to heauen It is a constant opinion of the Stoickes sayth he that after all humor is consumed this world shall burne and Nature by whom this reuolution is made seemes to giue vs some notice in that the fields being burnt by the labourer or drowned by water as in Egypt as in pooles dried vp and when the sea is retired in that I say this earth remaining is found renewed fat and producing many Creatures yea great and perfect as they write namely of Nile after it is retired Now vnder the wings of these great personages I come to maintaine this combate and refell the reasons of the Obiector Wee haue in our Argument toucht two points simbolizing together although the one be Christian and the other Heathen the first is the Resurrection of the flesh which we extend to man only not of other Creatures And let vs say that he who of nothing could make all may easily ouerthrow the imagined difficulty and raise vp and restore to the same estate the bodies of dead men for he that can do more can do lesse without all controuersie and hee that could of nothing make that which was not may repaire that which was vndone But how shall this Resurrection bee made and what assurance shall wee haue Behold how In the presence of all the world of Angells of men and of diuells with vnspeakable ioy to the good and incomprehensible horror to the wicked the Lord shall come with a cry of exhortation and the voice of the Archangell and the Trumpet of God these are the very words of the text By the sound of this trumpet all the dead shall awake and rise out of their graues and they that shall liue and remaine at this comming shal be suddenly changed and of mortall shal be made immortall by his force and efficacy who can make all things subiect vnto him as the Apostle sayth The bodies of the children of God shall rise againe like the glorious bodie of Iesus Christ impassible spirituall and yet fleshly shining like stars subtil light transparent and full of all happines behold the letters of heauen We attend the Sauiour who will transforme our vile bodies and make them conformable to his glorious body We know sayeth Saint Iohn that after hee hath appeared wee shall bee like vnto him God will wipe away all teares from our eyes sayth hee death shall bee no more there shal bee no mourning cries nor labour The body sowne in corruption shall rise spirituall sayth S. Paul for that no sollide thing can hinder it it may without helpe or wings flye into remote places as Iesus Christ after his resurrection did manifest it more then sufficiently in his body finally hee shall bee spirituall for that hee shal be readily and willingly obedient to his glorified spirit In this flesh and not in any other shall I see my Sauiour sayth Iob c. 1. 9. For this mortal body must put on immortality sayth the Apostle Thirdly they which haue bin vnderstood sayth Daniel 12. shall shine like the heauens and they that bring many to Iustice shall glister like the starres for euer Also the glory of the Sunne is one the glory of the Moon another and the glory of the starres is also different euen so shall bee the resurrection of the dead whereby it followes that the bodyes raised again shal haue no grosse substance but shall be transparent like vnto glasse Fourthly beeing raised againe we shall bee taken vp into the clouds before the Lord and beeing ascended into heauen wee shall haue vnspeakeable ioy such as the eye hath not seene the eare not heard nor hath entred into the heart of man These are wonderfull things but what assurance the Spirit of God doth assure thee if thou beest of God for God doth seale vp an earnest penny of his holy Spirit in their hearts that are his as the Apostle teacheth Secondly If the soule be immortall the body must one day rise immortall to the end that this soule being created for the body may giue it life againe being reunited Moreouer as Saint Ambrose teacheth it is the order and cause of Iustice seeing that the work of man is common to the body and soule and what the soule doth fore-thinke the body effects and therefore it is reasonable that both should appeare in iudgement to receiue either punishment or glory Thirdly Iesus Christ is risen for vs and to assure vs that by the same diuine power that hath drawne him out of the graue we also shal be raised I proue the antecedent by aboue 500. witnesses which at one time haue seene Iesus Christ liuing after that he had beene crucified by the Iewes as the Apostle sheweth and Ioseph also who was a Iew doth witnesse it lib. 18. c. 2. 4. of his Antiquities He was seene precisely by women beleeued by the incredulous and for a ful assurance thereof hee would contrary to the nature of his body which aspired nothing but heauen conuerse forty dayes vpon earth Heere is reason sufficient in this matter of faith whereas reason should yeeld her selfe prisoner and yet to make it appeare visibly and to free all doubt God would both in the ancient and new alliance raise vp some that were seene and admired of the people So Lazarus being called out of his graue was beheld of all men and the malicious Pharisies tooke counsell to put him to death as well as Iesus Christ. The same God would manifest a plot of the future Resurrection to his Prophet Ezechiel when as he had transported him into a field full of drye bones which when hee had seene and prophesied ouer â—…em behold a motion the bones draw neere one vnto another and suddainely behold they had sinewes vppon them and flesh came and then the skinne couered it and in the end after a second dâ—…untiation of the word of God the spirit came and then appeared a great army of men As for this point which concernes an article of our faith the Resurrection of the flesh the Obiector dares not deny but there is matter sufficient in this world to furnish for the restoring of all the dead bodies not since an imaginary Eternity for we are now vpon tearmes of diuinity whereof wee must beleeue the principles and not question them but from the first man vnto the last that shall be Herein there is nothing that inuolues contradiction The other point was that suppose the eternity of the world after the reuolution of all things and the encounter of the same order in all points that is at this present there shall bee the same Superficies the same creatures and the same men that are at this present this also hath no implicity seeing we affirm not that all things the same creatures which haue bin shal be for euer shal be restor'd together at one instant but by degrees and euery one in his turne Behold how this first
pit attend no more thy truth Answere These holy men haue neuer thought much lesse spoken that the soule was mortall but only that they whom death takes away do no more declare the glory of God to the liuing that a dead mouth cannot preach the wonderful workes of the Eternall And for proofe hereof Dauid doeth assure vs in another place where he sayth I shal not die but liue and declare the workes of the Eternal and If I descend into the pit what proffit shall there bee in my blood Shall the dust praise thee and preach thy truth By which words hee shewes that he meant not to speake but of the praises of God made by the mouth among the liuing As for Ezechias when hee deliuered these words hee had bene then assured to liue by Esay so as hee makes it knowne that whereas God prolonged his life it was to magnifie him in the world and to declare his mercy and yet that the Saints deceased sing the prayses of God in heauen appeares by many texts but that in the Apoc. is sufficient of the 4. beasts and the 24. Elders who sung a new song Moreouer those innumerable multitudes of all Nations Tribes people and tongues attired in long white robes and hauing branches of palme in their hands crying with a loud voyce Saluation to our God who is set vpon the throne and to the Lambe But some one will reply seeing the Saints in heauen sing most melodiously and holily the praises of the Lord how coms it that they alledge this reason to prolong this life that they may celebrate the name of the Eternall I Answer that the heauens haue no neede of these holy sounders out of the Lords praise that they haue from the beginning the Angells which sing continually Holy holy holy is he which-hath beene which is and which shal be and moreouer the faithfull deceased But the earth is altogether desert wherefore the children of God desire to remaine there the course of their prefixed age to the end they may publish the praises of God to the ignorant world and although it be to their losse yet the seruice of God and the glory of their Maister is more deere vnto them then their owne health as Moses and S. Paul among others haue witnessed The second Obiection If the soule being immortall had bene as they say infused into the body of man immediatly from God it is not possible but there shold remaine some knowledge But there remaines none IF the Soule be created immediatly by God and infused into the body from the very moment of this creation and infusion shee is perfect in her essence and therefore should haue a certaine knowledge but wee do not remember our birth nor our Baptisme by reason of the great imperfection of our nature in that age If then as those Infants of whom Aristotle makes memtion who spake as soone as they were borne we had had the temper of the braine requisite to the vnderstanding and memory we should then haue vnderstood and wee should now remember as well as those things which we haue seene within a yeare and since that time which brings al things to maturity hath ripened our nature But if the soule be immortal and not subiect to time and if from the beginning of her creation shee hath receiued her perfect stature how can time deface her vnderstanding and how is it that she remembreth not any thing no not in dreaming when shee was put into the body Some will reply That this sinfull mortall body is the cause of this misery but I may answere that the corporall cannot worke vpon the spirituall and that the Diuines hold that man by his offence hath lost all supernaturall guifts priuiledges which were freely giuen him but not such as were naturall conferred vpon him by the right of Creation and who doth not see but that to vnderstand to remember are naturall guifts Answere The soule of man is extracted immediatly from God and being once infused into the body shee receiues not in any age neither in her substance or forces any change alteration or increase Yet by vertue of the sentence of condemnation which God pronounced against Adam and al his posterity the Creator not confirming the soule in her excellency and innocency but leauing it to it selfe shee hath in an instant lost her dignity is become ignorant and vicious and the infection of carnall sences which shee hath suckt vp being in the body doth augment her deprauation so as she is not able to remember any thing of this actioÌ„ proceeding from God in her creation and vnion to the body So Adam and Eue not confirmed in their felicity as the Angells and Saints are now in heauen by the benefit of Iesus Christ as soone as they had committed the transgression were in an instant made mortall ignorant and vicious A plate of iron flaming in the fire hath no sooner felt the fresh ayre but it loseth his fiery colour Euen so the soule is no sooner gone out of the Eternallâ—… forge but shee loseth her colour and brightnes and the body is as cold water to the burning iron so as now the soule hath no knowledge in the body but what she gets by the sences and they that are deafe by nature are also naturally dumbe for being vnable to heare the words di stinguished neither can they lâ—…e them And they that are borne blinde cannot distinguish of colours c. Let vs conclude with S. Augustine That the spiritual light in the which man had beene created to know his Creator himselfe and things that are profitable for him was quenched by sinne Let vs add with Nicholas de Cusa That the soule of man sent in to a morrall bodie is like vnto 〈◊〉 infant which as soone as it was borne was carried into 〈◊〉 strang countrie wholy 〈◊〉 of inhabit aâ—… nourished by a she Wolfe being growne great he could in no forâ—… know the place of his birth 〈◊〉 his father mother 〈◊〉 had a conâ—…sed feeling of this truth writing that the soule which liued â—…appy and knowing in the coâ—…panie of the Gods being confined into this prison of the foule infected body to frame it giue it life hath in stantly lost â—…l her happines knowledge by reason of the bad temperature of the body The 3â—… Argument taken frâ—… the voyce of all the world The voyce of the people is the voyces of God and by consequent of the truth But the Soule is immortall according to the voyce of the people MAny writers haue collected the opinions of people and of ages vpon the iudgement of the soule as Macrobius vpon Scipioes Dreame Marsilius Ficinus others And among the Moderns Mons de Plessis Crepet the Celestin with others to whom I send the reader where he may see a woÌ„derful consent of men to conclude that the soule is immortall as holding it not from
their carnall pleasures As for Sardanapalus hee hath also doubted whether he were a man since that hee tooke vpon him a womans habit among his Courtisans and handled a distaffe with them For my part I beleeue that he had the humour and spirit of a beast as Tully reports that Aristotle hauing read this Epitaphe sayd that they should haue written it vpon the pit of a beast not on the graue of a King The same answere shall serue for the like thing pretended at Brescia As for the third their ignorance and malice would force a beleefe of mortality of soules what others more honest and more wise haue done shall serue to confute them For the same antiquaries write that many caused to bee drawne vpon their tombes doores halfe open shewing thereby that their soules escaped from the tombe If one Philosopher would dispute of it there are others who to get fame haue questioned matters more apparent as Cardan the fourth Element of fire Copernicus the motion of heauen maintaining by the illusion of reason that it is the earth not the heauen that moues There haue beene alwayes and shall be such fantasticke humors who would make themselues famous with the preiudice of the truth As for the Empresse Barbara hee should haue added that shee was an insatiable Letcher therefore she had great interest not to giue an accoumpt of her dissolute life to perswade her self that al was extinguished in death Now followeth this depra ued age into the which as into the bottome of a sinke al the filth of precedent ages haue seemed to run yet there are God bee thanked who beleeue it in their hearts and deliuer it with ther mouthes that their spirit is immortal and they that speake it only with their mouthes it is sufficient that naturall shame will not suffer them to discouer the villany of thier hearts and this bashfulnesse an impression of God is sufficient to make them inexcusable in the great day of the Lord. Moreouer they that with a furious impudency haue beleeued that the soule died with the body haue for the most part in their miserable ends made knowne the iudgements of God who punished them for their frantike opinion as Lucian who was torne in pieces by dogs Lucre tius who grown mad cast him selfe downe a precipice Caligula who was cruelly slaine with infinite others Or else they haue shewed it in their confused and irresolute carriage the distemperature and trouble of their soules impugning their damnable opinion To conclude As for Theodorus and the swarme of his disciples who in a manner alone hold the chaires in all estates I will suffer them to be led in Triumph before the triumphant chariot of faith that which Du Bartas sayth in the beginning of the second song is sufficient to confound them The 4. Argument That which proceeds immediatly f◅om God is euerlasting Such is the soule I will prooue the consequēce of the Maior for the rest is plaine of it selfe whilest the Sun shall last he will cast fo◅th his beames whilest there is fire there will come forth heate whilest the heart beates in the body there remaines life for that the position of the sufficient cause very neere and immediate doth of necessity establish the effect the which continues as long as the cause if there happens no inpeachment But God is a sufficient cause neuer hindered in his effects he is the neere and immediate cause of the soule which hee breathes into the body as soone as it was disposed and fit to receiue that breathing hee is immortall and by consequent the soule is immortall So hee created the Angels the Angels shal subsist for euer so he made the heauen earth and they shall neuer perish If they reply that the heauēs shal passe that God wil cōsume them as a flaming pyle of wood as the Poet speakes after S. Peter The answer is That it is not to be vnderstood of the substance of the world but of the qualities which being vaine and corrupted by reason of man shal be changed and renewed by fire to shine more purely like refined gold They may againe obiect That God with his owne hands had moulded and fashoned the first man who not with standing is dead I answer that God was the efficient and immediate cause of man but not the formall nor the materiall his substance was the slime of the earth which might be dissolued his forme was his soule which might be separated But in the soule and of the soule of man God holds immediatly the foure kinds of causes the efficient for he hath made it of himselfe without any help the materiall not that it is of his essence but that hee hath created it of nothing as hee did the world the formall in like manner his continual inspiration retaines it as his continuall prouidence preserues the world from ruine and therefore Christ sayd my Father works hitherto and I with him Finally he is the finall cause for man liues to know and serue God If they reply againe that God being a voluntarie cause in his actions should not be numbred among the naturall causes which necessarily produce their effects if there be not some let that is most certen but where the word of God is euident we must not doubt of his will but it is apparent in the passages alledged that the soule is immortall And therefore we may profitably and safely conclude That if from the sufficient and neere cause the effect doth necessarilie flow and that this effect doth continue as long as the cause if there happen no lets that vndoubtedly the soule is immortal seeing that God her most sufficient cause and who feares no disturbance is immortall so as to denie this immortalitie is to deny the Deitie Obiection That which hath bin alwaies required to be sufficiently testified yet hath beene still denyed cannot be certaine The immortalitie of the soule hath beene alwayes required to be sufficiently testified yet hath beene still denyed NO great ioy doth at any time accompanie a deepe silence If the soule going out of the bodie felt it selfe immortall shee should feele it if she were so for going out of the body as out of a darke prison shee should haue the fruition of all her light if shee felt her selfe as I say immortall shee would witnesse it by some signe to the poore kinsfolkes that suruiue being desolate by reason of his departure to comfort fortifie and make them ioyfull And although the soules which are in heauen be there detained by a voluntarie prison hindering them from comming downe and on the other side those that are in hell are tyed there by a will that is captiue as one hath affirmed But the soules that goe out of the bodies which are yet on earth euen vpon the lips of them that die why haue they not instantly before they fly to heauen being so often required giuen some smalle proofe of
man being borne and bred in the bottome of a darke caue thinks that he hath no facultie to see is he the therefore blinde the soule being buried in the darkenesse of a mortall body as in a graue sees not her immortalitie hath she therfore none Thirdly we doe not say that man is immortall for that he differs from beasts but for many reasons deliuered to be deliuered Fourthly the Philosophers aboue mentioned would see and touch the soule in her immortalitie she is not subiect to any sence S. Basile hath seene it in spirit written it with his hand The soule sayth he cannot be seene with eyes for that she is not illuminated by any colour nor hath any figure or corporal character Aristotle knew it whengoing out of the fabrike of corporall nature hee sayd that it was not the charge of a Physition to treat of all sorts of soules as is the intellectuall which hee pronounceth to differ from the sensitiue vegetatiue from which he sayth shee may separate her selfe as the perpetuall from the corruptible Gallen had his eyes fixed onlie vpon the body the subiect of Phisick and therefore hee sayd freely that it did not import him in his arte if hee were ignorant how the soules were sent into the bodyes or whether they past from one to an other But if it please Gallen leauing the limites of his arte to take the fresh ayre of diuine Philosophy presently his goodly conception is followed with these words The soule is distilling from the vniuerfall Spirit descending from heauen c. Which hauing left the earth recouers heauen and dwells with the Moderator of all things in the Celestiall places As for Hippocrates his words sound more of the immortalitie then of the death of the soule hauing this sence That the soule goes alwayes increasing vntil the death of the bodie But if you desire effects and not words what conceit could Aristotle Gallen and Hippocrates haue of the soule to bee mortall who by an immortall labour haue purchased such great same throughout the world and whose authoritie is the cause that they are now produced and maintained Finally that which he obiects of the soules thoughts fixed for the most part on the fraile things of this passing world it is no smal signe of the corruption of mankind but no argument that the soule is perishable seeing she retaines still the immortal seale which God hath set vpon her in her first creation The. 2 Obiection The container and that which is contained should entertaine themselues by a iust proportion The body and the soule are the container and contained IF the soule bee immortal seeing the body is mortall what proportion were there betwixt the soule and body How hath nature which doth all things by a iust weight number and measure ioyned things together which are so dislike It serues to no purpose to produce the birde kept in a cage which as soone as shee can get out flies away for he is kept there by force and not as forme in substance Answere Wee grant the whole argument and wee adde that it is sinne which came by accident that hath caused this great disproportion Otherwise man before sinne in his estate of innocency had his body immortall therefore Iesus Christ our Sauiour like a cunning Logitian drew the resurrection of the body from the immortality of the soule for that God was called the God of Abraham of Isaacke and of Iacob but God sayth hee is not the God of the dead but of the liuing So sayth Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard that the soule is so separated from the body as there remaines still a naturall inclination to resume it againe to minister to his body and this onely doth hinder her that shee is not affectionate towards God withal her vertue and force as be the Angells and therefore her blessednesse is imperfect For the soules ô flesh saith Bernard cannot without thee bee accomplished in their ioy nor perfect in their glory nor consummated in their felicity and in the same place hee distinguisheth their degrees or places for the soule in this life as in a Tabernacle before the resurrection in heauen as in a gallery and then after the resurrection in the house of God But you will say this answere is Metaphisicall I desire one that is naturall Answere This goodly order which you recommend in nature required this ordering that as there are some Creatures meerely spirituall others meerely corporall so there were some which were mixt both spirituall and corporall and that is man who in that smal forme represents all that is in the world and who by his senses doth communicate with the Creatures and by his vnderstanding with the Angells giuing his right hand to heauen and his left to the earth The 3. Obiection If reason loades vs to the immortality of the soule by the same meanes she shold guide vs to the resurrection of the body But that is not true I Proue the Minor by this knowne Maxime of reason That there is no returne from priuation to the habit nor by consequence from death to life no more then from starke blindnes to sight Wherefore they of Athens where one writes that the men are borne Philosophers hearing S. Paul discourse of many points of heauenly doctrine they gaue an attentiue heare vnto him but when hee came to the Resurrection of Iesus Christ they interrupted him mocking at him as one that doated Ans. I deny it that the resurrectiō of the dead is absolutely beyond the apprehension of nature The West-Indians who are without the Church of Christ beleeue it and practise it as well by the ceremonies of their interrements which aime directly at it as by the vsuall intreaties they make to the Spaniards digging for the gold of their Sepulchres that they should not take out carry away the bones to the end they may rise againe speedily as Benzo reports At Rome this Epitaph is yet to be read in Latine vpon a Pagans tombe The publike hath giuen a place vnto Aurelius Balbus a man of an vnspotted life I rest heere in hope of the resurrection But that which is most wonderfull and exceedes all credit if they that write it were not eye witnesses and worthy of credit that in Egypt in a place neere vnto Caine a multitude of people meete on a certaine day in march to bee spectators of the resurrection of the flesh as they say where from Thursday to Saterday inclusiuely they may see and touch bodies wrapt in their sheetes after the ancient manner but they neither see them standing nor walking but onely the armes or the thighes or some other part of the body which you may touch If you go farther off and then returne presently you shall finde these members to appeare more out of the ground and the more they change place the more diuers these motions appeare This admirable sight is written by
vnto Iesus Christ who being disswaded by his Disciples from going vp to Ierusalem he sayd vnto them There are 12 houres of the day after the example of the Apostles namely of Saint Paul who was thrice whipt with rodds continued whole dayes and nights in the bottome of the sea c. We ought to do it for Christ is a gaine to vs both in life and death for that dying we change the drosse of the world for the gold of heauen we going out of life as out of a deepe pit of darknesse and ignorance and wee ascend vp into the heauenly Vniuersity whereas the deepest sciences are learned and wee passe from a miserable seruitude into a most happy freedome of spirit Let vs then quicken our spirits and take courage and not be like vnto the skoÌ„me of the world to whom dying Nature makes this reproch which is read in Seneca What is this I haue put you into the world without couetous desires without feare without superstition without treason and without any other such infections As you entred into the world so depart this life without apprehension feare vexation or passion which torment your soules But especially let vs be carefull to depart without feare of death which among all humaine passions is most desperate it is done if we once put on a Christian courage and magnanimity and shall not flie but offer our selues following our vocation to the greatest dangers As good Macedonius did who seeing two Captaines march to reuenge the irreuereÌ„ce done to the statue of Placilla by the expresse and vnworthy commandement of Theodosius her husband seeing them I say runne to a great Massacre meetes them stayes them pulls them from their horses and by more then humaine authority commands them to desist from such cruelty to tell their master That the greatnesse of his estate shold not make him forget that he is a man that hee seekes to teare that a sunder which he cannot put together deface liuely Images which hee cannot repaire and that this outrage should touch the Creator By the boldnesse of his words and by his constancy he amazed these Captaines with the feare of Gods reuenging wrath and makes them returne towards the Emperour who hauing heard them pacified his rage Obiection Whatsoeuer is a guift of nature cannot be gotten by art Fortitude is a guift of nature c. ANswere It is true that fortitude hath her foundation in the irascible faculty but her culture her instruction and increase is purchased by labour study and continuall exercise If Alexander Caesar and other valiant Captaines had not bene continually thrust into armes hazarded themselues in warre and cast themselues into battailes they had neuer purchased the habite of valour nor gotten so many triumphes vpon their enemies In like manner if wee desire to conquer our selues and our owne passions which are most dangerous enemies wee must exercise our selues continually in these listes of vertue and weede out of our hearts two contrary vices the one is dull negligence which lulling vs asleepe in the world will not suffer vs to consider what this life is how miserable how vaine wauering although wee suppose it be perpetuall contrary to that which experience doth teach vs shewing vs dayly that either necessity doth pull it away or vanity doth swallow it vp or hasty nature doth end it The other extreame vice is feare which is the cause that wee cannot once thinke of such necessity but with trembling and horror And as the eye viciated with some yellow humour or looking through a yellow glasse thinkes all it sees to be yellow yea the purest white So our soules being infected with this terror increased by faintnesse and fortified by cowardise takes quiet things to be horrible the safest port and secuâ—…est from winds to bee more dangerous then the Rocke Capharois and finally death the happy end of all miseries to bee the beginning of most horrible paines But let vs purge this peccant huâ—… â—…ast off this 〈◊〉 scart and clothe our selues with this force with this resolute vâ—…reue and wee shall visibly see and iudge with reason that wee haue beene miserably deceiued taking our friends for enemies the greatest safety for horror and 〈◊〉 happinesse 〈◊〉 death for misery The 26. Argument taken from the instrumentall cause In euery expedition the meanes must be proper vnto it A good conscience is the proper meanes to the expedition of death Therefore we must haue a good conscience IF we consider profoundly of the cause of this terror which man hath of death we shall finde it is a naturall feeling though dull and some what brutish to haue offended his Lord thinking that he attends nothing but death to lay open the volumne of his faults to indite him criminally to pronounce sentence of condemnation against him and to deliuer him ouer to Satan the executioner to cast him into a fire which is neuer quenched Man hath a confused apprehension of all this he sees nothing in life hee feares it in death his conscience within accuseth him and serues for a thousand witnesses It is that which makes the wicked to tremble when the leaf of a tree doth fall and liues no more assured then if his life were tyed to a thread it is the Worme which neuer dies but gnawes the wicked continually It is a bad conscience said Diogenes which keepes man from beeing couragious and without feare Let a man bee by nature hardy yet a bad conscience will make him most fearefull said Pithagoras yea he added that the torments which hee shall suffer will bee much more sharpe and painefull then whipping to the body the diseases of the minde being far more grieuous then of the body which gaue occasion to Poets to paint the Furies armed with burning torches to burne the wicked So was the Emperor Caligula intreated for his cruelties terrified with feare waking awaked suddainely sleeping alwayes troubled neuer in quiet Nero was in the same estate hauing slaine his mother So Saule being forsaken by the Eternall was possest by an euill spirit hauing bad newes of his speedy death he trembles for feare forsakes his meate and drinke is much perplexed falls downe vppon the ground as the Scripture doth obserue for then the Iniustice committed against Dauid whom he had confest with his mouth to bee more lust then himselfe came to his minde Wherefore if we will liue without feare of death let vs liue without wounding of our coÌ„sciences for it alone in life doth neuer feare said wise Bias It is it that makes men liue in tranquility finding theÌ„selues not guilty of any thing Periander sayd that a good conscience made Agis King of the Lacedemonians triumph ouer his enemies in death for as hee was led to execution by the Ephores seeing some moued with compassioÌ„ to weep Weepe not for me said hee for it is against equity and reason that I am led
their immortalitle Answer This Obiection seemes subtill but to speake truly it hath but the shew not the effect for it is subiect to many pertinent answeres First to alledge an inconuenience is not to dissolue the question 2. It is a consequence ill applied to say Such a one hath not spoken therefore hee is no man Wee haue digged verie deepe into the earth and yet wee neuer heard any of them that goe with their feete against ours therefore there are no Antipodes So the soules speake not vpon dead mens lippes therefore they haue none for beeing thus hindred is the cause they neither heare nor see any signe of their life Thirdly the teares of the dead mans kinsfolkes are ill grounded Socrates a Pagan knew it well when hee said that we must leaue the soule at rest and not trouble it with lamentations The holy Ghosts goes farther and assures That blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord yea for certain saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them this should assure and reioice and not discomfort by a foolish desire that ioy of the soule of the deceased Fourthly God will not that we should be inquisitiue of the dead he forbids it expresly in his law pronounceth abhomination against them that doe it He hath giuen Moses and the Prophets let vs adde the Apostles if they will not beleeue them neither will they beleeue the soules of the deceased If that the liuing are forbidden to enquire how then can the dead haue leaue to speake Fifthly the soules are prest at the departure from their bodyes to yeeld an account of their administration in this life vndergoing a particular iudgement This is beleeued rightly and wholesomely saith S. Augustine that the soules are iudged at the departure from their bodies before the comming to this Iudgement at the which hauing taken againe the same bodyes they must appeare Also S. Hilary saith that immediately without any delay after death we vndergo a Iudgement and passe into Paradise or into Hell Finally Salomon to the end wee should not doubt sayth That God will easily render vnto man according to his workes at that day of his deceasse That the affliction of one houre makes him forget all pleasures and that the ende of man is the manifestation of his workes 6 S. Athanasiws sayeth It is not the will of God that the soules should declare the estate wherein they are for that many should be deceaued many errors wold grow the Deuils being ready to make men thus abused to beleeue what they would suggest as Crepet the Celestin doth well obserue and he adds that the like happened lately to a poore woman of Verum seduced by a diuell which appeared vnto her in the forme of her Grand father perswading her to goe in Pilgrimage to doe other things which were impossible So S. Augustin writes that Vincentius the Donatist was counselled to write against the Christian religion by a spirit which appeared vnto him 7. The Soule destitute of the Organs of her body being not yet glorified nor illuminated with the Celestiall splendor nor adorned with the supernaturall gifts which God cōfers vpon her for her felicitie cannot satifsie the will of the kinsfolkes that be present desiring a testimonie of her blessednes and life for the soule sayth S. Athanasius in the former passage as soone as she hath layed down her body can worke neither good not euill And as for visions that appeare from thē God by a certaine dispensation shewes them as it pleaseth him For as a Lute if there be no man to play of in seems idle and vnprofitable so the soule and body being separated one from another haue no operation The which Ecclesiastes doth confirme saying Certainly the liuing know that they shall dye but the dead know nothing neither doe they get any thing for their memory is forgotten in like manner their loue their hatred and their enuy perish and they haue not any portion in the world of whatsoeuer is done vnder the Sun Wherfore let vs cōclude and say That the soule whilest that shee giues any life to her dying body with the last puffe of life yeeldes a certaine testimony of her ioy and immortality by the inspiration of the holy Ghost as it happens to many good men But to demand instantly vpon death some token from the soule dislodging were to tempt God to mock at the deceased acd to be an vniust demander and therefore iustly to be refused The 5. Argument taken from the aspect of the face Whatsoeuer is represented by a iust mirrour or glasse is true The immortality of the soule is represented by the iust mirror of the face AS the soule of man is the Image of God so the face is the Image of the soule and therefore the Eternall creating the soule of man did breathe it in his face which the holy Ghost cals respiration of life so the property of man is to paint in his face by his diuers colours the diuers affections of his soule Wisedome saith Salomon cleeres the face of man and his fierce and sowre aspect is changed The Latines haue called it vultus for that the will is read in the forehead the manners of the soule follow the humours of the body saith Gallen and if some one belies his inclination it is a maske which hee puts on and therefore Momus did vniustly blame God for that hee had not made man with an open heart Thereon is all the Art of Phisiognomie grounded an Art which without this faining euery man would learn without teaching By the face that Diuiner Egyptian familiar to Marc. Anthony did know the diuers dispositions of men These markes of the face are imprinted with the seale of the soule and hee that will not iudge by such markes ingrauen of the brightnesse and immortality of the soule is without iudgement Homer writes that Vlisses hauing escaped from shipwracke was graciously entertained and reuerenced by the Pheagues hauing no ornament then but this vertue generous disposition the beauty excellency whereof appeared in his fore-head Man in like sort carries on his fore-head the markes of his immortal soule Wherof the first is the carrying his countenance straight vp to heauen proper to man at all times to him alone and to all the generation of mankinde which shewes his be ginning to bee celestiall and immortall for that onely is perishable which is vnder the region of the Moone whatsoeuer is aboue it is not subiect vnto destinie The 2. is that foresight afarre off those beames I say cast farre and wide by the piercing sight without staying vpon that which doth touch it or enuiron it neere which shewes that the flight of the soule must go farre If any one say that certaine birds foure footed beasts see farre but it is not to the same end for man doth it only for the
efficient cause of Immortaliti But the soule is eleuated aboue all time and place IT is without all question that onely time ruines all things yet the vnderstanding is not subiect to time for the time past is present vnto it And therefore man shall see an act plaied before him and yet he shall haue another in his vnderstanding which was done 10. 20. or 30. yeares before and shall haue it so present in his minde as the spirituall intuition thereof will steale from his corporall eyes that which is presently acted before them So Scipio Affricanus sayed that he was neuer lesse alone then when he was alone why For that his actes past his armies led and his triumphes presented themselues vnto him in the most solitarie walkes of his garden Obserue a horse he doth not see seele nor thinke of any thing but the obiect that is before his eyes But contrarie-wise the soule is there where she stayes least she studies and calls to mind what is past becomes wise for the future before shee sees and of three times makes but one for that she is not subiect to time this is plainly seene in the Prophets to whom the future is reuealed in the spirit as it were present by him that hath made time And this is the true reason why the Prophets speak without lying of things to come as if they had bin done So Esay chap. 9. spake of Iesus Christ A child is borne vnto vs a child is giuen vs for hee saw him borne with his Propheticall eyes dead and risen againe I would insist vpon this Argument if it were not as plaine as it is firme As for the naturall place of the Soule she is not definite for she is all in the braine all in the heart all in the liuer all in the Matrix so of the other parts of the bodie not according to the totall of her vertue for she is one in the head an nother the feete another in the sight another in the hearing But she is thus diffused according to the totall of her essence which makes her in some sort infinite and by consequent immortall It is not then of her as of the moouer of a great wheele which touching one part makes all the rest turne Nor as a King who sitting in his Pallace stretcheth out his hands to the farthest confines of his kingdome But as God in the world who is in heauen on earth and all in all The first Obiection All that is distempered by heate and drought is perishable Such is the Soule GAllen thinking that the Soule burnes in the body by a burning feauer is lost with the great losse of bloud and that a strong poyson doth poyson it hee protests plainely that vntill that time hee had doubted what the substance of the Soule was but then growne wiser as well by practise as by age he durst boldly sweare that it was nothing but the temperature of the bodie And therefore calling Plato out of his graue hee demands of him how it is possible the soule should be immortall Answer The heate of a feuer and the corporall force cannot worke vpon the soule neither can she suffer and although the actions which the soule doth by meanes of the Organes of the body be depraued or interrupted by the deprauation and interruption of the Organes yet for all that the soule loseth nothing of her vertue nor of her habilitie He that euen now played excellently well on the Lute must not be held to haue lost his cunning if taking a Lute ill mounted and with 〈◊〉 stringâ—… hee play ill or if hauing no strings at all he ceaseth to play It is euen so of the spirit in the body for in the sinewes flowing from the braine there distills a certain vital spirit as a beame of the Sun of whose force the soule makes vse first to handle the sinewes and by them the Muscles which being afterwards moued reuiue euery member apart and altogether Now if any maligne disease come to depraue this subtile humor the functions of the soule feele it but not the soule Moreouer as certaine vncleane spirits remaining in some darke and filthy house by reason of the vapors agreeing with their dispositioÌ„ if it be clensed the doore windowes set open if a good aire a comfortable Sun and wholsome wind enter into it if it be inhabited by many who passe the time ioyfully and especially if they play vpon many Instruments these spirits quit the place So by a contrary analogie the soule is kept and entertained in the bodie by certaine spirituall qualities and fit for her exercises which comming in time to change to the contrarie they chase away the soule being glad vpon that occasion to dislodge from a place which was not to be held Thirdly if the temperament bee nothing but the Quintâ—…ssence of the mixtion of the foure elements whereof mans body is compounded as the harmonie is the fift sownd rysing from all the parts in Musicke and if Gallen meanes not to speake but of this soule which hee hath felt in the touching of the pulse in the Anatomie of the body I say of the vegetatiue and the sensitiue soule wee may yeelde vnto him But of the reasonable soule which contaynes these two within her compasse as the fift angle doth a triaÌ„gle quadrangle which makes vse of the temper to the bodie as of an instrument to rule and gouerne it as the Pilot doth the Helme to conduct his ship that cannot be for to confound the instrument with the principal agent the Pilot with the Helme were no reason In the actioÌ„s of a vegetatiue sensitiue life although there be a mature teÌ„perature required yet shall they neuer proue that this temper is necessary to vnderstand and contemplate seeing that out of all question the most exquisite contemplation consists in the sequestratioÌ„ of the soule from the communion of the body for that contemplation is the more certen the more it is sequestred from grosse circumstaÌ„ces of matter place and time things which with their accidentarie attires are perceiued by the seÌ„ses do often deceiue How often hath our sight and our hearing deceiued vs thinking to see heare one thing which proued another But the sciences as the Mathematicks which extract the Essences out of bodyes are neuer deceiued following their art and much lesse the Metaphisicke which coÌ„templates the pure spirits free from any contagion of matter But if the reasonable soule were nothing but the temperament of the body it could not bee but among a millioÌ„ of beasts which are in the world some one should bee found which had the same mixture of the the foure first humors which are in man and by consequence the same reasonable facultie and if any reply that the chiefe difference is in the braine I will answer that the Anatomy doth not shew any difference of the braine of men and beasts The 2. Obiection If the soule liued out of
my reason shall driue me there will I cast Anchor he speakes like a Poet in an extacie Seneca with a moâ—…e setled spirit will say That the election and direction we must take in this point is from perfect reason by the which we exceede bruite beasts and come neere vnto God â—…e might as well haue named the Euangelicall faith the true consuâ—…ation of reason but hee understood not the name But before I conclude I beseech you Gentlemen reade the whole Discourse and then giue your censures for as one Swallow makes no Summer but many flying in diuerse places and at seuerall times so if one reason shall not seeme sufficient vnto you many ioyned together will chase away the apprehension of death I meane not all apprehension but the excesse for it is the end of this Combat which tends to no other end but to reduce the extreame feare of death to a iust meane and to sweeten the imaginary bitternesse but wholly to pull this feare vp by the roote is neither possible nor profitable to the â—…nd that no man deceiue himselfe It is not possible for that man being naturally subiect to passion hee cannot disrobe himselfe vtterly of all passions but with his humanitie it is the worke of death why then should we feare it seeing that by the benefit thereof we cast away all feare Neither is it profitable during this life for as Architas saith Vertue springs from passions and prooceding from them dwels with them euen as the best harmony is composed of a sharpe Superius and a graue base euen so feare like to other passions being reduced to a mediocritie to the seate of true reason is conuerted into valour a vertue most necessary in a man Moreouer a wise and vnderstanding man must not cast himselfe rashly into dangers for hee cannot eclipse himselfe of this life but to the great preiudice not of himselfe but of the Church or Common-weale Finally I expect not herein to please all the world I haue bâ—…ene long of Solons minde that in a matter of importance it is a hard thing to please all men but I will adde impossible On the other side I know that Momus the Cynick will shoote against this butte the blackest arrows of his enuie and disdayne yet I entreate you Gentlemen not to beleeue his saying vntill that hee hath done better vpon this subiect otherwise as you know he is not to bee admitted in his opposition There are twelue houres in the day if this Discourse be forced to hide it selfe at the first it may be it will haue passage at the last and admit it should not happen that which one spake brauely I will protest freely It is enough if I haue few readers enogh if one enough if none at all for in this matter the aduice which Seneca gaue to his friend Serenus for a point of tranquillitie pleaseth me and I wâ—…ll depend thereon What neede is there saith hee to compose bookes which last whole ages wilt thou breake thy braine that posteritie may speake of thee Thou art borne to dye funerals without pompe are not so full of trouble wherfore if thou doest compose any thing let it be in a plaine stile to imploy thine iâ—…le time and for thine owne vse Euen so I haue ioyfully imployed my selfe according to my poore facultie to gather together the points of reason dispersed here and there against the feare of Death if it bee for no other then my selfe yet my labour shall not be in vaine and hauing done what I could I shall be acquited But I had almost forgot to defend my selfe from the iâ—…uectiue of some seuere Areopagite to haue produced the strongest obiections of the most â—…rofane against the immortalitie of the soule These are hee will say stinking irruptions of pestilent excrements which should be buried in the bottomlesse pit of hell and not infect the pure ayre of our Horizon To thiâ—… crimination I oppose foure reasons for my iustification the one is that the ayre of our Horizon is not pure but much infected with such contagion hee that doth not feele it nor heare it is a lepar and deafe There is one hath written aboue 20. yeeres since that impiety which before did but whisper in the eare and mutter betwixt the teeth presumed now to come into the Pulpit and to poure forth her blasphemies and doe wee not see and heare in this age which is much impaired that the most prophane are in most fauour and authoritie In this latter plague at Paris the chiefe Chirurgians of the Citie assembled in their Colledge where they published by writing all the poyson of this malignant disease and haue according to their Arte propounded counterpoysons to quench it who will blame them nay who will not thanke them The plague of the soules the damned doctrine of her death is propounded and refuted by sollide reasons who will repine at it The second is taken from the thing it selfe which is the immortalitie of the soule Truth will not be flattered nor disguised shee contents her selfe with her owne constancie and her naturall Ornaments shee is like the Palme tree which the more it is prest downe the higher it growes It is like gold the more it is tried the brighter it shines Hee that doubts of his cause likes not many questions we doubt not of the immortality of the soule the more she strikes against the stone of contention the more the fire of her immortall extraction will appeare The third reason comes from them that contradict the trueth if you suffer them alwayes to braue it in the end they will proclaime a triumph It is not the part of a braue soldier but of a coward to suffer his enemy to keepe the field he must chase him away and vanquish him if it bee possible Answere the foole according to his folly saith the wise man to the end hee esteeme not himselfe wise Finally the order of my disputation hath held me vnto it the equall Law of duels binds mee to withstand all the attempts which my aduersarie shall deuise to make against me I entertaynâ—… him in the chiefe charge of the feare of death I am bâ—…nd to doe it in the accessory of the immortality of the soule least I should be held a Preuaricatour a turnecoate and a perfidious dissembler of the cause But it may be some consor will reply You plant distrustfull thornes in the hearts of the simple which heretofore dia flie ioyfully vpon the wings of the immortality of their soules I answere That to pull vp the thornes which Satan and his adherents haue planted to resolue difficulties propounded by Sâ—…phisticall reasons is not to plant Moreouer simple soules whâ—…ch haue bin taught in the Lords Schoole the honour which they owe vnto him will not suffer themselues to bee dazeled nor deceiued with the illusion of carnall reasons Thirdly humane fragilitie is such that these which now saile happily in the sea of this world
All that is depraued and there is nothing but a horrible confusion in his will and actions 7. He was absolute Lord ouer all Creatures which trembled at his looke and brought him fruits according to his desire 8. Now they rebell and assaile him yea the earth instead of good corne brings forth nothing but thornes thistles 9. He had frequent conuersation with God inspired of him and breathing by him 10. Now the Prince of the power of the aire the vncleane spirit workes powerfully in the children of rebellion which are all the sonnes of Adam Ephes. 2. 2. 11. A glorious angelical and diuine Maiesty did shine in his face 12. Now they couer their shame with leaues they hide themselues among the trees and crie out Mountains fall vpon vs and couer vs. To conclude there is no greater contrariety betwixt day and night then of these famous qualities to the infamous blemishes of man as he liued in this world before his regeneration in the which by little and little hee recouers this Iustice holinesse and trueth Ephes. 4. 24. But the fulnesse thereof is reserued to heauen whither death leades vs and therefore to be desired The Fourth Argument taken from the efficient cause All that a good and wise mother giueth vnto her Children cannot be hurtfull Nature our good and wise mother giues vs death Death then cannot be hurtfull THe first proposition of this Argument cannot bee denyed after the experience which wee haue seene after the comparison which God makes of himselfe with a mother who cannot forget her child nor he his people After that Iesus Christ had said No man giues a stone instead of bread nor a Scorpion for fish to him that he loues And how then can nature the liuely spring of so liuely a loue giue any thing that is very hurtfull and fayle at neede and in the principall hauing neuer fayled vs in all the course of our life Now to proue that the second proposition is true and that nature hath ordayned death for her children Seneca doth teach vs saying That death is a Law of nature yea that our whole life is but a way vnto it S. Cyprian also doth affirme that it is a decree intimated vnto the world that whatsoeuer is borne should haue an end and from whom is this decree from God the Authour of nature the executioner of this decree but it is a fauourable decree to such as Heauen fauours It is a generall Law to restore that which is lent vs this life is but a loane wee must restore it at the end of the time it is a tribute wee owe for we entred vpon condition to depart when it shall please the master Moreouer what is this life but a harmony rising from the mixture of the foure elements which are the foure ingredients of our bodie and what is death by the censure of Hippocrates but a diuorce of marriage of these foure Elements This diuorce is as naturall to man as it is naturall that fire should be contrarie to water and ayre to earth for their contrarietie is the cause of this diuorce which is death I know that it is not sufficient for humane life to haue a body well tempered with his Organes and to haue the power of life but he must also haue a fist Effence as a Lute well strung and well tuned is not sufficient to make it sound vnlesse there bee a hand to play vpon it And I also maintayne that as the Musitian ceaseth to play when the Instrument is vnstrung so the soule ceaseth to giue life vnto the body yea flyes out when it is destroyed but this destruction is naturall and by consequence death and to that end Nature hath planted this body vpon pyles which take vent vpon boanes not very solide caulkt ouer with soft flesh glued with a viscous humour which may easily melt with heate or dissolue with rayne full of transparent veines easie to pierce watered with vnholesome water tempered with contrarie qualities which a certaine temperature keepes at quiet for a season but when euery one desires to command his companion and time in the end presenting the occasion the common right being forced the body sodainely falls And this force is of nature who must needes effect the words of the Lord spoken vnto man Thou art dust and shalt returne to dust Sonnes of men returne but whither From whence you came to the earth to death death then is of nature and therefore Thales the Milesian said that there was no difference betwixt life and death for that they are both equally according vnto Nature and as one demanded of him why he was in life and dyed not For the same cause answered he that the one is no more excellēt then the other It is also the reason why the Emperor Antonin the gentle seeing his seruants weepe lying sicke in his bed hee sayed vnto them Why weepe you for me and not rather the naturall and mortall condition of all the world that is to say Why doe you not rather weepe for life which is of a mortall condition The answere of Anaxagoras was more vertuous who being aduertised of the death of his deere and onely Sonne sayd O Messenger thou bringest me no vnexpected newes I know well I had begotten a Sonne that was mortall hee was not insensible like a stone but he considered that nothing had chanced to his sonne but what he had foreseene from his birth his long foresight and his sodaine con sideration of the condition of all men for to die had tēpered all sorow in him and brought him to reason which should alwaies holde the helme of this little world man Like was the answere of Lochades father to Siron vp on the like report of the death of one of his children I knew well sayth he that he should dye VVe shall see others hereafter to the ende they may haue no cause to say that this resolution was monstrous in the world To conclude nature to make vs resolue ioyfully vnto death seemes to direct vs to the sweete song of the Swanne a presaging bird consecrated to Apollo by Antiquitie the which dying nature gathers together about the heart the purest and sweetest bloud which makes him Iouiall and to sing a happie presage to whom Socrates Plato and Tully send them that haue so great feare of death An Obiection Satan Man and Sinne are the causes of death Therefore it is not Nature ANswere When it is said in the holy Scripture that Satan holds the empire of death that by one man sinne entred into the world and by sin death finally that death is the reward of sinne we must not vnderstand it of the naturall death whereof the question growes but of the spirituall and eternall death as many of the ancient fathers doe expound it And how else could the threatning of God against Adam be vnderstood touching the tree of knowledge of good and euil Thou shalt not eate
These are the differences which distinguish a liuing Creature from a plant the sensitiue life from the vegetatiue If sensible things perceiued by their sence were of themselues to bee desired without doubt the more excellent they were in their kind the more pleasing they should be yet contrariewise we see that the thing that is most sensible offends that sence most which is proper vnto it The fire burnes with touching and doth stupefie and takes from it his sensitiue vertue the thunderclap dulls the hearing troubles the braine and by a long continuance of a great noise makes him deafe and so of the other sences Moreouer if the reason of life consisted in the sences who would beleeue that man were the more perfect creature seeing that many exceed him in sence for the spider in the subtiltie of touching the Ape in the bountie of tast the Vulture in the force of smelling the Boare in the ventue of hearing and lastly the Linx in the seeing facultie exceeds him farre Thirdly these Organs of the sences are ordained only by nature for the vegetatiue life that is to say either for the preseruation of the Indiuiduum by eating and drinking or of the Species by generation It is true that man applyes them also to other ends then we haue obserued but those Creatures which haue nothing but the two first degrees of life whereof we treat imploy their sences to no other end but to entertaine themselues or for generation So the Lyon will start at the sight of a stag but it is for that he sees his preie prepared and not simply for that the stag hath such varietie of colors The Nightingale will answere with a melodious sound hearing another sing it is not for any delight it hath for in a true declaration it sufficeth not that the sence take pleasure in the obiect which is proper and proportionable vnto it but this proportion must also be inwardly apprehended cōceiued the which is neither found in the Nightingale nor in any other creature destitut of reason And whence then comes will you say the cause of this sodaine answer to the voice heard It proceeds from the complexion of the Nigh tingale to the point wherof it mounts when as the sound which beates the ayre strikes his eare and enters thereby into his head as we finde by experience in our selues whenas hearing any one yaune we are moued to doe the like hearing one sing we sing seeing the world runne we runne after it yet know not whither the Quaile by example wil be moued at the singing of the masle not for any delight shee takes but from the motion to generation which she feels kindled in her selfe The Dog will faune and leape vpon his master whom he had lost and yet this doth not proceed from any naturall instinct tends to no other end but to be kept defended and fed by his sayd master Finally hee that will duly obserue it shal finde that all the sences of vnreasonable creatures haue no other end but preseruation generation an end intimated in the vegetatiue life a life we saw had no sufficient reason to moue our desire how then shall the sensitiue haue Moreouer if reason and the desire of life consisted in the pleasure of the sences why haue they which were most giuen vnto it had wretched ends and ignominious liues the Emperour Vitellius Spinter thinking to find his felicitie in it incountred his ruine hee was giuen to lust and gormandize so excessiuely as at one supper hee was serued with 2000 sorts of fish and 7000 of fowle And what was the end of this life He was sodainely slaine pierced through with small darts drawne naked through the streets and cast into Tiber after the eight month of his Empire and before the sixtieth of his age To this wee will adde one in our fathers time Muleasses King of Tunis who although hee were banished from his Realme and had succours denyed by Charles the fift yet he was so drowned in the delights of sensualitie as hee spent a 100 Crownes for the sauce of a Peacocke and the more to bee rauished with musicke he caused his eyes to bee banded and to delight his smelling hee was continually perfumed with Muske What happened He was defeated in battaile by his own Sonne Aminda and as hee fled disguized he was followed by the sent of his perfumes discouered and taken and his eyes put out with a hot Iron by his owne Children O crueltie but a iust iudgement of God for his voluptuousnesse Then comes the sight so piercing and passionate after the faire faces of women and stayes not there onely but O shamefull sight it will see the bodies naked the which is condemned both by God and man Romulus condemned that man to death which suffered himselfe to bee seene naked by a woman how much more is that woman to bee condemned which layes aside all modestie with her smocke as Giges said in Herodotus The Emperours Valentinian Gratian Theodosius religious obseruers of chastitie did forbid vpon great penalties that none should shew themselues naked in publike but to Tiberius Caligula Heliogabalus others who tooke no delight but to defile their eyes and bodies with such shamefull spectacles God did shew his horrible Iudgements in their deaths Finally voluptuousnesse hath not only bene the cause of the ruine of men alone but of whole Estates Sybarides a Towne seated betwixt two riuers in old time strong and flourishing did rule ouer foure bordering people had vnder their obedience 25. Townes and could bring to field 300. thousand men armed yet by the dissolution of the Sybarites in two moneths ten dayes shee was spoiled of all her felicity and greatnes drowned and quite ruined The like excesse was the ouerthrow of that mighty Romaine Empire as wee may easily reade in them that haue written of that subiect As long as Curius and Fabricius led The Romaine Armies that for dainties fed On boiled turnops and the cresses were Amongst the Persians th' only delicate cheare In peace both led their liues retired still And fear'd in warre did with their Trophees fil Almost all earth But when of th' after seede Of Syrian Ninus Persians learn'd to feede On sugar delicacies and that Rome With pleasure of their bellies ouercome In Galba's Rule Vitellio's Nero's liuing No lesse for glory in their dishes striuing Then if in conflict they the field had won Of Mithridates and Alcides son All iustly saw themselues by nations spoy'ld That they long since had fought withall and foil'd Warning those Realmes that take their courses now Lest they their earth with equall ruines strow The Obiection The moderate vse of the sences in worldly things is pleasant and lawfull Therefore it is reason to desire life ANswer The word moderate shewes of it selfe that this reason is verie moderate and weake yea that there is contradiction in the adioinct as they say true pleasure admits no moderation it
call the sweat of death Sleepe proceedes from the fume which the meat digesting causeth this fume mounted vp and thickned by the coldnes of the braine descends againe and disperseth it selfe ouer all enters into the nerues by the which both sence and motion is distributed throughout the whole body so as death makes all the actions of the body to cease euen so sleepe doth all the feeling of the sinnewes of the senses and all motion of the exterior members For as wee doe often finde children lying asleepe vpon the ground thinking they were dead so man dying doth ofteÌ„ deceiue them that stand by being not able to iudge whether he be dead or sleepes Man cannot alwayes watch he must sleepe neither can he liue for euer he must dye and as he growes idle that can take no rest so hee is madd that thinkes not to die As he that stooping to his worke doth stemm with trafficke Boate along the shore the streame and pouring out himselfe in watrie sweate breakes all the bancks in vprore In retreate made to his Cottage from the laboring light strecht on the straw sleepes soundlie all the night As man after that hee hath sweat with tedious labour being broken and growne crooked with age after that he hath tost and turmoyld kept a great stir in the world being layed in the earth rests in death he that goes to bed puts off his clothes he that dyes vnclothes his bodie and his soule departs And as he that hath eaten and drunke freely feels in his stomacke a gnawing and cruditie which hinders his rest so hee that hath busied himself too much with worldly affayers feels vpon the approching of rest a remorse of conscience and an irresolution which will not suffer him to imbrace death quietly sleepe seazeth vpon mâ—…n lying awake in his bed insensibly so can he not obserue the verie moment of approaching death when sleep comes he feels no paine no more that the verie instant of death If men be froward and cry out when death approcheth so do they especially little children who crie most when sleepe comes vpon them Finally as in our soundest sleepe wee feele no paine we hold it a wrong to be awaked so let vs assure our selues we shall feele lesse paine in death seeing her sound sleepe cannot be troubled nor interrupted in any sort and therefore Diogenes taken with a sound sleepe a little before his death the Physition inquiring if he had felt no paine no answered he the brother comes before his sister So Gorgias LeoÌ„tinus being neere his end his bodie without streÌ„gth he had many slumbers so as a friend of his demanding how hee found himselfe Well saith he the brother beginnes to deliuer mee into his sisters hands Moreouer Nature which hath made nothing in vaine seems to assure vs of this proportion by the Dormouse which sleepes all Winter so foundly as it will rather endure all extremities then awake I haue seene a man of good credite put one into water boyling on the fire the which did not awake but only mooue the hinder legs a little yet in the Spring it is nimble leaps from branch to branch a goodly signe of the Refurrection of the dead The fifteenth Argument taken from former experience Not to be yet and to be no more are alike yea the same We â—…ere in peace and rest when we were not yet Therefore when we shall bee 〈◊〉 moreâ—… shall be iâ—… peace and râ—…st IT is an humane Argument which takes matters at the â—…orst and death for the 〈◊〉 priuation of the whâ—…le man yet without preiudicâ—… of his right if there bee any fouÌ„d Of necessity saith Pâ—…o death must bee one of these two a with-drawing or extinguishing of al sense and of the soule likewise or a transmigra tion as they holâ—… into some other place if death doth extinguish all and be like vnto sleepe the which most commonly when it is not troubled with dreames and fancies bring a â—…uiet rest O God what a gaine is death 〈◊〉 c. But if it be true which some say that death is a â—…ransport â—…o the happy regions that our soules hauing shined in these mortall bodies on this bare earth go to shine elewhere as when the Sâ—…nne aftâ—… that he hath enligâ—…ned ouâ—… horizon descâ—…nds to giue day vnto an other and then returnes to make his course anew what decease is there of the soule morâ—… then of the Sun which runnes his course through our horizon all the day and at night seemes extinct and dead to vs Or suppose there were an vtter extinguishing decease of the Soule aswel as of the Body what cause were there of feare in this extinguishing since not to haue bene at all and to cease to be is all one because the effect both of the one and the other is not to be Then why should wee feare that now when by the experience of aboue fiue thousand yeares when we were not that is to say that we were dead we neuer felt any kind of paine Hereunto king Aâ—…asis had re gard obseruing one who lamented much for the losse of his sonne If sayd hee thoâ—… didst not mourne when thy sonne was not at all neither shouldest thou now grieue that he be no more Let vs conclude with Seneea That according to the opinion of all the world he carries the supreame degree of folly that weepes for that hee liued not a thousand yeares since so hee doth second him which grieues that he shall not bee here the like â—…e oâ—… oâ—… it iâ—… all onâ—… â—…ou â—…d noâ—… be and You haue â—…ot benâ—… So spakâ—… the wiâ—…e man by the mouth of mâ—… saying We 〈◊〉 as if we 〈◊〉 not bâ—… Obiection Not to haâ—… had â—…llent things and â—…o 〈◊〉 loâ—… them â—…fter the enioyng them a time are verie different â—…t he that hath not beene is like to him that hath â—…ot had those exâ—…llent things life and the 〈◊〉 thereof and he that is no more like him that hath lost them after the enioying of them Therefore not to haue bin and not to be are verie diffâ—… things THe verie word â—…o losâ—… iâ—… of it selâ—…e 〈◊〉 he thaâ—… after a clâ—… fight 〈◊〉 lose his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then he which hath loâ—… 〈◊〉 knowledge of his sences oâ—… reason anâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…out thâ—… which we had not bin Whaâ—… is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not see himselfe swallowed vp in a guâ—… of darkenesse â—…ay in eternall horrorâ—… And therfore S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name oâ—… the faithfull â—…aith 2. Cor. 5. That we whicâ—… in this lodging groane vnder the burthen dâ—…sire not to â—…e vncloathed buâ—… to be clothed againe to the ende thaâ—… mortal may be swallowed 〈◊〉 by life Which shewes that the desire of man is to be if he enclines to deâ—…h it is 〈◊〉 assured â—…oÌ„sideration â—…hat by â—…ath he enters into a 〈◊〉 and morâ—… perfect being elsâ—… he would alwaies 〈◊〉 not to be that
water and saw with drie eyes his life fade away But S. Ambrose assures that a good consciēce makes the life happy Be it so but forgets to adde That in the death of the faithfull this happynesse is doubled for it is pretious before God And in the end I deny that those men in whom a melancholy humour doth most abound suffer themselues to bee so abused in their iudgements for this humour is more aduised then all the rest hauing some diuine matter in it as Aristotle saith and therefore more to be credited then the rest and particularly more then the Iouiall sanguine As for the admonition of the Stoicks it was easie for them to speake it but vertue consists in action and I know not whether Epictetus did that himself which he taught to others otherwise as the prouerbe saith I hate the Philosopher which is not wise but for others and not for himselfe You will that I take the most troublesome things on the best fide yea but I see no end of that side it is like vnto occasion which hath long haire before and bald behinde Where is that end then I cannot see it and admit I should I cannot attaine vnto it being borne vnder the planet of Saturne alwaies taking things on that side which is sadde I would haue my neighbour and my aduersarie obserue your precept and he would haue me and so neither of vs doe it and we continue by reason of the one and the other in continuall vexation Finally the pleasure of this world is very small and intermixt with many displeasures It is a Myne where there is gold but it is so fastned to the stones as to draw one crowne it will cost 12. So there is not one ounce of ioy but doth cost a pound of sorrow The 18. Argument taken from the miseries of life Euery Estate that is full of calamity should desire and not apprehend a change This present life is full of calamity c. THe field of this streight life is so spacious and so full of great dangers and extreame miseries as the exchange thereof to him that hath any sence cannot be but delightfull Obserue the diseases of the body measure number their greatnes and their great number consider the tempests stormes of the passions of the soule the clouds and troubles of his vnderstanding and you will conclude that man must of necessity change this life or to be continually miserable in euery degree And therefore he was fitly compared to a Bull which leapt suddenly into his Maisters garden and by chance ouerthrew sundry skepps of Bees which being prouoked came forth assaile him and sting him on the throate backe in the eyes and generally all ouer And it auailes him nothing to pierce the ayre with his homes to beate the earth with his feete to whippe his flankes with his strong tayle to roare make a noyse yee his stingings sticke still-to him and do not leaue him So man since that in his Creatures garden in the earthly Paradise he durst presume to ouerthrow and transgresse his Masters commandments there is no part of him from the head to the foote which is not toucht and pierced euen to the marrow of his bones with many calamities his head is subiect to inflamed Phrensies which make him madd to the Apoplexie which like Lightening depriues him of all motion his eyes are toucht with the Opthalmie or inflāmation the Squinancie takes him by the throate which making the Muscles to swell with a congealed bloud stoppe the passage of respiration the inflamed Pleurisie stabs him in the sides the Feauer burns him the swelled Dropsie drownes him the Iaundise makes war against his Liuer powring forth gall for pure bloud the vngentle Cholike wrings his bowells straitens the passages and makes of his mouth a stinking Iakes the bloudy flux excoriates his gutts the hardened grauell staying his vrine in the bladder pricks him most horribly the Goute knits his sinnews faster then bonds of Iron the Canker burnes his flesh more then fire it selfe the filthie and lousie Phtiriasis eats his skin Finally there is not any member either within or without the body that is not subiect to many infirmities Who can comprehend them all seing the eyes alone by exact search of Physitions is assayled with 113. diseases And who doth not see here that the estate of man is very wretched And that which doth aggrauate this is that euen those helps wherewith they think to ease themselues the medicins are conuerted into worse torments then thé disease the strict dyets the bitter potions the cutting and burning of members which they vse in Cankers and other vlcers that tubbe wherein they boyle the bodies of such as are infected with the venerian scab or the French poxe with a thousand other deuices to restore health and life to man what torments what agonies and what cryes do they not cause vnto the poore patients These miseries are great but those of the minde are greater which seemed for her noble extraction not to be subiect to any Come and let vs runne ouer her faculties the vnderstanding holds the chiefe place at the very entrie of life we see in infants a greater ignorance then in brute beasts Fawns as soone as they are borne know their dammes and without helpe of any goe into the most secret places to seeke the dug and sucke whereas children new borne know not where they are and being neere the breast will crie and perish with hūger rather then suck as S Augustine writes and experience doth teach This ignorance hath taken such deepe roote in the spirit os man as to roote it out and passe vnto the sciences there is found such difficultie as most men had rather liue perpetually in darkenes then to take so much paines to learne Thirdly and that is most lamentable man knowes nothing of his last end in the getting of which knowledge consists his soueraigne good hee goes alwayes astray if God doth not inspire him from aboue Let all the sects of Philosophers be witnesse who by so many diuers waies haue sought it yet could not finde it Fourthly the ignorance in man of his Essence is a notable misery the Angels know themselues perfectly The soule knowes nothing lesse then it selfe and the body which was giuen it for an Organ of the Sciences hinders it that she neither knows her selfe nor any other thing for the body which corrupts makes the soule heauie and this earthly habitation puls downe the spirit that it cannot raise it selfe to thinke of many things For a fift point there is a curiositie or naturall itching to obserue the actions errours of others more willingly and diligently then his owne this misery is great for to know his owne faults is alwayes profitable and many times necessary to examine other mens actions is seldome good and many times pernicious There is for the 6. place and for the deepest degree of the calamitie
impossible that at the soules departure from the body there should be any great paine the soule leaues the body as the light doth the ayre which it doth inuest as Viues speakes after S. Augustine Wee must not then imagine heere a grosse tearing of the soule from the body as of a piece of cloth for the vnion of the soule with the body is spirituall and incomprehensible But of the pretended paine in death there is sufficiently spoken in the Obiection following As for the two other enemies it is true that the conscience presents vnto a dying man the foulenesse of his sinne and it is true that Satan tempts man to despaire to precipitate him into eternall perdition But for all this must a man that feares God feare death and feare to lose the battaile No but hee ought rather to assure himselfe of the victory and present himselfe boldly to the Combate as a valiant fortunate Champion against one that is weake and vnfortunate They that are for vs are stronger then they that are against vs God which hath begunne continues his worke in vs and ends it to his glory the faith which he hath prāted in vs wil quench the inflamed darts of the wicked spirit the full assurance of the remission of sins by Iesus Christ dead for our sinnes and risen for our iustification will pacifie the conscience and shew him Iesus Christ in heauen sitting on the right hand of God and stretching out his armes to him Thirdly the seales of the holy Ghost in vs for by it we are sealed to the day of Redemption Baptisme the Communion of the body of Christ and the Spirit of sanctification will terrifie Satan and make him flie Finally the good Angels which from our birth and throughout the whole course of our liues haue administred vnto vs guided and comforted vs will redouble their loue and courage in the like offices at our greatest need and at our last gaspe Let vs not feare seeing we haue such assurance in the Word of God which doth plainely witnesse that the Angells are administring Spirits sent to serue for their sakes that shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Here then is no subiect of desperate feare but rather of an assured resolution The 4. Obiection All paine is euill In dying there is paine EPicharmus by the testimony of Cicero sayd that he would not die but to be dead he cared not The reason is in my opinion for that he feared the passage of death not death it selfe which hee thought with vs had no paine There are many at this day of this opinion abhorring death like an internall gulfe for that they conceiue there is some sharp and violent paine which they endure before it comes and thereunto tends the prouerbe He is in bad case that dies And S. Augustine seemes to attribute I know not what sharpe feeling and force against nature in the diuulsion of the soule from the body which were vnited together Answere If death be terrible by reason of the paine we apprehend in it then life by the same reason should be more for in it some man endures more by the cholicke the stone the sciatica yea by the tooth ach and by many other infirmities without death then an other hath felt in dying And there is this aduantage in death that it comes but once wheras the aboue mentioned infirmities are often reiterated in life But to haue a perfect view if this paine bee so great as opinion a bad counsellor doth make vs beleeue let vs search with reason into the immediate cause of that which doth engender this paine in our bodies The pathes which leade man to death are infinite but all bend to one of these foure high wayes outward force subtraction of meate and drinke inward sicknesse and old age These foure kinds of death may happen to al men yea to wise men although by iniustice touching the first by some rare accident as touching the second concerning the third by ordinary corruption of humors and by an infallible defect of nature touching the fourth Paine according to the definition of learned Phisitions is the feeling of some thing that is offensiue and troublesome to the nature of the body for that it is contrary to the health thereof the which happens either by the dissoluing and cutting of his continued substance or by the alteration thereof which alteration proceeds from the intemperate heate or cold for as for humidity and drinesse they are rather passiue qualities then actiue whose operation is very slow and the paine in the member that is altered is suddaine not gentle as if you be exceeding cold and come to a very sensible paine cold settles his paine in disioyning heate in burning and it is to bee noted that any sence may be wounded yet little or nothing is his paine in comparison of that of touching the which is dispersed ouer the whole body from which no other vessell of the sences is exempt which is the cause that wee sometimes feele prickings in the eyes and shootings in the eares c. Let vs now come to the application Death which comes to man by extreame age can be no cause of paine there being nothing in him that tortures his body nothing that doth suddainely alter and change him by extreame cold or heate but his life goes out presently like vnto a Candle that wants tallow by the losse of his radicall humour deuoured by little and little since his birth by his naturall heate and although this heate doth yet striue as it hath formerly done to conuert the meate which is familiar and fit for the body into radicall humor to repaire his losse yet she can worke no more her vertue failes her euery agent hath his vertue limited what soeuer doth act suffers in acting through vse and in continuance of time this heate decayes dissolues is lost and death ensues So as it hath bene disputed in vaine whether life might bee continued this radicall humor being restored by some fit nutriment for that humor being at the first a certaine ayery onely portion of that seede which doth reside in all the sollide parts it is impossible that such an humour and so much as is needefull should be supplied in it's place The only fruite of the tree of life which was in Eden had this secret vertue by the diuine ordinance to make man immortal that shold eate therof and therefore according to the opiniō of the Fathers God suddenly after the sin chased Adam and Eue out of Eden least they should lay hold of that fruite and become immortally miserable with the diuells In processe of time there happens two notable changes to this radicall humour the one in the quality for that it degenerates by little and little of naturall becomes strange the other in the quantity for that it is wholy wasted whereunto man being once reduced he can suffer no paine if hee complaines
against Ramoth of Gilead were welcome but only Miche◅s who pronounced the contrary was put in prison and yet they were false and this true Let vs beware of the like least that fauour and grace deceiue vs in this matter Let vs take the ballance of equity and weigh the reasons propounded if they be good they wil weigh downe whatsoeuer shall be opposed and if they bee currant they will endure the touch let vs then try the first Huart a great Philosopher of Spaine maintaines that the vnderstanding hath his beginning his increase and his constitution and then his declining like vnto a man hee meanes his body for the vnderstanding is the most excellent part of man and like other Creatures and plants And for this cause hee that will learne at what age hi◅ vnderstanding is most strong and vigorous let him know that it is from 33. vnto fifty at what time the gravest Authors should be made if during their liues they haue had contrary opinions Hee that wil write bookes should compose them at this age neither before or after if hee will not retract or alter them Hitherto Huart which experience doth confirme for we see that as a man doth aduance in age he growes in wisedome and Iesus himselfe made true man aduanced in wisedome and stature Contrariwise age declining the spirit decaies in memory in quicknesse in vnderstanding so as man being very old hee becomes twice a child fumbling with his tong doating in minde As for that the Testators say that they are sound in minde it is to shew that neither age nor sicknesse hath as yet made them lose their spirits and therefore it is a true signe of their decay concluding contrary to the intention of the Author And whereas the labourer spake so diuinely it did not proceed from the neerenesse of death but from the alteration of the temperature of his braine growne whot in the first degree by the force of his infirmity so some women haue prophecied and spoke Latine yet neuer learned it by the same reason of the temperature required yet they die not suddainly in this estate To the 2. Religion proceedes partly from nature partly from institution from nature who to rule all Creatures to make them follow the traine of his order graues in them al a certaine terror indistinct apprehension The Creatures feare man and by this feare are contained in their duties man feares a hidden superiority and maintaines himselfe in society many times hee feares hee knowes not what nor wherefore and therefore it happens that women who are commonly more fearefull are more religious Yea they report of certaine bruite beasts which adore the deity as Elephants yet they do not say that their soules are immortall From institution for as vessells do long retaine the sent of their first liquor wherewith they are seasoned so children maintaine vnto the end the religion wherein they are bred and brought vp although it were the most fantasticke and strange in the world yea if in stead of sauing it should damme them as we may see if we will open our eyes in these times so fertill in religions To the 3. If the soule bee mortall it followeth not that nature hath made any thing in vaine if she hath hope or feare to be immortall it is to encourage it to vertue that is to say to the preseruation of that goodly order and to terrifie it from the infraction thereof if she dies her alteration of the immortality dries away Nature hath also giuen vnto the Bat a desire to see the light of the Sun yet this desire neuer takes effect Finally euery creature flies death and desires life not for a time but for euer and by consequent in their kind desire to be immortall and yet they attaine not to it To the 4. The heart beats continually and is immortal Dogs sleeping dreame and are mortall therefore the vnquiet and vncessant action of the soule can bee no certaine signe of her immortalitie To the Fift Iohn de Seres almost throughout the whole course of his history of France will answer That man findes no miserie but what he seekes The philosophers yea Diuines will say that felicitie proportionable vnto humaine nature consists in an vpright disposition of his will to carry himselfe according to the reason that is in him towards all things that shall present themselues to make his profit of al things not to trouble himselfe with any thing that can happen in this world and to nourish the seeds of vertue which are sowen in his mind To the Sixt Solon will answer that it is a hard matter to please all men some complaine of the shortnes of life if we obserue it these are such as haue prodigally consumed thēselus at cardes dice and haue not found it but toolate Others complaine of the length and cut it off before their time But Seneca wiser then either well say that wee must not be carefull to liue long but enough to liue long is a worke depending of destinie to liue enough is of the minde The life is long if it be full and it is full when the spirit affects her good and tranfers her power to her selfe O excellent speech hee that hath eares let him heare Let vs proceed certen creatures liue longer then man and which Rauens Stags the Phenix I doubt it much as for the Phenix it is a fabulous thing for Stags we know not any thing but by a writing which was found about a Stags necke Caesar gaue me this if it were the first Caesar it is long since but it might be some other whilest that the Emperours reigned in France and that is not long As for the Rauen a most importune and vnfortunate bird who hath tryed it But admit this were true there were but two or three excepted out of the generall rule of nature which is that man her chiefe worke liues longer then any other creature and it is her pleasure to except from the generall as we see else where ceasee then to blame that which you should commend and admire To the Seuenth and last simbolizing much with the second you must receiue the same answer And moreouer there is not found any generous instinct in the soule of man which appeares not as great in brute beasts for the preseruation and defence of their yong As for the confession pretended so easie of an offence committed the diuerse kinds of tortures invented to wrest it out in iustice belie it but you will say they are inwardly tormented how know you that who can see nothing but the exterior part Answere The doctrine of the humaine soule depends of a superior knowledge that is of the Metaphisicke whereof the rule is the Canon of the old and new Testament man must not presume to thinke he can fully comprehend it her perfect intelligence is reserued for vs exclusinely for euer when we shall behold it in
something from without vs Seneca The soule sayth he if thou lookest vnto her first beginning is not made of that masse of heauy flesh but is descended from the celestiall Spirit Epictetus calls the soule a branch puld from the diuinitie Plutarque in the Platonicall questions sayth that the soule participating of the vnderstanding and reason is not onely a worke of God but a part of him and not onely made by him but of him these are Hyperbolicall Elogies but by them these personages haue made it knowne how reuerently they did esteeme of a reasonable Soule hauing no thought that shee was materiall The 7. Argument taken from the effects of the Immortalitie of the soule Manifest effects doe manifestly shew their cause Consolation in the greatest heauines hope in the most desperate euents fortitude in the sharpest assaults are effects in man proceeding from the immortalitie of the soule MAn floating vpon the sea of this world at euery puffe of winde of aduersity would swound away and perish if the consideration of the immortall being of his soule as a most sure anchor did not comfort forti fie him they that haue strooke against the rocks of aduersity can witnesse it and such as haue not must prepare themselues for it for prosperitie which seemeth to be married vnto them wil crosse them and ouerthrow them in the end if they be not very wary for that her greatest happines is miserably to supplant her fauorites therefore euery man should in time make prouision of a strong Antidote against fortune And the true Antidote is a full perswasion of the immortalitie of the Soule For happen what can happen let the heauens riue let the earth open let the waues ouerflow the world such a man will continue constant vndaunted By this resolution Crates Diogenes Socrates the Curij Fabricij Decij and others desired rather to leaue their riches Scepters fauors the quiet rest of their bodies yea their owne liues then to abandon the least point of their dutie and honour By this beleefe Regulus did ioyfully suffer the inhumane torments of the Cathaginians to maintaine the Maiestie of his Countrie Attilius stood vnstirr'd at death that grew And with a deathles spirit ouerflew Foes highst inflictions smiling in disdaine At all the terrors in the Punique paine It is also the onely assurance which giues firme footing to the doctrine of Christ and makes a Christian hope in the middest of despaire which seemes howrely ready to swallow him vp either in the outward gulfe of persecution or in the inward gulfe of his flesh of his sences of his owne reason which hee must renounce to reuerence this doctrines of the Crosse of Christ which is a scandall vnto the Iewes and follie vnto the Gentiles which offends the most deuout and is reiected by most learned of this world How shall hee hope as some haue sayd in things so farre from reason what shall a man ioy when hee is a daptiue and force his reason by the which he is a man to giue glorie to God immortall Whence can it flow but from the spring of his immortall soule doubtlesse it was an admirable thing that contrary to the Edict of Nere whereby whosoeuer confest himselfe a Christian without any farther search should be put to death as an enemie to mankind men and women went by thousands to Christian Assemblies and to death not sadly but ioyfully But this exceeds all wonders that all thefe miseries endured haue no other foundation but to beleeue in a man whom no man sees to haue one for King who hath beene hanged on the crosse and to haue him sor the only and true God whom they had seene to haue but the disfigured forme of an infamous seruant to men of iudgement and to such as the truly faithfull are this would seeme impossible if their immortall spirits did not atâ—…end after this life nay rather this miserable death a most happie life as after a sharpe Winter a most sweet Spring Finally the onely apprehension of the immortalitie of the soule is it which giues force in the fiercest alarmes and sharpest temptations which made weake Dauid to triumph ouer strong Goliath Debora and Iudith of powerfull Tyrants this made Sceuola a prisoner to amaze king Porsenna to raise his seege from before Rome with many other examples both ancient and moderne all which had no other reasoÌ„ to moue them in their braue exploicts but the glorious brething of their immortall Soules The first Obiection From deluding opinions many times there follow strange and true effects Therefore the effects do not alwayes argue their cause to be true THE false Prophets of Baal did cut theÌ„selues the Anabaptists at this day do strange acts many others deceiued with vaine fancies which in them hold the place of certaine knowledge act terrible things Answere That false pastor that very impostor as counterfeit as lying being directly opposite to the truth cannot bee conceiued but by comparing with the truth whereof he is the shadow and priuation Euen so false religion presupposeth the true necessarily for hauing held her place shee makes terrible worke as in the false Prophets aboue mentioned in the Anabaptists and other Heretickes As then all religions haue for their first foundation the adoration of the Diuinity although diuers and variable which more or lesse follow the patterne which hath bene giuen vs by God in his holy word so all the Heroicke deeds all the worthy actions though thrust on diuersly by diuers passions yet haue they all the immortality of the soule for their first foundation without the which men like vnto beasts would onely care for the belly and not performe any worthy act much lesse endure so many reproches and miseries in this world as hath beene shewed and as is dayly seene The second Obiection If the soule were immortall it should be an euident Principle to euery man by his owne light as that two 2. make 4. that the whole is bigger then the part that we must flie euill and do good â—… things which wee know without learning ANswere I grant the consequence of the Maior for that the soule is immortal it is cleere by her owne brightnesse although she hath beene much darkened by sinne This is knowne to all men in all places and at all times which are the very conditions of the Principle And all that which they alledge is but to defend this truth against the cunning Sophistrie of the wicked spirit and of his supporters laboring by cauillings to dazle the eye of the soule that not seeing her immortality she might be intrapt in the snatos of Satan and suffer shipwradke of her faith The third Obiection If the soule were an essence subsisting of her selfe she should be knowne of all But no man could euer know it ALL men that enter into this question of the soule cry out O darkenesse ô pitty That which leades vs to the knowledge of things
Olaus Magnus by certaine Venetian Ambassadors by a Iacopin of Vlmes others but I leaue the interpretation free to the iudgement of the reader Thirdly if it were a worke without the compasse of reasō Plutarque Herodotus nor Plato wold euer haue beene credited in writing that one Thespesius Aristeus and Erus were raised vp againe Plinie who beleeued nothing but what hee saw among many that were raysed vp he reports of a woman which was dead seuen dayes and raised againe and that one Gabienus a valiant souldier of Caesars being put to death by order of iustice and left vpon the publike place was found afterwards speaking and asking for Pompey who came vnto him and had much speech with him Melchior Flauian makes mention of a woman whom hee had seene whose name was Mellula neere vnto Damas in Syria raysed vp againe the 6. day after her death in the yeare 1555. God will bring such tokens to assure the world of a future and vniuersall Resurrection As for the Maxime that there is no returning againe to the habite it is abusiue not only to God who can do all but euen to nature and to the order of the world which hath his forces limited So in a little child whose teeth haue beene pulled out the vegetatiue vertue will bring vp new So we reade of a certaine Abbesse who being an 100. yeares olde grewe young againe had her monethly courses her teeth put forth againe her haire grew black the wrinckles of her face filled vp Finally shee became as fresh and as faire as shee had beene at the age of 20. yeeres And if wee may beleeue histories she was not alone but followed and preceded by many others The naturall vertue at a certaine time as trees in the Spring did renue her worke euen foure times as to that man seene in the yeere 1536 by the Viceroy of the Indies who examined it carefully and found out the truth Fourthly that which shewes an insenfible impression of nature of the future Resurrection is the earnest and generall care to burie the dead honorably yea to keep them from corruption by balmes and Aromaticall sents by images of brasse and nayles fastened in the bodies for that brasse hath a speciall vertue against corruption There are yet other deuices which the Egyptians haue and doe vse and particularly obserued by thē of Arran an insularie region whereas the bodyes hang in the ayre and rot not so as the families without any amazement know their Fathers Grandfathers and great-grandfathers and a long band of their predecessors Peter Martir of Milan writes the same of some West-Indians of Comagra Moreouer I deny that man may alwayes see the tayle of that wherof he sees the head the resurrection of the body seeing the immortality of the soule that he must needes see the consequent if he discouers the Antecedent for the one hiding it selfe the other appeares sometimes to the sight of the vnderstanding And to conclude I deny not but that it is true which mans reason cannot verifie vntill it hath found out why the Adamant doth so powerfully draw iron vnto it and holds it fast by an vnknowne vertue why forked sticks of Elder are proper to discouer veines of gold and siluer Why long aftrr a man is dead the bloud will gush out if the murtherer approcheth Why if some desperate man hang himselfe will there rise suddaine stormes and tempests Why the stone called the Amede drawes iron to it on the one side and reiects it on the other with infinite other secrets of Na ture The third Obiection We onely feare that which wee think should be hurtfull vnto vs. The soule feareth death Therfore the soule thinks death should be hurtfull vnto her SOme make a question how the soule can be immortall seeing she hath so great feare of death Men laugh at the attempt of little children be they neuer so in choler for that they cannot hurt them why should not the soule thē mock at death Doth she not in like manner see the immortality feele it in her selfe without giuing so great apprehension to the poore◅ body which of it selfe without her should neuer feare death no more then a bruit beast Why is not the power of death dissolued whereas the authority of immortality intercedes as Tertullian speakes in the first booke of the Trinity Answer This is a most euident signe not of the mortality of the soule but that man is degenerate and corrupt That her Port is no more so free and braue But casts her eye downe like a fearefull slaue He seeles in his Conscience that he is guilty of high treason to God that this voluntary offence must soon or late bring a necessary punishmēt he feels in this life some smal touch he fears not without reason if by faith repentance his pardon bee not inrowled and his absolution sealed that at the departure from this life the executioner of diuine vengeance should stand lurking behind death to take him by the throat and to punish him according to his merits Wherefore if corruption did not generally possesse al men she would suppresse this fear reuerence her Creator and do her duty vnto him and then she should see that by that respectiue feare to offend her God she should be fully deliuered from all other feare shee should see that fearing onely the death of the soule which is onely to be feared shee should not feare that of the body which is to be desired But for that most men as S. Augustine doth teach feare the separation of the soule from the body and not the true death which is the separation from God it happens that fearing that they fall often into this So the soule beeing willing to shake off this feare of the Creator she must needes feare euery creature euen the smallest frogs mice and flies which flying about awake him suddainely and many times trouble him much but in the end death is aboue all extreame feares the most fearefull And why is this if like vnto bruite beasts all dyed in him and if in death there were nothing to bee feared Wherefore Propertius saith The spirit is something death leaues it in store The palest shadowes scapes to the burning shore But to conclude The soule hauing beene too familiar with the flesh shee hath gotten a habite she hath drawne such corruption as being ignorant of the happinesse which attends her in heauen shee cannot leaue this valley of misery this obscure prison but with great griefe being like vnto the man which being carried away an Infant by a she wolfe was nourished by wolues did houle with them and did liue and would liue among them and if hee were taken by other men he would leaue them to returne to his wolues as the History makes mention of one verifying the Prouerbe That nourishment passeth nature The sixt Argument from the efficient cause of Immortalitie The eleuation aboue time and place is the