understanding conceives spiritual Objects is not confin'd to singular and present things Reflects upon it self Corrects the errors of the sense Does not suffer from the excellence of the Object Is vigorous in its operations when the body is decay'd which proves it to be an immaterial faculty An answer to objections against the Souls spiritual Nature That the first notices of things are conveyed through the senses does not argue it to be a material faculty That it depends on the temper of the Body in its superior operations is no prejudice to its spiritual Nature HAving dispatch'd the consideration of the prime fundamental Truth that there is a most Wise and Powerful Creator of all things I shall next discourse of the Immortality of the humane Soul and the Eternal recompences in the future State In treating of the Souls Immortality I shall not insist on nice and subtile Speculations that evaporate and leave nothing substantial for conviction or practice but consider those proofs that may induce the mind to assent and work upon the will to make its choice of objects with respect to their endless consequences hereafter And first it must be premised that Immortality is not an inseparable perfection of its nature for 't is capable of annihilation What ever had a beginning may have an end God only hath immortality in an absolute sense and communicates it according to his pleasure The perpetual existence of Souls is a priviledge that depends on his sustaining vertue without which they would relapse into a state of not Being His Will is the measure of their duration I shall therefore consider such things as strongly argue that God will not withdraw his conservative influence that is necessary to their Immortality The Arguments are of two sorts Natural and Moral The first prove that God has made the Soul incapable of Death by any Internal Causes of perishing from its Nature and in that declares not obscurely that he will ever preserve it The second sort are drawn from the Divine Attributes the visible Oeconomy of Providence in the government of the World that are infallible and will produce a sufficient conviction in minds equally inclin'd 1. The Soul is incapable of Death by any Internal Causes of perishing in its Nature The dissolution of things proceeds from the corruptible principles of which they are compounded and the separable parts of which they consist and into which they are resolved Therefore all mixt and material Beings are subject to dissolution But the humane Soul is a spiritual substance simple without any disagreeing qualities as heat and cold moisture and driness the seeds of corruption The essences of things are best discover'd by their peculiar operations that argue a real distinction between them and from whence arise the different notions whereby they are conceived The soul of a Brute performs the same vital acts as the soul of a Plant yet 't is visibly of a more elevated nature because it performs the functions of the sensitive life that are proper to it The rational Soul performs the same sensitive acts as the soul of Brutes but that it is of a higher order of substances appears by its peculiar objects and immediate operations upon them The two principal faculties of the humane Soul are the Understanding and the Will and the Actions flowing from them exceed the power of the most refined matter however modified and transcend any Principle that is only endowed with the powers of sense and imagination confin'd to matter To proceed orderly I will first consider the Mind with respect to the quality of its objects and manner how it is conversant about them 1. The conception of things purely spiritual God Angels separate Souls the Analogies the differences and various respects of things argue it to be of a spiritual nature For 't is and evident principle there must be an Analogy between the Faculty and the Object A material Glass cannot represent a Spirit it has no receptivity to take into it an object without figure colour and diversity of parts the affections of matter A spiritual object can only be apprehended by a spiritual operation and that can only be produced by a spiritual Power The being of things is the root of their working Now rarifie matter to the highest fineness reduce it to imperceptible Atoms 't is as truly Matter as a gross Body For lightness and tenuity are as proper Attributes of matter as weight and density though less sensible If a Beast could apprehend what discourse is it were rational The Soul therefore that understands the Spirituality of things is Spiritual otherwise it should act extra sphaeram The intellectual eye alone sees him that is Invisible understands the reasons of Truth and Justice looks beyond the bright Hills of Time into the Spiritual Eternal World so that 't is evident there is an affinity and likeness in Nature between them 2. Material faculties are confin'd to the narrow compass of singular and present things but the Mind abstracts from all individuals their pure Nature and forms their Universal Species The Eye can only see a colour'd object before it the Mind contemplates the nature of Colours It ascends above all the distinctions of Time recollects what is past foresees what is to come no interval of space or time can hinder its sight Besides the swift flight of the thoughts over Sea and Land the soaring of the Mind in a moment above the Stars as if its essence were all vigour and activity prove that 't is not a material Power 3. Sense only acts in a direct way without reflecting upon its self or its own operations 'T is true there is an experimental perception included in vital and sensible acts but 't is far below proper reflection The Eye doth not see the action by which it sees nor the imagination reflect on it self for that being conversant only about representations transmitted through the senses cannot frame an Image of it self and gaze upon it there being no such resemblance conveyed by the mediation of the outward organs But the rational Soul not only contemplates an object but reflects on its own contemplation and retir'd from all commerce with External things views it self its qualities and state and by this gives testimony of its Spiritual and immortal Nature 4. The Mind rectifies the false reports of the Senses and forms the Judgment of things not according to their impressions but by such rational evidence of which they are not capable When the Object is too distant or the Medium unfit or the Organs distemper'd the Senses are deceived The Stars of the brightest magnitude seem to be trembling sparks of light but the Understanding considers that the representations of things are imperfect and less distinct proportionably to their distance and conceives of their magnitude accordingly A straight Oar appears crooked in the Water but Reason observes the error in the refractions when the Image passes through a double medium of
Considerations OF THE Existence of GOD AND OF THE Immortality of the Soul With the Recompences of the future state For the Cure of INFIDELITY the Hectick Evil of the Times By William Bates D. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. in Phileb LONDON Printed by J. D. for Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1676. THE PREFACE THE usual Method whereby the Enemy of Mankind trains so many into his bloody snares is by enticing the lower Faculties the Senses the Fancy the Passions to prevail upon the Will and Mind and accordingly his motives are pleasure or pain that affect us from sensible things But on the contrary the great Lover of Souls first inlightens the Understanding to discover what is the most excellent Good what the most pernicious Evil and by that discovery moves the Will to pursue the one and fly from the other and so descends to work upon the Affections and Senses that with readiness they follow the direction and command of the Superior Powers in Man These Objects being Spiritual and future and therefore rais'd above the highest Regions of Sense are only apprehended and become effectual by the evidence of Faith As the Spartan in Plutarch after trying many ways to set a Carcass upright in a living posture and finding that all his Endeavours were vain it was so suddenly discompos'd the head sinking into the bosom the hands falling and all the parts in disorder concluded something was wanting within that is the living Soul without which the Body has no strength to support it self Thus the most convincing Reasons prest with the greatest vehemence of Affection all the Powers of the World to come are of no Efficacy upon those who have not Faith the vital Principle of all Heavenly Operations We live in an Infidel Age wherein wickedness reigns with Reputation The thoughts of the Mind are discovered by the current of the Actions Were there a serious belief of the great Judgment and the terrible Eternity that follows it were not possible for Men to sin so freely and go on in a War so desperate against God himself Sensuality and Infidelity are Elements of a Symbolical quality and by an easie alteration are chang'd into one another Fleshly Lusts darken the Mind and render it unfit to take a distinct view of things Sublime and Spiritual They hinder serious consideration especially of what may trouble the Conscience by their impetuous Disorders And which is the worst effect the corrupt Will bribes the Mind to argue for what it desires 'T is the interest of Carnalists to put out the eye of Reason the prevision of things Eternal that they may blindly follow the sensual appetite Thus Epicurus with his herd as one of them stiles that Fraternity denied the Immortality of the Soul consonantly to his declared principle that the Supreme Happiness of Man consisted in the delights of Sense And 't is as natural that the disbelief of another state hereafter should strongly incline Men to follow their Licentious Pleasures If the Soul according to the impious fancy of those Infidels described in the Book of Wisdom be a spark of Fire that preserves the vital heat for a little time and gives motion to the Members Vigor to the Senses and Spirits for the Thoughts but is quench'd in Death and nothing remains but a wretched heap of Ashes What preeminence has Man above a Beast It follows therfore in the progress of their Reason 't is equal to indulge their Appetites as the Beasts do If what is immortal puts on mortality the consequence is natural Let us eat and drink for to morrow we must die Now though supernatural Revelation confirm'd by Miracles and the continual accomplishment of Prophecies has brought Life and Immortality into that open light that the meanest Christian has a fuller and more certain evidence of it than the clearest spirits of the Heathens ever had yet because the weight of Authority is of no force with Libertines 't is necessary to argue from common Principles which they cannot disavow Indeed the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit are our best Defence in the Holy War but with the use of equal Arms Reasons against Reasons the cause of Religion will be victorious 'T is the design of the ensuing Treatise to discover by the light of Nature invisible objects viz. that a Sovereign Spirit made and governs the sensible World that there is an Immortal Soul in Man and an Eternal state expects him hereafter There is such a necessary Connexion between these Supreme Truths The Being of God and future Recompences to Men that the denial of the one includes the denial of the other 'T is uncertain which of the two is the first step whether Men descend from the disbelief of the future state to Atheism or from Atheism to Infidelity in that point Some excellent Persons have imployed their Talents on this Subject from whom I have received advantage in compiling the present Work I have been careful not to build upon false Arches but on substantial Proofs and to perswade Truth with Truth as becoms a sincere Counsellor and well-willer to Souls And if the secure Person will but attentively and impartially consider he must be convinc'd that 't is the only true Wisdom to believe and prevent and not venture on the tryal of things in that state where there is no other mending of the error but an everlasting sorrow for it Those whose Hearts are so irrecoverably depraved that no motives can perswade to examine what so nearly touches them with calmness and sobriety and their minds so fatally stupified that no Arguments can awaken must miserably feel what they wilfully doubt of whom the Light does not convince the Fire shall OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. CHAP. I. Atheism is fearful of publick discovery Three heads of Arguments to prove the Being of GOD. 1. The visible frame of the World and the numerous Natures in it exactly modelled for the good of the whole prove it to be the work of a most wise Agent The World consider'd in its several parts The Sun in its situation motion and effects declare the Providence of the Creator The diurnal motion of the Sun from East to West is very beneficial to Nature The annual course brings admirable advantage to it The gradual passing of the sensible World from the excess of heat to the extremity of cold an effect of Providence The constant revolutions of Day and Night and of the Seasons of the Year discovers that a wise Cause orders them IN the managing the present subject I shall first propound such things as clearly discover that a Soveraign Spirit rich in Goodness most wise in Counsel and powerful in Operation gave being to the World and Man in it This part of my work may seem needless because there are very few if any declared Atheists As Monsters remain where they are born in the desert sands of Africa not
it would be greater folly to believe that the natural course of things should be the same this Year as in former times than to assert that a Gamester should to day throw the Dice in the same order and with the same points uppermost as he did yesterday 'T is evident therefore that the Epicurean Doctrine having not the least shadow of Reason had never been receiv'd with applause but as 't is joyn'd with impiety 2. Some attribute the rise and course of things in the World to the sole necessity of Nature To this it may be replied 1. 'T is true there is an evident connexion of Causes and Effects in the Celestial and Elementary World whereby times and seasons are continued and the succession of mutable things is preserv'd so that Nature always consuming remains intire Though all vegetive and sensitive beings dye yet the species are immortal For the living are brought forth to succeed in the place of the dead But the inquiring mind cannot rest here for 't is impossible to conceive a train of Effects one caused by another without ascending to the first Efficient that is not an Effect For nothing can act before it exists The order of Causes requires that we ascend to the Supream which derives being and vertue to all the intermediate Thus Nature produces things from seminal Causes that depend on things already in being The Seed of Flowers and Trees suppose the Fruits of the Earth before growing but the first Tree could not be so produc'd To fancy an infinite succession of Causes depending one upon another without arriving to a first can only fall into the thoughts of a disordered mind How came this Horse that Lion in Nature 'T is by generation from another and that from another and so infinitely How came this Man into the World 'T is because he was begotten by such a Father and he by another and so infinitely Thus Atheism that rejects one truly Infinite Cause is obliged to admit an Infinity in all things an Incomprehensibility in all things 'T is therefore evident the efficient principles in Nature are from the sole power of the first and independent cause They could not proceed from themselves and that a most wise and powerfull Being is the original of all things is as evident Is it conceivable that the insensible Mass that is called Matter should have had an eternal being without original whereas there is not the least imaginable repugnance in the Attributes of the first and highest Being in whom all those Perfections concur which as proper to the Deity are form'd in the mind in the idea of it as his spiritual Nature Eternity Immensity Wisdom Omnipotence c. of which 't is equally true that no one either absolutely or relatively considered involve a contradiction that make it impossible for the Supream Being to possess it Is it not perfectly inconsistent to attribute to Matter the lowest and most contemptible of all Beings the highest and most noble Perfection an Independent Existence One may assert it in words but not seriously without the utter deserting of Reason Man incomparably excels this Matter he understands it and that understands not him yet he has a derived being in time 'T is therefore necessary that that should have some cause of its being But supposing the self subsistence of Matter from Eternity could the World full of innumerable Forms spring by an Impetus from a dead formless Principle T is equally impossible that a blind Cause casual or fatal should give being and order to the Universe Besides all subordinate Causes are sustained in their Beings and Powers by fresh influences from the first and directed in their operations To attribute the manifold Effects in the World to Second Causes working in a blind manner without an Universal Intellectual Mover that disposes tempers and governs them is as unreasonable as to attribute humane Works to the common Instruments of Art without the direction of the Understanding that uses them The Hand or Pencil has not skill to do any thing but as it obeys the Mind that gives it the impression of Art and regulates its Motion The Earth knows not the various Fruits that spring from it nor the Sea its living Productions And the Sun though a more specious is not a more intelligent and artificial Agent Nature under another name is the ordinary Power of God that by its intimate concourse with Second-Causes produces and supports things And 't is one of the considerable Wonders of his Providence that the stream of perishing things always emptying is always full there being a supply from the Fountains of continual Productions of what is lost in the dead Sea so that the World is always the same and always new And from what hath been argued we may judge how unreasonable it is to doubt whether there be a Principle in Nature of excellent Wisdome because not seen in his own Essence for if Reason compel us to acknowledg that the works of Art wrought by manual Instruments proceed from an unseen mind that directed their motions according to the idea framd in it self we ought more strongly to conclude there is a Divine Mind though invisible to mortal eyes that contriv'd at first and with knowledg performs all the works of Nature To deny the Existence of a Being not subjected to our outward Senses is equally of no force in both the instances By the same Reason St. Austin confounds the Atheist objecting that he could not see the Deity To whom he propounds this question That since his Body was only visible and not his Soul why should it not be buried And upon the reply That the quickning presence of the Soul was evident in the actions of Life perform'd by the Body he truly infers if a vital principle imperceptible in its self is discover'd by vital actions the Deity though by the perfection of his Nature undiscernable to our senses is clearly seen by the light of his effects And those who are wilfully blind if God should by any new sensible effects make a discovery of himself yet would remain inconvincible For the arguments of his presence from extraordinary effects are liable to the same exceptions pretended against the ordinary CHAP. V. The beginning of the World proved from the uninterrupted tradition of it through all ages The invention of Arts and bringing them to perfection an argument of the Worlds beginning The weakness of that fancy that the World is in a perpetual Circulation from Infancy to Youth and to full Age and a decrepit state and back again so that Arts are lost and recovered in that change The consent of Nations a clear Argument that there is a God The impressions of Nature are infallible That the most Men are practical Atheists that some doubt and deny God in words is of no force to disprove his Existence There are no absolute Atheists Nature in extremities has an irresistible force and compels the most obdurate to