Who reads this Paradox but thinks mee more fantaſtike now, than I was yeſterday, when I did not think thus: And if one day make this ſenſible change in men, what will the burthen of many yeeres? To bee fantaſtike in young men is conceiptfull diſtemperature, and a witty madneſſe; but in old men, whoſe ſenſes are withered, it becomes naturall, therefore more full and perfect. For as when wee ſleepe our fancy is moſt ſtrong; ſo it is in age, which is a ſlumber of the deepe ſleepe of death. They taxe us of Inconſtancy, which in themſelves young they allowed; ſo that reprooving that which they did approove, their Inconſtancy exceedeth ours, becauſe they have changed once more then wee. Yea, they are more idlely buſied in conceited apparell then wee; for we, when [20] ]we are melancholy, weare blacke; when luſty, greene; when forſaken, tawney; pleaſing our owne inward affections, leaving them to others indifferent; but they preſcribe lawes, and conſtraine the Noble, the Scholer, the Merchant, and all Eſtates to a certaine habit. The old men of our time have changed with patience their owne bodies, much of their lawes, much of their languages; yea their Religion, yet they accuſe us. To be Amorous is proper and naturall in a young man, but in an old man most fantaſtike. And that ridling humour of Iealouſie, which ſeekes and would not finde, which requires and repents his knowledge, is in them moſt common, yet moſt fantaſtike. Yea, that which falls never in young men, is in them moſt fantaſtike and naturall, that is, Covetouſneſſe; even at their journeyes end to make great proviſion. Is any habit of young men ſo fantaſtike, as in the hotteſt ſeaſons to be double-gowned or hooded like our Elders? Or ſeemes it ſo ridiculous to weare long haire, as to weare none. Truely, as among the Philoſophers, the Skeptike, which doubts all, was more contentious, then either the Dogmatike which affirmes, or Academike which denyes all; ſo are theſe uncertaine Elders, which both cals them fantaſtike which follow others inventions, and them alſo which are led by their owne humorous ſuggeſtion, more fantaſtike then other.
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8.
That Nature is our worſt Guide.
Shal ſhe be guide to all Creatures, which is her ſelfe one? Or if ſhe alſo have a guide, ſhall any Creature have a better guide then wee? The affections of luſt and anger, yea even to erre is naturall; ſhall we follow theſe? Can ſhee be a good guide to us, which hath corrupted not us onely but her ſelfe? Was not the firſt man, by the deſire of knowledge, corrupted even in the whiteſt integrity of Nature? And did not Nature (if Nature did any thing) infuſe into him this deſire of knowledge, and ſo this corruption in him, into us? If by Nature wee ſhall underſtand our eſſence, our definition, or reaſon, nobleneſſe, then this being alike common to all (the Idiot and the Wizard being equally reaſonable) why ſhould not all men having equally all one nature, follow one courſe? Or if we [22] ]ſhall underſtand our inclinations; alas! how unable a guide is that which followes the temperature of our ſlimie bodies? for we cannot ſay that we derive our inclinations, our mindes, or ſoules from our Parents by any way: to ſay that it is all from all, is error in reaſon, for then with the firſt nothing remaines; or is a part from all, is errour in experience, for then this part equally imparted to many children, would like Gavel-kind lands, in few generations become nothing; or to ſay it by communication, is errour in Divinity, for to communicate the ability of communicating whole eſſence with any but God, is utter blaſphemy. And if thou hit thy Fathers nature and inclination, he alſo had his Fathers, and ſo climbing up, all comes of one man, and have one nature, all ſhall imbrace one courſe; but that cannot bee, therefore our complexions and whole bodies, wee inherit from Parents; our inclinations and minds follow that: For our minde is heavy in our bodies afflictions, and rejoyceth in our bodies pleaſure: how then ſhall this nature governe us, that is governed by the worſt part of us? Nature though oft chaſed away, it will returne; ’tis true, but thoſe good motions and inſpirations which be our guides muſt bee wooed, courted, and welcomed, or elſe they [23] ]abandon us. And that old Axiome, nihil invita, &c. muſt not be ſaid thou ſhalt, but thou wilt doe nothing againſt Nature; ſo unwilling he notes us to curbe our naturall appetites. Wee call our baſtards alwayes our naturall iſſue, and we define a Foole by nothing ſo ordinary, as by the name of naturall. And that poore knowledge whereby we conceive what raine is, what wind, what thunder, wee call Metaphyſicke, ſupernaturall; ſuch ſmall things, ſuch no things doe we allow to our pliant Natures apprehenſion. Laſtly, by following her, we loſe the pleaſant, and lawfull commodities of this life, for wee ſhall drinke water and eate rootes, and thoſe not ſweet and delicate, as now by Mans art and induſtry they are made: we ſhall loſe all the neceſſities of ſocieties, lawes, arts, and ſciences, which are all the workemanſhip of Man: yea we ſhall lack the laſt beſt refuge of miſery, death; becauſe no death is naturall: for if yee will not dare to call all death violent (though I ſee not why ſickneſſes be not violences) yet cauſes of all deaths proceed of the defect of that which nature made perfect, and would preſerve, and therefore all againſt nature.