Laws and Rules that are prescribed to itâ— by the wise Creator of all things CHAP. IV. A serious Discourse of the Soul of Man That it is not propagaâ—ed from the Parents but is infused by God and can neither Die nor Corrupt and what day of Child-bearing it is infused Of the Immortality thereof and certainty of the Resurrection THE Soul of Man is of so Divine a Nature and Excellency that Man himself cannot in no wise comprehend it it being the insulted Breath of the Almighty Immortal and Incomprehensible but by him that gave it it being as it well may be termed a part of himself for Moses by Holy Inspiration relating the Original of Man tells us That God Breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul Now as for all other Creatures at his Word they were made and had Life but the Creature that God hath appointed to set over his Works was favoured with the more immediate hand of the Almighty forming him out of the Dust of the Earth and secondlyâ— condescending to breath into his Nostrils the breath of Lifes which implies that there was more care and if we may so term it labour used about man than about all other Creatures or created things he only partaking and participating with the Divine Nature being made in his likeness bearing the Image of God that is in Innocence and Purity whilst he stood firm but in his Fall that lively Image was defaced yet such was the infinite Love of God towards him that altho' he Rebelled against him he would not altogether cast him off but found a way to restore him Nay so much in esteem was he thought not deservlng the least favour that the Son of God the second Person in the glorious Trinity when the fulness of time was come laying aside his Crown of Stars left the right hand of Glory Majesty and the bright effulgence that adorned him and descending took upon him our Nature O infinite and unspeakable Love Nay more indured shame reproach scourging buffetting spitting on and the Death of the Cross that he might bruise the Head of the Serpent and deliver Beloved Man from the Jaws and Brink of utter Ruin And the better to confirm his love towards us is ascended on high leading Captivity Captive where he is so far from forgetting us that he is become our Mediator and makes daily Intercession for us to the Father whose offended Justice he has satisfied as to the original Sin But to come nearer to my purpose If Man would understand the Excellency of the Soul as far as it is capable of comprehending it self let him after serious Recollection descend into himself and search diligently his own Mind and there he shall find so many admirable Gifts and excellent Ornaments that it must needs strike him with Wonder and Amazement as Reason Understanding true Choice ability of Wit Memory and divers other Faculties that absolutely approve the Soul to be more admirable than that any should imagine it to be finite or subject to Annihilation yet by reason of its many Offices and Operations whilst in the Body it is specified under sundry dominations For as St. Augustine saith when it enlivens the Body it is called the Soul when it gives it knowledge the judgment the minp when it recall things past the memory whilst it discourseth and discerneth reason whilst it contemplates the Spirit whilst it is in the sensitive parts of the Senses and these are the principal Offices whereby the Soul declares its power and performs its actions for placed in the highest part of the Body and nearest Heaven it diffuseth or disperseth effectually its force into every Member not propagated from the Parents nor mixed with gross matter but the infused Breath of the Almighty immediately proceeding from him nor passing from one to another as fond and absurdly the Pithagoreans have insinuated in their Opinions about the Transmigration of the Soul and so vain were they that they did not only imagine the Souls of deceased Men passed into now-born Infants but into Beasts also and from thence it was they forbid the eating of Flesh and abstained themselves from so doing lest as they fondly fancied they might as Tertullian records it Eat their Grand-father in a Calf But such frivolous and superstitious Notions are to be rejected by Christians and those true ones observed which are both reasonable and agreeable to humane Capacities for Orthodox Divines conclude in general that the Soul is given to every Infant by Infusion when he or she is perfected in the Womb which happens about the 45thâ— day after Conception especially for Males that in likelihood will be born at the end of Nine Months but in Females who are of a weaker Constitution and not so soon formed and perfected thro' the defect of heat not till the Fiftieth day And although this day in all cases cannot be perfectly set down yet Hypocrates has undertaken to give his absolute Opinion when the Child has its perfect form when it begins to move and when born if in due season for in his Book of the Nature of Infants he affirmeth That if it be a Male and he be perfect on the thirtieth day move at the sixtieth he will come forth at the seventh Month but if he be perfectly formed on the 35th day he wiâ—l move on the 70th and be born in the 8th Month. Again if he be perfectly formed on the 45th day he will move on the 90th day and be born in the Ninth Month. Now from these passing of Days and Months it plainly appears that the day of Forming being doubled makes up the day of moving and that day three times reckoned mâ—kes up the day of Birth As for Example where 35 perfect the Form if you doubled it it makes 70 the day of Motion and thâ—ee times 70 amounts to â—60 Days or 7 Months allowing 30 days to one Month and so you must consider the rest But as for a Female it is longer perfecting in the Womb and the Mother ever goes longer with a Boy than a Girl so that there is difference in the Accompt for a Female formed in 30 days moves not till the 70 day and is born in the 7 month when she is formed in the 40 day she moves not till the 80 day and is born in the 8 Month but if she be perfectly formed on the 55 day she moves on the 90 and is born on the 9 Month but she that is formed on the 50 day moves on the 100 day then will she be born in the 10 Month. And thus have I more largely demonstrated it to the Reader that he may know the reasonable Soul is not propagated by the Parents but is infused by God when the Child hath its perfect Form and is exactly distinguished in its Lineaments Now as the liâ—e of every other Creature as it is testified in the 17 Chapter of Leviticus is in the Blood so the life
of Man consisteth in the Soul the which although subject to Passion by reason of the gross composture of the Body in which it has a temporary confinement yet it is immortalâ— and cannot in it self corrupt or suffer change it being a spark of the Divine Mind and a blast of Almighty Breath that distinguishes Man from other Creatures and renders him Immortal and that every Man has a peculiar Soul it plainly appears by the vast difference between the Wit Judgment Opinion Manners Affections c. in Men. And this David observes when he says God hath in particular fashioned the Hearts and Minds of all Men and has given to every one it s own Being and a Soul of its own Nature Hence Solomon rejoyced that God had given him a happy Soul and Body agreeable and suitable to it It has caused many disputes amongst the Learned especially Philosophers in what part of the Body the Soul chooses to reside and some have given their Opinion that its residence is in the middle of the Heart and from thence communicates its self to every part which Solomon in the Fourth of his Proverbs seems to assert when he says Keep thy Heart with all thy diligence because Life proceedeth there from but many curious Physicians searching the Works of Nature in Man's Aâ—atomy c. do give it as their Opinion that its chief Seat is in the Brain from whence proceed the Senses Faculties and Actions diffusing the operation of the Soul through all parts of the Body whereby it is enlivened with heat and force but it doth communicate particular force to the Heart by Arterieâ— Carotides or sleepy Arteries that part upon the Throat the which if they happen â—o be broke or cut cause Barrenness and if stopped an Apoplexy for there must necessarily be some ways thro' which the Spirits Animal and Vital may have intercourse and convey Native Heat from the Soul For although the Soul is said to reside in one place it operates in every paâ—t exercising every Member which are the Souls Instruments by which she manifesteth her power but if it so happen that any of the Organical parts are out of Tune the work is confused as it may appear in case of Idiots Mad-men c. Though in some of them the Soul by forcibly working recovers her supernatural vigour and they become right after a long dispondency of Mind and in some it is lost in this Life For as Fire under Ashes nor the Sun obscured from our sight by thick Clouds afford not their full lustre so the Soul overwhelmed in moist or faulty matter is darkned and Reason thereby overclouded and altho' Reason shines less in Children than in those that are arrived to maturity yet no Man must imagine that the Soul is an Infant and grows up with the Child for then would it again decay but it suits it self to the weakness of Nature and the imbecility of Body wherein it is placed that it may the better operate And as the Body is more and more capable of receiving its influence so it shews its self in its proper lustre having force and endowments at the time it enters the former Child in the Womb for the substance of it can receive nothing less and thus much to prove that the Soul comes not from the Parents but is infused by God And the next thing now to be handled is its Immortality and thereby I shall demonstrate the certainty of its Resurrection That the Soul of Man is a Divine Ray infused by God I have already made apparent and now come to shew you that whatever immediately proceeds from him must participate of his Nature and from thence consequently be as immortal as its Original for although all other Creatures are indued with Life and Motion yet want they a reasonable Soul and from thence 't is concluded that Life is in their Blood and that being corruptible they perish and after their expiring are no more But Man being indued with a reasonable Soul and stamped with the Divine Image is of a different nature and though his Body be corruptible yet his Soul cannot perish but must when it is expelled its Earthly Tabernacle return to God that gave it either to receive reward or punishment now that the Body can sin of it self it is impossible because wanting the Soul it cannot act nor proceed to any thing either good or evil for could it do so additional Sins might be accumulated even in the Grave but 't is plain that after Death there is a cessation fox as Death leaves us so Iudgment finds us And St. Iohn in the Fifth Chapter of his Gospel tells us That the hour shall come that all that are in the Grave shall hear his Voice and they that have done well shall come forth to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Condemnation And Holy Iob in the 14 and 19 Chapter speaking to the same purposes says For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall beâ—old and not another though my Reins be consumed within me By this 't is plainly proved that the Soul is made of immortal Essence incapable of Death having a place assigned it after its separation from the Body till the day of the general Resurrection not in the Grave but in a Mansionâ— prepared by the Almighty for its Reception and that through the mighty working of him that is able to subdue all things to himself it shall again enter the same Body that was laid down tho' the dust thereof be scattered to the â—our Winds of Heaven nay such force and vigour shall it have that it shall as it were take up the Body for Iob positively says I shall rise out of the Earth at the last day c. Which being applicable to the future Tense may be meant two waysâ— I shall or will rise plainly foreseeing the Reâ—urrection he claimed it as the promise of his Creator Nay so far were the Heathens by the Light of Nature from doubting the Immortality of the Soul thaâ— Plato in his Phaedro thus reasons viz. Whaâ— consists out of Elements says he is Immortal and can never dye The Soul is not made oâ— Elements nor of created matter but came froâ— God and therefore it cannot dye c. Theâ— may it be without difficulty granted thaâ— the Body which has been a long Companion of the Souls will once again enjoy it never more to be separated for the Bodâ— at the Resurrection shall be incorruptible and so as far from a capacity of perishing any more as the Soul made so by him that first created it For St. Paul speaking of the Resurrection saith He shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his glorious Body The consideration of which makes
ARISTOTLE'S MASTER-PIECE OR THE SECRETS of GENERATION Displayed in all the Parts thereof CONTAINING 1. The Signs of Barrenness 2. The way of getting a Boy or Girl 3. Of the likeness of Children to Parents 4. Of the Infusion of the Soul into the Infant 5. Of Monstrous Births and the reasons thereof 6. Of the benefit of Marriage to both Sexes 7. The prejudice of unequal Matches 8. The discovery of Insufficiency 9. The cause and cure of the Green Sickness 10. A Discourse of Virginity 11. How a Midwife ought to be qualified 12 Directions and Cautions to Midwives 13. Of the Organs of Generation in Women 14. The Fabrick of the Womb. 15. The Use and Action of the Genitals 16. Signs of Conception and whether of a Male or Female 17. To discover false Conception 18. Instructions for Women with Child 19. For preventing Miscarriage 20. For Women in Child-bed 21. Of ordering New born Infants and many other very useful Particulars To which is added a word of Advice to both Sexes in the Act of Copulation and the Pictures of several Monstrous Births Very necessary for all Midwives Nurses and Young-Married Women LONDON Printed for W. B. And are to be sold by most Booksellers in London and Westminster 1694. The Effigies of a Maid all Hairy and a Infant that was black by the Imaginatioâ— of their Parents The Introduction IT plainly appears in Holy Writ that this glorious Universe be spangled with gaudy Fires and every where adorned with wonderful Objects proclaiming the Wisdom and Omnipotence of the Great Work-Master who in Six Days Erected all Things for his Pleasure was at first drawn out of Nothing or at most a Formless Chaos of Confusion a Disordered and Confounded Hâ—ap of Iarring Elements toss'd and jumbled together under the Dismal Shades of Dying Night Eldest of Things no Fruits nor Pleasures no Creature that hath Breath had Being in the place this lower World possesses till GOD out of the Abundance of his Goodness sent forth his Holy Spirit who Dove-like with mighty out-spread Wings sat brooding on the Vast Abyfs and made it Pregnant Then Light put Darkness soon to flight and all the glorious Lamps of Heaven appear all Creatures soon had being and every Plant Tree Herb or Flower of fragrant smell sprung from the Verdant Earth raised by Command above the VVater every thing of use having Seed in it self that no second Creation needed But still that Lordly Creature whâ— should rule the Creatures being wanting he was framed more glorious than all Creatures as not made without mature Counsel and Deliberation and stamped in the divine Similitude inspired with the infused Breath of Lifeâ— beyond what any other Creature durst to boast The contemplating of which long since made the Royal Psalmist break out into this Rapture What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels and hast Crowned him with Glory and Honour Thou makest him to have Dominion over the Works of thy Hands and thou hast put all things under his Feet Psal. 8. 4 5 6. Thus I say when God hath created the World and furnished it with whatsoever seemed good in his sightâ— and that there was nothing wanting for necessary use commodity and pleasure it seemed good to him then to make one that might use them to his Glory and take delight in rejoycing in them Wherefore when Natures Ornaments were all compleat He brought Man into the World as into his own Possession and that he might not be disconsolate nor solitary gave him a Woman for a Helper and Companiâ—n infusing into them a source of Love and Desire towards each other and of procreating their Likeness having prepared for that purpose a swelling Humour or Spirit and Organical Parts and that the one through fear of neglect should not be induced to decline the Society of the other he added Allurements and desire of mutual Embracing that so they might in Procreation be sweetly affected and delighted by wonderous ways For unless this was natural to all kind of Creatures they would be regardless of Posterity and Procreation would cease whereby Mankind would quickly be lost and the affairs of Mortals of no continuance But that this Passionate Desire might strongly operate as well in Sensual Felicity as on the Imagination GOD has firmly imprâ—ssed it in all Creatures subject thereto both Male and Female but more especially on Man And least it should prove unruly in him and not easily subdued He has thought it convenient to prescribe him Bounds and confine him to the Use of the Matrimonial Bed that so they might not defile themselves with wandring Lust who want the gift of Continency Wherefore so soon as Copulation is finished and the Woman happens to prove with Child great is Natures Cunning in furnishing the Embryo with convenient Nutriment that at the set time when Nine Months are run over Man that Ruler and Ornament of the Sublunary World may come forth in relation to which Mystery of Generation Holy Job in the Tenth Chapter of his Book thus expresses himself Hast thou not poured me out as Milk and curdled me like Cheese Thou hast cloathed me with Skin and Flesh and hast fenced me with Bones and Sinews Thou hast granted me Life and Favour and thy Visitation hath preserved my Spirit But not to be too tedious upon this Subject I shall proceed to unravel the Mystery of Generation and divers other Mysteries which I hope will be to the Satisfaction of the Learned and Ingenious of the Age whose Discretion I need not doubt will keep them from wresting it to any other end than what it was designed for viz. The Benefit and Advantage of the Modest of either Sex not dâ—siring that this Book should fall into the Hands of any Obscene or Wanton Person whole Folly or Malice may turn that iâ—to Ridâ—cule that loudly proclaims the Infinite Wisdâ—m of an Omnipotent Creator who by his mighty VVorking is able to sundue all things to Hâ—msâ—lf Gloria DEO in Excelsis Aristotle's Master-Piece OR The Secrets of Generation DISPLAY'D CHAP. I. Of Maeriage and at what Age Virgins and Youths are capable of the Marriage-Bed and the Reasons that prompts them to desire it with the Signs of Barrenness and how long a Man or Woman are Capable of having Children THAT Marriage is an Honourable State ordained by God in Paradice and since Confirmed by our Blessed Saviour who wrought his first Miracle at a Wedding I hope none will deny therefore it is convenient that Parents will take care of their Daughters Chastity and when they find them inclinable and when they find them inclinable to Marriage not violently to restrain their Affections but rather to provide for them if possible such Husbands as may be for their Advantage and with whom they may live comfortably in that blessed State lest being crossed in their purposes and delayed they part with their
commanded the Hebrew Men not to touch a Woman that was unclean of her Blood and these that have been so rashly profligate of either Sex have many times by sad experience found their wilful folly too late but especially the Female Sex for by the violent concussion and motion used in Copulation anâ— evil Mixture the contagion by degrees will seize upon the whole Body causing the Pox and Leprosie The like effects it has upon Men if the Woman be infected especially if he deal with Whores at such times who commonly are infected and may be accounted so many walking contagions or Emissaries of the Prince of Darkness for the Destruction of Mankind and at this day the grâ—â—â—â—st pest and grievance of the Nation These things rightly considered no Man need wonder at so many mis-shapen Births and monstrous People with Scald-Heads bowed and distorted Legs Arms and Backs wry-Necks crumpled Feet incident to Swellings and indifferent Diseases especially Swellings in the Groin Buboes and Emerods as also that their Minds are dull stupid forgeâ—ful foolish mad and unâ—easonable which are indeed the effects of unseasonable and unreasonable Venery which every Creature but Man observes in the Season Nature has alloted and when their Female have conceived they desire no lnnger but rest satisfied Therefore let Man who is indued with a rational Soul and ought above all other Creatures to have dominion over his Appetite and Affection consider how cruel he is to his Posterity that brings such mischief upon them and chiefly they are here to be understood that are conceived in the fourth Moon when the Woman 's Natural Flux is upon her therefore all Men ought to restrain neither should the Woman dare to copulate with Men as better knowing when that is upon her than some rash inconsiderate and un-experienced Novices of the Masculine-Gender do for the Children then conceived want all or most of those Gifts and Properties that Children begotten at seasonable times are endowed withal being capable of nothing that is good nor great and if it so happen they do any thing well they have ill success in their Undertakingâ— by reason their natural Faculties are short not by their own but their Parents fault who undecently in Procreation violate Natures Law whence it is that many things are wanting to them or else given them sparingly and with some ill qualities that others obtain bountifully and then suffer no less loss in their Mind for they want almost their common Senses and are extream dull without the sharpness of Wit quickness of Invention Counâ—il and Prudence that others have Lavinus Leminus a famous Physician tells of a monsterous Birth from his own knowledge the Relation of which I take in his words as I find them in his Bâ—ok of Generation In former years says he there was a Woman an Islander who had married a Mariner that took Physick of me and after Câ—pulation having Câ—nceived by him hâ—r Bâ—lly began to swell to such a vast magnitude that one would have thought it câ—uld not have held to support the burâ—hâ—n When 9 Months were expired the Mâ—dwife was called and first with great troubâ—e she was delivered of a rude lump which I conceive was a superfatatiâ—n after a lawful Conâ—epâ—ion there were fastned unto it on both â—ides two Handles like two Aâ—ms for the length and the fashion of them it panâ—ed and seemed to be alive as Sea Fishes called Vâ—tica and by the Dutch Elsâ—howe which float in the Sea in Summer in infinâ—tâ— numbers and being taken out they run abroâ—d and when you handle them melâ—â— wiâ—h a burning and prickling left behind them whence they had their Name after this a Monster came forth of her Womb with a crooked Back long round Neck and fiery Eyes and a pointed Tail being very nimble footed for as soon as it came forth it gave the affrighted Midwife the slip and run up and down the Room to seek a hiding place till at last one Woman more couragious than the rest fell upon it with a Cusheon and smothered it This Monster had sucked the Blood from the Child which came forth after it being a Male and so eaten the Flesh that it scarcely lived to be Christened nor could the Woman be in a long time restored to her strength And farther adds that upon his inquiry she told him that it had proceeded as she thought from unseasonable and extraordinary and insatiable Venery Hereupon says he I proscribed her a wholsom course of Life and Medicines to restore her Forces for she was become wonderful Lean. These and many such like things should teach all Men aud Women to use decency and orderly proceedings in their mutuaul Embracings lest Nature wronged thereby monstrous Births ensue in which respect some Lascivious People are much to be condemned who suppose they may do what they list and will by no means have their Pleasure bounded and above all Pocky and Gouty People are most Lascivious the one thro` the Heat contracted in the Blood and the other through the polite windiness passes through the Veins and afflicts the Nerves others again observe not whether their Stomach be full or empty or the Meat be raw or digested whether it be by Day or Night nay never râ—gard the season nor opportunity of time but as their Lusts and Desires prompts them but such insatiable Lechers seem to be or at least are wilfully ignorant to what end they were Created Male and Female which was to beget Children and propagate their kind not for obscene purposes and beastly pleasure but at last they pay for their unruly Lust when the Disorders of Body as Aches Gout and many Diseases contracted thereby Rack and Torment them The last thing in this Chapter to be considered is whether monstrous Births have reasonable Souls and whether such shall appear at the day of Resurrection in discussing of which I shall cite the opinions of such Learned Divines and Physicians as have made curious search and diligently weighed these great Mysteries And first it is their opinion not joyntly but severally that all those that are like Men according to the order of Generation deduced from our primitive Parents proceeded by natural means from either Sex though they are â—eformed and of monstruous shape having notwithstanding a reasonable Soul shall when they have run the date of Mortality be capable of Resurrection to Immortality but those that proceed not from Man but by the Womans unnaturally mixing with other Creatures shall not participate of Immortality but perish as brute Beasts because such a monstruous Birth is not capacitated to receive a divine part or Soul which should entail him to the Resurrection There are indeed amongst the number of Men and Women that read the Terrestrial Globe divers that are monstruously Deformed and of horrid Aspect with distorted Jaws and Gogle Eyes and many other marks of Deformity but these tho' by their pâ—rents rashness in incedent or unseasonable Copulation or the defect of