to make the Church-yard fat with the oyle of his flesh and to paue the high wayes with the sculs and bones of dead men Consider this inferior world consisting of the same different and contrary elements yet still continuing in the same state assuredly it is no greater difficulty to preserue man from death then to preserue the whole world from corruption for the same causes appeare in both the elements and the elementarie qualities and once in euery mans age they are equally tempered as it were the Equinoctial of his age Then why should there not be a state of consistencie in man as well as in the whole world or at least why should not the periods and times of his age the spring of his infancie the summer of his youth the haruest of his riper yeares the winter of his old age goe and returne according to the reuolution of times seasons and changes of the yeere which seeme to bee therefore onely allotted for the continuance and preseruation of mankind Not to insist alone in this sublunarie world strange it is that the heauens themselues which were onely ordained for mans vse should so long continue without change or alteration and man himselfe in the whole course of his life should not be able to see a reuolution that the superiour causes preseruing mans life should moue by a most certaine and vnchangeable rule as the diuine prouidence hath appointed them and yet mans life to which all is ordained should be most subiect and lyable to the greatest hazard chance and vncâ—rtainty But most strange it is that the heauens beiâ—g Gods blessed instruments to continue life quicken sense stir vp motion yet with their malignant and dis-astrous aspects should cause the ouerthrow of man yea sometimes of whole nations and kingdomes consider the end of mans creation which was the praise and glory of his maker which end is eternall as God himselfe is eternall then why should not those things which are ordained only to this end be of like eternitie and continuance God is not like man that he should be altered and changed that he should repent himselfe of his own workes and restore againe that vnto nothing which he himselfe hath once made according to his owne image neither is God the God of the dead but of the liuing being life in himselfe shall the dust rise vp and praise him shall his iustice appeare in the graue or rather shall the prayers the voyces and harmony of men ioynd with the quire and sweet melody of Angels sing prayses vnto him and magnifie his holy name which indeed was the scope and end of our creation thus not onely Christian religion but euen reason it selfe and mans owne knowledge seeme to preach this lesson that the end of nature man to whom all nature is ordained and directed should not end in nature and therefore death it selfe especially to man is a punishment of nature and in it selfe is most vnnaturall to man Especially when I consider how the better part of man the soule is immortal and vnchangeable as in her selfe and in her owne substance so in her qualities and actions now the life of man being only the worke of his soule and the sweet influence of his quickning spirit into the dull flesh I do much maruaile how this immortall spirit should bee the cause of our mortality for it cannot bee denied but that the soule receiues some kinde of perfection from the flesh for without the ministery of the body were not our members the soules vessels and instruments she could neuer exercise those excellent powers of sense and vegetation therefore in her separation though her state may seeme to be more perfect then it was during the time of her mariage or couerture with our flesh our corrupted flesh wherein iars and contentions did daily arise to the great disquieting of both yet certainly the soule hauing these faculties desires the free vse and exercise of them Which desire that it might not be frustrat and vaine doth in some sort by a naturall sequell inforce a last resurrection when the soule shall be re-united to a spirituall body better befitting it selfe and in the interim concludes that either man is vnnaturally compounded or that the separation of his parts must be wholly vnnaturall which I rather suppose seeing it makes much for mans dignitie and natures perfection the soule no way desiring a separation for as the state now stands there is a kinde of correspondencie if the flesh be corrupted the soule is likewise tainted with sinne here is a proportion though an euill proportion between both The â—oule desiring the continuance of this vnion why should she not be able to effect it she frames and fashions in the wombe all the members of mans body for her owne vse and seruice anima fabricatur sibi domicilium though Gods power appeares in our making yet God vseth meanes and these meanes can bee none other then the actions of the soule it selfe a baser agent God would neuer imploy in such an excellent worke and a greater worke-man all nature could not afford him Now the soule hauing thus framed the body if she dislikes any thing she must blame none but her selfe if all things be perfect and sound in the first fabricke and architecture of man then in the succeeding actions of life the soule is the first fountaine and the onely actiâ—â— principle of all seuerall operations for I receiue my temper my constitution my colour my digestion my nourishment my strength my growth and all from my soule If there be an error or fault I must blame and cast the aspersion vpon my soule that notwithstanding her owne eternity yet she should lead me to the paths of mortality for herein I dare bouldly excuse mine owne flesh my flesh is innocent if not of my sinne yet of my bloud and the soule is the sole murtherer for the body is onely subiect to passion as it please the soule to worke so it must suffer as the soule receiues the praise and commendation in the goodnesse of her actions so let her take vnto her selfe the shame and reproch in the defects and imperfections Though there may be I confesse some little difference in the appetites and inclinations of both proceeding from the different natures yet is there no opposition betweene both in regard of destroying qualities both of them being substances of a diuers kinde not capable of contrariety and therefore a wonder it is how they should be ioyned together or being once coupled how they shuld be set a â—under Can the â—oule first build this goodly tabernacle of our bodies and can she not repaire and renew the workmanship decayed seemes it not a worke of lesse difficulty to repaire then to lay the first foundation Can she bring forth a seede to propagate her owne kinde and so giue lâ—fe vnto others yet cannot preserue her owne life is she so prodigall of her best substance
and treasure that impâ—rting it to others she leaues her selfe destitute or how fals iâ— out contrary to the course and streame of nature that the better part of man being priuiledged and hauing a charter for eternitie yet man himselfe should see and taste corruption as if the whole did not inclâ—de the parts or that there were a different condition of the whole from the parts contrary to the whole course of nature and the wisdome of her first institution Suppose the soule should be defectiue in her actions as that for want of a full and perfect concoction the stomake should be filled vp with rawe humors which at length should seaze vpon the liuer and there breake forth like a spring or a fountaine and so bee conuayed in the conduit-pipes of our veines thorough the trunke of the whole body yet cannot the soule instantly recall her selfe and correct her owne error cannot heate bee allayed with couldnesse moysture with drought and euery distemper be cured with the application of his contrarie I cannot conceaue the reasonable soule to be a foole and therefore needs she must be a Physitian you will say that there is a great difficulty in the receiptes and therfore the life of man would hardly suffice to learne the remedy and cure but I pray' marke the art and industrie of man I am verily perswaded and I speake it by experience that mans body by the helpe of feare-clothes powders balmes and oyntments may bee preserued for the space of two hundred or three hundred yeeres in the same state and consistencie wherein now it is at least to the outward shew and appearance then why should not the like medicines inwardly taken preserue life for such a terme of yeeres why should not physicke growe to that ripenesse and perfection that knowing the nature of diseases the course inclinatioÌ„ of humors by application of coÌ„traries as it were vsing the tree of life in Paradise it might prolong mans age if not for euer giue him eternitie But see see corruption consists in the root in nature her selfe for physicke cannot worke but must first presuppose the strength and furtherance of nature left thou shouldest blame the Physitian or thinke the meanes which God hath appointed for thy health to be wholie vnprofitable behold thine owne nature is wanting and defectiue to her selfe If nature might faile in her particular ends yet me thinks the whole scope and generall intent of nature should not bee frustrate and made voide There is nothing so common and triuiall in Schooles wherein nature is best discouered as is this knowne and palpable truth Corruptio vnius est generatio alterius the death of one is the birth of another for nature consists in alteration and change and it would much disparage nature if there were such a death as did wholly make for her losse and no way redound to her encrease In all other creatures you shal obserue this truth Suppose a beast were slaine his body should be dissolued into the bodies of the elements his forme into the formes of the elements as both of them were first composed of the elements nothing should bee lost through the negligence of nature but all should be gleaned vp and very safely reserued for a new succeeding generation Now in the death of man the body is the sole bootie of nature she cannot seaze vpon the soule she cannot retaine such an inestimable treasure the soule is escaped as long as life continued in man the soule was vnder the iurisdiction and power of nature but the body being once dissolued nature hath lost her owne right and cannot intend any new generation by vertue of that soule A foule error of nature that hauing the soule once committed to her custodie and charge she should open the gates or breake downe the prison walles to lose such a iewell which was neuer gotten by her owne purchase nor cannot bee recalled againe with all her might and power so then in the death of man and so man alone the corruption and nothing but the corruption of nature sufficiently appeares I would not willingly speak of a punishment wherein the mercie and goodnesse of God should not together appeare with his iustice but when I haue once spoken of death me thinkes I am then come to the vpshot and conclusion of all beyond which I cannot extend any blessing I meane any naturall blessing for death is the end and period of nature yet giue me leaue to make these foure good vses of death 1. To reproue sinnes 2. To strengthen and fortifie the bulwarkes of Religion 3. As to giue comfort courage and resolution to the true Christian man 4. so to discomfort discourage and put to flight the infidell and heathen First death seemes to instruct man to preach vnto him the reformation of his life and thereby doth witnesse his naturall and inbred corruption the couetous man whose heart could neuer be touched or moued to take pitie or compassion by the cries and prayers of a poore wretch yet at length will howle and lament when hee considers that hee shall dye in the middest of his treasure and all his substance shall leaue him the oppressing tyrant stained with the blood of poore innocents shall knocke his owne breast teare his owne haire readie to shed his owne blood when hee sees the pale and liuelesse carkase of his persecuted foe to shew him his owne state and condition and being dead to threaten his death but it were to be wished if it might be spoken without offence that one might arise from the dead who might relate vnto vs the state of the dead and of the vanities of this life which passe like a shadow And to this end I haue heard it as a tradition of the Church that Christ hauing told the parable of Diues and Lazarus and the Iewes little regarding it to stirre vp faith in them as likewise in some sort to satisfie the request of Diues that one from the dead might instruct his brethren God raised vp Lazarus the brother of Mary Magdalen who might witnesse and testifie as much as Christ had reported I will not stand vpon the truth of this traditon though certaine it is that both these accidents fell out much about the same time The very bones of the dead being serued vp at a banket wil bee a fit sauce to season our immoderate mirth the tombes of the dead are for the instruction of the liuing monumenta monent mentem we tread vpon the flesh of our forefathers which is now become the dust of the Temple Death is an excellent meanes to stirre vp pietie and deuotion the mariners in guiding their ships must sit in the end to hold and gouerne the stearne and the end of euerything is the first in intension though the last in execution Hence it is that the religious persons in al ages were frequentes in cemiterijs alwaies busily imploied about the tombes of the dead
of Gods graces but iustice is alwaies seasoned with the spice of mercie in so much that in the paines of the damned Gods mercie still appeares for hee could by many degrees increase their tortures and torments as their sinnes and deserts doe iustly deserue and notwithstanding their paine yet still they retaine an entitatiue perfection Now to answere this doubt the father is punished sometimes in his sonnes the shame of the one redounding to the reproch of the other as you see it practised in our lawes where for the fathers offence the whole stock is attainted sometimes the sonnes doe share in the sinnes of their parents as furtherers and abbeâ—tors in his crime being then in his loynes and part of his substance Thus it was with whole mankinde in respect of Adam who was like a politike body and did sustaine the person of vs all and therefore as wee partake of his seede partake of his inheritance so it might well stand with iustice that we should partake in his punishment The punishment being such as hath been the occasion of a farre greater blisse such I say as rather includes a priuation of that originall grace which God first imparted to man then any great inherent malignitie in our nature whereby God intends our destruction and therefore seemes to bee some inferiour degree of our nature that man descending hee might ascend to a higher pitch of his happinesse How this sinne should be conueied to the postâ—ritie of Adam I finde it a very difficult controuersie much questioned by our Diuines and the rather because sin in it selfe is originally and primarily in the soule as being the fountaine of all our actions and therefore the onely subiect capable of sinne Now the Diuines together with the Philosophers agree that the soule is immediatly created of God and therefore being Gods owne worke and nothing but Gods it cannot be tainted with sinne Supposing this for a truth my answere is that sinne ought not to be tyed to the seuerall parts to the soule or to the body separatly but to the parts ioyntly together that is to the whole man and to the whole kinde as wee are the sonnes of Adam and then in his loynes actiuely in committing the sinne so wee are sinners Quid quaeris saith S. Augustine latentem rimam cum habeas apertissimam ianuam per vnum hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intrauit c. Why should we instance in the soule as it is created of God Why should we stand vpon the body as it consists of the elements But take this soule when it becomes the forme of man take this body when it becomes the vessell and instrument of this forme and then both are corrupted actions and qualities ought not to be ascribed to parts but to the compound or subiect Thus whole man is become sinfull the guilt remaines in the whole nature and the fruites of this sinne appeares in the contrarietie and opposition of parts the immoderate desires of the flesh the rebellion of the flesh against the good motions of the spirit serues for an vndoubted euidence to proue the corruption If it might be spoken without offence I would further discusse this one question whether the soule bee created or otherwise doth issue foorth from the soules of our parents an sit ex traduce It is a generall receiued opinion that the soule is immediatly created of God as being a spirit and therefore admitting no feede as being an immortall spirit and therefore free from generation growth nourishment or corruption Saint Augustine alone considering the descent of this originall sinne seemes to doubt of the soules first beginning and originall and therefore shrouding my selfe vnder his protection I may safely say that it is no inconuenience that there should be a generation among the soules of men notwithstanding their spirituall condition Did not God the Father beget his Sonne from all eternitie verbum in intellectu a word in his owne vnderstanding Doth not the holy Spirit proceede from the Father and the Sonne and might not the image of this Trinitie appeare very liuely in the creation of man for Adam God made his body of the earth and for his soule Deus inspirauit c. here was an immediate creation seuerally of both for his naturall temper could not yeeld him a forme as it did to all other creatures producant aquae reptile animae viuentis volatile super terram and againe Producat terra animam viuentem in genere suo reptilia bestias c. Adam thus created and cast into a dead sleep part of hiâ— flesh and why not part of his soule might as wel be taken for the creation of Eueâ— the rather to stirre vp loue and conformitie betweene both that they might be made one soule and one minde as they were made one flesh here God ceased from his labours and therefore wee expect no longer creation Abel being borne partakes of their flesh and why not partakes of their soule for otherwise the sonnes of men should not bee so properly sonnes nor tyed to those naturall duties towards their parents as are the dumbe creatures obliged to theirs Thus that one spirit should beget another it is the highest mysterie of our Christian faith and religion And it makes much for the absolute perfection in the worlds diuersitie for God is a spirit generating his Sonne and creating all creatures the Angels are spirits neither creating nor generating but being once created subsist alone and leaue no posteritie behinde them being all created at once and hauing a state of continuance in themselues the soules of men are created and being subiect to change and alteration in their state may beget other soules according to the condition of man which is to be generatiue in his own kind And thus Christ not onely in regard of his flesh which he borrowes from the first elements and hath his matter common with all the rest of the creatures but more especially and principally in regard of his soule hee is the Sonne of man descended from man to this soule the Deitie was first linckt and vnited and in this soule the hypostaticall vnion still continued notwithstanding his naturall death and the separation of his soule from his flesh this soule did truly locally and really descend into hell and here the prophecie was verified Semen mulieris conteret serpentis caput The Sonne of man hath conquered hell and damnation and lead captiuitie captiue which I could wish might most properly and literally be vnderstood This soule as all other separated soules had in it selfe a naturall desire and inclination to returne to the body which well argues that they are both twinnes and in the time of their separation the soules are still tyed to their naturall duties for Diues after his death could remember his brethren and yet they were not his brethren were it not that they did partake of the soules of their parents for
and enlightened by faith sanctified by grace it serues to confirme and strengthen the grounds and principles of faith and therefore our Diuines suppose reason to haue the same reference to faith which sometimes leauen had to the sacrifices of the Law and indeed Scripture signifieth one by the other Beware of the leauen of the Pharisees Matth. 18. that is to say as the Interpretors expound beware of the humane wisdome and subtiltie of the Pharisees Now leauen it was excluded from the sacrifices Leuit. 2. And in the seuenth of Leuit it was commanded that the sacrifices should bee laid and offered vp vpon leauened bread Super fâ—rmentatos panes the intent of the law-giuer was that leauen should be no part of the sacrifice and yet no sacrifice to be performed without leauen reason or humane knowledge must not enter into or comprehend the mysteries of faith and yet the mysteries of faith must necessarily presuppose the ground-worke and foundation of reason Principia religionis sunt nobis innata reason informes man that the end of mans creation consists not in man himselfe who vndoubtedly shall tast and see corruption but in the glory and seruice of his maker to him there is due not onely the subiection of the body with humility and reuerence but likewise the obedience of the soule the will denying it selfe and made conformable to Gods law the vnderstanding acknowledging his own blindnesse prostrating it selfe to the light and information of faith there must be a totall and absolute subiection befitting the infinite and absolute Empire of the diuine Maiesty and hence it is that neither the vegetatiue nor the sensitiue but onely the reasonable creature is made capable of religion and hence it is that the inuisible God appearing by the visible creatures the vnbeleeuing man is made vnexcusable That I might herein giue all men some contentment and satisfaction as farre forth as it lies in my power I haue made choyce of this text wherein I will consider the two extremities 1. the naturall man 2. the things of the spirit of God and then 3. the disproportion which consists as in dignity power eternity and all other the diuine attributes Finiti ad infinitum nulla est ratio seu proportio so likewise in knowledge non percipit hee cannot conceiue the things of the spirit of God that I may deale with him vpon equall tearmes that no aduantage or iust exception should be taken I doe heere protest that I will vse no other weapons to conuince this naturall man but only the light of his owne naturall reason I will lay aside Scripture Fathers Councels the vniforme and Catholicke consent of the whole world I doe onely appeale to himselfe and to his owne knowledge I stand vpon the goodnesse and equitie of my cause and therefore I doe not feare to make him that is the aduerse partie in the suite the iudge of my cause Thus farre indeed I must excuse my selfe I can doe no lesse then sometimes vse the phrase of Scripture considering my profession my habite bred brought vp in the Schooles of the Prophets speaking to a Christian Auditorie in a religious time and place Againe sometimes you must giue me leaue to suppose that for a truth which afterward I will bring to the touchstone for all cannot be proued in an instant Haue patience and forbeare mee a while and I doe heere promise that if my whole and entire speech shall bee duly examined the burthen and waight of my arguments shall onely relie vpon naturall reason In the first part of my text concerning the naturall man I will speake of these three things first that by the light of nature we doe discerne and acknowledge the corruption of nature Secondly that by the light of nature we are sufficiently instructed that nature is no competent guide to conduct vs to a supernaturall end Thirdly that nature being thus defectiue there is some higher stare and condition whereunto being once admitted wee may bee directed to happinesse So in the first part in the naturall man I will consider nature corrupted nature defectiue and imperfect nature supplied by grace Secondly in the other extremitie I will consider first how farre the naturall man may wade into the knowledge of the Deity Secondly what is exempted from his knowledge and wherunto he must not approch videlicet to the things of the spirit of God Thirdly in the disproportion consisting in knowledge I will first consider the reason why these things are concealed from reason Secondly how man shall satisfie the curiosity of his owne minde notwithstanding his owne ignorance in the humble submission of his owne soule together with a sufficient warrant for our faith and security I shall not here neede to describe the naturall man for it is not vnknowne vnto you that God by vertue of his promise to preserue and continew the same excellent order which was first instituted in the creation hath tied himselfe to impart some things vnto the creatures as necessary and essential to the being without which the creature cannot subsist other things are added as onely accessary to the nature and these depend vpon the free-will and choyce of the giuer Hence it is that there are seuerall kindes and sorts of creatures and to euery kinde there are seueral and peculiar properties allotted 〈…〉 betweene the vegetatiue 〈◊〉 and the reasonable creature so of reasonable creatures some haue onely an instinct of nature a reasonable and discoursiue â—oule wherein the principles of humane knowledge are ingrafted others besides this little sparke of reason are further enlightened by the assistance of Gods spirit as children taught by their Schoole-master Now conceiue man onely consisting of nature without hope of happines or any further direction of grace such as were the morall Heathen the vncircumcised Gentiles which stare and condition euery man claimes by vertue of his first birth and here you haue the naturall man described Now that there should bee such a difference betweene man and man that grace should be distinguished from nature I wil not here insist vpon the proofe for by Gods helpe it shall easily appeare by the sequell of my speech It cannot be denied but nature in generall is much corrupted which doth more argue the corruption of maÌ„in particular being that whole nature is directed to man First it appeares in that shee is more plentifull and abounding in euill then in good Vna est recta linea curuae infinitae there is but one straight and direct passage but there are many infinite by-waies and pathes there is but one truth answerable to that eternall truth which is but one and one alone aboue the Sphere of the creatures but there are diuers and infinite falshoods there is but one state of a sound and whole constitution but diseases and distempers are numberlesse to euery vertue there are many vices opposed to euery meane there are many extreames If nature were indifferent and indifferently
must be watered and digged the earth mellowed and mended mettals purified and clensed and by whom shall all this bee performed if by a superiour agent then might it be done without disparagâ—ment but if a base and inferiour should vndertake to controwle and correct nature in her actions this were a high contempt and indignity Here are not second causes which require the concourse and influence of their first mouers but nature is to bee taught and instructed by her handmaid to receiue her last and finall perfection from her vassall and slaue that ill-fauoured ape mistrisse Arte forsooth the learned gossip which doth all things by imitation taking her grounds and principles of action from nature she must be sent for as a mid-wife to help the deliuerie and hence issues such numbers and troupes of Artes together with such infinite inuentions of men and among others the Chemicall Arte though it deserues high commendation being rare and wonderfull in her operations yet with her vaine-glory and ostentation shee hath greatly wronged and prouock't nature in so much that if nature were not wholly cast downe and deiected rather then she would endure the intolerable boasting and bragging of Mountebankes shee would attempt the vttermost of her power To conclude this one poynt considering first that nature so much aboundeth in euill secondly and is so much enclined vnto euill thirdly considering how the heauens stand affected to the earth fourthly how elements amongst themselues fifthly how mixt creatures one to another sixthly and in themselues what defects and imperfections there are seuenthly how Art serues like a cobler or tinker to peece vp the walles and to repaire the ruines of nature I hope it wil sufficiently appeare that she is corrupted and much declined from her first perfection which certainly was intended by the founder and by all probable coniecture was imparted to her in her first institution I could bee infinite in this point but indeed it is not so pertinent nor doth it so nearely concerne my text I haue already alleaged seauen arguments to this purpose seauen is a perfect number as I challenge a rest on the seauenth day so heere I will rest in my seauenth argument Now in this great vprore and tumult of nature when heauen and earth seeme to threaten a finall destruction giue me leaue with the Marriners of Ionas ship to cast lots and search out the first occasion of this euill Alas alas the lot falles vpon man man alone of all other creatures in regard of the freedome of his will and the choyce of his owne actions being onely capable of the transgression the rest of the creatures are wholly excluded from the offence the punishment I confesse appeares in them but chiefly and principally in man I will therefore descend from the great world to this little world which first set on fire and inflamed the whole for I should greatly wrong my selfe if I should loose so much time as to take a generall suruey of nature to wander in the desarts and caues of the creatures to search out their imperfections I will therefore tie my selfe to man and by man alone the fall corruption shall manifestly appeare My proofes and arguments I will dispose into three seuerall ranks first for such things which seeme to bee proper and peculiar to man in regard of his constitution whereof all nature cannot furnish vs with the like example and president and therefore wee may well suppose that they are the peculiar punishments of mans sinne Secondly I will speake of mans condition in generall and compare man with the beast of the field whereby it shall appeare that our misery is far greater then theirs contrary to the first intent and institution of nature wherein she gaue vs a greater dignitie and so consequently should impart a greater measure of happinesse Thirdly I will insist in those particular punishments of sinne which are related in Scripture to bee the punishments of the first sinne wherein I will shew the truth the certainty and I will examine them by the touchstone and light of our naturall reason Speaking of mans coâ—stitution it must be supposed that he consists of seuerall and different parts which appeares by his composition and dissolution the seuerall faculties resident in seuerall vessels the seuerall senses tied to their seuerall organs whereas if his nature were simple and not compounded it should admit no such variety of parts no such diuersity of functioâ—s but shall haue a state constant and stable homogeneall euery way like vnto it selfe If then man be compounded then assuredly nature requires the fewest principles as there appeares onely action or passion in man so more is not required in man saue onely the two seuerall fountaines of action or passion then let me spare my selfe a needlesse and vnprofitable labour for the whole world did euer acknowledge in man as in all other creatures matter and forme I will therefore lay downe this as a ground-worke or supposition that man consists of two parts a body sensible materiall corruptible and a soule intelligent spirituall and incorruptible for his body I will referre him to the triall of all your seâ—ses that hee is no shadow or phantasie but really consisting of a true body and such a body as tends to corruption if any man doubt of it I could wish that his pasport were made that with the whip and the scourge he might bee conueyed to Golgotha where he should finde sculles of all sizes For his soule that it is intelligent not guided or carried by the streame of nature as a dumb beast but able to discourse to gather one truth from another containing in it selfe the seedes of all knowledge If any man seeme to denie this I will not argue or conuince him by reason for hee is not capable of a reasonable discourse but for his punishment I will ranke him in the number of vnreasonable creatures among the bruit beasts c. Now if this soule bee intelligent then certainly spirituall as not consisting of any earthly matter which well appeares by the quicke apprehension the strange and admirable operations conceiuing things immateriall able to abstract things from their owne nature vnderstanding the grosse and earthly substance in a spirituall manner and howsoeuer the inclination of the flesh or the disposition of humours stand for these may moue and affect yet still shee retaiâ—es the Lordship and gouernment of her owne actions not violently carried by an instinct of nature but hauing a free-will in her owne choyce and election which vndoubtedly argues a higher descent a greater petegree and linage then these base elements can afford her or can proceed from a well tempered body That there should bee spirituall substances in generall let vs first flie aboue the conuexitie of the heauens where elements and elementarie bodies cannot ascend Can you conceiue that there should bee a vast wildernesse vnhabited vnpeopled lie naked and empty or rather
furnish't with heauenly and spirituall substances according to the condition of that place as is this elementarie world with bodies grosse and terrestriall the Philosophers shewing the worlds perfection by the diuersitie of creatures some materiall some spirituall c. as likewise by the various and strange motion of the heauens which being simple bodies should haue one simple motion and yet their motion being not simple not for the preseruation of themselues and that in their owne proper places where euery other creature hath rest peace and contentment doe hence vndoubtedly conclude that the heauens are moued by intelligences and in token hereof there are influences qualities not materiall the operation whereof cannot bee preuented by application of any other elementarie or contrary qualitie and such is the force of these influences as that the Moone being the weakest of all other planets in power yet is able to moue the huge Ocean without any corporall engine or instrument And surely the heauens can bee no otherwise moued then by intelligences which in effect are Angels for in nature no reason can bee assigned why they should moue not mouing for themselues but for others and therefore are moued by others or looking to them and to their outward forme no reason can be assigned why they might not as well moue from the West to the East as from the East to the West and the motion it selfe is so strange and so wonderfull that the minde of man being an intelligent spirit notwithstanding our studies our circles excentric concentric epicicle and the like yet wee cannot possibly describe the motion and trace out their paths but we must be inforced to vse impossible suppositiōs that the earth should turne vpon wheeles and moue with her owne weight or that there should be penetration of bodies which is a farre greater absurditie and therefore this strange and wonderfull motion must needs be effected by some intelligent spirits Thus the schoole of the Heathen did acknowledge as much in effect concerning the truth and certaintie of Angels as our Christian faith doth oblige vs for our beleefe Let vs descend from heauen vnto earth Consider how the elements themselues doe exceede each other in finenesse and rarietie and therein come neerer and neerer the nature of spirits insomuch that the fire and the aire are scarse sensible the sight not apprehending them Are there not motes which cannot be discerned but in the Sunne-beames and in euery dumbe creature is not the forme spirituall as being the more noble part of the creature though hidden and concealed hauing both wombe and tombe in the matter and therefore being impotent of her selfe wants a naturall instinct for her guide and direction If this forme were not spirituall then what penetration of bodies should be admitted how slowly should the actions proceed considering little wormes which in themselues and in their whole bodies are scarse sensible What should we thinke of their forme they haue varietie of senses of motion they haue varietie of parts of members of limbes and of ioynts or why should all qualitie bee immateriall were it not because they proceed from the forme which is immateriall as on the contrary quantitie is therefore extended and seemes to be grosse and terrestriall because it proceeds from the matter and i◠applied for dimēsions but of all qualities it doth more manifestly appeare in the obiects of our sight as colour and light which are diffused in a moment thorough the compasse of the whole world and finde no opposition in their passage Thus certainly the formes of things are substances immateriall but most especially for mans soule which is reasonable were it not freed and exempted from any elementarie composition it could neuer iudge aright of all bodies but according to her temperature thereafter should follow her censure thereafter her appetite and inclination so that the freedome of mans will should suffer violence If then you will suppose in man a true iudgement of things and a free libertie in his choice you must conceiue the soule as a spirit which is the ground and foundation of both whereby hauing onely the diuine concourse and assistance she is not carried with any naturall instinct as a dumbe instrument but is the roote and fountaine as of her faculties so of her actions If this soule bee spirituall then certainly immortall as being exempted freed from the opposition and contrarietie of elementarie qualities whichis the only motiue and inducement to corruption she comprehends and vnderstands things immortall some of them being bare and dumbe instruments ordained only for her vse and seruice suppose the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and therefore wee cannot thinke that she should be of lesse perfection as touching her time and continuance The desires of the soule are infinite shee intends nothing so much as eternitie this is naturally ingrafted in all of vs and nature cannot faile in her ends Consider the maine infusions which euery man findes in himselfe sometimes his minde either in dreames or in the strong apprehension of his owne thoughts seemes to presage euill and this euill vndoubtedly followes Seldome or neuer doe any great accidents befall vs but the minde seemes to prophecie and foretell such euents Consider againe the many visions and apparitions which from age to age haue bin discouered among the dead whereof the best authors the most learned and iudicious make mention For as I cannot excuse all superstition in this kinde so absolutely and simply to denie this truth were heathenisme and infidelitie The course and order of the whole vniuerse requires as much in effect For as the power of God hath alreadie appeared in the creation his wisedome in the disposing his prouidence in the preseruing of nature and so for the rest of his attributes c. so there must be a time when the iustice of God shall reueale it selfe which iustice as it is most commendable in man so is it much more eminent in God This iustice in respect of the whole world must onely bee exercised vpon man for all the rest of the creatures are carried with the violence and streame of their nature only man hath a discoursiue reason whereby he may consult of his owne actions and being once resolued he hath a free will for his owne choice and election and therfore man aboue all other creatures must be accomptable for his actiōs And to this end God hath giuen him this propertie that hauing once performed a worke he begins to reflect and examine things past that so it might serue either as a sampler for amendment or as a corosiue for repentance Vpon this due examination there followes either such a ioy and contentment as cannot arise from a sensitiue part nor cannot bee imparted to a dumbe beast or else such a terror such a feare such a sting of conscience as makes man aboue all other creatures the most miserable Now I confesse with the heathen that in the
course of this life Gods iustice doth not sufficiently appeare and rather then this iustice should suffer the least eclipse or imputation I will shake the foundations of the earth and proclaime a new heauen and a new earth And in the mean time to finde out the infallible effects of this iustice I will rake vp the ashes and in the dead embers of mans putrified and corrupted carcase I will extract an inuisible and immortall soule which being the suruiuor shall be liable to the paiments of debts and according to the sins or deserts according to the measure and extent of Gods mercie or iustice shall be a subiect capable of punishment or glorie Hauing spoken of the seuerall parts of his constitution now at length wee haue agreed vpon man wee haue laid hold on him and apprehended the partie now let vs proceed in our plea put in our bils and our articles and take our exceptions against him My first obiection is this All other creatures subsist as long as their forme subsists for the matter and the forme are both twinnes concelued in the same instant vnder the same constellation and therefore should haue the like continuance of being and the like successe in their actions Only in man you shall obserue the difference his soule is immortall made of a most durable metâ—all and yet contained within the brittle vessell of his weak flesh as if she were no part of man but did inhabit in Tents and in Tabernacles in the wildernesse alwaies remouing and changing her dwelling hauing no certaine mansion house to containe her What things are coupled in nature should necessarily symbolize and bee tied together by some band which should equally partake of both Here is the flesh and the spirit vnited but where is that band which being neither flesh nor spirit should partake of both and couple both where is the league or the amitie Here are no intelligencers assigned to their celestiall orbs no Angels conuersing with Angels but the flesh with the spirit corruptible with incorruptible mortall with immortall liue together vnder one roofe they are the household seruants of one man and are linckt together in one person whereas the Philosopher saith Corruptibile § incorruptibile differunt plusquam genere Things corruptible and incorruptible they do not differ in number they doe not differ in kinde but they seeme to belong to a diuers and a different world the world of eternitie and the world of corruption and therefore in reason should not admit any fellowship or societie betweene themselues much lesse be the members of one and the same corporation Me thinkes I call to minde the practise of the tyrant who was wont to couple the liuing bodies of men to the dead carkasses of others impar coningium that being not able to quicken and reuiue each other they might together corrupt and consuâ—e Here is the like tyrannie for it is strange and wonderfull much against the ordinarie course of nature either how such seuerall and different parts should be linckt together to make vp one subiect visible corruptible earthly according to the flâ—sh inuisible incorruptible heauenly according to the spirit or being once knit together and a league of amitie consisting in a mutual sympathie betweene both concluded what should at length cause the dissolution That man should die when the better part of man is yet extant that for want of the more ignoble and base part the vse of the bodie the soule should not be able to exercise her faculties either of growth and nourishment or of sense and motion but like a comfortlesse widow should be strictly tied to her thirds only the intellectuall part being her owne proper dowrie hauing gotten no surplusage to her estate by vertue of her mariage When the husband is once dead then is the wife let at libertie from the law of her husband but the soule is excluded from any second mariage and cannot couple herselfe to another she is inforced to a widowhood and cannot obtaine the like fredome in her choice which formerly she had in the time of her virginitie All nature the whole world cannot affoord the like president and therefore acknowledge that it proceedes from the corruption of man as a proper and peculiar punishment to man You will say that this property makes the difference of his nature as differing from all other creatures from the Angels in regard of his flesh from the beasts in regard of his spirit and therefore no marueile if this be proper and peculiar to himselfe as being the speciall difference of man and not any punishment of sinne This obiection proceedes from an error for the difference of man consists in the reasonable soule and not in the mortalitie or immortalitie of parts so I will proceede to a seconde argument If it seemes some kinde of disparagement that the immortall soule should bee contracted in mariage to the mortall flesh for mariage should alwaiâ—â— suppose an equalitie then me thinks nature should make some recompence in the noblenesse of mans birth Behold then I will describe the solemnitie of these nuptials after her first approch and infusion for many moneths the soule is kept prisoner in the wombe a place noysome for sent vncleane for situation a dungeon for darknesse As man himselfe is conceiued in sinne so is the soule concealed in shame the eyes will not dare to behold chaste eares would bee offended to heare let not any tongue presume to speake the vncleannesse of mans birth see how he crouches with his head on his knees like a tumbler wallowing in his owne excrements feeding vpon the impurest blood breathing thorough the most vncleane passages in so much that Christ who came to be spit vpon to bee whipt to bee troden to bee crucified onely for mans sake yet would neuer endure the basenesse of his conception I speake not of the foulnesse of mans sinne and concupiseence but of his naturall vncleannesse being the vndoubted token and signe of his sinfull condition I will no longer defile my speech with this subiect let the Anatomist speake for himselfe in his owne art En qui superbis homuncio terra cinis inter excrementa natus inter intestinum rectum vesicam Now when all things are fully accomplished ad vmbilicum vsque perductus I had thought that there should haue been some more conuenient dwelling and fitter for the entertainment of the reasonable soule for as the sensatiue hath more noble faculties then the vegetatiue so hath it more parts and more offices assigned for her seruice then why should not some difference and some addition bee made betweene reason and sense Man consists of a liuer for his nourishment of an heart for his vitall spirits of a braine for his sense this is all and all the beasts of the field haue as much But you wil answere me that man hath in this time of corruptioÌ„ as many parts as euer the first man is supposed to
haue or to bring with him from Paradise in the state of perfection My answere is that the grace which in the time of mans innocencie did accompanie nature supplied all the defects and was sufficient of it selfe but man being depriued of that grace might iustly claime and challenge according to the excellencie of his own condition something in nature some super a bounding parts in his bodie to betoken the dignitie of his reasonable soule aboue the state of the sensatiue You will say that her prerogatiue consists not in the number but in the goodnesse and qualitie of parts Princes may finde entertainment in priuate mens houses but their state shall appeare in their owne hangings and furniture Certainly man comes short of other creatures for euery sense the Eagle for sight the Hounds for their sent the Buck for his hearing the Ape for his taste the Wormes for their touch and for the inward senses which are the proper and neerest instruments of the vnderstanding he that shall well consider the strange and wonderfull operation of the creatures in their owne kinde how curious the birds are in building their nests how prouident euery thing is for the preseruation of it selfe how admirable the beasts are in their naturall workes the knowledge whereof whereby they are directed in these actions consists in the phansie hee will easily confesse that in their inward senses they cannot but farre exceede man If you replie that mans temper and senses though otherwise none of the best yet are best applied and accommodated for mans seruice and vse as they are the dumbe instrumeÌ„ts of a reasonable soule This is a fond an idle suggestion for who can know or trie the contratie but surely the best should alwaies be fitted for the best and this stands with a right and equall proportion according to iustice Suppose there were such disparitie in the state and condition of both and that the dull flesh could not giue any sufficient entertainment to so royall a spouse yet the weake abilitie and power would be accepted if the flesh did performe what it might For if an honorable Ladle should intend to match with her seruant the greatest motiue and inducement would be that in stead of a husband hee would be her slaue she should haue the rule and sole gouernment and all his care should be to giue her contentment a very forcible argument I confesse Now let vs examine how well the flesh hath performed this dutie and seruice Behold in the parts of man a great opposition and antipathie between the flesh and the spirit as it were encountring each other Can a kingdome diuided in it selfe proceed from nature which intends an vniforme order and course in the creatures I grant there may be contrarietie of qualities in one and the same subiect consisting of contrarie elements for here the subiect is capable of contrarietie but in parts of different nature of different condition where the one by nature is subordinate to the other that there should be such opposition it is exemplum sine exemplo the whole fabrick and course of nature cannot parallel this with a president that man should reflect vpon his owne actions should suruay and view his owne workes and that his owne soule should discerne and condemne the inclination and practise of his owne flesh that man distracted and discontented should say in the agonie of his minde I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my spirit Doubtlesse non sic fuit ab initio both of them proceede from one God both of them are parts of one man and therefore as fellow yokemen should tend ioyntly together to one and the same end the happinesse and perfection of man as in nature there is no contrarietie betweene the matter forme the one is actiue the other passiue the one apt to giue the other apt to receiue impressioÌ„ the one giuing beautie and splendor the other supporting and vpholding the action There is no difference betweene theÌ„ no more then there is between quantitie and qualitie rather helping and furthering then any way hindring or opposing each others propertie only in man in man alone consists the difference And therefore acknowledge it not as the first intent and institution of nature but as a punishmeÌ„t of sin God requiting mans disobedience to shew the high wisedome of his gouernment the proportion of his iustice sets the parts of man at enmitie with themselues which before did together conspire against their God and creator You will say that this is but a light skirmish some little disagreeing hinders not the loue but rather inflames the affection all this enmitie proceedes from one ground that the parts being of a different kinde must likewise be carried with a different inclination I will therefore further insist that in man there is not that consent and harmonie of parts which is requisite for the vnitie of a person sometimes the soule proues the mint of our actions and brands them with her own stampe and somtimes the bodie ouerrules the freedom of our wils and beares the whole sway mores sequuntur hum res Physiognomie and iudiciall Astrologie take this for the ground and foundation of their truth Is it not yet resolued who should beare rule or must it consist of alterations changes and turnes or doe they seeke to preuent each other Capiat qui capere potest quod nullius est hominis id iure sit occupantâ—s as if they did both striue for the empire which as yet were not intailed to any certaine familie or tribe But obserue a farre greater enormitie whereas the reasonable soule containes in it selfe the sensatiue and vegetatiue faculties why should she not correct their errors mistakings and defects why should not the reasonable soule intermeddle with the concoctions nourishment and growth of the bodie If any thing lies heauie on the stomacke as she knowes the disease and feeles the burthen so why should not the reasonable soule haue power to remoue it Seemes it not a great disorder in nature that in the bodie of man there should bee two subordinate soules and both of them should haue their seuerall and distinct operations as if they should rather constitute two seuerall creatures then ioyntly concurre to the vnitie of one person the sensatiue soule intending the workes of nature the reasonable soule taking only charge of such things as require free choice and election could not all things be more easily performed by one and the same faculty as in al other creatures Then should there be no greater difficultie to cleanse the vncleane blood to purge the grosse melancholie then now we finde in taking away some spot or blemish from the outward skinne then should not the secret causes of sudden death as it were priuie conspiracies suddenly assault and attempt man but man in his owne wisedome should timely foresee and preuent them Wherefore serue fibres muscles or tendons for receiuing
retaining or expulsion of foode if the soule hath no power to apply them The perfectioÌ„ of nature especially consists within her most secret pauilions shall the soule bee able to moue the thigh the legge the arme the whole body and yet the least scruple of poyson lying in the ventricle shall she not be able to disgorge and expell it In other creatures I confesse there is an ordinarie course of nature as in all their actions an ordinary instinct of nature they haue a time of rising a period and time of setting they can no more order their steps or their waies then they can change their coÌ„plectioÌ„ or growth But it should be otherwise in man who as he is Lord of his outward actions so he should haue the full power and command of himselfe and of the most inward and secret operations of his own body for the same reason would sufficiently serue to direct both alike But see see whole man is corrupted and therefore neither body with soule nor soule with her faculties can together consist all is in an vprore since wee forsooke him who is the very bond of all peace and agreement If neither opposition betweene both nor want of subiection and right gouernment seemes strange then I will tell you a greater wonder The soule and the body though parts of one man and mutually subsisting together yet are they strangers one to another not any way acquainted with the counsels and secresies of each other Whatsoeuer is proper and peculiar to the soule for her faculties her nature and powers she doth not any way impart it to the whole man but only by way of reflection looking vpon the actions wee iudge of the substance and so wee might doe if wee liued among strangers and heathen though certainly the soule cannot be ignorant of her self Againe whatsoeuer is proper to the body as forme figure the vse and disposition of the inward parts notwithstanding that the soule first squared out the body and fashioned the members for her owne vse and seruice anima fabricatur sibi domicilium yet she knowes them not and therefore must learne them againe by inspection and dissection of mans body a cruell bloody and mercilesse spectacle I confesse yet such as must be admitted in schooles rather then wee should be ignorant of our owne bodies Thus farre as the soule and the body are the obiects of our knowledge now in their owne operations see how they are estranged from each other Parts as they cannot subsist without the whole so neither should they bee able to worke of themselues but in man you shall obserue actions which are appropriated to either part to the soule and to the body and cannot be imparted to both Though the present condition of man bee earthly made of the earth feeds on the earth and is dissolued to the earth and therfore the soule doth lesse discouer her selfe by her proper actions then doth the materiall body yet it is not vnknowne to Philosophie that there is an extasis of the soule wherein she is carried in a trance wholly and only intending the intellectuall functions while the body lies dead like a carkasse without breath sense motion or nourishment onely as a pledge to assure vs of the soules returne And vpon her returne hauing talked with God or been transfigured in the mount shee giues the body no such intelligence or message but deemes it as a dumbe beast not fit to bee acquainted with so high mysteries so that the whole man is ignorant what hath befalne the better part of himselfe Now see how the body requites this vnkindnesse and diseurtesie It is naturall to euery forme that if it be extant it should bee alwaies in action especially the more noble forme finds the greater imployment but obserue the difference in man for many yeeres after his birth he is like an vnreasonable creature feedes on the pappe and lies in the cradle intending only the actions of nature and giuing no outward appearance of his reasonable soule in so much that were it not for the feature and forme of his body you should hardly discerne his kinde whereas in all other creatures you shall instantly discerne in the first moment of their birth actions proper and peculiar to their state and condition But I will passe ouer our infancie we haue forgotten those daies being now arriued to our full age I will therfore make a second instance once within the compasse of a naturall day in the time of our rest and our sleepe where is there any appearance of a reasonable soule There is nourishment I confesse for nature will haue her course in the â—euerall concoctions there is sense I confesse for the body being easily toucht presently it awakens there is likewise an inward sense as appeares by our dreames and the renewing of our decaied spirits but for the reasonable soule there is a sleepe indeede a dead sleepe euen the true image of death without any shew or appearance of life Lest I should be thought a theefe or a coward thus to steale vpon man in the time of his sleepe to stop his winde to strangle and choke him in his naked bed that he should not be able to speake for himselfe and to denie his owne corruption I will therefore goe from his naked bed to Bedlam where you shall finde men naked out of their beds poore sillie wretches poore sillie wretches some of them with outragious fits arising from heate and from choler others with melancholie deepe impressions frame vnto themselues fancies of all kindes some with night watchings and studies hastening to bee wise lost their owne wits others in their loue-passions imparted themselues and now rest in their rage and their furie besides themselues how are they tormented tied to the stakes whipt with cords dieted with hunger tempered with coldnes The irons enter into their flesh they are vsed in the nature of wild beasts but their greatest miserie is that they haue no feeling of their owne miserie Thinke not this punishment to be casuall and accidentall to man for these are Lunatickes the heauens haue their actions and God hath his prouidence in them see how the rebellious flesh hath cleane vanquisht the spirit O what is man if man be left vnto himselfe Of all thy temporall blessings and graces O Lord I doe giue thee most humble thankes for the right vse of my wits and my senses I dare not long conuerse with mad men I confesse indeed that once they were sober and gaue some token of a reasonable soule I will now come vnto them who are of a milder constitution with whom I may more freely conuerse and to whom I may approch with lesse feare for these are innocents and ideots let vs heare how wisely they will answere for themselues But I will spare them that labour for if you can teach them to aske meate in their hunger drinke in their thirst to complain of
coldnesse when it pincheth them here is the height and top of their learning as yet they are not arriued to common sense yet commonly they are men of sound bodies sanguine complections good health long life nothing is wanting but onely that in man you shall not finde man A president without patterne a punishment onely proper and peculiar to man no other sensible creature either in his birth or his sleepe or in his madnesse much lesse in the whole course of his life did euer appeare without sense who euer saw a quick plant without sappe in the roote But in token that the first sinne of man was the curiositie of knowledge for the penaltie of this sinne God hath reserued in his owne power the free disposing of mans reason that notwithstanding his reasonable soule his education learning or discipline yet God hath not tied himselfe to concurre with man in the action a benefit which being in the same kinde and seeming naturall and essentiall to the same kinde God neuer denies to the rest of his creatures I will now alter and change my course for hauing spoken in generall of the nature of the soule and of some particular persons and states of men vpon particular occasions I will now speake in generall of whole mankinde and of the particular actions both of the soule of the body The soule though reasonable yet in her selfe as from her selfe seemes to haue no vnderstanding she hath no infusions as the Angels haue no ingrafâ—ed knowledge as other creatures haue in their owne kinde but only a power and capacitie to vnderstand In the vse and exercise whereof sometimes the minde is distracted with varietie of her own thoughts and cannot intend to direct the edge of her vnderstanding but our wits are wandring and a woolgathering here the soule is growne impotent and weak and hath not the power of her selfe and yet in the meane time how is she perplexed and tormented with ignorance possessed with an immoderate thirst of knowledge with a curiositie of knowledge And on the other side what great difficultie and labour appeares in the purchase of wisedome It is gotten by long experience and the triall of many conclusions all ages are not come to that staiednes which is requisite for the attâ—ining of wisedome When it is gotten when it is at the height then our memorie begins to faile vs wee know not how to keepe such a treasure or else you shall discerne a sensible change in our nature for being old we grow young againe not in yeeres but in affections there is no difference betweene the toyes and fondâ—es of youth and the forgetfulnes and dotage of age both are the same in effect and here wisedome seemes like a motheaten garment which hath been heretofore of some value but now for want of repâ—iring or trimming serues for no further vse or imployment Thus farre the soule in her selfe Now let vs see what comfort and furtherance she receiues from the body Parts should haue the greatest reference to themselues as wanting each others helpe and supporting each other so that it stood with the wisedome and intention of nature in the beginning to fit and to square them one for the other so that the body in reason should further the actions of the reasonable soule But it falles out otherwise a full stomacke sends vp grosse fumes which intoxicate the braine the largest and best diet can spare the least and that the worst nourishmeÌ„t for the sensatiue spirits the fattest soile yeelds the foggiest wit while the fruitlesse sands the heath the rockes the mountaines seeme to make some recompence for their barrennesse with a plentifull inuention But to come to the immediate actions of the vnderstanding what greater obstacle or hindrance can be then is the burthen and weight of the body our mindes distracted with senses the senses not rightly informing sometimes deluding with snowes sometimes deceiuing with fancies neuer apprehending things in their true value and proportion and when they are best disposed yet their bill of information must be further examined for we doe not receiue the things themselues but the species or images of things which being presented to our vnderstanding most commonly wee iudge according to our passions But what doe we receiue from the senses surely sensible obiects and not intelligible obiects for the senses are onely imployed in particulars which doe not belong to the court or cognizance of the vnderstanding which onely conceaues the generals as if the sense should speake in an vnknowen tongue or in a strange language And therefore the vnderstanding must first eleuate and giue them a new tincture before they can come to his censure hence proceeds that distinction of schooles intellectus agens and intellectus patiens whereas all sense consists in one passion You will say that although the vnderstanding bee inforced to make his owne obiects yet is it donne with the greatest facilitie and ease a naturall action For the soule out of her owne actiuitie is able to abstract her owne obiects from the matter and to giue them a like condition to her selfe assuredly all the difficulty in knowledge consists in raysing these obiects Wherfore serue all the rules of Logicke why should we striue so much for a right method were it not that the difficulty consists in the discouery of the truth The Lawyer deserues high commendation if he can truly open his cause though hee neuer passe his iudgement From whence ariseth all the diuersities of mens opinions when as reason is the same in all men We doe not differ about coulors we do not differ about sensible obiects onely the difference is in the discouery of a truth which in effect is asmuch as in raising these intelligible obiects for if the truth lay open and naked all men would easily assent vnto it Me thinks it should stand with right reason that as sense hath sensible obiects so things themselues should present themselues to the vnderstanding that the minde should not busie her selfe to make her owne obiects intelligible but should onely passe her iudgement and censure This is the condition of dumbe beasts in regard of their sense this is the state of the Angels in regard of their infusion and this should haue bin the state and condition of man were it not that man is falne from the state of his first integrity and happinesse to a state of corruption From the vnderstanding let vs come to the will strange it is to obserue the intestine warre which man wageth with himselfe possessed with contrary iudgements insomuch that he proues a stranger to himselfe not knowing the resolution of his owne minde And thus breaking forth into contrary wils not knowing how himselfe stands affected sometimes hee will sometimes he will not one and the same action it being the selfe same giuing no cause of the alteration and change of his will Thus not guided by nature as all other creatures are hee
stands like a blind man and knowes not how to make choice of his own wayes How vnfitly hath nature disposed of mans will it seemes that al other mans faculties are finite contained within very narrow bankes The wisdom of man is foolishnes and serues onely to giue him occasion to see his owne ignorance hoc vnum scio me nihil scire this only I know that I know nothing The power of man is weaknesse all his wealth seemes to be meere beggery but the desires and appetites of man are infinite and boundlesse So that in his greatest abundance poore man is discontented and much perplexed with his owne wants What shall I say of man where shall hee seeke contentment and rest or whom shall I accuse for man himselfe I finde him thus ordained by nature I will therefore make my complaint against nature she is corrupted and hauing no true contentment in her selfe she will not confesse her owne basenesse but desires to conceale it and to delude man And to this end obserue her subtiltie she giues man an infinite desire intimating that she hath an infinite treasure but our desires are therefore infinite because wee receiue no contentment at all and so still wanting still â—e desire For nature that first brought vs together and made vs importunate sutors to haue the creatures in a plentiful measure hath on the other side very cunningly set such a difference and disparity betweene both that we shall neuer obtaine our request As for example man desires wealth by his labour and industrie together with Gods blessing wealth is purchased and gained this wealth is laid vp in the purse the chest or the treasure house very safely I confesse but not so fitly disposed for the minde is still emptie and therfore still may desire If I were hungrie and that for my sake you would fill another mans belly I might pine with your charitie But in the meane 〈◊〉 nature will excuse her selfe for who is the coffereâ— Either 〈◊〉 your minde together with your treasure and locke them vp both in your closset or else lay vp the treasure in your minde and so stay your appetite This counsell will not serue nature is to be blamed for there is a disproportion betweene both who euer saw a bushell filled vp with learning or a pottle-pot stuft vp with wisedome Things spirituall cannot replenish materiall vessels neither can bodies penetrate and satisfie the desires of a spirit Herein consists the corruption of nature that she hath giuen or permitted the appetite notwithstanding the disparitie either she should â—orbeare to desire or else prouide plenty and store of such condition as that she might be able to satisfie the request of her sutors who now for want of supplie seeme to be meere cormorants It is not sufficient for nature to conspire against the soule in generall and euery facultie in particular but she doth further practise to set the seuerall faculties of the soule in opposition to themselues A good wit neuer agrees with a good memorie I speake not in regard of the multiplicitie of inuentions which thereby might seeme to ouerpresse the memorie though commendable and good in her selfe but it ariseth from the very constitution A moist braine full of spirits is aptest for inuention but the cold and drie temper longest retaines the impression Good wits cannot agree among themselues but fall to banding and factions and the wittie professions seeme to oppose each other the one desiring to make the other hateful and odious and the other striuing to make it poore base and contemptible Sometimes you shall discerne wit without discretion and heere that inestimable treasure of wit seemes to bee wholly vnprofitable and vnseasonable being committed to a fooles keeping and here nature makes man a wittie foole giuing him the substance of wit but denying the right vse and application Thus doe the faculties iarre among themselues which in effect is as much as if I should say The soule did disagree with it selfe for the faculties are the soule and the soule is the faculties And as it is in our selues so likewise in others The wittie Poet will breake his iests on the Constable but here is the mischiefe his memorie will serue him to remember and to reuenge this iniurie and wrong Againe the same wits will not suffice for all studies the superficiall Rhetorician with his colours Allegories shall neuer fadome the grounds and depth of Philosophie He that is naturally addicted to Mathematicall Engines and lines shall neuer be able to comprehend within the circles of his sphere the notions and abstractions of the Metaphysicks Practicall arts can neuer be attained vnto by speculation but must bee learned by experience If learning be not fitted to thy capacitie suppose thy weake braine should be imployed in the Metaphysicks it will make thee a learned foole beyond thy selfe And generally the best naturall wits can hardliest endure any painfulnes in studie but expect to receiue all by infusion and lest they should ouer boldly aduenture vpon learning at the first entrance they are scared away with words of art and with notions If still they proceede then much reading or plodding duls the vnderstanding night-watchings and candle light distemper the body and dazle the minde On the other side the best wits are soonest abused and seduced and most easily corrupted the greatest iudgements take the deepest discontentments c. Before I can descend from the inuisible faculties of the soule to the apparant actions of the body I will first speake of the neighbourhood and sociâ—tie betweene both whether the perfections of bodie and minde were euer maâ—ched together in one person You shall obserue then that nature hath set a great difference betweene them the fairest complection is seldome accompanied with the best wit women may be proud of their beautie but not of their wisedome The best temper and constitution are not the fittest for the vnderstanding the purest sanguine complection is apter for daliance and loue-toyes then for night watchings and studies The strongest and best compacted limbes and ioynts doe argue more abilitie to be admitted of the Kings guard then to bee sworne of his Counsel as formerly you heard that the same disposition would not suffice for the right vse and exercise of all the seuerall faculties The clowne for his cariage who cannot vse any ceremonies of curtesie but will sooner talke treason then complement with his pale and darke skinne with a cloude in his forehead hollow eyes churlish lookes harsh language hoggish gesâ—ure frowning fretting and fuming Here is the rare the excellent and the most angelicall vnderstanding all nature cannot yeeld such a most incomparable iewell sometimes a crooked backe a limping thigh â—quint eyes lame legges or some monstrous defeature doth accompanie the rare gifts of the minde As if nature had râ—pented her selfe and to abate the insolencie of maâ— should clothe this rich iewell with some base 〈◊〉 that being
not so comely in their outward 〈◊〉 â—hey are enforced to conceale their owne inward worth and if they be bold and aduenterous then natuâ—e will giue vs a caution caue quos natura notauit and the infâ—mie of their personage sildome procures loue especially among the multitude But if this wise man proues neither hard fauoured nor monstrous yet fleame and melancholy whereof his temper especially consists what Rhumes Catarres and diseases doe they cause in his body How do they breake out into issues and gowtes and seeme to hasten old age Odi puerum praecoci ingenio I hate a childe of a forward wit either he is already come to his last temper or else his climate must alter What is it or who is it that thou canst loue in nature on whoÌ„ thou might'st settle thy affection If faire and beautifull to fight Phisiognomie will tell thee that thou seest the whole man thou canst expect no further vse or imployment of his seruice if otherwise wise and deformed how canst thou loue him in whom nothing seemes worthy of thy loue We may call thy iudgement in question whereas in all other creatures the comelines beautie and fit proportion of the outward limbes signifies the good inward conditions Now at length to speake of the actions of mans body I will giue them the same entertainment which formerly I did to the faculties of the soule for as I am not malitious so I will not be paâ—tiall I doe heere accuse and challenge all the naturall actions of mans body to be tainted and defiled with corruption and in all of them the punishment of this corruption shall manifestly appeare All punishments may be reduced to these three heads 1. Dedecus sâ—u infamia 2. Poena seu castigatio 3. Serâ—itium seâ— captiuitas By the first he suffers losse in his credit good name and reputation and is put to open shame and infamie By the second he suffers detriment and losse in his owne flesh or in his owne substance and goods being chastised according to law By the third he seemes to be imprisoned and suffers losse in his freedom and libertie being tied to serue as a slaue These are the three generall heads whereunto the exercise of iustice doth vsually extend it selfe and to these three heads I will reduce all the naturall actions of mans body For the infamie and shame Whatsoeuer nature desires to be concealed hidden and dares not attempt it in the presence of others certainly she will neuer stand to iustifie the action but rather at first sight will easily confesse her infamie and shame Take the most naturall workes of man and you shall obserue that man is most ashamed of them as eating drinking sleeping yawning c. I will not speake of the most vncleane and secret parts some things may bee conceiued which may not be spoken Who euer held it any part of his commendation to bee a great eater or to sleepe while his bones ake Who euer went out into the open streete or to the market place to take a meales meate but rather would prouide a close cabinet for such necessarie imployments of nature Is nature ashamed of her most naturall actions then certainly it betokens a guiltinesse But you will ascribe it to the strict and austere profession of Christianitie which seeming ouer proud and haughtie for mans present estate disdaines to inhabite the earth lookes vp to heauen and therefore brandeth these actions with shame and contempt True indeed of all the sects in the world Christian religion hath alwaies been most famous and eminent for strictnesse of life and mortification of flesh which in my conscience as it hath formerly giuen the greatest growth to religion so the neglect and decay thereof in these our daies will be the greatest blow to religion But herein I will excuse our selues for not the Christian alone but the Turke and the Heathen both say and practise as much in effect You will then say that religion in generall agrees in this one point as teaching all men a maidenlike modestie to forbeare the outragious lusts of the flesh and therein sets the difference betweene man and beast and thus along continued custome may at length seeme to bee nature I cannot rest in this answere but I must fasten this shame immediatly vpon nature her selfe Obserue then not onely in man but likewise in the dumbe creatures Are not those parts which serue for excrement or generation concealed and hidden either in place and situation or else with feathers with haire or some other couering which nature hath prouided for that purpose in so much that you shall hardly discerne their sexe â— Hath she not appointed the shade the groue and the close night to couer and hide them she is ashamed of them they are vncleane to the sight but most absurd in the speech and both taught vs by a naturall instinct Wilâ— thou defile thy mouth with 〈◊〉 talke and shall that appeare in thy tongue which nature hath concealed in her basest parts Be not so base remember the noblenesse of thy birth and thy condition farrâ— aboue beasts stoope not so low as to touch or to kisse with thy lips and thy tongue those vncleane parts whereof nature her selfe is ashamed The infamie of these actions shall better appeare by this one instance Call foorth the incestuous or adulterous person I will here checke and correct him Thou beast worse then a beast for many beasts seeme to obserue the Rites and sanctitie of mariage seest thou not how thou hast sinned against heauen and against thine owne soule Doth not thine owne conscience accuse thee or thinkest thou that the close night or darknesse it selfe can couer or conceale thy sinne c. I haue no sooner spoken these words but behold his hart faints his speech failes him he trembles quakes all his blood appeares in his face as if the blood being guiltie to it selfe should step foorth and either excusing or accusing it selfe should wholly acquâ—â— the spirit For I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my spirit Or as if it were naturally ingrafted in man that without the effusion of blood there can be no remission of sinnes and therefore as farre foorth as the skinne will permit it the blood desires to make some recompence for the offence Suppose I were to examine a guiltlesse innocent man and to charge him with such crimes which he neuer attempted yet sometimes there will appeare the same tokens of modestie and shame Nature can be no lier she will neuer accuse her selfe vniustly though she may be innocent of this crime yet she acknowledgeth the roote to bee corrupted and thereby argues a possibilitie to commit the like offence she will not wholly excuse her selfe though she deâ—ies the particular fact Or as if there were such a society and mariage between sinne on the one part and flesh and blood on the other part that if sin
and of man himself appeares vnto man take our ordinarie salutations Wherefore should I in due respect to my superiour to signifie the honour and the reuerence which I beare him vncouer my head and bend my selfe my knees to the ground my body to my knees were 〈◊〉 not that therein I acknowledge the humblenesse of mine owne minde and doe prostrate my body accusing 〈…〉 roote and the fountaine of my pride and rebellion Do you yet require some further testimonie of my seruice Then in the salutation I kisse my hand as it were taking a corporall oath signifying and assuring you that whatsoeuer I shall promise you with my lips I shall be ready to execute and put in practise with my hands vsing the best meanes that I can to secure you of my seruice still supposing my inward falsehood and that you haue iust cause to distrust me considering my rebellious nature and inbred corruption Thus to honour God to honour our superiours we must dishonour our selues punish our owne flesh vncouer our parts bend our selues in subiection Which were it not mans voluntarie punishment of his owne disobedience and sinne it could not stand with the ordinarie iustice of nature or the high dignitie of his condition Now that I haue spoken of his shame and his punishment let his bondage and slauerie appeare and so at length I will end hauing first committed him to sure hold and safe custodie Our soule is imprisoned within our flesh why should she not bee at libertie for her flight and free passage out of this body that she might goe and returne at her pleasure as she is in all other her actions Is there any substance neither flesh nor spirit but betweene both which might serue to chaine and vnite in one linck these different natures together Or why should this priuiledge be denied man that in regard of his spirit he might conuerse with the Angels as in regard of his flesh he partakes with the beasts Is he not here abridged and barred of his good companie and societie Suppose man were dismembred and had lost some of his limbes seemes not the soule to be heere contracted within her selfe lodged in a lesse roome as it were kept close prisoner notwithstanding that she retaines all her faculties whole and entire in as large and ample manner as she did when the bodie was sound and perâ—it hauing not receiued them from the bodie and therefore not lost them together with the bodie which cannot bee said of the sensitiue soule To come to the materiall actions of his body all the honest vocations and callings of men what are they in veritie and truth but only seruices and slaueries Euery sea-faring man seemes to be a galley-slaue euery occupation seemes a meere drudgerie the very beasts themselues doe not suffer the like What a dangerous and painfull labour it is to worke in repairing of sea-bankes some are ouerwhelmed with waters others dye surfetted with cold the very night must giue no rest to their labours How many haue miscarried vnder vaults in working of mines in digging of coale-pits casting vp of sand or of grauell how many haue been buried vp quick and aliue How many haue falne from the tops of high buildings from scaffolds and ladders if some Carpenters and Masons proue old men yet how many shall you finde not decrepit or troubled with bruses with aches and sores How many trades are noysome vnfit for mans health I haue knowne a Student in Cambridge only in the course of his profession troubled with fiue dangerous diseases at once How many trades are base and ignoble not befitting the dignitie of mans condition as Coblers Tinkers Carters Chimney-sweepers But hearke hearke me thinkes all the Cries of London doe not so truly informe me what they sell or what I should buy as they doe proclaime and crie their owne miserie Consider consider whether any other creature could endure the like seruice and yet this is no prentiship that euer we should expect any better condition but the whole time of our life must bee spent in this slauerie It is a truth which will admit no exception and therefore I will forbeare to make any further complaint onely mans nature is corrupted mans nature is corrupted and therefore with patience we must endure the yoke no longer sonnes of a louing mother but seruants and slaues to a stepdame I could be infinite in these poynts but calling to minde that I haue proceeded in a legall course according to the forme of law I haue impaneld my Iurie consisting of twelâ—e reasons I will vse no shifts or delaies but referre my selfe to their verdict I will heere onely rehearse and briefly recapitulate the summe of my proofes considering that in the very constitution of man many things happen beyond the common course of nature without president or patterne such as could not stand with the diuine prouidence were it not that they are the particular punishments of mans sinne As for example 1. That parts of such different condition the spirit with the flesh mortall with immortall should together subsist 2. That the soule being coupled should finde such meane and base entertainment 3. That notwithstanding the contract there should be a continuall disagreement opposition between both 4. That there should be no manner of subordination or subiectioÌ„ such as were requisite in parts for the vnitie of one person 5. That being thus parts of one man yet they should not bee acquainted with each other but haue actions priuate and proper to themselues 6. That the bodie should hinder euery action of the soule the senses faliely informing and distracting the vnderstanding 7. The will deluded with showes vaine hopes false promises receiuing no manner of contentment 8. The body secretly and cunningly coâ—spires with the faculties of the soule to set a faction and opposition betweene them 9. That the comelinesse of parts the gifts of the body will not together accompanie the gifts of the minde but are estranged from each other and that all the actions of the bodie either betoken 10 shame 11 or punishment 12 or slauerie Let these allegations bee duly examined and I doe not feare to come to a triall for I doe here call heauen and earth to witnesse that these things cannot stand with the wisedome of nature the goodnesse of nature neither haue they conformitie to the rest of the workes of nature and therefore they serue as an extraordinary punishment for some offence vndoubtedly signifying the fall and corruption of man And thus much for the very person of man together with his parts and constitution Deo gratias THE FALL OF MAN THE SECOND PART AS in great buildings intended all things cannot easily bee discerned in the platforme it lieth not in the power of mans wisedome art or prouidence to preuent all errors some faults will escape which by vse and continuance of time will better appeare and discouer themselues so is it in
and pampered with the beast that others should take care and charge over vs and at length before the miseries of old age ouertake vs to end our liues with a thrust or a blow when in an instant we are bereaued of sense of life and of motion then to stay and expect natures best time and leisure when with long lingring and tedious diseases we should be first wrackt and tormented with most exquisite torments for assuredly the torments of tyrants are not so cruell as are the torments of nature being indeede in the more sensitiue parts and yet after these torments at length wee shall not faile to receiue the sentence of execution In regard of my profession I would not willingly intermeddle in causes of bloud rather let all penitent sinners and offenders against law freely escape by the benefit of their Clergie for wee preach mercie and nothing but mercie and all the mercie of the law ought to be ascribed vnto the Clergie Yet here I can doe no lesse then relate a truth I doe therefore call you Sergeants Bailiffes Constables and Iaylers to witnesse how many prisons are there in this one Citie what varietie of chaines of fetters of bolts what dungeons and places of torments what wrackes and strapadoes what stockes pillories and houses of correction how many kinds of death hanging pressing burning quartering Wherefore serues your office or the office of Sheriffes but onely for the execution of these lawes Wherefore carries the Magistrate either sword or faggots before him it is not to keepe away flyes or gnats but that he is the instrument of God vnto vengeance for whō are all these prepared but only for man by whom are all these prepared but onely by man besides the hanging and watchfull rod of Gods anger and the seething pot of Gods wrath You Captaines and Souldiers wherefore serues your plentie of Artillerie such roaring Canons battering Peeces Muskets Petronels Caliuers and Pistols these are not pot-guns for children or haile-shot to kill a wren or a sparrow or birding-peeces for young men wherefore serue so many Black-bils Polaxes Pikes Lances such Swords Daggers Rapiers Poinadoes such variety of weapons and the ancient glory of England the Bowes and the Arrowes for I will not speake of vndermining the earth the opening of sluces when the earth and the water seeme to deuoure whole armies at once I will not speake of other stratagems and snares in warre or the great Massacres in peace I pray' can all the shambles affoord so many kniues beetles axes as there are tooles and instruments prepared for man Iulius Caesar alone who certainly cannot be branded with any note of the greatest crueltie yet in his battailes he is said to vanquish and kill an eleuen hundred thousand fighting men besides his owne souldiers who were slaine in the conquest From the death of man and beast which seemes to be incident and common both to man and to beast giue me leaue to speake one word of their funerals When I remember how the young chickins though continually fed in the chanell without respect should now at length be serued vp in a siluer dish vpon a Damaske tablecloth with much pompe and solemnitie to be foode for their masters neatly handled curiously carued and safely laid vp in their bowels certainly I commend their funerals before mans who is wrapt in a sheete buried in a pit where his carcasse corrupts and is made meate for the wormes Thus behold the glorie of the world the mirrour of nature man for whom the whole fabricke was created to whose vse and seruice all creatures were directed who is a little world epitomized an abridgement of nature man I say so farre exceeding all other creatures in that high prerogatiue of a reasonable and immortall soule yet in regard of the corruption of his flesh his condition is equall if not inferiour to the beasts of the field It should much detract from the wisedome of nature and almost imply a contradiction in the workes of nature if it were not a punishment iustly inflicted on man for his sinne that man so farre exceeding all other creatures should notwithstanding in his end bee accounted and numbred with the basest for so saith the Wise man I haue said to the graue thou art my mother and to the worme thou art my brother my sister my kinsman To conclude strange it is that in the dumbe creatures there should be no miserie proper and peculiar to them wherein we doe not share with them alike and partake in their misfortunes but many ill accidents do daily befall vs not onely in regard of our reasonable soule which is proper to our selues but likewise for our bodies consisting of the same elements with theirs and yet therein they haue neither part nor portion with vs and in those miseries which both sustaine alike mans are much greater in the same kind And hitherto I haue only spoken of such things which concerne man properly in respect of his bodie and in comparison with other creatures now I will single him seuerally by himself and in regard of the difference of his parts the soule and the flesh I cannot fitter resemble him then to the Vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge for in one and the same person as likewise in one and the same circuite of place you shall finde two seuerall Corporations two distinct Charters different statutes lawes each opposing other each accusing other when both may want reformation Now let me come to the more noble part to speake of the diseases of the minde Is it not a sufficient miserie to be thus molested aboue measure by the weaknes and infirmities of the flesh not any one creature being subiect to the like afflictions but that there should bee sorrowes and grieuances which are proper and peculiar to the minde first begun in the minde and therefore only competent to man and from the minde at length bursting foorth in the bodie either by melancholy fits forbearance of meate neglect of his naturall rest as poysons inwardly takē break out into sores And these are much more dangerous then the diseases of the flesh insomuch that sometimes man turnes desperate and commits the most cruell bloudie and vnnatural action that possibly heart can imagine his owne hands shed his owne blood all his parts conspire against nature he is the offender and the partie offended the Iudge the witnesse the Iurie the executioner and the sole beholder to arraigne and condemne himselfe and in an instant bereaued both of life and of sense he makes himselfe wholly vncapable of repentance Contrarie to all forme of iustice and most contrarie to all right of nature which abhorring and detesting blood as in all others so most especially in it selfe as hauing this principle rooted and grounded in the heart that charitie should begin with it selfe and as man doth not giue himselfe life nor cannot continue his life so is hee not Lord of his life or his
ambition insnared with the hooke of blinde fancie and selfe-conceited opinion if but a sparke of choller or furie fall on the stubble it will inflame all and thus one flye serues to infect a whole pot of sweete oyntment For the seuerall diseases of the minde compare them to the sicknesses of the body Pride seemes to be an inordinate swelling like a dropsie which with wind waters or ill humours puffes vp the flesh for good blood which serues for our strength and our nourishment will containe it selfe within his owne bounds Wrath is like a plurisie when the heart and the lites are all on a fire nothing can quench it nothing can asswage it but the effusion of blood then wee begin to be mercilesse and cruell and if the Sunne goe downe in our wrath then is our case desperate the criticall houre is dangerous for if it will endure the light it will neuer flie in the darknesse Lust is like a burning feuer which with shaking fits puts man into diuers inordinate passions and giues him the shape of a beast for beasts doe naturally desire the propagation of their owne kinde and in their kinde the eternising of themselues but man should looke to the immortality of his soule the resurrection of his flesh which together with Gods law his owne conscience and the vncleannesse of sinne should serue to bridle his lust Enuie is as a corrosiue or as a worme bred in the spleene which consumeth it selfe in maligning others it feedeth not on the best but on the worst things in nature and so at length bursteth it selfe with his own poyson Sloth seemes as a lethargie which brings man to a dead sleepe it buries him vp quicke and aliue it consists onely of earth stands immoueable without any sparke of fire here is the dulnesse of the flesh without the agilitie of the spirit here is a carcasse of man without any vse of his limbes or his members Suppose there were some innocent men not tainted with these vices then must you conceiue that I do not speake of the persons but of the nature in generall for I will not dispute how powerfull in the heart of man is the working of Gods spirit but sure it is that such vices there are some in some persons and al in the whole kinde for otherwise we could not haue knowne them wee could not haue discouered them the suspicious minde of man could not haue raised such slanderous and false accusations against himselfe without some ground-worke of truth These are no exotick or forraine drugges but weedes growing in our owne gardens issuing from the corrupted roote of our nature sometimes in one man you shall obserue them in full number and plentie the mysterie of iniquitie shadowed in the vaile of our flesh and in the most sanctified man you shall discerne an inclination to sinne If there were no other punishment of vice but vice it selfe this were sufficient for nature hath imprinted in euery man a hate and detestation of sinne but God in his iustice as he hath framed man of a soule and of a bodie and both of them doe mutually receiue together their portion of ioy or of sorrow so by an especiall ordinance God hath decreed that the vices of the one should burst foorth to the miseries of the other The young drunkard shall in time lament the dropsie and palsie to preuent his age surfeits shall follow riots the gowte shall ouertake idlenesse the lustfull gallant shall in time perceiue that a French disease hath disfigured his beautie and weakened his bones Euery disease of the minde hath a proportionable disease of the bodie if thou regardest not the staines in the soule yet thou shalt finde the smart in thy flesh and therefore in both acknowledge the corruption of thy nature Notwithstanding the punishment of sinne and the vncleannesse of sinne yet I will spare my selfe this labour to speake of mans seuerall vices For howsoeuer they are generally acknowledged as the diseases of the minde seeing that mans owne reason and his naturall instinct will therein testifie against himselfe and therefore they should be the greatest torments to nature for corrupted nature cannot sleep securely but for her own punishment discernes her owne corruption Yet some there are who delight in vncleannesse like swine wallowing in the mire and here is a miserie of all miseries the greatest that I should now at length be inforced to make a difference betweene the disease and the miserie I will therefore passe ouer all the diseases of the mind the whole number and rable of vices which are the strongest the most forcible and pregnant arguments to proue our inbred corruption For as it is in trees and in plants so likewise in man if any one leafe doe miscarry assuredly the roote is vnsound the least vice argues nature corrupted but I will generally tye my selfe to those qualities which are common to all wherein there is no appearance of delight and therein shall appeare our wretched condition It hath pleased God for the continuall memorie of mans first offence still to permit in man an inordinate desire of knowledge notwithstanding his naturall ignorance The first thing which the states-man requires not without his great labour his charge and his perill is to haue iust notice and true intelligence the vulgar people runne wandring after newes they will not forbeare to speake though they forfeit their long eares they will abuse their licentious tongues the young Student will make tapers of his owne mâ—rrow and together with his oyle spend his own flesh and pine himselfe with his night-labours to prie into the secrecies and mysteries of nature Thus is the vnderstanding perplexed and tormented with his owne error and assuredly to a generous and braue minde the bondage of Aegypt is not so intollerable as is the captiuitie of ignorance Who can patiently endure that the soule being quick sighted and piercing for want of perspectiue glasses should be imprisoned within the bounds of our sense mewed vp in a darke dungeon of blindnesse here is the torture of error but if once we escape if once we approch to the light then followes the curiositie of knowledge wee are dazled with too much light and being not able to behold the Sunne still wee fasten our eyes till at length the spirits are dissolued and wee fall againe into darknesse From the error in the vnderstanding let vs come to the will in the actions Strange it is that there should be no coÌ„formity in man the vnderstanding or thoughts doe not alwaies accompanie the speech or the gesture The will most commonly ouertakes the actions and then are we tortured with long lingring hope and expectation we know not how to proceed by degrees as nature prescribes vs a rule in all her actions but wee must haue our leaps and our skippings and cannot obserue an equalitie in our proceedings The young heire will not endure to stay the respite and
willing ready to affoord it but we know not where to apply it for the disease consists in the phantasie Good counsell is the best helpe but alas he is vncapable of counsell he complaines that his head is all made of glasse that hee feeles his heart now melting away like waxe that mice are now eating and consuming his bowels Not much vnlike the simple pure sectaries of our age who in the point of the Eucharist beleeue things to be because they beleeue them Crede quod est est crede quod habes habes the body is there truly and really present because they apprehend it so by faith O the wonderfull power of their faith O the excellent curiosity of their wits which hath almost brought them to a fit of a phrensie And it is the more to bee lamented that the best wits should bee most subiect to these fits and in the most noble and deepest vnderstandings you shall most easily discerne some tokens and signes of melancholie But you will say that these are therefore the lesse because they consist in the phansie nay rather much greater for it is not the flesh but the mind which is capable of griefe and of sorrow the mind conceiuing them as true shee is alike affected therewith as if they were true indeed For all contentment consists in the minde and according to the apprehension thereafter followes the contentment but the iudgement together with the dignitie of the reasonable soule seemes to bee exceedingly disparaged as boasting of light and yet afraid of her shadow So that if with much labour and good persuasion you shall recall this wandering man it is to be feared that for euer he will bee ashamed of himselfe to thinke of his errour and will hide himselfe in sobriety hauing laid himselfe open with his madnesse and follie Not in himselfe alone shall man finde the fruites of these turbulent passions but being a sociable creature you shal obserue how they daily burst forth in his actions and conuersation among men If two cholericke men should conuerse together you might thinke that fire and brimstone consuming all others would likewise at length deuoure themselues Suppose that the cholericke and melancholie should enter a league you might as well conceiue that the two extreame elements the fire and the earth should moue together in one sphere The melancholie with the sanguine can haue no more affinity betweene themselues then dancing with mourning or feasting with fasting If melancholy bee coupled with melancholy assuredly at length there will follow a gangraena they will putrifie with sorrow and discontentment From this variety of temper and passions you would wonder at the great hate and enmity betweene men sometimes betweene Nations The Spanish grauity and staiednesse seemes to neglect and contemne the French leâ—ity and complements the fine and wittie Italian cannot endure the dulnesse homelinesse of the Dutch Nation somtimes naturall affection cannot asswage these passions From hence ariseth the disagreement and iarres between the old father the young Gallant his sonne for there are different inclinations proper to mens different complections and ages Youth strong in body wanting true wisedome and discretion to guide his owne strength age ripe in iudgement and true wisedome but hauing neither power nor ability to put her owne proiects in execution From hence obserue the different inclination of both the young man not considering the blessing and plenty of peace or the necessarie prouision for warre or the danger and casualtie of battell desires nothing more then the noyse of the drumme or the sound of the trumpet whereas the old counseller that intends nothing but safety and values other mens labours according to the weakenesse of his owne crasie body will accept of peace vpon any the basest conditions Thus hath God set a distance or difference betweene the powers of the body and the faculties of the soule whether it were to denie all men an absolute perfection in both so to abate the pride of our nature or else to tie al men together in a mutuall bond of loue by a necessitie of each others helpe that the blind might carrie the lame and the lame might direct the blind in his passage Well howsoeuer sure it doth argue that there is some antipathie and disproportion betweene the flâ—sh and the spirit which being coupled together in marriage and neither of them well able to subsist and liue of himselfe and both of them adding luster and beauty to each other assuredly this enmitie hath fallen since the first contract or solemnization of mariage Man being a sociable creature what is there in this world which he should esteeme more then his credit and reputation among men Pride was the first sinne of man and euery man is naturally enclined vnto pride as well knowing the dignitie of his condition and his height aboue other creatures and truly in right reason a generous and noble minde without spot of basenesse is most commendable For there are degrees of men and euery man in his owne place should bee most respectiue of his same and report then what a corrosiue were it to a vertuous and noble minde to sustaine wrongs iniuries reproches contumelies most vndeseruedly Notwithstanding many mens great deserts and endeauours yet shall they neuer attaine the loue and good will of the people for the multitude bellua multorum capitum like one vnreasonable creature with many heads hath herein the condition of dogs alwaies to barke at those whom they know not and where one whelpe begins all the rest will follow the crie Seldome shall you see any man deiected and cast downe whom they doe not instantly persecute and tread vnder their feete insulting vpon those who cannot resist and being like patient Asses to those who scourge abuse and delude them and thus they are iustly recompensed for their malice and follie Man being a sociable creature hee carries a greater reference and relation to others and therefore not in our selues alone not in our selues are the causes of our griefe but as if we were stubble very apt for combustion euery outward sparke serues to inflame vs. See how the poore mother laments for her gracelesse and dissolute child how the father bewailes the losse of his daughter which without his counsell or priuitie hath matched her selfe by the practice of his owne seruants to a knaue and an vnthrift how the parents mourne for the death of their eldest and most hopefull sonne how the vnkle is perplexed with thought of the poore orphants committed to his trust how the children finde want of their parents forsaken and desolate left to the wide world and to Gods onely protection the comfortlesse widow teares her owne haire when shee thinkes of her deare husband the whole kindred and family groane to see the waste of woods and the ruines of that ancient house from whence they are all descended but now fallen into decay by wardship or ill
must of necessity borrow their information from others now here is an excellent point of wisdome when vnder colour of aduise and good counsell wherein they shall haue thankes for their labour and rewards for their good seruice their seruants shall so cunningly ouer-rule an action as that they may worke their owne ends No maruell if Princes be very tender in the point of their prerogatiue which indeed is so necessary and so essentiall to gouernment as that without it gouernment cannot subsist and therefore it were high presumption to examine this prerogatiue for as it is in the gouernment of nature so should it be in mans gouernment God indeed hath prescribed certaine bounds to the creatures datur maximuÌ„ minimum in vnoquoque genere but what these bounds should bee for the iust measure and limitation we are wholy ignorant there are giants there are dwarffs the Ocean sometimes incroacheth vpon the land and sometimes the land wins ground of the Ocean And thus it is in mans gouernment there are arcana imperij certaine hidden secrets of state which ought not to bee discussed or expostulated to prescribe a limitation of power would argue a kinde of subiection in a free Monarch If euer question be made of their power I will fall downe on my knees and desire God to preuent the first occasion that Princes in their gouernment may intend Gods glory the good of his Church the comfort of his people and that subiects knowing whose power and authority they haue may worship God in the Magistrate with all humility and obedience For if the parts should oppose themselues to the head if the hand or the foote should contend with the eye what a miserable distraction should you finde in the whole man Gouernment should rather tend to vnity then be an occasion of strife and disagreement let all parts rather striue to gaine each other and to preuent each other with mutuall kinde offices of loue then contending with needlesse questions to disquiet themselues before any iust cause be offered I say not to examine the prerogatiue of Princes or to what lawes they are subiect for I will easily yeeld that where they are not expresly mentioned and doe binde themselues by their owne royall assent there they are to be excluded according to the president and plotforme of nature semper excipiendum est primum in vnoquoque genere Yet sure I am that they are not exempted from the miseries and sorrowes of our nature which seeme to be incident and common to flesh and bloud for nature in making her lawes requires no royal assent and this shall appeare by this one instance I haue obserued this in my reading that most of the Princes and especially the greatest if they escaped the cursed attempts of cruell murtherers and traytors I say in most of them you shall finde that their death hath bin seasoned or rather hastened with a griefe of minde a deepe melancholy and a great discontentment That God might make it appeare that there is no true ioy in nature that God might let them vnderstand their owne pride who being flattered by their seruants and slaues did expect that the winde and the sea should obay them Hauing neuer learned true christian patience and humility though they conquered their enemies yet the least griefe did vanquish them though they subdued great nations and ruled great kingdomes yet could they not rule their owne passions It is impossible that a mortall man should be freed from all causeâ— of griefe though hee were an absolute Monarch of the whole world Princes must learne patience for amongst all their prerogatiues they shall finde none whereby they are exempted and excluded from sorrow which indeed is incident to the whole nature of man Thus heere I haue briefly runne thorough all the happy states of men that so I might say with the Apostle omnia factus sum omnibus vt aliquos lucrarer and truly I do finde that God hath inclosed all men in one common depth of misery For if ioy and true ioy could bee competent to this our corrupted nature then certainly God would neuer haue expelled man paradise for heere was the wisdome of God that whereas blessings and happinesse could not containe man within the bounds of obedience therefore man being thrust into a vaile of misery his owne sorrow might inforce him to crie for succour and releife That so the iustice of God might appeare in the iust punishment of sinne that so it might serue as a more forcible meanes for mans repentance and conuersion for in this sinfull state man is more moued with feare and sorrow then with thankfulnesse or hope Though I cannot peirce the clouds and open the heauens to shew the maiesty and glory of God for no man could euer see God and liue though I cannot allure and entice man with a true relation and discouerie of those heauenly ioyes though I cannot oblige and binde man vnto God in the chaines and linkes of true loue and thankfulneâ— by a serious and weighty meditation of all the blessings receiued from God which might concerne either body or soule this life or a better life his creation preseruation redemption sanctification c. Yet am I able in some sort to anatomize the state of man to lay open his miseries and griefe that being once out of the arke and seeing these turbulent waues hee might finde no resting place but againe returne to the arke taking a dislike and a distaste in nature he might be thinke himselfe of his flight and so finde safe refuge and shelter in Gods onely protection and comfort himselfe in the hope and expectation of a better world to succeed as all those run-agates which were discontented with the gouernment of Saul were very apt and easily inclined to flie vnto Dauids campe From the seuerall states of men let vs come to the seuerall dispositions of man in himselfe obserue the changes and reuolutions of our mindes for if you please we will trace them by degrees from the time of our inâ—ancy how they alter with the course of our age First wee begin to delight in crackers and toyes some little bable hung about the necke some corall with siluer bels or a little Christall but these seeme to be the proper implements belonging to the cradle they are indeed the Nurses ornaments and together with the cradle they must be left for succession We are no sooner hatched but presently wee must haue a feather in the cap a dagger at the backe then in stead of a true paradise we are brought into a fooles paradise wee are made to beleeue that all is ours the land is ours the house is ours the goods possessions all are ours seeme to take away any thing and the whole house shall not bee able to containe vs exclude but any one fruite it shal grieue vs more then the enioying of all the fruites of the garden can asswage vs. Now at length
comfort the merits of Christ the ransome and price of my redemption is infinit and doe as farre exceede the number and weight of my sinnes as the goodnesse and power of God exceeds my weaknesse and frailtie the mercie of God is infinite able to couer the whole multitude of my sinnes the hate of God vnto sinne is infinite and therefore he will leaue nothing vnattempted which may serue to cut downe the body of sinne the desire which God hath of my saluation farre exceeds mine owne desire of saluation seeing his glorie and the manifestation of his mercie which was the scope and end of my creation is a farre greater good then my particular soules health The greater my sins are the greater occasion may God take to manifest his mercie for God himselfe hath appointed my saluation not to consist in not sinning or to be free and innocent from all sinnes but in the repentance for sinne and in the satisfaction of his deare Sonne and therefore to assure mee of this mercie it is one of the Articles of my Creed which not to beleeue were not to be saued that I should bouldlie and confidently beleeue the remission and forgiuenesse of sins Yet conceiue me aright for some there are who laying hould to soone on Gods mercy as it were snatching at his mercy do indeed loose the fruits of his mercy when laying the whole burthen of their sins vpon Christ as it were making long and deepe furrowes in his backe themselues continuing in their owne sinnes in the impenitency and hardnesse of their owne hearts do indeed dreame of saluation My sinnes are innumerable yet before I was borne before they could be committed God did foresee them notwithstanding his foresight when hee might haue preuented my sinnes and left me to my first nothing yet in his gratious goodnes and mercie hee made and created me he hath giuen me my life my strength my health my senses my wit and al my temporall blessings together with the knowledge of himselfe the plentifull and powerful meanes of my saluation notwithstanding my sinnes be they neuer so great yet these are the tokens of his fauour the pledges of his loue the assurances of his promises and the earnest of my future happines Why should I then despaire of Gods mercy though I haue lost that sanctitie and holinesse wherewith I might be saued yet God hath not lost that vertue and powe â— wherewith he might saue a penitent sinner and behold the fruit of this power if I do but speake or name God it is God that speakes in my heart ipse praesens facit se quaeri I had thought I had lost him but behold he is present and inuites me to a banquet where he himselfe is the feast conuiâ—a conuinium Lord I am not worthy with the dogs to licke vp the crummes vnder thy table yet giue me O Lord that property of dogs that licking mine owne woundes I might heale mine owne sores that my tongue may serue to cleanse my vncleannes confessing my sinnes I may disgorge and cast out my sins where they shall lie as a heauie burthen vpon thy sonne for he hath taken vp my sinnes and borne mine iniquities my sinnes are no longer mine Mea sunt per perpetrationem Christâ— sunt quoad obligationeÌ„ satisfactionis indeed I committed them and so they are mine but Christ alone hath entred into bands for the discharge of them he hath canceld the hand writing of the lawe he hath satisfied the rigour of thy iustice by the shedding of his bloud by his death and passion and therefore O Lord thou wilt not demand a second payment of vs he hath imputed his righteousnesse to vs and thus euery true penitent stands rectus in curia acquitted in thy consistâ—ry Giue me leaue to compare my selfe that am the meanest of all men to Alexander the great and this my present treatise wherein I labour to shew the fall and corruption of man to the conquest of nature me thinks I haue subdued the little world and brought man as a captiue or slâ—ue through much misery and sorrow at length to the place of his execution and hauing now possest my selfe of the fairest fortresse or tower in nature man that is a little world I cannot here content my selfe but I begin to enquire whether there are as yet more worlds to be conquered and behold in the second place I will fall vpon the great world and I will attempt with Archimedes to shake her foundations to threaten her ruine in this generall corruption and dissolution of man for this punishment morte morieris though it principally concernes man yet the whole world cannot be exempted from it being directed and ordained onely for mans vse containing in it selfe the very same seedes and causes of death and destruction and as it is most fit and agreeable to our present condition that being corruptible in our selues we should likewise dwell in houses of corruption For proofe and demonstration wherof I must ascend from the indiuiduals and singulars to the species and kindes of the creatures and among all other kindes assuredly man is the most noble and therfore best deserues to be the subiect of our knowledge wee should be best acquainted with our selues which makes for the certainty of our knowledge and speaking of things which so neerely concernes our selues we should much desire to bee better informed in our owne state and condition now if the whole kinde and species of man seemes daily to decline and decay which shall appeare by the comparison of times past with times present of our selues with our ancestors then assuredly the whole world cannot be excused from corruption but as it dies daily in the singulars so at length it shall faile in the vniuersals and in the kindes of the creatures This truth seemes to relie vpon these three foundations 1. Man as all other creatures being immediatlie created by God as he comes nearer and nearer the first mould so is he more and more perfect and according to the degrees of his distance so he incurres the more imperfection and weakenesse as the streames of a fountaine the further they runne through vncleane passages the more they contract the corruption 2. It would implie a contradiction in nature if the parts and the whole were not of like condition but how wonderfull is the difference if you will suppose a corruption of the singulars and an eternitie of the kinde for whereas the recompence shuld be made by succession or equiualencie we must consider that succession may well prolong the corruption adding more degrees proceeding more leasurely but cannot wholie exclude the corruption 3. The generall intent and scope of nature wholie â—ends to corruption for I would gladly aske why should not nature either renew mans age or preserue him in a state of consistencie the answere is because the iuyce and sap which we receiue from our food or our nourishment is not
the passage into the sea nor yet could trace the head of the fountaine they might consider man though not in the wombe nor yet in the graue for euery knowledge may presuppose her owne subiect and euery Science hath her proper bounds and limitations the knowledge of nature might presuppose the existencie of nature and not intermeddle or be ouer curious to prie into the first composition or dissolution of nature their silence or neglect herein can bee no error though an imperfection Suppose man to bee borne in a prison where hee should neuer receiue the sweete light of the Sunne or the free libertie of himselfe but liued in continuall darknesse and slauerie could this man possibly conceiue the happie state and condition of those who liue at their freedome No certainly for priuations are only knowne in relation to their habits The Philosophers were not vnlike the dwellers of Sodome whose darknesse was such that being abroad in the streetes they could not finde their owne houses and yet I will doe them no wrong for howsoeuer they could not expresly and punctually speake of mans fall yet many opinions in Philosophie seeme to intimate as much in effect The Platonikes who were the more ancient Philosophers and borrowed certaine mysteries from the Hebrewes which they kept sacred and secret to themselues though otherwise they knew neither sense nor meaning of those mysteries held these three positions inuiolably all which doe necessarily inforce the fall of man First that there were Idâ—â—ae abstracted and separated formes according to whose image and likenesse things were ordained here vpoÌ„ earth the ground of this opinion is takeÌ„ out of Gen. 1. where God in the framing of man speakes these words Let vs make man according to our owne image Now supposing man to bee made according to Gods image according to such a separated Idea hee should be wholly spirituall incorruptible conformable to God But considering man to be carnall sensuall an enemie and stranger to God following the inclination of his flesh and wholly tending to corruption assuredly he is fallen and much degenerated from that high state and dignitie wherein hee was first created from the beginning After the framing and constitution of man the Platonikes did consider in the next place the transmigration of soules from bodies to bodies not from man vnto beast for here the different kinds doe betoken different soules which require different organes and instruments that so they might bee fitted and proportioned for the right vse and exercise of their faculties This transmigration hath vndoubtedly some reference to the first infusion of mans soule inspirauit deus spiraculum vitae and this opinion doth necessarily presuppose is grounded vpon mans fall that seeing there is no proportioÌ„ or agreement between the flesh the spirit as the case now stands therfore there was a bodie in the state of innocencie more capable of this reasonable soule the body changing the soule did likewise change her habitation and dwelling one and the same body being altered one and the same soule did find her place of abode to be altered here was a transmigration and at the last day when this body sowen in corruption shall rise againe in incorruption be made a spirituall body better befitting the dignitie state of the soule here shall be a new transmigration still of one and the selfe same soule and therefore acknowledge the present condition of man to bee the fall of man some punishmeÌ„t or imprisonment of man that the soule should be inforced to take her flight to vse a transmigration and to change the place of her dwelling Now for the principall action of the soule it is our knowledge or vnderstanding The Platonikes held that cognitio nostra est reminiscentia our learning or knowledge is only a kind of remembrance supposing that man had formerly some naturall knowledge as all other creatures haue thought it was lost by some ill accident and therfore must be renewed againe as it were called to minde or better remembred by learning yet certainly we had it for otherwise we should finde farre greater difficultie in regaining and retaining such an inestimable iewell and though this may seeme very displeasing to Aristotle who desired to build vp his fame in the ruines of Plato the scholler treads on his schoole-master yet doe not his followers say as much in effect anima est rasa tabula rasa est ergo insculpta fuit Who shaued it who scrapte it what image is lost See heere the prouidence of God lest wee should denie or forget our owne fall and corruption therefore the fall and corruption of man appeares in the forgetfulnes of man From the Platonikes I will come to the Schooles of the famous and thrice renowned Aristotle and heere I doe ingeniously and truly confesse that whatsoeuer I haue spoken for the proofe of mans fall and of natures corruption I haue only borrowed it from the grounds and foundations of his learning so that this whole treatise may not improperly bee ascribed to him onely the errors excepted which I claime as being due vnto my selfe To proue mans fall out of his grounds were to repeate all I will therefore heere insist in those things which seeme to be most generall and therein Aristotle shall speake for himselfe First for the Metaphysicks speaking of things most generall which the Philosophers call transcendentia bonum the goodnesse of a creature is numbred and accounted with the rest and looking to the first institution of nature nothing is so common and triuiall in Philosophie as is this axiome ens bonum conuertuntur whatsoeuer is is good according to the approbation of God in the first of Gen. vidit deus erant omnia valdè bona and yet notwithstanding the Philosophers did acknowledge that there was malum malitia defectus deformitas monstruÌ„ and the like and these to be incident to nature her self and these to be knowne onely in relation to the goodnesse according to the distance or accesse hauing no entitie in themselues and therefore not able to bee the grounds of our knowledge which presupposeth a naturall being Rom. 7. 7. I had not knowne sinne but by the law These euils I say being no transcendentia they could not be so generall or equal in time to nature and therefore they are the punishments of nature and haue crept into nature since the first institution thereof From the Metaphysicks I will come to naturall Philosophie where I will onely in a word touch the first principles I would gladly demand why priuatio should be numbred as one of the three first principles of nature for priuation hath reference to the act and first presupposeth the act how then can it be one of the first principles there should haue been I confesse an absolute negation according to the condition of a creature as being made of nothing nothing includes a
of good of euill with the Manichees were to ouerthrow both for who should set them at difference or who should appoint them their bounds and limitations Euill wants no positiue cause being in it selfe a meere defect and priuation want of light causeth darknesse c. or if you will suppose a fountaine of euill then it should suddainely dissolue it selfe as consisting of such contrarieties which could neuer be reconciled as for example while partialitie and oppression should striue to encounter each other in iudgement and to make themselues strong in their factions falsehood and lying should interpose it selfe as an vmpire or an aduocate and so cunningly corrupt and suborne witnesses and euidencies on both sides as neither of them should attaine to their purposes loe here sinne doth ouerthrow the kingdome of sinne and cannot together subsist with it selfe now both of them failing iustice takes place Whereas all the vertues are tyed together in one golden chaine idem volumus idem nolumus proceeding from one fountaine and not able seuerally to subsist directed to one end supporting and vpholding each other to the vttermost of their power Truth will depose in the behalfe of a right Iustice will stand in defence of that right Wisedome will guide and direct iustice and send out her Commission to Strength for the due execution of her lawes Ierusalem adificatur vt ciâ—itas pacem habens ad inuicem Man therefore being totally sanctified inwardly in the faculties of his soule outwardly in the right rule of his senses and the gouernment of his flesh being thus sanctified in the wombe sealed vp with originall grace yet still hee had the freedome of his will according to the condition of his nature the will being immateriall not chained vp with any naturall instinct but such as did follow the direction and information of his vnderstanding his vnderstanding likewise though sufficiently perfect yet had it a certaine measure and bounds in her perfection as all things finite may well admit infinite degrees Thus all were created good the will had a libertie and free election wherby making choice of the better part she might deserue at Gods hands her further confirmation in bliffe the vnderstanding hauing degrees which are necessarily incident to all creatures in generall might in the humble submission of her selfe serue and please God expecting a further illumination by Gods holy grace direction and prouidence both will and vnderstanding were good in themselues yet capable of euill and such as might bee the occasion of our fall Hitherto you see in man a power to stand or to fall posse malum per velle bonum cum vinceret Adam posse bonum per velle malum sibi perdidit There was onely a capacitie in his minde but for the inferiour nature of his flesh it was wholly sanctified no ill fansie could appeare in his braine no inordinate motion in his members his senses not dissolute stragling and wandring only according to the condition of a creature hee was capable of a fall capable of transgression which capacitie was good in it selfe the minde being not indifferently affected to both but rather inclining to good especially Gods assisting grace helping and furthering the better part And therefore it might well stand with Gods decree and the course of his iustice to suffer man to be tempted tempted I say not by his owne flesh or that the inward parts should conspire against man but to be outwardly tempted à longè a farre off for hitherto the diuell had no power ouer the body or substance of man so as man might easily haue resisted either with his owne naturall strength or by the furtherance of his originall grace God hauing forewarned him giuen him a caution and threatned his punishment in quocunque die comedâ—s morte morieris Thus Christ himselfe hauing a reasonable soule and the freedom of his will was likewise subiect to an outward tentation For proofe hereof that man should bee outwardly tempted obserue the diuersity of tentations in this corrupted state of man sometimes against the rule of reason and the inward light of his owne conscience man is prouoked to some vncleane and carnall â—inne heere flesh and blood and the concupiscence thereof are the sole actors sometimes when neither flesh nor spirit are inclined yet the pompe and pride of this world allures man to sinne and sometimes when nothing in nature I say nothing in corrupted nature can moue yet an euil spirit obseruing the soules actions and therby iudging of her disposition considering the course and inclination of humours doth stir vp fit notions in the fansie and thereby perswades vs to sinne As for example many there haue been whom wee may well remember with sorrow and griefe as hauing been the most accursed of all men who haue offered violence to themselues and haue proued selfe-homicides now let vs search where is the first roote of this tentation not in flesh and blood for there in we finde no such inclination not in the pride and vanitie of this world which rather desires to retaine vs as slaues in her seruice then to manumit or to set vs at libertie not in whole nature which though neuer so much corrupted yet she desires life and the preseruation of her selfe and therefore this tentation proceedes from some spirit that is maleuolent and opposite to nature and intends nothing more then the corruption of nature which being not able to effect in the whole seekes to vndermine and supplant each one in particular Man being outwardly tempted could not be the first cause of sinne by the streames then I will trace out the fountaine and heere I will make a diligent search for that which I could wish had neuer been found I meane the first roote and occasion of sinne where sinne should take the beginning lower then the state of man I cannot descend for wherein there is no freedome of will that creatures may in some sort be left to themselues there can bee no power or abilitie to sinne and as waters cannot ascend higher then are the heads of the fountaines so earthly contagions arising from dumbe creatures cannot deface Gods image Now this is strange that I should looke vp and aboue man for that which brings man downe and beneath himselfe yet this I must doe for thus sinne may alter and change our condition I haue alreadie proued that there could bee no God of sinne no God of euill which is euident by considering the properties of euill in it selfe I must therefore come to those creatures which seeme to bee placed in degree betweene God and man and these are the angelicall spirits whom I do the rather accuse considering that in man himselfe though body and soule are both tainted with sin yet the sinne it selfe seemes first to proceede from the soule and spirit of man as being more capable and therefore more culpable here then I must blame and charge the created spirits to haue
been the first fountaines of euill and first to haue infected the world with corruption Here wee must consider the different condition of creatures some bodies some spirits as euery thing is compounded of matter and forme and the forme it is which giues the existencie and indiuiduation these seuerall degrees of creatures make much for the absolute perfection of nature especially when as all bodies seeme to bee contained and continued within the circumference of the first body what should we thinke is aboue the conuexitie of the heauens an infinite vacuum rather acknowledge a want in mans vnderstanding then that there should want inhabitants in such an excellent region where the heauens are their footstooles to tread and walke ouer our heads where they are freed from all annoyance of creatures and partake only of happinesse As in great buildings the meanest and basest offices are alwaies beneath suppose the Kitchin the Seller the Buttrie the Pantrie but for the stately and magnificent roomes for entertainment suppose the dining Chamber the Galleries the Turrets and places of pleasure these are aboue and thus it is with vs in respect of the Angels the truth and certaintie whereof I haue already proued in the first part Now supposing these spirits their condition must bee alike with ours who are in some sort and in the better part spirituall as they were made of nothing so they must â—aue a determinate goodnesse in their nature faculties actions being spirits they had a freedom of wil God did herein make them like vnto himselfe as he was able to create of nothing so they might will when as nothing should moue them to will and hauing a limited vnderstanding which might admit error and darknes through their own pride they might will nothing that is they might will sinne for sinne is a defect a priuation a kinde of nothing in this their willing although they could not will themselues to bee nothing to destroy their owne condition for this were to vndoe that which God alreadie hath done yet they could will or rather bewitch themselues to bee worse then nothing for sinne is nothing and to be the seruant of sinne it is to be worse then nothing Thus in the Angels as well as in man in regard of their limited goodnesse and the freedome of their willes there was a power and capacitie or rather a weakenesse and impotencie to sinne and to fall And many of them sinned accordingly God in his wisedome permitting the sinne and thereby teaching all creatures what they are in themselues for as in the same kind of spirits the best creatures are extant so the worst and most accursed should likewise be found that no creature might boast of an absolute perfection that euery one might know himselfe and suspect his owne fall and that all our righteousnâ—sse is tanquam pannus menstruatus like a spotted and defiled garment Nothing can endure Gods triall and touch-stone for the Angels are not acquitted in his sight c. Now their sin was a dislike of their present condition and the aspiring to be equall and like to their Maker made of nothing hauing nothing of themselues yet they must contest with their infinite Maker for dignitie and superioritie whether it were that they did consider that there were three persons in one most holy blessed and vndiuided Trinitie which being a mysterie farre transcending the reach of all creatures they could not comprehend for fully to comprehend God is indeed to be God but might happily conceiue that the Deitie would admit of more persons or whether by â—he excellencie of their owne knowledge they did fitly gaâ—ther that as the creation was a worke of Gods infinite loue and as God was existent euery where according to the infinite extent of his owne nature so as an infinite effect of that infinite loue God should tye vnto himselfe some creature by an infinite band namely by an hypostaticall vnion and therefore some of them did claime and challenge this high prerogatiue aboue other creatures by vertue of their birth-right But herein did appeare their ignorance and pride for the creature was not to aspire to the height and dignitie of the Creator but the Creator was to descend to the humilitie and basenes of the creature neither was God to bee vnited to the angelicall nature though otherwise highest in order and condition but to descend lower to giue a more vndoubted token of that infinit loue euen to the humane nature and manhood Mans nature being the center in the middest of the circumference a little Microcosme in whom all the creatures are vnited things sensible partake in his body the intelligent spirits are combinde in his soule and thus God taking the nature of man sits in the very middest of his creatures imparting himselfe infinitly to all so farre foorth as it may well stand with the truth of his Godhead and with the state and condition of the creature Thus they might mistake in iudgement supposing there might be some probabilitie to effect it but I must chiefly and principally condemne their vnthankfulnes their pride their presumption which gaue way and occasion to this their error but hauing once committed so great a coÌ„tempt such a foule indignitie against God it could not stand with his iustice freely to pardon their sinne or to intend the meanes of their redemption as in his mercie hee hath performed to man for the Angels were the first creatures highest in dignitie and condition the great measure of their knowledge and graces was such as that we doe not reade that God did euer appoint them lawes but that it might bee supposed that they of themselues should bee wholly conformable to God Againe they were not tempted by others and therefore as the sinne could no way bee cast vpon others so being impotent of themselues to make any recompence they could no way receiue benefit by the satisfaction of others the state of the Angels was created such as that they were not capable of repentance they cannot change their mindes or their willes whatsoeuer they see they see in an instant whatsoeuer they desire their will is confinde to the first motion that they cannot alter or change their desire so that if once they shall make choice of the worser part in vaine may we expect that euer they should returne to the better Whereas the condition of man is mutable and changeable as capable of sinne so capable of repentance as hee falles of himselfe so hee may rise againe by the assistance of grace for God hath giuen him a discoursiue reason proceeding by degrees if now hee mistakes himselfe hereafter hee may bee better informed As the inconstancie of his nature may cause the alteration of his will so God fitly vsing this his inconstancie as it were working in euery thing according to that manner which is most proper and naturall to the thing may make it a meanes for the amendment and conuersion of
creatures of a different kinde and condition the diuell could not immediatly seduce his vnderstanding delude his senses stirre vp a commotion in his flesh for all things were sanctified herein his power was limited he could not vse the ministerie and helpe of the most noble and best creatures as being sunke to the bottome vnder the degree of all creatures Thus being destitute of all meanes which in probabilitie might well succeede hauing no right or interest to enter vpon mans body or to stirre vp in mans fancie the least tentation to sinne yet hee could not forbeare to tempt out of his enuie to man as being heire of that happinesse which at first did belong vnto him Out of the malice to God man bearing Gods image and God taking a speciall care and charge ouer man and therefore no marueile if he first makes triall of those baser wormes as it were giuing the first onset the first attempt vpon nature making the first breach or entrance into nature to see whether by their meanes and procuring he might stirre vp and kindle commotion Thus as if hee were newly crept out of hell here lately arriued and durst not appeare in sight but would dissemble his comming he makes choice of the Serpent claimes neighbourhood kindred acquaintance and familiaritie for both are the basest of all creatures and both together inhabit the bowels of the earth here they enter a league that if they could but cunningly seduce man and draw him within the compasse of high treason make him subiect to death by the breach of Gods law then they would begge his goods and his substance betweene them they would share all his estate the one should take his body the other his soule for a bootie Thus at length hee perswades the Serpent to be his Agent and factor desiring to inuert and ouerthrow the whole course of nature when the basest creature shall giue aduice and direction to the best in the highest point of religion and that the Serpent should deceiue the woman the woman her husband the feete must guide and direct the head notwithstanding Gods forewarning and threatning to the contrary That this spirit should thus talke by the Serpent doe you not conceiue how pipes and musicall instruments doe yeeld a iust and fit found being plaied vpon by the hands of a curious Artsman Doe not the wilde forrests and woods yeeld a proportioned eccho according to the last clause of the sentence Do not many birds speake perfectly and distinctly many words very sensible and significant being taught by the art and industrie of man and shall we ascribe no more to the subtiltie of Satan who being a spirit is apt to penetrate all bodies and well knowing the nature and vse of all instruments and parts can fitly begin the motion Now if any thing seemes strange in respect of our parents you must consider that as things were then newly created so their experience could not be great as their innocencie did keepe them from attempting euill so it kept them from the least suspition of euill the sin it selfe taking growth by degrees first the woman was tempted who happily might be ignorant of Gods commaund for the precept was not giuen vnto her This woman tempteth her husband alas what might you ascribe to the loue of a wife she was not of his owne choice but appointed by God for his helper and therefore marke his excuse Gen. 3. 12. The woman which thou gauest me gaue me the fruit he might haue supposed that both proceeded froÌ„ God whereas all other things were made onely for him and giuen onely to him so that he alone had the full possession of al this one fruite only excepted his wife now bringing and prouoking him to eate of this fruite hee might suppose it to bee part of his wiues portion that God had inlarged his commission that now being a couple the vse of this fruite was likewise permitted But I cannot excuse Adam for his wife was giuen as his helper and therefore the sinne is much greater that she should be a meanes to entice him in the breach of Gods law though man shall leaue his father and mother and cleaue to his wife yet of any man hate not his wife and children yea and his owne life also and come vnto God he shall not be accepted Luke 14. 26. and he that shall forsake wife or children or lands for his sake shall receiue an hundred-fold more and shall inherit euerlasting life Matth. 19. 29. Now for the speech of dumbe creatures let vs search what testimonies hereof wee shall finde among the Gentiles Plato reports in his Politico Seculo aurâ—â— regnante Saeturno homines cum bestijs sermocinaripotâ—isse here is the iudgement of an heathen man concerning the speech of dumbe beasts which certainly hath some relation to the speech of the Serpent in Paradise and hence all the fictions of Poets the metamorphosis and change of the creatures tooke their originall More especially for the Serpent let vs heare the testimonie of an heathen Pherâ—cides Sirus dixisse fâ—rtur daemones à Ioue deturbatos è caelo corumque principem cognaminatum esse Ophioneum id est Serpentiuum and S. Austin seemes to make this instance that Serpents are therfore insnared with inchantments because they did first deceiue with inchantments and herein seemes to be some proportion of iustice Thus reason and the experience of all ages doe teach vs that there are certaine ominous creatures which without all superstitious conceit though they are not the causes of euill yet do vndoubtedly presage and foretell vnfortunate euents can you then conceiue how these senselesse and dumbe creatures should haue such notions and phantasies as to giue some outward token were it not that they are guided and directed by some diuining and presaging spirit From the manner of his tentation I come to the sin the tasting of the forbidden fruite God gaue man the full possession of Paradise all other fruites were giuen for his foode onely one is excluded that it might serue for his soules food that man might be nourished and strengthened by the keeping of Gods holy lawes and Commandements If it seemes strange that God for so small an offence should condemne not onely the first man but the whole stocke and posteritie of man small indeede it may seeme in mans eyes but if you consider those many blessings which God had imparted to man the happinesse wherein hee was created the large measure of his knowledge insomuch that he could not easily be deluded the strict commaund of God only excluding this one fruite permitting the free vse of the rest these things well weighed will vndoubtedly lay open the sinne for the smalnes of the thing makes the greatnesse of the offence If you thinke that God in his person or in his attributes may any way be endamaged or suffer eclipse through mans sin ye deceiue your selues for the whole world is but a point
carries no sensible quantitie in respect of the heauens all the mists that proceede from the earth cannot any way indarken the Sunne but are suddenly dissolued it lies not in mans power to obscure Gods glorie which either will drop downe in mercie or breake foorth in iustice and therfore the greatest sinne in respect of Gods losse may well bee ranckt with the least and the least with the greatest though otherwise not in respect of Gods commaund his anger his punishment But I pray' what sinne could Adam haue committed at that time greater then was the tasting of the forbidden fruite Couetousnesse or oppression could not assault him as hauing the whole world in possession there was no place for enuie or wrath as wanting a competitor there were no publike assemblies to be blowne vp with gun-powder no Princes to bee murthered no factions to bee massacred no Churches to bee made a prey for sacriledge no virgins to bee defloured no places of iustice which might be defiled with briberie no legall proceedings wherein periurie and false information might be admitted no widow or fatherlesse to be subiect of wrong and oppression mans owne knowledge the many blessings receiued together with the fresh memorie and experience of the â—reâ—tion could not admit of idolatrie and yet according to the condition of those times man was not wanting to his own sinne as farre foorth as hee could he tempted and prouoked God there being but one precept in the breach of that one precept if more had lien in his power more he had attempted in a higher degree but here was the mercie of God only to permit the least for God deales with man as parents doe with young children first to trie with the least that so the first sinne might not at first sight be vnpardonable We must here conceiue that according to the condition of man who consists of body and soule so there was both inward outward corruption In the mindes of our parents there was a great disobedience in the breach of Gods law this disobedience proceeded from a great natural pride in so much that as by the inticing so according to the example of the bad Angels they sinned against God in a very high point of his prerogatiue namely his wisedome â—ritis sâ—â—ut dij sciemes â—â—num malum as the Angels desired in generall to possesse the Throne of God so man in this one particular point of his wisedome did aspire to be equall with God and therein to vsurpe his prerogatiue and heere the necessitie did seeme first to bee imposed vpon the wisedome of God that the same wisedome should satisfie for the offence committed against it selfe and therefore Iesus Christ the righteous who was verbum in intellectu sapientia patris hee must interpose himselfe as a Mediatour betweene God and man and bee the propitiatorie sacrifice for this sinne hee must come downe in our flesh and be like vnto vs whereas we attempted to be like vnto him He must breake the veile of the Temple and Ceremonies lay open the secrecies and mysteries of his kingdome and yet bee accounted an vnwise man that so by the foolishnesse of preaching he might correct or conâ—ound the wisdome and subtiltie of a Serpentine generation Now marke the conformitie of our mindes with our forefathers as the similitude of nature so the similitude of corruption The first sinnes of the minde seeme to be disobedience and pride when we too highly esteem of our selues neglecting and contemning all others whereunto if you please to adde the naturall curiositie of our mindes here is the first step and degree to a second fall a fall into all damnable errors and heresies And for our bodie gluttonie seemes to bee the well-spring of all our carnall and bodily sinnes as a surfeit is for the most part the beginning of all our diseases the most dangerous of all our diseases and whereunto man is most subiect and prone it doth vndoubtedly argue that the first sinne was the sinne of a surfeite and gluttonie the tasting of forbidden fruite Marueile not though our Diuines bee strict in preaching their fasts mortifications for they desire to preuent sin in the roote open warre will not easily preuaile against a State vnlesse it bee diuided in it selfe with parts-taking and factions if the flesh be pliable and obedient to the spirit wee neede not feare any outward assaults and tentations If still the offence seeme little then you may well coniecture Gods wrath and indignation for sin which breakes into vengeance for so small an offence if the punishment seeme ouer large in respect of the crime thou canst not truly iudge of the foulenesse of sinne which is not to be valued according to mans own estimation but as it is an high presumption and contempt of the basest worme against the infinite maiestie of the diuine power yet in truth the punishment seemes not to be so dreadfull and horrid as the case now stands betweene God and man Thankes be to the mediator of this couenant betweene God and man that God and man Christ Iesus for now it serues rather as an occasion of a further blisse and happinesse then as a punishment for sinne Felix culpa quae talem habuit redemptorem The miseries of this life they are such that if they be sanctified with Gods grace seasoned with the hope of a better life to succeede receiued with patience acknowledged with true humblenes of minde I doubt not but in them wee shall finde sufficient comfort and consolation in so much that wee may now safely triumph ouer death it selfe O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. So much for the sinne as it was radically inherent in Adam now how the posteritie of Adam should be liable to the guilt of this sinne together with the manner of propagating this sinne I will speake briefly and so conclude It may bee questioned whether it might stand with Gods iustice to condemne all all the whole kinde all the whole succession the vnborne childe for the sinnes of one And for answere of this question I will extend my speech further that if God for no offence committed should reprobate and torment all his creatures yet could it not be any iniustice in God for how shall the vessell say vnto the potter why madest thou me thus This I speake hauing relation to Gods infinite and vnlimited power but as the câ—se now stands assuredly God neuer wrought in his creatures according to the rigour and extent of his iustice for the creation was a worke of mercie heere all things tooke their beginning from mercie being thus created Gods mercie doth ouerflow all his workes Hence it is that mercie sometimes appeares without any taste of iustice as in the free distribution
otherwise all naturall consanguinitie and affinitie should cease in a naturall death It seemes very necessarie that the soule should bee conuaied and diffused vnacum semine rather then that the body being already squared out and the greatest part of the workmanship past the soule should arriue like an vnexpected guest to this harbour and it would greatly disparage man first to be a plant then a beast then a man which indeede sauours much of Pythagoras his transmigration God hath appointed the seuerall kindes of creatures but I cannot conceiue how there should be such degrees in the kindes the essence and forme of a thing cannot be diuided within it selfe facultates animae non distinguuntur ab essentia animae I cannot possiblie imagine how vegetation and sense should be in the embrion before the accesse of the reasonable soule for either they are the faculties of the succeeding soule and heere you make a diuision of that which indeede is inseparable or else you must ioyne those things together which are of a different nature for if euer they were separated then to compound them were to confound them or lastly being first separated they must still continue diuided and so in the vnitie of one person cause the multiplicitie of subiects As the Starres and the celestiall bodies though pure spirituall simple and incorruptible yet all of them haue not in themselues their inbred and naturall light but doe receiue their light from the Sunne which is the fountaine of light and this appeares by the eclipses the coniunction and opposition of starres as likewise by the order of the vniuerse that all should be reduced to one a number to an vnitie And as it is thus in celestiall and spirituall bodies and qualities so why not in spirituall soules the reason is the same and the inconueniences should bee alike in both herein consists a difference betweene things spirituall and things corporeall the one imparts it self without his owne losse the Sunne sends foorth infinite beames inlightens the whole world yet loseth not part of his light whereas bodily substances the more they ingender the more they detract from themselues That generation should necessarily inforce a corruption there is no colour of truth God the Father did beget his Sonne and this Sonne is of equall perfection with the Father God created all things of nothing therefore shall all things returne againe vnto nothing This is a false consequence for being once produced the same power shall vphold and continue them which laid their first foundation euery thing containes in it selfe a power or rather an impotencie to returne vnto nothing and no creature in it selfe is independent but seeing it hath stood with Gods mercie first to produce them it cannot but stand with the goodnesse and constancie of his will still to continue them and to preserue his owne most excellent workmanship So that now all things relie not on the weaknesse of their own foundation and pillars but on the inuincible strength of Gods power the most certaine assurance of his promises the most infallible effects of his prouidence so that howsoeuer the production was whether by creation generation alteration c. yet we shall not neede to doubt or feare the corruption And whereas some will suppose that creation would make more for the dignitie of the reasonable soule let it suffice that at first she was created inspirauit c. she had a different beginning from the flesh or the body she was not brought foorth by vertue of any mixture as the formes of other creatures were which being not able to subsist of themselues therefore both matter and forme were created in one lumpe together so that still creation may not improperly bee ascribed to the reasonable soule in regard of her first birth and natiuitie But the question is for the propagation of soules in these times me thinkes I should like an opinion which would reconcile both that the soule should both bee created and likewise traduced For seeing there is an action both of God and man and both alike are ingaged in the generation of man man in regard of a naturall birth generating a sonne according to nature and God concurring not onely as to a creature but as to him who might heereafter bee his sonne by adoption and grace therefore in respect of Gods action there is a creation which includes a beginning different from the ordinary course streame of nature for the soule is beyond the precincts of nature and likewise excludes all subiect matter whereof it might consist for the soule is a spirituall substance which without seede and without losse of her parts is propagated by some extraordinarie power of God To this creation man may concurre for Eue was created though created of part of mans body the Angels may minister in a worke of Gods infinite power the soule though created yet she may bee created ex tradâ—ce and as man concurres with God in the action so in respect both of God and of man there may be two different actions as in many things which proceede from our sinnes yet God hath his goodnesse therein Thus both the opinions may well together subsist anima creatur ex traduce in respect of God anima generatur ex traduce in respect of man whose condition is generatiue Yet whatsoeuer I haue herein spoken I haue onely spoken by way of disputation referring my selfe wholly to the iudgement of the Church wherein if I haue sinned or in any other words which haue past from me vnaduisedly I doe here humbly desire God to forgiue me the sinnes of this pamphlet Indeede I must confesse I doe rather incline to this opinion first for the authoritie of S. Augustine whom I doe reuerence aboue all others secondly that with stronger chaines I might knit and vnite the Godhead to our nature in the person of Christ than barely to clothe him with our flesh which is common to other creatures when as his soule was created himselfe conceiued by the holy Ghost and only borne of a Virgin thirdly to shew the certaintie of Gods promises to the elect and to their seede and likewise to manifest the dutie of children to parents that they owe vnto them more then their flesh for thus if a man should giue me my foode and my nourishment he might likewise bee said to giue me my flesh whereas Scripture affirmes that a farre greater duty belongs vnto parents and therefore it should seeme it is for some greater respect Lastly that I might more easily trace out the paths of this originall sinne how it is safely conuaied from the parents to the children laid vp in the soule as the treasure or rather the burthen thereof and from the soule how it is deriued together with life into the flesh the bones and the inward marrow of man for the seede partakes as the strength and vertue so the faults and infirmities of the whole man There are
naturall and hereditarie diseases which seeme to bee intailed to one stocke there are many vices proper and peculiar to one kindred see you not how diuers nations doe differ from others as in their forme and their lineaments so likewise in colour and properties Doth not one man sicke of the plague infect the whole Citie and is not the same infection alwaies aptest to taint the same blood then why should it seeme strange that the first man corrupted with sinne should taint his whole seed why should wee not suppose the poyson and malignitie of sinne to be of as great efficacie c Thus I hope by the light of our naturall reason the fall and corruption of man sufficiently appeares which I take to be the first principle and ground-worke of all our Christian faith and religion as S. Augustine saith in lib. 1. aduersus Iulianum cap. 2. Alia sunt in quibus inter se aliquando etiam doctissimi atque optimi regulae Catholicae defensores salua fidei compage non consonant alius alio de vna re melius dicit verius sed lapsus hominis ad ipsa fidei pertinet fundamenta quisquis in Christiana fide vult labefactare quod scriptum est per hominem mors per hominem resurrectio mortuorum sicut in Adam omnes moriuntur ita in Christo omnes vinificabuntur totum quod in Christum credimus auferre molitur Before I can presume to raise man necessarie it is that man should first acknowledge his fall and seeing his owne fall should therefore distrust in himselfe and in his owne naturall light and from this diffidence in himselfe should desire to be instructed in those waies which concerne his saluation Hee that is sicke wants a Physitian and if hee takes his owne ordinarie nourishment it will increase his disease he that is fallen and wallows in the mire the more he struggles and striues the deeper hee sinkes Let it suffice that being fallen and corrupted in our selues wee may rouse vp our spirits and looking to those few sparkes of reason which now lie raked vp in the dead embers of our nature wee may againe kindle and inflame them at the burning and shining lampe of our faith setting before our eyes that day-starre which springing from an high hath visited vs Christ Iesus our onely deare Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus who is the way the truth and the life the way to direct vs to the truth the truth to guide vs to life the life to giue vs full contentment of happinesse who is the way the truth and the life in whom wee liue wee moue and haue our being by whom for whom and through whom we hope and expect our saluation to whom with the eternall Father and the most holy spirit three persons and one God be all honour and glorie as before the foundations of the world were laid so in the beginning is now and euer shall bee world without end Amen Amen FINIS The Author to the Reader GOod Reader I must heere let thee vnderstand that the copie was not of mine owne writing wherby many things were defac't and omitted and liuing not in towne I could not be alwaies present at the Presse so that I confesse many faults haue escaped especially in the first sheetes being begun in my absence points displaced words mistaken peeces of sentences omitted which doe much obscure the sense As for example pag. 69. lin 6. these words are omitted viz. For if the horse knew his owne strength then followes but God deales herein with other creatures c. and many such like I was very sorrie to see that which was so meane in it selfe should be made worse but presently I called to mind that the subiect of my booke was onely to proue a generall corruption which corruption I should in effect seeme to disproue and denie vnlesse it might euery where appeare and therefore a necessitie did seeme so to ordaine it that it should first begin in the author then in the pen then in the presse and now I feare nothing so much as the euill and corrupt exposition of the Reader for thus there is a generall corruption How happie was I to make choice of such a subiect which seemes to excuse all the errors of my Pamphlet especially good Reader if I shall finde thy louing and kinde acceptance well hoping that all others will be charitable to me as I am most charitable to al others and so I commit thee to the God of charitie Knowells Hill the 4. of Iune 1616. G. G. The conuersion of the Gentiles The feare of a relapse The grounds of this feare The Magi. Naturall reason shall be our guidâ— The intent of the author A generall obiection Their â—alâ—e supposition A generall Answere The generall diuision of the Text. A more particular diuision of the Text. Who is the Naturall man More euill then good Nature more inclines vnto euill then vnto good The Heauens against the Elements The elements against themselues Of compound bodies Imperfect mixt creaâ—ures The Antipathie of creatures The Antipathie is not recompensed by a Sympathie Enmity in the same kind An obiection answered Females are more in number The actions of the creatures be token her sorrow The more perfect the creature is the more apt for corruption An obiection answered Nâ—ture brings nothing to perfection The summe of all the former reasons A transition to man The three parts of this Treatise That man is compounâ—ed Man consists of a body and soule The soule is a spirit Spirituall substances The Angels are Intelligences All formes are spirituall The immortalitie of the soule Gods iustice doth inferre the immortalitie of the soule That one part of man should be corruptible the other incorruptible The base intertainment of the reasonable soule That maÌ„ shoud haue no more parts then the dumbe beasts Mans senses are worse then the creatures The opposition betweene the flesh and the spirit No manner of subordination The reasonable soule not inâ—â—rmedling in the concoctions How the inward parts are disposed The soule and the bodie are strangers to each other An extasis Our infancie Sleepe Mad men Ideots The soule hath all her knowledge by learning The soule is hindred in her knowledge by the body The vnderstanding makes her owne obiects Our will is distracted How the boundlesse appetites of man do perplex him The disparitie betweene the obiects of the will and the will it selfe The faculties of the soule do disagree amoÌ„g 〈◊〉 Wits are not the same in all studies The gifts of minde and body can hardly together subsist 〈…〉 A 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 of mans body The most naturall actions are shamefull Not religion but natuâ—e makes them shamefull Our blushing The innocent man will blush Man punisheth himselfe Sometimes maÌ„ becomes a self-homicide The punishment of our selues appeares in our seruice of God How our punishment appeares in respect of the Angels How the punishment of our selues appeares to
our selues The imprisonment of the soule The slaueries of men The summe of all the former reasons Man in himselfe and in comparison to the creatures A Prayer Mercie begins Gods actions Miseries are the fruites of iustice Our miseries doe exceed all our ioyes The miseries of a Christian man Mans miseries are gâ—eater theÌ„ the beasts The beast◠〈◊〉 foâ— man Their miseries are together compared The summe of these three grounds He excuseth his method The miserie of his birth Liâ—â—ing we dye The account of his life The shortnes and vncertaintie of his life His weakenes in his birth Man is weaponlesse He wants more helpe then the beasts Beasts thriue better with their food then man The beasts excell man The vncleannesse of man The sweete odors of the creatures The musicke of the creatures The temperance of the creatures Man more inclined to his lust The food both of man and beast The concoctions of the beasts are more perfit theÌ„ ours The dumbe beasts lesse subiect to distempers then man Mans temper The meanes for maÌ„s health cannot preserue him The course of mans age The length of mans age The comparison of mans age with the creatures The delights of the creatures are greater then mans The pleasures of the beasts The dangers of both Man is more subiect to the danger of waters then the beasts Man only subiect to the danger of fire Plagues and infections incident to man Noysome places in Cities The famine of man in respect of the creatures The beasts not so subiect to a famine as man Their famine is ours How man is subiect to diseases The diseases of the season The whole yeere serues for our continuall fits The easie cure of dumbe beasts The difficultie in mans cure Our physicke not so certaine as theirs Our distastfull physicke The Indian drugges doe not agree with our bodies The errors of physicke Some diseases are incurable The good gouernment among the beasts The ill gouernment amongst men The good gouernment of this nation The seruices of man and beast The seruices of man in generall The wrongs which man sustaines from the creatures The creatures may iustly conspire against man Man is subiect to slaughter as well as the beasts Tortures prepared for man Weapons and instruments of warre The funerals of both Mans miseries are either of body or mind The miseries of the minde Selfe-homicide the most vnnaturall sinne The flesh increaseth the miseries of the minde The diseases of the minde may consist together with the immortalitie of the soule The diseases of the minde are not easily discouered Vertue is somtimes reputed for vice No man will confesse himselfe vicious Many vertues are spoyled with one vice The diseases of the minde are compared to the diseases of the body All men inclined to vice The punishment of vice All wil not acknowledge the miseriâ— of sin The torture of ignorance in the vnderstanding The torture of expectation in the will The preuision of euill That we stand in danger of many euils The fearfulnesse of death The Good of others depending vpon our life The feare of hell and damnation The creatures looke onely to the present Man reflects vpon his owne actions The remembrance of euil The application Calamities are like Serpents His passions tend to his sorrow How the passions doe degenerate How euery passion torments it selfe Melancholie fits How passions are in respect of others The seuerall dispositions of men Man must sustaine reproches Mans sorrow and miserie for others The griefe of compassion A passage from the miseries of the creatures to the vanities Wherein ioy may seeme to consist A looking glasse for beautie Beauty is troublesome Learning and wisdome can admit no difference between themselues The misery of great wits The discontentment of Learning Learning is defectiue in her end yet superfluous in her parts An Apology for learning The vse and excellencie of Schoole-learning Of wealth and abundance All men want at some times The miserie of wealth What is wealth or what it is to be rich Wealth consists onely in comparison Honor hath a weake foundation The vaine ceremonies of Honor. The true Honor of Christ. The feast of honor The funerals of honor The decay of Honour A due respect vnto honor Our pastimes and sports The supposed pleasure in Hunting Of Huntsmen The least sorrow spoyles all our ioy One ioy suppresâ—eth another All ioyes are nothing without the nights rest The ascent of the mind vnto God by the ladder of the creatures 3. Grounds to proue that there is no happinesse in this world 1. The variety of opinions concerning happinesse 2. No man accounts himselfe happy for the present 3. Denying happinesse in our selues do suppose it in others Euery man dâ—slikes his owne state of life Miseries in all the states of men The loue of heauen and earth cannot together subsist The author proposed foure things to himselfe in this second part The particular miseries of man are greater then the generall The poorer sort of men The better sort of men The Clergy Their comfort The Gentrie Their miseries Their needlesse buildings Their fond purchases Their many writings Their nice conueiances Their needlesse entailes The best entaile The Lawyers Their slanders Their harsh studie Their troublesome practice The Iudges The Citizens Their wealth Their miseries He recals himselfe The Nobles Their miseries Princes Their danger In their wars In peace Wherein their happinesse consists Their Prerogatiue Their melancholy death Wherefore serue our miseries The seuerall delights of our age The delights of our childhood The delights of our elder yeeres The degrees of our age according to decads The censure of a dead man Wherein mans greatest contentment consists The home-contentment Our houses are sometimes our prisons The pleasure of the house is according to mans owne apprehension Our delight in our apparell Our vanitie in our diet Mans different valuation of his owne wealth The beautie of different complexions We must condemne nature if we iustifie our selues How hardly men are weaned from these fansies The â—oue of God swallowes vp the loue of this world The vanity of the creatures should keepe vs from the loue of the creatures Neuer man found contentment in the creatures The tale of a religious man He satisfies their request Our worldly appetites are satisfied in death The Authors intent in this second part How apt the creatures are to obscure Gods glory How all our ioyes are counterfeit Why all our delights should consist in the fansie Democritus and Heraclitus Salomons censure of this world The conclusion of a Christian man A Prayer Man is vicâ—â—is and corrupted in euery state and course of life Hovv vve accuse each other Man out of his euill disposition returneth euill for euill Man out of his euill disposition tuâ—neth good things into â—uill Our good actions proceed from an euill intent We delight in other mens euils We desire companions in our owne euilâ— The ground of policy supposeth our inbred corruption The Lawes of
men suppose our naturall corruption The scope of 〈◊〉 third part The Serpent The punishment of the Serpent The Serpent creepes on the earth Herâ—eâ—dâ—ng on the earth How the dumbe creatures are punished The enmitie betweene Man and the Serpent A generall opposition betweene reason and sense Ominous creatures The Serpent assaulting Man Mins incounter with the Serpent The brazon Serpent The earth brings forth bryars and thornes Bryars seeme to be wholy vnprofitable Their production Nature seemes to be more carefull of thornes then of the best fruits The weeds of the earth argue the weeds of mans mind Of poysons How poysons should be generated or produced All countries do not bring forth poysons All poysons do not immediatly worke but after a certaine time The reason why poysons should so long conceale their conspiracie The punishment of nakednesse Mans clothing should proceed from his food as well as his nourishment Why some pars should be couered and not all Nature is heerin more beneficiall to other creatures then vnto man The inward and outward nakednesse The outward nakednesse of man The abuse of apparell The wantonnes and pride in apparell Euery man is a labourer Mans continuall labours both for the maintenance of his body and for the instructing of his mind Why should not the earth bring forth corne is well as other fruits No such difficulty in the production The progresse and degrees of mans labour Man is a druge to the dumbe creatures His pouerty notwithstanding his drudgery Mens continuall labours in husbandry and tillage Gods mercy and prouidence appeares in our labours All honest callings appointed by God Men must liue by their labours and not by their wits The great hurt and the shamefull abuse of inclosures A prophesie against our inclosures The disagreeing betweene man and wife The large extent of this punishment The branches cannot couple if the root be diuided Man is sometimes subiect to the tyrannie oppression of others Princes haue their authority from God The degrees of gouernment How strange it is that there should be enmity in marriage The motiues to preserue loue How vnnaturall is this enmity in marriage The allurement of beauty should assvvage man The wife is informed in her duty In the house there are seuerall duties belonging to the husband to the wife The fond iealousie of the husband The abuse of marriage may breed an ill disposition A bitter inuectiue against marriage after diuorse Man is accursed of God The limitation of this curse The causes of reprobation The guiâ—tines of crying sins Mans curse appeares in his reason and in his religion The strange different iudgements of men The different sects of Philosophers Petrus Ramus censured Second causes do not detract from the first agent There is a great difference between the birth of things their continuance Gods power doth wonderfully appeare in the continuance of the world Mans greatest curse in the point of his religion Mans greatest curse in the point of his religion The persecution of true Religion The cloakes and pretenses of Religion The Author makes a small digression The controuersies of Religion There are seeming controuersies which may be reconciled Gods prouidence and goodnesse appeares in these controuersies of religion Saint Peters calling and reprehension Persecutions of the Church Pretenses of religion how they should instruct vs. The generall deluge Losses sustained by the deluge The naturall meanes were not sufficient to cause a deluge The wonder was greater in the ceasing of the floud The wonders of God in euery element Proofes of the deluge from the resting of the Arke Reliques of the deluge in nature Trees Buildings Rocks Barrennesse The different mould The veines of the earth Marle-pits Cole-pits Mountaines are shelues vallies are the channels Proofes amongst the Iewes Testimonies of the Gentiles concerning the deluge Of the Rainebow The burning of Sodom and Gomorrha is an earnest of the last generall combustion Thunder and lightning tokens of the last combustion The author recalles himselfe The confusion of tongues How agreeable the punishmeÌ„t was to the offence The punishment is agreeable to mans condition The extent of this punishment The strangenes of this iudgement The strangenes appeaâ—es by way of comparison Meanes to retaine the same language The Monarchies and conquests The necessity of trading and commerce The vniformity of lawes and of religion The punishment appeares not only in the variety of tongues but likewise in the distraction A difficulty for a man to expresse his own thoughts A wise man can hardly be a good speaker The difficulty in learning tongues Defects in Grammar Periury and lying proceed from this confusion The very tongues doe sometimes obscure and hinder our knowledge Whether man should speake naturally Hebrew Whether we shall speake Hebrew after the last resurrection The inconueniences proceeding from this confusion of tongues Great controuersies about words Gods mercie in the vnion of these kingdomes of England and Scotland Ancient and straÌ„ge tongues adde lustre to Sciences Against translations That the title of Christ and Scripture should coÌ„tinue vnchangeable The gift of tongues The holie Ghost came in fierie tongues The Author here humbly craues pardon for all his errors He recals himselfe The punishment in womens conception and deliuery Other creatures are compared with maÌ„ in his birth How this punishment is to be vnderstood Naturall causes cannot demonstrate the paine The continuall danger and paine in conception Men-midwiues Men bearing their owne children Why God so punisheth the husband Why there are secret qualities which cannot be knowne The extent of Philosophy concerning her subiects Why the husband partakes in the wifes passions A defence of Philosophie The strange diseases of the wombe The diseases of the paps The French or Neapoliâ—an disease An aduice to women Womens longing An impression vpon the child in the wombe The skinne of a Serpent Obseruations in the birth of man Obseruations in the infancie of man The curiositie of women taxed The corruption of yong children How exceedingly children doe loue fruits The author iustifieth his method by lawe Mans death is compared with the death of dumbe beasts Mans death in respect of the elements Mans death in respect of the heauens and the Angels The soule receiues a kinde of perfection from the body The soulâ— builds the frame of our body The immortal soule is the cause of corruption How easily the soule may preserue life by a naturall course How the death of man is against the whole scope of nature in generall How death serues to instruct vs. Death is a very powerfull meanes to recall a sinner Death â—ights in defence of religion The Christian man desires death as the meane of his happinesse Death is the sacrifice of our selues Death is our comfort in all our worldly miseriâ—s Death giues the Chrisâ—â—aâ— man an excellent resolutioÌ„ The first and second death The fearefull circumstances of the last iudgement How wee should preuent Gods wrath What effects the
meditation of the last iudgemeÌ„t hath wrought vpon many The author comforteth himselfe against the feare of damnation Antidotes against desperation A transition from the death of man to the death of the whole world The kinds and species of creatures do decay Three reasons why all the creatures doe decline The clothing and apparell of the Ancients compared with ours The Ancients more giuen to their sports then now we are Our food compared with the food of the Ancients The vse of Tobacco in these dayes Heretofore the constitution of mens bodies was better theÌ„ now it is Gods prouidence in mans actions A great change doth appeare in mans owne disposition The adoption of sonnes The resolution of the AncieÌ„ts Triall by combats There may be a change in the naturall instinct The Ancients were not so subiect to diseases as wee are The Ancients more apt to ingender New diseases proceeding from coldnesse and weaknes The difference betweene the Ancients and vs in the cures of our diseases The wits of former times did exceede ours A foolish comparison answered The small account which some make of the Fathers It cannot staÌ„d with the dignity of Christian religion to forsake the Fathers The Prophets confirme the doctrine of the Fathers The length of our liues compared with the Ancients The seas doe not affoord the like quantitie of fish as heretofore they haue done Mr Camden The earth is growne barraine As in the parts so in the whole A particular instance for this kingdome We haue not the like quantitie of hony now as heretofore Our grapes come not to that ripenes now as heretofore An obiection answered in Philosophie The excessiue prices of things and the scarcitie of these times A comparison betweene our times and the former for the number and multitude of men Bangor in Wales neere Wreâ—am Gods prouidence in â—â—e Turkish â—oâ—minions The great plenty of coine and of siluer and gold among the Iewes How the coine here amongst vs hath daily decayed in weight The great wealth of the Ancients The â—osts charges and fines were very large heretofore The great house-keeping of the Ancients Wine was dearer in ancient times then it is The plentie of their coyne appeared in their almes The corrupt dealings of this age in respect of former times We dissent from the Ancients in a case of conscience The materiall heauen tend to corruption The hot Zones made habitable The wonderfull worke of Gods prouidence The burning of Phaeton Naturall alterations are insensible Fire doth resemble the last iudgement The last iudgement approacheth The generall decay of nature hastens the iudgemeâ—t An equall distance of time in Gods iudgements The last iudgement shall be while the fierie constellations doe rule The necessitie of iustice in regarde of our sinnes seemes to hasten thâ—s iudgement Our fall is examined by Philosophâ—e A Science may presuppose her owne subiect The fall of maÌ„ is intimated in Philosophie The â—â—parated Idea of the Platonikes The transmigration of soules Our learning is a kinde of remembrance Proofes out of Aristotles Philosophie Bonum est transcendens Why priuation should be one of the first prâ—nciples All Arts and Sciences take their beginnings by occasion of mans fall Grammar Logicke Rhetoricke Mathematikes Metaphysicks The studie of naturall Philosophie supposeth our naturall ignorance The imperfection of Philosophie The reasonable and vnderstanding soule knowes not her selfe Morall Philosophie supposeth mans fall The complaint of Philosophers against nature The Metaphysicks are very imperfect How nature is corrupted appeares by Chimicall operations Chiâ—istrie shewes the ouerflowing of euill Proofes of the fall of Man borrowed from Poetrie The golden age did signifie Paradise The first sinne is shadowed forth in many of their fables The conclusion of this third part How this corruption of nature serues to instruct vs. Why the Author adioyned this Corollary Why by our reason we can not conceiue the manner of mans fall How we may be assured of the manner oâ— mans â—all How we must expect miracles Proofes of the Deitie and the creation Reason in vnreasonable creatures Impossibilities in the worlds eternitie Accidents which would follow the worlds eternitie The creation of the world proued by an instance The proofe of Moses his creation The time of Moses his creation An instance to proue the time of the creatioÌ„ Three vses of Phiâ—losophie The order obserued in Moses his creatioÌ„ There can be but one Creator The same wisdome appeares in all the creatures The end of mans creation The condition of man Other creatures ordained for man as man was for God There can be no God of Euill Man though innocent yet capable of euill That God might iustly suffer man to be tempted How we may discerne an outward tenâ—ation Where wee might finde the first fountaine of sinne The Angels might faâ—l The fall of the Angels Coniectures what mighâ— moue the Angels to sinne The sinne of the Angels was vnpardonable Man may repent but the Angels can not The office and ministerie of Angels The difference of good and bad Angels How all the creatures are knit together Why God did suffer man to be tempted The great separation betweene man and the diuell The Diuel and the Serpent enter a league That the Serpent should speake The degrees of this first sin Testimonies of the heathen concerning the speech of dumbe beasts The greatnes of Adams sin What sinnes Adam might then haue committed The wisdom of God must satisfie for the 〈◊〉 committed against it selfe Pride is the first sinne of the minde Gluttonie is the first of all carnall sinnes The punishment was the occasion of our blisse How it stood with iustice to punish the posteritie of Adam The measure of Gods iustice How the sinne is conueied to the postcritie of Adam Sinne is in the whole man not so properly in the parts There may be a generation among spirits An anima sit ex traduce How the soule should together worke with the seede As in heauenly bodies so in spirits A thing may be generated and yet not be corrupted It sufficeth that the soule was at first created The authors opinion is that anima creatur ex traduce The reasons which moue him Sinne is like an infectious disease The conclusion of this Treatise