Letters to severall persons of honour written by John Donne ... ; published by John Donne, Dr. of the civill law.

To my honoured friend S T. Lucey.

SIR,

I Make account that this writing of letters, when it is with any seriousness, is a kind of extasie, and a departure and secession and suspension of the soul, w^ch doth then cōmu∣nicate it self to two bodies: And as I would every day provide for my souls last convoy, though I know not when I shall die, and perchance I shall never die; so for these extasies in letters, I oftentimes deliver my self over in writing when I know not when those letters shall be sent to you, and many times they never are, for I have a little satisfaction in seeing a letter written to you upon my table, though I meet no opportunity of sending it. Especially this summer, when either by my early retiring home, or your irresolutions of your own purposes, or some other possessions of yours you did lesse reveale to me your progresses, and stations, and where I might crosse you by letters, then heretofore: I make shift

to lay little fault upon you, because my par∣don might be easier, if I transgress into a longer and busier letter then your Countrey sports admit; but you may read it in winter: And by that time I may more clearly ex∣press my self for those things which have entred into me, concerning your soul: for as the greatest advantage which mans soul is thought to have beyond others, is that which they call Actum reflexum, and iteratum, (for Beasts do the same things as we do, but they do not consider nor remember the circum∣stances and inducements; and by what power, and faculty, it is that they do them) so of those which they call Actum reflexum the noblest is that which reflects upon the soul it self, and considers and meditates it, Into which consideration when I walke after my slow and unperfect pace, I begin to think that as litigious men tyred with suits, admit any arbitrement; and Princes travailed with long and wastfull war, de∣scend to such conditions of peace, as they are soon after ashamed to have embraced:

so Philosophers, and so all sects of Chri∣stians, after long disputations and contro∣versies, have allowed many things for po∣sitive and dogmaticall truths which are not worthy of that dignity; And so many doctrines have grown to be the ordinary diet and food of our spirits, and have place in the pap of Catechismes, which were ad∣mitted but as Physick in that present di∣stemper, or accepted in a lazie weariness, when men, so they might have something to relie upon, and to excuse themselves from more painfull inquisition, never exa∣mined what that was. To which indisposi∣tion of ours, the Casuists are so indulgent, as that they allow a conscience to adhere to any probable opinion against a more pro∣bable, and do never binde him to seek out which is the more probable, but give him leave to dissemble it and to depart from it, if by mischance he come to know it. This, as it appears in all sciences, so most manifestly in Physick, which for a long time considering nothing, but plain curing

and that but by example and precedent, the world at last longed for some certain Canons and Rules, how these cures might be accomplished; And when men are inflamed with this desire, and that such a fire breaks out that rages and consumes in∣finitly by heat of argument, except some of authority interpose. This produced Hippo∣crates his Aphorismes; and the world slumbred or took breath, in his resolution divers hundreds of years: And then in Galens time, which was not satisfied with the effect of curing, nor with the know∣ledge how to cure, broke out another de∣sire of finding out the causes why those simples wrought those effects. Then Galeu rather to stay their stomachs then that he gave them enough, taught them the quali∣ties of the four Elements, and arrested them upon this, that all differences of qualities proceeded from them. And after, (not much before our time) men perceiving that all effects in Physick could not be derived form these beggerly and impotent proper∣ties

of the Elements, and that therefore they were driven often to that miserable refuge of specifique form, and of antipathy and sympathy, we see the world hath turned upon new principles which are attributed to Paracelsus, but (indeed) too much to his honour. Certainly it is also so in the Phy∣sick of our soul Divinity, for in the Primi∣tive Church, when amongst the Fathers there were so divers opinions of the state of the soul, presently after this life, they easi∣ly inclined to be content to do as much for them dead as when they were alive, and so concurred in a charitable disposition to pray for them; which manner of prayer then in use, no Christian Church at this day having received better light, will al∣low of. So also when in the beginning of S. Augustines time, Grace had been so much advanced that mans Nature was scarce ad∣mitted to be so much as any means or in∣strument (not onely no kinde of cause) of his own good works: And soon after in S. Augustines time also mans free will (by fierce

opposition and arguing against the former error) was too much overvalued, and ad∣mitted into too near degrees of fellowship with Grace; those times admitted a doctrine and form of reconciliation, which though for reverence to the time, both the Dominicans and Jesuits at this day in their great quarrell about Grace and Free will would yet seem to maintaine, yet indiffe∣rent and dispasioned men of that Church see there is no possibility in it, and therefore accuse it of absurdity and almost of heresie. I think it falls out thus also in the matter of the soul: for Christian Religion presu∣ming a soul, and intending principally her happiness in the life to come, hath been content to accept any way which hath been obtruded; how this soul is begun in us. Hence it is that whole Christian Churches aresthemselves upon propagation from pa∣rents; and other whole Christian Churches allow onely infusion from God. In both which opinions there appear such infirmi∣ties as it is time to look for a better: for

whosoever will adhere to the way of pro∣pagation, can never evict necessarily and certainly a naturall immortality in the soul, if the soul result out of matter, nor shall he ever prove that all mankind hath any more then one soul: as certainly of all beasts, if they receive such souls as they have from their parents, every species can have but one soul. And they which follow the opinion of infusion from God, and of a new creation (which is now the more common opinion) as they can very hardly defend the doctrin of original sin (the soul is forced to take this in∣fection, and comes not into the body of her own disposition) so shall they never be able to prove that all those whom we see in the shape of men have an immortall and reasonable soul, because our parents are as able as any other species is to give us a soul of growth and of sense, and to perform all vitall and animall functions. And so with∣out infusion of such a soul may produce a creature as wise and well disposed as any horse or Elephant, of which degree many

whom we see come far short; nor hath God bound or declared himself that he will always create a soul for every embryon, there is yet therefore no opinion in Philosophy, nor Divinity, so well established as con∣strains us to beleeve, both that the soul is immortall, and that every particular man hath such a soul: which since out of the great mercy of our God we do constantly beleeve, I am ashamed that we do not also know it by searching farther: But as some∣times we had rather beleeve a Travellers lie then go to disprove him; so men rather cleave to these ways then seek new: yet be∣cause I have meditated therein, I will shortly aquaint you with what I think; for I would not be in danger of that law of Moses, That if a man dig a pit, and cover it not, he must recompense those which are damnified by it: which is often interpreted of such as shake old opinions, and do not establish new as certain, but leave consciences in a worse danger then they found them in. I beleeve that law of Moses hath in it some

mysterie and appliablenesse; for by that law men are onely then bound to that indem∣nity and compensation, if an Oxe or an Asse (that is, such as are of a strong consti∣tution and accustomed to labour) fall there∣in; but it is not said so, if a Sheep or a Goat fall: no more are we, if men in a sillinesse or wantonnesse will stumble or take a scandall, bound to rectifie them at all times. And therefore because I justly presume you strong and watchfull enough, I make account that I am not obnoxious to that law, since my meditations are neither too wide nor too deep for you, except onely that my way of expressing them may be extended beyond your patience and pardon, which I will therefore tempt no longer at this time.

Your very affectionate friend and servant and lover I. Donne.

From Micham, my close prison ever since I saw you, 9 Octob.