Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A65318
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A dialogue between Mr. Merriman, and Dr. Chymist: concerning John Sergents paradoxes, in his New method to science, and his Solid philosophy. By T.W.
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T. W.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing W115; ESTC R219887
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13,148
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32
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it away with him Now if these Substantial Bodies really remain where they were before his Notion of them how possibly cou'd these Real Substantial Bodies be in his Head Unless you 'll say that a Substantial Body can naturally be in a Thousand places at the same time which is as great a Paradox as the other give me leave Doctor to ask you a question J. S. comes into a Field of Asses and he no sooner sees them but he conceives a Notion of them he goes home having conceived does he carry the Asses along with him or no Or do they still remain in the Field where he first conceived them Dr. Why they still remain in the Field tho' he have a true Notion of them Merr. Very pretty but how does this stand then with J. S's Definition of Notion for Notion says he is the very Ass it self no likeness or Idea but the pure Animal with all its Modes Now if he has carried the Beasts home with him they are not in the Field if they are still in the Field it will prove a false conception and the Notion will become Abortive And then what will become of poor J. S. for if he looseth his Notion he looseth all If the very Asses are not in his Head 't is Demonstration he has nothing in his Head and for my part I shall never believe they are there till I hear Him Bray I have heard of some Men who have had Maggots and Worms in their Heads and these little Animals deprived them of the use of Reason they were little better then Fools what must we say then of a Man whose Head is filled with Bulls Bears and Asses Is not this a likely Man to make Demonstrations and teach the World the Method to Science and Solid Philosophy Dr. Why prethee Merriman this is all sham and banter I hate to see a Man of parts run down at this rate without Rime or Reason he produces no less then fifteen Demonstrations to prove his Deposition and you fall a laughing and cry 't is nonsense is this a rational way of Arguing Merr. Doctor when a Man tells me that the Moon is made of Green Cheese and that the Starrs are in the Centre of the Earth that every Man walks with his heels upwards that a Man has not free Will wou'd you have me to discourse this man rationally No I laugh at him and think he is only fit to be ty'd up to a Rack and fed with Hay as you do a Horse but because you desire it I answer to his first Demonstration When I simply apprehend the Thing or any Mode or Accident of it this Operation of my Vnderstanding is within my mind says J. S. and compleated there Sol. Phil. p. 29. I grant it Therefore the Thing apprehended which is the Object of that Operation must be there likewise ibid. I distinguish The Thing apprehended must be there likewise Apprehensively Intellectually or Representively I grant him and this we call an Idea of the Thing but that the House the City the Ass apprehended is Really and Substantially in the Understanding I deny And now where is his Demonstration and all his other Demonstrations For they are all built upon this Bottom and the consequence is so extravigantly absur'd that it deserves no other Argument then laughter But come no more of this let us to another Paradox Dr. Come let us hear what other Paradox have you found out Merr. Why what think you of this That it is infinitely more impossible an Angel shou'd be changed by God after the first Instant then by any other Spirit Method to Science p. 309. 310 311 313. And what he says of an Angel the same consequently he says of a separated Soul What think you of this is not this a notorious Paradox What does this Man mean Was Lucifer and his fellow Angels the first Instant created in a State of Grace or no Are they still in that State If not how comes this Change It cou'd not be from God says J. S all his Power cou'd not make it nor from the Angels themselves nor from any other Spirit or Creature whatever And yet a notorious Change is made even from the State of Grace to the State of Sin From a State of Bliss and Glory to the State of Damnation From the State of a glorious Angel of Light to a damn'd Devil condemn'd to eternal Darkness From a good Angel in Heaven to a black Devil envellop'd in eternal Torments These are eternal Truths Doctor deliver'd to us by an eternal Wisdom infinitely beyond J. S's Paradoxes which he has the impudence to call Demonstrations These are such demonstrative Truths I tell you that they cannot be deni'd without renouncing the Christian Faith And yet J. S. is that bold Man who has done it can I say then any thing more modest of him then that the Man dotes in his Old Age Dr. But to come off of this Point supposing he shou'd deny that Lucifer and the fallen Angels were created in the State of Grace and Glory where are you then Then your Argument falls to the ground Merr. Why if this be his way of coming off the last error will be worse then the first here he will make God a Tyrant to create such an infinite of noble Spirits for no other end then Damnation No no I can never believe tho' he is a bold Man that he will be so bold to strike at the Attributes of God in this Nature However he has drawn a bold stroak for the Deists and Atheists He has clear'd Hell of all the Devils not a Devil to be found there co ' J. S. For if God with all his Power cou'd make no Change in the Angels after the first Instant of their Creation nor they cou'd make none in themselves by their Pride vainly thinking to raise themselves to the equality of a God then they must still be in Heaven where they were in the first Instant of their Creation if in Heaven 't is clear they are not in Hell and if they are not in Hell then there is no Hell for no Devil no Hell Thank you good Mr. S. co ' Mr Athiest if your Doctrine be true we fear no Devils that we have been Bug-bear'd with so long Your humble servant good Mr J. S. Dr. But what do you say he holds the same opinion of the separated Souls I don't remember it Merr. The very same Doctor but this is an old Mumpsimus of his old Father Blacklo which he is reviveing for fear the old Gentleman shou'd be forgotten It was his opinion that the separated Souls in their intermediate State were not to be deliver'd thence till the Day of Judgment till the re-union of the Soul and Body and his reason was because a pure Spirit cou'd admit of no Change but his Scholar has out-done the Master goes a step farther and tells you that by the Omnipotent Power of God they cannot be free'd thence God