The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

Answ. I deny the antecedent: It would not perfect him in his kind, but make him another thing of another kind. Man is more than a perfect Brute, and a Brute is not an imperfect man: But I speak of perfecting man in his own kind, according to his Nature.

Answ. I deny the antecedent: It would not perfect him in his kinde, but make him another thing of another kinde. Man is more than a perfect Bruit, and a Bruit is not an imperfect man: But I speak of perfecting man in his own kinde, according to his Nature.

Obj. A Chicken hath a desire to live to full maturity, and yet you kill it before: And Grass and Plants may be cut down before they come to perfection.

Answ. I speak in my argument of the species of man, and the objection speaketh only of some individuals: If there be no higher stature for any Chicken or Plant to grow up to, then that is the state of its perfection. Its natural inclination ⟨p. 141⟩to a perfecter state doth show that nature formed it for a perfecter state, and that such a state there is to be attained,¹ however by accident it may be killed or cut down before it do attain it, which never befalleth all the kind, but some individuals. So I confess that by ill accidents (by sin) men may fall short of their natural perfection. But natures inclination showeth that there is such a state.

Answ. I speak in my argument of the species of man, and the objection speaketh only of some individuals: If there be no higher stature for any Chicken or Plant to grow up to, then that is the state of its perfection. Its natural inclination