it may be sauâ—d Put agaiâ—st the Pâ—â—itans they thus writâ— The (b) M. â—owâ—â— in his considerat Puritans are notorious and manifest Schismatiks cut of from the Church of God And againe The Puritans (c) M. Fâ—â—ks in his Epist dediâ— p. 3. seeke to vndermine thâ— foundation of fayth Now in requitall of this â—roceeding the PuritaÌ„s prefer the Roman Religion before the Religion of the moderate Protestant for thus with a ioynt consent diuers of them do affirme in a (d) Intituâ—eâ— A Christian and modest off r c. p. 11. booke by them written Jf we be in Errour and the Prelation the contrary syde haue the truth we protest to aâ—l the world that the Pope and the Church of Rome and in them God and Christ Iesus haue great wrong and indignity offered vnto them in that they are reiected Thus they Now what other deduction from these their seuerall censures can be drawne then that the Catholike Religion is the only true Religion the Relgiâ—on both of the Moderate Protestants and the Puritans is false For in that ech of them prefers his owne Reâ—igion before any other this may be presumed to proceede from partiallity and preiudice of iudgment in their owne behalfe But where they hold the Catholike fayth and Church rather to be imbraced then their Aduersaries fayth and Church this riseth from a cleare and imâ—artiall iudgment and from the force of all probable credibility And thus in this busines that most warrantable and receaued sentence takâ—th place Cui caeterae partes vel Sectae secundas vnanimiter deferunt cùm singulae sibi principatum vendicent melior reliquis videtur Animaduersion VIII IT is a point of great iudgment to vrge a passage of Scripture by way of illation in that sort in which the illation is of force not in any other only seeming inference I will exemplity my meaning in texts vrged both by Protestants and vs Catholikes And first the Protestants do insist in those words of our Sauiour against the reall Presence Palpate (e) Luc. 14. videte quia spiritus carnem ossa non habent sicut me videtis habere Handle and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to haue To argue thus Jt is felt and seene Ergo it is a body is a good consequence and this is the force of our Sauiours words But â—t is no good sequele to argue thus Negatiuely as our Aduersaries from this text do it is not felt nor scene Ergo it is no body For it may be that a true hody may be present yet neither seene nor felt because God may hinder that it shall not transmit any Species sensibiles to the sense of sight Besides it may be effected by diuine power that a body may exist indiuisibly after the manner of a Sâ—irit as we Catholiks do hould in a sober coÌ„struction that the body of Christ doth in the blessed Eucharist and yet we teach that it is impossible that a Spirit should exâ—st after the manner of a true and naturall body or be extended in place And the râ—asâ—n hereof is this To wit because a Spirit hath no extension of parts at all and therefore it is indiuisible For seeing to be extended in place â—s a formall effect proceeding from its formall Cause of extension in it selfe if therefore a Spirit should be extended in place we should admit the formall effect without the formall cause which cannot be since the formall effect is later in Nature then the formall Cause and cannot be without the Cause To instance in our vrging of some passages of Scripture In prooffe of temporall punishment after this life we produce that passage (f) Math. â— Luc. 1â— Non exies inde donec reddas vltitauÌ„ quadrantem Thou shaâ—t not goe from thence till thou repay the last farthing FroÌ„ which words we do not thus immediately inferre as our Aduersaryes would seeme to haue vs donec c. vntill thou payâ—t the last farthing Therfore â—fter thou shalt goe from thence which inference we grant is not necessary seing by so arguing we might endeuour to proue that Christ should sit at the right hand of his Father only vntill and no longer he make his enemyes his footstoole according to that text (*) Psal 109. â—ede a dext ris meis donec ponam inimicos scabellum peduÌ„ tuorum which words only proue that aâ— the length the Enemyes of Christ shal be vnder his feet So heere we only thus immediatly inferre Thou shalt not goe from thence till thou payest the last farthing Therefore the last farthing may be payed and consequently that then thou shall goe from thence This kind of vitious arguing might be instanced in diuers other passages of Scripture impertinently vrged by our Aduersaries and falsly obâ—ruded vpon Catholikes Animaduersion IX WHen we Catholikes complayne of the great Persecutions against the Catholikes only for their Religion in Q. Elizabâ—ths raigne our Aduersaryes seeke to choake vs herein by way of recrimination in auerring that as great or greater was practized in Queene Maryâ—s tyme against the ProtestaÌ„ts of those dayes But admit for the tyme so much yet there is great disparity herein and there are diuers reasons more warranting the â—rocedings of Q. Mary in that kind then of Q. Elizabeth Among which reasons these following may seeme to be the chiefe First touching Q Maryes tyme the Lawes whereby Sectaryes were punished for their Religion were instituted some Eleuen or Twelue hundred yeares since those tymes not hauing any foreknowledge that Protestancy should sway rather in these dayes then any other erroneous Fayth In Q. Elizabeths tyme the statutes against Catholikes were made at the beginning of her comming to the Crowne which is fresh yet in the memory of mâ—ny hundreds of Men in England yet liuing Those Lawes wherby Q. Mary punished the Protestants were enacted by Popes and Generall (g) Concil Laodicens can 31. 32. Concil Carthag Can. 16. Councels to whosâ— charge and incumbency the burden of Religion is pâ—culiarâ—y by God committed seconded otherwise by the secular authority of Emperouâ—s and particularly of Valentinian and Marcian of which their seconâ—ing herein peruâ—e the Councell of Calcedon (h) Act. 7. Thâ—se other Lawes were first inuented by a Woman and a Parliament of Lay Persons the incompetent Iudges of Faith and Religion Lastly by the former Decreâ—s a Religion confessed by the chiefe Professours of it to be neuer heard of at least for fourteene hundred yeares together and therfore to be an annihilation of faith which is held by Catholikes to be a destruction of faith necessary to Saluation is interdicted prohibited And according hereto D. Fulke thus confesseth (i) Fulke in his answ to a counterfeyte Cath. p. 35 The true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles tymes By these later Decrees a Religion coÌ„fessed by its greatest Enemyes and particularly (k) M. Napper thus confesseth in his
peeces of siluer 3. Touching the Variety of Creatures we are to conceaue that though the Multitude of things created doth argue a multiplicious perfection of one God notwithstanding the Variety of things which appeareth in this multiplication is far more admirable and sooner leadeth man to the knowledge of God Seing to vary formes almost after an infinite manner which God hath done in the Creation of things is a most diuine worke and most worthy of admiration I do omit the kynds and species of things which are most various and diuers How great a disparity is there in the Jndiuidua of hearbs plants flowers fruites Are not the formes colours smels sapours or tasts of them diuersifyed almost after an infinite maner And is not the like to be obserued in liuing Creatures To speake only of Men In a huge Multitude of Men there cannot be two found altogether like The which poynt is in like manner obseruable in Starrs and Angels for we reade (3) 1. Cor. 15. Stella à stella differt in claritate And S. Thomas (4) 1. Part. quaest 50. act 4. affirmeth that the Angels though they exceed all corporall things in number do diffâ—r among themselues not only Indiuiaua Numero but also forma specifica Here next followeth to speake of the vertue and efficacy which God hath implanted in all things created that thereby we may better ascend to vnderstand the infinite vertue of the Creatour seing there is nothing created which hath not an admirable vertue or power or efficacy A peece of earth or stone falling downe from a great height with what a force doth it descend The water which gently and mildly slydeth vpon the superficies of the earth when it swelleth in flouds or torrents ouerthroweth all things in its way as houses wals of Cittyes and the like The Wynds which at other tymes most sweetly breathe do cast great ships vpon the Rockes and pull vp by the rootes Old huge Oakes In lyke sort the fyre doth instantly increase into so great a flame as that it euen deuoureth houses and woods in a moment of tyme. To descend to Hearbs How various are their vertues Touching stones and particularly the Loadstone what admirable vertue is discouered therein To conclude touching liuing Creatures we see some of them to be most strong as Lyons Beares Buls c. Others though most litle yet most witty as Aunts spiders Bees Apes and the like I here omit the power of the Angels the vertue of the Sunne and Stars and rest in the wit of Men by the which so many Arts are inuented as that we haue some Reason to doubt wheâ—her Nature doth surmount Art or Art Nature It remayneth that in this place we take into our consideration the pulchritude beauty of things created according to those words of the psalmist (5) Psal â—1 Delectasti me Domine in factura And truly as all things are good which God made so also are they all fayre For example the beauty of a springing Garden of an Orchard well cultiuated is great great also is the beauty of the calme Sea of Riuers of a cleare Element or Ayre of the Heauens shyning with innumerable stars as adorned with so many precious gems Great also is the beauty of the formes of seuerall kynds of beasts the flying of Byrds and sporting of fishes What shall a Man say of the pulchritude of the Stars and Moone but especially of the most cleare and most great light of the Sunne which exhilerateth cherisheth the whole world with its Rysing To conclude how great is the beauty forme of Men and Women Many Men otherwyse graue and wyse haue beene euen bewitched with the fayre faces of women according to those words Propter (6) Ecclesiâ—st cap. 9. speciem multerum multi perierunt In like sort many modest women haue descended vnto that madnes as that for the beauty good personage of men they haue endangered their states dignityes reputation children parents life it selfe yea their owne soules for the loue and enioying of such men as they did hould to be fayre of comlines of grace Thus farre of these fiue poynts to wit of the Magnitude Multiplicity variety vertue Beauty of things created the intense and serious consideration whereof may much further Man as aboue is said to the conteÌ„plation of God from whom onely all these do streame and flowe Animaduersion CC. THe Regall psalmist admonisheth vs in these words Quaerite (1) Psal 68. Deum viuet anima vestra True it is that during our peregrination here we are not able to fynd out and perfectly discerne what God is since we read that God (2) 1. Timoth 6. Lucem habitat inaccesâ—ibilem Neuerthelesse the nearest meanes for vs to discerne what God in his owne Essence is may be taken from the contemplation of Mans Soule In regard then hereof I will in this Animaduersion brieffly contract what the learned Cardinall Belarmine hath deliuered of this poynt making the consideration of the Soule of man his (3) Iuâ—â—â— booke â—e ascensione ad DeuÌ„ per sâ—alaâ— rerum Creatarum Eight Degree or scale to arriue in part to the knowledge of God in regard of the great similitude in many poynts which the soule of Man beareth to God And to beginne with these Resemblances First then the Soule of Man is a spirit that is an incorporeall Substance so God is a spirit for we reade (4) Ioan. 4. Spiritus est Deus Yet here is the difference that God is a spirit increated the Creatour The soule of man a spirit also but Created Secondly The soule of Man because it is a simple Spirit is therfore immortall since it hath nothing in it selfe from whence it may receaue its corruption coÌ„trary to the soules of beasts or irrationall Creatures yet the disparity herein also is that the Soule of Man sometymes was not and only through the will pleasure of God arriueth to its essence and being and by the will of the same God may be reduced to nothing though in it selfe it hath not as aboue is said any cause or principle of its Corruption But God himselfe is not only Jmmortall but also sempiternall and therefore with reference to sempiternall Immortality as I may tearme it it was truly said of the Apostle speaking of God Qui solus 5 habet immortalitatem Thirdly The soule of man is endued with the light of Vnderstanding and Reason For it knoweth not onely colours sapours smels sounds Heate Cold and the rest which lye open to the senses of the body But it doth also iudge of the substance of things and of things not onely singular but vniuersall and doth not know things only present but also coÌ„iectureth of things to come and by discourse ascendeth to the Heauens obseruing and demonstrating the particular phaynomena or Apparences of their Motions In like sort she searcheth the effects out of the Causes and from the
effects recurs to the Causes Thus we here see that the soule of man is lyke to God and vnlyke to Beasts Now here the soule of man differeth from God for the soule of man is as is said endued with the light of Jntelligence or vnderstanding but God is the Intelligence or light it selfe The soule runneth by discourse from the Causes to the effects and from the effects to the Causes and thus not without great labour getteth some knowledge God with one simple view or aspect behouldeth all things perfectly The soule of man vnderstandeth those things which do exist and already haue a Being and therefore his knowledge dependeth vpon the being of things God by vnderstanding maketh that things be and herein the existeÌ„ce of things dependeth vpon the knowledg of God The Soule doth with an vncertainty only coniecture of things future God doth no lesse euideÌ„tly discerne things future then things past and present The soule needeth many things to exercise the faculty of vnderstanding as the Obiect the Species the Phanthasma and the like God needeth nothing for euen his Essence it selfe is all things to him and which is more his Essence is to him his vnderstanding To conclude the Soule whiles it is in the Body doth not only see not God neither doth she see the Angells nor herselfe neither doth she properly and truly see any Substance though corporall and in many things she is ignorant and hath a true knowledge but of few things God is ignorant of nothing neither is he in any thing deceaued or erreth according to those words Omnia nuda sunt aperta oculis eius Hebr. c. 4 Fourthly there appeareth in Mans Soule another kind of knowledg which consists not in Speculation but in Action And from hence proceed so many Bookes of Philosophers touching vices and vertues so many Lawes of Princes Magistrats to teach a man to liue well in all which there is discouered an admirable light of Reason in man by the which he most far differeth from Beasts But all these are nothing to the Eternall Law which flourisheth in the mind of the Creatour from whom as from a most streaming fountaine do flow all Lawes and decrees according to those words Vnus (6) Iacob 1. est legislator Judex Deus Fiftly the Soule of Man doth possesse a third kind of knowledg resting in ingâ—niously fabricating and working of things For whereas Beasts do make their Nests Denns c by a certaine instinct euer after the same manner The soule of man as being indued with reason and iudgment hath inuented innumerable Arts by the which she so ouer-ruleth and commandeth ouer all other liuing Creatures as that neither Wings can be safty inough to Birds nor the depth of the water to fishes neither strength to Lyons or Beares but that they all are subiect to be taken by the wit of Mans Soule In like manner the light of the wit of Mans Soule wonderfully shineth in inuenting the Art of Nauigation where it hath taught ships loaden with most heauy burdens not only by the help of Oares to runne as it were but also by meanes of the sayles as with wings to flye Finally to omit diuers other points what dexterity of mans wit appeareth in the Art of picturing or drawing by the which things are so liuely expressed to the Eye as if themselues did truly enioy lyfe But here we may turne our Eye back to God in whom there is the true source of Wisdome the Causer of things what wit appeareth to be in Man all the same is deriued from the said fountayne for if we wonder at mans wit in that it can maister and rule ouer beasts much more we are to admire God to whom all things are obedient And if it seeme strange that man should inuent so many Arts of sayling building of Edifices c. much more strange should it seeme that God by his wisdome power did create Heauen and Earth and all things therein Finally if we rest astonished at the Art of paynting or drawing mens faces and fauours much more cause haue we to rest astonished at the Art of the Creatour who of Earth framed a true liuing Man and from the Rib of the man made the first Woman And this we are to admire with more reason in that what things Man doth make he cannot make without God cooperating with man whereas what things God maketh the same are made only by him without the cooperation or assistance of any other Sixtly The Soule of Man is indued with Freedome of Will which is common to him with God and the Angells and by which man differeth from all other things created This Freedome of Will is an admirable dignity in Mans â—oule yet the worth thereof is far more noble in God For first the freedom of Manswill is weake it also is easely enclined to choose things that are Euill wheras the Freedome of the Diuine Will is most stronge and cannot possibly encline it selfe to any Euill Furthermore our Freedome of wil is indeed so free as that it is able to will or not to will but it is not of power euer to effect that which it willeth or to preuent that which it selfe willeth not according to those words of the Apostle Rom. 7. Non quod volo bonum hoc facio sed quod nolo malum hoc ago But the Freedome of the Will of God is so conioyned with a full and absolute power as that of him it is said Psalm 113. Omnia quaecunque voluit fecit Seâ—uently and lastly The soule of man is after a wounderfull manner in mans body For since the Soule of man is an indiuisible Spirit it is therefore whole in the whole body and whole in euery part therof contrary to the being of the soules of Beasts which are Materiall and extended to the extension of their bodyes Thus the Soule of Man replenisheth the whole body yet it possesseth no place in the body and when the body doth increase the Soule doth not increase but beginneth to be there where afore it was not And if a member of the body be cut of or become withered dry the Soule is not lessened nor dryed but ceaseth to be in that member wherein afore it was without any detriment or maymednes thereof This is the true glasse of the existence of God in things created for God is an indiuisible Spirit and yet replenisheth the whole world and all the parts thereof yet possesseth he no place but is whole in the whole world and whole in euery part therof And when a new creature is produced God beginneth to be in it neither yet is God moued â—nd when any creature is destroied or dyeth God is not thereby destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be there this without any Motion of place Thus in these former pointe God and the Soule of Man do agree But in many other points God as there is iust Reason hath the prerogatiue and preheminence
then the soule of Man as being a simple Spirit hath nothing in it selfe froÌ„ which it should receaue any distraction or extinguishment contrary to the sensitiue soule of other liuing Creatures which haue within it selfe the grounds of its owne Mortality therfore it followeth that the soule of Man is immortall and liueth after it is diuorced from the body Another argument in prooffe hereof is taken from the worth and dignity of Mans Soule which dignity is cheifly discerned to vs by its owne seuerall Operations For first the knowledge of the soule is altogether illimitable For it apprehendeth all kinds of things As also it conceaueth the vniuersall reasons of things as they are abstracted from particulars from sensible matter from place and tyme c. It searcheth into the reasons causes effects and proprieties of all things All which Action and operations beare no Reference to thâ— benefit of the Body but are ornaments only of the Mynd and belong only to the Mind Secondly The desire of Mans soule is in like sort infinite and boundles For the Soule doth not only desire such things as belong to the Body to wit to satisfy the sense of tasting and feeling as Beasts do but it stretcheth it selfe forth to euery Truth desiring the knowledg and contemplation of euery Verity Neither is the desire of the Soule I euer meane the soule of man enlarged only to ech Truth but also to euery thing that is Good Here then appeareth how much the power of desiring in man is eleuated and aduanced aboue the Matter and condition of his Body Thirdly the same is further confirmed from the Delights and Pleasures wherewith the Soule solaceth herselfe For she is delighted chiefly with the contemplation of Truth She is delighted with the Pulchritude and beauty of all things and in admiring the Art and skill which appeareth in euery thing She is delighted with Proportions and Mathematicall disciplines She is delighted with the works of Piety Iustice and exercise of all other Vertues Finally she is delighted with Fame Honour glory rule domination Now seeing none of these belongeth to the benefit of the Body but all are touching spirituall obiects or at least concerning such things which are estranged from the benefit of the Body and seeing the soule esteemeth these things far more then any corporall Good It therefore is most euident that the Soule is of a far higher and more worthy disposition then the body and of such a diuine Nature as that it dependeth not at all of the commerce and entercourse which she hath with the flesh Fourthly This verity is warranted from the Dominion which the soule hath ouer the Body and from the Soules enioying of Freewill For the Soule doth so direct gouerne ouerrule the body in her affections and passions as that neither the expectation of rewards or feare of torments can force the body to say or do any thing then what the Soule wâ—lleth Now the reason hereof is because the Soule dependeth not of the Body but is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sui iuris whereupon it riseth that the Soule so smally valeweth those things which appertayne to the Body as if they did not belong vnto her Fiftly Yf the Soule should haue her dependance of the Body and could not consist the body being once extinct then shold she haue against nothing a greater horrour and auersion then against death For death of the body depriuing the Soule supposing it to be mortall of all good should become her greatest infelicity and euill and present life her greatest good and happines But now daily experience teacheth the contrary for many do make so small account and estimation of lyfe as that they willingly spend it for prayse fame liberty auoyding of reproach and dishonor yea some there are who for auoyding of disgrace or affliction of mynd stick not to become their owne Homicides so much do those things which appertayne to the Mind ouer ballance all that which appertaineth to the Body Sixtly Yf the Soule of man be extinguished together with its body then nothing is attended on with greater Calamities then mans Nature for in this life mans nature stands subiect to many afflictions from which Beasts are most free For it is incessantly solicited with cares vexed with feares burning with desires sorrowing and complayning neuer content with its owne state nor enioying any tranquility of mynd Besides it often endureth pouerty banishment imprisonment disgrace the yoake of Matrimony losse of goods repentance of things past a care of things to come c. from all which Beasts are free Yf therefore the Soule be extinguished with the body then almost all kinds of Beasts would be more happy then Man Therefore it remayneth that the soule must expect its felicity after its departure from its body consequently that it dyeth not with the body but is immortall For how absurd is it that that which is of the highest Nature in â—his world should in its state and being become more miserable then things of a far meaner Nature Seauently That sentence which is the source and welspring of all Iustice Piety Vertue cannot possibly be false But this Article which teacheth the Soules immortality and that after this life it is to be rewarded or punished is the ground-worke of all Iustice and probity therefoee the article of the soules immortality is most true as on the contrary part that Opinion which teacheth the soule to be mortall and corruptible doth subuert and ouerthrow the foundation of all probity and vertue therefore that Opinion must of necessity be false since it promiseth a man that let him liue neuer so wickedly he shall not suffer any paynes after this life Eightly to remit the Reader for his fuller satisfaction herein to the foresaid booke of Rawleighs Ghost I say that Nature which is intelligent is the worthyest nature of all others which are in the world HeÌ„ce it is gathered that it is absurd to maÌ„tayne this nature vtterly to perish and to be mortall For if the earth sea and starres all which were created for the vse of this intelligent nature I meane for man do neuer decay but continue eternall then how can it be auerred that this intelligent nature should become mortall and passible Certainly it is altogether vnlawfull to affirme that nature to wit Mans soule to be mortall to which things that are immortall become seruiceable and for whose only vse and benefit the said immortall things were first created Animaduersion CLXXXXV THe Consideration of the fabrick of Mans body most irresistably conduceth vs to the knowledge of a Deity And theâ—efore not vndeseruedly is the body of man stiled by the Philosophers Microcosmus the lesser world Meaning lesser in Quantity then all this great world contayning in it the vniuersality of all sublunary things but farre greater with reference to the many mysteryes discouered in the framing therof First then Mans body but briefly to runne ouer some chiefe obseruations