And therfore, of his wise purveiaunce,
He hath so wel biset his
That speces of thynges and progressiouns
Shullen enduren by successiouns,
And nat eterne, withouten any lye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. By wise forethought God has so well established his plan for the world that he has set up a system of generation, Theseus says. Things endure by successions, and not eternally. So in order for society to continue, people have to reproduce. Theseus is showing that death is a part of God’s order and plan for the universe.