Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Whether death be naturall to a man or not?
Gen. 3.19. Duſt thou art, and to duſt ſhalt thou returne.
IOb. How man was made of the duſt, and is reſolved into duſt.10.9. Remember I beſeech thee, that thou haſt made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me to the duſt againe? When man was created firſt, his body was duſt; Secondly ſlime, that is, duſt tempered with water; Thirdly, clay, that is, coagulate ſlime: and laſtly earth, that is, condenſate clay; then when man returneth backe againe, firſt he is earth, then clay, then ſlime, and laſtly duſt; therefore God ſaith, duſt thou art, and to duſt thou ſhalt returne, Gen. 3.19.
Whether is this death naturall to a man or againſt his nature? Queſt.
If yee will reſpect the intention of nature, Anſw. death is againſt nature; Whether death be naturall to a man or not.becauſe generation is according to nature; therefore Dionyſius ſaid well malum carere fine, naturaet efficiente, cum a nullo optetur & ſit receſſus ab ente.
Secondly, Death conſidered two wayes.death may be conſidered two manner of wayes, either if it be compared with generation, or if yee compare one ſort of death with another; if yee compare death with generation, then death is alwayes contrary to nature: but if yee will compare one ſort of death with another, How death may be ſaid to be contrary to nature.then one ſort of death may be ſayd to be naturall, and another ſort of death contrary to nature: example; when a man dieth in a conſumption, this death is a naturall death, becauſe he hath that within himſelfe which maketh him to die: but when a man is killed and dieth a violent death, this death is contrary to nature, for he hath not the immediate and next cauſe within himſelfe.
Againe conſider natures firſt intention, All death is contrary to the firſt intention of nature.and then the way how nature worketh; in natures firſt intention all ſort of death is contrary to it: but if yee will obſerve how nature worketh, if ſhee worke by her owne principles then this is according to nature; but if death bee violent, this is contrary to nature: conſider then the firſt and principall intention of nature, death is contrary to it: but according to the ſecond intention of nature it is not contrary to it, Death is not contrary to the ſecond intention of nature.becauſe it is neceſſary for the introduction of a new forme, that the matter be changed, the matter alwayes craving the forme; and likewiſe becauſe this is done by the law of nature which ordained that things which have a beginning muſt die.
The young Vipers when they come out of their mothers belly, One death may be both ſaid to be according to nature and againſt nature.they gnaw the belly of their mother and ſo kill their mother; this unnaturall birth is firſt prater naturam, it is beſides nature; for nature teacheth creatures to love thoſe who bred them; Secondly, it is contra naturam againſt nature, becauſe they come not out the ordinary way as other creatures doe; Thirdly, it is Secundum naturam in the ſecond intention of nature, for everie creatures ſeeketh the life and preſervation of it ſelfe and the continuing of the owne kind of it. Queſt.
Whether is it naturall for the ſoule to bee ſeparate from the bodie or not? Anſw.
In the firſt creation it was naturall for the bodie and ſoule ſtill to be together and never to be ſeparated, Whether it is naturall for the ſoule to be ſeparated from the body.but ſinne intervening maketh the ſoule long oftentimes to be out of the bodie; the ſoule longeth to be out of the ſinfull bodie that it may bee the more able to diſcharge her ſpirituall duties, which are hindered by the heavy and dull bodie. The water according to the owne proper inclination goeth downeward, Simile. yet leſt there be vacuum or an emptineſſe in nature it aſcendeth upward; ſo the ſoule firſt deſired to continue in the body that there may be pulchritudo vniverſi, and the ſoule to be freed from ſinne it defyreth for a while to be out of the body. So the ſoule ſaith to the body, neque poſſum vivere tecum, neque ſine te, I can neither live with thee nor without thee.
Death is a thing violent to man, Object. therefore not naturall.
It is not violent to the ſoule, Anſw. for the ſoule when it is ſeparated from the body, Death although violent to the body, yet not to the ſoule.it doth not periſh, but is more perfected.
A part being taken from the whole, Object. then the ſeparation is violen, and the part imperfect; but the ſoule is a part of man, and there it is imperfect when it is ſeparate from the bodie. Anſw.
That is to be underſtood of ſuch parts as receive their perfection from the whole, but the ſoule rather giveth perfection than receiveth.
When the ſoule is ſeparate from the bodie it deſires to be joyned with it againe. Object.
It deſireth to be joyned with the body againe not as it is a naturall body, Anſw. Why the ſoule deſireth to be joyned to the body againe.but as it is a pure and glorified body.
Then the reſurrection is according to nature, Object. for the ſoule deſireth naturally a glorified body, and it deſireth not to be united to a ſinfull bodie againe.
It is naturall for the ſoule to deſire a glorified body againe, yet the ſoule cannot be joyned to God naturally, Anſw. but by ſupernaturall meanes; ſo the ſoule naturally deſireth a glorified body, but it can never be joyned to it but by a ſupernaturall meane.
When the ſoule is out of the body, Queſt. whether is it kept violently out of the body or not?
It is not kept violently out of the body, Anſw. becauſe that which is detained violently, Whether the ſoule be kept violently out of the body or not.is not onelyonly detained and kept from the place which it deſireth, but it is alſo detained in a place which it deſireth not, which is altogether contrary to it; when a man is taken out of his owne houſe and put in a cloſe priſon, hee wanteth not onelyonly his owne houſe which he longeth to be at, but hee is ſhut up alſo in a cloſe priſon which he abhorreth to be in, there he is violently detained; Simile. but when a man is removed out of his owne houſe and put in a farre better houſe, here he hateth not this better place, neyther can he be ſayd to be kept violently in it, although he have a deſire to be in his owne houſe againe.
The concluſion of this is, Concluſion. nature Gods handmaid in her firſt intention followeth Gods direction, Nature followeth Gods intention in the diſſolution of man.and as God intended firſt that man ſhould be immortall, ſo did nature: but then commeth in Gods ſecond ordinance, becauſe man ſinned God ſaid, Duſt thou art and to duſt thou ſhalt returne, ſo nature in her ſecond intention ſeconded Gods decree, and worketh to the diſſolution of man.