But yet this dependence on the Body is not so necessary and immutable, but that it may admit of variation, and the Soul be in some cases vindicated from the impression of the Body: And this first, in extraordinary; and next, in more common actions. In actions extraordinary, as those pious and religious operations of the Soul, Assent, Faith, Invocation, and many others▪ wherein the Soul is carried beyond the Sphere of Sense, and transported unto more raised operations: For to believe and know, that there are laid up for pious and holy endeavours those joys which eye hath not seen, nor care heard, and to have some glimpses and fore-taste of them, which Saint Paul calleth the Earnest, and first fruits of the Spirit; What is this, but to leave sense behind us, and to out-run ⟨p. 9⟩our Bodies? And therefore it is, that Religion, I mean chiefly, the Principles, Foundations, Articles, and Mysteries Evangelical, were always not to be urged by Disputes of Secular Learning, but to be sacredly and secretly infused; not so much persuading to the knowledge1 of apparent Truths▪ as drawing to the belief of true Mysteries. Divine Truths do as much transcend the Reason▪ as Divine Goodness doth the Will of Man. That One Nature should be in Three Persons, and Two Natures in One Person: That the invisible God should be manifested in the flesh, and a pure Virgin bring forth a Son; That Death should be conquered by dying, and not be able to digest and consume the Body which it had devoured: That dead bones should live, and they who dwell in the dust awake and sing: These are Mysteries, not only above the reach of Humane, but even of Evangelical disquisition; insomuch, that even unto Principalities and Powers they were not otherwise made known, but by Divine Revelation delivered unto the Church. Sarah laughed, when Abraham believed; and the Philosophers mocked, when Paul disputed; and Reason expected, that the Apostle should have fallen down dead, when contrarily, Faith shook the Viper into the fire. There is a great difference between the manner of yielding our assent unto God and Nature: For in Philosophy, we never resign our belief, nor suffer our judgements to be wholly carried to any Conclusion, till there be a demonstrative Argument grounded on Induction ⟨p. 10⟩from the Sense, for the enforcement thereof.
BVt yet this dependance on the Body is not so necessarie and immutable, but that it may admit of variation, and the Soule be in some cases vindicated from the impression of the Body: And this first, in extraordinarie; and next, in more common actions. In actions extraordinarie, as those pious and religious operations of the Soule, Assent, Faith, Invocation, and many others▪ wherein the Soule is carried beyond the Sphere of Sense, and transported unto more raysed operations: For to beleeve and know, that there are layd up for pious and holy endeavours those joyes which eye hath not seene, nor care heard, and to have some glimpses and fore-taste of them, which Saint Paul calleth the Earnest, and first fruits of the Spirit; What is this, but to leave sense behind us, and to out-run ⟨p. 9⟩our Bodies? And therefore it is, that Religion, I meane chiefely, the Principles, Foundations, Articles, and Mysteries Evangelicall, were alwayes not to be urged by Disputes of Secular Learning, but to be sacredly and secretly infused; not so much perswading to the knowledge1 of apparent Truths▪ as drawing to the beleese of true Mysteries. Divine Truths doe as much transcend the Reason▪ as Divine Goodnesse doth the Will of Man. That One Nature should be in Three Persons, and Two Natures in One Person: That the invisible God should be manifested in the flesh, and a pure Virgin bring forth a Sonne; That Death should be conquered by dying, and not be able to digest and consume the Body which it had devoured: That dead bones should live, and they who dwell in the dust awake and sing: These are Mysteries, not onely above the reach of Humane, but even of Evangelicall disquisition; in somuch, that even unto Principalities and Powers they were not otherwise made knowne, but by Divine Revelation delivered unto the Church. Sarah laughed, when Abraham beleeved; and the Philosophers mocked, when Paul disputed; and Reason expected, that the Apostle should have fallen downe dead, when contrarily, Faith shooke the Viper into the fire. There is a great difference betweene the manner of yeelding our assent unto God and Nature: For in Philosophie, we never resigne our beleese, nor suffer our judgements to be wholly carried to any Conclusion, till there be a demonstrative Argument grounded on Induction ⟨p. 10⟩from the Sense, for the enforcement thereof.
- 1I v•ngel. non in deget SillsI v•ngel. non in deget Sylle•
