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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	let_v	life_n	see_v	7,907	5	3.2906	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22442	The most notable and excellent discourse of the Christian philosopher Athenagoras, as touching the resurrection of the dead, translated out of Greeke into Latine by Peter Nannius, and out of Latin into English by R. Porder. A treatise, very necessarie and profitable for this our laste ruinous age of the vvorlde, in the vvhiche are such svvarmes of atheistes and epicures, vvhose pestilent infection is more to be feared then papistrie. Therefore vvorthy the consideracion of al men, as vvel for ouerthrovv of their pernicious errours, as staying the faith and conscience of the vveake and vnlearned.; De resurrectione. English	Athenagoras, 2nd cent.; Porder, Richard, d. 1547.	1573 (1573)	STC 886; ESTC S114473	28,918	78

necessary that the continuance of the bodye in hys nature be coeternall with the immortalitie of the soule Let no man maruayle that wée call life cutten in sunder by death and corruption a continewing sith wee are not ignoraunt that there is not one only signification of the worde nor one only maner of continewing and no maruayle séeing the nature of thinges continuing is not all one For euery thing according to the nature therof hath her proper continuance You shall not finde in those things which are wholly incorruptible and immortall a like and vniforme continuaunce because the substaunces of the things aboue are not like the things beneath Neither is it conuenient to require in men a continuaunce euer like vnto it self indistinct without any variety as in those thinges is which from the beginning were created immortall and do onely by the appoyntment of the creator continue euerlastingly but that mē haue their continnaunce according to the soule from their creation without any alteration or chaunge But according to the nature of the body men haue immortalitie by a chaunge For the cause of the resurrection doth require it looking thervpon wée looke for the dissolution of the body as it which followeth this néedy and corruptible life and after ward we hope for an incorruptible continuance without alteration neither making our end like to the end of bruite beastes neither to the continuaunce of those thinges which be immortall lest for the lacke of knowledge in this matter we make the nature and life of men equall and like to those thinges which we ought not Wée must not therfore be troubled If there be any inequality espied in the perduration of men neither oughte wée to dispayre of the resurrection when the separating of the soule from her bodylye members and the dissoluing of the bodyly members from it do dispart the cōtinuall tenoure of the life For although the bringing a sléepe of the senses of other naturall strengths which naturally doth arise in mans rest for a season do slumber and in a maner are again reuiued do séeme to cut a sunder the sensible life yet wée do not refuse to count it a life for which cause I thinke some men dooe call sléepe the brother of death not because they would therby declare the stocke of them as though they came of one aunceters parentes but because like thinges happen to them which be a sléepe and to thē which be dead in respecte of the rest and quietnesse of the senses when they vnderstande nothing of thinges present or which are then done nay they perceyue not themselues either to be or to liue If therfore wee do not refuse to call the life of man being full of suche inequalitie euen from mans birth vnto his death interrupted by all those meanes which we haue before rehearsed a life then ought we not to dispayre of the life which is ordeyned to succéede our dissolutiō which bringeth together with it the resurrectiō although for a season it be cuttē a sunder by the departure of the soule from the body For the nature of men posseding from the beginning and that according to the decrée of the creatour an inequalitie attributed vnto it hath an vnequall lyfe and a continuance distinct sometime by sléepe sometime by death by diuerse alterations of ages so that the first do not playnlye appeare when the last do sodenlye come vpon them For who woulde beléeue vnlesse he were taught by experience of thinges that so great force lyeth hid in the moist and softe séede or that such diuersitye of bignesse and greatnesse whiche ariseth and is framed therof is hidde therin namely of bones sinewes gristles and also of muscles fleshe and bowelles and other partes of the bodie For in the séede being yet moist a man can perceyue no suche thing nor in children be those thinges perceyued which in young men do encrease nor those thinges do appeare in youth whiche the estate of man possesseth nor agayne in the state of man which age hath But although amongst those thinges which are sayde before some do nothing at all and some but obscurelye declare the naturall chaunges and alterations comming on men yet notwithstanding they which are not blinded with naughtinesse and sluggishnesse do know what we must iudge of these things For first of all it is requyred that the séede bée sowen afterwarde when it is separated into partes ioyntes the young ones being nowe fashioned do come to light receyue in their first age height after their height the absolute perfection of the whole bodye after a while commeth on the naturall decreasing of strength which prolongeth it selfe euen vnto old age then at the last when the bodies are worne awaye dissolution commeth on Like as therefore in this businesse neither the séede by any likenesse or similitude doth declare either the life or forme of man nor the life doth foreshewe the dissolution wherwith the ioyning together of partes shal be resolued into the first element yet the order and guyding of naturall euentes doth get credit to those thinges which in their owne apparence and shew do séeme to deserue no credite euen so reason by searching the naturall consequence finding the trueth doth establishe the resurrection which is much more certayne then experience to prooue those sayinges wherwith a litle before we endeuoured to get credite to the resurrection and that therfore because we are all of one 〈…〉 kindred as procéeding frō one the 〈◊〉 beginning For our beginning procéedeth from the procreation of our first parentes whome God created But some men euē from the beginning whence they come are established to beléeue other some following nature and the life of man as their guide do get beleife of the wisedome of God toward vs. For the cause according to the which and for the which mē were borne agréeing with the nature of men doth obteine her force by the workemanship of man created But the cause of iustice according to the which God will iudge men whether they liue well or ill doth take his force from the ende of men For therefore are men borne But it dependeth rather vpō the prouidence of God. Séeing that therefore those thinges be declared and prooued by vs as fare as we coulde which were of the first order let vs declare nowe also those thinges that follow But I speake of the reward and punishment which according to iust iudgement shal be bestowed vppon euery man according to his desertes and of 〈…〉 which shal be correspondent to 〈…〉 of man But let that bée done in such order that such thinges go before as be naturally of the first place and first let vs entreate of the cause of the iudgement which words we therefore speake because we haue a care of the cheife stay and order of this disputation in hande and because it behooueth them which admit God as the creatour of the whole worlde to attribute

the charge care of all thinges to his wisedome and iustice if so be that they will sticke vnto the foundation appointed the principles once allowed Furthermore séeing they be of this opinion it is reason that they thinke nothing either of thinges terrestriall or celestiall to be destitute of the care and prouidence of God but that the care of the creatour doth extende it selfe vnto all thinges indifferentlye as well vnto those which be open as those which be hid and vnto those which be great as those which be smal For al things whiche be haue neede of the prouidence of their creatour but euerye thing peculiarly according to his nature for that purpose for which it was created For I do not thinke it expedient with much labour particularly to declare and distinguish with diuisiōs what is agréeable to the nature of euery thing Man truely of whom we nowe entreate as he is hungry hath néede of meate as hée is mortall hath néede of succession of children as he is endued with reason hath néede of iudgement But he hath néede of iudgement that he may lawfully labour for liuing and succession But it is necessary that séeing sustenaunce and succession do pe rtayne to that which consisteth of both partes iudgemēt also do perteyn to the same But I call that whiche is compounde of both partes a man consisting of a soule and a body and such a man to be accused of all thinges which he doth so that he receyueth either a rewarde or punishmēt for them If therefore the sentence of iust iudgement be pronounced against that which consisteth of both parts according to his doinges it cannot be that the soule alone should receyue either rewarde or punishement for those thinges which it committed with the body For the soule by it selfe is not touched with those offences which are committed by the pleasures of the body or meate or apparell neither must the body receyue rewarde or punishment because it perceyueth not the daunger of lawes iudgement but man which cōsisteth of both these partes must receyue iudgement for all his doinges But you can perceyue by no meane that this doth happen in this life for that is not lawfully obserued in this present life séeing that we sée many which are wicked and abounde in all iniquitie to persist voyd of any misfortune euen vntill death we sée them which are well knowen for there vertue to spende their life in suffering gréefes vexations sclaūders reproches and al kind of affliction Neither can you perceyue it after death for that which consisteth of both partes doth not remayne séeing the soule is separated from the body and the bodye it selfe dissolued into those thinges of whiche it was first made and nothing now remayneth whiche reserueth the olde forme or nature or yet the memorye of those thinges which are done Wherefore that which followeth is euident namelye that as the Apostle sayth this corruptible being dissolued must put on incorruption that those bodies which be dead being made aliue by the resurrection and those thinges being ioyned together agayne which were cast a sunder or altogether consumed euery man may iustlye receyue those thinges whiche he hath committed by reason of the body whether they be good or ill Against them therefore which do admit the prouidence of God and receyue the same principles and groundes whiche we do and afterwarde I know not howe do shrinke and reuolt from those opinions which they receyued thought well of you may vse such woordes and other much more plentifull if you will dilate at large those thinges which haue béen spoken briefely in fewe wordes But against such as make a doubt concerning the principles them selues it shal be good to appoint another principle and ground before these that in the meane time wee maye imagine thinges that maye be doubted of and must be searched out by questions which they doubte of namely whether the life and maners of men be neglected and darkened with the grosse shadowe of the earth which hideth and wrappeth in ignoraunce and silence both the men themselues and also their déedes Or which is much more certen whether wée must thinke the creatour to be ruler of the thinges created and to bée the obseruer and iudge of all thinges whiche are done or committed as well déedes as thoughtes For if there shall at no time be iudgement of the actes of men then men shal haue no preheminence aboue bruite beastes and they shal be in worse case then bruite beasts which do bring their affections vnder bondage and do greatly regarde and honour godlinesse iustice other vertues Cōtrarywise the beastly and sauage life shal be counted best and vertue on the other side a foolish thing the threatens of iudgment worthy to be laughed at and to followe pleasure the happyest thing of all that shal be counted the common decrée and chiefe lawe of all men which is pleasant to naughtypackes and riotous persons let vs eate and drinke for to morow wee shall dye For the ende of suche a life is not pleasure as some men thinke but a full voydnesse of perceyuing If therfore the creatour hath some care of his creatures and the iudgement of good or euill actes shall at any time approch it shal be either while they do wel or ill in this present life or after death as long as they consist in dissolution and separation But neither waye can you finde that iust iudgement is obserued For good men in this presente life do not receyue the rewardes of vertue nor euill men punishment for their wickednesse that I maye in the meane time let passe that as long as the nature wherein wée nowe are doth continue in safetye the nature of man cannot abyde sufficient punishment for his manifold gréeuous offences For when a théefe or prince or tyrant doth heap innumerable murders of men one vpō another it cannot be that he can make satisfactiō for his sinnes by one death Whē also a man doth thinke nothing truely of God and hath liued in al voluptuousnesse and blasphemie hath despised all the diuine commaundementes hath broken the lawes hath cōmitted whoredome both with women and children hath iniuriously ouerthrowne Cities hath burnt houses with the inhabitants hath spoyled prouinces hath destroyed by slaughter great people and countryes whole nations how can he in this corruptible body suffer condigne punishment for his desertes séeing death doth preuent his deserued tormentes and this mortall nature is not sufficient to punish duely one offence Therfore in this present life the iudgment of euery mā according to his worthinesse and desert can not be declared nor after death for death is a destroying of the whole life altogether if the soule perish and be putrified together with the body Or els truely the soule remayneth cannot be dissolued nor broke in sunder nor corrupted but the body is dissolued kéeping no longer the remembraunce of things done or

¶ The most notable and excellent discourse of the Christian Philosopher Athenagoras as touching the Resurrection of the dead translated out of Greeke into Latine by Peter Nannius and out of Latin into English by R. Porder A TREATISE VERY NECESsarie and profitable for this our laste ruinous age of the vvorlde in the vvhiche are suche svvarmes of Atheistes and Epicures vvhose pestilent infection is more to be feared then papistrie Therefore vvorthy the consideracion of al men as vvel for ouerthrovv of their pernicious errours as staying the faith and conscience of the vveake and vnlearned ¶ Imprinted at London in Pavvles Churchyarde by VV. VVilliamson Anno. 1573. ¶ To the right worshipfull his singuler good friend M. VVilliam Fleetevvood Esquier Recorder of the most honorable Citie of London his vvel vviller Richard Porder vvisheth felicitie in Christ Iesu IT is true righte worshipfull sir vvhich the auctor of this vvorke at the very first entrye thereof doth aledge that some errour doth as it vvere cleaue to euery treatise or disputacion for Aristotle contendeth that mūdus est aeternus The Stoickes haue assigned tvvo beginninges of all thinges to vveete Deus materia Democritus and Epicurus say the vvorlde is composed ex atomis temere casu concurrentibus that is of litle motes flying together in the ayre and cleuing one to an other and so increasing this great massi lūpe or earthy globe of the vvorlde Thales saith vvater vvas the broode mother and beginning of all thinges c. And other acknovvledged this vvorlde to haue a beginning and God to be the cause of that beginning and by their diligent studies and vvisedome haue founde out of vvhat diuers elementes mankinde vvas composed Yea further by their great knovv ledge in many mightie vvorckes of God but specially in the creation of man they confessed God to be perfectly vvise perfectly iuste and summum bonum out of vvhich reasonable knovvledg naturaly graffed in mā it seemeth the auctour of this treatise toke his ground to prooue the resurrection of the dead by reason First admonishing all those that doubt or beleue not this doctrine to examine effectualy by reason the cause of their vnbelefe or doubting for he affirmeth truly that to admit doubtes or incredulitie vvithout due examination in reason vvhy is the part of the prodigall as he calleth them that is of suche as spende their vvittes vvast fully and careleslye vvithoute reason or iudgement and as there vvere manye errours about the beginning of thinges so not a fevve errors touching the repairing of those thinges vvhich God made to be restored after their dissolution vvere the cause of this mans vvriting For Epicures the Saduces flatly denyed the resurrection As Sardanapalus last king of Syria declareth in an Epitaphe vvhich he made for him selfe a litle before he leaped headlong into the fire vvherin he vvas brent as Strabo noteth Cum te mortalem noris presentibus exple Delitiis animum post mortem nulla voluptas Namque ego sum puluis qui nuper tanta tenebam Haec habeo quae edi quaeque exaturata libido Hausit at illa manent multa preclara relicta Hoc sapiens vitae mortalibus est documentum That is for asmuch as thou knovvest thy self to be mortall glut thy desire vvith presente delights After death there is no pleasant solace for see I am dust vvhich of late possessed so great honour ritches Those things oncly J haue vvhich I did eate Yea vvhat greedye lust hath deuoured I holde in possession But all my golde magnificient buyldinges landes ritches and honour left behinde mee remayne for other Loe I am an example and vvise lesson for all mortall creatures to consider It greeued this Epicure that hee coulde not eate all the vvorld vvhile he liued Also Philetus Hymineus saide it should be spiritual Some heahten hathbeleeued the soule onelye shoulde remayne for euer vvith the Gods. And other thought the soule should suruiue the body and yet could not tell vvhat shoulde become of it as Aelius Adrianus the Emperour vvho desperatly cryed in his sickenesse Animula vagula blandula Que nunc abibis in loca Nec vt soles dabisiocos Hospes comesque corporis Pallidula rigid a nudula Oh my litle svveete soule vvhither vvilt thou novve departe avvaye from mee For thou being pale nomme and naked shalt not henceforth enioye thy pleasures as in times past being a ghest and companion of the body Other thought that soule and body did perish together and also shoulde rise againe in the last day of vvhō Eusebius saith Exorti sunt autem alij quidam tum temporis in Arabia c. At that time there sprong up an other secte in Arabia vvhich helde an opiniō contrary to the truth vvhich sayd that soules perished together vvith the bodies and also shoulde rise vvith the bodies in the last daye Other affirmed that mens bodies should rise but not the self same bodies nor the same flesh All vvhiche false opinions contraye to them selues and repugnante to the Christian faith as your vvorship heareth them dayly cōfuted by aucthoritie of scriptures and examples in the same so here you shall see the same ouerthrovven by force of reason and vvhere some graunt God to be able and yet doubt of his vvill Athenagoras shevveth that the ommpotencie Iustice vvisedome and vvill of God are so linked together by an inuiolable decree concerning this matter that the Epicures may asvvel deny that there is a God as deny the resurrestion of the dead and laste iudgemēt And though some haue signed reasons as seemed to them vvherfore they doubted of this matter as the transmutaciō of one substaunce into an other by digestion for so phisitions define digestion namely of mens bodies deuoured of beastes and birdes and the same beastes and birdes deuoured by men c. And so conclude an impossibilitie that men should rise againe vvith their ovvne bodies The aucthor doth phisically make avvaye to loose or vnknit those doubts by these reasons that all such meate as man and beast eateth is not tourned into the substance of the eater but onely that part vvhich is truely naturall for substanciall foode by order of creation or of nature And that seeing the creator vvas able and did knovv hovv to compose bodies of sundry seuered substances he also is able and could not be ignoraunt hovve to conserue the integritie of the nature substances composed though they might be dissolued and scattered into hovv many so euer thousand parts or places Against the heathen he affirmeth that vvho so euer hath receaued the lavve must be iustified or condempned but it vvas not the soule onely but soule and body therfore soule and body must be iustified or condemned vvhich canot be vnlesse the body rise ergo the dead must needes rise againe And further as it is absurde to attribute the affections of the body to the soule so is it an vniust thing to saye the soule shal be iustified

when man shal be made incorruptible and be placed frée from all néede and misery and they also deliuered from all kinde of seruitude For if they were endued with the gifte of speaking they woulde not accuse the maker of all thinges as though contrarye to right they were placed vnder the condicion of men because they were not admitted into the fellowship of the same resurrection For to those thinges whose nature is not equall he that is iust doth not attribute one ende or honour where is no sense of iustice as in brute beastes and things without life there is no indignation for any in iustice This also can not be sayd that in man any iniurye is perceyued by that hée is raysed from the dead For he as he is framed of soule and bodye so he receyueth iniurye againste other parte other bodye or soule and a wise man will not affirme the soule to suffer iniury therefore because by this meanes it doeth not retayne the same trade of life in which nowe in this present worlde it liueth For if nowe dwelling in a corruptible body and subiect to passions it suffereth no iniury much lesse dwelling in an incorruptible body subiect to no passions shall it abide any wrong Nay farther then this euen the bodye féeleth no iniurie For if nowe being corruptible and ioyned in fellowship with an incorruptible soule it taketh no wrong thereby muche lesse shall it take wrong when on both sides they are incorruptible Furthermore neither can this be said that it is an vnworthye thyng for God that he should restore and gather againe resolued bodies For if that which is lesse in dignity namely to create a mortall bodye subiect to affections did not séeme vnworthye God much lesse shall it bée vnworthy for him to bring that into the worlde which is more excellente and endued with immortalitie and fréenes from passions If therfore by those things which are first in nature those also which consequētly do follow the first euery point whiche was in question be plainly shewed declared it is manifest enough that the restoring of bodyes is such as is not vnworthy of God and which he both will and can bring to passe For by these thinges the falsitie of the contraries and the absurditie of them which beléeue not is declared For what néede is there to speake of the mutuall agrée of one thing with another and of the mutuall coherence betwéene them as though they were seperated by some diuersity and it were not lawfull to saye that what God will that he can do and is for his maiestie to do with dignitie But wée haue sayde before that there is one disputation cōcerning the trueth another in defence of the trueth haue declared wherein one of them differeth from an other and when and amongst whom it profiteth Notwithstanding it will nothing hinder vs for common safties sake and order that those thinges which haue béene saide may agrée with those thinges that shal be saide to take our beginning from the selfe same thinges and suche as are congruente vnto them for it behooueth the one by nature to haue the preheminence the other in stéede of a wayting man to make waye for the chiefe And with his waymaking which goeth before to take awaye all hinderaunces and impedimentes For the treatise which is of the trueth séeing it is necessary for all men both for their safegarde and preseruation is first and chiefe both by nature order and profite by nature because it setteth foorth the knowledge of thinges by order because it is in and together with those thinges the iudgement and knowledge wherof it promiseth by profite because it maketh defence and safegarde to them which knowe and learne it But the discourse ▪ whiche is for the trueth is inferiour both in nature and power for it is lesse to reproue a falshood then to establishe a trueth and followeth by order For it exerciseth force against them which beléeue the falshoode But a false opinion groweth and procéedeth of a second sowing as it were of corruption But although these thinges be thus yet somtime this is put before the other and is more profitable because it taketh away and forepurgeth troublesome incredulitye or some new doubt or some false opinion and both these tende to one ende For both séeketh godlines as well that which refuseth the falseshood as that which establisheth the truth yet are they not all one For the one is necessary as I said for all beléeuers and them whiche haue anye care of the trueth their owne saluation the other is more profitable in some time and among some men These thinges are spoken briefely to kéepe the remembraunce of the former woordes But nowe we must retourne to oure purpose and declare that that treatise is true which is concerning the resurrectiō and that vpon that cause for the whiche and by the which the first man his successours were borne although they were not both created after one maner Then we must prooue it by the nature of all men in that they be men Afterwarde by the iudgement of the creatour which he will geue of them according as they haue liued whiche iudgement no man will doubt of but that it is most iust But the handling of the cause doth cōsiste in this point that wée searche out whether man were made vnaduisedlye and to no ende or for some purpose If he were created for some purpose whether it were that he should liue and continue in this life the whiche hée was naturally ordeyned vnto or that hée should minister some profit to an other But if he were created for some profite whether it were for the profite of the creator or of some other thing whiche belongeth to the creatour is more regarded of him then man. Here truely vsing a common and simple kinde of searching in beholding of thinges wée finde that whosoeuer is endued with reason and is mooued to do any thing by reasonable iudgement doth nothing vnaduisedlye of those thinges which he doth willingly For that he doth he taketh in hande either for his owne sake or for some mās sake whiche he loueth or inflamed with the desire and naturall inclination to that thing which he hath done As for example For we will vse a similitude that our purpose may be playn A man buyldeth a house and that for his owne proper vse hee furnisheth also his house being in order with Camels and other beastes whose helpe he hath néede of not for his owne vse as it séemeth although the latter end be referred to him but as touching the next néereth cause for their commoditie whome hée careth for But he begetteth children not for his owne vse nor for the profit of any thing which belōgeth vnto him but that those whom he begetteth may be remayne aliue as farre as it is lawfull and maye be done ministring a remedye to his owne death by the succession

of children beléeuing thus farre that he hath put of mortalitie But God neither created man vnaduisedly séeing he is wise For a wise man doth no thing vnaduisedlye neither for his owne vse necessity for he hath nede of nothing that which hath néed of nothing doth not desire profite of those thinges which he createth neither dyd he make man for the profite of any other of his woorkes for nothing amongst those thinges which are endued with reason and iudgement whether it be great or small is created or shal be created for the vse of any other thing For suche thinges are created only for theyr owne life and safetye Neither hath reason found out any other end why men were created séeing that they were ordeyned to be immortall without the néede of any thing séeing that they require no helpe of men for the safegarde of their life séeing that all beasts be subiecte and all thinges else do minister commoditie to men for whose vse they were made But beastes haue no vse of men for neither is it nor was it at any time lawfull to debase that creature which is chiefe ruler of all for the vse of other thinges whiche are vnder him or to bring that which is endued with reason vnder the yoke of those thinges which be without reason and vnfit to rule Wherfore if man were created neither without cause nor vnaduisedly nor to no end for there is nothing amongst the woorkes of God done vnaduisedly if we consider the meaning and intention of God nor yet for the profite of the creator nor for the commoditie of other thinges whiche the creatour made it is manifest enough that if we looke vpon the first and vniuersall cause GOD created man for himselfe and his owne goodnesse wisedome whiche you may easily perceyue in all thinges created but if you searche out the next cause and that which agréeth with men being created you shall finde that man was borne to this ende that he shoulde liue But not in such a life that should continue for a while straight way shoulde perish for euer For God I thinke hath geuen such a life to beastes that créepe and to birdes and to fishes but to them which beare about them his owne Image and there withal haue a minde which is the finder out of things and are adorned with the giftes of reason he hath assigned a perpetuall continuaunce that by knowing their creator and following his power and wisedome by lawes and iustice they might with those vertues happyly continue euerlastingly with which they established their former life when they yet liued in their earthly and corruptible bodies For such thinges as are created for the behoofe of other thinges when those thinges for whose vse they were ordeyned do perish do not without cause perishe also and can not remayne for any purpose because ther is no place amōgst thinges created of God for vaine idlenesse But those thinges which were for this end created that they should be and continue the cause being ioyned and intangled with their nature séeing the cause doth onely exacte and require that they should bée it is not possible that they should at any time suffer such violence wherby they should vtterly bée abolished Furthermore séeing that this cause is vnderstoode by a perpetuall kinde of being and doth consist in this poynt it is necessary that that creature do remaine in safetie which was thus created and do and suffer those thinges which bée agréeable to the nature thereof both the partes whereof it consisteth doing that which in them lyeth so that the minde doth continue and remaine inuariable in the nature wherin it was created For it was therfore created to brydell the affectiōs of the body to estéeme with séemely iudgement and measure with vpright measures whatsoeuer befalleth But the body was ordeyned to this ende that it should incline it selfe to suche thinges as be naturall receyue those alteratiōs which are attributed to it by nature and that amongest other chaūges which happen vnto it either in age or beautie or bignesse it should admit the resurrection For the resurrection is a kinde of chaunge and that the last of all and also the alteration into a better thing which then shal be in the bodies of them which be a liue We are as sure of these things as we are of them which haue already happened and considering our owne nature wee do not beare impacientlye this our néedy and corruptible life as agréeable to this present world and we constantly hoope for Eternitie of life rydde of all corruption whiche wée do not grounde vpon the inuentions of men féeding our selues with a vayne hope but we beleue an vnfayned and sufficient witnesse namelye the reason and ordinaunce of the creatour according to the which he hath framed man of a soule immortall and a body which also he hath endued with reason and equitye geuen by nature to conserue and kéepe his giftes and those things which be agréeable to a discrete life and a minde endued with reason Whereby we knowe well enough that God would not haue ordeyned such a creature nor furnished it with all thinges necessarye for perpetuall continuance if he would not haue it continue which he had in such sorte created Wherefore if the maker of the world created mā that he should vse wisedome in all his doinges and that being made a beholder of his magnificence and wisedome whiche he declared in euerye place with the cōtemplation of these thinges should continue and that according to his purpose and will and the nature which he ingendered in them truly the cause of the creation doth confirme and make credible an endlesse continuaunce and this continuance a resurrection without the which man cannot continue It is manifest therfore by those things which haue béen spoken namely by the cause of the beginning and the will of the creatour that the resurrection is cōfirmed Séeing that therfore the cause is such why man was brought into the world it shal be now expedient to consider those thinges which by naturall order do followe the former reasons For if we weigh and consider this businesse the nature of men created doth followe the cause of their creation and the iuste iudgemente of the creatour vpon them doth followe the nature of men created and after all these followeth the end why they liue Séeing that therefore those thinges which go before be playnly declared the nature of men must be hereafter declared and that either by true opinions or by inquisitions what sorte soeuer they be of That demonstration doth get a credite not inconstant to those thinges whiche are spoken whiche hath his beginning not from some thing or place which is without the matter or doth arise of the opinions or decrees of others but doth arise of common vnderstanding or is gathered by the consequence of those thinges which be last to them which be first For that is