of children beléeuing thus farre that he hath put of mortalitie But God neither created man vnaduisedly séeing he is wise For a wise man doth no thing vnaduisedlye neither for his owne vse necessity for he hath nede of nothing that which hath néed of nothing doth not desire profite of those thinges which he createth neither dyd he make man for the profite of any other of his woorkes for nothing amongst those thinges which are endued with reason and iudgement whether it be great or small is created or shal be created for the vse of any other thing For suche thinges are created only for theyr owne life and safetye Neither hath reason found out any other end why men were created séeing that they were ordeyned to be immortall without the néede of any thing séeing that they require no helpe of men for the safegarde of their life séeing that all beasts be subiecte and all thinges else do minister commoditie to men for whose vse they were made But beastes haue no vse of men for neither is it nor was it at any time lawfull to debase that creature which is chiefe ruler of all for the vse of other thinges whiche are vnder him or to bring that which is endued with reason vnder the yoke of those thinges which be without reason and vnfit to rule Wherfore if man were created neither without cause nor vnaduisedly nor to no end for there is nothing amongst the woorkes of God done vnaduisedly if we consider the meaning and intention of God nor yet for the profite of the creator nor for the commoditie of other thinges whiche the creatour made it is manifest enough that if we looke vpon the first and vniuersall cause GOD created man for himselfe and his owne goodnesse wisedome whiche you may easily perceyue in all thinges created but if you searche out the next cause and that which agréeth with men being created you shall finde that man was borne to this ende that he shoulde liue But not in such a life that should continue for a while straight way shoulde perish for euer For God I thinke hath geuen such a life to beastes that créepe and to birdes and to fishes but to them which beare about them his owne Image and there withal haue a minde which is the finder out of things and are adorned with the giftes of reason he hath assigned a perpetuall continuaunce that by knowing their creator and following his power and wisedome by lawes and iustice they might with those vertues happyly continue euerlastingly with which they established their former life when they yet liued in their earthly and corruptible bodies For such thinges as are created for the behoofe of other thinges when those thinges for whose vse they were ordeyned do perish do not without cause perishe also and can not remayne for any purpose because ther is no place amōgst thinges created of God for vaine idlenesse But those thinges which were for this end created that they should be and continue the cause being ioyned and intangled with their nature séeing the cause doth onely exacte and require that they should bée it is not possible that they should at any time suffer such violence wherby they should vtterly bée abolished Furthermore séeing that this cause is vnderstoode by a perpetuall kinde of being and doth consist in this poynt it is necessary that that creature do remaine in safetie which was thus created and do and suffer those thinges which bée agréeable to the nature thereof both the partes whereof it consisteth doing that which in them lyeth so that the minde doth continue and remaine inuariable in the nature wherin it was created For it was therfore created to brydell the affectiōs of the body to estéeme with séemely iudgement and measure with vpright measures whatsoeuer befalleth But the body was ordeyned to this ende that it should incline it selfe to suche thinges as be naturall receyue those alteratiōs which are attributed to it by nature and that amongest other chaūges which happen vnto it either in age or beautie or bignesse it should admit the resurrection For the resurrection is a kinde of chaunge and that the last of all and also the alteration into a better thing which then shal be in the bodies of them which be a liue We are as sure of these things as we are of them which haue already happened and considering our owne nature wee do not beare impacientlye this our néedy and corruptible life as agréeable to this present world and we constantly hoope for Eternitie of life rydde of all corruption whiche wée do not grounde vpon the inuentions of men féeding our selues with a vayne hope but we beleue an vnfayned and sufficient witnesse namelye the reason and ordinaunce of the creatour according to the which he hath framed man of a soule immortall and a body which also he hath endued with reason and equitye geuen by nature to conserue and kéepe his giftes and those things which be agréeable to a discrete life and a minde endued with reason Whereby we knowe well enough that God would not haue ordeyned such a creature nor furnished it with all thinges necessarye for perpetuall continuance if he would not haue it continue which he had in such sorte created Wherefore if the maker of the world created mā that he should vse wisedome in all his doinges and that being made a beholder of his magnificence and wisedome whiche he declared in euerye place with the cōtemplation of these thinges should continue and that according to his purpose and will and the nature which he ingendered in them truly the cause of the creation doth confirme and make credible an endlesse continuaunce and this continuance a resurrection without the which man cannot continue It is manifest therfore by those things which haue béen spoken namely by the cause of the beginning and the will of the creatour that the resurrection is cōfirmed Séeing that therfore the cause is such why man was brought into the world it shal be now expedient to consider those thinges which by naturall order do followe the former reasons For if we weigh and consider this businesse the nature of men created doth followe the cause of their creation and the iuste iudgemente of the creatour vpon them doth followe the nature of men created and after all these followeth the end why they liue Séeing that therefore those thinges which go before be playnly declared the nature of men must be hereafter declared and that either by true opinions or by inquisitions what sorte soeuer they be of That demonstration doth get a credite not inconstant to those thinges whiche are spoken whiche hath his beginning not from some thing or place which is without the matter or doth arise of the opinions or decrees of others but doth arise of common vnderstanding or is gathered by the consequence of those thinges which be last to them which be first For that is
either of the first decrées or of those thinges which only by warning do stirre vp and as it were rayse out of sléepe naturall vnderstanding or of those thinges which naturally in fellowship do cleaue vnto the first decrées and be of naturall consequence And it behooueth him which declareth this order to make playne what doth follow consequently the first or the last in déede that he do not negligētly handle either the trueth or some assertion procéeding from the trueth neither confoūd those thinges whiche be repugnant in nature or peruert the naturall order of thinges Wherfore I thinke it expediente for them which take paine in this argumēt and do desire wisely to determine whether ther be any resurrectiō of mens bodies first to consider the force of those thinges whiche do make this demonstration the partes being compared together and what place euery thing doth obtaine and what difference is betwéen these thinges and the first seconde and thirde and last of all what doeth consiste in the last place In placing of these thinges in order it behooueth that the cause be declared why man was created that is to say the minde and purpose of the creator for the which he tooke in hande to create man Afterwarde the nature of man which in order obteyneth the seconde place muste bée fitlye placed and applyed partly because we cannot iudge of both at once partlye because they bée both together do bring the same furtheraūce to this present purpose partly also because by these thinges as chiefe principall and drawing their beginning from the workemanship of God the resurrection is playnly declared notwithstanding by the rule of wisedome also a man maye gather the certentye of this thing I say the rule of wisedome doth consiste in this that rewardes and punishmentes according to iust iudgemēt may be bestowed vpon euery man according to his desertes and that the end of them do aunswere to theyr life For many which haue taken in hande to dispute of the resurrection did assay to bring all their businesse to effecte onely for that which is thirde thinking the cause of the resurrection of men to be only for iudgement But that is manifestly prooued false because that all men rise againe yet all that rise againe are not iudged For if only the iustice of iudgemente be the cause of the resurrection it should necessarylye followe that they whiche haue not at all offended or haue committed notable actes in their liues should be exempt from the resurrection and they also which in the beginning of their age do ende their life which they themselues also thinke sufficient that the resurrection be not for iudgement according to the principall cause but according to the determination and appointment of the creatour and the nature of that which is created But séeing that the onely cause of the creation of man doth suffice if it be well looked vpon to confirme the resurrectiō which by the naturall guyding of reason doth followe the bodies being dissolued yet peraduenture it shal be reason to omit nothing of those which we haue appointed and to declare in cōuenient order the power efficasie of the causes then afterwarde of those thinges that followe for the behoofe of such men as cannot perceyue those thinges by their owne wit and amongst other things to set foorth the nature of men created whiche doth leade vs to the knowledge of the same matter and doth bréede as great credite to the resurrection For if the whole nature of man doth consist of an immortal soule and a body made fit according to his creation and if God haue attributed neither to the soule by it selfe nor to the bodye alone suche a beginning or life but vnto perfit men which are made of both these parts that whilest they liue vsing the same partes of the which they receyued their beginning and life they mighte come to the same common ende and rewarde it is necessarye séeing one creature is made of both these partes whiche is endued with all the affections both of the minde and bodye which doth and exerciseth all thinges that requyre the iudgement either of the senses or of reason that the whole course of these things be referred to some ende that all thinges and in all pointes both the beginning of man and the nature of man and the life of man and whatsoeuer hée doth or suffereth the ende agréeing to his nature do run together to one consente and mutuall combination But if there be one consent or harmonie of euery liuing creature and a mutual passion and participation of affections both of those which haue theyr beginning from the minde as also of those which procéede from the body it is necessary that in all these there remaine one ende and one rewarde but there shal be one ende in déede when the same creature shall consist of both his partes whiche shall happen for the endes sake but the same creature shall perfitly consist when those thinges shal be present with it and those partes restored to it by the which his perfitnesse is absolued But the renuing of the same men doth declare that the resurrection of dead bodies doth necessaryly followe whether the selfe same partes can not bee naturally ioyned together or the same men restored or returne again to their owne nature If therefore minde and reason be geuen to men to the ende that they shoulde iudge not onely of intelligible substances but of the wisedome iustice goodnesse of him that gaue these thinges it is necessary that if those things remayne for whose sake this reasonable iudgemēt was geuen reasonable iudgemēt should also remayne whiche was geuen to discerne those thinges But it is impossible that this iudgement should cōtinue vnlesse that the nature do eke continue which kepeth cherisheth it in the seate resting place therof but man is he which receyueth wit reason into him and not the soule by it selfe therfore it must néedes be that man consisting of both partes do continue for euer But it is impossible for him to continue for euer vnlesse he rise agayne For vnlesse a resurrection be a meane man in no case can endure And if the nature of man can not endure the soule was in vayne mingled with the néedinesse of the body the accidents and affections therof The bodye also is in vayne vnto the soule geuing place to the regiment therof and is bridled by it to the ende it may obtaine the thing which it desireth And in vaine is minde in vayne wisedome in vaine the obseruation of iustice and exercise of vertue among men and the appointing and disposing of lawes is to no purpose And to be short what soeuer is commendable in men by mens procurement is in vayne Yea that which is greater the very engendring and nature of men is in vayne Wherefore if all vainenesse bee all together excluded from all the workes of God and his function it is
necessary that the continuance of the bodye in hys nature be coeternall with the immortalitie of the soule Let no man maruayle that wée call life cutten in sunder by death and corruption a continewing sith wee are not ignoraunt that there is not one only signification of the worde nor one only maner of continewing and no maruayle séeing the nature of thinges continuing is not all one For euery thing according to the nature therof hath her proper continuance You shall not finde in those things which are wholly incorruptible and immortall a like and vniforme continuaunce because the substaunces of the things aboue are not like the things beneath Neither is it conuenient to require in men a continuaunce euer like vnto it self indistinct without any variety as in those thinges is which from the beginning were created immortall and do onely by the appoyntment of the creator continue euerlastingly but that mē haue their continnaunce according to the soule from their creation without any alteration or chaunge But according to the nature of the body men haue immortalitie by a chaunge For the cause of the resurrection doth require it looking thervpon wée looke for the dissolution of the body as it which followeth this néedy and corruptible life and after ward we hope for an incorruptible continuance without alteration neither making our end like to the end of bruite beastes neither to the continuaunce of those thinges which be immortall lest for the lacke of knowledge in this matter we make the nature and life of men equall and like to those thinges which we ought not Wée must not therfore be troubled If there be any inequality espied in the perduration of men neither oughte wée to dispayre of the resurrection when the separating of the soule from her bodylye members and the dissoluing of the bodyly members from it do dispart the cōtinuall tenoure of the life For although the bringing a sléepe of the senses of other naturall strengths which naturally doth arise in mans rest for a season do slumber and in a maner are again reuiued do séeme to cut a sunder the sensible life yet wée do not refuse to count it a life for which cause I thinke some men dooe call sléepe the brother of death not because they would therby declare the stocke of them as though they came of one aunceters parentes but because like thinges happen to them which be a sléepe and to thē which be dead in respecte of the rest and quietnesse of the senses when they vnderstande nothing of thinges present or which are then done nay they perceyue not themselues either to be or to liue If therfore wee do not refuse to call the life of man being full of suche inequalitie euen from mans birth vnto his death interrupted by all those meanes which we haue before rehearsed a life then ought we not to dispayre of the life which is ordeyned to succéede our dissolutiō which bringeth together with it the resurrectiō although for a season it be cuttē a sunder by the departure of the soule from the body For the nature of men posseding from the beginning and that according to the decrée of the creatour an inequalitie attributed vnto it hath an vnequall lyfe and a continuance distinct sometime by sléepe sometime by death by diuerse alterations of ages so that the first do not playnlye appeare when the last do sodenlye come vpon them For who woulde beléeue vnlesse he were taught by experience of thinges that so great force lyeth hid in the moist and softe séede or that such diuersitye of bignesse and greatnesse whiche ariseth and is framed therof is hidde therin namely of bones sinewes gristles and also of muscles fleshe and bowelles and other partes of the bodie For in the séede being yet moist a man can perceyue no suche thing nor in children be those thinges perceyued which in young men do encrease nor those thinges do appeare in youth whiche the estate of man possesseth nor agayne in the state of man which age hath But although amongst those thinges which are sayde before some do nothing at all and some but obscurelye declare the naturall chaunges and alterations comming on men yet notwithstanding they which are not blinded with naughtinesse and sluggishnesse do know what we must iudge of these things For first of all it is requyred that the séede bée sowen afterwarde when it is separated into partes ioyntes the young ones being nowe fashioned do come to light receyue in their first age height after their height the absolute perfection of the whole bodye after a while commeth on the naturall decreasing of strength which prolongeth it selfe euen vnto old age then at the last when the bodies are worne awaye dissolution commeth on Like as therefore in this businesse neither the séede by any likenesse or similitude doth declare either the life or forme of man nor the life doth foreshewe the dissolution wherwith the ioyning together of partes shal be resolued into the first element yet the order and guyding of naturall euentes doth get credit to those thinges which in their owne apparence and shew do séeme to deserue no credite euen so reason by searching the naturall consequence finding the trueth doth establishe the resurrection which is much more certayne then experience to prooue those sayinges wherwith a litle before we endeuoured to get credite to the resurrection and that therfore because we are all of one 〈…〉 kindred as procéeding frō one the 〈◊〉 beginning For our beginning procéedeth from the procreation of our first parentes whome God created But some men euē from the beginning whence they come are established to beléeue other some following nature and the life of man as their guide do get beleife of the wisedome of God toward vs. For the cause according to the which and for the which mē were borne agréeing with the nature of men doth obteine her force by the workemanship of man created But the cause of iustice according to the which God will iudge men whether they liue well or ill doth take his force from the ende of men For therefore are men borne But it dependeth rather vpō the prouidence of God. Séeing that therefore those thinges be declared and prooued by vs as fare as we coulde which were of the first order let vs declare nowe also those thinges that follow But I speake of the reward and punishment which according to iust iudgement shal be bestowed vppon euery man according to his desertes and of 〈…〉 which shal be correspondent to 〈…〉 of man But let that bée done in such order that such thinges go before as be naturally of the first place and first let vs entreate of the cause of the iudgement which words we therefore speake because we haue a care of the cheife stay and order of this disputation in hande and because it behooueth them which admit God as the creatour of the whole worlde to attribute
the sense of such things as happen vnto it For if the whole life of man be vtterlye destroyed there appeareth no respect or care of men neither doth there séeme any iudgment ordeyned for well or euill doing but whatsoeuer wickednesse is in a lawlesse life will approch and ouerflowe again and other inconueniences which such a life doth bring with it as a flocke of companioÌ„s and amongst them impietie the denyer of God whiche is chiefe ruler of that life in whiche men liue without lawe And if the body be corrupt and as euery part is dissolued so it departeth to the elementes which be of the same nature but the soule doth continue by it self incorrupt yet there shall not be place to iudge the soule when iustice shall not be present But it is an heynous offence to suspect any iudgement to procéede from God or of God in which iustice is not present but iustice is not present wheÌ„ he remayneth not in safety and capable of iudgement which committed iust or vniuste actes but he that committed all thinges in his life which muste be iudged was man and not the soule alone to be short this kinde of dealing doth defende iustice in no poynt For in receyuing rewardes for things well done vndoubtedly the bodye shall suffer wrong because it was partaker of the trauayle in doing thinges wel and nowe is not partaker of the honor which is rendred for well doing and séeing pardon is often graunted to the soule for diuerse offences in respect of the néede and necessitie of the body if the body be disapoynted of the rewardes for the which whilest life lasted it suffered laboures howe shall it be counted not vniust Contrarywise if wickednesse be condeÌ„ned the soule shal be iniuriouslye dealte withall if it alone suffer punishemente for those thinges which it committed in life time at the suggestion of the bodye drawing it to his owne appetites and motions whilest some time it is lead from that which is honest by violence sometime by stealth sometime it is drawen by a violent inclination some time it geueth it selfe to vices for to gratifie and slatter the fellowship of the bodye Or howe I pray you is it not vniust that the soule only should be condeÌ„pned for those things to the which according to his own nature it hath neither desire nor motion nor inclination as superfluitie in carnall pleasure violence couetousnesse iniustice other offences which are committed for this cause For if many offences be committed because men cannot well rule their inordinate affections and the affections kéepe a whurly burly to this ende that they maye helpe and remidy the néede and necessitie of the body For they prepare all thinges for the behoofe of these thinges that thereby a man may come to the vse and fruition and also mariages are begon and other businesse which happen in the life time in which and about which euery thing that is worthye either of prayse or dispraise is coÌ„sidered Where is here equities séeing the soule is condemned for those things which the body is destrous of and draweth the minde to the felowship of the same affection that it maye obtayne the thing desired And séeing desire pleasure feare gréefe the vnrulinesse of which affectioÌ„s is subiect to iudgement haue their beginning from the body notwithstanding the offences procéeding from thence and the punishmeÌ„ts for them do lye vpoÌ„ the soules shoulders which required no such thing which desired no such thing nor feared nor suffered any such thing by it selfe as man is accustomed to suffer Furthermore if wée say that they be affections not onely of the bodye but of man because he hath a life consisting of both partes yet can we not affirme that they pertayne to the soule if wée playnlye behoâ—de the proper matter therof For if it haue no néede at all of anye nourishment it will neuer desire those thinges whose vse it requireth not to conserue his being neither will it be rauished with those thinges which by nature it doth not inioye nor yet be sorye for the want of mony and possessions as thinges nothing perteyning vnto it Wherefore if it remayne frée from corruption it feareth nothing that may destroy it For it feareth not huÌ„ger or sickenes or mayming or mangling or fire or sworde because it can take no misfortune or hurt by these thinges séeing no bodye or that which hath a bodye can touch it in any point If therfore it be absurde to ascribe the affections peculiarly to the soule it is also great iniurye and farre from the iudgement of God to attribute the punishment of them to the soule Beside these things which haue bene spoken how I pray you is it not vniust that although the vertues and vices can not bée considered to remayne specially in the soule séeing we throughlye perceyue that all vertues of men as also vices contrarye to vertues bee not in the soule separated froÌ„ the bodye and consisting by it selfe yet we wil referre the punishment and rewarde of them to the soules alone Or how I praye you can a man perceyue valiaunce and manlinesse in aduenturing daungers to bée onely in the mynde whiche feareth neither death nor wounds nor mayming nor hurt nor reprochfull handeling nor those gréefes or miscries which happen thereby Or how againe can you perceiue temperaunce and wisedome where no desire doth allure the minde to meat or naturall copulation or any other pleasure or delight and where nothing either disturbeth within or prouoketh without Or last of all howe can you imagine prudence when the matter of thinges to bée chosen or to bée eschued doeth not perteyne vnto the Soules séeing the matter of choyse in doing thinges is not subiecte to the soule or rather no motion or naturall inclination is in it to do any thing But where is there at all any fit iustice amongste the soules whether you consider thinges of the same nature or thinges externall or from whence or to whome or by what means shall they geue that which is right according to the worthynesse of euery man or according to proportion Trulye there is no such thing if you except the honour to be bestowed by them vpon GOD séeing they haue no inclination or motion either to vse their owne or absteyne from other mens séeing vse and abstinence is séene in those thinges whiche by nature haue néede of such things Contrarywise the soule is so borne that it néedeth no such thing and thence is it that you can not perceyue the propre vse of the members in a thing so ingendered Furthermore this is moste absurbe that the lawes made should be referred to men and the punishmente of the lawes wrested to the soules alone For if he whiche receyued the lawe ought also rightlye receyne punishment for breaking the lawe and man receyued the lawe and not the soule alone it is right that man suffer punishment for his offences and not the soule alone For truely God
commaunded not the soules to abstreyne from thinges vnlawfull as adulteries murders théefts robberies and from contempte of parentes and all hurtfull and vniust desire of other mens goodes For this commaundement honour thy father and mother doth not appertaine vnto the soules séeing such names do not belong to them For one soule doth not beget another that it may chalenge to it selfe therby the name of a parent But one man begetteth another And furthermore this commaundemeÌ„t thou shalt not commit adulterye can not bée spoken or vnderstoode aptlye of the soules séeing in them there is no discretioÌ„ of the masculine or feminine kinde or aptnesse or desire of carnall copulation and where the desire is not it is impossible that the mixture should be made But amongst whom such mixture is not truely lawful copulation namely which is in wedlocke cannot be found where such copulatioÌ„ as is in wedlocke is not there also vnlawfull desire of carnall companye with another mans wife for that is adultery hath no place Moreouer the precept of eschuing theft or desire of too muche doth not serue for the soules For they haue no néede of such thinges as they that haue néede of do get for themselues for their naturall néede or necessitie either by thefte or robbery as golde siluer cattell or any thing els necessary either for meate or apparell For that is vnprofitable for an immortall nature which is desired of them that néede because it is profitable But let a more curiouse trade be left for them whiche desire more diligentlye to search out these thinges or more earnestlye striue with our aduersaryes But séeing those things which haue bene spoken before be sufficieÌ„t for vs agréeable with these things as it were with one consent do establish the resurrection it doth not séeme conuenient to tary longer in them For we did not direct our purpose to this marke that wée should omit nothing that belongeth to this matter but that wée might briefly declare to all them that are come hyther what men oughte to thinke concerning the resurrection and that by the force of those things that we haue already spoken they mighte measure the force of other reasons belonging to the same purpose Séeing those thinges whiche wée had in hande be searched out and examined it remayneth nowe that wée consider the cause of the ende already playne and euideÌ„t which hath néede of no care more then that it bée added to the rest lest it séeme either to be omitted by reason of obliuion or hinder the argument in hand and diuision made in the beginning For these causes and other belonging to the same purpose it shall bée conuenient to declare the matter only for this cause because those things whiche consist by nature or arte haue their peculiar ends which custome common vnderstanding doth teach those things which are before our eyes do witnesse the same Do wée not sée one ende ordeyned for husbandmen another for Phisicions and againe one for those thinges which growe out of the earth another for creatures liuing therby and ingendered according to a naturall order and sequele of succession Wherefore if it bée euidente and necessarye that naturall and artificiall faculties and the actes of them do followe their ende euery one according to his nature it is necessarye altogether that the ende of man be excepted from the communioÌ„ of the rest as a peculiar nature For it is not lawful to assigne one end to those things which lacke reasonable iudgement and those which according to naturall lawe and reason dooe their actions and vse wisedome and iustice in life Neither therfore voydnesse of gréefe is the proper peculiar end of these things For you maye finde that also in those that bee without sense nor yet the enioying of those thinges whiche delight or nourish the body nor aboundance of pleasures Otherwise it were necessarye that the beastly life did excell the life adorned with vertues were an vnperfit thing For such an end is proper to beastes and cattell doth not perteyne to men which haue an immortall soule reasonable iudgement nor yet the felicity of the soule separate from the body For we do not looke vpon either the life or end of either parte of which man consisteth but on that whiche hath fulnesse and perfection of both partes For man which hath receiued this life is such a one And it is necessary that he haue a proper end agréeable to his life Wherfore if an end must be ordeyned for that which is both together namely for that which consisteth both of soule body you cannot finde it neither while he continueth in this life for the causes now oftentimes alleged nor then when the soule is separate froÌ„ the body because man must be thought no such thing wheÌ„ his bodye is dissolued or wholye dispersed although the soule remayne by it selfe it is altogether necessarye that the end of men do appeare in some other recomposition and renuing of both partes and the same creature and séeing that doth followe of necessitie it is necessary also that there be a resurrection of bodyes dead and wholye dissolued and that the same men be made agayne séeing that the law of nature doth commaunde not euery ende nor of all men bâ—t of those which liued in the former life But it is impossible for the same men to be made again vnlesse the same bodyes be restored to their soules But that the bodye receyue the same soule can by no other meane be broughte to passe then by the resurrection For when that coÌ„meth to passe an apt ende doth followe the nature of men an ende trulye of a 〈◊〉 life and reasonable iudgment A man shall not offend if he saye it is it that wée maye for euer cleaue and continue with those thinges wherwith chiefely and especially naturall reason doth agrée and consent and that in respecte and consideratioÌ„ of him which is for the behoofe of those things which it plesed him to promise although the common sort of men more earnestly and vehemetlye desire such thinges as are nowe presentlye and dooe nothing estéeme or regarde this ende For the multitude of suche as do leaue and go from the ende agréeable to them doth not weaâ—… 〈◊〉 common ordinaunce of duety 〈…〉 a peculiar examination is â—â—pointed against that and puniâ—â—ment and rewardes orâ—â—â—ned which be correspondent to the measure of well or euill doing FINIS
¶ The most notable and excellent discourse of the Christian Philosopher Athenagoras as touching the Resurrection of the dead translated out of Greeke into Latine by Peter Nannius and out of Latin into English by R. Porder A TREATISE VERY NECESsarie and profitable for this our laste ruinous age of the vvorlde in the vvhiche are suche svvarmes of Atheistes and Epicures vvhose pestilent infection is more to be feared then papistrie Therefore vvorthy the consideracion of al men as vvel for ouerthrovv of their pernicious errours as staying the faith and conscience of the vveake and vnlearned ¶ Imprinted at London in Pavvles Churchyarde by VV. VVilliamson Anno. 1573. ¶ To the right worshipfull his singuler good friend M. VVilliam Fleetevvood Esquier Recorder of the most honorable Citie of London his vvel vviller Richard Porder vvisheth felicitie in Christ Iesu IT is true righte worshipfull sir vvhich the auctor of this vvorke at the very first entrye thereof doth aledge that some errour doth as it vvere cleaue to euery treatise or disputacion for Aristotle contendeth that mūdus est aeternus The Stoickes haue assigned tvvo beginninges of all thinges to vveete Deus materia Democritus and Epicurus say the vvorlde is composed ex atomis temere casu concurrentibus that is of litle motes flying together in the ayre and cleuing one to an other and so increasing this great massi lūpe or earthy globe of the vvorlde Thales saith vvater vvas the broode mother and beginning of all thinges c. And other acknovvledged this vvorlde to haue a beginning and God to be the cause of that beginning and by their diligent studies and vvisedome haue founde out of vvhat diuers elementes mankinde vvas composed Yea further by their great knovv ledge in many mightie vvorckes of God but specially in the creation of man they confessed God to be perfectly vvise perfectly iuste and summum bonum out of vvhich reasonable knovvledg naturaly graffed in mā it seemeth the auctour of this treatise toke his ground to prooue the resurrection of the dead by reason First admonishing all those that doubt or beleue not this doctrine to examine effectualy by reason the cause of their vnbelefe or doubting for he affirmeth truly that to admit doubtes or incredulitie vvithout due examination in reason vvhy is the part of the prodigall as he calleth them that is of suche as spende their vvittes vvast fully and careleslye vvithoute reason or iudgement and as there vvere manye errours about the beginning of thinges so not a fevve errors touching the repairing of those thinges vvhich God made to be restored after their dissolution vvere the cause of this mans vvriting For Epicures the Saduces flatly denyed the resurrection As Sardanapalus last king of Syria declareth in an Epitaphe vvhich he made for him selfe a litle before he leaped headlong into the fire vvherin he vvas brent as Strabo noteth Cum te mortalem noris presentibus exple Delitiis animum post mortem nulla voluptas Namque ego sum puluis qui nuper tanta tenebam Haec habeo quae edi quaeque exaturata libido Hausit at illa manent multa preclara relicta Hoc sapiens vitae mortalibus est documentum That is for asmuch as thou knovvest thy self to be mortall glut thy desire vvith presente delights After death there is no pleasant solace for see I am dust vvhich of late possessed so great honour ritches Those things oncly J haue vvhich I did eate Yea vvhat greedye lust hath deuoured I holde in possession But all my golde magnificient buyldinges landes ritches and honour left behinde mee remayne for other Loe I am an example and vvise lesson for all mortall creatures to consider It greeued this Epicure that hee coulde not eate all the vvorld vvhile he liued Also Philetus Hymineus saide it should be spiritual Some heahten hathbeleeued the soule onelye shoulde remayne for euer vvith the Gods. And other thought the soule should suruiue the body and yet could not tell vvhat shoulde become of it as Aelius Adrianus the Emperour vvho desperatly cryed in his sickenesse Animula vagula blandula Que nunc abibis in loca Nec vt soles dabisiocos Hospes comesque corporis Pallidula rigid a nudula Oh my litle svveete soule vvhither vvilt thou novve departe avvaye from mee For thou being pale nomme and naked shalt not henceforth enioye thy pleasures as in times past being a ghest and companion of the body Other thought that soule and body did perish together and also shoulde rise againe in the last day of vvhō Eusebius saith Exorti sunt autem alij quidam tum temporis in Arabia c. At that time there sprong up an other secte in Arabia vvhich helde an opiniō contrary to the truth vvhich sayd that soules perished together vvith the bodies and also shoulde rise vvith the bodies in the last daye Other affirmed that mens bodies should rise but not the self same bodies nor the same flesh All vvhiche false opinions contraye to them selues and repugnante to the Christian faith as your vvorship heareth them dayly cōfuted by aucthoritie of scriptures and examples in the same so here you shall see the same ouerthrovven by force of reason and vvhere some graunt God to be able and yet doubt of his vvill Athenagoras shevveth that the ommpotencie Iustice vvisedome and vvill of God are so linked together by an inuiolable decree concerning this matter that the Epicures may asvvel deny that there is a God as deny the resurrestion of the dead and laste iudgemēt And though some haue signed reasons as seemed to them vvherfore they doubted of this matter as the transmutaciō of one substaunce into an other by digestion for so phisitions define digestion namely of mens bodies deuoured of beastes and birdes and the same beastes and birdes deuoured by men c. And so conclude an impossibilitie that men should rise againe vvith their ovvne bodies The aucthor doth phisically make avvaye to loose or vnknit those doubts by these reasons that all such meate as man and beast eateth is not tourned into the substance of the eater but onely that part vvhich is truely naturall for substanciall foode by order of creation or of nature And that seeing the creator vvas able and did knovv hovv to compose bodies of sundry seuered substances he also is able and could not be ignoraunt hovve to conserue the integritie of the nature substances composed though they might be dissolued and scattered into hovv many so euer thousand parts or places Against the heathen he affirmeth that vvho so euer hath receaued the lavve must be iustified or condempned but it vvas not the soule onely but soule and body therfore soule and body must be iustified or condemned vvhich canot be vnlesse the body rise ergo the dead must needes rise againe And further as it is absurde to attribute the affections of the body to the soule so is it an vniust thing to saye the soule shal be iustified