Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

[ 1553] Naturall perswasions, the invalidity of them in the point of true believing.

A Roman writ to Tully,* 1.1 to inform him in something concerning the Immorta∣lity of the Soul; Tully writ back again unto him, Evolve librum Platonis, et nihil amplius est quod desideres, Read, saith he, but Plato upon the same subject, and you will desire no more; The Roman returned him answer, Evolvi, iterum at{que} evolvi, &c. I have read it over, saith he, again and again, but I know not whence it is, when I read it, I assent unto it; but I have no sooner laid the book out of my hand, but I begin to doubt again, Whether the Soul be Immortal yea or no. So it is with all perswasion from Natural principles, as to that extent of Doctrine it would perswade us of, the perswasion that ariseth from them is faint and very weak; It is true, that Nature hath principles to

perswade the Soul by,* 1.2 to some kind of assent, As that there is a God, and he must be worshipped; Look upon me, (saith Nature) I have not a spire of grasse but tells thee, there is a God; See the variety, greatnesse, beauty of my work; Read a great God in a great Whale or Elephant; A beauteous God in a glorious flower; A wise God, in my choyce of Works; Behold a God in the order thou hast seen in me;* 1.3 See him in my Law, written in thy heart. From these and such like things Nature bequeaths a kind of Faith to the Soul, and learns it Cre∣dere Deum▪ to believe that there is a God; but this is far from Credere in Deum, Faith in the point of true believing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. Collings 5. Lessons.
• * 1.2

  Praesent••mque refert quae∣libet herb•• Deum.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 2. 15.