Thus these good men with holy zeale were blind,
When on the other part the truth did shine;
Whereof we doe cleare demonstrations find,
By light of Nature, and by light Diuine
None are so grosse as to contend for this,
That soules from bodies may traducèd bee;
Betweene whose natures no proportion is,
When roote and branch in nature still agree.
But many subtill wits haue iustifi'd,
That soules from soules spiritually may spring;
Which (if the nature of the soule be tri'd)
Will euen in Nature proue as grosse a thing.
REASONS DRAWNE FROM NATURE.
For all things made, are either made of nought,
Or made of stuffe that ready made doth stand;
Of nought no creature euer formèd ought,
For that is proper to th' Almightie's hand.
If then the soule another soule doe make,
Because her power is kept within a bound,
Shee must some former stuffe or matter take;
But in the soule there is no matter found.
Then if her heauenly Forme doe not agree
With any matter which the world containes;
Then she of nothing must created bee,
And to create, to God alone pertaines.
Againe, if soules doe other soules beget,
'Tis by themselues, or by the bodie's power;
If by themselues, what doth their working let,
But they might soules engender euery houre?
If by the body, how can wit and will
Ioyne with the body onely in this act?
Sith when they doe their other works fulfill,
They from the body doe themselues abstract?
Againe, if soules of soules begotten were,
Into each other they should change and moue;
And change and motion still corruption beare;
How shall we then the soule immortall proue?
If lastly, soules doe generation vse,
Then should they spread incorruptible seed;
What then becomes of that which they doe lose,
When th' acts of generation doe not speed?
And though the soule could cast spirituall seed,
Yet would she not, because she neuer dies;
For mortall things desire their like to breed,
That so they may their kind immortalize.
Therefore the angels, sonnes of God are nam'd,
And marry not, nor are in marriage giuen;
Their spirits and ours are of one substance fram'd,
And haue one Father, euen the Lord of heauen:
Who would at first, that in each other thing,
The earth and water liuing soules should breed;
But that man's soule whom He would make their king,
Should from Himselfe immediatly proceed.
And when He took the woman from man's side,
Doubtlesse Himselfe inspir'd her soule alone;
For 'tis not said, He did man's soule diuide,
But took flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone.
Lastly, God being made Man for man's owne sake,
And being like Man in all, except in sin,
His body from the virgin's wombe did take;
But all agree, God form'd His soule within.
Then is the soule from God; so Pagans say,
Which saw by Nature's light her heauenly kind;
Naming her kin to God, and God's bright ray,
A citizen of Heauen to Earth confined.
But now, I feele, they plucke me by the eare
Whom my young Muse so boldly termèd blind;
And craue more heauenly light, that cloud to clear,
Which makes them think God doth not make the mind.