The Living Temple

It might be hoped that thus, without disputing the possibility of an eternal successive production of souls, this shift may appear vain. But if any will persist and say that how or in what way soever they are produced; 'Tis strange if they need any nobler cause than themselves; for may not any living thing well enough be thought capable of producing another of the same kind? or no more than equal perfection with it self? To this we say, besides that no one living thing is the only cause of another such. Yet if that were admitted possible what will it avail? For hath every soul that hath ever existed or been in being been produced in this way by another? This it were ridiculous to say; for if every one were so produced, there was then some one before every one. Inasmuch as that which produces must surely have been before that which is produced by it. But how can every one have one before it? A manifest contradiction in the very terms! For then there will be one ⟨p. 129⟩without the compass of every one, And how is it then said to be every one? There is then it seems one, besides or more than all. And so all is not all. And if this be thought a sophism, let the matter be soberly considered thus. The soul of man is either a thing of that nature universally (and consequently every individual soul) as that it doth exist of it self necessarily and independently, or not? If it be. Then we have however a wise intelligent being necessarily existing. The thing we have been proving all this while. Yet this concession we will not accept, for though it is most certain there is such a being, we have also proved the humane soul is not it. Whence it is evidently a dependent being in its own nature that could never have been of it self, had it not been put into being by somewhat else. And being so in its own nature, it must be thus with every one that partakes of this nature. And consequently it must be somewhat of another nature that did put the souls of men into being. Otherwise the whole stock and lineage of humane souls is said to have been dependent on a productive cause, and yet had nothing whereon to depend, And so is both caused by another, and not caused. And therefore since it is hereby evident it was somewhat else, and of another nature, than an humane soul by which all humane souls were produced into being.

It might be hoped that thus, without disputing the possibility of an eternal successive production of souls, this shift may appear vain. But if any will persist and say that how or in what way soever they are produc'd; 'Tis strange if they need any nobler cause than themselves; for may not any living thing well enough be thought capable of producing another of the same kind? or no more than equal perfection with it self? To this we say, besides that no one living thing is the only cause of another such. Yet if that were admitted possible what will it avail? For hath every soul that hath ever existed or been in being been produced in this way by another? This it were ridiculous to say; for if every one were so produced, there was then some one before every one. Inasmuch as that which produces must surely have been before that which is produced by it. But how can every one have one before it? A manifest contradiction in the very terms! For then there will be one