Philosophical poems by Henry More ...

The Argument of PSYCHATHANASIA, OR, The Immortality of the Soul.

Book. 3. Cant. 4.

Justice, true faith in the first good, Our best perswasion Of blest eternity unmov'd, The earths conflagration.

1

IT doth me good to think what things will follow That well prov'd thesis in my former song; How we in liquid heavens more swift then swallow Do sail on Tellus lap that doth among The other starres of right not rudely throng, We have what highest thoughts of man desire: But highest thoughts of man are vain and wrong. In outward heaven we burn with hellish fire, Hats, envie, couetise, revenge, lust, pride and ire.

2

In the eighth sphear Andromeda from chains Is not releast; fearfull Orion flies The dreadfull Scorpion. Alas! what gains Then is 't to live in the bright starry skies? It no man can exeem from miseries. All you that seek for true felicity Rend your own hearts: There God himself descries Himself; there dwels his beautious Majesty; There shines the sun of righteousnesse in goodly glee.

3

And you who boldly all Gods providence Confine to this small ball, that Tellus hight, And dream not of a mutuall influence, And how that she may shine with beames bright At a farre distance clad with Sols lent light, As Venus and the Moon; O you that make This earth Gods onely darling dear delight, All th'other orbs merely for this orbs sake So swiftly for to run with labour never slack,

4

To dance attendance on their Princesse Earth In their quick circuits, and with anger keen Would bite him, that or serious or in mirth Doubts the prerogative of your great Queen! Best use of that your Theory, I ween, Is this; that as your selves monopolize All the whole world, so your selves back again You wholly give to God. Who can devise A better way? Mans soul to God this closely tyes.

5

But if the Earth doth thankfully reflect Both light and influence to other starres, As well as they to it, where's the defect? That sweet subordination it mars; Gods love to us then not so plain appears: For then the starres be mutually made One for another: Each all the good then bears Of th' Universe, for 't••s single labour paid With the joint pains of all that in the heavens wade.

6

Rare reason! why! then God would be too good. What judgeth so but envie, and vain pride, And base contract self-love? which that free floud Of bounty hath so confidently tied Unto it self alone. Large hearts deride This pent hypocrisie. Is he good to me? That grace I would not ere should be deny'd Unto my fellow My felicity Is multiply'd, when others I like happy see.

7

But if the rolling starres with mutuall rayes Serve one another; sweet fraternity And humble love, with such like lore we'll raise, While we do see Gods great benignity Thus mutually reflected in the skie, And these round-moving worlds communicate One with another by spread sympathy: This all things friendly will concatenate; But let more hardy wits that truth determinate.

8

It me behoves t' hold forward on my way, Leaving this uncouth strange Philosophy, In which my lightsome pen too long did play, As rigid men in sad seuerity May deem; but we right carelesse leave that free Unto their censure. Now more weighty thought Doth sway our mind, thinking how all doth flee Whatever we have painfully ytaught So little fruits remain of all my skill hath wraught,

9

O th'emptinesse of vain Philosophy! When thin-spun reason and exile discourse Make the soul creep through a strait Theory, Whither the blunter mind can never force Her self; yet oft, alas! the case is worse Of this so subtile wight, when dangers deep Approch his life, then his who learnings sourse Did never drink of, nere his lips did steep In Plato's springs, nor with low gown the dust did sweep.

10

Certes such knowledge is a vanity, And hath no strength t' abide a stormy stour; Such thin slight clothing, will not keep us dry When the grim heavens, all black and sadly soure With rage and tempest, plenteously down shower Great flouds of rain. Dispread exility Of slyer reasons fails: Some greater power Found in a lively vigorous Unity With God, must free the soul from this perplexity.

11

Say now the dagger touch'd thy trembling breast, Couldst thou recall the reasons I have shown To prove th' immortall state of men deceast? Evolved reason cannot stand at one Stoutly to guard thy soul from passion. They passe successively like sand i'th' glasse; While thou look'st upon this the other's gone. But there's a plight of soul such virtue has Which reasons weak assistance strangely doth surpasse.

12

The just and constant man, a multitude Set upon mischief cannot him constrain To do amisse by all their uprores rude, Not for a tyrants threat will he ere stain His inward honour. The rough Adrian Tost with unquiet winds doth nothing move His steddy heart. Much pleasure he doth gain To see the glory of his Master Jove, When his drad darts with hurrying light through all do rove.

13

If Heaven and Earth should rush with a great noise, he fearlesse stands, he knows whom he doth trust, Is confident of his souls after joyes, Though this vain bulk were grinded into dust. Strange strength resideth in the soul that's just. She feels her power how't commands the sprite Of the low man, vigorously finds she must Be independent of such feeble might Whose motions dare not 'pear before her awfull fight.

14

But yet my Muse, still take an higher flight, Sing of Platonick Faith in the first Good, That Faith that doth our souls to God unite So strongly, tightly, that the rapid floud Of this swift flux of things, nor with foul mud Can stain, nor strike us off from th' unity, Wherein we stedfast stand, unshak'd, unmov'd, Engrafted by a deep vitality. The prop and stay of things is Gods benignity.

15

Als is the rule of his Oeconomie. No other cause the creature brought to light But the first Goods pregnant fecundity: He to himself is perfect full delight; He wanteth nought, with his own beams bedight He glory has enough. O blasphemy! That envy gives to God or soure despight! Harsh hearts! that feign in God a tyranny, Under pretense t' encrease his sovereign Majesty.

16

When nothing can to Gods own self accrew, Who's infinitely happy; sure the end Of this creation simply was to shew His flowing goodnesse, which he doth out send Not for himself; for nought can him amend; But to his creature doth his good impart, This infinite Good through all the world doth wend To fill with heavenly blisse each willing heart. So the free Sunne doth 'light and 'liven every part.

17

This is the measure of Gods providence, The key of knowledge, the first fair Idee, The eye of truth, the spring of living sense, Whence sprout Gods secrets, the sweet mystery Of lasting life, eternall charity. But you O bitter men and soure of sprite! Which brand Gods name with such foul infamy As though poor humane race he did or slight, Or curiously view to do them some despight,

18

And all to shew his mighty excellency, His uncontrolled strength: fond men! areed, Is't not as great an act from misery To keep the feeble, as his life to speed With fatall stroke? The weak shak'd whisling reed Shows Boreas wondrous strong! but ignorance And false conceit is the foul spirits meed; Gods lovely life hath there no enterance; Hence their fond thoughts for truth they vainly do advance.

19

If God do all things simply at his pleasure Because he will, and not because its good, So that his actions will have no set measure; Is't possible it should be understood What he intends? I feel that he is lov'd Of my dear soul, and know that I have born Much for his sake; yet is it not bence prov'd That I shall live, though I do sigh and mourn To find his face; his creatures wish he'll slight and scorn.

20

When I breathe out my utmost vitall breath, And my dear spirit to my God commend, Yet some foul feigne close lurking underneath My serious humble soul from me may rend: So to the lower shades down we shall wend, Though I in hearts simplicity expected A better doom; sith I my steps did bend Toward the will of God, and had detected Strong hope of lasting life, but now I am rejected.

21

Nor of well being, nor subsistency Of our poor souls, when they do hence depart, Can any be assur'd, if liberty We give to such odde thoughts, that thus pervert The laws of God, and rashly do assert That will rules God, but Good rules not Gods will. What ere from right, love, equity, doth start, For ought we know then God may act that ill, Onely to show his might, and his free mind fulfill.

22

O belch of hell! O horrid blasphemy! That Heavens unblemish'd beauty thus dost stain And brand Gods nature with such infamy: Can Wise, Just, Good, do ought that's harsh or vain? All what he doth is for the creatures gain, Not seeking ought from us for his content: What is a drop unto the Ocean main? All he intends is our accomplishment. His being is self-full, self-joy'd, self-excellent.

23

He his fair beams through all has freely 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Purge but thy soul that thou mayst take them in. With froward hypocrite he never went, That finds pretexts to keep his darling sinne. Through all the earth this Sprite takes pains to winne Unto himself such as be simply true, And with malignant pride resist not him, But strive to do what he for right doth shew; So still a greater light he brings into their view.

24

All Lives in severall circumference Look up unto him and expect their food; He opes his hand, showrs down their sustinence: So all things be yfild with their wish'd good, All drink, are satisfi'd from this free floud. But circling life that yet unsettled is Grows straight, as it is further still remov'd From the first simple Good, obtains lesse blisse, Sustains sharp pains inflicted by just Nemesis.

25

But why do I my soul loose and disperse With mouldring reason, that like sand doth flow. Life close united with that Good, a verse Cannot declare, nor its strange virtue show. That's it holds up the soul in all her wo, That death, nor hell, nor any change doth fray. Who walks in light knows whither he doth go; Our God is light, we children of the day. God is our strength and hope, what can us then dismay?

26

Goodnesse it self will do to us this good, That godly souls may dwell with him for aye. Will God forsake what of himself's belov'd? What ever Lives may shrink into cold clay; Yet good mens souls deaths hests shall not obey. Where there's no incompossibility Of things, Gods goodnesse needs must bear the sway. You virtuous brood take't for sure verity, Your souls shall not fall short of blest eternity.

26

But yet bold men with much perplexity Will here object against this principle, Heaping up reasons (strange fecundity Of ignorance!) that goodly might to quell Of my last argument, so fairly well Set down, right strongly the unsettled spright To have confirmed at my last far-well: But contrair forces they bring into sight, And proudly do provoke me with that rout to fight.

27

Whence was't, say they, that God the creature made No sooner? why did infinite delay Precede his work? should God his goodnesse staid So long a time? why did he not display From infinite years this out-created ray? The mighty starres why not in habited, When God may souls proportion to their clay As well as to this earth? why not dispred The world withouten bounds, endlesse uncompassed?

28

Poore souls! why were they put into this cave Of misery, if they can well exist Without the body? Why will not God save All mankind? His great wisdome if it list Could so contrive that they'd at last desist From sinning, fallen into some providence That sternly might rebuke them that have mist Their way, and work in them true penitence: Thus might they turn to God with double diligence.

29

Why be not damned souls devoyd of sense, If nothing can from wickednesse reclaime, Rather then fry in pain and vehemence Of searching agony? or why not frame Another form, so with new shape and name Again to turn to life? One centrall spright Why may't not many forms in it contain, Which may be wak'd by some magnetick might, 'Cording as is the matter upon which they light?

30

For when too severall kinds by Venus knit Do cause a birth, from both the soul doth take A tincture; but if free it were transmit Uncloth'd with th' others seed, then it would make One simple form; for then they could not slake One th' others working. Why is the World still Stark nought, through malice, or through blind mistake? Why had the first-made-man such a loose will, That his innumerous of-spring he should fouly spill.

31

Why was not this unlucky world dissolv'd As soon as that unhappy Adam fell? I itch till of this knot I be resolv'd: So many myriads tumble down to hell, Although partakers of Gods holy spell. Beside, tis said, they that do not partake Of Christian lore, for ever they must dwell With cursed fiends, and burn in brimstone lake. Such drery drad designes do make my heart to quake.

32

One of a multitude of myriads Shall not be sav'd but broyl in scorching wo; Innumerous mischiefs then to mischiefs addes This worlds continuance if that be so: Ill infinitely more then good doth grow. So God would show much more benignity If he the ribs of heaven about would strow, Powder the earth; choke all vitality. Call back the creature to its ancient nullity.

33

But thou who ere thou art that thus dost strive With fierce assault my groundwork to subvert, And boldly dost into Gods secrets dive, Base fear my manly face no'te make m'avert. In that odde question which thou first didst stert I'll plainly prove thine incapacity And force thy feeble feet back to revert, That cannot climb so high a mystery. I'll shew thee strange perplexed inconsistency.

34

Why was this world from all infinity Not made? say'st thou: why? could it be so made Say I. For well observe the sequency: If this Out-world continually hath wade Through a long long spun-time that never had Beginning, then there as few circulings Have been in the quick Moon as Saturn sad; And still more plainly this clear truth to sing, As many years as dayes or fleeting houres have been.

35

For things that we conceive are infinite, One th'other no'te surpasse in quantity. So I have prov'd with clear convincing light, This world could never from infinity Been made. Certain deficiency Doth alwayes follow evolution: Nought's infinite but tight eternity Close thrust into it self: extension That's infinite implies a contradiction.

36

So then for ought we know this world was made So soon as such a Nature could exist; And though that it continue, never fade, Yet never will it be that that long twist Of time prove infinite, though nere desist From running still. But we may safely say Time past compar'd with this long future list Doth show as if the world but yesterday Were made, and in due time Gods glory out may ray,

37

Then this short night and ignorant dull ages Will quite be swallowed in oblivion; And though this hope by many surly Sages Be now derided, yet they'll all be gone In a short time, like Bats and Owls yflone At dayes approch. This will hap certainly At this worlds shining conflagration. Fayes, Satyrs, Goblins the night merrily May spend, but ruddy Sol shall make them all to fly.

38

The roaring Lions and drad beasts of prey Rule in the dark with pitious cruelty; But harmlesse man is maister of the day, Which doth his work in pure simplicity. God blesse his honest usefull industry. But pride and covetize, ambition, Riot, revenge, self love, hypocrisie, Contempt of goodnesse, forc'd opinion; These and such like do breed the worlds confusion.

39

But sooth to say though my triumphant Muse Seemeth to vaunt as in got victory, And with puissant stroke the head to bruize Of her stiffe foe, and daze his phantasie, Captive his reason, dead each faculty: Yet in her self so strong a force withstands That of her self afraid, sh••'ll not aby, Nor keep the field. She'll fall by her own hand As Ajax once laid Ajax dead upon the strand.

40

For thus her self by her own self's oppos'd; The Heavens the Earth the universall Frame Of living Nature God so soon disclos'd As he could do, or she receive the same. All times delay since that must turn to blame, And what cannot he do that can be done? And what might let but by th' all-powerfull Name Or Word of God, the Worlds Creation More suddenly were made then mans swift thought can runne?

41

Wherefore that Heavenly Power or is as young As this Worlds date; or else some needlesse space Of time was spent, before the earth did clung So close unto her self and seas embrace Her hollow breast, and if that time surpasse A finite number then infinity Of years before this Worlds Creation passe. So that the durance of the Deity We must contract or strait his full Benignity.

42

But for the cradle of the Cretian Jove, And guardians of his vagient Infancie What sober man but sagely will reprove? Or drown the noise of the fond Dactyli By laughter loud? Dated Divinitie Certes is but the dream of a drie brain•• God maim'd in goodnesse, inconsistencie; Wherefore my troubled mind is now in pain Of a new birth, which this one Canto 'll not contain.