_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[108] 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[109] 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_.