SECT. XX.

The fame Argument is retorted to prove that the Soul furvives the Body.

Orafiuch as God hath an Eye unto all Mens actions, and in himself is moft juft, fuffering fuch things to come to pafs, as we fee they do; therefore we must expect that there will be fome future Judgment after this Life, to the end fuch notorious tranfgreffions may not remain unpunithed, nor well-deferving virtue be unrecompenced with due comfort and reward.

F

SECT. XXI.

Which is proved by Tradition.

Arther, to confirm this truth, it must neceffarily be admitted, that the Souls of Men do furvive their Bodies. Which moft ancient Tradition was derived from our very firft Parents, (for from whence elfe could it proceed ') unto almoft all civilized People; as is plain by Homer's Verfes; and by Philofophers, not only of the Grecians, but likewife the Druids in France, and Brachmans in India, and by thofe relations alfo which many Writers have publifhed concerning the Egyptians, and Thracians, and Germans. In like manner, touching God's Judgment to come after this life, many things we fee were extant, as well among the Grecians, as also among the

Egyptians

Egyptians and Indians; as we learn out of Strabo, Diogenes Laertius and Plutarch: Whereunto may be added that old Tradition of the Confumption of the World by fire, which was anciently found in Hyftafpis and the Sibyls, and now alfo in Ovid and Lucan, and the Indians of Siam : Of which thing the Aftrologers have noted this to be a fign, that the Sun draws nearer and nearer to the Earth. Yea, when the Canaries, America, and other foreign places were firft difcovered, this fame opinion of the Immortality of Men's Souls, and the laft Fudgment, was found among the Inhabitants there.

SECT. XXII.

Against which no contrary Reafon can be brought.

NE

Either can there any reason in nature be given, to difprove fo ancient and common received tradition. For every thing that in this World comes to an end, perishes either through the oppofition of fome more forcible contrary Agent, as coldness in any fubject, by reafon of the more prevalent power and intention of heat; or through the fubtraction of that fubject, whereupon it depends; as the quantity of the glafs, when the glass is broken; or through the defect and want of the efficient caufe, as light by the Sun-fetting. Now none of all these can be faid to happen unto the Soul of Man: Not the first, because there is nothing that is contrary to the Soul; nay, it felf is of fuch a peculiar nature,

that

that it is apt to receive fuch things as are contrary between themselves, at the fame time together, after its own, that is, after a Spiritual and Intellectual manner. Not the fecond, for there is not any fubject whereon the nature of the Soul hath any dependance: if there were, in all probability it fhould be the humane body: but that this cannot be, it is manifeft, because when the powers and abilities of the Bodies are tired in their operations; the mind alone doth not by motion contract any weariness. Likewife the powers of the Body are impaired and weakned by the redundancy or excefs of the object, as the fenfe of feeing by the full fplendor and bright face of the Sun: but the more excellent objects that the Soul is converfant about, as about universals and figures abftracted from fenfible matter, it receives thereby the more perfection. Again, the powers that depend upon the Body are only bufied about fuch things as are limited to particular time and place, according to the nature and property of the Body it felf: but the mind hath a more noble object, and afcends to the contemplation of that which is infinite and eternal. Wherefore then feeing that the Soul depends not upon the Body in its operation, neither doth it in its effence: for we cannot difcern the nature of invifible things otherwife than by their operations. Neither is the third way of corruption incident to the Soul, there being no efficient caufe from which the Soul proceeds by a continual emanation. For we cannot fay our Parents are fuch a caufe; fince, when they are dead, their Children are wont to live. But if we will needs make fome cause, from which the Soul proceeds, then we can imagine no other, fave the first and univerfal cause of all things, D

*

which,

which, as in refpect of its power, is never deficient, fo in refpect of its will, to be defective; that is, for the Almighty to will the extinction and deftruction of the Soul, no Man can ever be able to prove.

SECT. XXIII.

Many Reafons may be alledged for it.

AY, there are many ftrong Arguments for

NAY

given unto Man over his own actions; the natural defire that is in him to be immortal; the force of confcience comforting the mind for well done actions, though very troublesome, and fupporting it with a certain hope: And on the contrary, the fling of a gnawing confcience at the remembrance of the ungodly and wicked actions, especially when the hour of death approacheth, as if it had a fenfe of an imminent judgment. -And this gnawing worm of confcience the moft profane Wretches and wicked Tyrants have not been able oftentimes to extinguish in them, no not then when they moft of all defired it; as divers Examples do teftifie.

SECT. XXIV.

Whence it follows, that the end of all shall be Man's happiness after this life.

Eeing then the Soul is of a nature that in it felf hath no ground or caufe of its own corruption; and feeing alfo that God hath given us many figns and tokens whereby we ought to understand, that it is his will the Soul fhould furvive the Body; what more noble end can be propounded to Man, than the ftate of eternal happiness? Which, in effect, is the fame that Plato and the Pythagoreans fpake of; faying, that it were good for Man if he could become moft

like unto God.

SECT. XXV,

Which to obtain, Men must get the true

NOT

Religion.

W what this happiness is, and how it is to be attained, Men may fearch by probable conjectures: But if any thing concerning this matter be revealed by God, that must be held for a moft certain and undoubted truth: Which fince Chriftian Religion pretends to bring unto us, above others, it thall be examined in the next Book, whether or no Men ought to give credit thereunto, and affuredly build their Faith thereon.