earth and a fluide or liquid body yet confined within the bankes that it cannot drowne the earth the earth solid and firme vnder our feet that we cannot sinke we must confesse ô sonne Tatius that there is one which is Lord maker of these thinges for it is impossible that euery thing should continue in due place number and meeasure and so iust a preportion should be obserued without a maker and who could make these thinges but God therfore there is a God To this booke of nature agreeth the booke of the Bible who saith The heauens declare the power of God the firmament sheweth the worke of his handes one day teacheth another one night giueth knowledge to another Againe the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of men which detaine the truth of God in vnrrighteousnes for asmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto them for the inuisible thinges of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the worlde being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Dauid saith he couereth him selfe with light as with a garment and spreadeth the heauens like a curtayne he layeth the beames of his chamber in the waters maketh the clowdes his chariots and walketh vpon the winges of the winde In which wordes I doe not presse them with the authoritye of the Scriptures because the Scriptures are not of sufficient credit with them but with the reasons which are vsed in the Scriptures which if they cannot answer they must yeild vnto and confesse that there is a God And therefore I conclude against them in this manner We see dayly effects before our eyes in all the elements continuall motions in the heauens but there can be no effecte without a cause there can be no motion without a mouer no action without an agent no worke without a workeman these be relatiues and therefore one could not be without the other Mercurius Trismegistus could say Statuam siue imaginem fieri sine statuario aut pictore nemo dicit Hoc vero opificium fine opifice factum est Ô multam cacitatem ô multam impietatem ô multam ignorantiam nunquam ô sili Tati priuaueris opifice opificia A picture cannot be made without a Painter or a grauen image without a Caruer And can such a piece of worke be made without a worke van It is blindenes it is impietye it is grosse to entertaine such a conceit So then we take these for vndouted principles in naturall Phiosophye that they may not be denyed to witte Euery effect hath his cause euery action his agent euery motion his mouer But as there be many secondary causes agents mouers so there must needes be one principall and aboue the rest There is ordo causarum qui in rerum natura non procedit in infinitum an order of causes sub-ordinate one to an other and therefore there is no infinite ascention vp in the subordination of causes but at the lēgth by ascēding we must come to the highest we must in ea consistere stay when we come there because we can goe no higher and that is God What naturall body soeuer is moued I say it is moued by some other which is higher then it selfe For example The sphere of the Moone which is the lowest of the heauens is moued by the spheare of Merc. which is higher thē it Mer. is moued by Venus which is higher then it Venus by the Sun the Sun by Mars Mars by Iupiter Iupiter by Saturne Saturne by the sphere of the fixed staries and so we ascend vntill we can goe no higher that is vnto the heauen which is called Primum mobile y t first highest body w c is subiect to motion volubility That also is moued aswell as the rest not of it selfe because no naturall bodye can moue it selfe therefore it hath motion frō some other not from any other bodye because there can be no other bodye aboue the highest therefore it must of necessitye be moued by that which is a Spirit and not a bodye not naturall but metaphisicall and that can be nothing else but God In like manner the Sunne and a man doe beget a man the Sunne putrifaction doe engender Flyes and these thinges being subiect to outward senses are therefore naturall bodyes and because they are naturall bodyes they haue foure causes two inward which are matter and forme and two outward efficient and finall and there is nature which hath his secret motion tell me therefore what is that You will say peraduenture that is nature which Aristotle defineth to be principium motus the beginning of motion you say rightly but that is inward therefore you must besides this assigne an outward cause of motion and what is that If you say the ayre that is but a middle cause and therefore you must ascend higher for if there be causa media there is also prima if there be a midde or subordinate cause there is also a principall and first cause And what is that but onely God that is causa causarum the cause of all other causes and from whence all other thinges haue their being Againe all agents doe not worke alike for one thing worketh of necessitye and that is nature an other thing worketh in these outward and indifferent thinges partly of will and partly of necessitye that is man there you see medium participationis a meane which participateth with the extremitye but there can be no meane without two extreames and there can be no one extreame without the other and therefore of necessitye there must be a third agent which worketh freely as nature worketh of necessitye and man partly of will partly of necessitye And that can be nothing else but Deus liberrimum agens euen God which worketh freelye that no power is able to withstand his worke Therefore I conclude this point with Iob Aske the beastes and they will teach thee the foules of the heauen and they will shewe thee speake to the earth and it will tell thee the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee who is ignorant of all these but the hand of the Lord hath made all these Secondly to leaue the work-manship of the whole worlde and to come to man alone which is but one little part of the same If man goe no farther then him selfe he shall see God most liuely in him selfe three manner of wayes First in his conscience and vnderstanding Secondly in his naturall inclination he hath to religion Thirdly in the excellencye of the work-manship both of his bodye and his soule Concerning the first I say there is in euery man at some time or other an inward feeling of his conscience which wil he nill he maketh him to confesse there is a God For suppose a man for
voyce when there was nothing besides him selfe he spake that is he decreed with him selfe that it should be so If you aske what moued him to create it when he could be aswell without it being delighted with the reflection of his owne glorye which he sawe in him selfe made creatures because he would haue some to be partakers also of that his happines as men and Angels and for their sakes he made the worlde that they might be contayned in it Angels in heauen men vpon the superficies of the earth and all other creatures for the vse of man that so Angels and men seeing his goodnes whereof they were made partakers should prayse him As for the Philosophers and Poets and great wise men of the worlde although they enioyed not the Bible as were Mercurius Trismegistus Homer Hesiodus Aristotle Tully Ouid they all held that the world had a beginning and that God was the maker of it How then is it that now our Atheists denie the same Surely they thinke themselues wise and are become foolish as the Apostle speaketh For they thinke there may bee an effect without a cause a motion without a moouer a worke without a workeman But because disputation is not to be held with them which are ignorant but with the learned and the learned will not preiudice their knowledge so much as to be thought not able to yeild a reason of their assertions let vs examin the reasons which they alleadge why they should holde that the world wâ—â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out beginning Aristotle say they affirmeth that there can be no motion without a mouer and there must be a due proportion inter motorem id quod mouetur betweene that which is moued and that by whome it is moued there is one Sphere which is called primum mobile the first bodye which is moued so there must be one first agent to moue the same but he did moue from eternitie there was therefore some thing which from eternitye was to be moued by him and that is the highest Sphere For say they if he did not from all eternitye moue this Sphere but began the worlde then non agens factum est agens of no agent he was made an agent which could not be without alteration but that could not be because God is not subiect to alteration for then should he also be subiect to corruption and so should be no God The argument I say doth not followe for although that God is said to be primus motor ab aeterno the first mouer from eternitye yet he did not actu mouere ab aterno this motion of his was not in action eternallye and therefore it is not rightly inferred that there should befor that cause anye change in God For God what-soeuer in his eternall fore-knowledge he intended to doe is said to doe it in the same maner as he intended it and that motion which was not in rerum natura subsistens subsisting in the nature of things as they terme it yet in God was alwayes subsisting with whome all future thinges are present which called the things that were not by their names as if they were He ordayned euery thing that it should be euen before the foundation of the worlde was layed the reason is because that eternall and diuine essence doth not acknowledge time he seeth thinges past present and future not successiuelye but all at once Therefore they haue not yet attayned to the true vnderstanding of Aristotles meaning which argue in this maner Naturally I confesse motion is without beginning because one motion cannot begin without an other precaedent motion so likewise it cannot end without alteration because in omni vere continuo physico in euerye true naturall thing whose partes haue their coherence together as this hath there is a perpetuall succession which may be diuided into infinite partes of the same proportion For euen as in time and euery part thereof there is one present moment or instant which argueth that there is an other past and an other future so in euerye motion which is measured by time there is one present mutation which argueth one motion precedent and an other subsequent because euery motion is a change either of substance or of quantitye or of qualitye or ofplace And therfore the first moment of time cannot be assigned nor the first mutation which is in motion The naturall Philosophers could not discerne by nature whether was first the Hen or the egge because one cannot be without the other therfore they supposed that eternallye the generation of one was the corruption of an other and so there should be an eternall reuolution of thinges which indeed naturally must be so but metaphisically it is not so because there is a God aboue nature by whome nature is ouer-ruled Neither is it meruayle though Philosophye and Fayth doe not speake alike concerning the beginning of the worlde wheÌ„ the Metaphysics and their principles differ so much from the Physics their principles and Aristotle dissenteth so much from Aristotle one and the selfe same man from himselfe It is one thing to affirme that the worlde simply had no beginning and an other thing to saye that nature did not make the worlde and that by the power of nature it shall haue no end for God and Nature are diuers thinges Aristotle confessed that the worlde began and shall haue an end in respect of the diuine and supernaturall power because he said that God as he is the first mouer so he is the first cause of motion and actuallye infinite a most free agent not tyed to any secondary causes instruments meanes whereby he worketh He which is eternall was before all motion can be without motion or time because he made both motion and time Aristotle denyeth that any thing which is eternall can be measured by time he denyeth God to be in time and by a consequent he denyeth him to be tyed vnto motion which is measured by time God moued eternallye but his motion was metaphysicall which was nothing else but to will to nill and to vnderstand The worlde therfore is not without beginning in respect of the first cause which is God but of the second cause which is nature for then nature should be iniurious vnto her selfe if she should doe vyolence vnto her selfe and be a cause of her owne destruction And therefore according to nature there is a reference and due proportion betweene him which mooueth and that which is mooued and the motion it selfe and so the eternitie of the mouer must argue the eternitie of the thing which by him is mooued of the motion but God hath exerciseth his metaphysical power and authoritie ouer all thinges whereby he counterchecketh and ouer ruleth these thinges The arguments therefore which the Philosophers produce to proue the eternitie of the worlde are reduced vnto these First if there were any first motion the mouer and the moâ—ued body from whence this motion
Dauid my soule is in mine handes meaning his life 2 a desire so the soule of Dauid was ioyned to the soule of Ionathan 3. the whole man consisting of bodie and soule so 76. soules descended with Jacob into Aegipt 4. a blast or breath Saule said to the Amelakite I pray thee come vpon me and slay me for anguish is come vpon me anxietas apprehendit me etiamsi anima mea adhuc in me est because my Soule is yet within me And it was said of Eutychus which fell downe dead for sleeping at S. Paules Sermon anima eius est in ipso his soule is yet in him that is there is yet breath in his bodie that he may bee reuiued againe 5. It is also taken for nothing so said the Prophet we haue conceaued and bin in Trauell and wee haue brought foorth a soule poperimus spiritum that is nothing because the soule or spirit although it bee some thing a most excellent thing yet because it is not visible nor any sensible thing he calleth it nothing 6. It is taken for that which is regenerate by the spirit of God so sayth the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit lusteth against the flesh that is the spirit as it is guided by God doth striue and wrastle with it selfe 7. when the soule and the spirit doe concur together in the same sentence the soule signifieth mans will and the spirit his vnderstanding so the Apostle saith I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blameles c. But last of all and in this place it is that which is defined by Aristotle Actus corporis organici in potentia vitam habentis an acte or perfection of the body which giueth vnto the bodie life sense motion vegetation c. And of this signification of the soule we are to dispute in this place Concerning the originall of the soule which I proposed in the second place it is agreed vpon by the best Diuines and Philosophers that since the first Sabaoth God ceased from creating any more visible things but y t he doth Quotidie noues animas creare create new soules querie day houre momēt for asmuch as euerie moment young Children are quickned in their mothers wombes and that Anima hominis creando infunditur et infundendo creatur mans soule is in one moment infused by creation and created by infusion of it into the bodie But Optatur desireth to bee resolued by S. Augustin concerning this doubt of the originall of the soule vtrum animae vt corpora propagà tione nascantur sintque ex illa vna anima quae primo homini creata est vel Deus sine vlla propagatione animas nouas faciat singulis proprias Whether euerie mans soule is made out of Adams souie as euery mans bodie is made out of Adams bodie that so by propagation a soule should come out of a soule as a bodie commeth out of a bodie or whether God doth especially create to euery mans body a newe soule proper onely to that bodie He answereth that in the same manner as God made Adams soule of nothing so hee made all mens soules of nothing and he proueth it thus 1. When Adam saith of Eue flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone hee dooth not say soule of my soule 2. If any man holde that the soule of man commeth of man hee must shewe that as one light is kindled of an other and one fier lighted of an other without diminishing of their former light and heate so the soule must proceede out of an other soule the same soule out of which it proceedeth being not diminished which cannot bee expressed how it might be by the wit of man And besides saith hee it is dangerous to holde so least ye fal into the error of Tertullian which deemed the soule to be a bodie and not a spirit for so it must be borne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of seede as the bodie is If they speake of semen incorporeum a spirituall seede infused inuisibly into the body at the time of mās conception suppose that which is often seene that that which is conceaued doth prooue an obortiue and vntimely fruit when it is Embrio or non homo not a perfect man not fully shaped in the wombe that spirituall seede must either returne whence it came which it cannot doe or perish with the bodie and then wil follow this absurditie that an immortall soule is borne of corruptible mortall seede Tolet the Iesuit sheweth that mans soule cannot come ax traduce by any Propagation for these causes 1. No naturall agent can produce and bring foorth that which is aboue it selfe but the soule of man is aboue nature because it comprehendeth supernaturall thinges The maior is plaine because no naturall agent can worke but it must worke vpon matter the action must bee a materiall action whereas the soule is immateriall 2. Euerie natural agent as I haue shewed doth work vpon matter and the matter is capable of diuision but the soule of man is indiuisible 3. God hath created soules in the same manner as hee created Angells but the Angells were created of nothing therefore mens soules were created of nothing And because I haue entred into this discourse concerning the soule that I may leaue the Atheist for a little season handle one point for the instruction of the Diuine The question ariseth vppon this discourse how the soule commeth to bee infected with sinne Pope Gregorie the great disputeth in this manner Si anima oriatur cum carne ex substantia Adae cur non simul moritur eum carne si cum carne non nascitur cur peccato obligatur The soule is either borne together with the bodie of the substance of Adam or else it is onely infused from aboue if it be borne with the bodie of the substance of Adam then should it also die with the body if it be infused of God how can it being newly created and immediately comming from God which is perfectly righteous be originally and naturally sinfull as is the flesh which originally descendeth from a sinfull man Optatus desireth to be instructed how when and where the soule which of it selfe is pure beginneth to take infection S. Augustin answereth that hee is not able to giue him full satisfaction therein Pelagius obiecteth against S. Augustin in this manner If the flesh onely descended from Adam then is the flesh onely polluted with sinne and not the soule quia iniustum est vt hodie nata anima non ex Adae massa tam antiquum peccatum portet alienum quia nulla ratione conceditur vt Deus qui propria peccata dimittit vnum imputet alienum because it cannot stand with the iustice of God that the soule which is newly borne and not descended of Adam and therefore hauing no sinne of her own shold beare the sinne of an other man namely of
his wickednes to be a monster of men a very slaunder and reproch to mankinde as Nero was that slewe his Mother his Master and him selfe when he hath committed any haynous crime he doth in his conscience see that God doth behold it that God doth pursue him that God wil worke reuenge although there be no witnes to accuse him no humane power aboue him to execute iustice vpon him I will not dwell vpon many exāples neither wil I instance in Adam which as soone as euer he had eaten the Apple hid him selfe from the presence of God in the thicket in Herod which when he had beheaded Iohn the Baptist wrongfully did think y t he was haunted by Iohn the Baptist his ghost saying of Christ surely this is Iohn risen from the dead nor in Cain which but intending to murther his brother watched a time when he was in the field out of the sight of his parents I will not alleadge the authoritye of the Prophet which saith Impius fugit nemine persequente The wicked man flyeth when no man doth pursue him And of the Apostle which saith The Gentils which haue not the lawe written meaning the Bible yet haue by nature the effect of the lawe of God written in their hearts their conscience bearing witnes and their thoughts accusing or excusing one an other because they thinke the Bible to be a partiall iudge and no way competent betweene them vs and therefore I will alleadge one or two examples out of indifferent Authors tending to the same purpose Tully pleading for a man which was accused as a Parecide or one which had murthered his owne father alleageth this as an especiall proofe of his innocencie that in the whole course of his behauiour after his father was slayne nothing could be obserued in him which did sauour of a troubled conscience And for the better cleering of Sextus Roscius whose cause was then in hand he alleageth a former example of a father and his sonne which in their trauayle tooke vp their lodging and after supper lay together in one bed the morowe after the master of the house comming by chance into the chamber found the father strangled in his bed and the sonne sleping by his side when the matter was examined by the Iudges the sonne was acquitted by the equitye of the lawe as a man innocent because it was then held and by them so adiudged to be a matter impossible that he should in so short a time haue slept if so be that he had committed murther A man saith Tully which hath slayne his father shall feele a thousand vexations and furyes of hell tormenting his conscience according to that saying of the wise man A good conscience is a continuall feaste but non est pax impijs no inward peace no quietnes of conscience with such men as are notoriouslye wicked A man I say that hath committed any crying sinne shall betraye him selfe by the working of his owne conscience it will not suffer him to take his bodily rest it will alter his very face and countenance as the Poet saith Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vult◠Oh how hard a thing is it for a man to keep his countenance not to blush which hath committed an offence The Lord said to Cain after he had committed murther Why is thy countenance cast downe such a man feareth the wagging of euery leaf and the flying of euery bird An obnox ous man watching is like to a phrensie man sleeping for the one resteth not sleeping and the other resteth not waking he cannot sit still hee cannot lye stil he cannot stand still nor abide long in any place Caligula the tyrant was afeard of euery blast Nero when he had massacred the christiās put St. Paul to the sword St. Peter to the gibbet was so terryfied by apparitions as he thought of S t Paul and St. Peter which appeared at his bedside in a dreame and after he had put his mother Agrippina to death he was so terrified in his conscience that he knewe not where to bestowe him selfe at the end for very greife of minde he ran into a priuye and there stabbed himselfe That I may come to religion Tully saith Sunt qui negant Deos procurationem habere rerum humanarum quorum sententia falsa est quoniam sic omnis religio inanis esset Religion sheweth there is a God for if there were no God then could there be no religion But euery mans soule naturally hath somtimes a feeling of religion although he dispise God and religion neuer so much This appeareth by the very heathens them selues which be they neuer so rude and barbarous and depriued of the knowledge of God yet doe make vnto themselues idols euen of their owne accorde as Mr. Caluin verye well obserueth Dei conceptionis apud Ethnicos saith he idolotria satis est argumenti quum lapidem potius quam nullum deum colant y e mansown conceit doth naturally leade him to knowe there is a God the verye idolatrie of the heathens is a sufficient proofe which chose rather to worship a stone then no God at all And as Statius saith Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor as soone as men be in danger and extremitye be they neuer so vngodly yet they erect Altars carue Images flye to thē for succour shewing that in their owne naturall iudgement which they haue by the light and instinct of nature there is one higher then them selues one whose power is aboue the power of man to whome they ought to flye vnto for help and deliuery out of trouble and who is that but God Nay witnes in this point the Atheistes them selues that there is a God for in their extremitye of greife they crye out ô God It is an olde and true Prouerb Qui nescit orare transeat mare if a man knowe not how to serue God let him sayle vpon the sea and it will make him to serue God When the Lord sent a great winde that the Ship was like to be rent the Mariners were afeard euery one cryed vnto his God they said vnto Ionas Thou sleeper arise and call vpon thy God if so be that God will think vpon vs that we perish not and as the Text saith Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifices vnto him and made vowes And for this cause namely that men by the instinct of nature doe incline to religion and a man is as much distinguished from a beast by his feeling of religion as by his reasonable soule After the floud Mercurius Trismegistus and Menna prescribed lawes and rules of religion to the Aegiptians Melissus to the Cratians Ianus to the Latines Numa Pompilius to the Romanes Orpheus and Cadmus to the Grecians aswell as Moses and Aaron to the Hebrues the difference onely this that the Hebrues were in the right way al the rest
the same And it is not vnworthy of obseruatioÌ„ that not the Maniches not Celsus not Porphuâ—y not Iulian in al their cauels against the story of the Gospel did no way so much as in a word take exceptioÌ„ against this storye of the starâ— might eleuate or extenuate the truth thereof And therfore concerning this I may say with Ignatius Hinc euanuir mundi sapientia praestigiae factae sunt nugae magia risus omnes ritus malitiae aboliti ignorantiae caligo fugata quum Deus homo apparuit homo vt Deus operabatur In this the wisdome of the worlde was preued to be but follye the wise in their wisdomeme it proued but a toy their magicke ridiculous all their superstitious rites were abolished the clowdes of ignorance dispersed when God apeared to the worlde as a man and man as if he were God And secondly what naturall cause can they alleage of that great Eclipse of the Sun which contrarye to nature lasted from the sixt houre to the ninth and darkened the face of the whole earth For first of all the Astrologers knew wel that al eclipses of the Sunne which haue beene from the beginning of the worlde that onely excepted haue beene according to the rules of Arte and the nature of an eclipse which Iohannes de sacrobusto desineth in this manner Est interpositio Lunae inter aspectum nostrum solare corpus An interposition of the Moone betweene the body of the Sunne and our sight which as he saith cannot be but quum Luna fuerit in capite vel cauda Draconis vel prope vel infra metas supradictas in coniunctione cum Sole When the Moone is in the head or tayle of the Dragon or there abouts and in coniunction with the Sunne And forasmuch therefore as the Eclipse of the Sunne which was at the time of the passion of our Sauiour Christ was when it was plenilumium a ful Moone not coniunctio siue nouilunium not a coniunction of the Sunne with the Moone or newe Moone he concludeth that it was no naturall Eclipse but cleane contrary to the rules of Astronomye and the course of nature Againe he sheweth that when the Sunne is Eclipsed all the earth is not darkened but onely one Climat because of the difference of the aspectes in diuers Chmats but this Eclipse darkned the whole earth therefore it was supernaturall and to the astonishment of the world insomuch y t Dionysius the Arcepagiâ—e at the very time of the Eclipse beholding of it cryed out on a suddaine Aut Deus naturae paetitur aut mundi machina dissoluitur Either the God of nature doth this day suffer or the frame of the worlde shall be dissolued Againe darkenes continued for the space of three howers which could not be if it had bene a naturall Eclipse therefore it was supernaturall and of it saith St. Chrisostom Non poterat ferre creatura iniuriam creatoris vnde Sol detraxit radios suos ue videret impiorum facinora The creature could not with pacienceindure the wrong done to the Creator and therefore the Sunne withdrewe his beames because he would not beholde so wicked a fact as that the Lord of glorye should so vngraciouslye be put to death But the Atheists will aske me how I can make proofe by any sauing the Euangelist that there was euer such an Eclipse I answerd forasmuch as at that time when the Eclipse was darkenes was not onely in Iudea but throgh al the whole worlde and therefore at that time not onely Dionysius the Arcopagite but also the inhabitants of the whole earth could witnes as St Origen answered But least they should thinke we are vtterly voyde of the testimoney of heathen writers Origen disputing against Celsus the Epicure an enemye to the Christian faith proueth it vnto him not by the the testimony of the Gospel but of Phlegon a famous Chronicler seruantto Adrian the Emperer as Suidas reciteth Phlegons wordes Phlegon his selfe did giue his owne iudgement of this Eclipse that it was prodigious And Tertullian disputing with the Gentiles proueth the same Eclipse out of their owne Writers saying Et eum mundi casum relatum in archiuis vestris habetis Ye haue the verye same occurrent registred in your owne recordes A fifte reason to proue there is a God is the varietye of punishments which haue been inflicted vpon the Atheists from time to time which haue denyed God Holophernes which being so great a warriour beheaded in the middle of his owne Campe by a sillye woman Lucian deuoured with dogges Iulian the Apostata strookeÌ„ dead with a darte froÌ„ heauen Arrius who died with his belly breaking his bowelles gushing out as he sate vpoÌ„ the priuye Olympius washing him selfe in a bathe and blaspheming the Trinitye while manye men looked vpon him was consumed suddenly with three fierye dartes the poyntes of all three meeting in one Let the Atheists shewe how these thinges could otherwise be done but by the extraordinary hand of Almighty God or else if they cannot let them confesse the God which did these thinges A sixt reason to proue there is a God is the confession of the deuils them selues For what one deuill confesseth is the confession of them all for regnum diuisum non potest stare the kingdome of Sathan being diuided within it selfe cannot stand Neither will I for confirmation hereof alleage the authority of St Iames which saith They beleeue and tremble of St. Luke which writeth of the deuils confession saying Christ I knowe and Paul I knowe of St. Marke where the deuill saith to our Sauiour I knowe thee that thou art euen that holy one of God neither how Moses his rodde deuoured the serpents which was made by the sorcerers of Aegipt how they could not make lyce because their power was restrayned by an higher power the finger of God how Dagon fell downe before the Arke of God could not stand in the Chappel where it stood because they snall not say I am partiall But what answer can they make to the generall silence of all Oracles that so many Oracles speaking before the time of our Sauiour Christ all were by him put to silence What answer can they make to that famous storye of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphus which when Augustus the Emperor offered sacrifice vnto him to knowe the reason of that vnwonted silence vnheard of in former times gaue this for the last answer as being neuer to speake againe Me puer Hebraeus diuos deus ipse gubernans Cedere sede iubet tristemque redire sub orcum Aris ergo dehinc tacitus abcedito nostris Which answer being giuen Augustus erected an Altar in the Capitoll of Rome with this inscription ingrauen vppon it ARA PRIMOGENITI DEI. The Altar of the first begotten Sonne of God Seeing therefore the deuils haue confessed God the Father and his Sonne Christ such men as will
proceeded had their beginning or they were without beginning if they had a beginning they began by a precedent motion because nothing can begin but by motion and so that which is called the first motion could not be the first because another went before it But if they were without beginning it is a great absurditie to say that hee which was an eternall mouer yet did not mooue and that which was alwayes mooued notwithstanding was without motion Secondly time is eternall for it is in the definition of time that there is alwaies in it a present instant or moment which ioyneth together that which is past and that which is future and therefore the first instant of time cannot be assigned and therefore motion is also eternall because there is a iust proportion betweene the measure which is time and the thing measured w t is motion Thirdly there must be a proportion between the cause and the effect the mouer and that which is mooued because there can bee no comparison betweene that which is infinite and that which is finit that which is eternall and that which is temporall But this one answer is instead of Dauid his sling to kill Golias of Iudeth hir sworde to cut of the head of Holophernes of Sampsons Iawe bone to slay all the Phillistins and of Moses his rod to deuoure the Serpents of the Sorcerers of Aegipt to wit that these thinges holde onely in naturall mouers which are tyed vnto instrumēts meanes but not in God which is a supernaturall and free agent these arguments holde in thinges that be finit not infinit physical not metaphisicall which worke of necessitie and not of wil but otherwise they be no good consequence they doe not holde Let this therefore be the state of the question God had eternally the verie shape and Idea of the worlde which he conceaued in his minde and he eternally decreed when and how it should bee euen as when a workeman determineth to frame a peece of worke he first frameth it in his minde but doth not presently begin the same so hee decreed eternally and before all time when and how the worlde should bee in time Hee which is the eternall fountaine of goodnesse which fountaine notwithstanding did not eternally issue foorth into streames but in time did not eternally communicate vnto others this his goodnesse but was a Fountaine of water which for a long season lyeth hidden in the earth before it doth gush out But hee was not as a Carpenter which maketh an house because he hath neede of an house Therfore he did not eternally create not because he could not but because he would not and he would not because hee had eternally decreed that the world shold be in time and he so decreed that so hee might bring vs to the knowledge of himselfe for as much as when wee knowe that the worlde was not alwaies wee are forced to confesse that there is a superiour cause from whence it had his beginning whereas if it had bin created from eternitie and had had no beginning wee could not so easily haue discerned how God should haue bin the creator of it And therefore it cannot followe in this place that there was in God any mutation or mutabilitie because before the worlde was made he was not willing that it should bee made and afterward when it was made hee was willing S. Augustine sayeth Nouit Deus agens quiescore quiescens agere potest ad actionem nouam sempiternum adhibere consilium idque sine mutatione sui quoniam in infinitum non cadit mutatio God knoweth how to be an agent doing nothing and to doe nothing being an agent to bring his eternall decree to a newe action without any alteration of himselfe because that which is infinite is not subiect to alteration You cannot say properlie that God made not the worlde sooner because he wold not because with God there is nothing sooner or later for although God doth worke in time yet he cannot be apprehended by time his actions are measured by time not in respect of himselfe but onely in respect of vs that so his actions may be demonstrated made manifest vnto vs. Neither ought these things to seeme strāge vnto vs because the verie light of naturall reason giueth vs thus much to vnderstand y t there is an order of causes and that one being subordinate vnto an other we must still ascend vp vntill we come to one which is aboue all the rest which is of it selfe actually infinit and that is God And againe reason doth tell vs that because God is of an infinit nature his essence is simple not tyed to meanes by which hee worketh for according to the rules of Philosophie that agent is moste noble which needeth the fewest meanes and being not tyed to meanes he needeth no matter to worke by Also reason doth tell vs that as euerie thing is so it worketh but God is of himselfe absolute and not depending of anye and therefore worketh in the same manner that he is a free agent and therfore cannot be compelled that he is omnipotēt therefore nothing can be held or difficulte vnto him because he is infinite hee is transcendent aboue all the boundes of nature Out of all these principles I conclude The world had a beginning God which is euerlasting made it in time and hee made it of nothing that is without anie matter precedent or going before the creation of it Chapter 10. Of the Soule of man what it is whence it commeth and the immortallitie of it AN Atheist hauing heard a Preacher in his Sermon make mention of the soule the Sermon being ended asked him what the Soule was and whether it were any thing or nothing After disputation betweene them both the Atheist saide I will shewe you what it is So hee caused a candle to bee lighted and brought to the Table hee blew it out and sayd your soule is no more then the flame of that candle you see an ende of that it is blowen out and so shall it be with your soule when you die Paraduenture some cause of this vngodly assertion might bee the ambiguitie of the worde For S. Augustine in diuers places calleth the Soule by no better name then Flatus which properly signifieth no more then a breath or a blast Deus fecit omnem flatum saith hee God made euerie blast meaning euerie soule and it is written that God breathed into Adam the breath of life And in the Scriptures it is sometimes confounded with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a breath and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anima and spiritus a Soule a breath or a blast in signification are all one Therefore that I may distinguish the aequiuocation or ambiguitie of the word that nothing may be mistaken it signifieth these thinges 1. the life of any thing anima mea est in manibus meis saith
Adam which was committed so long before For it is not to be thought that God which forgiueth vs our owne sinnes will impute an other mans sinnes vnto vs. The soule saith hee at the first creation is eyther pure or corrupted impure it cannot be because it commeth immediately from God and being at the first cleane how commeth it to be vncleane how can a spirit bee infected by a body that which is immateriall bee polluted by that which is materiall But Mr. Caluin doth satisfie that doubt saying that although corruption be inherent both in the soule and the body yet the cause of that hereditarye corruption is not in the substance eyther of the body or the soule but onely it was ordayned of God that the imperfections of the first parents should bee common to all the Children euen as according to the lawes of earthly Princes such as are descended of parents attainted of high treason are also stayned in their bloud preiudiced in respect of their landes and honors by their fathers offences committed before their time and wherof they were ignorant and it is but imitatio diuinae iusticiae an imitatiō of that iustice w c is with God So thē we are borne of impure seede as the Psalmist teacheth and not onely the bodie but also the soule is infected with sinne by reason of this our birth although sinne be more apparent in the body then in the soule and the onely cause why the soule is thus infected is this our impure and vncleane birth and yet the soule is not of seede or any materiall thing but it commeth immediately from God And it is a weake argument which Pelagius vseth that because beleeuing parents doe sanctifie their Children therefore Children cannot receaue infection from their Parents which are regenerate For the children doe lineally descend from their parents by carnall generation but not by spiritual regeneration because regeneration is not from beneath but from aboue not from men but from the holy Ghost Sanctification is an especial blessing giuen in particular but so that the general course of al mankinde may take holde of all men for as much as they all are the Sonnes of men Natus est homo natura sanctificatus ex supernaturali gratia that wee are borne it is the worke of nature that we are sanctified it is supernaturall of the especiall grace of God But I returne to the Atheist The soule I say as it appeareth by these premises is of a more excellent and diuine nature thē that it should be subiect to mortalitie and corruption And therfore that we may not complaine with Theophrastus who accused Nature because she gaue to Rauens and Harts a long life whome length of life did no way profit but made mās life of that shortnes vt tum extingueretur qùum incaepisset sapere that euen then hee was cut off and vtterly extinguished when hee did but begin to be wise I will produce these arguments which are alleadged by naturall Philosophers to prooue the immortallitie of the soule that I may refute Theophrastus and shew plainely that wee are not vtterly extinguished by death and that although wee doe but then begin to bee wise when we are neare our death yet wee doe not then cease to bee wise but then we increase in wisdome when the soule is separated from the bodie My reasons are these The first is drawne from the vnderstanding of man for mans soule is of infinit capacitie the more it vnderstandeth the more it is able to vnderstand It is able to comprehend not onely the whole world but infinit worldes In numbring it can adde and multiply so farre that of addition and multiplication there shall bee no end It is able to imagin infinit perfection But whatsoeuer is infinit in capacitie is also infinit in continuance because as the proprietie of any thing is so is the existence of the same But for asmuch as it is infinitlye capable in this life and cannot bee satisfied in this life therefore it must bee satisfied in the life to come 2. The obiect of mans vnderstanding is truth as Tully speaketh not in particular but in general which is the way wherby all thinges are knowne And therefore it cannot be satisfied vntill it come vnto that in which all truth consisteth and that is God which is truth it selfe according to his essence for no accidents are in him And for asmuch as this cannot be attained vnto in this life therefore it is reserued vnto a better life 3. The obiect of mans vnderstanding is ENS euerie thing that is but because there are some thinges material and some spirituall it must conceaue them both and as for the thinges which be immateriall and without bodies it cannot distinctly conceaue them in this fraile body therfore the conceiuing of them belongeth to the soule when it is separated from the bodie 4. All men by nature desire knowledge as the Philosopher speaketh but scire est rem per causas cognoscere to knowe a thing is to iudge discerne of the causes of it So then because it is naturall to euery man when hee seeth any effect to search out the causes of that effect and againe when hee hath found out the cause to search farther and examine what is the cause of that cause and so to ascend higher vntill he come to the highest cause which is God And that cannot be in this life because the essence of God is not conceaued by discoursing of him but by perfectly seeing of him and beholding of him face to face euen as he is My second reason is drawne from the will of man That also is infinite for he can loue that which is good not onely in the first degree but also in the second and third neyther can there be any end of his loue but still his louing and liking may increase as St. Augustin saith in his Meditations En amo te Domine et si hoc non sufficit amo teplus et si hoc parum est amabo te validius Behold Lord I loue thee if this be not enough I wil loue thee more and if that be not yet enough I wil stil loue thee more Man may desire that which is infinitely good this infinite capacitye of the will must bee fulfilled and because not in this life therefore after death 2. The libertie also and freedome of mans will I meane not in Diuine but in ciuill and Domesticall affayres is of an infinit power which is a sufficient argument to proue the immortality of the soule For if man will not no creature is able to force his will to loue this thing or that voluntas potest cogi who can impose a necessitie vpon man to bee willing or vnwilling to do this or that but onely God which hath created both the will and vnderstanding and is therefore aboue them both 3. The obiect of the wil is that whatsoeuer is good I meane
all goodnesse in generall and therefore neuer resteth but still willeth desireth vntill it come to the perfect fruition of God in whome all goodnesse is included who is essentially good in himselfe 4. The will of man mooueth it selfe to one thing and an other and is not mooued by any naturall agent and as the will is so is the essence it selfe and therefore not subiect to corruption A third reason the verie appetit of man is also infinit it findeth no contentment among al the things which are vnder the Sunne it is neuer satisfied with the desire of happinesse knowledge honour glorie riches and eternitie that it may liue after death But to whatsoeuer nature hath giuen this appetite it hath also appointed how this appetite shall bee satisfied and that must bee onely after death A fourth the verie operations of the soule it selfe without any reference vnto the bodie As for example to beleeue goeth farre aboue sence and is an act separated from it To distinguish between a body and a spirit to imagin those thinges which are but onely imaginarie as vacuum infinitum in rerum natura emptines infinitenes in worldly and naturall thinges mathematicall lines to make sillogismes to define deuide demonstrate And these thinges it doth without the conditions and proprieties of the bodie it doth these thinges the better the more it is abstracted from the body and therefore doth then best of all when it is altogether out of the bodie and at full liberty these thinges which do not depend vpon the body neither can bee accomplished by the Organs and Instruments of the body A fift nothing can be destroyed by that wherein the perfection of it doth consist but y e very perfection of the soule doth cōsist it the abstraction seperation of it from the body which appeareth by the iudgement of all morall Philosophers which holde the very highest perfection of vertue to be then when man doth not follow the passions and perturbations of the body but doth subdue them wholy to the minde and vnderstanding The sixt There is a kinde of reflection of the minde and al the faculties thereof aboue it selfe the vnderstanding vnderstandeth that it doth vnderstand the wil willeth that it shal be willing the memorie remembreth that it doth remember so it vnderstandeth that it willeth and doth remember which no bodily nor mortall thing can performe it is therefore spirituall and immortall The seauenth Besides the vsuall manner of attaining to knowledge which is proper to it selfe the soule hath also a more diuine knowledge by the influence of an higher cause which is by reuelation and infusion But when it hath such reuelations it is abstracted from the body and therfore it is in a more perfect estate when it is not at all in the body The eight The first originall or beginning of the soule is not by any naturall agent because it is more perfect then the bodye for no effect which is more perfect can proceed frō a cause which is of lesse perfection Therfore as it proceeded not frō any natural cause so it cannot be destroyed by any naturall cause and therefore it cannot dye by seperation of it from the bodye The nynth The soule subsisteth by it selfe and therefore it cannot die by any accident The antecedent I proue because it hath operations proper to it selfe as I haue shewed The tenth Euerie thing which is corrupted hath his bane destruction eyther by that which is contrarie to it selfe as heate by colde drynes by moisture or by the absence of that whereby it is preserued and nourished as the lampe goeth out for want of oyle or by the corruption of the subiect in which it is as the heate of the fire when the fire is extinguished but nothing is contrarye to the soule because it is a substance and not an accident neither doth it depend vpon any material cause but onely on God neither hath it any subiect because it is no accident The eleuenth That which dyeth with the body must also languish and decay with the bodie and wax olde when the body is olde as it appeareth by sence motion and vegetation which in olde men doe faile but vnderstanding doth increase in age The twelfe is the verie conuenience and agreement which the soule hath with God and the Angells it argueth the immortality thereof for why are they sayd to be immortall but because they are as the soule is spirituall immateriall simple no way mixed or depending of the bodye The thirteenth What is more common in this life then the prosperitye of the wicked and the aduersitye of the godlye But it cannot stand with Gods iustice nor his prouidence that there should be no rewarde for wel-doers and no punishment for vngodly men therefore because it is not in this life it must needes be in an other life w t cannot be vnles the soules of men be immortall To conclude It is incident to good men to hope well to euill men to feare and be troubled in their mindes because of their offences there is Conscience But there cannot be Conscience without immortality of the soule Therefore I conclude that the soule of man is immortall Chapter 11. Of Noah his Arke and the Deluge THe Atheists dispute against the storye of Noah his Arke the maner of the drowning of the worlde with water saying it was an impossibilitye that so many creatures should be preserued in so small a vessel or that the worlde should be so destroyed For the better satisfaction of such vngoldly men concerning that storye I obserue these thinges which folowe Concerning the multitude of Beastes which were in the Arke of those which were cleane were 7. of euery sorte that is 3 couples for increase for meat when it should be permitted to eat flesh for labour and other vses of man and the odde beast for Sacrifice Of vncleane beastes 2. of euery sorte for increase As for Fishes they were in the Sea and not destroyed because they were farther separated frō the sinnes of men for they were in an other element as also such other creatures as can liue in the waters as Otters sea-wolues Swannes water-soules c. Agairie from the kindes of beastes which were in the Arke were excluded such as bred not by generation as Mules such Serpents and creeping thinges as are ingendred by the Sun out of putrifaction such as being wholye perished might be restored agayne in other creatures which were preserued as Mules which are ingendred of an horse and a shee Asse Therefore these beastes which were in the Arke were onely such as liued vpon the drye and proceeded by generation The number of beastes according to Plinye and Gesner are not knowne to be aboue one hundreth and fiftye kindes And it is verye likely that they which are not known should be neither great nor manye And of them which are great there are not aboue fortye kindes As for the capacitye of the