Section I, Book 4, chapters 6–7: The divine spirit, condensation and rarefaction, generation and corruption

CHAP. VI. The true Mystery of Generation and Corruption (also a touch of Re-generation or Resurrection) is, afer the doctrine of holy Scripture, herein Expressed.

AS we have plainly, though in few words, expressed unto you a dark privative Principle, namely that which seemed before all beginnings to be without form, and therefore mortifieth and depriveth of life, and is as it were out of all existence, in regard of our capacity; by reason that the active vivifying light doth not shine forth, but is hidden in the center. So also have we manifested unto you another Spirituall Principle, which is Light, now shining forth of Darkness, and this is that only which informeth, vivifieth and animateth all things with life. I told you that all was but one essentiall Unity: For the three Divine Person was but one and the same in essence, and therefore that Light was unto him as Darkness, and consequently that he was the beginning of all beginnings; that is to say, he is as well the principle of Privation and Corruption, as of Position and Generation, whereof the one is the Act unto life, namely the in-created Light; and the other is the passive of life or death, and that is the waters; forasmuch as they were derived out of Darkness, and therefore by reason of their Darkness they participate in their passion, as well of the privative, as of the positive principle; and for that reason the Actor in both extreames is God, which is Unity, who by the withdrawing of his vivifying Spirit from the creature causeth death and privation, and consequently leaveth nothing in it but the characters of corruption and ruine: Contrariwise by continuing his incorruptible Spirit in the creature, it remaineth by the presence thereof without corruption. Also after that God doth withdraw his Spirit from the creature, then the creature dieth; if he sendeth again his Spirit of life into the creature, it reviveth and riseth again. This was the reason in one sense of the Resurrection of our Saviour, who for that cause was termed Primaevus resurrectionis à mortuis: The first that risse again from death unto eternall life. And in another sense it was the cause, that Elias raised from the dead the child of the widdow; and that the bones of Elizeus caused the murthered Amalikite to rise again; as also that Christ caused Lazarus to revive when he was dead, as shall be shewed hereafter. I will therefore express unto you out of Scriptures, first that God (to whom the act of privation is as familiar as that of position, if we only consider the watery or passive composition, forasmuch as it participateth of both extreames) is the only Actor as well unto death and corruption, as to life and generation. And then secondly, I will briefly prove unto you, the manner how the self-same Unity in essence operateth thus contrarily in the watry or bodily Subject of all things.

Touching the first: Scriptures say, It is God that woundeth and striketh, and it is he that cureth. And again, they say in the Person of God, I kill and I make alive again. In another place, Thou hast power of life and death in thine hand. Thou bringest unto the grave, and reducest back again. And the Son of Syrath, Vita & Mors, bonum & malum à Deo sunt, Life and death, good and evil[…], a e from God. Now for the second, namely, to shew how the Lord operateth by one and the same Spirit, to life, death, and resurrection, we may easily gather it, if we will consider with our selves, that it was the all-ina[…]ting Spirit of wisdom, which first did inform the world with life and being, and did give life unto each creature, and doth preserve it from death and corruption, so long as it abideth and operateth vivifyingly in the said creatures: And therefore it is said, Deo serviat omnis creatura, quia d[…]xisti & ja[…]ae sunt, m[…]sti spiritum & creatae sunt: Let every creature serve God, for thou spakest and they were made, thou didst send thy Spirit, and they were created. Again, Deus non a[…]quo indigens that […]mnibus vi[…]am & inspirationem & omnia: God, not wanting the aid of any, giveth or bestoweth on al creatures, life, and inspiration or breath, and all things. In another place, Deus dat flatum populo q[…]i est super terram, & spiritum calcan[…]bus eam. And it was for this reason that the Psalmist saith, Vita adest benevolenti IEHOVAE, Life is present through the benignity of God. Vitae restaurator est IEHOVA, God is the restorer of life. Vitae meae fontes omnes à Deo, All the fountaines of my life are from God. Vitae pro[…]ongat[…]o est benignitas IEHOVAE, The prolonging of lif[…]s through the benignity of IEHOVA. Whereupon it is apparent, that the presence of the vivifying Spirit of God, is the cause of life multiplication, and preservation. And therefore Job said, Vi[…]tatio tua conserva[…] spiritum meum, […]hy visitation p[…]serveth my spirit. As contrariwise, the absence of the same spirit lesse or more, is the occasion of sicknesse, death, destruction or corruption: And therefore it is said, De[…]s malos reli[…]quit, & abscondit faciem suam ab impiis, ut obveniant iis mala mu[…] & angustiae: God for saketh the wicked, and hideth his face from such as are impious, tha[…] evill and necessi[…]y may encumber them. But the speciall causes of life, death, and resurrection are expressed in these words of the Prophet David before mentioned, O Lord, how glorious are thy works? in wisdom thou hast made them all, the earth is full of thy riches; so is the wide sea, and innumerable creeping things therein. Thou giv[…]st unto them and they gather it, thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good things; but if thou hide thy face they are troubled, if thou takest away their breath they die, and return unto dust. Again, if thou sendest out thy Spirit they are re-created, and revive, and thou renewest the face of the earth, &c. Psa. 104.20. Lo here the essentiall reason and centrall manner of Generation and Corruption, is exactly described and set forth by the Psalmise, namely, that by the presence and benigne action of the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord, life is continued; and contrariwise, by the absence, or departing, or by taking of it away from the creature, it dieth and corrupteth; for so long as the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord acteth and worketh in the creature, it is not possible it should die or corrupt; but when it departeth, death and corruption must needs follow: also when it abideth in the body, but resteth from his action, or, as it were, withdraweth his active beams from the circumference unto the center, (which the Prophet tearmeth, The hiding of God's face) then is the creature troubled, which is as much to say, as it is sick; but if it be totally taken away, then the creature is forced for want of it to expire and die. To conclude, if it return and shineth forth again unto the creature, then it reviveth again, as it did unto Lazar[…]s, and unto the Widow's child which the Prophet raised. Whereby it is apparent, how death is nothing else, but the absence of the essentiall form; and consequently it is made evident, that the vivificating form is immediately from God, and not that imaginary one which the Peripateticks have groped after; and I prove it evidently out of these places, though the precedent Text doth expresse it plainly enough, Non permanebit (saith the Lord) Spiritus meus in homine in aeternum quia caro est, eruntque Dies ejus centum viginti annorum: My Spirit shall not remain perpetually in man, because he is flesh, and his daies shall be a hundred years and twenty: Whereby is argued, that it is the Spirit of God which maketh man to live, and that by the absence thereof death must needs ensue. But because the curious will scarce approve of this translation of Jerom, saying, that the nature of the Hebrew Text is otherwise taken, I will maintain and confirm it by the like, and of the same condition in Job, Si Deus apponens ad hominem animam suam, Spiritum aut flatum ejus ad se reciperet vel traheret, deficeret & expiraret omnis care, simul & homo in cinerem r[…]verteretur: If God, setting his minde upon man, should receive or draw unto himself his spirit or breath of lif[…], all flesh would fail and die, and man also together with him would return unto ashes. So that we see, it is the Spirit of God which giveth life, not onely unto man, but also to every other creature: And that it is meant by the reall vivifying Spirit of God, which giveth life unto man expresly, we have it confirmed thus by Job in another place. Spiritus Dei (saith Job) fecit me & inspiratio Omnipotentis vivificavit me; The Spirit of God made me, and the inspiration of the Almighty hath vivified me, or given me life. And therefore it followeth, that if the presence of this Spirit doth cause generation, life, and preservation, of necessity the absence of it must cause corruption, death, and destruction; for when the Spirit of the Lord is removed from the bodily masse of the creature, it leaveth it deformed, and, as it were, another chaos, or terra inanis & vacua, being that it is destitute of the Spirit of life, which did make it to act and exist in its specifick nature. And forasmuch as this incorruptible Spirit doth preserve the corporeall masse from corruption, by his incorruptible vertue and power, it followeth therefore, that when the Spirit is departed, or absolutely contracted in it self, without any externall act, the masse must of necessity forthwith die, and return unto a privative nothing.

Now the difference between the resurrection from death, or rather deadly sleep, unto a temporall life, (for the words of Christ were touching Lazarus, that he was not dead but slept) and that which is an eternall life, is this; for as there is nothing that hindereth death more, than the presence of the incorruptible Spirit, so also is there nothing which hindereth the perpetuity of living more, then a corruptible body, or a body subject unto death or corruption; and therefore that body must die, that it may put off corruption, and endue incorruption, namely, by purification and separation of the corruptible additaments, which is effected by a loosning of the tie of the alterable elements, and a freeing of the spirituall part of the corporall composition from its long captivity, that it may become pure and clean; which being done, then by the union of the incorruptible Spirit with it, all will be made spirituall; so that according unto the doctrine of St. Paul, That which is sowed, will not be quickened except it die. And that which thou sowest is not the body that shall be, but God giveth it a body at his pleasure. And therefore as the body is sown in corruption, so it riseth in incorruption; as it is sown a naturall or elementary body, so it is raised a heavenly and spirituall body. So that the body must die, that it may put off corruption, that is, the corruptible portion of the impure element, that it being made spirituall, may abide with the Spirit of life for evermore. For this reason he affirmeth, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, because in their elementary nature they are subject unto corruption, and therefore cannot inherit the land of incorruption; but it is the pure spirit of the blood and flesh which rise (after they have deposed their grosse tabernacle) unto incorruption, being animated by the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord, which onely causeth a temporall life in the naturall or compacted elementary masse, and an eternall one unto the spirituall and refined body, which is contrary in condition unto the naturall body, as the Apostle doth justifie; for by purification, it is changed from an elementary body unto a heavenly and spirituall one. Do we not see after the same example, how the very grain of wheat is so exalted in vertue, after it hath endured corruption, and hath been freed from the grosse elementary tie, that it would mount and soar upward towards the heaven, were it not that the spirit so set at liberty is detained by the elementary stuffe, which hinders it in its ascent; and yet neverthelesse it is so dignified after its corruption, that its vertue is augmented by many degrees, as it appeareth in the abundant multiplication which its dilated spirit doth produce, through the abundance of that incorruptible spirit which it endueth.

As touching the other resurrection, which is unto a temporall life, it is by reason that the body is not corrupted, neither is there a loosning of elementary ligaments by dissolution, whereby the spirituall body may be purified, and clean separated from, and have no commerce with, the elementary dreggs, which do issue out of the lower waters; so that the occult spirituall body, cannot be at liberty to embrace the spirit of life with eternall tyes. Of this kind of resurrection was that which Christ effected on the widow's son, which was carried to be buried, when he said, Young man, I say to thee, Arise; and he that was dead sat up. Also he caused resurrection in the like manner, to the dead daughter of one of the Rulers of the Synagogues, crying and saying, Maid, arise; and her spirit came again, and she rose up straight-way. Unto such a temporall life also, Lazarus was raised up. Again, by the prayer of Elijah, the widow's son was raised again: for the Text saith, that at the voice of Elijah, the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. Whereby we ought to note two things, first, that these bodies were not wholly corrupted, I mean the Elements of the composition, were not devided by resolution, and therefore though the Spirit returned into them, yet it brought their bodies but to a temporall life. And although it might be alledged, that Christ's body was not corrupted, and yet it had Resurrection from death unto eternall life. I answer, that the Text saith, that he would not suffer his Holy one to see corruption, and by that reason he had Resurrection the third day after he died, being that his body was without sin, and therefore void of corruption. But I leave this mysticall doctrine to the research of the learned Theosophists. Secondly, we are to note that it is the presence of the vivifying Spirit of God, which causeth Generation and Resurrection from the death. And again, it is the absence thereof which induceth death and corruption: For the Scriptures say, that it was the soul of the child which came again into the child, to make it alive again. And the other Text saith, her spirit came again, and she revived. And therefore Job said, in the place above mentioned: If God should draw his Spirit or Spiracle of life from the creature, all flesh would expire. And David: If thou takest away their breath, they die: If thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they revive or are re-created.

Now if we shall compare this our principle of Generation and Corruption, with that of the Peripateticks, we shall find as great a confusion in the one, as there is a plain explication of the other: for they define Generation, to be mutatio materiae à forma substantiali pristina in aliam formam substantialem: A change or mutation of matter from its wonted substantiall form into another form. Also they will have Corruption to be, mutatio & amissio formae substantialis quae prius inerat materiae, sed nunc non inest eidem: The mutation or loss of a substantiall form which was first in the matter, but now hath forsaken it. Thus you see how they nominate a substantiall form but what it is, and how it commeth into the body to cause Generation, or after what manner it departeth from it again, to cause death and corruption they relate not, and therefore we have ignotum per ignotius: when in verity it is the Spirit of God, which informeth and vivifieth all things, causing by its presence as well Generation (which Aristotle observed) and Resurrection (which he never knew or could discern by his worldly Philosophy,) as corruption, privation, and death, by its absence. So that in this change or passage of the creature from one estate unto another, we shall find that as it was made, and all things else out of one dark and deformed potentiall principle, by the shining forth of actuall Light, which informed, and by information created all things of Nothing, making them to live and exist, so also by the absence of that all-informing Light, each thing becommeth dark, dead, and destitute of their essentiall form, untill a new Light do manifest it self after a manner, which doth alienate the watery Subject from the form and shape it had at the first. So the body or carkasse of a dead man, is in the state of a deformed chaos, in regard it hath lost its wonted human substantiall form or act; no otherwise then if the Lord did take away his Spirit from the world, all things would return again to Nothing, or a deformed chaos or dark abysse, as it was at first: But when the effectuall act of a new form doth break forth out of the dead carcasse, causing the whole Mass thereof to become verminous, or full of worms, then may we say that the Corruption of the one is the Generation of the other, which evermore holdeth good, when the Elementary stuff is still present. So that Privation is the mean between them both, and as it were a vacuity, a Nih[…]l or non entity, between two formalities. But I will demonstrate the mystery of Generation and Corruption after this Manner.

Now therefore that the progression or ranks of the worlds Creation, and his simple Members is shewed you, which consisteth of four ranks, in which estate the world must (as I said) indure till it be refined with fire, I will make my progression from these simple members of the world's existence, and proceed unto the order of degrees in composition, which have their beginning and foundation from them, namely from the first degree or rank in Generation or Composition, unto the Complement thereof. And as between the beginning of mixtion, and the perfection thereof, there must intercede a medium or mean, which must be imperfectè mixtum, or an imperfect mixtion: so betwixt a simple Element and a perfect body, an imperfect composition must needs intercede, namely such a one as is that of a Meteorologick nature. As for example, in the generation of a man, the beginning, which is founded on the catholick watery Element, and taketh his place in the first rank, is Sperm; for it is a watery or fluid Substance, but little altered: and as in the water the whole Fabrick of the world, and seeds of all things was complicitly conteined, and yet nothing did appear externally but water. So in the seed or Sperm, though nothing do appear in the first degree explicitly but Sperm, yet the whole man, namely the bones, flesh, blood, sinews, and such like, are complicitly conteined, and will by degrees appear out explicitly, namely in the sixt rank: for it will be altered from humour to solidity, with a certain distinction of the three principall Members: in the seventh, to an Embrionall shape: and in the eighth which will make up a cube unto the materiall root 2. or the Square 4. (which is characterized in the catholick Element by the impressions of the four winds) into a perfect creature. In like manner, in the great world we see that the simple Element, namely the generall aire, appeareth externally plain simplicity, and an invisible Nothing explicitly, and yet it containeth complicitly, a clowd, water, or rain, Fire or Lightning, and a ponderous stone, with Salt and such like: which by degrees do explicitly appear through the vertue of the four Winds. So that a vapour possesseth the first rank, the cloud the sixt, the Lightning and clowd the seventh, and the earthly Stone argueth an exact rotation of all the foure ventous forms into one mixtion, which represents the eighth's place in Composition or Generation. But when the man cometh to Corruption, then his parts proceed in resolution backwards, namely from 8. to 7. from 7. to 6. and from 6. to 5. untill it return unto the point of the simple Spermatick Element from whence it began, and there it beginneth a new Generation in another form: For the all-acting nature is never idle. So also the Stone is resolved into water, and water into a vaporous clowd, and the clowd into aire from when[…]e it came, which is the simple catholick Element, which admitteth no farther or pro[…]ounder resolution by corruption.

Now the onely Operator in both these works is the Spirit of God: for in Generation it shineth forth of the catholick Elements center or SpermS internall unto perfection and persevereth in his action, till a perfect man be produced, which Job confirmeth thus, Nonne sicut Lac fudistime? & sicut caseum coag[…]asti me? cute & carne texisti me, ossibusque & nervis induisti me: cum vita benignitatem exercuisti erga me. Et visitatio tua conservavit spiritum meum: Didst thou not po[…]e me forth like milk, and like cheese didst crudle me? Didst thou not cover me with sk[…]n a[…] flesh? Thou didst indue me with bones and sinews, thou didest shew forth unto me thy benignity in my life, and thy visitation doth preserve my spirit. Contrariwise, when the Spirit of God, with-draweth his beames from the circumference of Generation and Composition unto the center of simplicity, he leaveth to visite the Spirit of the creature, and so it must fade, ad decayingly return unto the principle from whence it came; and from thence again, if the same spirit is pleased to shine forth, a new Generation beginneth, where the Corruption or Resolution ended.

The Demonstration is such.

The Simple Square of the world's Composition, where 2. (that is to say) Light and Water, is the root.

The progression from the said Elementary Square unto the cube of Composition.

[Figure]

The root of Generation which is from the 4. Elements or the catholick Element four-foldly altered.

[Figure]

Or, the manner of generation and corruption is more plainly expressed thus:

[Figure]

Where the four elements remain in their simplicity, as they were created complicitely in one watry nature, or rather catholick element, called Aire, which is the root from whence generation ariseth unto the period of perfect composition, by four degrees or steps of alteration, namely, from the 4 to the 8. and whither tendeth retrogradely corruption, namely, from 8 to 4.

CHAP. VII. That God (contrary unto Aristotle's assertion, with the opinion of divers other Ethnick Philosophers) doth not operate of necessity, for the creation and continuation of his creatures; but of his proper will, and benigne inclination.

WE tearm that properly Necessary, that can be no otherwise: again, we esteem that as well voluntary as fortuit, or happening by chance, which may be otherwise. Now there hath risen and sprung up a great dispute among the Ethnick Philosophers, whether God operateth in this world voluntarily, or of necessity, or as it were by compulsion: the greater part therefore of them are flatly of an opinion, that God acteth in this world, as well in the generation and conservation of things, as corruption of them, by necessity, and not by any voluntary motion; whereby it must follow, that he was enforced to do or effect what he doth from all eternity, by some other nature, which was either coeternall with him, or pre-existent; or else that he was excited or pushed forward against his will, to effect this or that, by some creature which he did make. All which, how erroneous and extravagant it is from the rules and center of truth, I will in few words expresse unto you: For first of all, What (I beseech you) is of greater antiquity than God, being that he was before any thing? What is in Geometry before, or in measure lesse then a point? or which among all the numbers of Arithmetick is of so antient a standing as is the unity? Wherefore it must needs follow, that God is free and voluntary in his actions, being that he was of himself, and did exist without any respect had unto any other, either precedent or coeternall principle from all beginning, and therefore was sufficient in himself, and of himself, to work and operate by himself from all eternity.

But the principall reasons of the foresaid Ethnick opinion, are two-fold; first, because God doth act and operate by his proper essence, and not by any acquired vertue; then, forasmuch as the effects in the world seem to be necessary, and hereupon they conclude, that they cannot come or proceed from any contingent, that is to say, fortuit or voluntary occasion of another. Unto the first, me-thinks they seem to argue against themselves; for as he acteth by his proper essence or substance, it is evident, that he is moved of his own accord, and consequently not by any externall compulsion, or internall necessity. Moreover, in the latitude of unity, there can be no compulsion or coaction, because that Unity cannot suffer. Again, it is not possible that he should be urged to work by any externall or alien efficient cause, because that he remaining primarily fixed, and stedfast in himself, and of himself, worketh as the originall fountain of all things by himself, emitting his formall and vivifying beams of life at his pleasure, and with-drawing them again when and where he pleaseth. Unto the second I say, that necessary effects do no way include any necessity in the first efficient cause, because that secundary causes (which Plato and other wise-men called Hand-maids or She-slaves) do act at the command and inciting of him, which is the unity of all multitude, and therefore all in all, or by a necessary order; so that a necessity in worldly created things, dependeth upon the volunty and command of him who made them, the which order he accomplisheth and finisheth at his pleasure: And therefore we find this written by the wise-man, Ignem mitescit nè combureret, modò ignem ille facit ardere inter aquas, &c. He maketh the fire mild and gentle, lest it should burn; and now again he maketh it to burn between the waters, yea, and in the clouds of hail and snow, without melting of them. Again, He maketh the fire to forget his destroying property, that the righteous may be nourished by it. It was also an evident argument, that God worketh not of necessity in or upon this creature of fire, when the three servants of the living Lord were untouched by the fire of the Chaldean furnace, although it was heated three times. This also is confirmed by that History, where it is said, that in the time of Joshua the Sun stood still for a whole daies space; as also that in the daies of Hezekiah, the Sun was made to go backward fifteen degrees, in the Horologe or Diall, without any evident reason in nature. Moreover it is proved and verified in that wonderful Eclipse of the Sun, which happened at the death and passion of our Saviour, wherein the Sun of heaven was totally obscured, which also chanced beyond the expectation or capacity of the Astrologians & Naturalists of this world; forasmuch as at the instant of that Eclipse or passion of the Sun, the Moon was neither in the head or tail of the Dragon, as Firmicus, that great artist in Astronomy, doth witnesse; and therefore it was effected against the common course of nature: all which events could never have fallen out, if God had acted of necessity in this world. It followeth therefore plainly, that God doth operate in this world of his own free will, not of necessity, to effect the ordinary or annuall course of things, according to the lawes and necessities of nature, all which also he effecteth voluntarily, and of his own free-will, namely, as well for their creation and preservation, as finall corruption.

But come hither and hearken, O ye vain Philosophers, who would have God, which is the actor and ordinator of all things, to be bound up by the lawes of necessity; What honour and glory can any man justly attribute to God, for his wisdom justice, and clemency, if he were constrained of necessity, not onely to create all things after this or that manner, but also to nourish and sustain them, and afterward to bring them to corruption? What thanks, or service, or adoration should we owe him, if what he did for us were of necessity? Wherefore, O Aristotle, is it according unto thine assertion, that we should offer sacrifice unto the roots of nature? or what availed it for us mortall men, to pray and pour forth our supplications unto God, (the which duty neverthelesse Plato, Porphyry, Jambl[…]cus, and Proclus do teach us to be most necessary) if that he could not be propitiated or appeased by praying, since that he worketh of necessity? Or wherefore did Socrates and Pythagoras (the which, by the testimony of the Oracle, were esteemed the most sage persons of their time) use accustomarily to pour out their prayers unto God, if God were onely constrained to act and operate whatsoever he did in the world? Or why doth the Prophet proclaim it, Quod Deus sit solus inclamandus & deprecandus, That God was onely to be called upon, and prayed unto, if there were any necessity in God to act in the generation and conservation of things? Yea verily, it is evidently to be demonstrated by this which is already said, that God, by the means of prayer, is accustomarily inclined to misericord and pitty, and that it is in his freewill to deal either in severity or clemency with the world, and the creatures thereof, and consequently that he is not urged of necessity, to operate or bring forth effects, as certain vain Ethnick Philosophers have averred; amongst the which, I must nominate a remarkable personage, and a follower of Aristotles doctrine, namely, Ga[…]en, that Prince of the Ethnick Physitians, who speaketh Atheistically in these words, Moses arbitratur omnia Deum posse facere, etiamsi ex cineribus equum aut bovem facere velit. Nos autem non ità sentimus, sed confirmamus quaedam naturam facere non posse, eaque Deum nè aggredi omnino; sed ex his quae facere potest, quod melius est eligere. Jam vero cum pilos in palpebris satius esset equales semper esse ma[…]nitudine & unme o, non ipsum quidem hoc voluisse affirmamus, illos mox factos fuisse, neque enim id facere potuisset, affirmamusque si eos etiam millies volu[…]sset, nunquam tamen tales futur[…]s, si ex cute molli producti fuissent: Moses did imagine, that God can do all things, yea, although he would make a Horse or an Oxe of ashes. But I am of another opinion: For I say, that Nature cannot do some things, and that God doth not attempt those things at all, but doth elect and make choice of the best of such things as he is able to effect. Now since that it would be better, that the hair in the eie-brows should be alwaies equall in magnitude and numbers I affirm that it is not he that would have it so, and they were forthwith made, neither could he do it; and I say, that if he would a thousand times have them so, yet would they never be such, if they had been produced out of the soft skin. Lo how Atheistically he speaketh, and how he would restrain the Omnipotency of God, and limit his actions with the main clog of necessity, yea, and impotency in Power!

But there are certain other Philosophers, which do behave themselves more modestly in the beforesaid doubt. For Avicenna affirmeth, that these actions are neither of necessity, nor violent, but do consist in a mediocrity betwixt them both, and thereupon he concludeth, that it is in the volunty or will of the Agent. In the which resolution he seemeth not much to vary from Scriptures, which say, Deus castigavit nos propter iniquitates nostras, ipse salvabit nos propter misericordiam suam. God hath chastised us for our iniquities, he will save us for his mercy's sake. By which, this elected vessell doth intimate, that there is a free volunty in God to punish and to have mercy. But this is expressed in plain words, after this manner, Deus juxta voluntatem suam facit, tam in coeli virtutibus, quam in habitatoribus terrae: God operateth according to his Will, as well with the vertues of heaven, as with the Inhabitants of the earth. In which words, the Prophet doth evidently show, that every operation in this world is effected by the Will, and in or by the Word or Spirit of the Almighty, and therefore not of Necessity, as Aristotle, Galen, and many other of the Ethnick Philosophers have averred, to the derogation from God, and blemishing of his Omnipotency. But that there is an undoubted necessity in the Organicall causes, and in the effects which issue from God's Acts in them, it appeareth most evidently: Wherefore the Prophet Baruch saith, Deo obediunt per omnia, Sol, Luna, Sydera, Fulgur, Ventus, Nubes, &c. The Sun, Moon, Starrs, Lightnings, Winds, Clouds, &c. do obey the Will and Command of God, that is, they are incited by his Word, and of necessity provoked to effect his pleasure: It followeth not therefore, that he that commandeth, must be constrained to do or act in that imperious manner, being that he doth it as a first mover, who hath not any other actor before it, or co-eternall with it, and consequently doth operate of a free will, which is radically grounded in himself. And hereupon the Apostle: Voluntati Dei quis resistat? Who is able to resist the will of God? And the Prophet: Consilium meum stabit, & omnis voluntas mea fiet: My counsell sha[…]l stand, and my will shall be accomplished, And Job: Deus quodcunque voluit hoc facit: What God would have done, that he effecteth. And therefore he doth not act involuntarily or of necessity, but voluntarily, and according unto his free Will.

We conclude therefore, that seeing what is Necessarium or necessary, is that which cannot happen otherwise, but must of necessity be so. So that which is contingent, may happen or be effected otherwise, as is that thing which is either fortuit or voluntary. Now that the Acts of God in this world are voluntary, and therefore cannot be tied up with the bands of Necessity, it is proved in this, namely because it may happen otherwise, then it is accustomed to be by the laws or rules of nature. As when the will of God was that the Sun should stand still, or move retrogradingly, or that it should be eclipsed, when the Moon was in none of the points of the animall intersection; that is, neither in the head or tayl of the Dragon, &c.