The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 14
The xiiii. Chapter. Whether the worlde hauehave one onelyonly ſoule,
S.
NOW, foraſmuch as this world is but one onelyonly, and ſince it is finite, is it gouerned by ſome one ſpeciallſoule onelyonly, whiche is diſperſed throughout euerie parte thereof, as it were in the members, as wee ſee the ſoule to bee in a mans bodie?
M.
That this whole world hath a ſoule, and yt one onelyonly, certain Philoſophers of noble fame hauehave long ſince bene of opinion▪ as Ariſtotle, & certayne other: whoſe opinion hath hee folowed who wrote in this maner.
Firſte heauen and earth, and of the ſeas that flitring feeldes and fines,
Theſe glorious ſtarres, this gliſtringe globe of Moone ſo bright that ſhines.
One liuely ſoule there is that feedes them all with breath of louelove:
One minde throughe all theſe members mixt this mightie maſſe doth moue.
But this is not ſo much a ſolemne ſentēce or ſaying, as it is a great errour, as S. Auguſtine teacheth in his booke againſt Felicia Aria▪ the 12. Chapter.
S.
Why ſo?
M.
Bicauſe thoſe bodies which are conteined within the gouenrment of one ſpirite, and one ſoule, are all one, & not diuided (as is the bodie of eueryevery one of vsus) & not ſeparate one from an other as a flocke: and not one touching or neere ioyning to an other, as are the fingers of a mans hande, & houſes that ſtande one cloſe to an other. As for the parts of this bodie, which wee call the worlde, they are not onelyonly diſtinguiſhed one frō an other, but ſeparated alſo & diuided frō thēſelues by diſtāce of ſpace. For eueryevery ſheepe, eueryevery horſe, eueryevery tree, eueryevery particulare mā is a part of this world: yet are they ſo deuided by place & mole of body, and by circumſcription of diſtance, that it cannot bee ſaide, that all and euerye one of theſe hauehave one ſoule onelyonly. For what would come to paſſe, if it were imagined that in deed there were one onelyonly ſoule, and ſpirite in all theſe thinges? For ſooth this abſurditie: That the ſoule, which is a certein ſimple nature and altogither ſpirituall, were to be diuided as bodily things are, and not by imagination onelyonly. Neither can this inconueniēce bee auoyded, ſeeinge that thoſe thinges in which that onelyonly and ſingulare ſoule is conteined are in truth ſeparate and diuided by place, and determined euerye one of them by circumſcription of their owne bodye. Moreouer, it ſhoulde folowe that all the partes of the world had life, as the Sunne, the moone, the ſtarres, the heauē it ſelfe, yea & all ye celeſtial bodies which notwtſtanding S. Auguſtine moſte plainely denieth in hys booke againſt Priſcillia the 8. 9. Chapters: & that thys opinion of S. Auguſtine againſt the Mamches is true, the effect prooueth. For who woulde euer affirme, that the ſtarres had lyfe or reaſon? Finally, ſince of the partes of the worlde, ſome bee mortall, as brute beaſtes: and certeine immortall, as men: howe can it bee that this ſingulare and one onelyonly ſoule of the whole world, can admit in it ſelfe qualities and conditions ſo contrarie and repugnaunt one to an other, that it ſhoulde bee one parte of it mortall, and another immortall? ſpecially beeing it ſelfe ſingulare, one, and ſimple: not double, and compounded. Moreouer, amonge ſuch thinges as die, ſomeperyſhe verie ſoone, as wormes, and flies: ſome continue verie long, as Ceder trees, the Crowe, and the Heart: by this reckonyng it cummeth to paſſe, that this ſoule of the world, which notwithſtanding in theſe mens opinion is onelyonly one, and in number ſingulare and a lone, may bee called partly dead, and partly a liue. All which how fooliſh, falſe, and repugnant they bee, you ſee.
S.
I ſee indeede, and I agree with you, in that you doe moſte truely deny that there is one onelyonly ſoule, and that in number ſingulare, of this whole world.
M.
Yea, farther, beeſides the reaſons aboue recited, wee will laſtly alleage this one out of holy Scripture, as the ſtrongeſt of them al. To wit, that by this meanes, the goodnes and wiſedome of God, who giueth vntounto eueryevery thing, and ingraffeth within them their proper and diſtincte vertues, is not only obſcured, but vtterly extinguiſhed, and plucked out of mennes mindes: whiles wee attribute theſe vertues, the adminiſtration and gouernment of thoſe thinges, not vntounto GOD hymſelfe, but vntounto a certaine other nature and ſoule, contrarie to that whiche wee are taught too beeleeue and confeſſe, Pſalme. 147. and 15. and 16. verſes: To the Epheſians the 3. chapter verſe 20. and Iob the viii. chapter the 5. verſe.
S.
If then, there bee not one certeine ſoule of this whole vniuerſalitie, as you teache, truely the opinion of the Stoikes, Platonikes, and of certeine other Philoſophers: and likewiſe of the Priſcillianiſt Heretikes is ouerthrowen: who ſay, that this worlde is a liuyng creature: and indued with will and reaſon.
M.
You gather wel: For their opinion is altogether fooliſh, and vnreaſonable. For, ſince that is only a liuyng creature, and ſo to bee called, whoſe partes and members are not conteined only in one continuall compas of the bodie, but alſo gouerned by one ſpirite: verely this worlde is not a liuyng creature. For the mēbers thereof are diſioyned, and ſeparate. As for the auctoritie of the Stoikes, and other Philoſophers which you named erewhile, it ſhould mooue vsus verie little, had not S. Auguſtine ſometyme written, that hee doubted whether this worlde were a liuyng creature or not: whiche thyng as hee would not deny, ſo durſt hee not affirme: whoſe doubt notwithſtandyng we ought not to followe, or allowe of.