The dignitie of man both in the perfections of his soule and bodie. Shewing as well the faculties in the disposition of the one: as the senses and organs, in the composition of the other. By A.N.

Of Man. And of the Coniunction of his Soule and body.

Question. WHat is Man?

Answer. A creature after the Image of God, compound of Body and Soule, and capable of reason.

Q. To what end was he made?

A. To set forth the glory of his Creator.

Q. What is his duty?

A. To knowe his owne Nature, and to contemplate the Nature diuine.

Q. What are the effects of the knowledge of our selues?

A. To bee humbled greatly, and to glory, and re∣ioyce: to bee humbled in respect of the Sence and fee∣ling of our Vanities, & to glory in respect of the mercy

of God, By whose grace wee recouer our selues from the daunger thereof.

Q. What guides haue wee, for obtayning of the same?

A. Three: I Godlines whereby wee know God to bee our Creator:

2. Holines, whereby we yeild vnto him continuall praise:

3 Religion, by which wee meditate vppon his beni∣fits, and are knit vnto him by Faith.

Q. What be the effects of Regeneration?

A. 1 To couet that perfection, and glorious liberty, whereof Man by Adam is depriued.

2. To gather Phisicke out of holy writte, if not to cure, yet to represse his wicked inclinations.

3. To account calamities, as chastisements for sinne.

4. To ioyne together the Actiue, and Contempla∣tiue life, in hope of life eternall.

Q. What is the cheife good of Man?

A. The rest and tranquilitie of the Soule.

Q. How is the Coniunction of the soule and body?

A. It is wonderfull, for the one is light, the other heauie. The one is a Coelestiall fyre, the other colde & earthie: the one inuisible, the other palpable: the one immortall, and the other mortall: and are maintained by agreeing discords.

Q. What is the greatest thing, contained in a little place?

A. The Soule of Man, placed in mans body.

Q. Why is Man more carefull of the body then the soule?

A. Because his minde stayeth wholy in things sub∣iect

to sight: & because of the soule is inuisible, it is the least of his care to furnish her with that which shee desireth: whereupon it commeth to passe, that the least discommodityes of the flesh seeme grieuous, but the incurable diseases of the Soule, are not so much as felt.

Q. Why are wee afflicted with bodily diseases?

A. To awake vs out of our sinne: to warne vs of our dutie, and to keepe vs in awe: for there are in the body certaine naturall passions properly belonging vnto it, euen from the first creation thereof, which are not to be taken away without the abolishing of Nature.

Q. What is the cause of Passions?

A. Pleasure, and greife:

Q. What is Passion?

A. The perturbations of the Soule neuer arise, for that which is the true good of the Soule, but only for that which Fooles doe falsely call good, and Philosophers call the goods of the body and of Fortune.

Q. What is the difference betweene the Soule and the Spirit?

A. The Soule is common to all things that haue life, But the Spirit (which is immortall and capable of Reason and knowledge) is proper to Man only: Or wee may say, the Spirit is the first and principall part of the Soule, wherein the minde, vnderstanding, and memo∣ry are contayned. The minde a as white paper, wherein, as Man groweth in age and iudgement, hee writeth his thoughts, and cogitations, which the studies of learning doe affoord.

Q. What is the fight betweene the Spirit & the flesh?

A. First, By the Spirit, wee tread the path to immor∣tall happines.

2. By the flesh wee stray into the way of death, and mi∣sery.

3. By the Spirit wee thinke to liue iustly.

4. By the flesh wee are stirred forward to iniquity.

5. By the Spirit wee contemne the world:

6. By the Flesh wee desire worldly delights.

Q. To what end is the creation of these things?

A. To set forth the infinite power, and greatnes of their workemaister, which is euery ones dutie to be carefull of.

Q. What is dutie?

A. The bond of the Soule, cheerefully, & willingly without feare and constraynt, to giue to euery one which belongeth vnto him, as Honor to whome Honor, Reuerexce to whome Reuerence, Tribute to whome Tri∣bute, Succour to whome Succour belongeth.

Q. How many parts are there of duty?

A. Two: the one towards God, the other towards our Neighbour.

Q. Duty towards God, what?

A. Loue, testified by Obedience.

Q. To wards our Neighbour, what?

A. To loue him. as wee loue our selues: For Duty is the end whereunto Vertue tendeth: All things are made for Man, and Man for the benefite of Man: Hee liueth most happily, who (as little as may bee) liueth to him selfe. And who so applies his course to this obseruation, dis∣poseth his actions to the end and purpose of euery good worke.

Q. What is requisite in euery good worke?

A. Two things: First that the intention, and end of

our actions bee rightly framed. Secondly, that the like meanes bee found out to attaine the same: for God is the fountaine of all vertue and duty: From this fountaine issue foure riuers. First, Prudence, which knoweth what is profitable for it selfe and others, and for the Common-weale.

2. Temperance, the mistres of Modestie, Chastitie and So∣briety.

3. Fortitude, which maketh a Man constant, patient, and couragious.

4. Iustice, which is the bond and preseruation of hu∣maine society, by giuing euery one that which be∣longeth to him, by keeping faith in things promised, by succouring willingly the afflicted, and by helping euery one as ability serueth.

By these foure Cardinall vertues, the Soule is recti∣fied in her power.

Prudence	rectifieth	The Rationall power,
Fortitude		The Power of anger:
Temperance		The Power of Concupiscence.

But Iustice rectifieth all the powers, and containeth in it selfe all the Vertues.

Q. Why are these Vertues called Cardinall?

A. Because as the dore is turned vpon the hindge, so on this, Mans life is turned, and ruled.

They are somtimes called Politique, because by these a ciuill life is ordered, and they pollish and adorne a Man, and rule the life, as touching outward things, and as far forth as they fight against vices.

They are also called Humaine: because they are gotten by Mans study, except they be infused by God.

They are somtimes also called Consuetudinall, be∣cause

they are not gotten by one action, but by cu∣stome. To conclude, Euen as God is a diuine Sampler of all things, So these patternes of vertues abide in him, and flowe vnto Man, from the fountaine of his diuinitie, whereof they are called Exemplares.