The court of the Gentiles: or A discourse touching the original of human literature, both philologie and philosophie, from the Scriptures, and Jewish church in order to a demonstration, of 1. The perfection of Gods vvord, and church light. 2: The imperfection of natures light, and mischief of vain pholosophie. 3. The right use of human learning, and especially sound philosophie. / By T.G.

§. 6. * 1.1 Yea there seems to have been a Catholick fame and Tra∣dition diffused amongst mankind touching the Resurrection, Last Iudgment, and Immortalitie of the Soul which could not, as we may rationally conceive, have its original from any other, save the sacred fountain of Israel. Socrates is brought in by Plato, (in Phaedone fol. 91) philosophizing on the souls subsisting and duration after the Bodies dissolution: and upon a supposition of Cebes, that this duration might be long, but not eternal; So∣crates undertakes to demonstrate, that mens Souls endure for ever. His words are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Cebes truely seems to grant this unto me, that the soul is more lasting than the bodie: but this remains uncertain to all, whether the soul, after the consumption of many bodies, it self having put of the last bodie perisheth &c. Upon this Question Socrates begins a new Dispute, and proves, that the soul never perisheth; because it was spiritual, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. What Plato means by his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is

well explained by Alcinous of Plato's Doctrine, cap. 25: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Plato saith that the soul was self mobile because it hath an innate or connate life, ever acting of it selfe. Farther Plato, in his Timaeus, Philebus, Phaedrus, Mino, Books of common wealth, and epistles, over and again proves the Immortalitie of the soul. Yea Aristotle himself, albeit in his lib. 1. de Anima, he seems to reject his Master Plato's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, yet elsewhere he seems in∣clined to assert the souls immortalitie, so lib. 1. de anima text. 4. he describes the Soul 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be void of passion and mixture i.e. Simple and incorruptible. So again textu 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 what is sensible is cor∣poreal; but the mind is separate i.e. incorporeal and spiritual; whence he concludes textu 19.20. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. The mind alone is separate, what ever it be & this alone is immortal & eternal. See more of this Ioh. Grammat praef. ad Arist. de Anim. and Voss. Idol. lib. 1. c. 10. * 1.2 Plato in Phaedo tels us that

men should revive, and from the State of dead become living, and the souls of dead men should remain, and that, in those who were good, better, but in those who were bad, worse.

Again, Plato (or who ever else were the composer) epist. 7. gives us some account of the conveyance of these Traditions, touching the Souls final Iudgment and Immortalitie. His words are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. We must alwaies give credence to the Anci∣ent and Sacred Traditions, which declare unto us, that the soul is immortal, and that it hath Iudges, and receiveth great Iudgment when tis separated from the bodie. This 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ancient and sacred word, or Tradition, whereby they came to under∣stand the Immortalitie of the soul and its future state, Plato, else where (as we have observed) stiles 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Divine and more sure word. For having proved the souls Im∣mortalitie &c, by the best rational arguments he could pro∣duce, he concludes, there was a Divine and more sure word or Tradition whereby it might be known: This Divine and more sure word, was no other than the Divine Scriptures, termed 2. Peter. 1.19 a more sure word of Prophecie; as we shall hereafter prove.

The first Founders of Grecian Philosophie Thales, Pherecydes, and Pythagoras, (who much traded in oriental, and Iewish Traditions) were very positive in their Assertions, touching the souls Immortalitie: Plutarch, 1^o de Placent. Philos: making mention of Thales and Pythagoras their Heroes or Daemons, saies they held them to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Souls se∣parate from bodies. * 1.3 Moreover Plato's fable of the souls Descent into the bodie, and Ascent again unto Felicitie seems borrow∣ed from Moses. Thales Milesius the Head of the Jonick Philo∣sophers defined the soul 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a being alwaies mobile and self mobile. And Diogenes Laertius saies of this Tha∣les 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Some say, that he was the first that affirmed the soul was immortal. i.e. Thales was the first that discoursed philosophically, of the souls Immortalitie; which he learned whilst he was in Egypt, by Tradition, originally from the Iewish Church, or Patriarchs as we have proved in what follows of Thales's Philosophie. Pherecydes Syrus Pythago∣ras's master asserted the same touching the souls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Im∣mortalitie, and future state, which he received by Tradition immediately from the Phenicians, (he himself being descend∣ed from them) but originally from the Iews, as we have endevo∣red to demonstrate, in the account of him & his philosophie. * 1.4 Di∣ogenes Laertius, in his proem, tels u•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Theopompus affirmed, that according to the Magi men should revive and be immortal. That the Magi Traduced this, as other pieces of their Philosophie from the Church of God originally, we have endeavored to prove, in what follows of their philosophie. Caesar in his com∣mentaries de bello Gal. lib. 1. And Valerius Maximus lib. 2. cap. 6. assert the same of the Druides; namely that they had this par∣ticular and strong persuasion that the souls of men perished not. Yea, besides what has been mentioned, Owen Theol. lib. 1. cap. 8. addes,

that throughout America, there were scarce any who doubted hereof; yea some had received Traditions of the

last Resurrection, and that before our Europeans arrived in those parts. From whence he argues that there had obtained a Catholick fame touching future Judgment, which persuasion was accompanied with a presumption of the souls Immor∣talitie; which though it might be demonstrated by reason, yet seeing it gained credence rather amongst the vulgar sort than among the Sophists cannot be asscribed to any other than Tradition;

whence he concludes all these things, 'tis evident, were conveighed throughout all mankind, from most ancient Tradition &c. Thus also Sandford Descensu l. 2. Sect. 84. tels us, that whatever the Ancients Philosophized, touching the various states of souls, in the Sun and Moon &c, this may be, not without the Imitation of sacred Scriptures, referred to the Heavenly mansions. And when Plutarch saies that the Sun who gave the mind receives it again; how near does this come to that of Solomon Eccles. 12.9. The spirit returnes to God that gave it. We may affirme the same of the Indians: Strabo, lib. 15: affirmes that the Brachmans fabled the same with Plato, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, touching the Immortalitie of the soul; and that herein they did 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Symbolize in Dogmes with the Grecians. Yea according to the attestation of Hackwell; and other of our English men, who viewed An. 1595 those ori∣ental parts, the Bamianes, Indian Priests, inhabiting Cambaia affirme, that the Soul returnes whence it came; and that there is a Resurrection of the bodie &c. The resurrection of the bodie, and its Reunion with the soul, is supposed to have been preserved and transmitted among the Heathen Philosophers, under that corrupt persuasion of their souls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 termed also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Transanimation, Migration from bodie, to bo∣die and Regeneration. Which not only the Pythagoreans, but also many other Philosophers both oriental and more westerne, maintained, as the Egyptians according to Herodotus, who, saies Pythagoras, had this Tradition from them. The like Iulius Caesar lib. 6. affirmes of the Druides, in France. And Appianus in

Celticis affirmes the same of the Germans. Yea Iosephus Antiquit. lib. 18. cap. 2 affirmes the same of the Pharisees. Thus Vossius Idololat. lib. 1. cap. 10. It was (saith he) the common consent of Nations, that the soul subsisted after it's separation from the Bodie; yea among many there were reliques of its reconjun∣ction with the bodie, which we call the Resurrection. But this they greatly corrupted in that of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Metempsuchosis &c. Thus have we demonstrated what evident notices the Hea∣thens had of the last conflagration, with the ensuing Iudgment, and mans immortal state, & all from sacred oracles & Traditions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pagan frag∣ments of the Resurrection, last Judg∣ment, and Im∣mortall State of the Soul.
• * 1.2

  Pagan frag∣ments of the Resurrection, last Judg∣ment, and im∣mortal state of the Soul.
• * 1.3

  Ascensus ani∣mae infelicita∣tem, id quod Plato a Mose mutuatus est Sandf. Des∣cens. l. 2. 1. Sect. 84.
• * 1.4

  Cicero in 1. Tuscul. quaes. saies that Pherecydes was the first that asserted the Immor∣talitie of the Soul; and that this opinion was after him confirmed by his Scholar Pythagoras.