Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. That the earth is the baſeſt of all the Elements.
Iob. 30.8. Thou art viler than the earth.
I It may ſeeme that the earth is the moſt excellent of all the Elements. Firſt, becauſe in the creation, Some prove that the earth is the moſt excellent.it is ſayd, God created the heaven and the earth, Reaſon, 1 the earth for the excellencie of it, is put next to the heaven. Reaſon, 2 Secōdly, as there is a Paradiſe in heaven, ſo there is a Paradiſe on the earth; but there was never a Paradiſe found in the water or in the fire. Thirdly, Reaſon, 3 the moſt excellent element is placed in the moſt excellent place, but the midſt is the moſt excellent place in which the earth is ſeated: ſo he placed the tree of life in the midſt of the garden, as the moſt excellent place, and Chriſt walketh in the midſt of the ſeven golden candleſtickes, Revel. 2.1. Fourthly, Reaſon, 4 the earth is the ſeate and dwelling place of man the moſt excellent viſible creature, as the heavens are the place for God and his bleſſed Angels to dwell in. Reaſon, 5 Fiftly mortall creatures, move that they may reſt: reſt then is more excellent than motion; the reſt of the elements are moved, and onelyonly the earth ſtandeth immoveable, ſhe ſitteth like a Queene, whereas all the reſt are in motion. Sixtly, the men that dwell upon the earth, ſhew the excellencie of it, they mannure the earth, they count the earth their inheritance and delight, they deſire to be Lords of the earth, they contend to enlarge their bounds there, the gold and the pretious ſtones come out of the earth, and they who poſſeſſe moſt of it are Kings and Princes in it.
But theſe reaſons being well conſidered will not prove the earth to be the moſt excellent element; Reaſons prooving the earth to be the baſeſt of all elements.for the heaven is the throne of God and the meaſure of order, Reaſon, 1 and of all ſimple things moſt excellent, and the farther that the element is diſtant from it, the baſer it is. But the earth is fartheſt diſtant from the heaven; therefore it is the baſer element.
Secondly, Reaſon, 2 onelyonly the earth of all the elements, is moſt oppoſite to the heavens; and the ſhadow of it is the beginning of darkeneſſe, and night.
Thirdly, Reaſon, 3 if ye will conſider heat, of all active qualities, it is moſt active and befriendeth nature moſt: purging, The anſwere to the former reaſons.attenuating, and elevating: but the earth is oppoſite to it in all theſe reſpects.
In the beginning, Object. God created the heaven, and the earth, Gen. 1.1. Here the earth is put next the heaven.
This ſheweth an imperfection, Anſw. rather than a perfection in the earth, for here Moſes maketh mention of the two firſt things which were made, heaven and earth, the heaven as the moſt excellent, and the earth as the baſeſt.
There was a paradiſe upon the earth, Object. but none in the ayre, water or fire. Anſw.
The reaſon of this, Why a Paradiſe in earth and not in the reſt of the elements.was becauſe man had an earthly bodie: and could not dwell in any of the reſt of the elements: and the Paradiſe upon the earth, was an excellent and glorious place, but as it was adorned with temperate heate, pleaſant ayre, and ſweete waters.
The earth is the reſting place of man.
Not as it is the earth ſimplie but as it is the earth adorned with the reſt of the elements, Object. Anſw. and it is the reſting place of his body becauſe there is moſt earth in it, and becauſe this earthly bodie is nouriſhed in it: The earth not the reſting place of the body ſimplie.but it is not the reſting place of the ſoule; for it ſeeketh the things above, Coloſ. 3.2.
The earth reſteth, but the reſt of the elements moove; Object. therefore it is the moſt excellent.
We may gather, a contrary argument from this; Anſw. for motu rectu, by ſtreight motion, bodies are moved to reſt, that they may attaine to their owne reſt, which place when they have once attained unto, the more excellent they are, the more they follow the motion of the heavens, which are turned about continually. Object.
The earth is a common mother, and nouriſheth all things, therefore moſt excellent.
It becometh a rich, and fertile mother, Anſw. borrowing helpes from the reſt of the elements; The earth of it ſelfe is dry and barren.for the earth of it ſelfe is both dry and barren: and it is not fertile unleſſe it bee tempered with the reſt of the elements, and the heate of the fire is to be preferred to the humiditie of the ayre. Object.
The earth is the midſt of all the elements. Anſw.
The Philoſopher ſaith, that there is a double midſt, Medium Perfectionis molis.vnum perfectionis, alterum molis, the heavens are the midſt of perfection: from the which as from the heart, the whole is preſerved; the earth againe is but medium molis, The earth is not the midſt of perfection, but the middle place.it is but like the middle place, it is like the Navell in the body of man: but not like the heart: and if wee ſhall conſider the right order of the elements and the right order, how all the reſt hang upon the firſt; by this conſideration the heavens ſhall bee the higheſt, and the earth ſhall bee the loweſt and not the midſt.
The concluſion of this is, Concluſion.ſeeing the earth is the baſeſt of all the elements, we ſhould not ſeeke our contentment in it neither ſhould we ſay it is good to be here, but we ſhould ſet our affections on things above, Colloſ. 3.2.