Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	fish_n	great_a	sea_n	3,519	5	6.8793	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08062	The nature of man A learned and usefull tract written in Greek by Nemesius, surnamed the philosopher; sometime Bishop of a city in Phœnicia, and one of the most ancient Fathers of the Church. Englished, and divided into sections, with briefs of their principall contents: by Geo: Wither.; On the nature of man. English	Nemesius, Bp. of Emesa.; Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1636 (1636)	STC 18427; ESTC S113134	135,198	716

been inclined to eate the flesh of one another so that no kindes of them could feed on any thing else but on the flesh of themselves verily they could not have long continued no not for a small time but would have beene utterly destroyed some of them each by other and the rest for lacke of meat To the intent then that it might not so happen certaine Fishes were so made that they might abstaine from the flesh of the rest and feed if I may so tearme it on the grasse of the Sea that by them the other sorts of fishes might be preserved These fishes feed upon weedes other fishes feed upon them Those againe are food for other greater fishes So by the feeding on such fishes as last of all doe eate the weeds of the Sea which come of the slimie waters the substance of the rest of the fishes is successively continued Having reasonably demonstrated that the Plants were not created in respect of themselves but in regard of the nonrishment and nature both of Men of other living-creatures it will be thereby manifest that such things also were made in respect of Man and other living-creatures which are meanes and causes of the encrease and preservation of those interiour things And if that be so it will be as apparant that the motions of the starres the firmament the seasons of the yeare the showers and all such like things were made in respect of those things without life afore-mentioned and to the end that nourishment being continually administred unto them the nature of such fruits might be perpetuated and that Men and living-creatures also for whom those were ordained might bee preserved by them It resteth not to consider whether the nature of unreasonable creatures was made in respect of it selfe or for MAN's cause and sure it cannot but be very absurd to affirme that things incapable of understanding and living only by an instinct of Nature yea things groveling toward the earth and by their very shape declaring their bondage should be brought into the world for their owne sake Much might be spoken to prove the contrary even so much as would spin out this one point to the length of a Treatise if I should handle the same at large and therefore I will briefly mention in this place those things onely which are of greatest weight By seriously considering as it were in a glasse or image those things which are without us by such things as are within us we should make a plain demonstration hereof yea and by considering the very substance of the things themselves which are in question For if wee ponder in our minde that part of our selves which is irrationall and the parts thereof I mean appetite and anger which are ordained to serve the Reasonable-part wee shall there see that Reason ruleth and that the unreasonable-parts are ruled that Reason commandeth and that the other are commanded and serviceable to such uses as Reason will have them to bee subject unto if MAN preserve that cōdition which doth naturally appertaine unto him Now then if our part which is reasonable doth beare rule over our unreasonable-parts which are within us seemeth it not much more probable that our reasonable-part should have dominion over such unreasonable-things as are without us and that such things were ordained to serve our necessities especially seeing it is according to the law of Nature that the unreasonable shold be subject to the reasonable as hath beene declared by those things which are in our selves This may bee further manifested by considering that divers creatures are made even fit for the necessary services of MAN For Oxen and all bearing cattell are naturally fitted for the tillage of the earth and for bearing of burthens Sundry other beasts of the field also and many fishes and soules for dainty feeding yea and singing-birds for our delight and recreation And al-beit all things doe not alwayes serve to such pleasing uses but that there are some which may seeme rather to harm and destroy man it is to be considered that when those things were created the speciall end of whose creation was at first for man's service all other things which might be otherwise usefull were then created also that in the Creation there might bee no defect or want of such things whereof there might bee afterward any use Neither were such things as are now accounted harmfull exempted utterly from the profitable fruition of man but he by reason doth or may fruitfully employ to his advantage even the most venomous things For hee useth poisonous creatures to the curing of such harmes as come by those and other venomous beasts and to the curing of many infirmities other wayes occasioned Such are the confections called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof our Triacle is one sort which reason hath invented that by their owne power those things might be made to cōquer themselves and procure health and safety as it were from conquered enemies Man hath also many other things of great vertue given unto him by his Creator which being contrary to those mischievous things have in them a power to withstand or qualifie their virulent operations to remedy their hurts and to defend him from their secret assaults One thing serveth to one use other things to other uses and God hath so provided that all things should bee helpfull for the benefit and preservation of Man yea and some things there be which are serviceable no way else SECT 6. I. He sheweth why the creatures are now harmfull to MAN seeing all things were at first created for his benefit Exemplary demonstrations intimating how this mischiefe might be remedied II. A briefe Elogium in praise of the excellent nature and prerogatives of MAN III. This chapter is concluded with a short exhortation that a thankfull use be made of the high favours vouchsafed unto MAN THat which hath beene formerly said touching the harme which MAN receiveth somtimes from the unreasonable-creatures hath respect onely to the present condition of Mankinde in this life for if we looke back to the first time which was long ago wee shall finde that none of the irratinall-creatures durst to be offensive unto MAN but that all of them were subject unto him faithfully serving and obeying him so long as he did master his owne passions and subjected his unreasonable-parts to the part-reasonable And when hee gave the reines to his owne affections not subduing them to reason but suffered himselfe to be over-mastered by the brute desires which were within him it was very just that as it hath since hapned he should be over-awed by the wilde-beasts and by such other harmefull things as are without him For after MAN had sinned then began those beasts to be hurtfull unto him which had else been serviceable as may yet appeare true by those who have lived a supereminent life and thereby prevented the mischievous assaults of such creatures Of this Daniel and Paul are exemplary witnesses for neither

indued with Reason to bee delivered by Repentance from the accusation and guiltinesse of all those things wherein he hath formerly transgressed Yea this Grace is given to MAN onely to all men and ever to man during the continuance of his life in this world and no longer for after Death there is no more Forgivenesse Some there bee who give a reason why the Angels could no more obtaine pardon by repentance after they had fallen and it is this that followes The Fall of Angels was as they affirme a kind of Death unto them and God vouchsafed them the tender of a pardon before their utter falling away when like account was to bee made of them as is made of Men during this life But because they accepted not the grace offered they received afterward as a just reward punishment everlasting without pardon And hereby it plainly appeares that such as refuse Repentance doe reject that which is a speciall good gift of God and peculiar to MAN This also is one of the things proper and peculiar unto MAN that of all other living creatures only the body of MAN should arise againe after Death and aspire to Immortalitie This priviledge the body gaineth in respect of the immortalitie of the soule as likewise the soule obtaineth the other that is to say pardon after Repentance in respect that the Body is weake and troubled with many passions It is a thing proper also to MAN only to learn Arts and Sciences and to worke according unto such Arts For which cause they who define him say thus MAN is a living Creature induced with Reason mortall capable of Consideration and Science He is tearmed a living-creature in that he is a substance having life indued with sense for that is the definition of a living-creature He is said to be indued with Reason that hee may be distinguished from unreasonable-creatures He is called mortall to make a difference betwixt him and the Reasonable-creatures that are immortall And this clause capable of Consideration Science is added thereunto because wee come to Arts and Sciences by learning of them having in us naturally a certaine potentiall ability to receive both understanding and Arts but not actually attaining them save by study and practise There be some who say that this last clause was lately added to the Definition and that it had beene good enough without the same were it not that some bring in their Nymphes and other petty Deities of those kinds who are said to live long and yet not to be immortall And to distinguish MAN from those these words Capable of consideration and science were judged needfull because none of that sort are thought to learne any thing but to know naturally whatsoever they are said to know The Iewes are of opinion on that the whole World was made for MAN even immediately for his sake as Oxen with other beasts for tillage or to bear burthens and as grasse was made for the Beasts For some things were made for their owne sakes and some for the sakes of others All reasonable-creatures were made for their owne sakes Vnreasonable-creatures and things without life were ordained for others not for themselves Now if such things were made in respect of others let us consider for whom they were indeed created Shall wee think they were made for the Angels Doubtlesse no wise man will say that they were made for their sakes because the things made for the respect or sake of another must concern either the making or the continuance or the recreation of those things for which they were made For they are made either in respect of the propagation and succession of their kinde or of their nourishment or to cover them or to cure them or for their better welfare and rest Now the Angels need no such things for they neither have any succession of their kind neither want clothing bodily nourishment nor any thing else And if Angels have no need of such things it is then evident that no other nature having place above the Angels can have need of them because by how much higher the place of it is so much the lesse need hath it of supply or assistance from another This being so we must seek out a Nature which is indued with Reason and yet needeth such things as are aforementioned and what other nature can be found of that sort if MAN be passed over Surely none And if no other can be discovered it followeth by good reason that both things void of life and unreasonable-creatures were made for the sake of MAN and if they were ordained for him as it is evident they were then that was likewise the cause why he was constituted the Governor also of those creatures Now it is the duty of a Governour to use those things which are put under his government in such manner and measure as need and conveniencie shall require and not to abuse them untemperately or to serve voluptuously his owne delicate Appetite Neither ought he to bear himself tyrannously or ungently towards those whom he governes For they that so doe yea and they that use not mercifully their unreasonable-cattell are therein great Offenders neither performing the part of a Governour nor of a just man according to that which is written The just man hath compassion upon the life of his Beast SECT 5. I. It is here proved that neither things without-life nor the unreasonable creatures were made for themselves First by arguments taken from the consideratiō of the nature and use of things without life II. It is proved also by considering those creatures which are void of reason and which are for the most part very serviceable to MAN III. And lastly it is proved by considering those things which seeme to be rather harmfull then profitable to Mankind BUt some perhaps will say that nothing was made inrespect of another but every thing in respect of it selfe Therefore distinguishing first between things inanimate and those that have life let us observe whether things void of life are likely to have beene created onely for their owne sake For if those things were made in respect of themselves how or upon what should living-creatures feed wee see that Nature out of the earth produceth food both of fruits and of plants to every living-creature some few excepted whose feeding is upon flesh yea and those creatures which are nourished by eating flesh doe feed on such beasts as are sustained by eating the fruits of the earth For Lions and Wolves feed on Lambes Goats Harts and Swine Aegles also and all sorts of Hawkes devoure Partridges Doves Hares and such like which are fed with what springeth out of the ground Moreover the nature of those Fishes which devoure one another doth not so extend it self to all fishes that they do generally devoure the flesh of one another but it breaketh off in such as eate weeds and such other things as grow in the water For if all sorts of fishes had

painting For it is the painters cunning to deceive the eye with counterfeit shadowings either of an Embost or hollow worke as the nature of the things requires To the discerning whereof the sense of touching is especially usefull and sometime of the tast and smell also as appeared in the example of the apple made of wax Yea and otherwhile at no great distance the sight it selfe maketh some things appeare unto us to bee that which they are not For if a towne which is foure-square bee but a pretty distance from us it will seeme unto the sight to be round The sight erres likewise when wee looke through a thick aire or through smoake or some such things as otherwise trouble the sight by the thicknesse thereof In like maner when we see things in the water being stirred for in the Sea an Oare seemeth broken when it is whole So is it also when wee looke in or through some transparant bodie as looking-glasses or other glasses and the like things or when the visible object is moved swiftly For a swift-motion so distempers the sight that those things are thereby made appeare to be round which are nothing so and those to bee fixed which are moved The same happeneth when the minde is busied about other matters as when a man purposing to meet his friend passeth by without heeding him whom hee went to meet though hee met him in the way by reason he had his minde busied with other thoughts But indeed this is not properly an error of the sight but of the minde For the sight beheld his friend and gave warning but the minde heeded not that which was brought unto it Finally the sight needeth foure things for the cleare discerning of all visible objects namely A whole and sound seat for that sense a proportionable measure of motion a fit distance and the aire to bee pure and cleare CAP. 8. I. Of the sense of touching why the seat of it is in all parts of the body and why every living-creature enjoyes that sense whereas many are defective in other of the senses II. Of the proper objects of this sense and of such as it hath in common with other senses III. In which of the senses Man excelleth and in what senses other creatures excell him IT was by the Creator of the world so ordered that hee made the seats of all the other senses two-fold and confined them to a certaine circuit of place in some parts of the body For example hee hath made two eyes two eares two passages for the sense scituate in the nostrill yea and hee hath planted in every living-creature as it were two tongues In some they are evidently parted as in serpents and in some other they are joyned and united as in men And for this cause hee made onely two former-pans of the braine that the sinewes which serve for the senses being sent downe from either of these braine-pans might make the seats of the senses to be twofold Now hee made them twofold in respect of that exceeding tender love which hee bare unto us that when the one of them tooke harme the other which remained might preserve the sense And yet though most of the seats of the other senses perish the living-creature may be alive but as soone as the sense of touching is extinct the living-creature doth instantly perish For onely the sense of touching among all the rest of the senses is common to all livingcreatures and every living-creature is indued therewith whereas all of them have not every one of the other senses but some have these and some have others except those which wee call the more perfect creatures and they indeed have all the senses Now seeing the living-creature loseth life by the losse of this sense the Creator hath allotted unto the sense of touching not one part of the body onely but almost the whole body of the living-creature For except the bones and the hornes and the nailes and the binding-sinewes and the haires and certaine other such like things each part of the body is partaker of the sense of touching Thereupon it hath so hapned that the seat of every sense hath two senses in it one of such things as are properly the object of every particular sense and another in respect of the sense of touching For the sight discerneth colours and yet is partaker both of hot and cold things participating of heat and cold as it is a body and discerning of colours as it is the sense of sight The like may be thought also of the tast of the smelling and of the hearing It may hereupon bee questioned how the touching can bee spred over the whole body seeing that the senses proceed from the former braine-pans for indeed the sinewes come downe from the braine and being dispersed into every part of the body doe there occasion the sense of touching And some were of opinion because the haire stands up as it were with a sudden horror when the foot is casually pricked with a thorne that the griefe or at least the feeling of the griefe ascended up unto the brain and was there felt Which being true it might then be concluded that there could bee no griefe in any part of the body that were wounded but in the brain only It were better therefore to make this answer that the sinewes which bee dispersed as aforesaid are the braine it selfe For they are a certaine portion of the braine containing in them the vitall spirits and diffusing them throughout the whole body of the living-creature in such manner as fire is contained in burning-iron And wheresoever such a sensible-sinew is planted it makes the part wherein it is ingraffed to be partaker of sense and to be so qualified that it may feele things Neither were it improperly spoken to say that not the passion but rather a certaine partaking of the griefe and a denunciation of the same is conveyed up to the braine where all the sinewes have their beginning Now the proper objects of the sense of touching are hot cold soft hard slimy stiffe heavy and light For by touching only we attaine the knowledge of these things whereas these next following are common both to the touching and the sight to wit sharp dull rough plaine dry moist thick thin high low yea and place it selfe So likewise is magnitude when it can bee comprised within one attempt of the touching fogginesse clearenesse roundnesse if it be but in small things as also the shape of other figures yea and it fooleth likewis the motion of bodies comming neare unto it being assisted by memory and understanding Moreover it is sensible of number as farre as two or three but no farther and those things must also be of no larger magnitude then may easily bee comprehended by the touch And these are better discerned by sight then touching as are also such things as bee equall or unequall they being of the same kinde with smooth and rough things for