that wisdome which is the knowledge of Diuine and human thinges which we may deuide into twoe partes Contemplatiue and Morall Contemplatiue which containeth the knowledge of God and his works and morrall which teacheth vs howe to liue well and how to shew our selues helpefull and officious to the world How to know God GOd doth reueale and as it were make himselfe visible vnto vs after two manner of waies first in the booke of his word by the mouthes of his holy prophets Apostles and Patriarches and secondly by the book of nature in the whole frame of heauen and earth which wee cannot behold but we must needs confesse that neither heauen hath his motion the sunne and moon their light the earth his fruitfulnesse nor the sea his waters but it comes to passe by the power wisedome and prouidence of one supreme creator and preseruer which is God And as the contemplation of his creatures is a forcible argument to beate into vs the knowledge of his deyty so the behoulding of no one creature helpeth more to that ende then the consideration of our owne nature How to know our selues SOcrates the Prince of Philosophers greatly condemned the students of his age in that they toyled so much about the knowledge of external things and neuer had anye care to caste an eye vnto that which was internall meanning that all their studye and labour tended to the marking of the revolution of the heauens and other naturall causes vppon earth but neuer were solicitous or troubled about their owne nature but as his opinion was so let ours be that wee cannot come to the knowledge of God which is the end of our cteation and being knowne to glorifie him than by the knowledge of our owne nature Therfore to know our selues and our owne nature is to consider that we are compounded of a bodie that is earthly a soule that is heauenly of a body that is palpable to be felt and scene and of a soule that is invisible and not subiect to externall sense of a body that is mortall and must die and of a soule that is immortal that shall neuer dye and that at first we were created vpright both in soule and body but since through sinne we are become deformed both in soule and bodye And although we might heere take occasion to speake of the excellencie of the composition of the partes of the body as a thinge full of admiration and many deepe secrets in nature yet because the more principall parte of man which is the soule is the only obiect of the matter we haue in hande wee will passe ouer the great knoweledge that might be hadde in viewing the corporall frame and onely tie our discourse to the spiritual essence which beeing the harder and more difficulte matter by how much it is more excellent than the other therfore once looked into though but sleightly we shal the sooner come to the knowledge of the whole What this knowledge of ourselues doth worke in vs. THe knowledge of our selues doeth worke in vs a two-folde effect a meanes to be humbled and a meanes to glory and reioice To be humbled in respect of the sense and feeling of our vanity and to glory in respect of the mercy of God by whose grace we recouer our selues from the daunger of vanity for our sicke soule being lost to perdition is reuiued and quickened againe by regeneration What the Soule is THe soule cannot be known as it is but by the craetor that made it by reason that in vs there is no nature more high or excellent to comprehend it all the knowledge that we can haue of it proceedes from those effects which it doeth manifest in vs and therefore we cannot giue any absolute definition of it But according to the effects we may thus describe it The soule is a spirit which giueth life to the body whereunto it is ioyned and which is capeable of the knowledg of God to loue him as being meet to be vnited vnto him to eternal happinesse In that it is a spirit it confutes their oppinions that thought the soule did proceed frō the tēperature and harmony of the partes of the body but in that it giueth life it confutes their oppinion that thought it was mortall and that with the death of the body it likewise perished But the soule is as far frō perishing being seperated frō the body as an expert musition frō losing his skill being bereft of his instrument Others there are that thinke because man liueth no longer then he hath breath on because losse of bloud bringeth the losse of life or because in death they perceiue no difference betweene men and beastes that therefore the soule is nothinge else but bloude or a puffe of wind But these men haue no further insight into the soule than is conceiued by their externall sense A minde refynde and eleuated aboue the earth findes that the soule is the Image of God who is a spirit and eternall therefore the soule of man must be a spirit and eternall for there is alwayes an agreement betweene the Image and the thinge of which it is an Image How the soule is celestiall THe soule is celestiall not in that sense as if it were a parte of the substance and nature of god him selfe but it is saide to be celestial in 3. respectes First to shewe a difference betweene the soule of men and the soule of beastes Secondly in regard of the agreement which it hath with the deuine nature through immortalitye Thirdly in respect it approcheth neerer to the nature of god thē any other creature except Angels and yet Angels are not of the nature of God neither for they are not immortall of themselues but haue their immortaltty and their superexcellencie of God who both giueth it vnto them and preserueth them in it and can if it please him depriue them of it How the soule is in the body THe soule is in the body not as proceeding from the generatiue seed or the commixture of the humours for then the soule should be corruptible as they are but the soule is in the body by infusion of God the creator after that the parts of the body are already framed fashioned and that by no other vertue but by his own omnipotent power so that we must thinke when God inspired a soule into Adam he made not a blast of his own nature nor of the ayre round about him but euen of nothing who being himselfe incorporall made the soule also incorporall but yet he being vnchangable made the soule mutable because himselfe being vncreated made the soule a creature Vpon this may rise a question that if the soule be infused and created of God and comes not by propagation from our parents whence hath it then the pollution which we call originall sinne It were horrible to say it were so created knowing that all the workes of God are pure and holy and from the body it cannot come
for the bodie infectes not the soule but the soule the body whose instrument it is Wee answere that as the soule is infused by god in that respect it is clean without spot but so soon as it is entred vnder the line of the children of Adam it is presently made subiect to the curse which God laide vppon Adam and his posterity and so becomes guilty of originall sinne The difference betweene soule and Spirit BEcause these words are often times confounded it shall not be amisse to know their difference By the soule we may vnderstand man as he is born hauing the vse of the annimal naturall and vitall powers and by the spirit whatsoeuer grace and knowledg is giuen vnto man by God so that by soule we may vnderstand man as he is in the corruption of his nature and by spirit as he is regenerate and borne anew There is also another difference which may giue some light in maner to discerne between these twoe names which is this Soule is a word more general than spirit for it may be attributed to other creatures as well as to man As hearbs plants tree haue haue onely a vegetatiue soule Sea-spounges cockles and such like haue onely a vegetatiue and sensetiue soule brute beasts haue a vegetatiue sensetiue and cogetatiue soule for they do not onely growe increase and haue sence and feeling but they likewise are indued with cogitation knowledge and memory how to preserue their liues guide and gouerne themselues according to naturall inclination but the soule rationall and regenerate by the grace of adoption and therfore called a spirit is onely proper to men and inriched with immortality How the soule is immortall THat the soule is immortal appeareth by some reasons before aleadged as that it is the Image of god who is imortal therfore hath som agreement with him in that respect but for further assurance we haue scripture her owne properties In the booke of Gen. 2.7 it is said God made man a liuing soule that is immortall In the gospell after S. Mathew Christ admonisheth his disciples that they should not stand in feare of those that kill the bodie meanning bloudy tyrants but could not kill the soule whereby it is manefest the soule liueth after the bodie Likewise in the gospell after S. Luke 16.22 the begger dyed and his soule was carried into Abrahams bosome And in the 23. of the same gospell the 43. verse our sauiour christ said to the repentant theefe This day thou shalt be with mee in Paradice meaning his soule and not his body which words he would not haue vttered if the soule had perished with the bodie and not been immortall Many other places might be recyted but if these seeme insufficient so wil the rest Further the soule appeares to bee immortall by her owne properties first in that it giueth life to the body and is so farre from corruption that so long as it bides therein it preserues the body from corrupting Secondly in that it is in continuall motion and neuer ceaseth whether wee sleepe or wake walke or sit still to apprehend think or ponder vpon something in a moment it wanders through the heauens compasseth the earth and crosseth the broadest Seas Thirdlye it may be thought immortall in respect of that propertye which it expresseth in the mindes euen of Atheistes and heathen men who notwithstanding they not beleiue or deny the immortality of the soule yet the deuinity of their souls with in them working to the contrary make them balke their owne opinions and by the monumēts which they set vp to continue their name remembrance bewraies the soule to be immortall because in that respect they plainly shew a feruent desire to liue for euer Why some beleiue not the immortallity of the soule THe reason that moues them heareunto in some is the blockishnes of nature who obstiniately refuse to beleiue any thing but what they may be able to comprehend by their outward sense And againe some are so peruerse as they wish not only their soules were not immortall but that there were no god nor any other life to the end they might haue no Iudg but that this life might end with their delight the soule vanish with the body But here may rise an obiection If the soule be immortal why is it said in scripture euerie soule that sinneth shall die the death And againe it appeares by manie places that the soules of the wicked shall suffer eternal death We may answere that the soule is said to dye not that it is quite bereft of any beeing but for that it is for euer bannished the ioyes of heauen which vnto the soule is accounted death as the bannishnement of the soule from the bodie is accounted the bodies death What makes the soule mortall and in danger of such a death THe first thing that indangers the soule with mortality is originall sin which sinne by regeneration of holie baptisme being remoued the next thing that indangers it is the passions and affections of the soule which fall backe into their first corruption by spurning against vnderstanding and reason the soueraigne faculties of the soule which are spirituall and intelligigible stirring vs vp to virtue to pietye and godlinesse and by yeelding obedience to the sensual and inferior facultie of the soule which is the will who by reason it is neerer and more famillier with the corporal senses then vnderstanding therfore rather consenteth to the Lawes of the members which are full of ignorance frowardnesse miserie shame death and condemnation than to the workes of the spirit which are loue ioy peace long suffering gentleness faith meeknesse temperance and such like The difference betweene vnderstanding and the will and affections FIrst they differ according to the place and situation which they haue in the bodie of man Secondly according to the time wherein they are imploide and thirdly according to the dignitie of their offices They differ according to their situation in that vnderstanding hath his seat in the braine and the will and affection in the heart And this is the reason that we se many men indued with great knowledge of diuerse good and virtuous thinges but haue no willingnes or affection to follow after them or to shew them in their life and conuersation because their hart and their braine their will their vnderstanding agree not Likewise we see others to haue a will to do well yet because they want vnderstaning knowledg to discern what is iust they faile of the execution thereof Secondly they differ according to the time wherin they are imploide in that vnderstanding alwaies goes before and the affections follow For we cannot hate or loue vnlesse we first know the thing which is to be hated or loued Thirdly they differ acording to the dignitie of their offices in that vnderstanding sits as a King to commaund and the wil and affection stand as subiectes to obey For as God hath
them as when the Lorde for their rebellion against him determined to cut them off Moses rather besoght him that his name might be wipte out of the booke of life then any such harme should befal that people Dauid a man chosen of God and an anointed king euen in the midst of his guard and men of warre suffered a base fellow to reuile him and throwe dust in his face Finally let vs alwaies obserue this one rule that when soeuer wee finde our hart kindled with anger we deuise some meanes to prolong the time before we strike or make reply as Theodosius and other vertuous men haue done that would either reade the Alphabet ouer play vppon some instrument or make a certaine space before they would reply vpon their offenders and by this meanes as they so shal we the more easily subdue and vanquish this wilde and sauadge passion Finis Wrath. Of Sloth SLoath may be called the lethargie of the soule being a lither deiection of the whole man from the laudable exercise of virtue so that in a māner he becomes sencelesse but in truth altogether vnprofitable There are eleauen branches of sloth protraction Remisnes Negligence improuidence indeuotion sluggishnesse pusilanimity irresolution disperation misprision of time and omition Ptotraction what PRotraction is that defect of minde which when a man is to enterprise or take in hand some good woorke or other makes him defer the time and vse much delay ere he attempte it and this is the fault of those that know that with out repentance we shal die in our sinnes and yet defer their amendment of life from day to day Remisnesse what REmisnesse is where hauing begun a good woorke wee quicklye are mooued to leaue it off againe and this is the fault of such as entring into religion and resoluing vppon a Godlye course of life by the vaine inticements of the worlde or the corrupt pleasures of the flesh fal to their old bias again Negligence what NEgligence is when we enter vpon a good worke and proceede in it but without care whether it bee well done or no and this is the fault of such as are content to come to church to pray heare sermons and giue to the poore but doe it more for fashion sake and feare of punishment then vpon any true zeale or labour not effectually to deserue the name of Christians but thinke it sufficient howesoeuer they performe the outward ceremony Improuidence what IMprouidence is when a man doth not prouide aforehand against that which is like to happen but standeth still or spendeth the time carelessely till an inconuenience take hold vpon him and this is the fault of those that neuer forsake sinne till sinne forsakes them nor haue anye thought to liue well vntill they see they must die presently thinking their rotten old age sufficient for God whereas they haue spent their lusty youth in the seruice of the diuell but there are fiue reasons to moue vs to beware of improuidence that wee defer not our conuersion to virtue and godly life The first is induration for that olde age hauing a long time continued in the custome of vicious life like a stiffe tree is hardly bowed or brought to better order The second is the longer a man abideth in sinne the greater will bee the burden of sinne the greater the burden of sinne is the more hardly will he rise from vnder it especiallye considering his chiefe strength and vigour is before wasted and consumed The third the more strange we are to virtue and godlye life the larger expence of time wil be required for our entertainment and familliar acquaintance so that hauing alyenated our selues all our life time death in our olde age layeth hold vppon vs before wee can put foorth our hand to apprehend the benefit of her presence The fourth the difficulty and vnaptnesse vpon our death bed to turne vnto the Lord by reason of the torment of sicknesse the care of our goods the clamour of wife and children and the terror that death brings with him The fift because at the houre of death the diuel is more ready to assaile vs thē at other times knowing that if he then faile his pray is euer after past recouery and we then most vnable to resiste Indeuotion what INdeuotion is the spiritual drouzines of the soule when neither through weaknesse or wante of power but by a certaine wearisomnesse in the execution of good workes we cast them behinde our backes and leaue them vndone and this is the imperfection of those whose faith is wauering and inconstant loosing the heate and vigour thereof Sluggishnesse what SLuggishnesse is a kinde of heauy and lumpish vnwillingnesse to any good or commendable practise and it is of two sorts corporall or spirituall corporall sluggishnesse is when we had rather indure any necessity thē by industrie to paine the body for the auoiding thereof Spirituall sluggishnesse is when we had ratherlie walloing in the pleasures of this life though to our destruction then wander thorough the thorny and bitter path of affliction though to our eternall happinesse and this is the falt of those that so their bodies be secure and at ease haue no further care but thinke all thinges well with them Pusillanimity what PVsillanimity is a faintnesse of heart whereby we become slacke euen in things which we are sufficient able to performe And this is the fault of such as hyde their tallant or shrinke backe from the waye of virtue because they presume it is to hard for them to folow and so consequently fall into distrust of the helpe and assistance of God The cause of Pusillanimity THe cause of pusillanimitye is feare which is of two sorts one good the other bad Good feare what To stand more in awe of blame reproch and dishonour then of death or griefe Bad feare what BAd feare is a false opinion of euill imagining it to be greater thē it is and this is of two sortes first when the soule thorough a cowardlye dispotion bocomes ydle dead and void of euery good effect Secondly when the wicked through horrout of paine and punishment and not for loue of godlines are bridled and restrained from their villanies Irresolution what IRresolutiō is a hanging of the mind between two opinions now determining this now that yet in the end attempteth nothing at all And this is the fault of such that would faine inioy the blessednesse prepared for true christians and yet are loath to forsake their carnall affections like the yong man in the gospell that came to our Sauiour with a desire to obtaine heauen but when he was bid to sell all hee had giue it to the poore hee went away very sad and pensiue making no reply whether he woulde at such a rate purchase the kindome of heauen or no. Desperation what DEsperation is a kind of sloth where by the soule waxeth fainte vnder the burden of sinne or of anye good woorke and thinketh there
8 But as true repentance is neuer without faith so is it likewise at all times accompanied with good works What good workes we ought to doe INsomuch as the lord pronounceth he is worshipped in vaine with the commandements of men therfore wee must practise and doe such good workes as are prescribed vnto vs in the worde of God Ezec. 20. because many things may seem good in our eies that are abhominable in the sighte of God How good workes are to be done AFter that a godlye and religious man hath found out what workes are to be don forthwith he addresseth himselfe to vnderstande in what sorte they are to be done for resolution of which question that one place in the Epistle to the Heb. 11 6. may be sufficient wher it is said That without faith it is impossible to please god so that the distribution of our good workes must alwaies bee accompanied with faith in Christ Iesus For neither loue nor obedience can be acceptable except mercy and reconciliation for the mediators sake bee first apprehended By this are excluded the good workes of the wicked and vnbeleeuers in that howsoeuer they seeme beautifull and beneficiall to the world yet god hath no reguard of their deedes insomuch as they are not presented vnto him in the obedience and perfection of christes merits As in the example of Scipio and Dauid they both fought for their countrey Scipio fought and Dauid also fought and yet their warfare was not to bee accounted of alyke For the warfare of Scipio did not plese God because he was not regenerate but the wars and labour of Dauid did please God because he was accepted by faith The causes of good Workers THe causes that stir vp mens mindes and pricke them forward to worke wel may be said to be three The first is the necessitye of Gods commaundement keepe my statutes saith he and walke therein Le. 18.4 Which necessitie of good workes or walking in Gods commaundement stretcheth it selfe into foure other braunches that is to say necessitie of debt we must doe good deedes because they are a debt which God requireth at our handes Ro. 8. The second is necessitie of faith hee that prouideth not for his owne and namelie for them of his houshold denieth the faith and is worse than an infidell 1. Ty. 5.8 The third is the necessitie of auoiding punnishment for vnlesse wee decline from inequity and performe the dutie of good Christians the Lord will plague and punnish vs he that knowes his maisters will and prepares not himselfe to doe thereafter shal be beaten with manie stripes Mat. 12.47 The fourth is the necessitie of conuersion because the Lord hath said I desire not the death of the wicked but that he turne from his way and liue Ezech. 33.11 Therefore by necessity we are bound to fly from sinne and doe good or else we shal neuer be conuerted to the Lord nor the Lord to vs. The second cause of good works THe second cause that may stirre vs vp to good workes is the dignitie which we receiue thereby being regenerate by faith and faith working in vs to Godlinesse and all manner of Christian-like exercises we are made holie as our heauenly father is holie I Pet. 1 16. Our bodies become the temples of the holie Ghost and of god himselfe to dwell in vs and what honnour ioy and comfort that is may be imagined by the honour and ioy that a priuate subiect receiueth when his prince and Soueraign doth vouchsafe to come and lodge with him in his house Therfore they that pollute this temple with the filthinesse of Sathan so that the holy ghost is either not admitted or being admitted is churlish lie cast out of his dwelling againe let them imagine what an act of crueltie they commit The third cause of good workes THe third cause that may moue vs to obedience towards god in the performance of our duties both toward him and the world is the reward and recompence which he hath promissed shall succeed and redound vnto vs by our good workes not for their owne worthynesse but for the promisse of his grace which promise doeth assure vs not only of all good in this life present but also in the life to come I Tymo 4. So that if neither the necessitie nor dignitie of good workes may induce vs to imbrace them yet for the profit and cōmoditie that comes by them let vs not neglect them The Souldior reguardes not woundes so he may be conqueror nor the Marchant the perils of the Sea so he may growe wealthie let it not be saide that they haue greater Zeale and Fortitude in seeking after shadowes than the Children of God in purchasing the substance The Second braunch of Vertues first issue THe second braunch of Vertues first issue are these foure moste beautifull gracious ofsprings Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice Which are called Cardinall vertues for that al other Morall vertues as vpon hindges doe hange and depend vpon these These are the guides of the soule whereby all ciuill duties either of man towarde man or of man towardes himselfe and consequentlie of both to the glorie of God are directed in the way of truth and equitie The subiect of Cardinall Vertues THe subiectes wherein these Cardinall Vertues doe remaine are the reformed and docible mindes not onlie of Christians but also of Pagans nay oftētimes the efficacy and strength of these vertues doe more clearelie shine and appeare in Pagans than in Christians What Christian is so absolute that may not learne preceptes of wisedome out of the bookes of Aristotle Plato and diuerse other heathen Philosophers And so consequentlie of all the rest of the Vertues What Prudence is PRudence is the light of vnderstanding whereby we know God and affect his workes to which knowledge is ioyned a discretion to be able to discerne good from bad profitable from that which is hurtfull to the end we may shun the one and practise the other it is to the minde as sight of all other corporall sense is to the body for as the sight is most peircing cleare and apprehensiue so is prudence by whose determinate and deepe iudgement all other vertues are gouernd in their good and commendable operations Why God gaue Prudence vnto man COnsidering that mens thoughts are wauering and their inuentions vnstable and considering that the wilde affections of mans nature do rather opresse then cōfort seduce then conduct the soule to that end for which shee is created namely to the knowledge of God and his creatures therefore hath the almighty of his free grace and mercie to lighten this darknesse and remoue this danger let fall a sparke of his eternall light which is wisedome wherby men see to gouern their actions to the glorie of god their owne good the profit of humane societiy How this wisedome appeares TO be known to haue wisedome wil appeare two manner of waies first inwardly by the dexterity of the mind and