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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	become_v	life_n	sin_n	4,944	5	4.5763	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05370	Ravvleigh his ghost. Or a feigned apparition of Syr VValter Rawleigh to a friend of his, for the translating into English, the booke of Leonard Lessius (that most learned man) entituled, De prouidentia numinis, & animi immortalitate: written against atheists, and polititians of these dayes. Translated by A. B.; De providentia numinis, et animi immortalitate. English	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Knott, Edward, 1582-1656.; Raleigh, Walter, Sir, 1552?-1618.	1631 (1631)	STC 15523; ESTC S102372	201,300	468

pag. 368. 21. The 20. Reason pag. 375. 22. The 21. Reason pag. 377. 23. The 22. and last Reason pag. 382. 24. The Arguments obiected against the Immortality of the soule their solutions or Answers pag. 388. 25. Of the Punishments of the life to come out of holy Scripture pag. 413. 26. The Conclusion pag. 441. THE PREFACE of the Authour IN this Treatise following we vndertake to discusse two questions The first is touching a diuine power to wit whether there be any diuine power or God who with his prouidence sterneth and gouerneth mans affaires and demandeth an account of his actions after this life The other concerneth the Soule of man that is whether it be immortall or perisheth is vtterly extinguished with the body Poynts worthy to be disputed of most claborately succinctly since of all things whatsoeuer which become the obiect of our vnderstanding these are most necessary to be knowne And touching the first supposing that there were no God of whō this whole Vniuerse and all negotiations of man were to be gouerned but that all things either by a certaine force of nature or casuall concourse of causes had their euents then should we be freed of great feare for the things to come and might securely and without all impunity do whatsoeuer were best pleasing to our owne dispositions For then no man were obliged to yield an account after the death of the body for things done in his life time no man for his sinnes should hereafter be punished neither should any reward attend the faithfull and veriuous Finally neither of what comportment carriage and conuersation a man is should it be after the dissolution of the body from the soule either preiudiciall or beneficiall vnto him Since sinne then should be nothing but a certaine aery imaginary and a false conceit of a law violated a diuine power offēded But now once acknowledging that there is a God through whose prouidence and prescience all things are guided and measured then it ineuitably followeth that we ought greatly to feare and reuerence him and be most cautelous and wary that we do not infringe his lawes sāctions Since it is most certaine that he will exact an account after this life and will inflict due punishments vpon sinners For it is a point principally iucumbent and belonging to a gouernour to giue a iust retaliation and retribution to men recompensing their enormities and vyces with punishments and their vertues with honours and rewards All kinds of Gouerments aswell of the worser sort whether they be Tyrannicall Oligarchicall and Democratical as of the better as Monarchicall Aristocratical or Political or any other kind of Regiment compounded of these do vnanimously confirme warrant this assertion For it is most euident that all these haue euer set downe rewards and punishments grounding themselues vpon these as vpon certaine foundations without the which they cannot in any sort subsist or continue Therefore admitting that there ought to be proposed both rewards and ch●●tis●en●s thereby to debar men from vice incyte them to vertue It also followeth that this diuine power is mightily to be feared of al mē least they do ●●●urre his 〈◊〉 least they purchas● to themselues his iust reuenge For no man is able to resist him no man of power to auoyde his power to be short no man there is which liueth not within the boūd● o● his dominatiō Wherefore euery one is chiefly to be most circumspect that he doth not deny the existence being of this power and that he seeke not to bepr●ue it of prouidence in the disposall of the world and of all things comprehended therein except it euidently aforehand can be euicted by conuincing solid reasons that no such Diuinity or Power there is but that the being thereof is suggested supposed out of a humane conceit only for Policy sake for in the intertaining a rash conceit herof a man exposeth himselfe to the perpetrating of the greatest offence that can be imagined since grāting the being of such a Deity the denyers therof stand culpable of a most heinous blasphemy and of spirituall treason against so great a Matesty for as that subiect extremly wrongeth his King whō he denyeth to be King or his kingdome to be subiect vnto him though this his denyall be grounded vpon some outward shewes of probability Euen so who auerreth the not being of a supreme power by the which the world and the things therin are ruled committeth a most heinous cryme against God and resteth guilty of the highest disloyalty against so powerfull a Deity though otherwise he may seeme to shadow such his blasphemy vnder the tecture of some weake feeble reasōs Which point being so what then remaineth for such a man to expect then a most heauy reuenge to be inflicted vpon him for his dentall of so soueraigne and so supreme a Power Now then from this it appeareth how absolutly necessary to man is the indubious and certaine confession and acknowledgment of the being of a God And indeed the knowledge of the condition and nature of mans soule is not much lesse to be searched after for if it could be proued that the Soule of man were mortall as the soule in beasts is thē should we not need to stand in feare of what hereafter might fall vpon vs but we might securely lead a carcles pleasurable life best ●or●ing to our owne desires and sensuality Now if the contrary hereto shal be demonstrated to be most true as infallibly it will thē haue we reason to be m●st anxious fearfull and sollicitous least by our wicked life and Conuersation our soule after death may i●curre most dreadfull and eternall torments Of both these points I discourse in this treatise to wit in the first booke of the Being of a God a supreme diuine power In the second of the Soules Immortality The contemplation of both which is most gratfull pleasing and comfortable For the presence of a Deity his prouidence wonderfully sh●neth both in the whole fabrick of the world and in the creatures contained therein as also in the most wise disposall and gouernment of the same things The Immortality of the soule is made demonstrable by force of many irrefragable and conuincing arguments Both these shal be disputed off with as much breui●y and perspicuity as possible I can omitting diuers curious and subl●me points which might otherwise serue to en●āgle the Reader and to diuert his iudgment from the principall scope intended by me since my desire herein i● that what is here vndertaken may not be performed out of any idle ostentation and vanity but only for the spirituall fruite and benefit of the studious Reader SYR WALTER RAVVLEIGH HIS GHOST Of the being of a Diuine power or God and of his Prouidence LIB I. IN the first place here I will recall to light the names of such of the ancient Authours who haue denyed a Deity or a Diuine power

the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Al we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs al. He was oppressed he was afflicted yet did he not opē his mouth ●● is brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so he opeeed not his mouth c. Al which particulers that they were most euidently fulfilled in Christ appeareth out of the Euangelists 14. His Crucifixiō is recorded in Psalm 22. Foderun manus c They pierced my hands and my feet c. The same was prefigured in the b●asen serpent being hanged a height at the beholding wherof al such as were bittē by serpents were cured Numer 21. as our Lord himselfe declareth Iohn 3. 15. That the was crucifyed betweene two theeues and that he was to pray to his Father for his persecutours is foretold in Isay 53. Ideo dispertiam c. Therfore I wil giue him a portion with the great and he shall deuide the spoile with the strong because he hath powred out his soule vnto death and he was coūted with the transgressours and he bare the sinnes of many and prayed for his trespassers 16. The irisions blasphemyes of the Iewes against Christ hanging vpon the Crosse in Psalm 21. Ego sum vermis c. I am a worme and not a man a shame of men contempt of the people All they that see me haue me in d●rision make a mowe and nod the head saying he trusted in the Lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing he loued him Where we find almost the same words in part in Mathew 27. 17. The diuision of his garments and casting lots for the same in psalm 21. Diuiserunt c. They parted my garments amōg them did cast lots vpon my vesture For one vestmēt they diuided into foure parts for the other because it was not to be deuided they did cast lots Iohn 19. 18. That being vpō the Crosse he drūke gall and vinegar psalm 68. Dederūt in escam c. They gaue me gall in my meat in my thirst they gaue me vinegar to drinke 19. That his bones were not to be broken Exod. 12. and Num. 9. Os illius c. You shal not breake a bone thereof That his syde was to be thrust through with a speare appeareth in Zachary 12. Aspiciunt c. They shal looke vpon me whome they haue pierced both which places are expounded of Christ by S. Iohn the Euangelist c. 19. 20. His Resurrection is prophesyed in Psal 15. Non derelinques animā c. Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hel neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption c. which passage of Scripture S. Peter instantly after he had receaued the holy Ghost and of a rude ignorāt fisher became a most wise Doctour of the whole world interpreted of the Resurrection of our Lord. Act. 2. 21. That he was to rise from death the third day Osee c. 6 Viuificabis nos c. After two daies will be reuiue vs and the third day wil be raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight Of which verity Ionas who was three dayes in the whales belly the third day came out aliue Ionas c. 2. was according to our Sauiours explication a type and figure 22. His Ascension into heauen in Psal 14. Aperite c. Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lifted vp you euerlasting doores the King of glory shall come in And Psal 67. Ascendisti c. Thou art gone on high thou hast led captiuity captiue and receaued guifts for men Which place in the fourth to the Ephesians the Apostle doth thus interprete 23. The sending of the holy Ghost in Ioel. 2. Effundam Spirtum meum c. I wil power out my spirit vpon al flesh and your sonnes your daughters shal prophesy your old men shal dreame dreames and your young men shal see visions Which prophesy was fulfilled in the second of the Acts eue according to the exposition of S. Peter 24. The destruction of the Iewes for the death of Christ was prophesyed in Psalm 69. Fiat mensa c. Let their table be a snare before thē their prosperity their ruine Let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alwaies to tremble powre out thine anger vpon them and let thy wrathful displeasure take them ●et their inhabitans be voyd let no●e dwel in their ●ents for they persecuted him whom thou hast smitten c. 25. The tyme wherin al these things are to happen is exactly described by Daniel being taught herein by an Euāgelical reuelation for thus the Angel speaketh c. 9. Tu animaduer●e sermonem c. Vnaerstand the matter and consider the vision Seauenty weekes are determined vpon the people vpon thine holy Citty to finish the wickednes and to seale vp the v●sion and prophesy and to annoynt the most holy The s●●●●e of which place is that God appointed the space of 490. yeares for so many yeares do seauenty Hebdomadaes or weekes of yeares containe within which compas●e of tyme to wit towards the end therof the Messias was to come who being the authour of al holines shal blot away the sinne of mankind shal recōcile man to God shal bring into the world eternal iustice at whose comming the visions predictios of the Prophets shal be fulfilled And then he declareth where these Hebdomadaes are to begin and where to end Scito ergo animaduerte ab exitu sermonis c. Know therfore and vnderstand that from the going forth of the commandement and to build Ierusalem againe vnto the Messias the prince shal be seauen weeks and threescore and two weekes and that is 69. weekes or 483. yeares Now this Exitus sermonis that is the fulfilling of the kings cōmandement touching the building of Ierusalem to wit when the Citty was finished dedicated as the learned do interprete and proue is made in the 23. yeare of Artaxerxes or as Iosephus wryteth in his 11. Booke of Antiquities c. 5. in the 28. yeare reckoning frō the beginning of the reigne of Xerxes that is in the third yeare of the 80. Olimpiade which was the seauenth yeare of Artaxerxes then gouerning priuately Furthermore from the third yeare of the 80. Olimpiade to the baptisme of Christ when Christ was declared by his Father to be Dux Populi and that he begun so to shew himselfe in doctrine miracles are precisely 483. yeares And where in the same chapter it is said And the street shall be built againe and the wall in a troublesome tyme. This was often attempted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the last perfected from the twentith yeare of Artaxerxes til the 23. yeare being in ●●e 80. Olimpiade And after threscore two weeks which

for the preuenting of Death for Death of the body depriuing the soule supposing it to be mortal of all good should become her chiefest infelicity and euill and present life her greatest good and happynesse And therefore it followeth that the soule should feare nothing so much as Death and on the other side affect desire and defend nothing so much as present life But now daily experience teacheth the contrary for many do make so small an estimate of life though abounding with all the goods of fortune as that they willingly spend it for prayse fame liberty auoyding of reproach and dishonour and for the exercise of vertue Yea some there are who for the declyning and shuning of disgrace or griefe and affliction of mynd or for the purchasing of a very little reputation sticke not to become their owne parricides murtherers So much more do those things which belong to the soule or mind preponderate ouerballance al that which appertaines to the body THE SIXTH REASON CHAP. VII SO great is the capacity and largnesse of the soule or mind as that no riches no dignities no Kingdomes not the Empire of the whole world no pleasures briefly no finite and limitable good can quench her insatiable thirst and desire but to this end it is needfull that she enioy some one immense infinite and boundlesse good and such as containeth in it selfe by way of eminency or preheminēcy the fulnes of all good whatsoeuer This the Prophet Dauid insinuateth Psalm 16. when he saith Satiabor cum c. I shal be satisfyed and filled when thy glory shall appeare as if he would say no other thing can giue me full contentment except the manifestation of thy glory which is an infinite and illimitable good And to the same end S. Austin saith Fecisti nos c. Thou hast made vs like vnto thee and our hart is vnquyet till it rest in thee Now if the Soule were restrained to the narrownes of the body it should not be capable of an infinite good neither should her desire be extended to any thing but what were conducing and accommodated to a corporall life as it appeareth in other liuing creatures For the Body and the matter doth restraine the appetite desire and capacity of the forme From whence it proceedeth that by how much the forme of any body is more materiall by so much it is more narrow and lesse capable but the more spirituall and more eleuated the forme is the more ample and the more enlarged it is and extendeth it selfe to more things thereby the better to perfect it selfe For bodyes wanting life as stones and metals as also their formes because they are materiall and grosse in the highest degree do desire nothing out of themselues neither do they endeauour any thing to further their perfection but rest in themselnes quiet and dead But Plants because their forme is more pure and perfect do couet after their manner nourishment and do attract it from without as also they change it distributing it through the whole body and conuerting it into their owne substance Besides they send forth flowers fruits and seedes so they continue dayly working to the augmentation conseruation perfection propagation of themselues but because they haue no sense or feeling of their nourishment they therfore receaue neither pleasure nor griefe thereby Liuing Creatures in that their forme is in a higher degree do not only performe all those operations which plants do but with all they haue knowledge and sense of their nourishment yea they mooue themselues to it they seeke it from the vse of it they take pleasure and from the want of it they receaue griefe and molestation Notwithstanding all their knowledge and affection or liking is limited within certaine narrow bounds for it only extendeth it selfe to the profit or hurt of their bodyes so as they apprehend no other thing they couet and fly no other thing they are delighted and grieue at no other thing which is a manifest demonstration that their Soule depends only of their body for their soule therfore perceaues and desires nothing but what conduceth to the rest good of their corporall life because their soule dependeth of the felicity of their body Aboue all other liuing Creatures is man indued with a reasonable soule or mind whose knowledge affection is not limited to things belonging to the body but is altogeather illimitable extending it selfe to euery truth to euery kind of good as is aboue said both which beare no reference or respect to the body And from hence it followeth that the Souls capacity or ability either in knowing desiring or in taking delight is infinite no otherwise then the ability of spirits or celestiall Intelligences which is an vnanswerable argument that the soule of man is not wholly depending of the body and necessarily tyed to the same This point is further thus confirmed Substantiae separatae as they are called that is incorporeall substances do therfore enioy the force of vnderstanding and do extend themselues ad totum ens to euery thing and ad totum verum bonum to euery verity goodnes because they are simple formes eleuated aboue all matter not depending of the same as Philosophy teacheth And hence it is that there is no spirituall substance but euen in that respect it is intelligent and vnderstanding Therfore seing the Soule of man is endued with the faculty of vnderstanding and is in her selfe of that expansion and largnes as that she stretcheth her selfe to the whole latitude of Ens in generall that is to euery truth and euery thing that is good by vnderstanding what is true and affecting and louing what is good no otherwise then spirituall and separated substances do it followeth that the soule doth not depend vpon any matter or bodily substance For where there is effectus adaequatus there is also causa adaquata that is where there is a proper and peculiar effect there also is to be found a proper and peculiar cause from whence the effect riseth But in the Soule of Man the effect is found to wit the force of vnderstanding and the capacity of euery truth and euery good therefore the cause also is to be found that is a spirituall nature independent of matter or of a body THE SEAVENTH REASON CHAP. VIII THere are in the nature of things some liuing formes which are separated from all matter both in their essence and manner of existence with the Philosophers do cal Intelligences or substantias separatas separated substances and Christians tearme them Spirits or Angels There are also some others which both in their Essence and existence are altogether tyed and immersed in the matter wherin they are and such are the Soules of beasts Therfore there oughtto be some other formes betwene the former two which in regard of their Essence may not depend of their body that so they may be like vnto spirits or Angels yet for their

inuested with their bodies did liue wickedly in al affluence and abundāce of riches and pleasures and in committing of wrongs and which before their departure from hence made no recompence for the same should after this life be equall in state to those who wrongfully haue suffred many tribulations and yet liued very vertuously and that there is to be had no account for things committed here therefore it followeth that there ought to be a Prouidence which is to giue a retributiō answerable to euery ones deserts And hence it is that all Philosophers and all religions who maintayned the soule to liue after the body did withall maintaine that there were future rewards and punishments and did confesse a Prouidence of a supreme spirit by the which these rewards punishmēts are iustly dispensed S. Chrysostome in his fourth sermon de Prouidentia handleth this point elegantly in these wordes If nothing be to follow after this life then is there no God for granting that there is a God that God must needs be iust and if he be iust then doth he recompence euery one according to his deseruings And if nothing be after this life then where shall euery one be rewarded according to his deserts Many wicked men do liue here in all pleasure and honour a● also many vertuous suffer great pressures and afflictions If therefore nothing be to follow hereafter the iust shall finally depart remaining still wronged and the vniust with vndeserued felicity If then this should be so where is iustice For if Man do not receaue retaliation for such things as he hath done then is God not iust and if not iust then he is not God c. But that there is a God all Creatures do preach it therefore it followeth that that God is iust and if he be iust then dispenseth he iustice to euery one And if he giueth what is iust to euery man then followeth it that there must be a tyme after this life in the which al shal receaue answerably to their liues and actions Thus far this Father Therefore once grāting the immortality of the Soule it necessarily is to be inferred that there is a God and that he exerciseth his prouidence vpon all mens affaires as also on the other side taking away and denying the Soules immortality then is all Iustice and Prouidēce of God yea God himselfe is taken away flatly denyed to be Therfore it resteth vpon to proue and demonstrate the immortality of it but because this point requireth a more long and prolixe discourse it shal be handled largely in the second booke here following seposed and appointed only to that end THE 14. REASON TAKEN FROM DIuers examples of diuine reuenge and benignity CHAP. XVI ALTHOVGH the chiefest punishmēt of sinne be reserued to bee inflicted in the world to come when there shal be made to all a iust recompensation for their demerits neuertheles euen in this world oftē tymes there are shewed diuers examples to put men in mind that God doth not sleepe but that he watcheth and obserueth mens actions and to intimate vnto them how seuere punishments do attend wicked men after this life Therefore though the bridle and liberty of liuing according to ech mans will and mind be giuen in this life and that diuers things may be thoght to be carried so troublesomly confusedly as that for the time no Prouidence of any diuyne power may seeme to be in mens affaires the wicked doing all things according to their sensuality and the vertuous being miserably oppressed and afflicted Notwithstanding if Man will take into his consideratiō the passages of all tymes he shall see that Gods prouidence is not so quyet still and silent but for the most part after some tyme passed the measure of the sins being once complete and filled vp in any one Country it discouereth bewrayeth it selfe by taking reuenge of the said coūtry with some heauy and notable punishment of which point there are many examples extant both in the sacred Scripture as also in prophane Authours the store whereof being so great we will insist in some of the most remarkable of them The first then may be the generall deluge in the which al mankind except eight persons was vtterly extinguished for their enormous liues The great Prophet Moyses hath discribed most elegantly this heauy punishment with al its due circumstances in the 6. 7. and 8. of Genesis in the procedure whereof the diuine Prouidence hath seuerall wayes displayed it selfe First in decreeing the abolishment and death of mankind in reuenge of their sinnes and in foretelling it to Noe a hundred and twenty yeares before it came to passe Secondly in that God for a new increase of the world caused an Arke to be made in that prescribed forme measure which might contayne the kinds of all liuing Creatures both vpon earth such as did fly and might reserue thē from destruction to wit it being 300. cubits in length fifty in breadth thirty in height which measure and largenes that it was sufficient for the receite not only of all liuing Creatures but also for meat for them for one yeare may easily be demonstrated and hath already bene made euident by learned men so as it is cleare that this proportion or quantity was appointed not by mās aduise but through the speciall direction of the diuine Wisedome Thirdly because it proceeded from the foresaid Prouidence of God that at the beginning of the deluge euery kind of liuing Creature should resort to the Arke take its fitting mansion Fourthly in that the globe of the water with the increase of the raine which fell continually for the space of forty daies and forty nights was so great as that it exceeded in height the highest hils fifteene cubits Now that so much raine could cause so great an inundation ouerflowing of water may be made iustifyable partly by reason and partly by experience Fiftly the prouidence of God was further manifested in that both so much water could fall vpon the earth and yet after could be exhaled vp in vapours and clouds all this in the space of one yeate for at the end of forty dayes the floud was come to its height and so continued during a hundred and fifty dayes the rest of that yeare to wit 175. dayes it was so wasted away dissipated dissolued into clouds that the last day of the yeare the earth being become dry Noe with his whole family and the liuing Creatures came out of the Arke therefore he continued in the Arke a whole yeare measured by the course of the Sunne that is 365. dayes for he entred into the Arke the six hundreth yeare of his life in the second moneth 17. day and he came ou● in the 601. yeare the second moneth and 27. day so as he continued therein twelue moneths of the moone and eleuen dayes which make precisely one solare yeare Sixtly in giuing to those miserable men

with a vast opennes mighty fragour and noyse it did absorpe and swallow downe Core Dathan and Abiron with all their tabernacles and goodes and after closed it selfe togeather not leauing any print or shew of its former opening and as touching the other two hundred and fifty being their associates in rebelling a huge fire from heauen rushed vpon them cōsumed them so as no parcels of their bodies remayned The day after when as the people began another insurrection against Moyses and Aaron as esteming them the authours of the former destruction and that God for their sakes punished with death as they thought innocent men at which God was so highly offended that he sent a fyar among them with the which fourteene thousand and seauen hundred were instantly burned to death 10. Another tyme in like sort the people through the tedious wearisomnes of their iourney murmuring against God he againe sent a fyar among them which deuoured and consumed the vttermost parts of their camps and tents had wasted further therein if Moyses had not prayed to the contrary at whose prayers the earth opening the fyar descended downewards and so ceased 11. Not long after this the people againe murmuring against the diuine Maiesty by reason of the length of their trauell God sent among them certaine fiery serpetns at whose stingings and by tings many of the people submitted themselues to Moyses with acknowledgment of their sinne Thereupon Moyses by the cōmandement of God erected the brazen serpent hanging it vpon a high Pole or forke at the beholding only whereof all those were cured that were afore wounded by the foresaid dangerous serpents This was a most illustrious and cleare type or figure of Christ our Lord hanging vpon the Crosse in the beliefe and faith of whome alone the wounds of the old serpent are cured and eternall saluation is purchased 12. To conclude during those forty yeares of the Israelites stay in the wildernes neither their clothes nor their shoes became worse or old with wearing Gods good prouidence so preseruing them in that they had not there conuenient meanes of procuring of new Add to all these former so many helpes and furtherances in their warrs so many famous victories obtained through Gods particuler assistance so many of their enemies slaine either with no losse or with very small on the Israelites side we read that the Army of Amalec was ouercome by the Israelites through the prayers of Moyses for during all that tyme that Moyses was lifting vp his hands to God Israell ouercame and when he suffered his hands to fall downe Amalec vanquished which point no doubt serued as a great mistery The riuer of Iordan did deuide it selfe in the presence of the Arke to wit the higher part of it swelling as a mountaine and the lower part altogether dry and gaue passages to all the people The walles of Iericbo being most strōg fell downe to the ground only at the sound of the trumpets voice or clamour of the ●●●ple Many of the army of the fiue kings of the Amorrheans being discomfited by the Israelites and flying away were in their flight killed by haile stones sent from heauen The Sunne and the Moone at the commandement of Iosue God yealding to his petition for the space of ten or twelue houres stayed their motions vntill he had vanquished his enemyes I omit many other fauours granted to the people of Israel for their obtaining of the land of Promise all which do euidently demonstrate the peculiar prouidence assistance of God Now all these euents serued but as figures and types of such things as should happen in the Church during the tyme of the new testament also they are of force to secure vs now in tyme of grace of Gods prouidence besides in freeing his seruantes from the bondage of the Diuel for our entrance into the heauenly country Fiftly those things are to be considered which chanced to the Israelites when they were gouerned by Iudges and after they entred into the land of Promise for as oftē as after the custome of other countries they fell to the worship of Idols they were most grieuously afflicted by God as being brought vnder the yoke and seruitude of their enemyes but when soeuer they grew truly penitent of such their Idolatry returning vnto God with a contrite and sincere mind then God being at hand ready to commiserate the distressed raised vnto thē a Captaine or leader which did vindicate and free them from their thraldome and oppression and did reduce thē to their former liberty For seauen seuerall tymes a thing most strange and wonderfull while they were gouerned by captaines this hapned for as often they relapsed into Idolatry so often they were deliuered into the hands of their enemies and so often flying with true penitency vnto God they were succoured And first Iosue and others of the more ancient being dead who were behoulders of the wonderfull workes of God and contained the people in the true religion they left God mancipating and subiecting themselues to the worshipping of the Idols of Baalim and Astaroth For which sinne God deliuered them into the hands of Chusan Rathasa●m King of Mesopotamia whome they serued eight yeares Now this subiection seeming in the end very heauy vnto them and they through the admonition of holy men acknowledging it to be inflicted by God for their sinne of ●dolatry being penitent for it earnestly beseeched mercy and helpe therefore our Lord taking mercy of them sent them Othoniell who gathering forces ouerthrew the King of Mesopotamia and freed the people from their bondage After the death of Othoniell the people againe forgetful of Gods benefits and commandements led with the custome of other countries returned to Idolatry for the punishment of which their sinne our Lord stirred vp Eglon King of Moab with the Amalites and Amalacites by whome they were badly intreated for the space of eighteene yeares but they after loathing their former sinnes and flying vnto God for pardon God sent them Aod who with the death of the King and destruction of the army of the Moabites set the people at liberty Aod being dead they returned againe to Idolatry in reuenge of which wickednes our Lord deliuered them vp vnto the power of Iabin King of Chanaan who afflicted them twenty yeares together but tribulation giuing them againe vnderstāding they grieued for their sinnes and supplicated Gods mercy who moued there with raysed vp Debora a prophetesse Barac a man of armes who gathering an army vanquished the forces of the King of Iabin with the death of Sisara his captaine by the hands of a woman called Iahel The people of Israel enioying peace and quiet fell againe to idolatry and became therefore subiect to the Madianits by whome during seauen yeares they were grieuously oppressed But they being in this calamity repented and prayed help frō God whereupon they were first sharply

who committed no euill do not feare those who haue offended may euer haue their punishment before their eyes He also in another place thus writeth Si optimorum consiliorum c. If our conscience be euer a witnes throughout our whole liues of our good deliberations and actions then shall we liue without feare in great integrity honesty of mind And the reason thereof is because the soule doth presage that good and happynes which is reserued after this life for all true worshippers of vertue THE XXI REASON CHAP. XXII THE Immortality of the Soule is further euicted from the returne backe of Soules after this life For it is euident euen by infinite examples that the dead haue been raised vp and that the Soules of the dead haue returned from the places wherein they were and haue appeared to the liuing We read in the first booke of the Kings cap. 28. and in Ecclesiasticus cap. 49. that the Soule of Samuel then dead appeared to the Enchantresse Pithonissa and to Saul and did prophecy vnto him his destruction Againe the soule of Moyses whether in his owne body restored vnto him at that tyme by diuine power or in a body assumed by him togeather with Elias appeared in the mount Thabor to Christ and to the three chiefe Apostles Peter Iames Iohn as is related in Mathew cap. 17. and Luke cap. 9. The soules of Onias Ieremy the Prophet exhibited themselues to the sight of Iudas Machabeus and much encouraged him to the vanquishing of his Countries Enemies as appeareth in the first of the Machabees c. 15. The Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul appeared in sleepe to Constantine the Emperour and shewed him a meanes to cure his leprosy as it is recorded in the seauenth Synod Act 2. and testifyed by many Historians S. Iohn the Euangelist and S. Philip the Apostle appeared to Theodosius promised him victory against Eugenius which presently followed and not without great miracle The same apparitiō was seene also by a certaine souldier at the same tyme least otherwise it might be thought to be forged by the Emperour as Theodoret wryteth l. 5. histor c. 24. The same Euangelist with the blessed virgin exhibited thēselues to the ●ight of Gregorius Thaumaturgus then waking and instructed him in the mistery of the Trinity This point with the forme of the doctrine is recorded by Gregorius Nissenus in the life of Thaumaturgus I omit many other apparitions of our blessed Lady recorded by Gregory the great and other more ancient authours In like sort Amb●rse serm 90. wryteth that S. Agnes appeared to Constantia the daughter of Constantine and cured her of a most dangerous impostume or swelling Eusebiu● reporteth l. 6. histor c. 5. how S. Po●●mi●●● the third day after her martirdome appeared to her Executioner in the night and told him that she had obtained fauour frō God in his behalfe in recōpense of his gētle proceding with her vpon which apparitiō the Executioner instātly became a Christiā after his constāt professiō of the Christiā faith suffered a most glorious death and martyrdome It were ouer labour some to recount all the apparitiōs both of the holy and wicked soules which are found in approued authours all which to say to haue bene forged were ouer great impudence since this were to take away the credit of al historyes and to cast an aspersion of falshood and deceite without any shew of reason vpon many most holy learned and graue authours for many both of the ancient Fathers as also of historiographers especially Christians haue made frequent mentiō of this point yea euen among the very heathens it was a thing generally acknowledged as appeareth out of Homer Virgil others Therefore seing it is a matter most euident by so many examples that the Soules of the dead haue appeared to the liuing we may demonstratiuely conclude that those Soules did not dye with their bodyes but do continue immortall and haue their reward of glory of punishment according to their actions performed in this life This point of the Soules immortality is in like sort made cleare from the raising of the dead to life Now that the dead haue bene recalled to life is proued by many vnanswerable examples And first the Prophet Elias restored to life the dead Sonne of the widow Sareptana as appeareth in the third of the Kings c. 7. Elisaeus also raised the sōne of Sunamice as we read in the fourth of the Kings c. 4. Yea Elisaeus being himself dead only by the touch of his bones restored to life one that was dead as we find in the 13. chapter of the said booke Christ our Lord and Sauiour besides others raised to life Lazarus being dead foure dayes afore and this was perfourmed in the eye of all Ierusalem as S. Iohn relateth c. 11. Finally to auoyde all prolixity diuers were restored to life by the Apostles and other most holy men as appeareth from Ecclesiasticall historyes and other approued authours Now the resurrection and rising of the dead is an euident signe that the soules are not vtterly extinct but that they remayne separated after death till through a conueniēt dispositiō of the body they be reunited to it For so soone as the whole disposition of the body which is necessary to this vnion shal be perfected and that the soule shall there exhibit it selfe in wardly present then doth this vnion imediatly and freely follow partly like as fire touching chips or any other such combustible matter doth through a mutuall attraction naturally cleaue thereunto For the body being made apt and rightly disposed doth couet through a naturall propension to be vnited with the soule as in like sort the soule desireth to be conioyned to the body which propension or inclination is reduced into Act when the Soule and the body after the last disposition once finished are mutually and inwardly present together THE XXII AND LAST REASON CHAP. XXIII TO conclude this point touching the Soules immortality it may be further alledged that the Soules Immortality is the foundation of all religion Iustice Probity Innocency sanctity Now if this ground-worke be false then is the whole sacred Scripture false and a meere fiction then are the Oracles of the Prophets false false also is the doctrine and preaching of Christ false his miracles Finally false are all those things which are deliuered by the Euangelists touching the resurrection of Christ his conuersing with the Apostles fourty dayes after his resurrection his ascension and the descending of the Holy Ghost vpō the Apostles and other the faithfull And thus are all deceaued who haue embraced the religion of Christ And therefore in vaine haue so many thousands Saints tamed and brought vnder their flesh practized iustice innocency temperance all other vertues with indefatigable and incessant paynes In vayne are all the Sacraments of the Church all the institutions diuine laudes and praises all Ecclesiasticall Orders all sacred assemblies all labours