the Sun Here must needs happen a very great noise and thunder when the Elements do with the greatest force clash against one another which cannot but then strike the greatest amazement and anguish into the Ears of the Wicked This Doctrine may prove a plain Paraphrase upon those mysteries mentioned in the Revelation of St. John For instance Chap. 9. v. 1 2. where a Star is described to fall down from heaven namely the Sun opening the bottomless pit and raising a smoak viz through his burning and consuming rayes c. No wonder if mens fancies are so strongly missed in