and more probable be not much lesse shall that be which is lesse probable and possible The conclusion of such arguments must alwayes be negatiue Lastly 3. Lesse probable we may proue a thing in question by bringing in another thing that is lesse probable saying thus If a thing lesse probable and harder to be beleeved is notwithstanding or hath beene much more ought we to beleeue that which is more probable and easier to be done So if one at twelue yeares of age can carry a waight of a hundred pound by a stronger reason one may carry the same weight at the age of twentie yeares And if Alexander tooke Tyre much more easily might he haue taken Ierusalem which was weaker then Tyre if he had besieged it This is called arguing from the lesse probable to the greater grounded vpon this Maxime Maxime If that which is lesse probable and lesse possible may be much more shall that be which is more probable and more possible The conclusion of such arguments must alwaies be affirmatiue Wee must warily distinguish between the greatnesse of the thing and the greatnesse of the probabilitie For greatest things are oft lesse probable and more difficult For it were no good argument to say thus If birds can flie how much more bulls And if a threed can goe through the eie of a needle how much more a cable And if Michael Angell could paint very excellently how much more the Emperour Charles the fift The seventeenth Chapter Of Testimony TEstimonies are often vsed to argue and proue a thing Testimonies are of force and doe perswade when they be such as may not be denied by reason of the qualitie authoritie sufficiencie or multitude of persons Testimonies are either divine or humane Divine testimonies are Oracles and all that is called the Word of GOD likewise dreames visions miracles be they true or false if they be delivered as true Also rules to liue well derived from nature Humane testimonies if the question be about matter of right are humane lawes customes the testimonies of Ancestours or such as are skilfull in their owne art the consent of nations But if the question be of fact then are to be produced schedules acquittances confessions eye or eare witnesses Such witnesses Maxime as doe not affirme or denie a thing to be or not to be are of no force For there is a great difference between these two sayings God saith not that such a thing is and God saith that such a thing is not The latter is a good proofe but the former hath no consequence or sequel And likewise this proofe is of no effect Aristotle hath not said so therefore it is not so Or the Word of God saith not that man is a reasonable creature and therefore man is not a reasonable creature Notwithstanding if it be a thing which cannot be knowne but by the testimonie of one alone then this kinde of arguing is good and firme Such a one said not â—o and therefore you cannot maintaine that it is so For example if we had no knowledge of China but by the report of one man onely whosoever would affirme any thing without the warrant of such a one without question would be prooved a lyar or iâ— he spake the truth it were but by chance and not knowing himselfe whether he spake true or no. So likewise seeing that nothing that is necessary to salvation can be knowne without warrant from the Word of God whosoever in things necessarie to salvation affirmeth any thing not contained in the said word of GOD ought not to be beleeved affirmes that which he knowes not The eighteenth Chapter Of the vse or Practice of the precedent Doctrine THis Doctrine contained in the sixteene precedent Chapters is called the doctrine of Places because it shewes the places whence matter is drawne for argument and furniture for proofes For example if wee vndertake to proue that Death is not to be feared of a vertuous man wee must runne over these sixteene places and take notice of such as will best furnish vs with matter To make this plaine we will runne over the said places and apply them to this example The Genus of Death Death is the end of mans life Now the end is to be desired when it is not onely the end but also the scope that wee must ayme at such is death vnto which a wise man ought to prepare himselfe every day as being the end of his hope The difference This death comes by the separation of the soule from the bodie now wee must not feare the separation of such things as being ioyned doe hurt one another the soule consumeth the bodie with cares like vnto a knife that cuts its sheath the bodie is to the soule as a burden or a prison God separateth them to reioyne them againe in a better estate and condition The Species There be two kindes of death the one naturall caused through age the other violent which happens by sicknesse or when a man is killed Philosophers say that death which comes through age is without paine because it is without combate or resistance and who would liue when all his strength is spent violent death is not also to be feared of a vertuous man for what matter is it whether I dye of an ague or by the sword Whether by the distemper of humors or by the distemper or commotion of people Whether I yeeld vp my soule by the mouth or by a wound so it may goe to God The properties and accidents of Death Death makes all alike both great and small It dismasketh and discovereth thoughts then dissimulation hath no more place The words of the dying are serious and of great weight their prayers are fervent their confession humble their admonitions to their children are received with attention the spirit of God comforteth them within the Angels guard and assist them without and Iesus Christ reacheth them out the crowne Of things conjoyned with Death If we must not bewaile the dead why should we then feare death The causes of Death The efficient cause of death is the will of God which wee were better to yeeld vnto willingly then by compulsion why should we resist Gods will seeing it is iust and vnevitable Againe the law of nature vnder the which we are borne is the cause of death plead not therefore against your owne hand writing Wouldst thou haue the lawes of the world changed for thee The finall cause of death in regard of the world is that we may giue place one to another thy father hath given place to thee giue thou place to thy children The finall cause of death in regard of every vertuous man is to put an end to all his miseries and to bring him home to God For all these causes of death a vertuous man ought not to feare it Causes wherefore a thing ought not to be feaâ—ed A thing is not to be feared first if it is vnevitable secondly
salt is said of the whole Sea and of every part of it but to encompasse the earth is attributed onely to the Sea as it is a Whole and therefore it is not attributed to any part of the Sea The Table of the Whole and Parts The Whole is composed of parts Formall Materiall which are among themselues alike vnlike integrall not integrall necessary for being well-being not necessary The eight Chapter Of Definition DEfinition is a speech which expresseth the essence of the thing The perfect definition of a Substance is that which is compounded of the next Genus and the specificall difference As the definition of a Plant is to be a bodie liuing a vegetatiue life of man to be a reasonable creature There are but few such Definitions because the formes and essentiall differences of substances are not so well knowne vnto vs. God onely who made them doth exactly know them The perfect definition of an Accident is compounded of three parts namely of the next Genus of the proper Subject and of the next Efficient or Finall cause As for example death is an accident whereof the Genus is the end or destruction of life the Subject is a liuing bodie and the next Efficient cause is the extinguishing of vitall heat This therefore is the perfect definition of death namely that it is the destruction of the life of a liuing bodie by extinguishing the vitall heat Thus are defined anger griefe sicknes thunder earthquake the Eclipse of the Moone and that of the Sunne Civil-warre respiration and divers other things whereof wee shall produce some examples in the end of this Chapter Now but Proper Accidents can be thus defined For mutable and casuall Accidents or such as haue no certaine knowne cause or that depend vpon the will of man cannot be exactly defined And therefore in stead of a Definition we describe them as well as we may expressing their Genus and some certaine propertie So whitenes is defined when we say that it is a most simple and most cleare colour And light is defined to be the chiefe of all whitenesses or the whitenes of the bodie of the Sunne sending forth his likenes through transparent bodies Naturall instruments as the eye and the hand or artificiall as a hammer or ana xe are defined by their Genus and by their fitnes for that vse for which they are ordained So the Eye is the instrument of seeing and a Hammer is an instrument to knocke withall Definition serveth to discourse and to argue by the meanes of this Maxime Maxime To whatsoever thing the definition agreeth vnto that same also the thing defined doth agree And reciprocally to whatsoever the defined thing agreeth to the same the definition agreeth also The Table of Definition Definition is either of a Substance which is composed of the Next Genus Difference Accident which is Proper defined by the Next Genus Proper subject Next cause Efficient Finall Improper or casuall defined as the Substance so far as may be Certaine examples of the definition of a Proper Accident THunder is a sound in the cloud by the breaking out of a flaming exhalation Death is the destruction of a living creature by extinguishing the vitall heat The Eclipse of the Moone is the darkning of the Moone by the interposition of the earth Anger is a perturbation of the mind arising from the opinion of a sustained wrong Civill warre is the trouble of an Estate arising from the discord of the parties Baldnes is the losse of the haire of the head through the want of radicall humour Respiration is the drawing in of aire into the lungs to refresh the heart Sicknes is an Indisposition of the bodie caused by the distemperature of the Humours The Earthquake is the stirring or moving of a part of the earth through the violence of winds therein enclosed Blindnes is a privation of light in the eye by the corruption of the instruments of seeing Sorrow is a griefe in the irascible facultie through the griefe of some evill The Eclipse of the Sunne is the darkning of the aire by the interposition of the Moone The ninth Chapter Of Division THere are divers sorts of Divisions For either we divide the Genus into the Species or the Whole into the Parts or the Substance into divers Accâ—dents or an Accident into divers Subjects or a Word into divers significations 1. First we divide a Genus into the Species As a liuing creature into man and beast Actions into naturall and voluntarie 2. Or els we divide the Whole into Parâ—s So man is divided into Soule and bodie A house into the foundations walls and roofe Which division is made either in thought or in deed 3. Or els we divide the Subject into divers Accidents As when we divide men into free and bond into males or females into fooles or wisemen 4. Or els we divide an Accident into other Accidents As when we divide Physicians into rich and poore ones souldiers into great or little ones strong or weake 5. Or els we divide Accidents into divers Subjects As sicknes into the sicknes of the bodie and sicknes of the soule So we may divide corruption into the corruption of simple bodies or into the corruption of mixt or compounded bodies 6. Or we divide an Aequivocall word into divers significatioÌ„s As the word linke which signifieth a Sausage a Torch and a linke of a chaine Rules for Division 1. A good division must haue but few parts and those opposit if it may be As animal is divided into reasonable and vnreasonable Number into even and odd A line into straight and crocked But that is not alwayes possible As when we divide the externall senses into fiue And France into seventeene governements 2. In a Division nothing must be either superfluous or wanting As if a man should say that the senses are hearing seeing smelling and the two eyes there were in such a Division something wanting and something superfluous 3. The parts of a Division must not over-reach one another As who should say that all cloathing of the bodie is either garments or habillements or gownes Or that Iustice consisteth in three things to liue honestly to hurt no bodie to giue every man his owne In these divisions the parts are but little or not at all differing and are in a manner the same thing The Table of Division Division is of the Genus into the Species Whole into the Parts Subject into Accidents Accidents into divers Subjects Aequivocall word into divers significations The tenth Chapter Of things Coupled called in Latin Conjugata COupling is considered either in Words or in Things Words coupled or conjoyned are such as come from the same beginning and differ in termination As iust iustice iustly white whiting to white whitenes The linke and affinitie of which words is grounded vpon some affinitie which is in the nature of the things signified by these words But there are certaine things coupled in
if it hurteth not thirdly if it be profitable Death hath in it these three things For it is vnevitable therefore as it is a folly to hope for things impossible so it is a folly to feare things vnevitable Againe death 〈◊〉 not hurtful because our Saviour Christ hath taken away the curse thereof Lastly it is profitable and that is knowne by the effects which follow The Effects Death is profitable before death for it abateth pride Thou seest now a triumphing Monarch and ere long toads will breed in his skull and wormes in his entrails The thought of death keepes a man in feare and sobriety as also from sinning Without it man would hardly be tamed It makes vs despise the world and to acknowlâ—dge the vanitie of all our toyle It makes vs more earnest in prayer and increaseth our faith through resistance After death it makes vs fully know that which we here see but a farre of and very obscurely It ioineth vs with the Saints and placeth vs with Christ Iesus To feare death is to offer wrong vnto Christ as if it were ill being with him It maketh vs to see the face of God which changeth them that see it into his owne likenesse It bringeth vs into the possession of peace without end of contentment without interruption and felicitie without measure The Similitudes If new borne babes had the vse of reason they would never crie but rather much reioyce that they part from such an vncleane and obscure place to enter into the light of this world So if we had the right vse of reason wee would not be sad when death comes because our soules goe out of an vncleane straight and obscure place or rather prison to enter into the light of heaven Death is like Samsons Lyon whereof it is written that from bitternesse came sweetnesse Or like vnto the harsh sound of a boult at the opening of a doore which notwithstanding is very pleasing if it be to come out of a prison Or as when Christ came to his Disciples walking on the waters they said it was a spirit but when they saw him neerer hand they said of him and so must we of death it is the Lord that commeth vnto vs. The Opposits Present life is opposed vnto death now if there be no cause to desire life no more is there to feare death Vpon this occasion you may run through every age of mans life as also through the dâ—vers conditions that are from the Prince to the beggar and shew that all is but miserie Besides those evils and accidents which are common to all The Comparison in regard of Goodnesse Mutable and transitorie things are not so good as those that are eternall and permanent Againe the good which sufficeth alone is better then that good which when we haue wee haue yet need of another He that hath happily ended his life needeth neither money nor apparell nor honour nor health c. but he that hath nothing but the present life hath need of all these things and besides them eternall good things The Comparison in regard of Probabilitie Probable alike If Martyrs feared not to dye in the flâ—mes of fire why should we feare to dye in sicknesse seeing we haue the same hope Lesse probable If the Heathen went to their deaths with as ioyfull a countenance as others that returned safe from thence why should wee feare it that haue a better hope Why should ambition haue more force in them then faith in vs If a souldier doth adventure himselfe vpon the mouth of the Cannon-shot and offereth himselfe the first vpon a breach for the pay of six-pence a day what should wee doe for an everlasting kingdome Testimonies Here must be alledged the passages of the word of God the sentences of Philosophers the examples of such as haue dyed constantly As of Regulus of the two Decius of the Gymnosophists of the Indian Women of the Tribals of the Martyrs c. Finally by these sixteene places as by certaine directions we are furnished with abundance of matter for argument and discourse And by these helpes we are put in remembrance of all that we haue read heard or seene which may serue to amplifie the matter propounded But the Maximes which are added to every place are of vse to teach vs how the argument may bee well grounded for they are as lights vnto our reason And note also that these places furnish vs with matter to argue as well for Death which is the Subject of this questioÌ„ as for Not to be feared which is the Attribute thereof as wee shall see hereafter But the Arguments which are drawne from the attribute are the strongest and most forcible ANOTHER EXAMPLE The praise of Sobrietie The Species of Sobrietie WE speake not heere of that Sobrietie which the Physicians appoint by dyet nor of that which is through necessitie when we haue nothing to eat nor of that cold gravitie of the Germans aâ— the beginning of their meales nor of that of covetous persons who grudge themselues things necessarie nor of that which is performed by a scrupulous abstinence But of that which is a morall vertue The Definition Sobrietie is a temperance which prescribeth a moderation in eating and drinking The Whole and the Parts Neither doe we speake of that Sobrietie which consisteth in certaine meates and not in other in eating and not in drinking in his owne hâ—use and not in companie For sobrietie giues lawes for all times and all places and for all sorts of meates and drinkes The Etymologie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Grecians haue rightly derived sobrietie from a word which signifieth to keepe the vnderstanding sound because it preserveth the health and the libertie of the vnderstanding The Genus I say it is a species of Temporance Now Temperance is the nurse of all other vertues the guardian of bodily hâ—alâ—h and of the light of the minde making it not to be subiâ—ct to the belly it keepâ—th in brutall concupiscence and teachâ—th how to eat to liue and not to liue to eat The causes The cause why a thing is to be commended or desired is if it be honest delightfull and profitable Now sobrietie hath all these three for it is a good and comely thing to haue an vpright body in old age to haue a fresh and liuely countenance not to be seene drunke nor croaking in an Alehouse among debauched persons c. It is a delightfull thing to be cheerfull and affable and to haue peace at home for drunkennes breedeth quarrels Pleasures seldome vsed are sweetest It is a profitable thing to haue a strong body a free minde fit to goe about civill affaires to haue a good memorie not to wast goods to provide for the necessitie of the familie to husband the time well not to reveale secrets sobrietie is of vse for all these The Effects The causes for the which sobrietie is commendable are also effects of sobrietie and therefore we