help of other Circumstances of Time Place or Persons c. This we leave as doubtful Pag. 740. There are in Animals Three Sorts of Motion 1. Vital 2. Commanding or Stimulating 3. Prosecuting or Endeavouring That Commanding Force is in the Sensitive Appetite from whence all our Affections do arise and they reign and command in Animals Beasts and Men as Animal and act to Motion the whole Body or the several Members of it The Prime Vital Motion is that of the Pulse placed in the Heart the Seat of Life and Vital Motion acted by the Soul Pag. 741. The Actors in this Motion are the Inward Heat and Spirits viz. the Vital Spirits When this Motion ceases all Animals die and the Vital Spirits vanish But says he it doth not therefore follow that the Soul dies If he had proved or shall prove that there is a Soul in Man which did ever live doth live or can live in Separation from the Body we will admit of this Caution of his and not infer Death of such a Soul by the Ceasing of this Vital Motion in the Body Palpitations of the Heart agitated by the Affections and the Faculty of Respiration are also Vital Motions Appetive commanding Motion Pag. 724. is Vegetative Sensitive and Intellective It consists in prosecuting things liked and avoiding things disliked with Passion or at Leisure cites Matth. 15. They all proceed from the Heart and have their Rise from the Affections although many Causes may work in and upon them viz. Complexion of the Body Education Conversation Examples Doctrines c. their general Aspect is upon Pleasure or Pain to follow or avoid the Vigor of their Motion grows from Lust Wrath and Fear or present outward Sense greatly affected the Affections are not ill in themselves but useful helpful necessary for nothing is from God or Nature which is not Good the Evil which they produce is but by Accident Pag. 744. The Prosecutive Power lies in Local Motion This hath its Root in the Brain whence the Nerves and their Power and Motion are derived animated and enlivened by Spirits from the Heart This says he Galen teaches who is in that Point to be preferred before any other Testimony But it seems both he and Hyppocrates his Master were mistaken concerning Man's Compages of Body and Soul if our Author fall out to be right The Powers moving the Nerves and in them are the Vital and Animal Spirits and thence Motion is derived to the Muscles Bones Joints and every Member These Spirits which are partly Corporeal and partly quasi Incorporeal or Spiritual excited by the Soul omitting how or by what Means these Spirits move and guide the Nerves which are like Reins to the whole Body and they quicken and guide the Muscles and the small Cords or Strings which reach to them By these are the Bones Joints and Members of the Body moved And thus the moving Power of the Soul prosecutes the Mandates of the Appetite and Affections this seems a weak or foolish Sort of Soul that will or must use its Motive Powers to satisfie those Affections which drive to Action against the Will and Dictates of the Soul it self Whence we conclude it more likely that all these Motions are Natural and Animal that Intellect or Reason is one Natural Faculty in Man and that it is Chief and hath a Priority of Order and Power in him that Sense and the Affections are another Natural Faculty in Man and that Vital Inclinations and Powers of Vegetation are another Natural Faculty in him not divided by so many Souls but that one Soul serves all these Faculties viz. that Flaming Spirit or Principle of Life Motion and Action first breathed into Man by his Creator and once quite extinguished can never be again rekindled but from Heaven by miracle A Vital Spark or Origine of this Fire likely may be kindled in Heat of Coition lodged in the Matter by Ordinance of Nature and her Director This hath its appointed Natural Times and Means first of Vegetation and Motions then of Sense and Affections and lastly of Intellect and Reason The Matter Shape and Organs of the Body do by Degrees enlarge themselves and grow and they increase the Blood and Humors which nourish continually the Vital Active Flame whence the Increaseof Body and Soul goes on together till they arrive to their Fullness of Stature Proportions and Activities and in Ordinary Course of Nature they grow stand and decay together This Active is the Motive Principle enlivening and quickening all Man's Faculties to act according to their Natural Powers Propensities and Appointments If any Organ or Part of Matter be out of Order this Active Power not being Rational but in the proper Place for that Faculty cannot remedy that Want but can only put on to Action all that is in the Body fit for it inclining and helping them to and in the Actions that are proper or peculiar to them in the Heart the Primum Vivens and most Vital Part of the Body This Flame and Heat is most Predominant and Intense there the Blood is purified and ratified and refined there the Vital Spirits are generated and thence they are dispersed to several Parts of the Body but chiefly to the Head In the Heart therefore we place the Chief Seat of Life and Vegetation for whose Defence each other Part will be ready to expose it self knowing and feeling that the Loss of that Fort destroys the Microcosm The Place of next Value to this but of much greater Activity is the Head for there reside the Senses both Internal and External and there resides also the Rational Faculty viz. the Intellect and the Judgment so as these two Faculties of Sense and Reason are very close and near Borderers upon one another and although our Author go with the Stream of deriving Mens Affections all from the Senses therein seems to be an apparent Mistake for as we do allow to the Intellect a Will as well as to the Senses an Appetite so there must be allowed to Reason a Power of making and gaining the Affections of equal or greater Potency and Might then that which is attributed to the Senses Whence in Contests betwixt Reason and Sense or Will and Appetite that Part which prevails upon the Affections must be Victor over the other for the Affections stirred and gained excite move and sway the Heart which is drawn and bent by them to resolve and execute accordingly and there appears no such Difference between the Prevalency of either of these Faculties as that Men can determine which doth oftnest prevail or which of them is naturally endowed with the most strong and prevalent Power each have a Power in some Persons more than in others and in all Persons more at one Time or upon one Occasion then upon another In no Persons naturally doth the Stream run one Way but as S. Paul says 'T is not of willing or running but God gives the Victory perhaps often But
be better known it seems it can have but little Force of Proof in this Argument Joh. 12 26. If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be Chap. 14.3 If I go and prepare a Place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also This later Text expounds the former viz. Christ's Servants shall be where he is intending after he hath first prepared a Place for them and then comes again to receive them These particular Texts of Scripture are all that we meet with that are quoted by others or are observed by us and tending materially to Proof of the Separate State or Subsistence of Humane Souls after this Life ended And yet there remains one Perswasive which inclines common Readers as much or more than any other Argument to believe that there is a Separate State of Souls Subsisting after they are parted from the Bodies a Perswasive rising from Induction of many Scriptural Expressions concerning the Soul and the Body as different and even opposite Things and Principles Rom. 7. describes the Contest betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit as if they were naturally different Principles in Man whereas they are but different Faculties in Man viz. the Affections Passions and Appetites Vital combating the Faculties Intellectual the Knowledge and Reason of the same Party with various Success But these being exprest by the Terms of Flesh and Spirit of the Man seem to represent them as two Principles different and contrary one to the other Such Faculties we agree they are different and contrary but such Principles we say they are not but all proceed from the same Principles the Constituent Parts of Man viz. his Soul and his Body The Natural Powers of such a Compositum all these Faculties equally are and seem the one of them independent upon the other and seldom free from a Contest amongst them in which the Judgment or highest Prudence of the Party bears the Sway and hath the Determinative Power naturally residing in it So as what is here signified by the Terms of Flesh and Spirit are so far from a Possibility of a real Separation one Sort from the other as neither of them can subsist but in eodem subjecto with the other and the Compositum which hath not all of them is Imperfect Chap. 8.1 They who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit This taken for a Humane Spirit or Soul must intend the Reason or Intellect And the Chapter goes in Terms of Flesh and Spirit inducing Readers to accept them as different Principles and thence Separable Whereas we are ready to put the Stress of our Argument upon their being Joint-Principles of one Compositum Man which cannot consist without both And it seems as he Man cannot subsist without them so they not without one another And so in a Compositum they are generated grow stand and fall together one and all the Soul the Body and the Compositum and so they shall rise and be recompenced together And what God hath so joined together in Bands of Nature and absolute Coherence one of them to another the Power of Mens Wits and Perswasions will never be able finally to separate or to evince their Subsistence in a State of Separation one of them from the other Matth. 26.41 Our Lord says to his sleeping Disciples The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak intending the Body is often unable to act according to the Reason and Desire of the Mind Judgment and Intent of the Man and that Infirmity of Weakness and Weariness is peculiar to the Flesh thereby made unable to act with that Vigour and Continuance which the Soul acting in the Phantasy and Reason of the Man requires and shews such Connexion of the Matter and Form as in the Man one of them cannot act without the other Rom. 8.10 The Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit Galat. 3.3 Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh Ch. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh Ver. 19. Works of the Flesh Ver. 22. Fruits of the Spirit Coloss 2.11 Putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh 1 Cor. 7.34 The unmarried Woman cares that she may be holy both in Body and in Spirit Eph. 4.4 There is one Body and one Spirit 1 Thess 5.23 I pray your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord. James 4.5 The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy 1 Pet. 2.11 Beloved I beseech you abstain from fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul Ch. 3.18 Christ was put to death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit Ch. 4.1 He that suffers in the Flesh hath ceased from Sin and must live the rest of his time in the Flesh not to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God 2 Pet. 2.10 Wicked Men walk after the Flesh in Sins here named Rom. 13.14 Make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's These Texts and their like have a Sound or Semblance of Supposing a Separating Difference betwixt the Soul and the Body whereas their true Signification seems to be a Distinction between the Powers or Faculties of the Compositum viz. those Vital or the Vegetative and Sensual from those Intellectual and Rational viz. Man's Ambition Covetousness Lust Wrath and Fear and their Descendents from his Knowledge of Common Sense his Phantasy Opinion Reason and Prudence The first Sort of these Faculties and their Inclinations and Desires are signified and intended under the Name and Term of Flesh in S. John's Epistle called the World And the second Sort of these Humane Faculties are signified and intended under the Name and Term of the Spirit or the Soul But both Sorts are Fundamentally and even Inseparately united in the Nature of Man or that which is the Compositum both of Soul and Body Both Sorts are derived from the Conjunction of these two Principles or Constituent Parts of the Man it seems not singly but each from the Whole or the Compositum Not the first Sort from the Flesh and the second Sort from the Spirit or Soul really for the Flesh by it self cannot live or act And that a Soul by it self either ever did or that it can act was questioned by Aristotle and not found or believed by him It hath been affirmed by some of our Authors quoted but their Proofs offered are so weak as they appear very unlikely to perswade Considering People who can put off their former Prejudices Nor have they prevailed yet to induce a Belief that the Soul cannot act those Faculties of the Second
by something in us and that is some Substance and this we call the Soul it is not nothing and it is within us Thus he tells us a Humane Soul is an Immortal Spirit That being denied he neither proves it nor offers to do it but instead thereof he offers Proof that it is a substance for says he it moves and acts within us and it is not nothing This we grant but take it for no proof at all of the separated subsistance of a Soul for the Heart Brain Blood and Spirits and Breath are continually moving and acting within us and each of them are substances but have no subsistance in their Motions separate from the Body but all Die with it and so may that which is called by the names of Soul or the Form of a Humane Body or the Vital Principle of it Pag. 14. He Confesses That God is the continued First Cause of all Beings and that the Branches and Fruit depend not as effects so much upon their Causes the Roots Stocks and Branches as the Creature doth upon God whence it seems clear That God can make an Automaton moving and living by ways which Men may not be able to find out or understand and perhaps the Life and Actings of Animals may be such a Secret and because Men cannot find out how the Blood Spirits Nerves Arteries Veins Muscles and other Vital Parts are acted or moved nor the adequate or precise manner how they are all Excited and Actuated by that Flame and Glowing of that which is called the Flammula Vitalis not quite extinguished in Animals but with the Life how by the Unctuous Spirits rising from the Blood Urine and Humours of the Body this Flame is perpetually nourished and maintained and fanned and kept alive by continual and lively respiration nor how the Spirits raised and kindled in and about the Heart mount continually to the Head where in the Brain and the Ventricles of it and Motion or Conveyance of the Arteries thereunto belonging the Common Sense is furnished and excited to Act upon all Objects presented and to Lodge them in the Phantasie and the Memory whence they may be recalled and presented again to the common Sensorium or Judicial Power that it may consider them better or work with them or upon them as far as its own Capacity or Intellect can advance it self in the Powers and Practices of Arts and Sciences Such things we find are transacted and done in the Brain and Body of Man and we cannot pervestigate with any exactness how by the Vital Parts and Spirits of the Body such effects are particularly and properly Produced and this is more hard to be done because Men can never Compass the sight of a Dissected Body in the full Life Vigour and Motion of the Blood Spirits Humors Parts and Members of it but must be content with the view of them all Dead Cold Clammed whence they may have good pretences to conclude it very unlikely that the Powers of Sense Phantasie Intellect and Memory should be Actuated by such Materials or the Conjunction or Operation of them not enough considering that the Flamula Vitalis which is the Acter and Life of them all is extinguished before the beholders can be admitted to the sight and consideration of the Vital or Principal Parts of a Dissected Body And yet it seems from this want of Conception how the Parts and Spirits of the Body do or after what manner they can Act after and in performance of the Faculties of Sense Motion Intellect Phantasie Memory c. Men take their Principal or even only Reason to Introduce or Invent a Forreign Government and Governor for every Animal or at least Humane Body viz. a Spiritual Substance as our Author calls it Pure Invisible Immortal others add Indiscerptable and it will not be Difficult for Men to add and ascribe to it whatsoever their fancies happen to Invent in Cases where we can never expect to have any likely Trial of the Truth but this savours of expounding Obscurum per Obscurius or the stopping one Hole and making many Wherefore as to our not conceiving how the Animal Parts can Work and Act all those Parts which we know are performed amongst us wee seem to have ground enough to refer them to the Power and Will of our Creator That he can by such means effect all Mens performances no Man makes doubt and to many and learned Persons it seems likely that he hath done so and for those who meerly upon the fore-named reason will take the boldness to impose a Super-Humane or Spiritual Empire upon the Bodies of all Men we request them to take as the Acter or Imposer ought to do upon themselves the Onus Probandi and that they first prove to us concerning the Power intended by them to be Introduced amongst and over us which they call an Immortal Spiritual Substance 1. Quod sit 2. Quid sit 3. Quale sit 4. Quando Ingreditur 5. Vbi residet 6 Quomodo gubernat agit viz. That there is in Nature such a Humane Soul able to subsist in Seperation from the Body 2. What it is in its own Nature and whether it do pre-exist a Mundo condito or be derived ex Traduce from the Seed of the Parents or that Infundendo Creatur be Created by Gods Power upon every Fruitful Copulation 3. With what Qualities such Souls are indowed whether they are all well inclined or some ill or meeterly Whether all are of like Power or some more others less potent Whether they may cause or can help or hinder any Bodily Pains or Diseases Whether they can leave their usual place of Residence and go into other Parts of the Body or go quite out of it a wandring in the World and yet return to it again Whether they feel share of the Bodies Maladies and will not willingly consent to have Limbs cut off or to take strong Purges or Vomits for fear of being disturbed in their places of Residence Whether they are more pleased or have a greater desire to be in the Body or out of it Whether the Body be as a Prison to Souls and they be confined to it or that they chuse to be there and leave it unwillingly And if they be there confined by what Power or means are they so and what other Qualities of Souls they think fit to communicate to us 4 When it is that the Soul enters into the Body Whether before or after the Births and if before then how long after the Conception Whether it enter in its full Dimensions or grows larger as the Child grows or suffer detriment by sickness of the Body or its Consumption or Age Also when it leaves the Body finally Whether its leaving do kill or that it stay till the Flamula Vitalis be quite extinct and the Body dead Or If this Flame be suddenly extinct by the violent motion of a blow upon the Head Whether doth the Soul strive to re-kindle this Flame or
goes suddenly away in a fright 5. Whether the Soul have a peculiar Place of Residence in the Body and where that is And if that part be ill affected and unfit for her can she change it and go to reside in another Or whether is there more places or another place in the Body that can be fit or can make room for her to reside and act in or that she is Tota in qualibet parte 6. How doth she Act can she do any thing by her self or her own peculiar Power without the Ministry of the Animal Spirits and other Parts of the Body Can she amend any thing that is amiss in the Body or know any thing without such Ministry of the Senses By what force doth she move the Bodily Spirits or can she inflict Pain or Punishment for their Disobedience Can she Govern the Passions by an absolute Sway or how far can she do it and by what Means And so for the Affections and whether is not she rather subjected often to their Power and how far and by what means that comes to pass How or by what means and ways doth she Imagine Judge Understand or Remember Or can any better or more Inteliligible Account be given that she doth and how she doth such things Then how the Spirits Brain and other Organical Parts of the Body do them actuated thereto by the Impulse of Nature and that Flammula Vitalis which pervades every part of the Body and most powerfully Operates in the Heart and Head stimulating and stirring them in and to the performance of Duties and Powers intrusted to them and Imposed or Imprinted upon them by Nature and the Contriver who made them for such purposes and hath appointed their Imployment and the Order and Power by which it seems they may be and are continually easily and naturally performed When the Introducers and Maintainers of a Spiritual Self-subsisting Soul in Man have opened their Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge so largely as to satisfie the Curious Inquirers concerning these and the like particular Queries they may then with better confidence deny the possibillity of the Animal Spirits Blood and Organical Parts of the Body their performing such Actions and producing such Effects as are daily done by us and are continually visible amongst us and thence derive their pretentended necessity of introducing within upon and over us such a Foreign Commander and Government as that of a Perfect Substantial Immortal and Self subsisting Spirit but withal we must desire them to declare why they do allow the boisterous Affections and Passions in Man viz. his Ambition Covetousness Lust Wrath and Fear to be ungovernable by this Imperial Spiritual Power set over Man and his Actions but that such riotous Actors will oppose and over-rule this Spiritual Power and hurry this precious Soul and Potent Governor whether she will or not into very bad and wicked Actions such as her self doth not only resist and condemn but even detest and abhor These Affections and Passions our Spirit-imposers do commonly grant have their Rise and Growth from the Animal Spirits Propensities and Parts of the Body but they have not yet set forth any more rational Account of the Manner how or the Power by which such Effects are performed or produced than they say can be done for those of the Senses Phantasie Intellect or Memory They ascribe indeed the Faculties of the Head and Brain to the Spiritual Power and Government and the Affections and Passions they place in the Heart and suffer their Product and Power to remain with Flesh and Blood but they shew us no Reason of the Difference nor how it comes to pass and by what Mediums Flesh Blood Spirits and Animal Parts do or can produce one sort of these Faculties in Man and not the other It is true that after the Notion of a Living Spirit enlivening and ruling in Man is admitted and taken for true we do then easily conceive and believe the Faculties of the Brain are more suitable to that Nature and the Affections and Passions which sure not therewithal but are apt to resist and over-rule that Government Men do forwardly ascribe to the Production Actuating and Government of Flesh and Blood but perhaps more rightly to the same Flame and animal Spirits which act also in the Head but more refined there and meeting with fit Matter and Organs adapted intended by the Artificer and by him appointed for more Noble Purposes And our Experience tells us That Blood which produces Barking in a Dog will by Transfusion cause Baaing in a Sheep and likely Bleating in a Calf Grunting in a Hog and so will the Sheeps Blood by Transfusion produce Speaking and Singing in a Man according to the Matter and Organs which the Spirits arising from that Blood find in the Places adapted for such Productions This farther Piece of Work being cut out for our Spirit-imposers it shall here be left upon them to perform before they be permitted as a reasonable Course to go on in their Pretences That because Men are not able so fully to understand the Course of Natural Proceedings in the Head and Brain as to give a rational and satisfactory Account thereof that therefore Things cannot be done there as they are without such a Spiritual Power as Men have invented to substitute rather than confess in this Case the Truth of their Ignorance and that God's Works are in this Case particularly past finding out But if they shall give us as rational and satisfactory an Account of the Things concerning the Soul they speak of as they require other Men to give of the Acts performed in the Head by the Brain and the Membranes Arteries and other Parts to the same belonging and continually supplied by Animal and Subtil Spirits from the Heart and quickened and acted by the Flammula Vitalis Nay except they do give a better Account of their Soul and its Power and Manner of Acting than Men can do of the Manner of Acting in the Head and Brain by the Animal Spirits and other Natural Parts and Powers of the Body it seems they are not to be believed or admitted to impose upon-Men their Doctrine of a Spiritual and Self-subsisting Soul as a Distinct Being from that of the Body and it seems they may as well devise Souls for the Beasts upon the same Grounds viz. For that they cannot give a rational or satisfactory Account how and by what particular Means and Powers many of their Actions are framed guided and performed As how they come every one of them to know wherein their Prime Forces of opposing others and defending themselves do consist The Dog in his Teeth the Beasts Sheep Goats Deer in their Horns the Boar in his Tusks Cocks in their Bills and Spurs Porcupines in their Quills and the like and how every Species are taught and guided to use their several Weapons the most dexterously and most to their Advantage by what Power Order or Means the Subtilties of
in it self or of moving any other Matter whatsoever It seems when he made this gross Mistake he did not remember that there was an Element of Fire in the World For we suppose he could have no doubting but that Fire was Matter nor that wheresoever it is found it shews it self to be a Self-moving and an Active Principle in Nature so violent as to disdain Resistance from any thing Fortresses and Castles are ordinarily and easily overthrown by it Rocks and Mountains cannot enough resist the Force of it But it can shake the solid Globe of Earth making Resistance to the Violent Force of its Motion and Activity How extream easie must it then be for a Principle of such Mettle and Vigour to move and actuate and to enliven and quicken the adapted Parts Members and Organs of an Animal or Humane Body wherein those Parts and Organs are fitted by a wise Creator to those Motions and Purposes and for those Offices in their first Formation intended It seems an Opinion of so little Doubt or Question as scarce leaves Matter or Occasion for any farther Dispute about the Verity of the Thing We have spoken before of the Spirits enflamed to a Tenuity so rare as it attains to a Degree of Invisibility And our Dr. Pag. 149. tells us of the Intense Heat that is about the Heart of Man such as that his Blood there is in a manner scalding-hot So Pag. 203. says The Aetherial Matter is that Fire which Trismegist affirms is the Vehicle of the Mind and which the Soul of the World doth most certainly use in all her Acts and Procreations Pag. 212. The Spirits thus fine and active move like Light as that of the Sun to our Sight the Motion is propagated not by Degrees but at once Pag. 214. If one part of the Blood he more Fiery and Subtil than another it will be sure to reach the Head From these Assertions it appears our Dr. was not ignorant of the Principle of Fire and its Activity in the Body and Mind of Man nor did he forget it Why then did he not mention and answer the Objection thence arising against his Position That Matter can neither move it self nor any other Matter there seems no Account or Reason to be given Our Author Baxter takes notice Pag. 21. That Life Intuition and Love are Acts as Natural to the Soul as Motion Light and Heat are Quoad actum to the Fire This Testifies his Opinion That Fire is a a Self-moving Principle and that it is evident and eminent in the Composition of the Body and Mind of Man is too well proved and apparent to be doubted Upon all these Quotations and Arguments it seems we may say as we have done before in the Case of Plants that in Animals Men do find a proper and sufficient Original in their Seed and the Fomentation and Nutriment of it and of its Growth and Tendency to the Perfection of its Kind that there are naturally produced the Parts belonging to such Bodies viz. inward as Heart Liver Lungs Bowels Brains Spleen Kidneys Bladder c. And outward as Head Feet Hands Arms Shoulders Neck c. Also those which under one Name contain many Particulars as the Muscles Nerves Veins Fibres Arteries Films Membranes Tunicles c. Lastly such as go through the Composure and every Part of it viz. Flesh Bones Blood and Breath God by his Hand-maid Nature and that Wisdom described Prov. 8. framed this Compositum at first out of the Dust of the Earth Of which David gives a true Character when he says I am fearfully and wonderfully made and making he endowed it with a Generative Power to be practised and used for the Continuance of their Species till Time and Place shall fail for such Productions and hath made such Performances the most pleasing and delightful Actions of their Lives to the intent the Species of Animals might never fail in the World or be extinguished When their Bodies were perfectly framed and fully finished furnished with Blood and Humours fit to be enkindled by the Promethean or Heavenly Fire He breathed says Moses into Man the Breath of Life which though Moses doth not express it was given and granted to the Beasts of the Field also and to the Heirs and Posterities of them all and by the first Blast and Fanning of this Breath were the pregnant Steems of the newly-created and pullulant Blood and Humours of the Body enkindled and enflamed with a Fire of Heavenly Product Natural and Lambent like those sometimes found in Ancient Urns and Sepulchres ever burning or shining without Consuming or Perception of Consuming their Materials This Fire Flame or Glowing pervades the whole Body and every Part and minute Particle and Member of it whither the Blood and Humours can and do come enlivening and actuating the whole and every Part of the Body to perform those Purposes for which by Nature they were intended But the Power of this Vital Heat and Fire is most apparent in and about the Heart where the Blood is most heated rarified and refined to a Spirit of that Pureness and Subtilty that like a rorid Steem they become thin to an Ivisibility ascending continually from the Heart to the Head as the Sap doth in Plants and the Vegetative Spirit from the Root to the Branches arriving in the Head they replenish the Brain and the Ventricles thereof acting and stirring and enabling all Parts and Organs to and in the Performance of those Parts and Duties for which by Nature they were intended Our Dr. before-quoted P. 298. tells us That by these Spirits the Soul hears sees feels imagines remembers and reasons and can do nothing without them And Pag. 329. The Souls Intellectual Operations depend upon these Spirits and it is the Fitness and Purity of them that invites and enables her to love and look after Divine and Intellectual Objects But we do not perceive more need of such a Soul in the Animal than there was before in the Plant there we found Materials and proper Organs for the Nourishment of it and a Natural Vegetative Spirit or Soul to enliven it to stir and actuate the Sap causing it to ascend and to spread it self in all Places even to the uttermost Branches and Twigs of the largest Trees where it produceth Leaves and Fruit according to its own proper Nature and why not the Blood Humors and Animal Spirits circulating in the Body of an Animal The Blood and Humors actuated with the Flame of Life and the attenuated Spirits actuating and applying to fit Matter and Organs of the Body made proper for their several Purposes and moving and stimulating to act accordingly and acting with them and in them why may not these act in the Natural Course of a Sensitive Animal without an Immaterial Self-subsisting Soul Our Dr. says Because you can shew me no Way how things can be by such Means acted and done in the Senses or Vnderstanding but so as I can make
by this Harmony explicate the Affections and Operations of the Soul 2. This Harmony is neither a Mixture of Ingredients or a Composition of Parts or Members in the Body as all other Proportions are in their Kinds and therefore not properly Harmony They gave the Amicableness of the Ingredients a Part in this Work of Operation by Harmony But whether it be the same Thing or one different from it they do not declare nor doth Empedocles their Author discover Now if the Soul be not this Reasonable Proportion and Temperature of the Mixture in Bodies why doth it appear to be taken away together with the Body and what is it that perishes at the Souls Departure if this sort of Harmony be not the Soul Yet concludes it is not the Soul The Soul may be moved by Accident and can move it self so viz. by moving the Body but a Local Motion the Soul of it self hath not This of Local Motion must be intended whilst in the Body or is fully contradicted by our Doctor Pag. 266. and so to 296. And we may observe that Aristotle seems to bear much with this Opinion of the Harmony though he doth not allow of it and though it fall short of the Truth yet it seems to have a good Share of the Truth in it Chap. 5. Because that to Rejoice Grieve or Discourse are Motions and Men use to say The Soul Rejoices is Grieved or doth Ruminate or Study it therefore is so moved One might as well say the Soul Hews Timber or Weaves nor is it proper to say the Soul Learns or Reasons in Discourse but that the Man doth so by the Power of his Soul Not that the motion is in the Soul but in some Cases it comes to her as in Using the Senses and in some comes from her as in Using the Memory and so for the Intellect which hath a nearer Relation to her than the Memory also is a tore Substantial Faculty and is less decaying or subject to be spoiled The Decays of Age do not reach or spoil it so soon as it doth the Senses Memory or other Faculties The Soul suffers not by Age but the Body wherein she is as in Cases of Drink or Sickness Intellect and Contemplation will fail also with the Bodily Materials failing but the Soul her self is Impassible And if an Old Man should obtain a Young Eye he would be able to see as well as if he were Young To Love Hate or Remember are not Works of the Soul but of him that hath it and they are Qualities and Powers common to the Soul and Body and perish with the Dissolution Perhaps the Intellect may be a more Divine Thing and Impassible Finally the Soul can neither be moved nor move her self but by Accident We may observe That where Aristotle says the Intellect is a kind of Substance I render it a Substantial Faculty more so than the Memory It seems intended by the following Words that Intellect doth also fail Men in their Age but not so early as Memory and so Experience confirms to us For his perhaps the Intellect here intended Soul but not so before perhaps it is a Divine Thing and Impassible We say that what perhaps may be perhaps may not be and compare it with Solomon who knows it is left by both as an uncertain Thing and we are left to seek for a firmer Fixation of what they in these Places have not determined Chap. 6. Aristotle rejects their Opinion who thought the Soul to be a Number which had Power to move it self and says 't is an Impassible Tenet His Arguments seem plain and therefore need not be repeated but we remark or observe that he says Plants and Animals seem to be indowed with the same Soul Spirit or Specifical Soul Also whether you call Democritus his round Atoms Vnities or Minutest Points they will create that which is Quantum and then there will be something that moves and something that is moved as there must be in all Magnitudes though never so small and every Vnity must have its Motor so it cannot be Anima for that is Motor and is not moved but by Accident They who call the Soul Number are like them who call it a sort of a subtil Body consisting of Parts of a like Nature But if the Soul be over or in all the Sentient Body universally and that which enlivens it here would be two Bodies one within another Observe we may concerning this Subtil Part which he calls a sort of a Body it may intend the Immaterial Spirit before explicated and then the having one such Body within another Dense Body is but an Exception to the Wording of the Thing and doth not reach to the Denial of the Matter intended Chap. 7. Mentions Three Definitions of the Soul First That is Id quod maxime vim habet movendi and therefore is a Self-Motor Second That it is a Body consisting of the most Subtil Parts and more Incorporeal than any other Body or Thing These Two are past The Third is That the Soul is a Compositum of the Elements and which therefore can perceive and know them and all that is made of them This Knowledge says Aristotle cannot rise from the Composition of Elements in the Soul unless the Proportions of the Composition in Things and their Way and Manner of Compounding be also in the Soul but not compounded Substances can be in the Soul nor Quantity Quality or other Accidents Empedocles thought the Elements with their Concord and Discord composed not only the Humane Soul but that they and their Concord made up the Divine Intellect excluding Discord Whence says Aristotle God knew less than Men but the Elements says he are Material and that which by compounding them makes the Soul must be of more Value than the Soul And what Thing can that be Impossible it is that there should be any thing more excellent than the Soul or superior to it especially to its Prime Faculty the Intellect For most agreeable to Reason it is that this highest Faculty of the Soul be accounted of the greatest Antiquity and the highest Dominion or Power according to Nature No says Empedocles for the Elements are the First of Beings and if the Soul were not from the Elements she could not attain to the Knowledge of them And here Aristotle lets this Dispute fall and says no more to any purpose in this Chapter We may observe that Aristotle repeats here again the Opinion of the Souls consisting of Material but most Subtil Parts more Incorporeal or Spiritual than any other Material Thing He gave no other Answer to this before but by his Clinch That this would be to conceipt two Bodies one within another To this may be said one is a Spiritual Body or a Celestial Spirit kindled by the Breath of Life But withdraw its Pabulum some few Days or stop the Fanning Air from it but for some few Minutes this Flaming Spirit is certainly extingushed this
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but gives no Aswer to it Says Plato Origen and many Hebrews held Opinion the Adam's Soul and all other Souls did and do pre-exist and are thence called down as new Bodies require viz. from Superior Regions But this he says is both false and absurd And to prove this by Reason he says Pag. 619. cites Aristotle That the Soul is Actus Corporis Organici and therefore the Soul cannot be before the Body To this we easily assent and add That when the Body dies this Actus Corporis must cease for the same Reason He argues also That the Soul is a Spiritual Substance and it was not needful or proper to put that up at the Nostrils and that seems true but makes against his former Assertions Still there rises a new Difficulty viz. Whether this Soul if then created were created first within the Body or first without the Body and then was breathed or blown in The Text favours the later but the Author favours the former to the Intent that Men may not think Souls are still first created and then infused but think rather as he doth that Souls are created in their Bodies and to this end he approves Lombard's Invention of Creando infunditur Cites Essay 2.22 Cease ye from Man Cujus Anima in Naribus ejus est which we read whose Breath is in his Nostrils Pag. 620 The Soul of Man came to him from without although created within him He will have from without to signifie of another Nature or kind of Thing and not proceeding from the Body as the Beasts do But this he only says without offer of Proof for it Says The whole Soul comes together viz. Vegetative Sensitive and Rational whence it must come into the Body at the first Original of Life and there seems no doubt but there is a Vegetative Power and Principle in the Seed and likely for the Sensual and there appears no Reason against a like Course in the Rational these three being all Faculties of the same Soul from which none of them are separable Pag. 621. The Word signifying Spiraculum Vitarum is used as well concerning Beasts as Men. Pag. 624. Souls of Brutes are sometimes called Spirits in Scripture but never said to return to God Pag. 625. As God breathed into Adams Body the Breath of Life who thereupon rose from the Earth where he lay so shall his Breath effect Life in Bodies which shall rise at Sound of the Last Trumpet And as we read Ezek. 37. Pag. 667. Cites Gen. 1.28 God blessed the Man and Woman and said Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth as Ver. 22. he had said to other Creatures This seems to import Men do generate their Like as the Beasts do and the Creation of Souls for every fruitful Coition by Adultery Incest or Buggery is but a Fiction and not a likely or reasonable Contrivance Lib. 2. Cap. 1. Pag. 683. Mans Life consists in Heat and Moisture not simply but in Temperament with Cold and Dry and from the Four Elements The Four Complexions of Phlegm Sanguine Cholerick and Melancholy Health and Sickness Life and Death consist in a good and fit Temperature of these Humors and the Soul uses these as Instruments for Conservation of the Compositum the General Parts are Bones with their Nerves knitting them together and the Flesh with its Veins through which the Blood returns and Arteries through which the Vital or Animal Spirits have their Courses and God hath given to Men a more delicate Flesh and more Nice and tender Skin than to Beast Pag. 685. And the Temperament and Complexion of their Bodies are much finer Pag. 686. There are Three Principal Faculties of the Soul viz. Vegetation Sense and Motion 3. Intellect The Two later viz. Sense and Intellect are chiefly placed and acted in the Head and thence grow the Nerves passing to every Bone and Member Pag. 687. All Anatomists confess That in an Humane Body there are Innumerable Parts and Things which Men cannot find out and which are known only to God Pag. 689. The Common or Internal Sense cannot act without the Animal Spirits and the Soul uses these Spirits both for Understanding and for its other Actions which are to be performed in the Head and the Nerves which serve both for Sense and Motion through the whole Body have their Original from the Brain and are fixed in it or to it There the Soul reigns most effectually and who can express the various Instruments which God hath there provided for her Use Pag. 693. The Heart is the Original and Prime Instrument of Vegetation and Life which it communicates to the whole Body by its Intense Heat Motion and Rarefaction of the Blood and specially it communicates to the Head the Animal Spirits whereby Motion Sense and Cogitation are received and acted Thirdly The Heart is the Seat Fountain and Cause of all the Affections and there are two Principal Motions in it viz. that of the Systole and Diastole or of the Pulse effecting and Declaring Life the other Motion is of the Affections following the Conceptions or Intellect either with extraordinary Dilatation in the whole Body as in Accidents pleasing and joyous or with a like Compression or Contraction in Case of Accidents sorrowful or dspleasing Whence as Motion Sense and Intellect have their Original and Activity from and in the Brain and Head So Life and all the Affections are derived and acted from and in the Heart And betwixt the Heart and Head there is a wonderful Correspondence and Agreement to the Good and Benefit of the whole Compositum From the Heart Vital Spirits ascend to the Brain where they become Animal Spirits and by these Intelligence Cogitations and Notices of Things arise in the Mind from whence again such Cogitations and Notices strike upon the whole Heart exciting and stirring there the Affections and other Vegetative and Natural Motions which are either pleasing or displeasing tending to or towards Joy or Sorrow the one a great Help to and Supporter of Health and Life and the other great Hinderance to or a Destroyer of them both Pag. 694. The Liver is the Fountain of all the Veins and the Arteries through which the Vital Spirits do pass are always and in all Places conjoined with the Veins and upon them depend the Life and Motion of the Animal and the Soul uses the Blood and Spirits to such Purposes The Liver communicates Blood to the Heart and that again Vital Spirits to the Liver Pag. 195. And as Blood is never in the Veins without some Spirits so neither do the Spirits flow through the Arteries without some thin Rivage of Blood with them and as the Veins have need of the Arteries to stir the Blood in them so the Arteries of the Veins for Nourishment of the Spirits Pag. 696. Spirits of the Body are Vital or Animal and the Spirit is a Vapor drawn by Heat and Concoction of the Heart out of the purest Parts of the Blood
and then in kindled or inflamed first for Conserving of Life and next for being a Principle of Motion in the Animal extending to every Member and Part of it stirring them up and inabling them to the Performance of those Duties for which they were by God intended and ordained The Vital Spirit is Flammula quaedam bred in the Heart out of the purest Blood and thence by Vital Heat communicated and conveyed to the rest of the Members imparting Power and Activity to them by their Natural Heat and Motion and stirring them to act and perform those Duties for which by Nature and Creation they were ordain'd and made The Organs for conveying this Vital Spirit into all Parts and Members of the Body are the Arteries The Animal doth no otherwise differ from the Vital Spirit save that in being transferred to the Brain that hath Power to rarify and make it more Lucid and Subtil and then being from thence infused into the Nerves it incites and enables them to exercise their Faculties Powers and appointed Offices of Sensation and Motion And by both these sorts of Spirits the Principal Actions of Animals and even of Humane Bodies are effected Namely Life is preserved and thence proceed Nutrition Generation Sense Motion Cogitations and Affections Hence it hath come to Pass that some have thought these Spirits to be the very Soul it self or at least the immediate Instruments to it by which the Body both lives and moves Hoc postremum says our Author verum est To which we do not assent but rather hold with the former Lib. 2. Cap. 2. Pag. 697. Treats Ex Professo de Anima and cites out of Tully That Dicaearchus a Peripatetick Philosopher and Scholar to Aristotle held there was no more Soul in Man than in Beasts This says our Author though it should be the Opinion of all Philosophers we ought not to follow or believe them in it because the Scriptures says he are against it Pag. 69â— He takes it pro confesso as agreed on all hands that Souls of Beasts do die with their Bodies without a Principle of separately Subsisting after Death of the Body but there are many Disputes concerning Humane Souls 1. What a Humane Soul is 2 Concerning its Nature and Operations 3 Concerning its Original Whether by continual New Creations or that it grow Ex traduce from Generation or be pre-existent And if newly created then whether first created and then infused or be created within the Body Whether the Vegetative the Sensitive and the Rational be all one same Soul in Man or that they be so distinct as that the two first may die and the third only be that which can separately subsist but the Question of the Souls Nature est per Difficilis per Obscura Tertullian S. Austin and Greg. Nyssen have written of it largely and Pomponacius and Simon Portius two famous Italian Philosophers have since taught That Aristotle held the Soul to be Mortal and that its Immortality cannot be proved by any sufficient Reasons But Men must be left to the Evidence of Faith for that Point and many there are who think there is not enough Evidence to be a sufficient Ground for that Faith Pag. 699. He therefore proposes his first Enquiry viz. What is the Nature and Essence of the Soul Upon this Query he propounds the Definitions made of the Soul by three Ancient Philosophers and very learned Men viz. Plato Aristotle and Galen the great Latin Physician but none of them come up to this Point and therefore he rejects them all especially that of Galen who says The Soul is but a Temperature and sutable Proportion of the Parts and Humours whereby the Animal hath Life and the Vse of all its Faculties And this Opinion he took from his Master Hyppocrates and endeavours to confirm it with divers Reasons and of this Opinion was then Dynarchus the Philosopher and Simmias and divers others The Author brings three Arguments against this Opinion but they are rather Sophistical than Solid He rejects also those of Plato and Aristotle But in lieu of them all he gives us one of his own Pag. 705. viz. A Humane Soul is a truly Spiritual Substance Incorporeal and Immaterial Upon this last Word he lays a great Stress For says he the Souls of Beasts are Essential Forms but drawn out of Matter from which they cannot be separated And there are those who think the Soul which is the Form to our Body to be neither Accident nor Body and that yet it is Material so as to depend upon Matter from which it cannot be separated and therefore must extinguish with Death of the Body Upon this therefore the whole Stress of the Question lies concerning the Mortality or Immortality of the Soul Whence says he this our Definition ought to be well and fully proved Says Humane Souls have the same Essence with Angelical Spirits their only Difference being that the one is Form to a Humane Body and the other not His Proofs he begins from Texts of Scripture but we yet in the Bounds of Nature and Reason will pass them over Animo revertendi and consider here his Arguments from Reason only to which he comes Pag. 709. 1. He says The Soul governs the Body and resists the Passions Complexion excites and begets Passions Here is the Soul contending against Passions and Natural Inclinations supporting them Ergo here is a Substantial Soul In Answer I say The Soul hath no greater Share in the Resisting than in the Exciting of Passions But that the Soul is the living and moving Principle in every Part and Member of the Body understanding and perceiving and remembring in the Head affecting and passionate in the Heart feeling and moving in the whole Body and in every member of it The Souls Regard and Care is for the whole Compositum to chuse the beneficial and to avoid the hurtful Things Hence Intellect and Passion are not one of them of the Soul and the other not the Soul but both are Faculties of the same Soul The Heart desires one thing as vitally Good or abhors it as Harmful The Intellect from common Sense and Understanding often opposes such Desires or Fears from Considerations more percipient and duly weighed and the Contest rises most often from the Nearness or Distance of what they contend about viz. Present or Future one Faculty affixing chiefly upon the Enjoyment and the other contemplating the Consequence withal Now if the Soul did govern the Body as our Author faith it doth the Contest could not be maintained against it by the Passions which should naturally be ordered to yield an easie Submission to it whereas it is too evident that the Passions do often over-power and over-rule the Intellect And as Aristotle hath told us their Contest is more like a Game at Tennis than a Government sometimes one of them prevails and sometimes the other So they look not like a Governor and a Governed but rather like Equal
upon an undertaking to row against the Stream and general Opinion as well of past Ages as the present time 1 Sam. 30.6 When David was in very evil case he incouraged himself in the Lord his God he it is who hath required that Men should be Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth And Esdras 4.35 Great is the Truth and stronger then all things those who know that their aim and design is no other but the bringing the Truth in this Point to Light to the end that Gods Truth viz. the very Truth thereby may be exhibited and discovered may it seems go on in it without being terrified or bearing an astonishing regard to the censures of Men. We shall proceed therefore to Execution of what hath been declared to be intended Also where two or more Texts are cited unto which one same Answer may well be applied such Texts are designed to be quoted together or at once that the same Answers may not be often repeated And whereas heretofore those Texts intended to prove Recompences in a State future to this Life have been often applied to prove the Self-subsistence of a Separated Soul Here will be care taken to detect and avoid that Point of Misapplication We begin then from the Beginning of the Creation and the History of it viz. Gen. 1.26 God said let us make Man in our image after our likeness Ver. 27. So God Created Man in his own Image Chap. 2.7 God breathed into Mans Nostrils the Breath of Life and Man became a living Soul We have before proved it the ordinary Use of Scripture to express the Person by Name or Term of the Soul and here Man became a living Soul intends a living Person both Soul and Body Zanchius puts a very great Stress and weight upon Gods breathing into Mans Nostrils the Breath of Life for the Proof of a Separately Subsisting Soul in Man To this we say there is not that clear Sense in the Text which seems to import no more but that God gave to Man his Breath and Life and so he did to the Beasts of the Earth and kindled in their Bodies their first flames of Life Propagated from those Originals to all future Generations each Generating its like both amongst Men and Beasts And as concerning the Image of God in Man what and where it is we leave to be disputed as it hath been from those Ancient times till this time without being able to attain a clear Determination That Text Gen. 7.22 All Terrestial Creatures in whose Nostrils was the Breath of the Spirit of Life died in the Flood seems to Paraphrase the Breath of Life breathed into Mans Nostrils and to expound it in the sense before given of it 1 Kings 17.21 The Prophet Elijah Prays My God I pray thee let this Childs Soul come into him again Thus it may be Paraphrased Lord kindle again in this Child the Flame of Life which is now extinguishable restore him to Life again but the mode of speaking here used by the Prophet was agreeable to the common Opinion of his time which was long after that of Saul A like thing we Read 1 Sam. 30.12 concerning the Egyptian found at Ziklag When he had eaten his Spirit came again to him viz. the Flame of Life almost extinguished for want of Fewel was again revived and inabled for action by fresh Food and Nourishment and as the Childs Soul came into him again and he revived so this Aegyptian's Spirit came again to him when he had eaten and he revived And 2 Kings 13.21 a Dead Man let down into Elisha's Grave at the touch of Elisha's Bones the Dead Man revived whether his Soul returned or his Flame of Life was rekindled there is no Ground here to dispute or need to do it Job 12.10 In God's hand is the Soul of every living thing and the breath of all Mankind Here man is ranked with every living thing as to his Soul and Soul and Breath are taken for the same things and of a like Subsistence Chap. 34.14 If God gather to himself Mans Spirit and his Breath he shall turn to his Dust here Spirit and Breath pass for the same thing Chap. 33.30 Bring back his Soul from the pit to the light of the living viz. save his Life or revive him Psal 49.8 It cost more to redeem their Souls viz. their Lives or Persons their Riches could not do it Ver. 15. but God hath delivered my Soul from the place of Hell for he shall receive me viz. he shall deliver me yet from Death and the Grave and hide me as in the secret place of his Dwelling receive me under his Protection Psal 56.13 Thou hast delivered my Soul from Death viz. hast saved my Life so my Soul trusteth in thee and my Soul is among Lions and my Soul thirsteth for thee and my Soul followeth hard after thee he holdeth my Soul in Life and my Soul which thou hast redeemed and 72.14 He shall redeem their Soul from deceipt and violence 73.19 Deliver not the Soul of thy Turtle Dove to the Enemy 86.2 Preserve my Soul for I am holy ver 13. Thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell and my Soul is full of troubles and Lord why casteth thou out my Soul 89.48 What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the Grave and bless the Lord O my Soul And he satisfieth the empty Soul and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness and their Soul abhorred all manner of Meat and those who speak evil against my Soul All these and abundance more places of the Psalms do under the Word or Term Soul intend and signifie the Person the Life the Affection of the Party Praise the Lord O my Soul These and many other Texts sound to common Readers as Proofs of a Separately Subsisting Soul of Man but that Opinion may be past for a clear mistake and an apparent mis-conception Prov. 11.25 The liberal Soul shall be made fat viz. the liberal Person Chap. 13.4 The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat viz. the diligent Person 14.25 A true Witness delivereth Souls People Men. Chap. 16.24 Pleasant words are sweet to the Soul 19.2 That the Soul he without knowledge it is not good viz. the Person Chasten thy Son and let not thy Soul spare for his crying Do not thou spare The full Soul loaths the Honey-comb Thus far we have added to our former proofs that Soul is very often put for Person and we now expect that shall pass for a granted Truth and it may still be confirm'd by more Testimonies than all that have yet been Cited Eccles 8.8 There is no man that hath Power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of Death Here Spirit seems to intend Breath or Life Chap. 10.4 If the Spirit of the ruler rise up against thee viz. his
Sense Reason and Experience of Mankind So when Our Lord Commands take no care for to morrow These Words pass under a reasonable Construction so the Words Swear not at all so for turning the other Cheek and lending to all Borrowers These Directions never were observed in the full Latitude of the Gospel Expressions but according to fair and reasonable Constructions made of them and whereby they were made agreeable to the Sense Reason and Experience of Mankind and if particular Expressions of Scripture may be Accommodated to the Sense Reason and Experience of Men for the avoiding the Clashes of one against the other A fortiori when Two Texts relate the same Doctrine of Our Lord in different Expressions it seems Men may accept which of these Relations they please as the very Words wherein that Doctrine was delivered And every Man is likely to chuse and adhere to such Expressions as he thinks best to agree with Nature and Reason in this or any other Case that shall happen to be disputed 8. Paragraph Your Argument upon a delegated Power left by Christ to his Church urged on the behalf of the Universal or Catholick by the Romanists against our Divines Fortified with the Decrees of Councils Stiled oecumenical hath been often and fully Answered and as in my First Paper I referred you to Numb 16. so now I must refer you to Acts 4 19. You say The Immortality is plainly implied in the Creeds or some of them but you do not mention the Words implying nor how the Inference is to be drawn which would have been the most Material Argument that you could have used for the convincing of my Judgment unless you conceive that what is plain to you would not be so to me For a thing plain to one already perswaded doth oft seem otherwise to Men of another Judgment but if it be plain to you it seems you should at least have pointed me to the place where I might have expected to find it Your reason why nothing about the Soul is inserted into the 39th Art is very likely to be true yet grants my Assertion of not being there And what you have shewed out of Scripture concerning the Immortallity I have Answered unto and am contented to refer the reason and truth of what hath been said on both sides to the Censure of Perusers Out of the 39 Articles I quoted to you the sixth viz. That what is not asserted in Scripture is not needful to be believed and I prosess'd my Obedience to any clear Direction of Scripture in our Point To this you reply the Soul 's Separate Subsistence is asserted in Scripture and to prove that you quote Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it This Text I agree doth sound in favour of Souls Separate Subsistence after they are parted from their Bodies and because you quote it singly it seems the strongest Text which you could find for Proof of the Separate Subsistence of Humane Souls You had quoted it before and I gave it some Answer but considering you do now use it as a Pillar of your asserted Opinion I shall undertake a more narrow or strict and yet a more large Examination of it First I inquire what is here intended by the term of Spirit Comenius Translated into English Printed London 1651 in 12o. Pag. 218. cites Zach. 12.1 where God says he forms the Spirit of Man in the midst of him The word Jatzar in the Hebrew says he is here used for forming which shews the Formation was out of Prae-existent Matter and was not a Creation ex nihilo it being the same Word that was used at the forming of Mans Body Pag. 22. He says The Spirit of God stirring upon the Waters produced the Spirit or Soul of the World which puts Life into all living things The Hebrew term Offiz says he signifies both Spirit and Breath So the know in the Greek doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 23.46 It seems if in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been Translated Father into thy hands I commend my Breath It would have been as true and warrantable a Translation as ours which renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Spirit and so for Acts 7.59 St. Stephen's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive my Breath whence I suppose that if in Solomon's Text the Hebrew word Offiz be used it may as well intend Breath as Spirit and thence the force of this Text will remain enervated and broken And this appears the more likely from Moses's Text Gen. 2.7 God formed Man and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of Life An Animating Breath upon which he doth not say that Breath became a living Soul as many would have it intended but that Man became a living Soul intending Person viz. the Compositum of Soul and Body became a living Person and that Spirit and Breath intend much the same Thing and pass in a like sense appears from divers other parallel places of Scripture Gen. 7.22 All in whose Nostrils was the Breath of Life died in the Flood Job 12.10 In Gods hand is the Soul of every living thing and the Breath of all Mankind Chap. 34.14 If God gather to himself Mans Spirit and his Breath he shall turn to his dust Psal 104. All things wait upon God when he taketh away their Breath they die when thou lettest thy Breath go forth they shall be made and the face of the Earth renewed Here Breath seems to intend Spirit and that they are much of the same Signification Psal 146.3 When the Breath of Man goeth forth he shall turn again to his Earth and then all his thoughts Perish Here David says the same thing with Solomon only in Solonmo's Text that which is called or Translated Spirit is in David called or Translated Breath Acts 12.25 God gives to all Life and Breath and all Things Life and Breath as closely United or as an Animating Breath Zach. 5. These are the Four Spirits of the Heavens Noted upon the Margent or Winds Ezek. 37. He describes the Resurrection of dry Bones there was a shaking and the Bones came together and the Senews and Flesh came up upon them and the Skin covered them above and yet they lived not Then the Prophet commanded not to call for Souls to enliven those Bodies but to say Come from the Four Winds O Breath and breath upon these slain that they may live and the Breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their Feet From these Texts it seems probable to me That the Word in Solomon's Text rendered by Spirit doth intend such an Animating Breath as God Breathed into Adam's Nostrils and of which it was said all in whole Nostrils was the Breath of Life died in the Flood This Animating Breath God breathe first into Adam and from him it hath been Propagated ever since By this is the Flame of Life kindled
and kept glowing in Man and Beast none of which can continue living without it Some have lived a long time without Food in great Distempers or Maladies but Breath failing or being stop'd for some sew moments the Flame of Life is thereby Suffocated and Extinguished and that Extinguishment is Death and nothing can then restore this Flame once totally extinguished in all parts of the Body but such an Animating Breath to enkindle it not to be imparted by any Power lets than Divine which first breathed it into Adam's Nostrils This Breath or Spirit Eccles 3. Solomon argues upon and says Who knows the Spirit of a Man that goes upward and the Spirit of a Beast that goes downward to the Earth who knows that there is that difference between them And if the one go no more upward then the other goes downward to the Earth it seems there should be neither one nor other in the Case for plain and agreed it is that the Spirit of Beasts extinguisheth in Death and therefore goes no whither not downward to the Earth and so for the Man to me it seems his Spirit also extinguisheth and goes no whither therefore not upward so as Solomon's Expressions both in this Text and that of Chap. 12. seem delivered by him according to common Opinion Like Moses Gen. 1.16 concerning God's making two great Lights Solomon Chap. 12. is describing the Degrees and Ceremonies of Peoples Departure in Death and concludes The Body returns to the Earth whence it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Moses had taught That God breathed into Adam the breath of Life and when the Man died it was the common Opinion and perhaps might seem true to him that such animating Breath or Spirit returned to God who gave it to Man at the first but there seems not Reason enough to conceive that Solomon intended by this short Sentence to teach a Separate Subsistence of the Soul of Man after Death of the Body And it seems to me spoken transciently and according to common Opinion rather than with an intent to teach or establish that Doctrine 2. A Second Argument to prove that this Text was not intended for a Teaching Direction may be taken from the generality of ' its Expression viz. The Spirit shall return to God who gave it It seems the Spirit of man is an Indefinite Expression and aequipollent to an Universal as if be had said All Humane Souls return to God who gave them for all have a like dependance upon him the bad as well as the good Numb 16.22 Moses calls God the God of the spirits of all flesh and Dan. 5.23 he tells Belshazzar The God in whose hand thy breath is haft thou not glorified I suppose you will not deny that all Spirits have a like dependance upon him and that he is the Giver of them all alike to the bad as well as to the good Whence by the words and sense of Solomon's Text they should all go alike to God the one as well as the other But this is disagreeable both to Heathen Christian Mahometan and other Religions The Heathen sent their better Souls into Elisium and their bad ones before Minos and other severe Judges of Hell to receive their Sentences and so Cato Diverso itinere malos à bonis they had several ways to go and places for Souls to go to commonly three viz. Heaven Hell and a Purgatorium So had many of the Heathen as the Platonists so have at present the Mahometans and the Papists The Reformed Churches acknowledge but two places for Souls after Death viz. Heaven and Hell And the General Opinion amongst them is That all Departed Souls go immediately either to one of these places or to the other but that the number of bad Souls going to places of Torment do very much exceed those who go to God and Heaven Our Lord shews plainly when he says The way is narrow and the gate strait that leads to life and few there be that find it but the other way and gate are broad and wide and many go in and into them viz. all who do not hit the narrow way and strait gate So as those who go to the Devil do very much exceed in number those who go to God according to their own Opinions Hence Solomon's Text The Spirit returns to God or all Humane Spirits return to God who gave them cannot hold true in your own Sense or Separately Subsisting Souls but seems to be a great mistake and very far out of the way A part of the Academick School held an Opinion punctually agreeing with this Text of Solomon viz. That all Souls and particularly the Humane were Sparks and Particles of God emaning from him for the animation of his Creatures upon whose Death those Souls returned again to God and became united to him as before and thus the Spirit returns precisely to God who gave it but thereby the Individuation of such Souls must needs be destroyed as Rivers after their falling into the Sea or Drops into a quantity of Water though they are still Water yet they are no more Drops nor Rivers So Humane Spirits thus returning to God who gave them should be still Spiritual in their being but are not Souls Separately subsisting That the greater number of Mankind by far go into Perdition I have no doubt and how then all Souls or Spirits given by God do return to him I am not yet able to understand but desire to receive your Instructions thereupon 3. A Third Argument in Opposition to your Proof by this Text may be drawn from other Texts of Scripture importing to the contrary of it Solomon himself Eccles 11.8 just before your Proving Text says Remember the days of darkness for they shall be many This thwarts the Separate Souls going presently to Heaven for then the Man would have no dark days at all Job 14.12 Man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more This say I cannot be intended of the Body only for that is not the Man but if there be a State in Separation the Soul must be the Man Nam forma dat esse rei Whence it seems That if the State of a Separate good Soul were such as is generally supposed the Man cannot properly be said to die at all Solomon's Father Psalm 49. Observes That even such amongst Men as attain to Honour have not so much Understanding as to exempt them from being compared unto or being like the Beasts that perish viz. in their Natural state But God hath given to Men a full assurance of a Resurrection which he hath not given to the Beasts Solomon Eccles 3. compares them in like manner Jud. 15.19 Sampson ready to die for thirst God clave an hollow place that was in the Jaw-bone out of which Water proceeded and when he had drunk his Spirit came again and he revived So 1 Sam. 30.11 12. The Servants of David found an Egyptian in the Field
Recompencs are warrantable to be expected viz. at Christ's Second Coming and to look for them sooner is against his own Direction in this Text Well fortified and confirmed by Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ whom the Heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things The time when amongst other things Men shall be restored to their former Beings and become the same Persons that they were before and so shall account at the Last Judgment and in all probability not before Well but what becomes of people in the mean time I take it for most likely that the Body verges to Dust Gradatim and the Flame of Life which I take for the Soul extinguishes in Death as Dr. Willis says Illico nihil est it vanishes as the Flame of Spirit of Wine when the Spirit is consumed And thus I conceive Men die thus they rest and Believers sleep in Jesus till time of the Restitution of all things Job 14.12 Even as the Flood decayeth and drieth up so Man lieth down and riseth not at all till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep Thus Job and I agree punctually in our State of Death and so we do in that of the Resurrection Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the later day upon the Earth and though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God And as 1 Joh. 3.2 We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is At his Second Coming and not till then not by going to Heaven in Effigie But till then Believers in Death enjoy such a Rest as the Revel calls Blessed They sleep in Jesus and rest from their Labours So Heb. 4.1 There is a Promise left us of entring into his Rest Ver. 6. Some must enter therein Ver. 9. There remains a Rest to the People of God Ver. 10. He that is entred into his Rest hath ceased from his own Works as God did from his And such a Rest is a pious Death and in assured hope of a joyful Resurrection Dan. 12.13 The Angel says to him Go thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the Lot at the end of the days And here I cease and rest my Second positive Argument against the Immateriality and Separate Subsistence of Souls and their going to Heaven or Hell before the Resurrection And upon this Argument I intend to make Three short Observations The First of which grows from our Author's Expressions Page 49. of his said Book There he says 'T is a great Mistake that the Soul is capable only of Social Glory or Suffering or a Blessedness in Partnership with the Body and that it can neither exert its own powers nor enjoy its own happiness in the absence of the Body The Opinion of a sleeping Interval of the Soul he says took its rise from this Error They conceived the Soul to be so dependant upon the Body at least in all its Operations that when Death rends it from the Body it must needs be left as in a swoon or sleep unable to exert its proper Powers or enjoy that felicity which we ascribe to it in its state of Separation Thus our Author To which I Reply They who so conceived were Fathers very Ancient and of great Authority in the Church and in my Opinion the Ground they stood upon was firm and good viz. they and we and all Men who consider may and do perceive by hourly Experiences that the Soul doth no more act or suffer without the Body than the Body without the Soul nor either of them without the other This constant Experience teaches To this also Reason very well agrees and Men have never yet met with good Reason plain Experience or clear Scripture to the contrary Nor doth our Author or any other shew any convincing or strong or likely Evidence that ever any Soul did or that it can act or suffer without Partnership with the Body and in Conjunction with it It may be asked How then can it subsist in a State of Separation from the Body if it can neither act nor suffer without it I Answer That I am not to Account for such a Subsistence because I deny the thing and say the Soul extinguishes in Death But those who held both Opinions viz. The Separate State and the Non-Activity did imaginarily cast the Soul into such a Swoon or Sleep as the Author mentions in a Limbus or Dormitory created by Invention to that purpose and those who so believe both Opinions are necessitated to invent such Places That the Soul neither acts nor suffers without the Body being true and the Separate Subsistence being granted Places for Dormitories were a reasonable and necessary Invention But if the Truth stand with me and the Soul extinguish in Death it neither acts nor suffers without the Body nor yet is there need to invent Dormitories or Purgatories for reception of such Souls as have no real Subsistence He hath truly related a Cause why the Ancients did believe Souls rested in Dormitories till the Resurrection not going to Heaven or Hell till that time and a Re-union with their Bodies viz. Because they believed Souls could not act or suffer without their Bodies according to the common Course of Nature and Experience This I agree to be true and a reasonable Ground for them to stand upon in this Point and that they erred only in believing a Separate Subsistence whence they were forced to invent Dormitories But I say though the Author have given us a true and good Cause why the Ancients thought Souls went not to Heaven or Hell before the Resurrection grounded upon the Nature and Constitution of Mankind there is another Cause and Reason for their so believing as true well grounded and evident as the former which will weigh with many Believers more than that can do viz. The Tenour and Consent of all the Texts before quoted by me in this Argument There is another Marvellous Agreement amongst them for all say the same things viz. That all Men must after Death appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ at his Second Coming at that Day at the Last Day when he shall appear Without mention of any other Time or any other Judgment or any going to Heaven or Hell in the mean time This sort of Declaration of the state of things after Death was a good and sufficient Ground for those Ancients to believe that Souls went not to Heaven or Hell before the Resurrection and I hold this Declaration to be a good true and sufficient Ground for People so to believe at this day And with this I finish my first Observation upon this Argument 2. My
when Executions are done by Hanging that if it be stopp'd but for some few Moments the Man dies without remedy as any Flame or Fire is soon extinguished for want of Air. For Food or Nourishment it seems that as a Flame Torch or other Fire cannot continue or endure without a competency of Fewel proper for its Nature so the Soul of Man cannot continue or subsist in the Body without fitting supplement of Food or Nourishment in a fitting compass of time and the truth of this is so clear and the Experiences of it so frequent and so certain as there need no more be said in the proof of it And yet for the more full Explication how things pass in the Man upon that occasion I will quote Judg. 15.18 There Sampson had slain the Philistims and fell into such want of Drink that he was ready to die for thirst but God provided Water and when he had drank his Spirit came again and he revived So 1 Sam. 30.11 David found an Egyptian in the Field who had neither eat nor drink in three days and three nights so that his spirit was quite spent and he was in a departing condition but they gave him some Food and when he had eaten his spirit came again to him and therewithal his Understanding Memory and Judgment so much as to demand of David an Oath for his security upon which he directed David as he was desired and gave him the opportunity of obtaining a notable Victory And these instances seem to prove First That the Soul cannot subsist in the Body without Food Secondly That the Failure of the Spirit in such Cases is by Degrees and not all at once or together but as a Flame or Fire draws towards an end Gradatim upon Consumption and Decay of the Fewel till they both fail together Thirdly It shews That with the Decay and Consumption of this Spirit or Flame of Life the Senses Intellect Memory Phancy Judgment do also decay and fail and do return to the Man again together with the recovery and reviver of this Spirit or Flame of Life by the applying of fresh Nourishment or Fewel to it And the whole Argument seems to evince that the continuance of such a Spirit in the Body depends upon Matter as the Support of it and therefore that most probably it is a Material Spirit extracted from Corporeal Humours and inflamed heating inlivening and acting the Body and all the Members and Organs of it for the effecting in them such Faculties and Powers and by them such Motions and Actions as he intended them for who hath framed and fitted them accordingly With this Argument shall be closed and finished our positive Proofs upon this Subject to which notwithstanding there shall be annexed Argumentum a simile for Illustration and Perswasion that the Fact asserted is neither a stranger to Nature nor improbable to be the very Truth according to Reason but that it is very agreeable unto them both To this intent I enter upon a Course which hath been followed and practised in all Ages upon Occasions and Disputes of the like Nature viz. When the Subject is such as no Experience can clear it nor the Senses be made Judges concerning it then Men have used to excogitate Similitudes or Emblems taken from things more known and of which our Senses may be more proper Judges and by applying them to the more abstruse and unknown to add Light to the more dark and for the discovery of the more hidden so as they may be better understood than otherwise they are likely to be We find that by Collecting the Suns Beams upon a Glass and turning from thence the Ray into a Dark Room the Room will thereby be so inlightened beyond what it was before or what the Natural Light did afford it that divers things in it may be thereby made visible which without that help could not have been discovered The Similitude which I have chosen for Illustration of the Nature of our present Subject the Soul shall be grounded upon Harmony and the divers sorts of Instruments employed in the Wind Musick such as derive their Sound from the Motion of Breath or Bellows and to make them serviceable for the present Design they shall be ranked into Twelve several sorts viz. 1. The Single Call or Whistle 2. The Horn. 3. The Penny Pipe 4. The Bag-pipe 5. The Flute 6. The Rebeck 7. The Hautboys 8. The Sackbut 9. The Cornet 10. Pan's Oaten Pipe 11. The Trompet 12. The Organ And in correspondence to these I rank the Animantia or Self-moving Creatures into as many and like Sorts or Divisions viz. In rank with the Whistle I place all the small Insects as Worms Flies Bees Wasps Ants Spiders Beetles c. Who all work according to the Rules of Science but not knowingly They have no Variety in their Working but go always to work after the same manner and even as the Whistle sounds 2dly To the Horn whose only Changes are shorter and longer lower and louder Sounds I compare the greater Insects viz. Frogs Askers Snakes Adders Serpents and the very great ones in Africa and India the Salamander Scorpion Lizard and Camelion c. And to the Penny Pipe I compare the lowest of the Animalia viz. Mice Rats Moles Bats c. To the Bagpipe I compare the small but nimble Creatures as Weasels Foumards Ferrets Squirrels c. To the Flute I compare Cats Currs Otters Badgers Conies Hares c. To the Rebeck all sorts of Deer the Rein the Red the Fallow and the Row the Ass the Musk Creatures c. To the Hautboys compare the Volatilia of all Sorts and Sizes To the Sackbut compare the heavier sorts of Voracious Brutes as Bears Wolves greater Dogs Crocodiles River-Horses c. To the Cornet compare the more active and noble sort of them as Lions Tigers Leopards Panthers Ounces Linxes c. To Pan's Pipe compare the Jumenta or Cattle such as Sheep and Goats Swine the Bubuli c. To the Trumpet compare the Principal or most Intelligent sort of Brute Animals the Elephant Horse Camel Tame-Dog Fox Ape Monkey Creatures the most observing and docible who can apprehend and obey a Voice a Motion of the Body or even a turning of the Eye and come nearest to the Pretences of some sort of Understanding I should not have put Pan's Pipe so high in my Catalogue but that I find it likely was very musical so as the Instrument might admit of divers Tones viz. Treble Mean Tenor and Base on which Account Pan took upon him to contest in Melody with Apollo's Harp and they chose Midas King of Lydia for their Judge and upon full Hearing of both parties Midas passed Judgment against Apollo pronouncing that Pan's Pipe excelled the Musick of Apollo's Harp And though Apollo in Revenge planted Asses Ears upon the Head of his impartial Judge yet the History proves Pan's Pipe to have been then counted a very melodious Instrument Pan primus
it Hence we may perceive that our Author instead of proving by Reason or from Nature That the Humane Soul is an Immaterial Self-subsisting Spirit is turned about to vain Jangling and with a wilful Blindness such as will not see he balks the known and ancient Opinion of the Primitive Fathers of the Church before cited by himself viz. That the Humane Soul was a Material Spirit kindled by our Creator in the Body of Man when he breathed into Adam 's Nostrils the Breath of Life and thereby made him a Living Soul We read that when Prometheus had framed and made a perfect Humane Body he could not enliven it for want of Heavenly Fire which he therefore stole from Jupiter and was condemned to have his Heart eternally torn and devoured by the incessant Gripes and endless Voracity of a Vulture or Raven Whether this shadow to us Lucifer's Offence in such Atempt we dispute not but apparent it is that this is the adequate Emblem of a guilty and tormenting Conscience for a Crime of the highest Nature and Provocation that possibly can be committed Ezek. 37. we meet with an Adumbration of such an enlivening Breath God directs his Words Say to the Wind thus saith the Lord Come from the four Winds O Breath and breath upon these Slain that they may live And the Bodies arose and they lived accordingly 1 Cor. 15.44 There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body The first Man Adam was made a Living Soul and the last Adam a Quickening Spirit For the truer Understanding of what is meant by the Term Living Soul parallel Expressions of Scripture shall be cited to that Intent Gen. 7.22 All in whose Nostrils was the Breath of Life upon the dry Land died in the Flood For the Use of the Word Soul Levit. 17.11 Ye shall have a holy Convocation and ye shall afflict your Souls viz. your selves 1 Sam. 10. Hannah was in bitterness of Soul and prayed and wept she was sore afflicted Ch. 2.16 Take as much as thy Soul desireth viz. as much as you will Ch. 18.1 The Soul of Jonathan was knit with the Soul of David and he loved him as his own Soul viz. his Affection was knit to him and he loved him as himself Ch. 25.29 A Man is risen to pursue thee and to seek thy Soul viz. pursue thy Person and seek thy Life Ch. 30.12 When the Egyptian taken at Ziklag had eaten his Spirit came again to him viz. his Vital Spirit 2 Sam. 30.39 The Soul of David longed to go forth unto Absalom Next Verse David 's Heart was towards Absalom seems the Heart Affection Life Person used to be expressed by the Term Soul Job 12.10 In God's Hand is the Soul of every living thing and the Breath of all Mankind Ch. 16.4 If your Soul were in my Soul's stead viz. if you were in my Case Ch. 21.4 Why should not my Spirit be troubled viz. why should I not be grieved Ch. 30.15 Terrors pursue my Soul viz. me And my Soul is poured out upon me viz. I am exceedingly afflicted Ch. 33.30 To bring back his Soul from the Pit to the Light of the Living viz. save his Life Ch. 34.14 If God gather to himself Mans Spirit and his Breath he shall turn to his Dust. We have proceeded thus far of the Bible to collect Texts to our Intent and should we go through the Psalms and forward it would be hard to recite the Collections and it seems the Texts cited are enough to establish the Sense of our Expression Man became a Living Creature or Person And thus by the Breath of Life derived from Heaven was the Flammula Vitalis the Promethean Fire enkindled in the Blood Spirits and Parts of Man's Body and by Breath it hath ever since been refreshed and maintained and when God takes this from us we die and are turned to our Earth and all our Thoughts perish our Fancies Intellects and Memories our Learning and Abilities as well as our Love and our Hatred our Passions and Affections The Vital Flame kindled in the first Man passing intermixed with the Seminal Substance and Prolifick Virtue and received in Habitacles fitting and proper for its Fomentation and Nutriment is first fermented by the Prolifick Energy or Internal Principle of Inclination to be coagulated and knit one Part of it to the other and by Fomentation is strengthened whence arises a Power of assimilating to it self such Nourishment as comes within the narrow Sphere of its Activity which being by its own Tendency to Heat and the Natural Warmth and Fomentation of its Receptacle compacted to and settled in a terminated Consistency and somewhat a fixed Unity of Coherence the Formation of Parts doth consequently commence and as Men have by a daily Observation found it in Eggs under a Hen it likely doth proceed viz. Two harder Accrescencies are principally framed and compacted viz. the Primum Vivens and Vltimum Moriens the Triangle of our Hearts and the Circular or Globular and Chief Member of our Bodies the Head and these are presently knit together first by small Ligatures Strings and Films and from those two Parts as Principal Pillars and Fountains of Life Motion and Action there are extruded and produced first the Fibres and Nervous Parts and Ligatures of the Body then the Arteries Veins and Muscles and lastly the Flesh and Bones and such Blood as may be required in an Embrion State or a Chile analogous thereunto proper to nourish and apt to be converted into Blood and to catch and maintain the Vital Flame which shall be kindled upon the first Breath and Fanning of the Ambient Air at its coming into the World And like to this is the common Fate and Form of all other Animals and the Production of Living Bodies whatsoever if we shall examine them and begin with Vegetables and take for Standards the Acorn and the Mustard-seed they and whatsoever other Seed it be if it fall upon unnatural or barren and unhospitable Places viz. into Waters barren and dry Sands upon bare Rocks or salt Marishes or the like the Seed missing and failing of a Sutable Receptacle and agreeable to its Nature cannot be expected to fructifie according to its Natural Inclination and Power but must needs prove abortive unfruitful and improlifick But where Seeds fall into good and tolerable Grounds agreeable to their Seminal Virtues Inclinations and Powers and wherein they may meet with a Nutritive Reception there they are first somewhat melted or softned and then they ferment and finding a sutable Fomentation in their Recipient they germinate and sprout and as the Sprouts bear upwards so from the other end of the Acorn proceed Fibres or thin very small Strings moist and somewhat glutinous or clammy Threads impregnated not only with its proper Juice but indued with a catching and penetrating Quality enabling it to fix and fasten it self in its hospitable Recipient where finding still a friendly and benigne Fomentation and Acceptance it
nourishing the once kindled Flame so long as the Materials shall be able to last or endure and that in Men and Beasts is their old and decrepit Age and the utter Expence of that Humidum Radicale whereby their Flammula Vitalis might be nourished and maintained or that it be corrupted and vitiated by other noxious Humours and thereby rendred improper for the Purposes to which it was designed In Men and Beasts it seems there is a Material Spirit kindled and enflamed and thereby attenuated to so great a degree of Subtilty as to become Invisible and so asserts My Lord Bacon in the Place before quoted And so our Author Pag 72. says Some think that the Soul is Material yet of a purer Substance than things visible and thus thought Tertullian and almost all the Old Greek Doctors of the Church that write of it and so most of the Latines or very many Some thought the Soul an Igneous Body such as we call Aether or Solar Fire or rather of a higher purer Kind and that Sensation and Intellection are those Formal Faculties which specifically difference it from inferiour meer Fire or Aether And there are few of the Old Doctors or Fathers who thought it not some of these ways Material And to all this we do willingly subscribe and agree believing as the Primitive Fathers of the Church both Greek and Latine have by our Author 's own Testimony thought and taught before us And we conceive that the Beasts have a like Material Spirit inflamed lambently but whether altogether so fine and subtile as that in Humane Bodies we find not Ground enough to assert or determine But Solomon tells us what befalls Men befalls Beasts As one dies so dies the other Yea they have all one Breath and a Man hath no Preheminence above a Beast their Bodies go all to one Place they are of the Dust and turn to it again and who knows the Difference of their Spirits that of a Beast goes downward to the Earth viz. dies with the Body and turns to Dust and who knows that the Spirit of a Man doth not do so but goes upward Hence it seems there was an Opinion at that time amongst the Jews that the Souls of Men did not die with their Bodies like the Beasts And we find Solomon in the Close of this Book saying upon a Mans Death The Dust shall return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it Now whether he was better resolved in the Point at this time or that he used this Expression to comply with the Opinion of his Countrey we will not pretend to determine But it seems plain that amongst Men and Beasts there is a great Congruity in their Parts Frame and Composition as that all have different Members acting sutable to their Kinds as Head Feet Back Belly and Inward Parts as Heart Liver Lungs Spleen Brain and all the Organs of Sense and Nerves Veins Arteries Ventricles Muscles Joynts and the same Nature of Flesh Bones Blood and Breath which shall be left here and changed for the Consideration of their Internal Powers of Sense Motion Phancy Memory Intellect and of their Affections Passions and Powers of Perception Utterance and the like Faculties Concerning such Faculties we begin from the Senses and do find the Beasts have all the same with those of Men and that they can make as accurate and beneficial Use of them as any Men can do and in the Perceivance by them divers Beasts do excel Men some in the Use of one Sense and some of another and every Beast and Bird have Voices Tones and Notes all serving to warn and direct their Young ones to call for their Food or complain for the Want of it to give warning of Weather or Danger to call for Company of their own Kind to threaten and terrifie their Inferiours in Strength the Birds also to vie with one another in Melody delighting therewith the Ears of other Creatures that can perceive the Suavity and Variety of them The Affections and Passions in Beasts are the same with those in Men. We have named five Principals of them viz. Ambition Covetousness Lust Wrath and Fear the three last of which are altogether as eminent and active in Beasts as in Men. Ambition is not so and yet Beasts and Birds of all Kinds will fight without giving quite over until there be an acknowledged Mastery amongst them the Stronger will compel the Weaker to give Way and to follow and observe him Nor is Covetousness in Beasts any thing comparable to that in Man some of them do hoard up Provision for their Support in Winter and others for whom it is proper will steal it from them or fight for it if there shall be an Occasion So as in Beasts these Affections are but very feeble in comparison to what they are in Man Whereas Lust Wrath and Fear are equally potent and prevalent in the one Kind as in the Other And for Proof that Beasts have Phantasies their Dreams are Evidence in which sometimes they are vehemently agitated and affected and that they have Perfect Memories is proved by a Horses learning to know a Way but once gone and sooner than ordinary Passengers do by a Cows returning to the Place where her Calf was parted from her although she be driven away many Miles from it by the Docility of Horses Camels Dogs Apes Elephants most knownly but truly of many other Creatures And there seems to be no sufficient Doubt of finding all other Powers that are in Man resident in some Beasts except that of his Intellect which he can imploy in framing many Notions or Propositions and drawing Consequences and Conclusions such we do not know that any Beasts can do nor have they Means of making them known to us Sometimes we light upon Effects which carry a great Semblance of Proceeding from such Causes as in Dogs their Kindness to the Bodies of their dead Masters and discovery of their Murtherers That of Sabinus supported his Master's dead Body in the Tiber till he sunk with it Alexander's Elephant who would never take Food after the Royal Harness was taken from him and put upon another but starved and died upon it Androgeo and his Lion are reported and made famous in divers Roman Histories and other-like Effects are related that might serve to this Purpose but too long and circumstantial to be here related But from the Docility of Creatures Beasts we may with some certainty collect that they have an Intellect of simple or single Notions what and when and how their Directors will have them to act And Hares and Foxes do it seems invent Means to deceive and baffle their Pursuers But of Complex Notions Discourse or Reasoning in their Minds we do not perceive that any Beasts are capable although they are notable Observers of their Masters Eyes and can perceive their Pleasure or Displeasure in them and act according as by them directed Yet that they
are capable of a Judgment arising from a Discourse in their own Minds we do not perceive and therefore will agree that Men in the Discoursive Part of their Intellect are very much beyond and above the Beasts and so do the Humane Bodies much excel the Beasts in the Instruments and Operations of their Tongues and Hands And yet as these Advantages of their Bodily Organs doth not set their Bodies in so much a superiour Orb to the Beasts as to exempt them from the common Diseases and Death belonging unto both their Kinds So it seems the Advantage which they have over Beasts in Strength of Intellect and Discourse in their Minds may not be taken for a firm and assured Argument that there is in the one a Soul spiritually different from the other but that perhaps this Difference in Intellect may be but gradual and proceed from the greater Subtilty and Tenuity of the Spirit acting The Copiousness and Fineness of Matter in the Head and Brain of Man and the Largeness and Aptitude of the Organs which create the Difference and give the Superior Quality and Advantage to the Intellect of Man as we know it to be in the Body by Aptitude in the Organs of the Hands and Tongue Amongst those who argue for the Being of an Immaterial Self-subsisting Soul in Man some avoid the Defending their Principle by Arguments drawn from Reason or Nature by confessing the thing cannot be so proved because it is not made of any Mundane Thing but inspired as my Lord Bacon is before cited to have expressed it And Sir Kenelm Digby in his Treatise of the Soul Fol. 394. tells us If you ask me by what Artifice a Man is able to perform the Rational and Discoursive Actions of the Phantasy Intellect Memory c. I will answer that they are done in an Admirable and Spiritual Manner But if you demand what the Manner is and how produced I must answer It is done I know not how by the Power of the Soul shew me a Soul and I will tell you how it works It seems we want some such Evidence for its being what our Arguers affirm it is He offers at some parcels of Proof from Effects but they are long not fit for this Place and how firm the Perusers must judge each for himself Our Author Pag. 161. confesses he knows not whether Souls do pre-exist and if so Whether they are Individuate in their Pre-existence or shall be so after separating from the Body and whether the Semen in Generation is animated and how the animated Semina of two make one and if animated then what becomes of the Anima Seminis Perditi or of an Abortive Whether the Body be animated as Vegetative or Sensitive before the Entrance of the Rational Soul What is an Act or Habit in the Soul or how not acting or habited it differs from it self acting or habited How its Acts are Many and yet but One or its Faculties at least and some other Riddles concerning the Souls of his Mode All these Three Assertors of the Immaterial Self-subsisting Soul confess They know neither the Quid Quale Quando Vbi or Quomodo of their Sort of Soul and wave the Proving it from Reason or Nature or make but some weak Offers upon that Account without pretending to a full Conviction of such as shall peruse their Writings upon this Point But Dr. More in his Book of the Souls Immortality 8o. Printed Lond. 1659. offers to make irrefragable Proof from Reason and Nature That there is in Man an Immaterial and Self-subsisting Soul and grounds all his Arguments for that Purpose upon a Natural Necessity of the Thing For that says he without such a Soul it would not be possible in Nature for Men to use their Senses Affections Phantasies Intellects Memories and Motions as they do if they had not such an Immaterial Substance and Spirit within them for the actuating directing and governing of them and giving to every Part and Organ that Life and Vigour that may suffice to perform the Duty and Function to each of them belonging And because his Design is our proper Subject in this Place his own Assertions and Words shall be quoted for the better Assurance of that he hath thereupon delivered First he determines That if in Man there be not such a Spirit then there can be nothing in him but Matter And Pag. 125. says Matter is utterly uncapable of such Operations And we find there is but one same thing in us which hears sees and tastes and perceives all the Vanity of Objects presented to us and that which is the Common Sense judging of outward Objects must likewise imagine remember reason and be the Fountain of Spontaneous Motion and of the like Faculties and Powers in Man Pag. 133. Matter is not affected by any Perception but of Corporeal Impression by the bearing of one Body against another But the Seoundae Notiones or Mathematical and Logical Conceptions cannot be seated in Matter but must be in some other Substance distinct from it Pag. 154. says I have plainly proved that neither the more Pure Intellectual Faculties nor those less pure of Memory and Imagination are competible to meer Bodies and have convincingly demonstrated That not so much as what we call External Sense is competible unto the same Pag. 227. To the Nature of Sensation and the other Operations the Animal Spirits are not sufficient of themselves nor the Soul of herself without the Assistance of the Spirits Pag. 205. Yet the Soul hath not any Power or exceeding little of moving Matter but only of determining Matter in Motion Pag. 298. But the immediate Instrument of the Soul are those Tenuous and Aerial Particles called the Spirits by which the Soul hears sees feels imagines remembers reasons and by moving which or directing their Motion she moves likewise the Body and helps to form it in the Womb but till the Body is finish'd the Soul flutters betwixt it and the Spirit of Nature or Soul of the World Pag. 329. The Souls most subtile and most intellectual Operations depend upon the Fitness of Temper in the Animal Spirits and it is the Fitness and Purity of them that invites her and enables her to love and look after Divine and Intellectual Objects And the Souls Nature is such as she cannot act but in Dependance upon Matter Pag. 330. It is a very wild Leap in Nature that the Soul of Man should skip from the impure Body newly turned to a dead Carkass and ascend thence immediately to the highest Heaven and to the Presence and Company of God and Angels From these Quotations Dr. More 's Opinions concerning the Soul may easily be collected and those which are desirous particularly to consider of his Arguments at large may consult his Book which is but of a small Bulk But here Notice only shall be taken of his Principal Foundation viz. That no Matter or Thing consisting of Matter can have a Principle of Motion or Activity
such Exceptions against your Deductions as you are not able to give clear Answers unto nor can you make plain to Reason the particular Mode of the Operation of the Senses less concerning the Imagination Memory Intellect and Affections We will not stick to grant all this and yet reply by repeating what we have said Let the Dr. or any for him shew the particular Reasons and Causes and Manner of Working how and why Apple-trees bring forth Apples of such different Kinds yet constant each to his own Kind And why and how a Pear-tree is terminated to her Sort and Sorts in like manner Why and how a Thorn must needs bear Haws and a Vine Grapes c. Why and how some Plants and Flowers are sweet others stinking or without Smell Let them answer to the Queries before made concerning a Leaf and so as Men cannot make material and just Exceptions to their Deductions and then they may more reasonably pretend to bring in a Self-subsisting Soul to the actuating of the Senses in Animals and the Guiding and Conduct of their other Faculties And till then it is to be hoped they will allow Men to think that the Animal Spirits of a Sensitive Animal may have Activity Mettle and Power enough in them to move and employ the Brain the Senses the Body and all their Organs or Instruments whatsoever without the Government or Assistance of a Self-subsisting Soul or any Extraneous Spirit whatsoever Notice must needs be taken of an Objection which our Dr. himself makes or frames against his own Opinion Pag. 238. says he There will be an envious Objection cast in our Way Observe his Epethite is very sharp but the Strength of the Objection was the Occasion viz. Men will say that all our Demonstrations are meer Sophisms because some of them and the not of the least Validity do prove that Souls of Brutes are Substances Incorporeal and Self-subsisting after Death of the Body and consequently That they have a Pre-existence before their coming into the Body and that the Souls of Men have also the same Pre-existence Pag. 240. The Dr. owns these Opinions and says they are all true Pag. 241. And that the Deriving Souls ex traduce viz. from Seed of the Parents is a plain Contradiction and so impossible for a Body to beget an Immaterial Spiritual Substance The third Conceipt That God creates Souls to supply every Adulterous Incestuous Buggering successful Coition or for Monstrous Deformed Productions is too Indignous to be imposed upon his Majesty And there are but these Three Ways for Production of Souls and therefore they must pre-exist à Mundo Condito when many Miriads of Souls were created to serve in all Future Ages Pa. 447. Of this Opinion says the Jews Cabbala was Moses And he names here Seventeen more Ancient Philosophers who were of this Opinion and adds Origen and later Writers Pag. 245. says That all Philosophers of Note in all Ages who have held the Soul of Man Immortal and Incorporeal have likewise held the Pre-existence of it and this must hold for Beasts as well as for Men. Pag. 266. As the Souls of Men pre-existing slide down out of the Air into fitly prepared Matter so do the Souls of Brutes also Pag. 271. The Souls of Men and Brutes inhabit Air in a Terrestrial Vehicle Pag. 302. Hence Men will say the Souls of Brutes will live and enjoy themselves after Death To which our Dr. dares boldly answer That it is a thousand times more reasonable that they should be believed to do so than that the Souls of Men do not Pag. 304. There is no Reason to think Brutes cease to be alive after they are separated from their Bodies Our Author Baxter following it seems our Dr. holds the like Opinion and perhaps doubting to prejudice the Opinion of a Humane Soul's Self-subsistance Pag. 20. He says Chambre and some others make Brutes a lower Rank of Rationals and Man a higher Rank Pag. 38. Though it be but an Analogical Reason that Brutes have yet the Difference betwixt Man and them it more in the Objects Tendency and Work of Reason than in our Reason it self as such Pag. 201. Men conclude basely of the Souls of Brutes as if they were not an enduring Substance without any Proof or Probability Pag. 303. Some think too basely of Sense because they find it in lower Creatures they might accordingly deny Substantiality to Spirits because Brutes are Substances Pag. 380. The Sensible Souls of Brutes are Substance and therefore are not annihilated after Death It seems this Tenet of the Maintainers of a Separate Subsistence of a Humane Soul is calculated for the Solution of an Objection which they foresaw would arise from that Power which Beasts evidently have and exercise in the Use of their Senses Affections Fancies Memories and Intellect of Simple Notions whereby their Actions may be and are directed How sufficient the Effect of this Tenet will prove for the solving or opposing an Argument drawn from this Ground will best appear when the Argument it self shall have been produced in which we shall proceed as we have done before in the Case of Trees Plants and other Vegetative Creatures We say then That the Beasts are indowed with the like Faculties and Powers that are found in Men they have a Local Motion as Strong Vigorous and Swift as Men and so for every Limb Joynt Muscle Nerve and Sinew of their Bodies acting as Spontaneously therein as can be done by Men They use and govern the same Five Senses that are in Man and enjoy and act them to as great Perfection and Effect as Men ordinarily do and some of them exceed Men in the Natural Effect Use and Vigor of some of those Senses They have the same Affections and Passions reigning in their Minds Inclinations and Bodies as those that appear in Men and their Lust Wrath and Fear are as Strong Vigorous and Vehement as they are in Men. They have very apt and tenacious Memories and have signs of Active and Moving Phantasies the full truth operation and extent whereof we are not able to discover for want of Dialect in the Beasts to discover them to us an Intellect also the Beasts are evinced to have by their perceiving Mens temper of displeasure or kindness in their Eyes Looks or Gestures by their slinking out of sight crouching and dejected Looks or Behaviour when they have done a Mischief a sign they use reflection upon themselves and so much of judgment as to be under Fear and Expectation of Punishment for the same even as we find the Servile People amongst Men will do a Vivacity also of their Intellect shews it self in their Docility inabling them to practice such Postures and Actions as some more stupid People could hardly or never attain to perform to their degrees of Perfection in the knowing understanding observing and obeying of a Sign a Nod a Gesture a Look the Moving of an Eye or by an angry or pleased Composure
of a Mans Countenance Things which dull or unbred People do not well perceive or understand Our Author Baxter Pag. 38. is so moved with the Considerations as he there says That in their own low Concerns a Fox or a Dog nay even an Ass or a Goose have such Actions as we know not well how to ascribe to any thing below some kind of Reasoning or Perception of the same importance Whence he infers That the Difference betwixt Men and Beasts is rather in the Objects and Work of our Reason than in our Reason it self as such and that therefore the old difference of Man from Beast in the Word Rationale should be changed into Religiosum That Mans Genus shall be Animal still but his Characteristical Difference should be changed from Rationale to Religiosum We say further That in the Beasts there is a Sensitive Soul of a Flamy Airy Nature a Material Spirit extracted from the Blood and Humours of the Body actuated by Natural Heat and that Flammula Vitalis which pervades their whole Bodies and every part member and parcel of them passing with their blood into all places whither that can come This Spirit it is that directs and actuates the Motions works by the Senses forms the Voices imagines remembers and understands in the Head inlivens and moves the Heart and by which all other Faculties of the Beasts are stirr'd actuated put upon and supported in their Natural Imployments and Duties performed according to the Natural Operations of Spirits with great Mettle Quickness and Imperceptibility and this seems to be the State and Composition of the Beasts Whence we argue That all that is thus found in Beasts and by them performed springs from the motions and actings of a Material Spirit and the force and power of a Natural Flame What hinders then but that a Material Spirit in Man may as well perform the same productions in Body and Mind of those of his Kind and Species both his Motions Senses Affections Imagination Memory and Intellect and all his other Faculties with some more advantage in the degrees of them by how much the Spirits are more pure and subtil in the Humane Bodies the matter more fine and copious the receptacles of them large and the Organs every where properly fitted and terminating the product and performance to the Effect for which by the Creator they were intended and appointed and we conclude in Affirmative that it is likely to be so in very deed But in answer thereunto our Opposers bring in their lately delivered Assertion calculated as we have said and set on foot for such a time as this Viz. That Beasts do not perform their Functions of the Senses Affections Phantasie Memory and Intellect their Local Motion or any of them by the acting or energy of a Material Spirit But they soberly say Beasts are indowed with and actuated by an Immaterial Self-subsisting Spirit which pre-existed before it came into the Body of the Beast and shall subsist by it self after the death and corruption of its Body They do but say this without making or offering any Proof at all of it And one of their Associates in Opinion pinch'd with this Argument of what the Beasts can and do perform in this Kind takes quite another way and manner of evading from under the force and pressure of it Sir K. Digby to shew us there are more ways to the Wood than one takes a Course directly contrary to that of our fore-cited Authors for he fol. 205. and thence to 210. would perswade us and demonstrate as he says That Beasts are not to be esteemed so much as Voluntary Agents or that they have so much as the knowledge of what they do or why they do it but that they act stupidly by a natural sense of Heat and Cold and the density and rarity of their Blood and Members that they are meer Automata without so perceiving by their senses as to distinguish one thing from another He tells us That in his youth he saw two Machines the one at Toledo for raising Water to a great heighth the other at Segovia both set on work by the Current of a River This was used for the Coining of Money and of these Machines he gives us there the Description and then he compares all sorts of Plants both great and small to his Water-Engine at Toledo and all Sensible Living Creatures to his Machine at Segovia They move and work as that Machine doth and they do things that are very proper and useful for their Natures and contrive and act things sometimes very artificial and curious as he says we see in Spiders Webs and Birds Nests But the Animals know not what it is they do but are prompted so to act by a temperament in their Bodies which makes them uneasie and restless until they do act and employ themselves according to a propensity which they have in Nature but they have as little choice or perceiving either why or what they do as his Machine at Segovia of which he relates many Useful and Artificial Practices continually performed without sense or knowledge of any thing that it did and this seems the single Truth of his fore-cited Assertions But he proceeds upon a like Design to many more folio's It seems evident that these two Opinions of our Opposers are directly contrary one of them to the other and yet are intended both for one same purpose viz. to invalidate such an Argument as might be raised from the Nature Power and Practice of a Sensitive Soul that might perswade to the belief of what hath been before asserted by us of the Rational Faculties and Duties being possible and likely to be acted and performed by a Material Spirit if either of the fore-cited Opinions were true it were enough to rebate the edge of such an Argument and to invalidate the force of it but with those who do not believe the truth of either of them they will be of no force at all to the purpose We confide there is no need to labour in the Confutation of either of them for that they will hardly be acccepted or agreed to by Men of Reading and Reason and that therefore our repeated Argument will be of force and continue unimpeachable by either of these Allegations Whence we are at liberty to proceed in our farther Inquiries concerning the Soul We find that Aristotle who lived about Two thousand years ago wrote a Treatise intituled Of the Soul divided into Three Books and those into Chapters the First Book into Nine and the other Two each into Twelve and he treats therein as we have done of all the Three Known Souls viz. The Vegetative the Sensitive and the Rational and calls his Work A History of the Soul and in the very entrance thereunto the First Chapter of it he tells us It is extream difficult to detect the Essence of any thing or the Quid sit Yet that is the most sound Principle of Knowledge if it can
be attained unto but the ordinary means of attaining it is by Searching into all or the most of the Accidents unto the same belonging and so searching we know not how to find any Affections or Accidents a Soul hath that are proper or peculiar to her self Commonly we find she neither does nor suffers any thing without Copartnership of the Body The Intellect seems her most peculiar and yet if that be a sort of Phantasie or cannot be performed without the Phancy certainly it cannot be acted without the Body neither Hence he collects and asserts That if in the Soul there be any Operation or Affection which is properly peculiar to its self viz. it s own Nature it may then be reasonably taken to have a Separate Subsistence disjoyned from the Body but if it have no Operations or Affections so peculiarly proper to its own Nature then is it not capable of Subsistence in a State separated from the Body Also that which is never found or perceived without a Body may well pass for inseparable from a Body Also in all our Affections the Body joyns and operates with the Soul for if they were totally or principally from the Soul they would act in a like manner upon all like or equal occasions But we find that Men will sometimes bear very great Provocations or Appearances of great Danger without any great emotions of Anger or Fear and at another time they are apt to fear upon far less occasions and to be wrathful and angry accordingly This shews the Humours of the Body have a great Share and Power in producing these Affections and that they are Rationes Materiales Effects of a Material Soul of which Men say Dispositio Animae sequitur Temperamentum Corporis nam Ratio est forma Rei Concluding upon the Question That the Affections of the Animal are inseparable from the Natural Matter and Composure of it This is a Summary of the First Chapter of Aristotle's Book He questions as Solomon had done before him Whether Souls do subsist in Separation from their Bodies or not And argues If they have proper Operations or Accidents of their own it is likely they do subsist so and if they have not such then they do not so subsist for Natura nihil facit frustra And if they neither have Action nor Passion properly belonging to them their Subsistence would be Frustra and therefore we have no reason to admit or allow of a Separate Subsistence of Souls unless we can prove they have some Operation Affection or Accidents so properly belonging to them as that they are certainly known to exercise or use them without any assistance of Body or Matter We have before quoted our Doctor Pag. 227. to this Point saying The Soul is not sufficient of her self to act without the Animal Spirits And P. 298. These are the immediate Instruments of the Soul by which she sees hears feels imagines remembers reasons and moves the Members and the Body and if they be spent she can act no more But neither Aristotle nor the Doctor here find any properly peculiar Operation or Accidents of the Soul Aristotle says indeed That Intelligere is the most so of any thing Videtur to be the most so of any other thing but he was not convinced that Intelligere was so proper to the Soul as could give title to a Separated Subsistence after the death of the Body nor doth he absolutely conclude to the contrary but hath left us in the open road towards it and with fair and forcible Reason so to do This way of quoting Aristotle's Book seems like that of the Israelites when they compassed the Land of Edom their Soul was discouraged with the Prospect and Contemplation of the length of it But as we find Weariness grow upon us long Strides or Skips may happen to be made before the finishing of so venturous an Undertaking Cap. 2. Aristotle proceeding in his History cites to us all the Opinions that he knew to be delivered concerning the Soul by Eminent Grecian Philosophers before his time First He states the special Differences betwixt the Animata and Inanimata or the Animals and Things that are not so to lie in Motion and Sense All Animals have those two things and none but Animals have them and that Motion is the Prior and Superiour Faculty therefore the First Observers began from thence believing That which could not move it self could not move another thing Whence Democritus collected That the Soul was a certain Degree of Heat or Fire which he took to be kindled and maintained in the Body by such Atoms flying about in the Air as are of a Globular Figure which he took to be of a Fiery Nature such they observed to be in the Air never resting but always in Motion though the Wind and Air were never so calm and quiet these entring into the Body with the Breath acted in it and acted it every breathing supplying fresh Atoms and by that means continuing Life and Motion in the Body but on stoppage or failure of Breath the Animal dies for want of fresh Atoms to heat move and actuate the same Men were put to it for the finding a way to kindle this Fire in the Animal Bodies for want of Moses's History and takeing the Promethean or Heavenly Fire but for a Fable with Democritus's Opinion Leucippus also agreed The Pythagorean School Some said the Soul was of these Atoms others it was of that which moved these Atoms and divers more held the Soul to be an Active Principle which first moved it self and then acted every thing about it for nothing can move another thing that is not first moved it self Anaxagorus was of the like Opinion and so were all they who had principal respect to the Motion of Animals but other Philosophers there were who principally respected the Sensitive and Scientifical Performances of the Soul and they conceived the Soul to be a Compositum or Temperament of the Elements and of this Opinion was Empedocles and Plato in his Timaeo this Compositum they drew out into Four Principles after a Mathematical Pattern the first as a single Unite or Point and this they said was the Intellect then they drew out a Line terminated by two Unites and that they called the Number Two and this they said was Science of Lines they produced a Planum and that they said was Opinion and thence they founded and made a Solid Body and this they said was the Sense or Sensitive Power and that all things were judged and terminated part by the Intellect part by Science part by Opinion and part by Sense and having reduced the Self-moving Soul to Numbers they gave it the Term of a Self-moving Number but those who compounded it of the Elements made Fire Principal in that Composition it consisting of the most Subtile and Incorporeal Parts prompt to and in Motion and a Prime Mover of other Things Diogenes thought the Soul to be Air as the most
Subtil Principle and easily moved And Heraclitus called it an Exhalation Incorporeal always moving Almaeon said The Soul was Immortal like other Immortal Beings who are always in Motion as the Sun Moon Stars and Heaven it self Other impertinent Philosophers as Hippo said The Soul was Water from the Prolifick Faculty And Critius said It was Blood because that is the Prime Instrument of Sense But all agree in the Prime Requisites of it viz. Motion Sense and Incorporiety Anaxagoras only says It is impassible and hath nothing common with any other thing But if so it be neither he nor any else tells us can tell us how or by what Means it should come to the Knowledge of any thing We may observe all these Philosophers except Three content themselves with a Subtil Moving Material Spirit Of the Three Heraclitus it seems aims at the Spirit formerly by us described Anaxagorus is not believed by Aristotle and is but a Negative Description The Third viz. Almaeon seems the sole positive Assertor That the Soul is Immortal and like other Immortal viz. Spiritual Beings The Man's Name is not otherwise Famous but his Opinion hath had the Fortune to spread it self in the World beyond all those whom Aristotle in this Chapter hath nominated to us and to be come near the Universal of the present Time Jews and Gentiles Mahometans and Christians professing themselves to be of the same Faith or Belief but the more Considerate of them declining a Dispute and reasonable Examination of the same the Soul being a Supernatural Spiritual and Inspirited Substance which Flesh and Blood cannot reveal no nor understand And all this I do willingly agree unto but do say We are now within the Lists of Humane Reason entred into against our Author Baxter and his Associate Dr. More who have undertaken and made Challenge to prove Man's Soul must needs be an Immaterial Self-subsisting Spirit and that upon Grounds of Nature and undeniable Reason We are thus far on of our Way in that Argument and God send us a good Deliverance Chap. 3. Arist confutes some of the fore-cited Opinions And First for Motion says It seems not essential to the Soul but that Motion is rather per Accidens and according to the Bodies Motion and it may move the Body without being moved it self as Light directs without its own Motion The Bodies Motion doth carry the Soul about with it but that is not a proper Motion of the Soul Nothing can move naturally that is not in some Place but the Soul is the Form of the Body and Forms are properly not in Place but in their proper Matter not like Accidents in Bodies which are not there as Forms to Bodies or Participants of their Motion Secondly That which can move Naturally may be compelled to move by Force but the Soul cannot be so compelled Ergo Thirdly If the Soul were properly moved it would not be accidentally so but it is principally moved by the Sensible Objects Ergo Fourthly That which moves leaves its former Place or Qualification And if Motion were Essential to the Soul it so moving must recede from its Essence Ergo Motion is not of its Essence Fifthly Democritus thought the Soul moving it self did thereby move the Body as the Vniverse moved from the Motion of the Celestial Orbs but they never rest therefore the Soul doth not so move the Animal but by its Intellect and Choice the Animal moves or rests Sixthly Plato compared the Soul to the Heavenly Orbs or Circles first differenced into two Sorts and then others and those divided into seven of the Planets But hence the Soul must needs be Bulky and so capable of Division and that it is not But is as the Intellect or Mind which though it reflect upon it self is not thereby made Circular any more than the Sense or Appetite which do not so reflect Though the Soul have not a Bulk yet it is One first in Number next by its Indivisibility for it hath no Parts but all that have Bulk have Parts Also the Motions viz. that of a Soul and that of a Circle are quite different That of a Soul is Intellection employed about Objects or Things that of a Circle is bare Rotation without End But the Soul moves rationally to a Design or End whence the Soul hath a Tendency as well to Rest and Settlement as to Motion Seventhly If Motion were of the Essence of the Soul it could never rest like the Celestial Orbs if not essential to it continual Motion would be tiresome to it and it were better be out of the Body And many say the Case is truly so with it and so for the most part it is believed Those who will rightly treat of the Soul must join therewithal the Consideration of the Body also because of the close Connexion that is between them so as one can neither act nor suffer without the other and they are so knit and apted for one another that a Mans Soul cannot fit a Beast nor that of a Beast suit with the Body of a Man and the Pythagorical Tenet was but a Fable We may observe that Aristotle treats here of the Soul as if it were some Self-subsistent Principle a Thing that was intire not as if it were a Material Spirit residing chiefly in Vital Parts and thence diffused over the whole Body it seems rather that he did not so apprehend of it but rather that it was partible from the Body For else it could not be considered whether it should be better out of the Body or in it He says That then many thought it better to be out of the Body than in it And we are told some Men of those Times kill'd themselves to enjoy that Immunity the sooner And yet it is not throughly clear whether when he speaks of the Souls being out and in that be not intended according to the common Opinion of his Time For that he knits Soul and Body so together as if they were but one same Let it be called Animal or Essential Being which both do and suffer the same without any rationally perceivable Difference although it be easie for posted Fancy to create Differences if the Soul be the Material Spirit before described the Reason of this Sameness in doing and suffering is evident and clear But if the Soul and Body be Separate Subsistences a Modification of this Sameness in doing and suffering is yet to be excogitated Chap. 4. Some hold Opinion That the Body being compounded of contrary Ingredients viz. the Four Elements that Reasonable Proportion and Equal Temperament which disposes and preserves all these in their fittest Quantities Qualities and Agencies in the Body and in their best Consistencies and Agreements one of them with the other that Agent they called by the Name of Harmony and counted it for the Soul This Aristotle says cannot be so For that this Harmony hath not a Power of Motion which all agree to be in the Soul Nor can Men
but not so well Vehement excessive Objects of other Senses do only destroy the present Act or at most but the Organ But such Objects of the Touch may kill as vehement Heat Cold Hardship Smell or Taste can also kill but that comes from their Touches and such Power as an Aspect may have to that Purpose is by Power of what touches Prov. 2.4 Solomon directs Seek Knowledge and Truth as Silver and search for them as for hid Treasures And thus have we ransacked the Treasures of this Philosophical Treatise and Storehouse the best furnished towards the present Purpose of any Magazine which by Art or Nature we know to have been collected there hath no Part of it been left without our closest Scrutiny by which we seem to have found that the Philosopher had made a like Search to this very Purpose in the Times Ages and Writings of those who had lived before him and by such Search had found that Orpheus and Thales held Opinion That the whole World was Animatum and that there was in it an Universal Soul from whence the particular Souls were sent out to animate and inform all that were in Capacity to receive both the Vegetative Sensitive and Rational upon whose future Dissolution the Form Soul Virtue or Active Principle returned back to the Universal Soul or Spirit or Power and mixed therewithal as the Drops of Water returning are received and incorporated into their Ocean or Element And if this were true there must thence follow a Subsistence of Souls after Dissolution of the inspirited Bodies but not in their Individuations or Particulars Next came Pythagoras and he taught an Individuation of Souls That every Animal had its particular Form or Soul and the Souls of Men and Beasts were all of a Mode and transmigrated sometimes into Men and sometimes into Beasts according to their Deserts or as it happened or there was Need in the World This Opinion maintains and requires a Separate Subsistence of Souls after Death of the Body and that in every Particular or in their Proper Individuations and necessarily supposes a Pre-existence of Souls And there must be a great Stock Magazine or Provision of Souls whence all who have need may abundantly be supplied Likewise it supposes an Immortality in the Souls or else in length of time they might come to be clean spent and worn out Then came Democritus and he and Leucippus were of another Mind For they thought that upon the Aptitude and Fitness of the Body for the Receipt of a Soul the Vital Heat required and obtained a Respiration and therewithal the Globular or Fiery Atoms which fly about in the Air are drawn in at each Breathing and they give continual Supply to such Atoms as were in the Body before So long therefore as Animals breath and draw in such Atoms they may live but no longer for want of fresh Atoms or Fire for a continual Supply of their Souls This Opinion makes a Soul created by the Congregating of Globular Atoms not capable of a Separate Subsistence as a Soul but is again dissolved into its Atoms upon Death of the Body Then the Philosophers who more regarded Rational and Knowing Faculties in the Soul than its Vital and Moving ones such as Empedocles and Plato They thought the Soul to be a Compositum of the Elements amongst which Fire was most eminent and potent that all being wrought into an amicable Inclination and mixed in a sutable Proportion there rose from that Mixture a Spiritual Flame which they called a Harmony of them all during whose Continuance the Animal lives and hath Vigor in a like Proportion but in Death it ceases And if this be not the Soul which then leaves the Body what can Men think to be that Soul that then leaves it But if in truth this be the Soul which in Death leaves the Body then first it hath a Beginning but together with the Body and this is taken also away with Death of the Body for that there doth not come to Humane Perceivance or Knowledge of any other sort of Soul departing at Death but this only Flame by them called Harmony Other Opinions of Anaxagoras Heraclitus Almaeon Diogenes Hippo and Critias are also cited before And it seems the Opinion generally current was That the Soul was a distinct Principle from the Body and had a separate Subsistence after Death so strongly conceited as some killed themselves to enjoy Soul-felicities the sooner And this Ancient and General Conceit had so much Power even over Aristotle himself as to induce him to discourse of the Soul generally after the Mode of his Time viz. as of a Self-subsisting Principle and to affirm that a Part of it the Prime and Contemplative Part of it the Intellect actu is Self-subsisting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immortal and Eternal And to prevent any Bodies demanding what this Soul is he says It is that only which it is and that only is Immortal and Eternal But he gives no manner of Confirmation from Reason or offers any Dilucidation or any farther Discourse upon the Thing But on the contrary whensoever he comes to argue from Reason upon this Point of Subsistence of the Soul in a State of Separation from the Body all his Arguments conclude against such Subsistence of a Soul in that Separate State for that it hath nothing to do wherein the Body joins not with it nor can do any thing not so much as move it self but by the Body nor act any thing in the Body but by the Animal Spirits cannot go out of the Body nor alter any thing in it cannot command the Passions Affections or Appetite but struggles with them after a Natural Manner and uses sometimes Natural Means both outward and inward to obtain Victory cannot punish a rebellious Opposer nor make a Hair White or Black or diminish or increase the Stature can finally do nothing but in a Natural Way and by Natural Means by the Organs bodily and the Animal Spirits and therefore in all his Arguments and Collections from Particulars or Experience the Soul seems to be a Natural Agent acting in and by the Body and employing chiefly the Heart as Vital and the Head as Sentient and Intellectual and all other Parts in Passions Affections Appetites and Motions And yet as this Life of the Soul is according to Nature the same Strength of Reason may seem to conclude for her a sutable Exit such as may best agree with a Natural or Material Spirit Des Caries in his Philosophical Principles Part 4. Sect. 197. mentions thus much shall we say or thus little of the Soul he says We do well enough comprehend how by the Bulk Figure and Motion of one Body divers Motions and Changes may be excited in another Body and such as have great Power to affect the same by acting upon the Senses But says he we cannot at all understand by what Mode these Bulk Figure and Motion do produce or effectually Work upon
other Things that are of a Different Nature from themselves viz. in those Things which Men call Substantial Forms and Real Qualities or Qualifications which many perswade themselves are resident and to be found in the Nature of Bodies or Things Nor how such Substantial Forms or Qualities have the Force and Power to excite Local Motion in other Bodies We know it says he to be the Nature of our Souls that different local Motions are enough for the Stirring and Excitation of all our Senses and that Bulk Figure and Motion act upon our Sensual Organs and this Act or Motion passes from them to the Brain and in external Objects we do not perceive any thing but the various Disposition of the Objects which affect our Nerves in various Modes or Manners All this seems to import no more concerning the Soul but that Men have a Substantial Form called by the Name of Soul My Copy of Des Cartes is in 8o. printed Lond. 1664. and contains his Principles and Diopticks his Meteors and De Passionibus We proceed to his De Methodo There Sect. 4. P. 21. he draws in somewhat abruptly a farther Consideration concerning the Soul Pag. 22. He derives his Knowledge thereof from his own prime Invention of Cogito ergo sum viz. Existo And no wonder that he thence derives his Knowledge of the Soul since he dare pretend to derive from thence the Knowledge also which he hath of God As if the Four Rivers of Paradise might competently be expected to flow from the Narrow and Shallow Fountain of his Cogitation But intending to fix his Anchors upon this Axiom as on a Rock He pretends to overthrow by his bare Authority his Ipse dixit all the Ancient Grounds of Humane Sense and Nature by believing that he hath no Body for the feigning without believing it would be but a Dream and unfit for his or for any Purpose Then by believing that there is no World or Place for a Body to be in why cannot I as well feign or believe that I have not a Being as that I have not a Body or that there is neither Place nor World You cannot do it says he so long as you are thinking but if you slacken the Reins and give over Thinking but for one Moment you can have no Reason to believe your own Existence during the time of your Vacation from Thinking how short or long soever that Time may be And hence says he I know my self to be a Substance whose whole Nature and Essence consists in Thinking Whence he seems to collect that this Thinking Substance hath no need of Place nor Dependence upon any other Material Thing Upon this I demand how he knows or can demonstrate that he could think at all without a Body and the Spirits and Organs thereof this he hath not attempted to do and I take it for an Impossibile upon him And till that be done I hold it fit and reasonable to reject his utterly unproved Assertions viz. That the Soul is plainly distinct from the Body more easy to be known than the Body is and would be the same that she is if she had not a Body These as they are barely asserted by him are as easily rejected and denied by me with a Cujus Contrarium Verum He proceeds to declare by what Degrees he derives the Knowledge that God is and what he is from the Fundamental Rock of his own Cogitation My Design is not Opposition to him or his pretended Alterations or Modes of Learning but only in Things concerning the Soul and therefore what he delivers concerning God and his Cogitative Knowledge of that Tremendous Majesty we will not offer to examine therefore we go over him till he return again to the Soul which he doth Pag. 25. He pretends to tell us the true Reason why many perswade themselves that the Existence of God and the Nature of Humane Souls are Things very difficult to be known The Reason says he is this those Men do not separate their Minds from their Senses nor raise them enough above Corporeal Things believing the Old Philosophical Maxim viz. Nothing can come into the Intellect but by the Passages of the Senses by which Passages neither God nor the Soul are ever like to get into the Intellect whence it need be no Wonder that they are no better or more easily understood We grant his Reason to be good viz. That because God and Spirits come not ordinarily by the Senses into the Intellect therefore they are Things very difficult to be apprehended and understood by Men but that Men shall be able by forsaking the Assistance of their Senses and giving themselves up to unguided and random Cogitations to obtain a more full or true Knowledge of God or Mens Souls I must take leave to deny We are told how God first instructed the first People to know obey and worship him He conversed with our first Parents in the Garden and drave them thence by an Angel He gave Commands for Worship and Obedience sutable to the Patterns imprinted upon Mans Reason at his Creation he reproved Cain sensibly and so translated Enoch directed Noah saving him and drowning all others in a visible miraculous Manner and so was Sodom destroyed so Abraham called and supported Isaac and Jacob chosen and supported Joseph sent into Aegypt Moses preserved and what was done at Sinai and the Journey out of Aegypt filled that Nation and all their Borderers with Acknowledgments Wonder and Terrors the Works and Wonders done for Jehoshaphat Hezekiah for Nebuchadnezzar Belteshassar and Daniel for Cyrus Alexander and the Foretellings of their Actions Then the Angelical Preparatives for our Lord 's Coming his Extraction Miracles Resurrection Ascension Mission of his Spirit to the Eyes and Ears of many Nations resident in Hierusalem and Witnesses each to their own People Then all the Apostles the Seventy Disciples the Seven first Deacons and their Disciples were inspired to prophesie speak with Inspired Tongues cast out Devils and to do miraculous Cures These Acts testifying a Superior and Supernatural Power to the Senses and Perceivings of Mankind suted to the Doctrines therewith delivered fill'd the Earth with the Knowledge of God as the Waters cover the Sea Now to the contrary where shall Men find so much as one single Person before Socrates who attained to so true a Knowledge of God as to determine That he was but One. All the roving Cogitations of Mankind never attained to so much Truth concerning God as this one most plain and single Assertion except in those Families or People where God by miraculous Means had made himself perceptible to the Senses of Men and by them made himself Way to Humane Understanding and Intelligence And from these things all true and irrefragable it seems we may conclude that to know God or any Spirit are things of very great Difficulty None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And God revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloe by the Word of the Lord without such Revelations of God as are miraculous or are derived from that Original it seems so extream hard to find out God as that no Man by Force of Natural Wit or Intellect can have the Power to do it and if the Soul of Man be an Immaterial Spirit it will fall under a like Difficulty Pag. 30. He supposes Cogitando as it seems that God had made a Compleat Body of a Man without inspiring him with a Rational Soul but placing about his Heart an inkindled Heat or inlucid Fire This like the Fuming of moist Hay or the heated Steems of working New Wines would says he effect in the Bodies of Men all that can now by Men be performed except only their Power of Cogitation and that without the Co-operation of any Soul at all And the like he supposes may be done also in the Bodies of Beasts but he found not in his Cogitations that this was enough to produce Reason in Man but he dream'd that the same was fully supplied to Man when God had created for him a Rational Soul and had joined it to his Body after a certain Manner such as the Author had invented for him Pag. 34. The Animal Spirits are like the most subtil Winds or more like the purest Flames which continually and plentifully ascend from the Heart to the Brain and by these are the Bodily Members moved Pag. 36. Says The Automata made by Man must all fall short in two Points 1. Nothing can be made to answer properly to unforeknown Questions 2. Nothing can be made to act Motions beyond what were specially intended Not to answer accidental or all occasional Motions He says That Beasts cannot speak comes not from Defect of Organs in them witness Magpies and Parrots But we do not admit these Witnesses for Proofs But says he Men who are Deaf and Dumb will find and learn Signs to express their Minds a plain Sign that Men have Reason and Beasts have not And we allow the Sign and grant the Thing And he grants some Beasts excel others of their own Kind in Sagacity Apprehension and Docibility and so some Kinds excel other Kinds in such Qualities This say I seems a clear Proof that Beasts are not Machines but have Perceptive Souls and are Voluntary Agents knowing both what they do and having an Intent and Design in the doing of it Pag. 37. Says The Humane Soul cannot be Ex traduce or grow out of Matter but must needs be created Then says That the Soul is a thing of great Concernment and the Error which is great next to the Denial of a God is the Belief that the Souls of Men and Beasts are of the same Nature and consequently that nothing is to be hoped for or feared after this Life no more than for Flies or Pismires It seems the Mans Cogitations upon this Subject were extreamly erroneous and as much deceived as his Senses ever were or ordinarily can be in any competent Sphere of their Activity as a Christian and Learned It seems not to be imagined but that he had perused S. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians and had in the 15th Chapter thereof found written what that Apostle there delivers concerning the Resurrection of the Dead and without the Mention or least Hint of a Soul Separately Subsisting he puts the whole Weight of Christian Religion upon the Belief of a Resurrection of the Dead The Apostle says Such Resurrection is as certain as it is that Christ is risen And if that be not true and certain nothing in Christian Religion is so But our Preaching is vain and your Faith is also vain Nay and we are evinced 〈◊〉 be false Witnesses and you are yet in your Sins and can have no Benefit at all by Christ and all who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished If Mens only Hope in Christ were in this Life they were most miserable but the thing is not so for Christ is risen as the first Fruits and at the last Trumpet the Dead shall be raised And he tells us how and with what Bodies and concludes Abound in the Work of the Lord as knowing your Labour shall not be in vain for most certainly this Resurrection shall come So Matth. 24. Ver. 30. and to 33. Mark 13.24 Luk. 21.28 And when that comes then do you Christians and of the Good look up and lift up your Heads to the Clouds and above them So 1 Thess 4.14 Those who are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him and the Dead in Christ shall rise first and then shall be ever with the Lord. Mat. 25.31 shews us the Method and Proceeds of the Last Judgments and the Rewards and Punishments then to be expected without Word or Mention of a Separate Self-subsisting Soul or any thing concerning the same We need not take the Pains to try our Author's Cogitations by these Texts of Scripture because the Clearness and Wideness of the Difference needs no Dilucidation but are apparent at the first View We proceed to his Treatise De Passionibus in the very Entrance to which we take for observable That what God hath put together viz. the Soul and the Body whilst they are in Composito our Author Des Cartes endeavours to separate and pull in sunder taking all Sorts of Cogitation from the Body and because there is a Body of very great Motion and Heat viz. Fire therefore he will take all Heat and Motion from the Soul and bestow it upon the Body both which Assertions or Propositions we do utterly reject and do say That the Soul doth not nor cannot understand nor consider without the Animal Spirits and Organs of the Body nor hath the Body Heat or Motion without the Soul and the Energy and Efficiency thereof nor can have them without that Assistance and Conjunction Artic. 5. Says Men have thought that Heat and Motion depended upon the Soul and yet he shews no Reason to think otherwise and therefore Men may think so still and it seems will do it Art 6. He says Death never comes by any Defect in the Soul I say That is more than he knows though it should be an Immaterial Spirit but if a Material one then it certainly may cause Death by its Deficiency Art 8. Says There is a continual Heat about our Hearts as long as we live and this Fire is the Corporeal Principle of Motion in the Body And we say the same of the Animal Spirits and Corporeal Flame which is the Material Spirit Art 9. is granted Art 10. Says That the Animal Spirits are most subtil Bodily Particles extream rare and thin moving most swifty and like the Flames of Fire and never are at rest these rise in great plenty from the Heart to the Brain where they are in continual Action and they pervade the whole Body and all its Members and move every Part of it as Occasion may require And for this we are at Agreement with
him Art 11. We do not well understand nor so as to say he is right or wrong in it Art 12. and 13. We observe in the 13. that he says The Motions of the Brain do excite divers Senses in the Soul This I deny and he offers no Proof of any thing that he says but goes on and says That besides exciting Senses in the Soul these Spirits can without the Soul move the Muscles and Members of the Body He offers our Winking in Proof of this but I deny his Assertion and judge his Proof very insufficient Art 16. Says All our Motions which are common to us with Beasts may be done by us without the Soul by a common Temperament of the Body and the Members and Organs of it acted by the Animal Spirits derived from the Heart and directed in the Brain All this I grant and do take these to be the main Ingredients for the Frame of a Material Spirit Art 17. Says He hath now left nothing for the Soul save only Cogitare-Cogitations he divides into two Sorts one of Actions the other of Passions or Affections the Actions are what the Soul wills to do the Passions are a sort of Perceptions or Apprehensions found in us which the Soul doth not make but receive from Representations of outward Things All these Cogitations of our Author we do reject and say That whilst the Man continues to be so the Soul and Body neither do nor can act or suffer Separately but always in Conjunction one with the other Art 18. and 19. He divides his Cogitative Wills and Perceptions as he pleases Art 20. and 21. And so for his Sorts of Imaginations and so on to Art 25. There he says The Perceptions or Passions of Joy Fear Anger and the like are referred only to the Soul either not considering or not enough rembering that these Passions are as fully visible in Beasts as in Men and if they be referrable only to the Soul then such a Soul as Beasts have may serve well enough for the Subsistence and Acting of them Art 28. Says No other Perceptions do so much agitate and shake the Soul as these Passions do but Beasts are as much transported by them as Men. Art 30. That the Soul is united to every Part of the Body and to all Parts of it Conjunction is granted And how this is done in the Case of a Material Soul is plain and easie but not how done in an intire Spiritual Substance for that is not yet declared by our Author and we know not that it is Intelligible For he says truly Such a Soul cannot be conceived by Parts nor what Extension it hath or consequently where it is and where it is not Art 31. But yet he says There is a Special Part in the Body where the Soul doth exercise her Functions more perceivably than in all the rest of the Body Some have thought this Place to be the Heart and others to be the Brain but our Author upon accurate Examination evidently knows it not to be in either of these but that it is in one Part of the Brain only viz. the Middle or most Inward Part of it There says he is a very small Glandula or Kernel seated in the Middle of the Brain hanging in the very Channel or Course of the Animal Spirits so as the smallest Motions of this Kernel can do much in altering the Course of these Spirits and the Mutations of the Soul by the Courses of the Spirits do help much to change the Motions of this Kernel Parturiunt Montes We see here what our Authors vast Cogitations concerning the Soul hath brought forth viz. a Glandula admodum parva a very small Kernel to be the Chair of State or the Prime Seat of Judgment for his Imagined Soul This seems to fall far short of our Flammula Vitalis which with the Blood pervades the whole Body and actuates the Heart the Brain and every other and most minute Parts of it living with and in the Animal and not quite extinguished but with our latest and last Breath He offers us not one Word concerning the Immaterial Soul of which if he had any thing to say though but out of his own Cogitations this were the proper Place and this Time his Kue to produce them but his Silence gives consent to an Assertion That he knows nothing of it neither Quod sit Quid sit Quando nor Quomodo to the Vbi only He offers this Guess under the Terms of his believed evident Knowledge His Friend Dr. More doth profess to disbelieve him in it and places the Seat of the Soul in the Fourth Ventricle of the Brain by divers Arguments which I who believe neither of them will not spend Time to examine Art 34. Now let us imagine says he as his Mode of Cogitation that the Soul hath her Seat principally in this Kernel and thence sends forth her Rays to all the rest of the Body by Activity of the Animal Spirits hence whatsoever the Soul her self may be her Rays are not an Immaterial but Material Spirits and one would think her Rays should he like her self Well but says he This Kernel which is the Principal Seat of the Soul can move these Spirits and can be moved by the Soul which is of such a Nature that she can receive into her self various Impressions viz. she may have so many Perceptions as there can be various Motions made in this Kernel Art 35. The Animal having two Organs for Seeing and Hearing and two Hands Arms Legs and Feet the two Organs for Sense receive each the Object which goes double towards the Brain till they come to this Kernel and there they join in one and the Kernel working immediately in the Soul shews it the Figure as now it is become one Object All this seems to shew no more but the Products of his own Imagination led by the Affection which now he bears to this Kernel as the Embrion of his own Brain and Invention Art 36. If the Objects perceived shew Danger they excite the Passion of Fear in the Soul Upon this I demand where Fear is excited in the Beasts which have not such Souls and by what other Means then it is excited in Men Art 38. By Motion of this Kernel Fear is induced into the Soul and though the Legs may run away without Knowledge of the Soul yet this violent Motion of them makes another Motion in the Kernel by whose Help the Soul is made acquainted with its Body's running away Behold the Natural and Remarkable Effects of Dividing the Soul from the Body and ascribing some Actions to the one and some to the other separately and without Concurrence of the other Art 40. The Principal Effect of Passion in Man is to incite and dispose him for Self-preservation either by Fight or Flight He might have omitted the Words in Man for the Case is the very same with Beasts Art 44. The Soul by Help of his Kernel can move the
Tongue and Lips So as this Kernel must be like a Hand to the Soul without which it can do nothing of moment Art 45. The Soul cannot excite or remove Passion by its own Power or Will but is put to contest with it by Arguments and other Natural Helps And we know that oftentimes Passions prevail over the Powers of Reason as if they grew but out of the same Root both viz. the Activity Life and Motion of a Material Spirit Art 47. In the Contest between Sense and Reason in Man Here says he the Kernel may be driven by the Soul on the one side and then by the Animal Spirits violently set on the other side or some Spirits may present to the Kernel what they can offer for the Passions others may do the like on behalf of the Soul and what it advises and desires and whither the Kernel inclines that side prevails over the other And if the Case be so our Author puts Mankind under the Government of an Unknown Immaterial but confessedly a very Silly Soul that must apply it self upon all Occasions to a pitiful small Lump of Matter a Kernel without whose Kindness and Inclination it must always become subject to the Slavery of Sensuality and Passion Art 48. One would think here that he would say all Souls are not alike but some are weaker and some stronger he hints it plainly yet without positive Assertion And if Souls be Immaterial Spirits then An recipiunt magis minus who knows Art 50. Every Motion of the Kernel seems naturally to be knit to every one of our Thoughts from the beginning of our Lives and Words which not naturally but only by Institution are significant can excite Motions in the Kernel Says It is observable in Beasts that though they want Reason and perhaps all Cogitation yet they have all the Motions of their Animal Spirits and their Kernels whose Motions excite Passions in them as well as ours in us tending to the same End of preventing Harms to them But these he will not call Affections in the Beasts but Motions of the Nerves and Muscles which produce the same Effects in Beasts that those which he calls Affections in Men use to do in them Whence it seems clear he grants the same Nature in Mens Passions and those of Beasts before needlessly and bootlessly denied by him His Title to this Article pretends to shew how Mens Souls may get the Mastery of their Passions but all that he directs upon that Point is That well-taught Spaniels are learn'd to curb their Passions and to sit though they have a mind to run You see says he the Thing is feasible even by Beasts and therefore Men may do it more easily and effectually But I doubt of that 1. Whether Humane Power can do it 2. Whether Beasts may not as easily and fully be brought to it as Men Art 51. It is plain says he that the next Cause of Passions in the Soul is no other but the Motion by which the Spirits do stir this Kernel which is in the Middle of the Brain He sets down his own Cogitation or Fiction as if the Thing were to pass for a Granted Truth That this Immaterial Spirit must rule or be ruled by this Diminutive Kernel Art 122. He says When that Fire which is in the Heart becomes extinguished we die beyond Remedy Art 137. Love and Hatred Joy and Sorrow Lust Fear c. are all Naturally referred to the Body and belong not to the Soul but as it is joined to the Body Art 138. The Beasts direct their Lives no otherwise than by such Corporal Motions as Men usually do follow and would draw the Soul along with them and have her Consent to such Actions Art 139. He says We ought also to consider these Passions as they belong to the Soul But he hath before denied they do naturally belong to the Soul And here he doth not shew that they do depend upon it And these are all the Particulars we find in this late Philosopher concerning the Soul And we observe upon them That all the Particulars which he applies and refers to the Soul of Man are applicable to and agreeable with the Rational Faculty of his Material Soul And all those Things Actions or Passions which he applies and refers only to the Body of Man are applicable to and agreeable with the Sensual Faculty of the Material Soul and Spirit of Man in both which Faculties and in the Vegetative the Body is equally concerned and so is the whole Soul and all its Faculties in all things that pertain or happen to the Body and there is no Separation made or to be made betwixt the Soul and Body of Man during his Natural Life And all which our Author says of the same is feigned out of his own Heart or is a Fiction of his own Cogitation utterly to be rejected as before hath been said And we do not find that he hath said any thing Material for Proof of an Immaterial Soul of Man or that deserves or requires a more particular Reply or any farther Consideration Hieronimus Zanchius was a Reformed Divine of Strasbourgh in the later End of our K. H. 8. and writes upon the Creation and Gods Works then made his Books are in Quarto Printed Newstadt in Anno 1602. His Design led him to treat of Animals and Souls And Lib. 7. cap. 2. Sect. 12. he says the Life of Animals is in their Blood as Moses says also and that all Men agree it subsists by Heat and Moisture Sect. 15. pag. 595. Says God's Creation ceased not with the First Week but he still daily creates Humane Souls and forms the Bodies of Animals Pag. 598. Every Animal hath an Organical Body and a Soul with Vegetative Motive and Sentient Faculties Pag. 599. The Quadrupedes are the next Sort to Mankind both for the Parts of their Bodies and the Strength and Genius of their Minds or Souls endowed with Senses both outward and inward as Men are and use the like Actions both as to Life Sense and Motion Pars 3. Lib. 1. Pag. 603. He says The Breath which God breathed into Adam was a created but incorporeal Thing but the Food then granted to Men and Beasts was alike And he cites Gen. 7.15 The Beasts went into the Ark and all Flesh wherein was the Breath of Life Yet gives no Answer to it nor shews how this Breath and that breathed into Man did differ Yet he would have us learn hence Pag. 617. That our Souls are not from our Parents per traducem but only from God who breathed into Adam's Nostrils id est says he God made him respire by his Nostrils and that is not opposed Pag. 618. Again This Breath was created not out of God but out of some other Invisible Thing and he then created and gave it viz. gave the Soul in that Visible Sign Shews Plato made a Difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nostram and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Judgment Pag. 719. He recites his Objections against his Tenet 1. Men observe Children born like their Parents not only in their Bodies but their Minds and this seems to grow ex traduce from the Seed and therefore the Soul grows from that Root as well as the Body To this he answers It is not always so but often otherwise and quite contrary and that it is so comes from the Temperament and Humours of the Body not from the Soul unless that be also of Material Parts Or if says he the Soul have Part in that Substance it comes from Bodily Tinctures with which the Soul is closely united perhaps he might have said inseparably 2. Object Tertullian says the Soul is Material and propagated from the Parents He answers If Tertullian did think so he was deceived as he was also in some other Things 3. Object If the Soul be Self-subsistent it must have two Natures one as Forma informans of the Body a chief Part of the Compositum Man another Nature viz. Angelical subsisting and acting as like Spirits do whereas the Soul taken to be Forma Humana cannot subsist in that Nature out of the Compositum her other yet unproved Nature will not be granted nor assented to He answers Grants Man is not a Body nor a Soul but a Compositum of both and that neither Part is the Man and yet when the Body is dead and the Soul subsisting this may in some respect be counted for the Man as being his Principal Part and all that now remains of him But if we deny that to remain of him his Answer is of no Force Pag. 721. The Soul hath three Faculties or Powers Vegetative Sensitive and Intellective sometimes called Parts of the Soul Essential or Substantial by others Potential Parts To these others have added the Powers Loco-motive and Appetative Thinks the Vegetative comprehends the Appetative and the Senseâ— of the Local Motion these two may be admitted as Powers but not as Essential Parts whence he makes five Powers in the Soul and but three Parts Pag. 724. The Vegetative hath three Prime Faculties viz. Nutrition Augmentation and Generation Page 725. Says Generation or the Power of it is Vere Divinum so as we are thereby Quodam Modo Creators of other Men. Pag. 728. The Sensitive Part of the Soul is substantial and therefore not annexed to Matter or to the Body and so for the Vegetative and they are Self-subsistent as well as the Intellective Part and Immaterial and Immortal We may perceive by this the Author is resolved not to stick at Straws but rather to swallow Camels Pag. 729. Prime Sensitive Faculties are the Powers of Perception and Motion The Senses he says are External or Internal the External are Five the Internal are Three viz. the Common Sense the Phantasy and the Memory whose Organs are placed in the Seat of the Soul known to us only by Reason or Collection Pag. 733. These apprehend and judge of Objects conveyed to them by the outward Organs but can perceive nothing that hath first been brought to them from the outward Senses In the Internal is also the Vis Motrix thence the Appetites and Passions are excited although such Emotions are principally felt about the Heart and therefore have been thought to grow from thence and to reside there We agree to our Author in this Assertion Pag. 736. As the Middle Part of the Brain is more or less firm or better or worse tempered in tanto Men have more or less Ingenuity and Apprehension and the like for other Animals So as this Power of Phantasy depends upon the Organs to which it is affixed as the other Sensitive and Vegetative Powers also are although they are Parts of a Humane Soul they must not be said to depend upon the Body or its Organs We say this last Caution is utterly Vain and to no Effect or Purpose The Phantasy hath Three Offices to receive Perceptions from the Common Sense and to conserve them 2. To collect the Dispers'd Idea's or Imaginations 3. To judge of them and discourse upon them And we see says he Dogs and other Animals greatly moved in their Sleeps by Dreams arising from such Causes Pag. 737. That which Reason doth in the Mind that doth the Phantasy in the Sensitive Faculty and it comes very neer to Intellect it self and supplies to it the Matters to be thought upon and considered of And as the Phantasy is by its Organ inclined to Vice or Virtue so is the Mind or Soul easily drawn to give her consent accordingly The Tincture or Seasoning of the Phantasy or Imagination is of great Force and Power for from thence rise all our Affections Love Joy Wrath Fear Grief Envy Jealousy and the like Pag. 737. Memory is the third Internal Sense This he divides into Sensitive and Intellective and says That living the Man these are so joined or knit together that they cannot well be discerned or distinguished one of them from the other except Men will distinguish them from their different Objects as that Memory Intellective deals in Vniversals but the Sensitive in Particulars or if it do hit upon Vniversals it is but by Accident and by this Means a Separated Soul must always retain its Intellective Memory To this I say this Distinction or Dividing of Memory seems a Device of our Author 's own Coining on purpose to serve the State of his Separated Souls Arist De Anima Lib. 3. Cap. 6. where he sets the Soul highest Says That when separate from the Body it cannot have Memory for if it so had there must be a Patibility in it And we know Memory is but an Impress of the Species received and returned thence to the Intellect importing a Patibility and an Organical Operation and the first Chapter of Aristotle's Book agrees fully therewithal and the Author cites no Authority agreeing with him in this Dicothomy or Division of the Memory and therefore we do by no means admit of the same but take the Memory for an entire Faculty which must all stand or fall together and that the Memory is not capable of Universals except by Accident we deny He says When the Phantasy delivers over to Memory Conceptions of Things as de Futuro the Memory retains them not as Future Things but as bare Conceptions de Futuro And this we agree or else it cannot not be a true Record Whence says he the Senses apprehend only Things Present the Memory records only Things Past but the Phantasy considers Things Present Past and to Come and makes Provision accordingly and according to the Temper of the Organ for Heat and Cold Driness and Moisture the Memory is strong and apt or weak and insufficient and so it is Pag. 738. with all the Senses both Internal and External their Excellency depends upon the good Temperature of the Body and its Organs He says Beasts have Memory but not Remissness a Power to recover and recall things obliterated in their Memories by
of these Proceedings may be made in a Moment of Time and without any Perceivance in the Person Thus by Occasion of our Author 's Dividing of Memory upon a novel and singular Phancy of his own there hath been set forth a Model of the Microcosm somewhat different from what Men have formerly conceived of it But we now return again to our Author Pag. 750. He calls the Will the Vis Motrix and the Spirits Nerves Muscles and Members the Vis Prosequens or rather should be the Vires Prosequentes He calls the Voluntary Faculty the Queen in the Body and we have given her such Part in our Constitution of Government as a Queen at Chess acts in the Regulation and Effects in that Game Pag. 753 Says The Humane Soul at every Conception is created ex Nihilo that the Vegetative Soul extinguishes in the Sensitive when it comes and the Sensitive in the Rational when it comes and thinks the two former may be generated Pag. 757. Questions how Men differ from Brutes Averroes answers In the Cogitative Faculty which acts by Organs The Author replies This is a Sensitive Power and doth not really differ from the Phantasy for that which is a more simple and dull Phantasy in the Brutes is a more acute Phantasy in Men and is called Cogitation in them Pag. 759. The Doubt concerning the Original of Souls is a difficult Question and always was so And Three Prime Points in it 1. The Efficient or Causa ex qua whether they are ex nihilo or ex Re praejacente 2. When they were made whether in the Beginning from the First Creation and so do pre-exist or in Future Times 3. Whether they are made before or after the Formation of the Body or at one same time with the Body Some thought Souls were communicated to Men from the Soul of the World of like Matter to Heaven and the Stars and therefore Incorruptible and Immortal created at first to a certain vast Number and remain in Repositories till called by the Formation of their destined Bodies And this was the Opinion of Pythagoras Plato and most of the Academick Philosophers And this infers a Transmigration of Souls into several Bodies Origin thought that Souls were so created but in time after the World created and that they were by God sent down or did of their own accord descend into Bodies fit for them in due time and some other Divines were of that Mind Some thought Souls were part of God himself others that they were by Angels made of Fire and Air Others that God made only the Soul of Adam and that all future Souls are derived by Propagation from him and that as Men have their Bodies from his Body so their Souls from his Soul radically but yet Immortal Some who so believed thought the Soul Corporeal and therefore generated Others thought it a Spirit and propagated from the Generators Soul as one Light kindles another This last Opinion Apollinaris and many other Bishops did hold and especially the Western Churches Others thought God created New Souls as there was Occasion for them so St. Jerom who says the Church of his time did so believe St. Austin would not condemn either of these two last Opinions he inclined rather to the Creation of New Souls but confess'd he knew not how to prove it from Scripture Those who hold the New Creation of Souls differ some think it created in the Body and some without the Body and some that Infundendo creatur Cites three sorts of Spirits P. 761. viz. God who always was and shall be then Souls of Brutes which neither were nor shall be always then Angels and Souls of Men which were not but shall be always Cites this out of Ficinus P. 762. The Author argues against Origins Opinion of Pre-existent Souls says The Soul is Mans proper Form who consists of a Soul and Body and it is natural to this Form to be united to its proper Matter or Body and against Nature to be separated from it and it is Praeter Naturam that a Humane Soul separated from the Body should so remain till the Refurrection and therefore it would be Praeter Naturam that Souls should pre-exist by a Creation of all at once Whence this is repugnant to the Wisdom of God and the Course of Nature It is natural and per se that the Soul should be with the Body and against Nature that it should be out of it seeing it is the Bodies proper Form so much as it cannot be said to be there in loco as Arist observes and it is there as in its proper Being The Soul of Adam sinned not without the Body nor have other Souls done so and therefore have not deserved to be punished without it P. 763. says That Opinion of the Souls being derived from Generation as well as the Body held by Tertullian and the Western Church is much followed and strongly defended for the more rational deriving the Guilt of Original Sin upon all Mankind for that unless Mens Souls be propagated from Adam as well as their Bodies by what means should Original Sin come to be attached to the Souls of all Men. For if Souls be of new created and out of nothing they must be either created sinful by God or how else should sin come upon them in their Mothers Bellies where they cannot commit Sin nor be contaminate by Lust of the Parents who do not generate the Soul Nor can its Contiguity with a Corrupt Body defile it Also that Conjunction is the Act of God Those Fathers therefore held it necessary to believe the Generation of the Soul as well as of the Body to the intent they might have a sufficient ground of Casting he Guilt of Original Sin upon all People And for this respect Austin and those of his time would not reject or condemn this Opinion held by Tertullian Apollinaris and the Western Churches Ausi non fuerint damnare and cites to the same purpose Eucherius and Gregory the First Bishop of Rome P. 765. our Author means to prove That Humane Souls are New Creations made by God out of Nothing 1. Because Adam's Soul was so created our Bodies are of the Earth like his and likely our Souls like his by Creation I say to this We do not find a Creation of Adam's Soul but that God breathed into him the breath of life gave him breath or respiration this kindled in his Blood and Humours then ready the Flame of Life till that is again quite extinguished the Man lives and nourishes that Flame by the like respirations but that Flame extinguished the respiration ceases and the Man dies beyond all Humane Power to help in such Cases The Soul parts together with the Breath and Flame of Life and never was found but together with them in any Body or other Place or Manner whatsoever It seems this Flame and its Active Powers is not only inseparable from the Soul but that most likely it self is
that Soul as well as it is in the Beasts With it and by it they live move and act With its Extinguishment they die and turn to immediate Corruption and Gradatim to their Original Earth and Dust So was it with Adam and his Soul and Body and from his Time hath so continued without Exception save in Enoch and Elijah by Divine Power or Miracle manifested in reviving Lazarus and some other dead Bodies by re-kindling in them the extinguish'd Flame of Life 2. He doubts not but that Eve's Soul was like Adam's and if his were created so was hers And this we grant as well the one as the other 3. Adam did not speak of her Soul but owned her Body of his therefore he knew not her Soul or what or whence it was Whence 't is not likely her Soul was made out of his but was a Creation from nothing I grant her Soul was not made out of his but made like his The Body Blood and Humours being prepared and fit the Flame of Life was kindled in her by the Divine Power and after her first Breath she lived by Respiration as Adam did so long as that Flame of Life continued unextinguished and she was made and so long she continued a Living Soul or rather a Living Compositum both of Body and Soul 4. If the Soul were generated there would be a subject Matter out of which it grew And then Solomon could not properly say it returned to God that gave it but it should rather return into such Matter as it was raised from He says Austin applied this Saying of Solomon only to Adam's Soul or the Orignal of Souls for that he would not oppose the Generation of Souls But the Author says it must doubtless be understood of all Souls Concerning this I say it appears as clearly that Solomon was not resolved concerning Humane Souls whether they went upward or downward or what became of them upon a Solemn Consideration and Argument Yet he doth after and without Argument summarily say the Spirit returns to God who gave it In both Places our Translators use the Term of Spirit and not of Soul The Breath Spirit and Life which is in Man goes not perceivably to Sense any whither Likely it is the common Opinion of his Time was for a Separate Subsistence of Souls For we read Saul applied himself to the Witch for bringing up of Samuel intending his Separately Subsisting Soul And the Devil favours this Opinion in pretending to be Samuel's disquieted Soul In these few Words of Solomon it may be conceived that unresolved in himself he thus expressed himself in Compliance with the Common Opinion of his Time and Country Also what is intended by Spirit Whether Breath and Life or Soul seems not very clear David says When God takes away Mens Breath they die and are turned again to their Dust Psal 104. But if he let his Breath go forth Men are made and the Face of the Earth renewed This Informing Breath first breathed into Adam leaves the Body at Death returns says Solomon to God who gave it But elsewhere says he knows not what to think of it whether it go upward or be extinguished with the Life as those of the Beasts are 5. and 6. Pag. 766. He cites Isa 57. Zach. 12. Exod. 21. That God makes the Souls And what Austin answers thereunto That it is by God that they come from the Parents He cites Theodoret That the Foetus in the Womb is first an unformed Embrion then becomes formed into the Perfect Shape of a Body and after That it first obtains a Soul Pag. 767. And if so How can the Soul rise out of the Seed or from Generation If says he you will say that in the Seed there is Vis Animae Parentis out of which the Infant 's Soul arises in due Time This he refuses by any means to admit of but why he doth not say because it is against Reason or Nature But because then it would follow that the Soul must be Corruptible and Mortal And to this Conclusion which he maintains with divers Arguments we do easily agree Pag. 771. See the same 7. The Soul of Christ was not from Generation Ergo other Mens are not so I say It seems Christ was born from the Seed of David and was the Seed of the Woman and being by Operation of the Holy Spirit upon her might be made and born in all things like to us except Sin For what he took by Generation from the Holy Spirit could not partake of Sin And it seems Temerity to affirm any thing concerning Christ's Soul which is not revealed as this Point is not for that neither the Manner nor the Matter can be traced or found out by the Powers of Humane Reason or the Dependance of Natural Causes to all which Proceedings this Birth is an absolute Mystery P. 769. He says both these Opinions viz. that of a continual New Creation of Souls and that of Propagating them by Generation have had great and many Abettors and Defenders in the Church For the New Creation of Souls he enumerates Greg. Nyssen Theodoret. S. Jerom Leo I. a Bishop of Rome S. Ambrose Hilary Says Flesh generates the Flesh but the Soul is the Work of God I say this is no absolute Denial of the Souls being generated as Austin hath said by God's Power and Providence For the Souls being generated with the Body held Tertullian Pag. 770. S. Augustin Greg. I. a Bishop of Rome he omits here Apollinaris and most of the Fathers of the Western Church before remembered The Opinions differed upon two Difficulties some would have a New Creation for that Generation concluded Souls to be Mortal others would have Souls generated with the Bodies because whole Man is involved in and put under the Guilt of Original Sin which if his Soul were Newly created by God can have no sound and reasonable Derivation upon it Our Author means to shew how New created Souls may be taken within the Guilt of Original Sin Pag. 772. He begins with Philsophers who have highly extolled the Soul and said it came from God Pag. 773. 1. Says Souls and Angels are of the same Nature Kind and Substance alike subsisting of themselves and as one Angel doth not generate another so it is for Souls they generate not I say this Parallel of Souls and Angels is bold but never granted 2. Says The Soul can understand and will without the Body or its Organs and therefore subsist without it I grant both alike and one as much as the other 3. The Soul is an Immaterial Spirit and cannot be propagated no not from another Soul and if it rise from another Soul it cannot be Immortal All but its Immateriality is granted 4. The Opposers say the Body cannot infect a New created Soul with Original Sin much less says he can it generate such a Soul nor can such a Substantial Immaterial Spirit proceed from Flesh and Blood a Spirit which
the Middle of the Body and calls the Soul a Part of Humane Nature not perfect without its Body and therefore desiring a Re-union all contrary to his former Assertions Pag. 788. Says The Body doth nothing without the Soul Nec ferè Anima sine Corpore Pag. 793. Says The Soul is not Tota in qualibet Parte nor in any Part nor affixed to any Organ no nor Tota in toto and yet the Essence of the Soul is Tota in toto in qualibet Parte as Light is in the Air both Light and Heat appear in different Degrees in divers Places and yet their Influence reaches to the whole Horizon Pag. 794. That which is Indivisible Totum est Ubi est and this holds in the Soul And so God is in the World and every Part of it and as Soul and Body united are yet distinct Soul and Body So Pag. 798. the End of Reason and a Humane Soul is to know and love God but the Intellect is like clean White Paper without any Character upon it and cannot perceive but by the Senses nor work without Bodily Organs and those must have Life or else they could not have Sense and Life must have Nourishment whence there is in the Soul a Nutritive Faculty for Support Augmentation and Procreation then a Sensitive Faculty being a Power of Perceiving External Objects for Benefit and Safety of the Animal next a Power to retain and preserve the Species or Idea's of what was perceived and then a Power of offering them to the Intellect for obtaining a Judgment upon them Pag. 799. The Humane Soul though it work in the Body yet it doth not work by Organs of the Body and therefore its Actions are not common with the Body applying this particularly to the Intellect And That he says is endowed with certain Gifts or Impressions by God at the Creation of the Soul that by Help of them Men may better comprehend all other Things And that there are such common Innate Notions Experience doth manifest Calls these the Sparks and Seeds of Knowledge in Man But this he confesses is rejected by Aristotle which yet he would make some kind of Argument for Souls being created and therefore preferrs the Platonick and Stoical opinion before that of Aristotle and therefore will not admit of the Rule of nothingh being in the Intellect which came not thither throug the Senses to be absolutely true but only that for the most part it is so though he have repeated and granted this Rule without Exception several times before Pag. 800. Says That for all these Impressions made by God upon Souls yet the Intellect is still as a White Paper without Writing or Character upon it and therefore must seek to obtain its Knowledge from without it self and this it seeks from the Senses and from God by his Word and Spirit How the Intellect should be as fair White Paper and yet have Characters imprinted upon it I do not conceive nor divers other Things late before delivered by our Author Our Author seems to have pursued this Argument concerning the Soul through all the known Particulars that may be belonging to it and yet hath not throughly satisfied himself thereupon and therefore he begins again with it Pag. 802. and runs descant upon it all over again unto Pag. 851. repeating and confirming his former Arguments First he quotes Texts of Scripture to Pag. 809. and there quotes the Opinion and Consent of the World to his Opinion Pag. 810. He begins with Sayings of Philosophers Pythagoras and Plato who held Pre-existence of Souls and consequently their Separate Subsistence then Alcmaeon and Anaxagoras who held their Spirituality then the Stoicks Pag. 812. He comes to Aristotle and says that he had no Will to declare his Opinion concerning the Soul but did on purpose speak obscurely about it But yet says he Aristotle did not say it was Material or Mortal And for Proof of this he quotes 14 Places out of Aristotle's Writings which was not needful on our Behalf for that this Assertion was before agreed by us This reaches to Pag. 820. and there cites Turks Tartars Persians he might have said Mahometans agreeing to his Tenet and so other Barbarous Nations Pag. 821. He comes to Reasons first upon Moral Congruity that there must be future Reward and Punishment which he thinks cannot be without a Separately-subsisting Soul and goes on to 12 Arguments reaching to Pag. 827. Pag. 828. Says If the Soul come from Generation it must be Elementary and Material Pag. 829. Brings Arguments from the Souls own Actions and Motions Pag. 830. Adds a 13th Argument to his former 12 and thence to Pag. 834. he makes up his Arguments to 20. And he cites Euseb Hist Lib. 6. Cap. 36. where we do find that in Origin's Time there arose in Arabia Authors of a Pernicious Doctrine who taught that Souls died here with their Bodies and that at the Resurrection they rose again together and a great Synod was summoned upon that Account and Origin sent for unto it and he so discoursed and disputed that he purged their seduced Minds from this foul Error cited by our Author Pag. 804. It seems the Opinion was condemned in that Synod by Origin's Assistance but that also the Thing is not such a Novelty as without his Testimony it might seem to be Pag. 835. Our Author comes to cite and confute Arguments made against his Tenet 1. We see nothing part at Death of a Body but a vanishing Breath nor can perceive and hardly conceive what a Soul is or should be without a Body Hence he says Men must doubt of God and Spirits Pag. 837. Arg. 4. The Soul cannot operate without the Body and therefore doth not so subsist He says The Soul Both Vnderstand and Will without the Body Pag. 838. and the Intellective Memory remains in a Separated Soul and so Love Joy and their like in an Intellectual Manner Pag. 839. Arg. 5. In great Weakness of the Body the Souls Operations are alto feeble The Sum of his Answer to this is a Denial of the Thing and whether true or not is left to Judgment and Experience Pag. 840. The Soul parts unwillingly from the Body this argues she doth not apprehend the going to a more perfect State but rather to Corruption or Extinguishment and Christ would have avoided this Cup and yet he knew that was his Way to a Resurection and future Happiness To this he makes a long Answer not to be summed in few Words Pag. 841. Arg. 7. The Soul is troubled with divers Afflictions but Spirits or Immaterial Substances are not subject to Mortal Perturbations therefore the Soul is not such a Spirit He answers The Bodies Contrariety to the Soul is the Soul 's great Affliction and if Angels were so knit to Bodies they would be as much troubled and in Man this Perturbation is one Effect of Sin Pag. 843. He compares Dying to the Child's Leaving the Womb which he fancies the Child
is very unwilling to do just as Men are to die And he proposes 10 Similitudes in this Supposition which seem not well grounded nor weighty Pag. 845. Quotes Texts of Scripture urged against his Tenet and answers them but Three in all Then he comes to the Opinion that Souls departed do sleep till the Resurrection void of all Operation till the Resurrection and then the Bodies rise from Death and the Souls from their Lethargy This Sleep says our Author is plain Death as that of the Body is called Sleep Pag. 846. He says Sure it is good Souls separated do go into Heaven and enjoy the Vision of God and the evil do go into Hell but they are not compleatly Happy or Vnhappy till the Resurrection But from whence he takes this Rule he shews not nor offers Proof of it It is an absurd Thing and against God's Wisdom That the Form of any Body should alwaye subsist separately from that Body I say if this be absurd it is very near of Kin to Absurdity That it should subsist at all without its Body It was objected to him That if Souls went to Heaven at the Death what need was there then of a Resurrection He answers The Form or Soul could not always subsist without the Body Why not say I as well as do so for Hundreds or Thousands of Years Says he It would be absurd and against God's Wisdom I do perceive this Consequence and he doth not offer to prove it therefore I think it no more absurd in the one Case than in the other Pag. 847. Says The Separation of the Soul and Body is by Violence and Nullum Violentum est Perpetuum I say nor Diuturnum Cites 1 Cor. 15.19 If there be not a Resurrection Christians are of all Men most miserable How can that be if good Souls go to Heaven at the Death and there behold the Face of God He answers This Saying concerns only the Bodies of Christians and not their Souls Their Bodies says he would be most miserable Not more miserable say I than the Bodies of other Men and therefore not of all others the most miserable He cites Psalm 146.4 When the Breath of Man goeth forth he shall turn again to his Earth and that very day all his Thoughts perish So Psal 78.39 Mans Spirit as a Wind passeth away and comes not again Pag. 848. He will not allow Spirit in these Places to signifie the Soul but in Places making for him it must do so as when Stephen says Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Cites Psal 115 17. and in other Places The Dead praise not thee O Lord nor all they that go down into the Silence But the Living do it So Isa 38. he answers Souls after Death do praise God proved Rev. Chap. 5. and Chap. 19. and opposes this Trance to the other Texts Pag. 849. Cites Job 17.16 Also in the Grave the Weary are at rest and fear no Oppressor Therefore bad Souls not punished Pag. 850. He closes his Treatise of the Soul with a long Definition of it according to his Mode and with all the particular Qualifications which he hath before designed for it We may now observe in short upon this Author that he was very much inclined and bent to maintain the Immateriality of the Soul as a thing without which there could not be a future Reward or Punishment a Mistake wherein all are involved or pretend to be involved who maintaintain his Opinion We see he hath been very laborious about it hath read all that he could find written of it and studied and delivered to us a Multitude of Arguments about it and hath shewed Learning Judgment and Industry to a high Degree joined with Integrity or a good Meaning and Belief that he did well and bestowed his Pains upon a Subject that deserved them and that it was a very Needful Truth which he supported But with what Success he hath done it must be referred to Judgment after Perusal of the Answers which have been offered to his Arguments upon the Differences arising between the Opinions of the Author and the Answerer upon many Occasions or Particulars and because we have very much studied and affected Brevity in both our Observations and Answers it need not be doubted but that those who are desirous of a more full Satisfaction upon this Point will think our Author worthy of their own Perusal concerning this Subject and many others Franciscus de Oviedo a Jesuit wrote a Body of Philosophy and in it Of the Soul Printed in a large Folio at Lions Anno 1640. and therein Fol. 6. N. 17. He joins with others in finding Fault with Aristotle's Definition of the Soul because he doth not tell us Quid sit Anima but Cujus sit Our Author offers to mend that of Aristotle by a Definition of his own viz. The Soul is the Constituent Act or Moving Power of a Compositum that is able to exert or exercise Vital Actions I say this seems a Difference without a Diversity or but one pretended and it may be collected that a Soul hath no proper Genus or such Specifical Difference of its own whereby it can be defined or known nor that it can be conceived otherwise than as it is a Constituent Part of a Compositum by the Conjunction of a Soul and a Body Whence we pretend to infer That the Soul in its Nature is not a Substance subsisting by it self or in Separation from its Body nor can be otherwise defined or understood than by its Reference and Relation to a Body Both our Definitions call it the Actus Primus of the Compositum or of an Organical Body so as we have no Conception of it at all save by the Relation which it hath to the Body or to the Man and without that it is to us unintelligible and thence it seems a Separate Subsistence cannot be Natural to it or at least to our Conception or Knowledge of it Fol. 8. N. 2. He says There is no Degree of Reason in Brutes and but some Degrees of Sense and in Brutes we find no Degree of Intellect or Sign of it but all they do is by Instinct To the contrary of this we have said before that Beasts do know by single Intellect and are taught to remember Duty and deny their Appetites and obey their Teachers and other Men in Things which they have learned and use both Obedience and a Rational Subtilty in them He says every Soul is the Act of a Mortal Body that an Angel is a Simple Compleat Substance but the Soul is an Incompleat Substance ordained to be totally Compounded with the Body with which it is united that by Means of the Material Organs it may produce Sense and Intelligence in such Bodies as have them This I take well enough to agree with a Material Soul Fol. 10. N. 15. He says it is objected The Humane Soul doth so communicate it self to Matter as that still it keeps its own Subsistence He
Hand Foot Heart and all Members sees in the Eyes hears in the Ears expresses in the Voice perceives in the Common Sense compares and compounds in the Phantasy records in the Memory reasons in the Intellect and judges in his Supream Seat or Power it desires in the Affections excites and acts in the Passions moving all to the intended Preservation Propagation Good and Advantage of each of those Faculties to which they most properly belong intending withal to the Good of the whole Compositum Hence the Affections and Passions do derive from the Soul as well as the Reason and Intellect and one of them is not naturally subjected unto the other but each of them hath its Faculties and Powers formally distinguished from one another but all identified in the Soul so as they act freely and without Dependance of one upon another Thus the Affections and Passions as Products of the same Soul with the Reason and Intellect are naturally at like Freedom and not the Former under Cohersion of the Latter The Seat of Judgment we place Supream in the Microcosm endowing that Power with Knowledge and Discretion to the Measure of that Compositum wherein it is This we say sways in the Government which is Monarchical and Legal and the Judgment cannot be corrupted or beaded to act otherwise than appears to be for the most Safety Good and Benefit of the Compositum all things then offered or appearing considered without Consent of this the Will or Voluntary Power cannot move or proceed to Execution and yet the Judgment often doth consent with great Measures of Reluctancy pressed thereunto by the Furies and Force of Passions viz. Wrath and Fear or by the extream troublesome and vexatious Importunities of Affections viz. Ambition Covetousness and Lust divided into that of Nutrition and Generation and these do so far oft-times importune and press the Judgment for its Consent to their Satisfaction as that upon the over-long Delay or utter rejecting of their Suit by the Judgment or their final Opposition from outward Obstacles they are able to drive the whole Compositum along with them into Frensie Despair Diseases and other ruinous Calamities as we have before quoted in the Case of Judas in which the Judgment consented to a Violent Death rather than bear the Stings and Torments of his Passions But this abates or takes away the Wonder upon the Judgment 's Consenting with Reluctancy to Execution of those Actions which it self doth not approve Thence we often do what we would not and do not what both Reason and Judgment desire to do And though S. Paul call this Sin in us I take leave to think it is Nature in us and that it was in Adam before Sin and was the Original of Sin in him and his Wife as well as in us For when the Woman saw that the Fruit was Good for Food and Pleasant to the Eyes here was her Lust tempted and prevailed upon And that it was to be desired to make one Wise here was her Ambition tempted and prevailed upon And these prevailed upon her Judgment which consenting the Voluntary Power moved the Hands to take and Chaps to grind and devour that which from S. Paul's Authority Christians have ever sine believed to be the Root of Original Sin and bad Inclinations in Men although by this they seem to grow from a higher Original viz. Nature in Man in which we do not place the Affections or Passions under the Regiment of Reason Naturally but take them for Powers Co-ordinate excited and acted by the Soul and set under Direction and Government of the Judgment upon which the Voluntary Power is Attendant And we say with this our former Author That the Souls Operations are assisted or hindred by the Fitness of Matter and Aptness of Organs in the Body If the Matter be of good Temper and the Organs apt and fit the Soul 's Operations are more Vigorous and Effectual If the Matter or Organs be indisposed the Soul 's Operations are more infirm and feeble and if the Instruments be corrupted or spoiled the Soul cannot operate at all by them as if the Eyes be out the Soul cannot see if the Memory be spoiled it cannot remember if the Intellect be crazed the Soul cannot reason if the Seat of Judgment be corrupted the Government fails and all goes out of Order Also the Judgment may be more Able and Firm in some than in others according as the Materials are tempered and the Organs apt and fit And Degrees of Perfection or Imperfection come upon it by good or ill Education Custom Company and other Accidents to which that and all other Faculties Powers Members and Organs of the Soul and Body are subject And they will be better and worse in the same Person at divers Times and upon several Accidents and Occasions all which seem to evince a Mutual Dependance of the Soul and Body one upon another The Body without the Soul is but a Dead Body void of Motion Sense and Life and the Soul without a Body hath no Place where it can lay its Head or set down its Foot the Body is its Natural Receptacle and there only it seems to be at Home enlivening the whole Body inciting each Member Organ and Faculty to the Performance of those Duties and Operations for which by God and Nature they were intended and appointed and acting in them and by them all that hath been before particularly mentioned All this we say is performed by that Flame of Life kindled from Heaven in the Bodies Blood and Humours of Adam and his Wife and by them propagated to all Future Generations this Flame passing in and with the Blood throughout and into every small Part and Member of the Body may it seems be easily conceived to act in all the Members and Organs of the Body and the Vital Sensitive and Intellectual Faculties thereunto joined and in and by its Organs performed working per My and per Tout all that is acted in the Body and in every Part and Parcel of the same because this Soul is spread and diffused over all But how things should in this Manner be performed by an Immaterial and Indivisible Spirit or Spark of a Soul that its whole should be and act in every Member and Organ of the Body and yet be but one for and in the whole Body this is so far from me conceivingly to believe as that I rather incline to think it an unintelligible Thing As we have said the Soul acts in every Organ of the Body and the Inward as well as the Outward So it seems it cannot act to its special Purposes but in those Places and Organs to those Purposes specially appointed by Nature It Sees in the Eyes and Hears in the Ears but it cannot See or Hear without them nor by any other Member or Instrument It cannot perceive but in the Common Sense nor frame idea's but in the Phantasy nor remember but in and by the Organ of Memory
Masters in Philosophy That they answer and solve all Arguments which may be alledged against this Tenet of the Immortality N. 7. He says Let the Learned search into the Reasons and Grounds of this Immortality which all confess to be taken principally from God's Special Providence for Rewarding the Good and Punishing the Wicked in a Future State N. 8. Goes on upon the same Ground N. 9. Mentions only that some do reason for it from Man's Capacity to apprehend Eternal Things and to desire and expect them but doth not insist upon such Arguments or so much as say that they are firm N. 1. He discourses concerning Powers and Acts of Souls Separated with little Assurance and says They have an Innate Inclination and Appetite again to inform and to be united to their proper Matter Upon this our Author we may observe a Love and Inclination to Truth somewhat constrained by the Duties of his Obedience and Profession and the Place of his Abode and Conversation but in Things not forbidden him he seems congruous enough to the Natural Truth and Reason of Things I met with a Pamphlet printed 1645. in English intituled The Prerogative of Man or The Souls Immortality the Author not named but learned full of Quotations concernining our present Point Page 9. He says The Old and Great Philosophers have agreed a Separate Subsistence of Souls And this I do not deny He cites Cicero Permanere Animos arbitramur But what they then are and whither they go we are yet to learn Pag. 13. Cites Marcus Aurelius Emperour As Bodies dying are turned to Earth and Dust by Degrees so Souls carried into the Air are liquified and conjoined to the great Soul of the World which says the Author is nothing but God Cites Tacitus In Vita Agric. If to Good Spirits there may be any Place remaining if Great Souls extinguish not with their Bodies may'st thou rest in Peace Cites Macrobius who after reciting sundry Opinions touching the Nature of the Soul concludes That the Opinion that it was Incorporeal and Immortal had prevailed over all the other Opinions And this we do easily grant Page 10. He grants Aristotle did not declare himself in this Point but thinks he forbore so to do because he knew not how to dispose of such Souls after Death Page 14. He says It imports little that Dicoearchus Aristoxenus Pherecrates Tertullian Sextus Empericus and some other Learned Men have thought the Soul to be Mortal for that some Philosophers have held very odd Opinions He says The Term of Soul is taken for an Exhalation of the Purer Blood sometimes for a Ruling Spiritual Intellect and sometimes for the Immaterial Immortal Part of Man Page 15. He says Increase or Diminution of Knowledge grow from the Difference Advantage or Alteration in the Organs and thence a Man understands better than a Child a Learned than an Illiterate and a Diligent better than a Negligent Person And this we agree to with this Addition That the Soul or Flame of Life hath its Vicissitudes as well as the Body and its Organs Page 16. He says Some Acts of the Soul are Independent of the Body and wholly Inorganical as divers Learned Authors have shewed This shews like an open Blot in his Tables for this Thing is the most precise Point in Issue Prove this and carry the Cause And that in this Point he should shuffle us off without offer of one Quotation or one Reason in Proof of his Assertion inferrs he could find nothing to say in it that was satisfactory to his own Reason or likely to satisfie other Inquisitive People P. 17. Says An Immortal Soul cannot be generated And therefore it is not dependent upon Matter or the Being of a Compositum And this would be true if the Thing were so viz. that Mans Souls were Immaterial but that still wants Proof and so the Argument proceeds ex non concessis He cites an Argument against his Opinion viz. The Anatomies of Men and Beasts shew their Bodies to be alike and their Senses Affections Memories Phantasies are found to be alike and they have each an Intellect and Common Sense some more and some less Perfect whence then can such Difference arise between them in Nature that the Souls of Beasts must be Mortal and those of Men Immortal And this carries the Sense of our former and main Objection and being put by our Author upon himself it seems he should make a Substantial Answer to it but all the Answer he gives is this viz. We do collect from the Operations of the Souls of Men and of Beasts That there is not only a Gradual but an Essential Difference between them and that their being like doth not prove them the same The last we grant and for what he will collect it may be what he pleases but need be no Rule to others But here is no Reason shewn why or wherefore he makes such a Collection nor how that must needs or can be so done P. 18. He offers as some Proof the Difference between the Faculties of Mens Sensual Affections and their Reasons Yet he doth not say a Man hath two Souls and that Affections proceed from one of them and Reason from the other but pretends an Essential Difference between the Faculties of the same Soul which seems absurd in Nature and he might with as good Reason say that Love and Hatred in Man should inferr a Specifical Difference in his Soul Pag. 25. He affirms Generation cannot produce a Humane Soul but argues ex non concessis supposing it Immaterial and then what he says is true But it begs the Point in Question and which will not be granted him P. 26. Says Reason cannot be generated no more can Sense But the Organs of both may be so and the Powers and Spirits that actuate them I but says he Reason and Judgment can and do at times act Inorganically This hath been said before but neither then nor now was nor is proved or offered to be so and therefore is not believed Pag. 26. Says Generation is not performed by Acts of Wit or Vnderstanding but those of Vegetation and Sense and a Soul doth not generate a Soul still supposing a Non supponendum that a Soul is Immaterial and separately subsisting but taking it for a Material Spirit the producing it by generation is easie and natural Pag. 27. It follows says he that because a Man doth not generate with his Mind but his Body therefore his Body is Corruptible and his Mind or Soul is Immortal It seems this needs no Answer Pag. 28. says The Learned Sennertus a famous Physician was moved by certain Reasons which he could not overcome to think the Soul is generated and that the Seed it self is animated with a Humane Soul as in the Case of the Beasts but this Physician and Justus Lipsius called before the Divines and told the Consent of Divines was to the contrary they declared their Resolutions to obey the Order of
that it is a Vegetation holding upon the Part of the Matter only and hath in it no Performance of the Office of a Soul and yet it fashions an Organical Body to make it fit for the Reception of a Soul To which I answer There is nothing of this either proved or granted P. 40. He tells us what Dr. Sennertus says in his Books viz. he holds it probable That the Soul proceeds from Procreation and that from the first Instant of the Conception the Seed is animated with a Rational Soul Also That nothing created is Immortal by a Principle of Nature but only by the Free Will and Gift of God Also That by Force of God's Direction and the Words Increase and Multiply there was given Power to every Soul to Multiply another To the first of these Positions our Writer says That by the Doctor 's Leave it infers the Soul's Mortality for whatsoever is generated is Corruptible and must go out as it came in And this is easily granted him To the next he says It is neither true likely nor Philosophical for by this a Fly may be as Immortal as a Soul And this is also granted him As to the Seeds having in it the Principle of producing a Reasonable Soul the Writer demands P. 41. what becomes of all those Souls contained in mis-spent Seed or ineffectual Coitions Innumerable Souls says he must so be lost and perish He might as well have said Bodies also for there is no Soul till there be a Body they are both equally in the Seed and but potentially But they rise and grow together out of the same Root and Power and together and if their Principle the Seed perish nothing is lost but it self any more than Men can say when a Swine eats Akrons that he hath eaten up so many Oaks Then he demands Why doth the Soul depart from the Body but because it leaves to be Organical I may as well ask Why the Body departs from the Soul And we do not find that either doth depart from the other until Death them depart and that they cannot help it Durum Telum Necessitas and that is the Common or only Cause why the Soul and Body are parted or rather do cease to be And it seems not likely that when they are parted there remains any more a Soul than a Body The Man is departed the Body is turned to a Carkass and what becomes of the Soul no Man naturally can tell unless it extinguish with the Vital Flame and Spirits of the Body Thus many Thousands Years are past in the Worlds Age and yet Men are but as wise as Solomon left us in that Point and as Men had been from the Beginning to his Time For if former Times had known it he could not have doubted as he did Aristotle who lived about 700 Years after Solomon and doubted and searched in this Point as that Wise King did yet he could not resolve but hath left Posterity under the same Doubts that Solomon did Who knows the Difference or that there is a real Difference between the Natures or Souls of Men and Beasts in Point of their Separate Subsistences after Death Our Writer tells us It is the Father's Office to provide a Body for his Child's Soul which he performs by his Deputy Seed For my part I should rather have thought this to have been more properly the Office of the Mother But he goes on and tells us how this is Naturally Performed The Seed says he hath a Natural Strength and Cunning to frame a Body for the Child's Soul done by the Form of the Seed without any Animation of it with a Soul and so doth an Akron by Virtue derived from the Tree upon which it grew and the Forming Virtue is the Seeds own Form excited and assisted by the breeding and connatural Warmth of the Maternal Body and works as the Seed of the Cock impregnates the Egg with a Chicken And yet says he is it probable that in so small a Seed as comes from the Cock the Soul or Essence of a Cock should be resident Why not say I as well as the Vegetative Soul and Essence of an Oak in an Akron And to what he last before affirmed That the Father provides a Body for his Child's Soul he offers no Proof and for ought appears he may as truly prepare a Soul for the Body as a Body for the Soul He says The Forming Virtue is the Seeds own Form I say the Quickening Virtue is as properly in the Seed as the Forming Virtue and nothing can Naturally enliven the Body but the Soul and therefore both Soul and Body proceed Equally and Naturally from the Generation and Efficiency of the Parents without any need of New Creation of Souls in such Cases P. 42. Our Writer agrees the Effect of Sennertus's Assertion upon the Words Increase and Multiply but not by deriving the Younger Souls from the Elder but by the doing of some Act out of which such Forms should connaturally flow As Material Forms he says they grow by Resultancy but the Immaterial by Creation from a higher Cause which Creation is to follow and is due by a Regular Ordination and Existence of Nature and so they may be truly generated viz. given and communicated though not made by the Force of Generation I say This Act done out of which the Humane Form should connaturally flow or follow must be the Natural Coition of the Man and the Woman and the Form of the Child being by this Tenet Immaterial must be created as a Thing due by regular Ordination and Exigence of Nature to such Fact of Coition I demand from what Original he hath copied out the Regular Ordination here delivered He quotes no Authority in the Point nor offers any Reason for the maintaining it Therefore we take it for a bold Romance invented by himself for Supporting his Tenet of the Souls Immateriality the Dissenters from which have no need of this Conceipt agreeing That the Essential Parts Constituent of the Man viz. his Body and Soul are generated and take Growth together till they attain to their Perfection of Degrees and then decline decay and perish accordingly maintaining a strict Union and Copartnership both in Weal and in Woe till Death dissolve and finish their Association Men thus perswaded have no need of our Friend 's invented Regular Ordination or Exigence of Nature but may reasonably fix upon it the Terms of a bare and a needless Fiction P. 42. He tells us that Sennertus argues If the Parents do not give the Form viz. the Soul then they do not generate the Man but they do generate the Man and therefore they do give the Soul also and unless they do communicate the Soul it cannot be truly said that Like doth generate its Like Our Friend answers The Parents do give and communicate both Form and Matter but without producing either of them certain it is they give the Matter and as certain that they do
not produce it and the same may be said for the Form viz. the Soul the Parents give it but they do not produce it This Answer seems clearly Concessive that the Parents generate the Soul as much and as effectually as they do the Body and more than that is not required by Sennertus or any other But our Friend insists Learn says he the Effects of Generation from those of our Dissolution our Death doth dissolve the Vnion of our Parts but it doth not destroy those Parts but only the Man whence as by Generation we become Men by Dying we cease to be so This also grants that all which perishes in Death was generated by the Parents The Body had a Time to get Life and grow and so it hath to putrifie and consume and the Soul began with Life in the Embrion and in the Body and it seems to extinguish in Death of the Body naturally or we desire to be yet scientifically instructed from Reason or Nature what it is and where it is or at least that it is and hath a Separate State and Subsistence of its own P. 43. He recites another Argument of Sennertus viz. If the Seed be not animated from the first Instant and then the Progenitor happen to die before the Time of Animation it might be truly said that a Dead Man did Genenerate He answers This Case is like one who puts Sparks of Fire amongst Fewel then leaves it and the Fire doth not take hold and burn till a good while after yet this Man is said to have made the Fire And we do agree the Similitude to be apt enough in this Case and that it seems to import The Seed is as much the Efficient of the whole Child as the Sparks put into the Fewel are of the Fire more than which hath not been demanded Our Friend says he hath chosen to contest this Point against Sennertus because that Doctor was a Man of great Worth and Substance And says he magnified his Wisdom greatly in Submitting his Opinion to the Divines worthy to be imitated herein by all other Men But that before hath been delivered doth sufficiently evince that there is a great Latitude and Difference of Opinions in the World Concerning this Writer of An. 1645. we may observe he had the Advantage of the Wren in the Fable who sate upon the Back of the Eagle and was carried by her into the Clouds and coming to the full Extent of the Eagles Height she put her self to the small Stretch of her own Wings and mounted above the Eagle by so much He had perceived the great Incongruities of continually newly created Souls and intended at mollifying them by assigning them a Regular Ordination as a Duty upon the Exigence of Nature This Course appears healing and helpful Posito that the Soul be Immaterial but it is no Manner of Proof that the Soul is so And if it be not so but only a Material Spirit then is there no need of this Invention and then it is as hath been said not only an Invention but a needless one And yet it testifies the Writer amongst his other Endeavours to have been a Person of Wit Learning and Consideration All the Authors presently in our Possession or Reach concerning the Soul have before been Cited and Considered viz. Four Foreign and Four of our own Later and Domestick Writers And concerning the Materiality or Immateriality of Humane Souls we may observe from that they have spoken that there are Two particular Queries or Questions the Determination of which will advance much towards the knowledge of the Souls Nature and Qualifications If One of them be proved or granted thence the Immateriality of the Soul may be strongly inferred and if the other be proved or granted thence may he as strongly inferred the Souls Materiality The First of these is held in the Affirmative by divers of our Authors viz. More Digby Zanchius and the Pamphlet of 1645 who do all expresly and often affirm That the Soul in Life-time of the Man doth at some times and in some cases act of and by her self without Aid or Ministry of the Body or its Organs or any Members or Powers of it If this Assertion have been proved or can or shall be proved We grant from the Conclusion a very strong Inference may be drawn for the Souls Immateriality agreeing the Truth of Aristotle's Assertion in his Treatise of the Soul Chap. 1. That if the Soul have any Operation or Affection peculiar to her self and wherein she can effectually Act without Use or Aid of the Body or the Members Organs or Spirits of it then it is very likely that she may also be capable of a Subsistence in a State of Separation from the Body But says he If the thing be not so and Men fail in Proof of such a peculiar in the Soul certainly she cannot subsist in a State of Separation from the Body Our Authors for Proof of such a Peculiar in the Soul do alledge That the Soul can conceive Spiritual Beings and Universals Second or Abstracted Notions Logical Mathematical and Metaphysical Beings and Things which Matter is not very capable of nor that it can be Assistant to the Formation or Contemplation of such Conceptions In answer to which may be opposed the same Authors Assertions That whilst the Soul is in the Body she cannot act without the Animal or Vital Spirits of the Body and before hath been observed That the Soul cannot see but by the Eyes nor remember but in the Memory And these Organs and Faculties may be lost by Accident and yet the Soul remain perfect still but without Sight or Memory for want of the Bodily Organs and if the Intellect be crazed the Soul cannot understand but according to such Capacities as remain in the Organ and it seems the like may be said for all other Faculties of the Soul and Organs of the Body which infers the Soul cannot operate without the Spirits and Organs of the Body As to the Conceiving Spiritual Beings and Things it hath been said such Knowledge hath been derived from Revelations made to the Senses of some Men and their Testimony of them to other Men and for the Conceptions of Universals and Abstracted Notions it seems the Soul in the Intellect working Comparate and Abstractive by using the Joynt Powers of Intellect Phantasie and Memory and by composing and comparing what is found in them may well enough be able by abstracting them from Conceptions of Matter and Sense and sorting them first then ranking and comparing them the Soul by Joint Use of these Organs may naturally be able to raise Generals out of Particulars and from Generals ascend to Universals and so likewise raise abstracted Notions from the often Repetition and comparing Things first made known to them by the Senses We do not then agree that any of our Authors have proved that the Soul hath any Operation or Affection so peculiar to her self as that the Body
wrath Chap. 12.7 The dust shall return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it We say this may be expounded by Gen. 7.22 and 1 Sam. 30.12 and Job 12.10 all before Cited Then Chap. 34.14 If God set his heart upon man if he gather unto himself his Spirit and his Breath All flesh shall perish together and man shall turn again unto Dust Psal 31. Prays Let me not be put to confusion but deliver me be thou my Rock and Defence Into thy hand I commit my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me And Psal 104.29 When thou takest away their breath they die and are turned again to their dust When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth Zech. 6.5 These are the four spirits of the heavens noted on the Margent or Winds These places make Breath and the Spirit mentioned by Solomon to be much if not altogether the same thing And it seems remarkable that when David prays for Deliverance from Dangers that were temporal as in Psal 31. he uses this Expression Into thine Hand I commit my Spirit this makes it seem to intend his whole Person himself both Soul and Body as hath been shewn to be usual and common in the Usage of the Word Soul Isa 29.24 They who erred in Spirit shall come to Vnderstanding Here Spirit seems to signifie a Faculty of the Man viz. his Mind or Intellect Upon the Whole it seems the Spirit 's Return to God in Solomon's Sence might be a willing Submission of the Mind or Understanding to that Dissolution by Death which he hath appointed to be the Natural End of all Mankind This makes Death appear a willing Return of a meek and quiet Spirit to God by an easie Surrender of its Fort and Hold the Body when others and they if they did not so meekly surrender would be Stormed and forced against their Wills to let go their Holds and be driven out of Forts which they have not Power to defend and maintain against the violent and prevalent Assaults and Storms of Death We meet in Isaiah Ch. 53.10 such an Addition concerning the Term of Soul as we judge not fit to omit viz. When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for Sin This intended his whole Person And he shall see of the Travail of his Soul Chap. 57.16 I will not contend for ever for so should the Spirit fail before me and the Souls which I have made viz. the People which I have made So Is it such a Day for Man to afflict his Soul viz. himself And If thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry if thou minister unto him Ezek. 37.14 I will put my Spirit in you Bodies rising from dry Bones and ye shall live And this was executed by the Four Winds blowing upon them Whence it seems Spirit Wind and Breath have a great Congruity one with another and are put one for another divers times And this helps to declare what Solomon meant by Spirit Dan. 2.3 The King's Spirit was troubled to know the Dream viz. his Vnderstanding Chap. 5.20 An excellent Spirit Knowledge and Vnderstanding was found in Daniel One of these Words expound another Micah 6.7 Shall I give my First-born the Fruits of my Body for the Sin of my Soul seems to import Shall I give or Sacrifice my Child for my own Sin Soul being here put for Person as we have shewn was very usual Zech. 6.5 These are the Four Spirits or Winds of the Heavens Chap. 12.1 The Lord that formeth the Spirit of Man within him viz. who hath given him Faculties of Sense Memory Vnderstanding c. Thus the Texts of the Old Testament which make most for the Proof of a Separate and Self-subsisting Soul of Man have been quoted and such Expositions made of them and Answers thereby made to them as appear to us sufficient to abate and take away the Violence or proving Force of them by shewing that they do not necessarily or strongly compel to the Belief of such a Separated Subsistance of Humane Souls But that they only be solved and answered by Senses or Constructions more Natural and likely and more consentaneous to the Natural Conceptions of a Humane Reason unbiassed or distorted by the Prejudices of formerly received and radicated Opinions We proceed to Texts of the New Testament which have been or may be quoted to the same Intent and Purpose Mat. 16.25 He that will save his Life shall lose it and he that for Christ's sake loses it shall find it For what is a Man profited if he gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every Man according to his Works Here it seems the Word Soul intends the Life or Person of the Man and what shall a Man get by grasping or gaping after the whole World if he lose his own Life for without Life to enjoy it what Profit or Benefit can one make of the whole World if it could be gotten and no Man in his Wits will take the whole World in Exchange for his Life for he can have no Profit but plain Damage and Loss by that Exchange And yet says our Lord He that loses his Life for my sake shall find it viz. shall find Profit by that Exchange For he shall be recompenced at the Resurrection For the Son of Man shall come in his Father's Glory and then he shall reward every Man according to his Works The Man shall then receive an Eternal Recompence and be made a great Gainer by that Exchange Chap. 13.42 For then the Wicked shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire and the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Next is quoted Matth. 17. the Relation of our Lord's Transfiguration repeated Mark 9. and Luke 9. There appeared to them viz. the three Disciples Moses and Elias talking with him They all saw the Appearances It must be true then that these Prophets have a Subsistence after their Departure out of this our World And for Elias his creates no great Difficulty in the Case upon Supposal that his Body went to Heaven and was changed as S. Paul says in a Moment into a Spiritual Body and there may well enough be still continuing And for Moses his Body it could never be found what became of it seems not very certain but not being to forth-come it was conjectured and concluded to be buried no Man ever knew where nor that there was or is a Certainty in that Fact It seems he went up the Hill alone and never returned nor was his Body found what therefore became of him we may think remains a Mystery and that he died may be taken for a Conjecture from common Probability He never returned nor was after to
And it seems this Crying by the Souls was in the same manner as the Blood of Abel's Cying from the Ground against his Murtherer and as all Notable Actions good or bad do depend for Recompence upon the Effects of God's Divine Providence Justice and Power and so we leave it Luke 23.43 Christ says to one of the Crucified Thieves Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thorn be with we in Paradise This could not be performed in their Bodies for that our Lord's lay in the Grave till the Third Day therefore it must be fulfilled in their Souls separated from their Bodies To this Objection the Answer may have Two Parts First We quote Matth. 27.24 The Thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his Teeth And Mark 15.32 They that were crucified with him reviled him Both these Evangelists agree that they both the Thieves that were crucified with him reviled him S. Luke is commonly taken for the Pen-man of S. Paul by whom this Gospel is believed to have been dictated But neither of these are taken to have been Eye-Witnesses or that they were by and present at this Fact S. Mark is taken to write from the Mouth of S. Peter although it might possibly be from the Apostle S. Barnabas either of which Apostles were likely to be Eye-Witnesses of the Fact then done And S. Matthew was himself both Apostle and Evangelist and likely an Eye-Witness of the Fact and there is an Old Rule That one Eye-Witness is better than two Ear-Witnesses of any Fact We conclude then that here are Two Witnesses against One and that One but an Ear-Witness of that Fact And therefore there is a Ground to question the very Truth of S. Luke's Relation seeing he wrote but by Relation and what he says stands not of it self and can with great Difficulty be made to stand in Agreement with what the other two Evangelists have delivered Secondly We say to the Words To day thou shalt be with me they may be expounded from other like Expressions Heb. 3.7 cites Psalm 95.7 To day if ye will hear his Voice Ver. 13. Exhort one another daily whilst it is called to day Here it seems the Word Day is not limited to an Artificial or a Natural Day but signifies a present but yet a competent Time Luke 19.42 Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day viz. hadst known that Time of my present Call unto thee here exprest by the Word Day So The Son of Man must be Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth And yet we know Christ lay in the Grave but Two Nights viz. Friday and Saturday Nights and for Days only one whole one viz. Saturday for he was buried on Friday at Even and rose very early upon Sunday Morning Whence it seems the Words To day shalt thou be with me need not be limited to a precise Day Artificial or Natural but may be reasonably intended to signifie within some short Time after that Promise And that we may the better account for the same there shall be cited Jo. 20.17 Our Lord lately risen says to Mary Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father And the same Day at Evening Ver. 19. came Jesus and stood in the midst among his Discipler And Luke 24.39 he says Handle me and by Feeling perceive and see that I have Flesh and Bones which a Spirit hath not Hence may be collected that betwixt his appearing to Mary that Morning and to his Disciples in the Evening he had ascended to his Father and returned Matth. 27.52 When Christ died The Graves were opened and many Bodies of Saints which slept arose and came out of the Graves after our Lord's Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many Amongst these we have reason to suppose was the Body of this Thief as well as his Soul the Flame of Life re-kindled in him as well as in those other Saints and of our Lord himself and that he the Thief and the other Saints then rising did make this Ascent with our Lord upon Sunday next after the Friday Night of his Suffering And this I conceive was enough to satisfie our Lord's Expression of To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise in so short a Time as it may be counted present or to day And this Resurrection might occasion some to think as 2 Tim. 2.18 that the Resurrection was past already and was not in Future to be expected Luk. 23.46 Jesus cried with a loud Voice and said Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost And to this we join Acts 7.59 They stoned Stephen calling and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit This Objection from recommending the Spirit of a Dying Person to God and Christ Men say imports a Spiritual Being or a Soul in Man which is capable of a Subsistence and hath such a Subsistence in a State separated from the Body The Objection is of the same Nature with that from Solomon The Spirit returns to God that gave it and requires some Repetition of what was thereunto answered And for findding out the Sence and Intent of the Word Spirit Places of Scripture shall be quoted 1 Sam. 30.12 When the starved Egyptian had eaten some Figs and Raisins his Spirit came again to him seems his Spirit of Life his Vital Spirits Ezra 1.5 They stood up whose Spirit God had raised to go and build the Temple seems to intend their Inclination and Affection Job 20.3 The Spirit of my Vnderstanding causeth me to answer seems the Eagerness of his Desire Chap. 21.4 Why should not my Spirit be troubled viz. why should not I be troubled Psalm 51.17 The Sacrifice of God it a broken Spirit there is paraphrased by a contrite Heart 143.4 My Spirit is vexed within me and my Heart within me is desolate Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a Man will sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear viz. a good or bad Conscience Chap. 25.28 He that hath no Rule over his own Spirit it like a City broken down and without Walls Here Spirit must signifie Affections Eccles 8.8 No Man hath Power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit seems Men's Passions Prov. 20.27 The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord searching the inward Parts of the Belly viz. Man's Reason and Knowledge is the Candle Psalm 31.6 Thou art my strength into thy hand I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me God had saved him in his Troubles and therefore he again commends himself to God under the Term of his Spirit Dan. 5.12 An excellent Spirit Knowledge and Vnderdeastanding was found in Daniel The latter Words expound Spirit Acts 17.16 Paul's Spirit was stirred in him at Athens he was moved and provoked Chap. 18.25 Apollos was fervent in Spirit or was Zealous 1 Cor. 5.5 Deliver the Man to Satan that the Spirit
may be saved in the Day of the Lord viz. that at the Resurrection the Whole may be saved Spirit put for the Whole Man Chap. 7.34 The unmarried Woman is holy in Body and Spirit viz. Soul and Body together holy in the whole Compositum Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one Heart and put a new Spirit and a Heart of Flesh within you Chap. 13.3 Wo to the Prophets that follow their own Spirit and have seen nothing Ver. 17. They prophecy out of their own Heart And thus we see Spirit put for the Person the Heart the Affections the Passions for Mind Understanding Knowledge Reason Conscience viz. for Man and every of his Sublime and Spiritual Parts or Faculties but most properly and especially for his Breath As Job 12.10 In the Hand of God is the Soul of every living thing and the Breath of all Mankind Ch. 34.14 If God set his Heart upon Man if he gather unto himself his Spirit and his Breath all Flesh shall perish together and Man shall turn again to his Dust Psal 104.29 When thou takest away their Breath they die and are turned again to their Dust when thou lettest thy Breath go forth they shall be made and thou shalt renew the Face of the Earth Gen. 2.7 By God's breathing into Mans Nostrils the Breath of Life Man became a Living Soul Rom. 14.7 None of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself but we live to the Lord and die to the Lord whether therefore we live or die we are the Lords Hence it need not seem strange that a Dying Man should recommend his Person to the Lord by the Term of his Spirit for the Body as well as the Soul is under the Knowledge and Provision of Providence When good Men lie down to sleep they customarily recommend themselves to God and going to sleep in Death makes such a Recommendation both the more earnest and the more solemn and cannot reasonably be intended of the Spirit only but of the whole Compositum by that Term and God will raise them both up again at the Last Day both Soul and Body John 6.44 The Man that comes to me I will raise him up at the last Day the whole Man both Soul and Body Psal 31.6 Into thine Hands I commend my Spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth David spake this when he was in a way of Living and had both a Body and a Soul and apparently sought God's Protection for them both viz. for his Person under this Term of Spirit Jo. 11.25 He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live viz. the Compositum of Soul and Body Our Lord knew he should have a speedy Resurrection and foretold it to be within Three Days Time both of Soul and Body And it seems that by this Term of Spirit he recommended them both to the Protection of his Father and that S. Stephen did the like to our Lord Whence here appears no Necessity of Inferring a Separate Subsistence of a Humane Soul from these Texts which plainly did not intend to teach the Doctrine and it seeems may be very well satisfied by another very different Construction of them Joh. 6.40 It is God's Will that he who believeth should have everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last Day Soul and Body without mention of an intermediate Estate And we do not accept our two quoted Texts as a sufficient Proof of that Point Acts 2.27 Thou shalt not leave my Soul in Hell or Death is construed to comprehend the Body also and both were raised accordingly Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil this comprehends the Body also So Chap. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Whence we conclude that by recommending the Dying Spirits intended the Dying Bodies also and was intended of the Whole Man or the Person then departing out of this World 2 Cor. 5.1 If our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God a House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens And desires to be clothed upon with that House Groans to be clothed upon that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life yet would not be unclothed whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord walking by Faith not by Sight we desire to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord for we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether good or bad We read Rev. 22.12 I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his work shall be Ver. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Ver. 35. 36. We must wait with Patience and Confidence till the Time promised do come James 5.8 Be ye also patient stablish your Hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last Time as if the last Time was near Chap. 4.5 Men shall give an Account to him that is ready to judge the Quick and the Dead viz. in a short Time coming 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God to Judgment 1 Joh. 2.28 Abide in Christ that when he shall appear ye may have Confidence and not be ashamed at his coming as if he were expected to come in their Time So 1 Tim. 6.14 Keep this Commandment without spot until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ as if Timothy might live to that Time And elsewhere The coming of our Lord draweth nigh 1 Joh. 2.18 Little Children it is the last Time And The Time is short he that is holy let him be holy Rev. 22.11 And he which is filthy let him be filthy still as if Christ's coming to Judgment were even then at hand 2 Pet. 3.9 Men then said that Day was slack in its coming and Ver. 4. that the Promise of his coming was over-long delay'd From all these Evidences it appears that the Church at that Time did believe the coming of our Lord to Judgment to be nigh at hand and that when he should appear we should be like him and that then as Philip. 3.21 Our vile Bodies should be changed and fashioned like his Glorious Body 1 Cor. 15.51 We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed And to this Change it seems S. Paul's Words in our Proving Text are to be applied He would not be unclothed but clothed upon with the House which is from Heaven that so he might not be found naked but that Mortality might be swallowed up in Life Whilst we are at home in the Body viz. our Natural Body we are absent from the Lord
to that Intent and gave him the Victory in it He will not have his Servants work like Hirelings the Eyes of whose Minds are levelled at and fixed upon their Wages nor will suffer that Accusation to be believed or stand fixed as a Calumny upon them They shall have Rewards becoming the Nobleness and Grandeur of their Master But for Men to be moved and directed to serve God for Rewards of any Sort or Value whatsoever seems Debasement to the Profession and Practice of Christianity And we leave it as an Inconveniency drawn from or very much improved by the Conceipt That Mens precious Souls have a Subsistence in a Separate State from their Bodies and that upon their Separation they pass to Heaven immediately Hence we pass And come to shew how the Opinion of a Soul's Materiality doth serve to the Solving of such Difficulties as are raised by the Belief of a Soul 's Separated Subsistence And First If the Soul be Material it takes away all Ground of Questioning its being One or Many since being generated and extinguished with the Body as the Constituent Form of the Man it can be no more Many than the Body or the Person is so 2. The Tenet of the Soul 's being generated or propagated answers or silences all the Difficulties raised a Parte ante concerning the Soul touching its Original or Derivation And there can be neither Need of nor Truth in the Pre-existence or continual New Creation of Souls 3. It removes the Query How Souls and Bodies come to be United 4. It gives a clear Account of the Souls being contaminated with Original Sin as well and as much as the Body is so Next for the Soul 's Residing in the Body and Acting in it The Soul being Material possesseth the Whole and resides sparsim in every Member and small Parcel of it The glowing and inflamed Blood carries the Vigour and Virtue of the Flame of Life to every least Parcel of the Body and thereby is every such Part enlivened and acted according to its Capacity and the Intent for which it was made whence it is neither All in Every Place nor All in Any Place but possesses the whole Body and supplies and acts every Member and Parcel as hath been before described And thence the Opinion of the Soul's Materiality removes all Difficulties concerning the Soul a Parte post viz. the Questions Whither it goes and What becomes of it and What it doth or can do or suffer after its Separation from the Body The Opinion of the Soul's Materiality doth also deliver from all the Absurdities before-named for then there can be no Need for or a Pretence of a New Creation of Souls which grow out of Nature and Generation nor will there be any need of using Young Innocent Souls with so great and unreasonable Rigor or making their Bodies the Cages or Prisons of them nor will there be any need of Ascribing to Beasts Pre-existent and Separately Subsisting Souls Nor for the depriving them of Senses Memory Affections and Knowledge which naturally and evidently they have and so knownly as it seems absurd to aver the contrary But then it may be said This will make the Souls of Men and Beasts to be of the same Nature and equal Expectations The first of these we grant but the second we deny Of the same Nature we grant as well as they are in their Bodies the same sort of Flesh Bones Blood Breath Spirits Urine Humours and Life and the same sort of Soul or Living Flame supporting and acting in every Part and Member of their Bodies but not of equal Expectations And yet the Difference arises not from Nature but from the declared Disposal and Appointment of God who hath appointed a Day in which he will Judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained Whereof be hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead This Appointment of God that Men shall be raised from the Dead and judged and rewarded according to their Works and their Lives led here upon Earth is the Cause and Original of that Difference which shall be between the Future State of Men and Beasts This Resurrection is evidently declared to be designed for Men without mention of Beasts and therefore we may say and not for Beasts One Sort shall rise to give Account and receive Recompence for their Works and the other not And this is the Ground for different Expectations of Men and Beasts as well as it answers the Arguments for a Separate State of Souls drawn from the accepted Rules of Moral Congruity amongst Men. Hence are the Rewards of a true Christian Profession derived and hence may all Arguments for a Separate Subsistence of Souls be better answered upon the Principles of Christian Religon than they can be from Reason Nature or the Principles of any other Religion whatsoever We go on to consider How the Inconveniences derived from the Opinion of a Separated Subsistence of Souls may be removed or helped by the Acceptance of the Soul's Materiality And if so it be and therefore extinguished by Death of the Man Men will not attempt upon utter Impossibilities viz. to Raise or Consult the Spirits of Dead Men when they know that in Nature there is no such Spirit And for Purgatory and Prayers to the Dead and for the Dead remove but the Opinion of a Separate Subsistence of Souls and change it for the Materiality and Extinguishment of them and this Change will presently remove Purgatory as useless and to no Purpose because there will be nothing in the World for it to work upon All its Pretence is for the Purging of Separated Souls and if really there are no such in the World then can there be no Use no more than there is a real Being of Purgatory then for Prayers to the Dead who in Life were Holy Persons or Saints if their Souls were Material and in Death extinguished what can there be lest for Addressing of Prayers unto but only Mens own Phantasies and Imaginations and Ancient Practices and Customs which have a very strong Operation upon Mens Opinions and yet hardly so potent as to justify to Mens ordinary Reason the Addressing of Prayers to Persons who they are convinced have utterly no Subsistence at all And Prayers for the Dead would upon the same Account become as needless and unsuccessful as the former For if there be no Souls to pray out of Purgatory nor any thing in Rerum Natura for which Prayers can be applied it must appear utterly against Common Sense and Reason for Men to pray for Things that are not or for nothing And it seems if Men were once so perswaded they would never practise or use such unreasonable Ceremonies in any time to come As for the Conceipt of Souls appearing or Walking after Death of the Persons if Men could bring themselves to believe that there are no Separately Subsisting Souls in the World they
do not make use of their ignorance for the extracting from thence an Unintelligible Extraneous Spirit for the Government of a Humane Body Memory or Understanding The case of the Watch shews the thing moved and made a noise and the Indians did not and could not discover the cause thereof and therefore they concluded it was moved by a Spirit which contains the very Ground of your Argument viz. We understand not how a Material Agent can perform such a sort of acting Therefore there must be an Intelligent Spirit in the case or else such things could not be done yet if you will but make this Grant That a Man doth generate a Man as truly and perfectly as one Horse generates another it will prove like Archimedes his Postulatum of a Ground whereupon to fix his Instrument for thence will apparently follow all that in my Treatise hath been asserted For what is begotten and born of Flesh is Flesh and I would not advise you to venture upon the task of proving any other way of proceeding or framing of Humane Souls 7. Paragraph You pretend to prove an Intelligent Spirit in Man from the Power and Effects of Conscience in him You say no Beasts have it and yet it is very potent and prevalent in Man And I agree that Man hath a Conscience and that it hath a great Power in him and over him But I do not grant the Beasts are without it in a degree sutable to their Capacities and Understandings You say That Conscience in Man is natural to him or slows from his pure Natural Faculties unassisted by Education or Rules But this I deny and assert that Conscience in Man is not derived barely from Nature in such manner as his Vital Powers viz. Digestion Nutrition and Generation are nor as his Passionate Powers viz. his Ambition Covetousness Lust Wrath and Fear are nor as his Sensitive Powers or the use of this Senses are nor as his Rational Powers viz. his Understanding Phancy Memory Judgment are For all these Faculties are so natural to every Man that he can and doth act them and by them without either Rule Tutor or Example But Speech is not so natural nor is Conscience so natural but they must both be Learned and Directed by Rules Doctrine or Examples and then they may be varied and changed according as things shall fall out or it shall come into the Phancies of Men But without some sort of Education Rule Direction or Opinion there is no more Conscience in Man than in Beasts For take a Salvage Person bred up amongst Beasts he will not know that Killing in a Sin nor spare a Man in his Hunger or his Wrath any more than a Beast And for Adultery he is not capable of knowing it because he knows not what Marriage is And for Incest it is naturally so much unknown as that the first People practised it with Sisters lawfully and it seems Abraham thought it no Crime nor the Princes to whom he avowed it for that it pass'd without Punishment or Reproof from them And for Theft and Robbery it pass'd for a Glory amongst Barbarous People and so it doth amongst Conquerours at this day and it is counted a sufficient Crime for the Vaniquished to defend his Goods or Women from the Conquerour and he will yet be kill'd for so doing without any remorse or sense of Conscience in the Conquerour Nor is the Fact against Nature however Rules may perhaps determine otherwise I say then that Conscience is not an absolutely Natural Faculty in Man but rather is Faculty Complicated of Nature and other Adjuncts and Ingredients the Natural Powers that act in it are the Understanding the Memory and the Judgement and the Effects of it viz. Joy and Grief are also Natural but to compleat the Faculty of Conscience in Man there must be also some Rule for Direction of the Judgment whose proper Office is to compare the Fact and the Rule together and if they be found to agree the Effect is Joyous and Pleasing if they differ the Effect is Sorrow and Fear and the widelier they differ the stronger Effects are produced But say you these Effects are sometimes so potent and violent as they could not be if they did not proceed from an Intelligent Spirit Concerning which I will again quote to you Melanct. dicto lib. pag. 148. There he says Let our Students learn to admire the Wonderful Works of God in Man our Principal Powers and Faculties Vital Sensitive Affectionate Cogitative efficiuntur Spiritu Vitali Animali ideo aliqui dixerunt Animam esse hos Spiritus seu Flammulas Vitales Animales sua Luce superant Solis omnium Stellarum Lucem quod Mirabilius est his ipsis Spiritibus in Homibus piis miscetur ipse Divinus Spiritus and makes this Light in Man more Refulgent Active and Inclinable to apprehend Divine Truths and to practise accordingly And on the contrary When the Devil gets a Possession or but an Entrance amongst them he disturbs and tortures both Heart and Brain and drives them into Cruel Motions and manifest Furies And thus this Excellent Divine instructs us what are the proper Causes of the great and violent Stings of Conscience which you have chosen for a strong Proof of an Intelligent Immaterial Spirit in Man And that Conscience is not barely from Nature but is a Complex of Nature and Rules there are divers Texts of Scripture which may be cited to prove Rom. 2. St. Paul says Men do by Nature the things contained in the Law of Moses this intends a Cultivated Nature ordered and directed by other Rules although they were ignorant of Moses's Law and those other Rules became to them a Law written in their hearts which if they followed their Conscience was satisfied and if they acted contrary to those Rules their Consciences accused them for it St. Paul's Nature in this place therefore intends not Nature in puris naturalibus utterly unpolished and barbarous or salvage and naked of Rules Education and Examples but such a Nature as hath submitted it self to some Rules Education or Example though they be utterly ignorant of Moses's Laws Rom. 5.13 Though sin those acts which are sinful were in the world until or before the Law yet sin is not imputed where there is no Law or Rule to direct the Judgment and therefore without some sort of Rule rising from Institution Example or Opinion as there can no Sin be imputed so no Consciousness of Sin nor Sting of Conscience for it So Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law some Rule Education or Example which taught me that this is Sin bare or salvage Nature would not have taught me what was a Sin and what was not John 9.41 Our Lord says to the Pharisees If you were blind purely ignorant ye should have no sin Chap. 15.22 If I had not spoken to them instructed them they had not had sin 1 John 3.4 Sin is the Transgression
my Opinion when I found Roccius saying the same things and words and Melanchton apparently to the same Sense and Peter Martyr approaching thereunto and nearer than I do expect other men shall come in any short time Your Quotation out of Dr. Cave was drawn by him out of Euseb Hist lib. 6. cap. 36 and is quoted in my Treatise This Particular finishes your Opposition to my Treatise and shall put an End also to my Defence Yet because I have as you may see some room left upon this Sheet of Paper I am thereby invited to remember what you said in your Second Paragraph viz. That it is not unlikely that my Treatise might be the result of some years Study To set your Imagination right upon that Point I give you this Account of it That in Summer 1690 I practised my Monastick Discipline reading within Doors and labouring the Ground abroad Mutans quadrata rotundis What I read within I ruminated without I considered the close Connection of Soul and Body and even the Contexture of them that Humane Constitutions and Faculties are often alter'd by Diet Air Sickness Accidents that the best Reasons Memories or Judgments may be altered or spoiled by divers like Means and recovered sometimes by Medicines applied to the disaffected Parts or Organs of the Body How this might competere with the Acts and Powers of a Substantial Angelical Spirit as the Soul or Form of Man I found my self unable to comprehend but that rather it seemed there was a Dependency of the Soul upon the Body as well as of the Body upon the Soul Hence I concluded there was a Close and Natural Contexture between them and that likely they were both of one same Nature Connatural to Man viz. his Natural and Constituent Parts Then I considered the Brutes and that they had the same Senses and Affections with Men and some sort of Understanding Phancy and Memory and all liable to like Accidents Also both Sorts lived by Blood Breath and Fewel or Food and if any of these failed the Man must die as well as the Beast so as the Man's Soul could help in such or any other Vital or Natural Necessities no more than the Soul of a Beast can do in like Cases And thus I went on considering all the Summer and coming tube inclined I fell upon a very Natural Course of Proceeding in such Cases followed by St. Paul Acts 17.17 He disputed his Tenets in all Places and with all Persons of his Conversation proper for that purpose and so did I and read Books such as I had or could buy or borrow Lastly One lent me a Book called Richard Baxter's Dying Thoughts and the Weak Defence which he and Sir Kenelm Digby and Doctor More made on behalf of that Immortal Opinion fortified my Conceptions to the contrary In Christmass I discours'd with many about it and soon after Candlemass I began to write and finish'd my Treatise about a Week after Midsummer in An. 1691 since which time divers have perused it and I refuse it to none who are like to use it cleanly and are capable of it I know you observe that I begin with Baxter's Book and end with it quoting and examining of it all along nor did I find it difficult to refute all that he says in maintenance of the Immortality except the Texts of Scripture which he quotes And those Texts in him and in you seem to me the only Defences of the Immortality Batteries you perceive are and may be raised against the intention and effects of those Texts which are quoted to that purpose and of what force they will prove Men are not like speedily to determine But my Judgment is not convinced or perswaded that by forbearing the Argument drawn from the Immortality and pressing in its stead that from the Resurrection and the Last Judgement there can any detriment arise to the Progress and Maintenance of the Christian and specially of the Protestant Religion If I had a desire to argue upon this Point and towards the Clearing of it as St. Paul did both in Synagogues Markets and Schools I do it much more desirously with you as professing my self Your much obliged and very humble Servant 8 March 1692. After this Answer to the Opponents Objections he was p1eased to reply thereunto in June following and his Replication was divided into Seven Paragraphs His 1. Parag Insists That I had not made that Proof which he demanded of the Quomodo How a Material Spirit was able to act or did act the Humane Faculties and Powers known to be in Mankind and carried to an excellent Perfection in some Men As this was a repeated Demand so I say that I answer to it as before viz. That there are many other Things and Actings in the World the Reasons and Causes of which Men neither do nor can enough comprehend or perceive Our Lord tells us That if one should watch the Corn Night and Day yet he could not perceive so as to know the Immediate and Proper Causes of its Growth but it will bring forth first the Stalk next the Blade then the Ear and lastly the Full Corn in it Men not perceiving the How or the Why of it and the Case is like for all other Plants How it was or whence it proceeds that they bring forth Fruits and Leaves of wondrous Variety and Diversity in Colour Figure Taste Smell Bulk and Operations We see that each of them have Root Bole Skin or Bark and we perceive and know that each of them hath an active and lively Juice or Spirit ascending from the Root into the Boles Branches and Tops of them and this Composition of Matter and Form in Plants we do reasonably believe to be sufficient and effectual for the production of all that doth ordinarily grow out of them But that Solomon or any other man ever did or can declare to us the manner of their proceedings or the next Reasons of them and of that great Variety in their Natures and Productions I do not know nor believe nor do I think it a Work of Humane Power to do Next Plants we may consider the Insects Solomon points us to the Spiders the Locusts the Ants and the Bees what are the Causes of their Motions and Actions Solomon tells us they do what is proper and best for their Beings but as Wonders to him and us who know neither the How nor the Why of them And so for the Fishes and the Birds we cannot know by what secret Engines and Motors divers particulars are done amongst them Concerning the Quadrupedes we see and know they have the same Flesh Blood Bones and Breath that Men have and in their Kinds sutable Bodily Members as Head Heart Liver Lungs Arteries Veins Fibres Muscles c. that Men have also a Generation and Production all alike I may demand what makes them live and grow in the Wombs of their Dams What forms their Members and how are they made in those
Dark Receptacles How can meer Matter and Motion hit upon forming every Species amongst them like those of their own Kind How comes it that upon their first Production they seek their Dams Paps for Nourishment What teaches them the proper uses of their several Armatures not meer Matter and Motion What teacheth them Art Natural or Acquired Also their Senses both Inward and Outward their Phancies and Memories How come they by these and the use of them not by meer Matter and Motion but even as Men do though in a much Lower Degree Gen. 1.25 God made the Beast of the Earth after his Kind ver 26. He said Let us make Man in our Image Here appears a plain Intention of God to make both Man and Beast and that they were made by him accordingly and that he indued each sort of them with a Generative Faculty or Power whereby they were inabled and even naturally and generally provoked to generate their like according to their several Species Chap. 5.3 Adam begat a Son in his own likeness after his Image whence Men are generated in the same Image and Likeness that they were created The Maintainers of the Immateriality pretend to expound the Texts of Genesis last quoted and they do it thus where it is said That God made Man after his own Image this Image of God say they was the Soul of Man but not his Body for that cannot be the Image of a Spirit and God is a Spirit Then upon Adam's begetting a Son in his own Likeness after his Image They say This begetting after his Image must be intended of the Body only and not of the Soul for that the Parents cannot generate Souls of their Sort viz. Intelligent and Angelical but that must be newly created by God upon every new Procreation of Bodies by the Parents I answer That both these Expositions are meerly precarious and arbitrary not agreeable to Reason or grounded upon Scripture Not upon Scripture for they are contrary to the Letter and Words of the Texts The first says God made Man after his own Image Here Man say I must intend the Compositum of the Soul and Body for we never heard or read of a Man without a Body And as this Contexture of Soul and Body is the Image of God so Death by Dissolving of that Contexture destroys that Image of God which was the Man whil'st that Contexture continued So for the other Text Adam begat a Son in his own Likeness after his Image This say I intends a begetting of the Soul as well as the Body for we never heard of a Son of Man without a Soul and think that in Nature there cannot be that thing viz. a Son of Man without a Soul But they reply Flesh and Blood cannot generate Soul of our Sort not an Angelical Spirit for that which it born of flesh is fleshly and not such a Spirit This I grant to be true and infer thence That a Humane Soul generated is not an Intelligent Spirit but a Material though very much Refined Spirit and of a Flamy Aiery Nature as Heraclitus and my Lord Bacon have described it and as Hippocrates Galen Sennertus Willis and Ent have spoken of it I say then That God created Man endowing Matter with Motion and the Contexture of such a Spirit or Soul as did enable him to perform all those Actions and was able to actuate all those Powers which God intended for him and bestowed upon him That God can so do at his pleasure I believe there are few that doubt Willis page 5. bot says Dum ita Creatoris opera quisque ad ingenii sui modulum exponit sentire utique videtur quod Deus nihil amplius fabricare valeat quam quod homo possit concipere aut effingere To this he adds page 40. That the Vital and Animal Spirits are prime parts of the Sensitive Soul in Men and Beasts And says Vt nihil referam illis qui hosce Spiritus prorsus negant quorum existentia fere palpabilis ab effect is probari potest neque de illis redarguendis solicitus sim qui viventium sensus facultates quascunque perceptivas non nisi à substantia immateriali immortalique obiri posse contendunt And to the like Sense Melanchton De Anima p. 5. Spiritus vitales in homine nascuntur in corde vere sunt flammae P. 7. Moses teaches Animam carnis in sanguine esse significat autem anima Hebraeis vitam And when Moses says The Life or Soul is in the Blood vult sanguinem vehiculum esse vitae spiritus vitales illam ipsam rem esse quae ciet corpora quam nominamus animam P. 21. The Powers of a Sensitive Soul Monstrant aliquid quod cogitari potest in materia fons esse actionum non tamen haec prorsus perspicimus sed naturam fons intuemur experimur cernimus motus quod cur it a factum est sapientia est artificis non nostra P. 112. Nulla pars in universa natura ita introspici potest ut penitus tot a agnoscatur Admirandum est cerebrum quod est domicilium sapientiae ac officina cognitionum judicii ratiocinationis memoriae actiones cerebri quantum differunt à physicis qualitatibus quae est substantia cerebri ubi quomodo fiunt hae mirandae actiones in hac squalida massa haec fateamur non penitus sciri agnoscamus Deum esse Naturae nostrae conditorem actiones cerebri proprias maxime testari hunc mundum non extitisse casu Deum conditorem esse mentem sapientem beneficam justam veracem quia impossibile est discrimen honestorum turpium casu aut à natura bruta ortum esse Upon which I thus descant That as God hath given to Brutes quasdam notitias proper to their Natures of which Men cannot perceive the Origins or Causes as in the Arts of Bees Ants Spiders Birds Building Procreation Government and Feeding Brutes Knowledge of their Natural Enemies and the strength and use of their own Armatures and the Proprieties of their Food and Medicines These and their like come from particular Notices planted by God in the Natures of Creatures and it seems Congruous enough to such Proceedings That God may have given to Mankind the easie apprehension honestorum turpium and the Notion of Expectation of a Ruling and Protecting Divinity as proper Notices and Instincts very sutable to the Nature of Man and his Commodious Living in this World The same Author P. 205. says Many things we know are acted in us and by us Ita condita est hominum natura divinitus ut fieri cogitationes in nobis formari ordinari imagines sciamus quomodo fiant non cernimus sed ita Deus voluit And this to me seems a sufficient Account of Mens using their Faculties of Understanding and Reason ita Deus voluit and that it is to be preferred before the Expedient or Proposal
Faith to Church Ordinances and do you shew me Ordinances of God convincingly such in this point and then I promise you to be obedient to them and there will need no more words in the Case now disputed But if you cannot or which will come to one do not do it you may have some Title to the Term of a False Accuser of your Brethren whose conceits or errours perhaps of weakness you cannot infect or sully by the sowre and tainted Originals from whence you are pleased ignorantly to derive them And for your Conclusion That the Opinion of the Materiality tends to subvert the Fundamentals al 's Religion it is neither proved nor granted but asserted to strengthen the Foundation of Future Rewards and Punishments by fixing them upon very many and very plain Texts of Scripture and the Articles of our several Creeds clearly proving the Resurrection of the Dead and the Last Judgment Whereas Proofs of the Immortality are neither plainly asserting nor with any manner of clearness proving the same nor is it made an Article in any of our Creeds nor is any thing of it in the 39. Articles of our Church But there I find Artic. 6. That whatsoever is not read in Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite to salvation We all perceive that during Life there is a Contexture of Soul and Body and such an Union as they jointly participate of all that befals the Person and act undividedly and inseparably from the Person and from one another That Death is a Separation of them is clear also and What then becomes of the Soul is our Question and that we trace from its Nature as near as we can investigate If it be a small intelligent Spiritual Substance created by God upon every Procreation of Man likely it is to have a Separate Subsistence after Death of the Person but then it cannot be properly said The Man or the Person dies but the Body dies And if the Humane Soul be a Flame of Life kindled by God in Adam when he made him a Living Person and from that time hath passed by generation from one Man to another then more likely it is that this sort of Soul is extinguished in Death or that the Extinguishment of this Flame totally or in every part of the Body is the Death of the Person Originally it seems Men were of kin to Beasts in their Manner and Way of Living and Acting Of the Thracians in Orpheus's time we read Silvestres homines sacer interpresque deorum Caedibus victu foedo deterruit Orpheus Dictus ob id lenire tygres rabidosque leones Our own Ancestors in Caesar's time and many years after were naked as their Beasts and had no other Covering but their Skins their Food Acorns and Wild Fruits and their Manners were much sutable and of late we have heard like things of Wild Irish People Americans Libyans and in divers other parts of Africa who go naked as the Beasts and feed upon Raw Flesh and Snakes and the very Guts and Garbage of the Creatures and are as wild says Lithgow as their four-footed companions in the Libyan desarts In a State of so great Simplicity it seems Mankind may be well enough compared by us as it was by David to the Beasts that perish Since my ending the very last Period came to my hands a little Book written by Naudaeus printed Lond. in 12o. 1637 in page 248 he cites Lactantius asserting that Democritus Epicurus and Dicaearchus would not have so confidently denied the Immortality of the Soul Mago aliquo praesente qui sciret certis carminibus cieri ab inferis animas adesse praebere se humanis oculis videndas loqui futura praedicere I do so little approve of the Fathers Opinion in this that if his Magus should shew me such Souls like the Witch of Endor I should take them for his Conjurati and to be no proof at all of the Separate Subsistence of a Humane Soul P. 38. He mentions Archimedes his Mundane Globe the Moving Tripods of Vulcan made by Daedalus Architas his Pigeon Regiomontanus his Eagle and his Fly Men could not believe these Engines could move as they did without a Spirit which they thought could not be Material because that cannot act upon Hard Bodies as Wood Iron c. therefore they concluded those Motions were acted and guided by an Immaterial Spirit viz. a Daemon and that therefore these Artificers were Magi in the worst Sense very Conjurers But from this Crime our Author defends them and says The things were all feasible by Art Natural although Men do not now know nor did then understand the Rules or the Artifice of making such things or other things like or equal to them And this gives us a good semblance of Reason why Men have been apt to maintain their Souls to be Immaterial because they cannot perceive or learn the means and manner by which a Material Soul can act and govern Common Sense Apprehension Phancy Memory Judgment Conscience and the Affections and Passions incident to Humane Nature P. 299. In conclusion he says Men must take good heed not to be carried away with the current of common Opinions that when we are swayed by example and custom and go with the throng in the way we slip and fall one over another alienis perimus exemplis Besides this Book I have since this writing perused another viz. Mr. Robert Boyle his Experiments printed London 1662 2d Edition there p. 190 he says He inclines to think the Air necessary to ventilate and cherish the Vital Flame continually burning in the Heart And he found a new kind of resemblance betwixt Fire and Life the one lasting no longer than the other P. 190. The Flame of Spirit of Wine will burn long upon fine white linnen or paper without consuming either Eminent Naturalists do esteem the Heat which resides in the Heart to be a true Flame and this says he I do not oppose provided they add that it is such a temperate and almost insensible Fire as that before-mentioned and yet he thinks that to be hardly fine enough I have mentioned before a Tenuity to an Invisibility P. 197. He takes Animals for a kind of Curious Engines set on work and kept in Motion by Heat and Air. Dr. Willis in his oft quoted Book p. 4. tells us That Epicurus taught the Soul to be compounded ex atomis levissimis rotundissimis non multum diversis ab eis ex quibus est ignis compactum ex quodam calido flatuoso aerio P. 38. He says He hath given Reasons Quare haee flamma vitalis non uti flamma vulgaris visibilis destructiva fuerit P. 53. As soon as this flame is extinguished the compages of Soul and Body is dissolved and as long as this Soul is in the Body semper nascitur
founded upon Rules and whether those Rules are right or wrong really their being accepted for right makes them obligatory to the Party accepting them so as Offences against Erroneous Rules reputed true are equally burthensome to the Conscience as if they were the most true and rectified that can be delivered to Men and yet they are capable of a more easie Cure viz. by discovery of the Falsity and Errour of them Hence may be inferred that without some sort of Rules and Submission to them the Acts and Power of Conscience are not perceivable which shews they do not flow from the Soul Material or Immaterial but from Education Custom Opinion and Rules to which Actions must be compared for without such a Comparison Judgment cannot be made whether they are right or wrong That Conscience grows as aforesaid appears also from diversity in the acts of it for some Men make a great scruple of Conscience to do things which others think they are bound in duty to do and cannot omit them without check of their Conscience whereas Immaterial Souls pass for all alike And if Conscience were a Natural Efflux from them there could not be such difference and contrariety in the Acts of it I have observed how it grows in Children and Beasts from the effects of their Education made powerful in them by the terrour of a Humane Vengeance expected to follow upon their swerving from the Rules of their Discipline and which the apprehension of Legal Punishments hath often inflicted upon Offenders before Temporal Execution overtook them The Conscience of Sins against God is of a like nature and the Terrour of it grows from Fear that he being offended for the Breach of what Men are perswaded he hath commanded to be done or not done will inflict terrible punishments for the same of unimaginable torment and endless duration as Men are taught to believe and expects by such Rules and Doctrines as are daily represented to them and pressed upon their apprehensions and belief And thus have I summed and shortned my formerly longer Expressions concerning Conscience to which I shall be glad to receive a reasonable Answer either long or short 4. Paragraph You quote the words Whatsoever is not of faith is sin and you say Faith here signifies Conscience My sense of those Words is Whatsoever Men do believing it to be a Sin that is a Sin in them though the Action in it self be good but if it be contrary to those Rules to which a Man hath submitted himself this is a Sin against the Mans Conscience though if there were no accepted Rule against it there would be no transgression in it You express also to think that Beasts cannot be brought by any Education to resist and conquer their Appetites forgetting what formerly I said of a Setting Dog whose Mouth will water and his Chaps move and all his Members and Motions shew a great Desire to be in with his Game and yet he will sit for a long time constrained by the remembrance of punishment to be expected and executed upon his doing otherwise And many instances may be produced of other Bestial Actions in this kind You make it my wonder That Sensual Powers do for much the greater part over-rule the Rational and prevail against it You say I may likely find it often so in my self and I grant it and therefore is that none of my wonder And you demand From whence comer Mens uneasiness of Mind upon such occasions I answer It comes from finding their Actions do not agree with their Rules and therefore not with their Duties for the Failure in which they expect punishment less or more according as their Delicts may seem to deserve not from Powers of Nature in its Simplicity but its Cultivated Capacity under the Conduct of Rules Examples or Opinions to which Men have submitted their Minds and this makes men nocent as the contrary makes men innocent in the judgment of their own Underftanding which is their Conscience 5 Paragr Upon your maintaining That Mans Soul is an Immaterial Intelligent Spirit created each for the Government of each Person I demand Whence it comes that this Soul doth not or cannot so prevail with or over the Person whom it should Govern as to keep it in Rational and Vertuous Ways of Living and Practice but that the far greater number of people follow Vicious Practices contrary to Right Reason and the Desire and Design of such an Intelligent Spirit And the true Cause of my wonder is What that can be in Man which hath Power to oppose and overthrow the Government and Command of this Kind of Soul in him To this you answer You say with St. James This comes from mens lusts which war in their members To you I reply and ask From what Original in Man do such Lusts grow viz. Affections Passions Sensualities Either they grow from the same Originals with Reason and his other Faculties viz. from the Contexture of his Soul and Body or from some other Cause You say I should not wonder at the thing for that universal Experience teaches that so it is This I grant and therefore do not wonder at the being so of the thing but at the Cause and Manner how this comes to pass viz. from what Original in Man this Effect can grow Apparent it seems that Affections and Passions in Man grow from the Contexture of his Soul and Body as all his other Powers and Faculties do and are Natural to him for one that hath them not is not a compleat Man But if their Energy proceed from Mans Soul a Spirit governing this Soul in acting the Affections and Passions so vigorously seems to act blindly and unintelligently or else that it is divided against it self and therefore its Kingdom cannot stand but such Lusts as it self produceth and acteth prevail to overthrow its Government and bring the poor indiscreet Soul under the Pestilent Power of Sin and Satan If thus it be not I desire you will Answer what I Object in this Point which is that Mans Soul acts against reason and its own Interest in so highly actuating of these Lusts or which is far more likely that the Humane Soul is not Intelligent For what you say concerning St. Paul's Text Rom. 9. I hold with you that many places of Scripture do testifie a Power in Man to act for his own Advancement in Piety and towards future Happiness And I assent to that Opinion the rather for that the same is consonant to the reason of Mankind but to agree this Opinion with St. Paul's Text is beyond my Capacity and I should be glad to know your manner of doing it You mention ill effects from the Opinion of the Materiality Omnia tuta timens consonant to the Nature of Zeal and Affection That in your Exhortations you have a great respect to the Resurrection and last Judgment I think to be well done and upon very firm Grounds but for the Immateriality it seems no
Death and the Resurrection and therefore Luke's Words in relating of that Fact do not import a Separate Subsistence of Souls And so it seems for Peter 1 Pet. 4.13 and 2 Pet. 3.11 and 12.13 c. So 1 Joh. 2.28 and 3.2 all importing they knew of no State between Death and the Resurrection and consequently of no Separate Subsistence of Souls Page 12. he quotes 2 Cor. 5.8 If absent from the Body and present with the Lord which I have in a few Leaves before largely expounded to a sense far different from the Authors intent He cites 2 Cor. 4.16 of the Outward and Inward Man which I say intends the two Faculties viz. Sensitive or Passionate and the Rational Pag. 13. Says The Soul is a substance I grant it so though Material for so is Heart Brain c. He says Affections and Passions Habits and Arts and Sciences are lodged and seated and rooted in the Soul and spring from it All this I deny and say they are all lodged seated and rooted in the Man and spring from and are perfected by the Contexture of his Soul and Body He says The Soul in Moses 's Text was a living active being of it self as opposed to Matter and Body This I deny and say That as the Body cannot move it self without the Soul so neither the Soul without the Body The Soul is in the Body as its proper Form or active Principle that it hath no proper place but the Body nor hath it any quickning Power without the Body It cannot quicken any thing else but the Body nor doth it act nor is it any thing but in the Body He says Moses in the Text calls it a living Soul This say I is an apparent mistake for the Text says not that the Breath became a living Soul but the Man did so the Man became a living Soul alias Person He says Take meer Matter and do what you will with it you can never make it see feel c. Mark his Consequence ergo God cannot effect it he might as well say you cannot make a Dog or a Mouse ergo c. Pag. 14. In Proof of the Soul 's being a Separable Spirit he Cites Luke 23.46 and Acts 7.29 I say That in these places by the term of Spirit the Persons recommended themselves to God as David in his full life used the very same Words Into thy hands I commend my Spirit intending his whole Person Also Christ made his Soul an Offering for Sin intending his whole Person Here he also cites Solomon's Text viz. The Spirit returns to God who gave it concerning which Expression I refer to what hath before been spoken of it Cites Heb. 12.9 You have been subject to the Fathers in the Flesh be now rather so to the Father of Spirits viz. say I of Angels and all other Creatures Cites again Zech. 12.1 yet cannot doth not deny Acts 17.25 That God giveth to all Life and Breath and all things ergo to Plants Insects and Brutes as well as to Men. He says Other Souls flow not from God by Creation but Man 's did I have denied such Creation and I think he hath not proved it I have granted Mans Soul in-kindled by God's Inspiration and so I think for the Brutes they had their first Breath from him and from that time Men and Brutes have been generated perfectly according to their first Patterns Pag. 9. He had told us That the Soul's Nature is so spiritual and sublime that it cannot be perfectly known by the most acute and penetrating Vnderstanding But being come to page 15. He tells us It is a substance as Incorporeal as other Spirits are that it is Invisible and hath no Extension of Parts it hath no Dimensions or Figure But I grant none of all these nor doth he offer to prove any of them He makes it a vast wonder that such a Spirit as his sort of Soul should be so tied and linked to a clod of Clay the Body that it can by no Art or Power free it self And I confess his sort of Soul is very Productive of strange and unlikely Consequences but to my sort of Soul all is in great Congruity I say there is no wonder at all but very Congruous that the Soul and Body should be so affected and affixed one to another for they are both of a piece are generated grow stand decay and fall together and they rejoyce and suffer share and share alike and that there is no more difference between Humane Souls and Bodies than Material Spirits differ from their Bodies and as they do and suffer together in this World so may it be expected for the World to come they will Rise be Judged and Recompenced together according to their joynt behaviours used in the time of their Earthly Life Pag. 17. He produces Des Cartes Principle and Dr. Bentley's viz. I know that I think and that Matter and Motion cannot think ergo There must be a Spirit to act thought in me This I grant but says he This must be a Spirit Immaterial Intelligent for God cannot act all Mans Faculties by a Material Spirit nor make Matter Cogitative I think he can do all this and thereupon I am at issue with Dr. Bentley and I believe that he hath so done And if God can act Mans Senses and Reason by a Material Spirit and hath so done all our Author's Allegations here are thereby answered and made ineffectual which otherwise do not seem very material He says No Man can think that combining Fire Air Water and Earth should make the Lump of it to know or consider And I grant this cannot be done by Man but by what consequence can it be said ergo God cannot do it I say such an ergo will have no Force or Coercion in it And I farther say Souls cannot think or understand without their Bodies He says We see manifestly that upon division of the Body viz. a Leg or an Arm cut off the Soul remains intire viz. the Vnderstanding Affections c. I grant That the Vital and Rational Faculties do in such case still remain intire but by Blows or Wounds in the Head the Understanding and Memory may be spoiled and yet the Vital and Generative Parts remain firm So as his instance proves no more but that the loss of a Member and the Spirit which enlivened it affects not other Members or the Spirit in them so much but that they can still exercise their proper Faculties as before and this is very well Comportant with a Material Spirit For his tota in to to qualibet parte I have quoted Melanchton who says The Expression is commonly Fathered upon Arist but it is not found in any of his Writings nor is the thing true For says he If we shall take the Humane Soul for an Immaterial Spirit we know such a Spirit can be but in unico loco at a time and not in tota in qualibet parte at the same time And
therefore this Expression shall be past here but for a Quibble fit to serve the turn of this indiscerptible or undividable Soul as our Author here calls it And the same may be said for the Creando infunditur Infundendo creatur it may pass for a Riddle and both of them for Mystical Expressions concerning a Mysterious Imaginary Soul and both intended rather to amuse than to instruct the Auditors Here again he recites Solomon's Text The Spirit returns to God who gave it I have shewed before that by far the greatest part of Humane Souls go to the Devil and this he doth not deny Pag. 17. But says That before going to the Devil it goes first to God to give an account of it self to him and receive its Judgment from him This Assertion say I is meerly arbitrary and precarious but very necessary for the maintenance of that sense which he would put upon Solomon's Text He adds The Soul must appear before the God of the Spirits of all Flesh as Arbiter and final Judge intended before it go to the Devil or Hell It seems strange to me that our Author should be so positive and certain in this Assertion as he is without offering any sort of Proof concerning the truth of it If this were true it would put a period to all farther dispute upon the Difference now in Discourse amongst us That this may be done there must be a Separate Subsistence of Souls first granted or supposed and this methinks should have minded him of the great need there was of making the best and strongest Proof that was possible for the maintenance of it but of that sort there is not a word here neither from Scripture Reason nor Experience but a bare supposal of our Author drawn for ought appears out of his own Imagination and let him prove such a going of the Soul to God as he hath here asserted or that there is any Intermediate Judgment given upon Souls between Death and the day of General Doom or Judgment or let any other Man make Proof of either of these Points convincing or somewhat clear and I am ready to submit and confess my present Opinion to be an Error Whence it seems our Author did not enough consider the Importation of what he pretends here to impose upon the meer Credit and Power of his ipse dixit Pag. 18. Says The Ingress of the Soul is obscure and so the Egress And I grant it so much as the one and other are hardly credible He says That the Radical Moisture or Balsam is the Oyl that maintains the Natural Heat or the Bridle which restrains the Flame of Life from departing and such departure is the Cause of Natural Death And this I grant having before said the same thing and very near the Words viz. That the Radical Moisture maintains the Flame of Life this Moisture must be maintained by Food and the Flame in the Blood fanned by Breath and the Extinguishment of this Flame is Death What he says more of the Soul here is suppositis non supponendis Pag. 17. He had said The Soul is a Created Rational Spirit conscious to it self of Moral Good and Evil I say it is not the Soul alone but the Man together that is so conscious to himself and that not from bare and uncultivated Nature but assisted by Rules derived from God Education Precepts or Opinions Pag. 19. He calls Vnderstanding a Faculty of the Reasonable Soul I call it a Faculty of the Man who is a Contexture of Soul and Body The Soul cannot understand without the Brain and if that be crazed or spoiled the Soul cannot understand And hence all here said is answerable by applying what he says of the Soul to the Rational Faculty in Man Pag. 20. He allows that Humane Discretion or Judgment is the Guide of the Soul and of the Will and that the Will follows the Dictates of the Judgment as I have before said and attributes all to the Soul which belongs to the Rational Faculty in Man and cannot be acted without the Brain and but according to the condition and temper of that Organ Pag. 21. Says The Power of Cogitation is in the Soul I say in the Brain acted by the Soul He sets out the great Power of Conscience which he says Is the Judgment of a Man upon himself And I agree it and that it belongs to the Understanding Part or Faculty He says It is potent and terrible And I grant it and say that terror is Grounded in fear of Suffering and the Erroneus Conscience as potent and terrible as the best Grounded when the Memory Judgment and Passions fail as in Death they all do perishing with their proper Organs Conscience fails with them when all Mans thoughts and his very Faculty of thinking perishes none of them ever to return till the time of our Resurrection and then they shall all return and be revived as formerly He Pag. 20. called the Discretion the Guide of the Soul and Will but here Pag. 23. He makes it but a Counceller to the Will I hold with the former and say The Will follows the Guidance of the Judgment in all Deliberate Acts yet acts freely viz. with such a freedom as is natural to it a Promptitude and Inclination to that compliance is led and yet runs freely as he says who words it is drawn and runs freely I say guided or directed and runs freely Pag. 25. He says The Will can Command the Body absolutely I say no otherwise than as the Judgment guides the Will viz. by a Natural and Easie Compliance Pag. 27. He magnifies the Power of the Will which I say cannot act deliberately but by Direction of the Judgment and that must naturally act by chusing bonum apparens magis bonum and cannot naturally chuse or direct the Will to act that which is malum apparens to the state or benefit of the Party acting Pag. 28. That which he calls here a Struggle of the Soul is a Struggle of the Rational Faculty against the Sensual desires Pag. 29. His Pondus or Inclination of his sort of Soul to the Body is but Invention and hath neither Ground nor Proof Pag. 30. Says Angels have Assumed Bodies I say not of Flesh and Blood which shews not any Affection in them to be im-bodied as he seems to pretend He says He hath proved the Soul Immortal and hath as such an Inclination to the Body I say such Inclination of an Immaterial Spirit to a Body himself Pag. 7. calls an Astonishing Mystery and I think it very incongruous to Reason and common Sense yet he says he hath proved the Soul to be Immortal and that as such it hath an Inclination to the Body I say proved both alike viz. neither the one nor the other except his saying may pass for proving Pag. 31. He calls God's breathing into Man the Breath of Life the Infusion of a Newly Created Soul into him This I have denied and
do deny and he proves it not For other Brute Creatures I say it is very probable God gave them their first Breath though Moses have not expressed it He says The Opinion of the Souls Propagation from the Parents by Generation is very Antient and Tertullian and divers of the Western Fathers closed with it And so do I. He says Antiquity is no pasport for errors and so say I He cites an Objection against the daily Creation of Souls and in Proof of their Generation out of Dr. Brown's Religio Medici Pag. 32. He pretends to Answer this Objection but uses to that purpose only Scholastical Distinctions and Niceties and brings no material or solid Reason from Nature so as I think the Objection is not enough Answered but holds still good against the Creation and for the Generation of the whole both Body and Soul Pag. 33. Cites Gen. 22. God rested on the seventh day from all his Work which he had made Pag. 34. This says he Intends he ceased from making any new Species or Kinds of Creatures but he still creates Individual Souls of the same kind and nature with Adam 's Soul and he means all Humane Souls So as upon Fruitful Coition of Man and Woman or of Man and Beast where the product is of Humane shape God creates a new young Soul to enliven and inform every such Body whence every day hour and moment he is creating such Souls for all the Earth over I would know where he found his Distinction of God's ceasing from Creation of New Species but not of New Individuals he quotes no Author or Original for it and till he so do it will pass with Readers for his own Fiction and do him no service at all And his Proof of his New Creation is a kin to this Distinction he cites for Proof of it Our Lord's Words My Father worketh hitherto and I work How this proves Gods Continual New Creation of Souls I do not perceive and I suppose sew others will be drawn to believe such New Creations upon this Proof He says To me it is clear that the Soul is not generated for that which is generable is corruptible This I agree and thence infer The Humane Soul both generable material and extinguishable He Reasons against this but by Arguments before Answered Pag. 35. Farther to prove a New Creation of Souls he quotes again Heb. 12.9 Men must be in subjection to the Father of Spirits intending it to signifie the Father of their Spirits or Souls This I do not grant but say This Sense restraining to Humane Spirits only is against the express Words of the Text as well as the intent of it He quotes again Zech. 12.1 before examined he quotes Isa 42.5 God that giveth Breath unto the people upon the Earth and Spirit to them that walk therein I take Breath and Spirit here for the same thing Here he cites Chap. and Vers of four places more I have searched them and find no mention of Spirit or Soul in any of them Pag. 36. He says These Texts speak of Creating Heaven and Earth yea and their Souls also Of Heaven and Earth they all speak but of Souls not a word whence it is not safe to take even a good Mans word in Matter of Controversie Pag. 36. Cites Solomon's Text again Dust returns to the Earth and the Spirit to God who gave it The Soul and Body says he Are the two Constitutive Parts of Man and have two distinct Originals the Body is of the Earth the Soul a Spirit given by God who gave it Being by Creation I say God gave the Body a Being by Creation as well as the Soul and as the Elements of the Body are Earth and Moisture so that of his Soul are likely Air and Fire and at Death the Body goes to the Earth the Fire extinguisheth and Air vanisheth What Solomon's Expression intended and the manner of that Expression hath been before disputed Pag. 37. Says The Soul hath no Principle out of which by Order of Nature it did arise I say the Body had no such Principle neither God created it of the Earth and breathed into Adam 's Nostrils the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul whence the Man was created Body as well as Soul He agrees the Souls of Brutes are generated but says he There is a Specifick Difference betwixt the Brutal and Rational Soul This I deny and say The Soul is not Rational but is so in the Head only where there are Organs created proper for that Faculty and in no part of the Body can the Soul act rationally but in the Head Pag. 38. He demands Why are not Brutes capable of performing Rational and Religious Acts I Answer because God hath not given them Rational Powers and Organs in so high a degree as he hath done to Men nor can one Man perform like another in such occasions But whatsoever their Souls are the People can act but according to the Capacity of their Organs and the Temperament of their Bodies and Complexions and Humours Men have a different Posture of Body from other Creatures more Capacious Heads in Proportion and store of Brains and finer Matter and they have Heads and Tongues whereby they can better learn direct and act than any Brutes These Differences set Humane Bodies far above the Brutes and yet it seems they may be acted as the Brutes are by a Material Spirit for the Flesh and Blood are Materials of both sorts and that which nourishes is alike in both without Breath Blood and Food both sorts perish and their Souls depart or vanish and yet as Mens Bodily Organs exceed the Brutes for Use and Aptitude so may their Spirits for fineness of Matter and plenty of it and purity and brightness of that flame of Life in them Pag. 39. Says Seed of the Soul is not to be found in Man because the Soul is a Spiritual Essence I say this begs the Question but if this Spirit be Material he will not deny that the Seed of it may be found in Man Pag. 40. Upon this I say Remove the Opinion or later Invention of the new Creation of Souls for all Adulterous Incestuous Buggerly Humane Procreations and then all his Questions here argued are needless and useless He confesses he cannot tell how a Newly Created Spirit should come to be defiled with Original Sin I say he need not trouble himself about it for that the thing is not at all so Pag. 41. He asks How so many Souls become foolish forgetful injudicious It seems he means Men. He supposes it to come from the Bodily Temper and Organs and I grant that very often it doth so But yet I say that my sort of Soul viz. the Flame of Life or the Material Spirit is subject to Defects Infirmities and Obstructions as well as the Body Pag. 42. His Deduction of Original Sin upon Man draws it only from his being a Child of Adam whence it seems his
and casting them to the Earth or Jerusalems coming down out of Heaven and therefore this is no firm Foundation for the Souls Immortality Pag. 92. He says John saw those Souls those Spiritual Immortal he should have added Invisible Substances separated from their Bodies And these Souls says he All that had died for Christ from Abel till that time John saw in the Spirit in a rapture not under a Material Altar but Christ was represented by this Altar and the Souls were at the foot or basis of it Whereas the Text says under it The Truth is he says what he will concerning it The Souls which John saw he will have to be the very Immortal Substances separated from their Bodies but the Altar was a Parable and the Souls not under it as they might under the Mosaical or Solomon's Altars which were hollow and covered with Boards but at the Foot of it this seems a meer Invention of his own I say all this was but a Figure and Teaches no more but that they who were Martyred for Christ still lived to God under his Care and Knowledge and should be Rewarded as 2 Tim. 4.8 And in the mean time they sleep in Christ and rest as in Daniel the last verse and shall stand first in the Lot at the end of the days He makes the Things which were Visible in Nature to be Figure For he says There was neither real Altar nor White Robes but the Souls which are in Nature invisible he will have to be real it seems without Success Pag. 95. To prove the Soul is Immortal he says 't is Immaterial I say the one as much as the other and he might as well say 't is Immaterial because it is Immortal Pag. 96. Says The Appetite of the Mind is unlimited and never says it is enough I say the Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing so the Fire and the Barren Womb never say it is enough and yet these are all Material Pag. 97. Says Age makes no decay in the Soul I say it doth and both must refer our selves to the common Experiences of those who live to very great Ages and such as Converse with them Pag. 98. He propounds a Simile of a Musician and his Instrument But these I say are different Subjects and not Indentified in the same Subject as the Soul and the Body are and therefore goes not in Proof of his Point He says from Hypocrates The Soul's Essence cannot be changed I say this intends it will be still the Soul notwithstanding the Alterations by Meat Drink c. He here cites divers Texts promising Blessedness Future to this Life never taking notice of the Resurrection which answers them all but as if without the Separate Subsistence there could be no means of Future Rewards and Punishments which Error I take for the Original of the Immaterial Opinion Citing in Confirmation of Recompencing at the last Day Our Lords own Words four times repeated by him John 6.40 I will raise him up at the last Day without mention of any thing Intermediate or before that Day Pag. 99. The Promises here cited by him shall not fail but be fullfilled at the Resurrection He says Though our Bodies die yet they shall live again and I say the same of our Souls And his Quotation Rom. 8.11 agrees with me and Vers 10. which mentions a Difference intends between the Sensual Powers and the Rational Mind He cites Matth. 22.32 and says If the Patriarchs perished in Soul as well as in Body How can God be their God for he is not so of those who are utterly perished To this I say Neither their Bodies nor Souls are utterly perished for they shall both rise again the Brutes are termed the Beasts that perish viz. utterly for that no Resurrection is granted to them Pag. 100. Says How shall the Wicked be Eternally punished if their Souls have not an Eternal Duration I say as before by the Resurrection and Last Judgment and then their Bodies shall be as durable as their Souls He began this Section Pag. 94. by citing a third time Matth. 10.28 and I grant it to be his best Weapon viz. the strongest Text if not the only strong One for Proof of the Souls Separate Subsistence Now Pag. 100. He produces the strongest of his Rational Arguments for the same purpose and which also I grant to be of great Weight Pag. 101. He says The Souls Immortality hath been generally held by all Nations and Ages and thence seems likely to be a Natural Notion to all Mankind The first Assertion viz. It s Universal Prevalency amongst Men I grant not so the Second it may be demanded Whence could it so come to pass if not from Nature I say from an Humane Frailty and Ignorance of Gods Appointment People saw many times good Men Afflicted and the Wicked Prosperous in this World so living and so dying Hence arose a Rational Inference ergo There are Rewards and Punishments Future to this Life and those must be applied to the Body or to the Soul but not to the Body soon Corrupted and turned to Dust ergo to the Soul only And that so it might possibly be the Soul must have a Separate Subsistence after Death of the Man This Argument might reasonably induce Mankind to entertain the Belief of this Opinion But since the Christian Doctrine hath been received and the Belief of the Resurrection and Last Judgment accepted that Doctrine consented unto gives a Satisfactory Answer to that Argument drawn from the Congruity that reasonably there must be Recompences Future to this Life Still it may be insisted That Christians since the Resurrection revealed have as generally received and believed that Old Opinion of the Immortality And I grant that too and say they might have these Inducements so to do First They found this Opinion already rooted in the Minds of Men. Secondly They Read in St. Matthew's Gospel his Text Chap. 10.28 whose Allowance of the Separate Subsistence of Souls might likely enough pass that Opinion amongst the First Christians which were of the Jewish Nation and Read principally if not only that Gospel for that it was Written first or before the other Three and was Written in Hebrew their own Language whereas the Others are Written in Greek which the Jews generally did not understand As Acts 21.37 The Chief Captain says to Paul a Jew Canst thou speak Greek And apparent it is That the First Christians and Teachers of Christianity were Jews and such as Taught but what they had Learned were likely enough to Teach this Doctrine but St. Paul and the other Apostles were not such Teachers He says Galat. 1.12 For I neither received the Gospel of Man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ And by such Revelation he Dedicated to St. Luke that Gospel passing under Luke's Name Published divers Years after that of St. Matthew and in the Grecian Language And that Doctrine
be obtained presently upon the Death of the Body I say The Words mention neither the one time nor the other nor it seems do intend the one any more than the other for they import a present Being come to those Advantages and not a future He confesses here That Humane Wisdom cannot Penetrate into the Future State of Souls and that Men know but little of them I say can know just nothing of his sort of Souls Pag. 192. He cites 1 Joh. 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be I ask whence that will appear the Text says it will appear at Christ's Second Coming that when he shall appear we know we shall be like him which intimates Men must stay till that time for such Knowledge Pag. 196. He says When Death comes the Soul disputes its Possession of the Body with him from Member to Member like Soldiers in a Stormed Garrison and at last loses the Royal Fort Intimating that his Soul 's Being is like that of Death's Being viz. no Real Subsistence but an Imagination Pag. 197. Says The falling asleep in Death or sleeping in Jesus must not be stretched to a length in respect of the Soul but offers no Proof of this I say That it concerns the whole Person Soul as well as Body and likely will strech it self to the very time of the Resurrection Pag. 202. Says Angels carry our Souls to God And for Proof cites the Parable of Dives his only Ground for that Opinion which I say is too sandy to support it for that here was no real Fact related but only a Similitude fitted to the common Jewish Opinion of that time Pag. 203. Grants there is no necessity of such Conveyance of the Soul but it is used for State or Decorum All this seems but his Phancy and he gives no other Proof either of the one viz. that there was such a Fact or of the other viz. that it is for State and Decorum Pag. 204. Says The presence of Angels or Spirits affright the Spirits not only of Men but of Beasts and thence the Soul of Man by consent But of such a Consent he offers no Proof nor that there is a Soul different from the Material which I say is of the same Nature both in Man and Beast which by the Production of like fears both in Man and Beast at the appearance of Spirits seems to me somewhat confirmed Pag. 205. Delivers but his own Phancy thereupon Pag. 206. He asks What Form Shape or Figure can the Phancy of Man cast his own Soul into as an help to understand its Nature I answer into none at all mine hath no certain Form of it self and of his may be said ex nihilo nihil fit But if such a Soul there be one may Form an Idea of it as well as of any other Spirit And for Raptures I have said the Understanding Phancy and Memory may be effectually Wrought upon and affected Pag. 214. Says The Souls of the Just go immediately to Glory from the time of the Persons Death And offers Proof Luk. 23.43 of the Thief also Luk. 16.22 of Lazarus being carried and Phil. 2.23 a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ all cited and answered before Pag. 215. Speaks but his own Phancy and without Proof Pag. 225. Says Good Souls departed have a satisfying Apprehension though no perfect Comprehension of the Divine Essence and mentions the seeing God Face to Face Whereas St. John teaches We know that when he shall appear at his Second Coming we shall see him as he is Christ doth not say see God But the Author produces no Proof of any sort of seeing after Death Pag. 234. Says Those who went to Heaven before Christ's Ascension were fully at rest in God and yet upon Christ's Coming to Heaven their Happiness was advanced Cites to prove this Heb. 11.40 God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect To this I say it rather seems to prove a stay of Perfection till the whole Number be accomplished at the Resurrection as the Answer to the Souls in the Revelation also doth Pag. 243. Says It is too great a dificulty to trace the Soul beyond the limits of this World I say it is so to trace his sort of Soul in this World and I deny that his Text proves that Death perfects the Spirits of the Just which shall not be done till the Number be compleated at the Resurrection Pag. 244. Says We have more Acquaintance with Souls than with Angels He means with his sort of Souls and then I deny it for Angels and Spirits have appeared and been otherwise sensibly perceived to act but we know not that ever an Humane Soul by it self was known or perceived so to do Pag. 252. He says The Radical Moisture which is daily consuming by the Flame of Life must needs be spent ere long Here we agree Pag. 266. Says Separated Souls are capable af performing God's Commands as well as Angels are This I deny and he offers no Proof He says Some departed Souls have returned and appeared in this World Instances in Moses and Elias and the Bodies of Saints which appeared at Christ's Resurrection To this I say All these Appearances were of Bodies except Moses and of him it may be doubted what appeared Pag. 267. Says Apparitions as of Dead Persons are not indeed so but are acts of other sorts of Spirits To this I agree Pag. 273. Men oft meet a Mortal Enemy's Spirit in the disguise of a dead Friend Pag. 274. Says That after the Resurrection the Raised shall know one another and talk and converse but till that time Souls departed do converse only with God How proves he this not at all ergo it is a bare Invention Yes says he it must needs be so for if Souls could act thus before the Resurrection would be needless and to no purpose I say Souls going to Heaven and seeing and enjoying God and Heaven before that time makes the Resurrection of small value and little signification Pag. 284. Says 'T is confest that the Soul concerning it self singly is made perfect and enjoys Blessedness in the absence of the Body He tells us not who hath made this Confession He quotes Words of Alstedius here but they do not import such a Confession but whosoever did confess it I am sure that I deny it mente manu and he should prove it but doth not Pag. 285. Cites 2 Thes 4.15 It says Those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him This says he must properly respect the Body for the Soul sleeps not I say as much as the Body doth Pag. 304. He says I should rather chuse to live meanly then to die easily and if both Parts were to perish no Man would die or desire it And the Opinion of the Immortality say I prevails not with those who live at ease to desire Death He says It would be a madness for
a Soul to desire to be dissolved if it thought it self should be extinguished I say No madness at all but a very reasonable and wise Choice viz. a desire to part with a troublesome and suffering Life for the rest of Death or sleeping in Christ in an assured Hope of a joyful Resurrection and of then receiving a Crown of Glory as Paul's Case was And if our Author were of another Mind 't is a signe he loved Life better than ordinary He hath also before said That the Grave was a good hiding place from the Storms of the World Which I there agreed and so do most People Pag. 310. Cites 2 Tim. 4.8 A Crown of Life will be given to all who love Christ's appearing I ask When shall this be done The Text says At that day The Author says This intends the Day of Mens Deaths No say I for that Day intends one time appointed whereas Days of Deaths are divers and various therefore the Day here intends the Resurrection P. 313. Says In Death the Soul attains its Rest I say the Man attains his Rest in hopes of a future happiness or fears of what may follow at that Day Pag. 314. Says Death finally and certainly cures seven several very great Humane Maladies And therefore say I is much more desireable than a troublesome or afflicted Life Pag. 326. Says Little do Believers think what Visions of God and ravishing Sights of Christ the Souls of their Friends have when they are closing their eyes with Tears I say Little doth our Author know for their Information in such Cases or for their Comfort 1 Thes 4.13 Paul comforts People in such cases by the hopes only of a Resurrection which gives me a great Assurance that he either knew not of our Author's Opinion or did not believe it He adds Evil Days should make God's People willing to accept of a hiding place in the Grave as a special Favour from God And I grant it and believe it often doth so Pag. 322. Cites Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours And that might make Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. viz. To rest or sleep in Him Pag. 329. Cites Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all Men once to die and after that the Judgment I say this intends one Judgment viz. the Last and that no intermediate Judgment can be proved Pag. 334. Cites 1 Pet. 3 19. He went and Preached to the Spirits in Prison And he says There are Difficulties in this Text and that Aestius reckons no less than Ten Expositions of it And says It is a very difficult Scripture in the Judgment of almost all Interpreters Pag. 335. Says What is called a Soul whilst in the Body after Separation is properly called a Spirit I deny then that ever it can be properly called a Spirit Pag. 339. He says Conscience is the Judge and prime Guide of the Soul I say of the Man He says The Will as potent as it is moves not until the Judgment comes to a Conclusion And this I Agree Pag. 340. He says Every Soul comes to its particular Judgment immediately after Death To Prove this he Cites Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all Men once to die and after that the Judgment How this proves every Man's particular Judgment at Death I do not perceive It seems rather all Men must die before this Judgment and when all are dead then this Judgment But there is no Application of it to a particular Judgment Then he Cites Proverbs 11.7 When a wicked Man dieth his Expectation shall perish and the Hope of unjust Men perisheth I demand How this proves a particular Judgment after each Man's Death Then he Cites Matth. 7.22 Many will say to me in that Day Have not we done great Works in thy Name Then will I profess to them I never knew you depart from me Thus he proves a particular Judgment Many will say in that Day the Great Day and then I will say to them to those Many Such Scriptures as these he is forced to use for Proof of his particular Judgment Not that likely he or any Man can think them good Proofs of the thing but because this sort of Judgment is indispensably necessary to a Separate Soul's going to Heaven or Hell Without this sort of Judgment there can be no Truth in their Tenet and therefore they must Prove or Yield They cannot do it and I think he were as good not have offer'd at it as to have done it in this manner But neither I nor it seems He could tell how to do it better Pag. 350. Cites Heb. 4.3 We which have Believed do enter into Rest. I say this intends Rest from their Labours as the Revelation expresseth it and I do not find Heaven in it Pag. 359. Says Nothing more sure or awful than the Day of the Last Judgment I Agree it Pag. 361. Cites Matth. 16.26 What is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or What shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul Our great Difference upon this Text will be what is here intended by the Word or Term of Soul I say That as in a vast number of other Places so in this Place the Word Soul intends the Man's Self or his Person or Life Ver. 25. He that will save his Life shall lose it but he that loses it for Christ's sake shall find it Then follows our Text with Connexion For what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or Life And what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul or Life Once lost it cannot be redeemed or recovered nor recompenced by any thing of this World yet He that loseth his Life for Christ's sake shall find it for he shall be recompenced at the Resurrection of the Just and as Heb. 11. 35. People were Tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Pag. 362. He Quotes a Saying To win Venice and he hang'd at the Gates of it What good would it do any Man So says he of getting a vast Treasure with the Loss of ones Life And I Agree and say when a Man is dead What good can all the World do him And this I take for the true Meaning of this Text And our Lord shews how one that loses Life for his sake shall find it Ver. 26. For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every Man according to his Works and this seems to sound strongly in Exclusion of the particular Judgment before spoken of Pag. 363. He magnifies the Expression or the Term Soul in this Text and says That Rocks of Diamonds are not worth it I say they are not worth any Man's Life to him and this the Devil knew when he said All that a Man hath will he give for his Life
we are now come in Faith Hope and Expectation having received a full and true Declaration of them We have thus traversed the large Fields of St. Paul's Epistles collecting Evidences concerning his Doctrine and Opinion touching the Future State of Mankind after a Death in this World The Texts of his which have been quoted treat particularly of such Future State and intend to teach concerning the same delivering thereupon according as in the said Quotations hath been expressed Before have been quoted on the other hand Four Texts of his said Writings alledged in Proof of the Immateriality viz. 2 Cor. 5. Ver. 6. 8. and Phil. 1.23 and Heb. 12.9 and Heb. 12.22 To these I say none of those Places treat particularly of the Future State of Mankind or intend to Teach or Examine what the same shall be Next I say that of these four Places none speak Provingly But Phil. 1.23 viz. His desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ I say the Question made thereupon is concerning the Meaning or Sense of the Expression of being with Christ It intends a State more desireable than that which at that time he enjoyed I take a sleeping in Jesus to be so viz. a more desireable State than that which at that time he enjoyed That this is a Blessed State we read Revel 14.13 after mentioning the Patience and Faith of the Saints under Persecutions the Text says Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them And that it is a State cared for by God and under his Protection appears Rom. 14.7 None of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself Ver. 8. For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's Verse 9. For Christ died rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Ver. 10. We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ So Chap. 4.17 God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were and so he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for all live unto him though the Body turn to dust and the Soul expire yet neither of then are lost Joh. 11.23 Our Lord says to Martha Thy Brother shall rise again She Answers I know that he shall rise again at the Resurrection of the Last Day He Replies I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whoso liveth and believeth in me shall never die Viz. So as to fall out of my Care or Protection or Knowledge thy Brother shall rise again speedily and for others Joh. 6.39 Of that which my Father hath given me I will lose nothing but will raise it up at the Last Day Ver. 40. All who believe in me shall have Everlasting Life and I will raise them up at the Last Day Which Paul to Tim. calls That Day So Ver. 44. 54. All speak of raising Believers up at the Last Day to receive Blessings and Rewards whereas the rising of the Wicked shall be attended with a Second Death This intends an Answer additional to Paul's Desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And touching the whole Course of this Apostle's Writings concerning a State of Mankind after Death my Quotations make it appear That either he knew of no Intermediate State betwixt Death and the Resurrection or else he did not Acknowledge or Believe it For his Knowledge that there was an Opinion in the World of Souls Subsisting in a Separate State from their Bodies there are great Probabilities as that Solomon's Text The Spirit returns to God And St. Matthew's Text of Cannot kill the Soul And both Heathen and Jewish Opinions to that purpose it seems could hardly escape his Knowledge But most likely it is that he did not acknowledge or believe the Truth of that Opinion for that in any of his Writings upon that Subject he doth neither relate to it nor mention it much less doth he confirm or approve it but puts all Expectation of Rewards or Punishments Future to this World upon the Score and Account of the Resurrection And upon the foot of that Account I leave it with this Apostle intending to Examine what other Apostles have written to the same Purpose I proceed to the Epistle of St. James and quote out of it Chap. 1.12 Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him In Words very like 2 Tim. 4.8 and of the same Import and that applies the receiving of the Crown to that Day or the Last Day So Chap. 5.7 Be patient Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Ver. 8. Again Be patient for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Gives no Expectatation of Recompences till the coming of the Lord. I go on to St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.4 You are begotten to an Inheritance incorruptible reserved in Heaven for you Ver. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Does not say to be revealed at the times of your Death So Chap. 5.4 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Agreeing with Paul and James just before Chap. 4.5 Those who speak evil of you shall give account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead This must intend the Resurrection for that no Judgment shall pass of the quick and the dead together till that time Ver. 13. Rejoyce in as much as ye are Partakers of Christ's Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding Joy This proves to my understanding that the Ravishing Joys of a newly departed Soul were unknown to this Prime Apostle 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knows to deliver the Godly and to reserve the Vnjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished So Ver. 4. Evil Angels are delivered into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment Jude Ver. 6. Those Angels are reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day This shews what sort of Judgment was before intended Chap. 3.12 What manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein all shall be burnt up but we look for new Heavens and Earth and seeing ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless Thus he exhorts to a Holy Life from the expectation of the Great Day of Judgment and Dissolution of the Earth Sky and Elements about it without a word of Separated Souls or a particular Judgment or an Intermediate State between Death and Judgment
Second Observation concerns an Objection which hath been and may be made against my pretence of the Souls Extinguishment at the Death of the Party It is demanded If the Old Flame of Life be extinguished in Death and a-new kindled at the Resurrection how can that which riseth be the same with that which died And if not so the new must be rather taken for a Creation than a Resurrection To this I answer by another Question concerning the Body How can that Body whose Flesh and Bones are eaten by Wolves or Dogs as Jezabel's was or burnt to Ashes and those scattered in the Wind or upon the Water rise the same again at the Last Day To this Query St. Paul 1 Cor. 15. gives an Answer which it seems will serve both Cases alike ver 35. How are the dead raised and with what Body do they come He answers That which thou sowest is not quickned except it die and thou sowest not that which shall be For Example Wheat the Grain sown first corrupts then fructifies and God makes the New grow out of the Old and God gives it a Body viz. to every seed it s own Body and thence Wheat rises from Wheat and Barly from Barly plainly declaring that in the Resurrection the New Body shall be the same with the Old in Substance Flesh and Blood Skin and Bone Head and Heart Brain and Breath Limbs Members Muscles and all Organs proportionable to the Old as one Grain of Wheat or like as one Egge to another This I take for the Sameness of Body which the Apostle here describes to us and such a Sameness will the Soul easily obtain viz. a Flame of Life as much the same with the former As a Flame in one part of a Fire kindles and produces a Flame in another part of the Fire singly there are so many Flames and yet all are but the Flame of the same Fire and may well enough be called the same Flame full as well as the Ear of Wheat and all the Corns of it may be called Wheat and the same Wheat with that which was sown And this Solution it seems may serve for the Souls as well as St. Paul's Wheat for the Body and one of them shall be as much the same as the other But to my Apprehension the Sameness intended in the Resurrection is not so much or properly applicable to the Soul or the Body as to the Person The Body suitable to the former and like it as one Grain of Wheat like and proportionable to that from which it springs So a Flame of Life of suitable force brightness and activity to the former and fit for that Body where it is kindled these will in the Person produce the same Faculties that were in the former Person viz. The same Vital Powers Sensitive Powers same Inclinations Affections Desires Natural the same Rational Powers Perception Understanding Phancy Judgment Memory Will Conscience And these will make the rising Person altogether the very self and same Person with that which died more the same than an Old Man is the same with what he was when Young or a Child Compare a Child of four years to a Man of fourscore they are known really to be the same Person by Collateral Evidences but none by having known the Child can expect by his Senses to discover the Old Man to be the same Person nor can the Old Man himself evidently know or make Proof by any thing in himself that he is the same Person so great Differences grow in time between the one Age the other But the Person rising at the Last Day may likely be as much the same with him that died as the Man waking after a long Sleep is the same with him that lay down to take his Rest There will be Body Soul and Person without difference and the same Powers Vital Sensitive Rational Inclinations Affections Cogitations and Knowledge all which make effectually and really the same Person and more the same than the Old Man is with the Young and yet those are really the same Person also 3. My Third Observation shall be concerning such Texts as those who maintain the Immateriality and Separate Subsistence of Souls do Alledge both out of the Evangelists and the Apostolick Writings for the Proof and Support of that Opinion Viz. Mat. 10.28 Are not able to kill the Soul Chap. 16.26 Gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Luk. 16.19 The Parable of Dives Chap. 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Ver. 46. Jesus cried Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And Acts 7.59 Stephen's Saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit 2 Cor. 5. Ver. 6. 8. Absent from the Body and present with the Lord. Phil. 1.23 To depart and be with Christ is better but to abide in the Flesh is more needful for you Heb. 12.9 Ye have been obedient to your fleshly Fathers and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits Ver. 22. Ye are come to Mount Sion God Christ and the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect 1 Pet. 3.19 He went and preached to the Spirits in Prison Rev. 6.9 The Souls under the Altar Here are 11 Quotations Alledged to Prove the Separate Subsistence of Souls and their Immateriality And some add to these Mat. 17. Moses and Elias appearing at the Transfiguration which makes them up a Dozen I have made and do make one General Observation upon them all viz. That they are all spoken or delivered in a transient manner not principally intending to teach the Immateriality or Separate Subsistence of Souls not in Places where the Contexts before lead to a Discourse concerning the Nature or State of Souls or what becomes of them after Death or between that and the Resurrection so as there is not a Design in any of these Texts principally to teach that Doctrine Nor any clear Intention apparent to teach at all this Belief For Instance The Absent from the Body and present with the Lord or the To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Or the Receive my Spirit Or the Be Obedient to the Father of Spirits Or the We are come to God Christ and his Church Or the Preaching to the Spirits in Prison Or the Souls under the Altar Or the Appearing of Moses and Elias at Tabor I demand what do these Texts of themselves teach concerning a Separate State or Subsistence of Souls There is no previous Discourse in their Contexts leading to speak of the State of Souls or inducing to teach concerning them nor apparent Intent in any of these Texts so to do But Men possest with an Opinion of the Separate Subsistence do draw and beat out of these Texts that which doth not naturally flow from them nor that they ever intended to teach so as the Doctrine squeezed out of these Texts for the Nourishment and Support of their Opinion tastes strongly of the Husk and Skins of them and are rather violently forced
53.10 Thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for Sin viz. his Person For none will deny his Body to have been made a visible Offering for Sin one as well and as much as the other his whole Person was so Psal 31.5 Into thy hand I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me David was then alive and in Condition to write this Psalm and had a Body as well as a Spirit and under the Term of Spirit commended his Person or himself to God Luk. 23.56 Our Lord did the very same he knew his Body was to rise early upon the Third Day yet Cryed Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Recommending by that Term himself or his Person Soul and Body So David My Soul is among Lions deliver my Soul from the Sword the Lord is with them that uphold my Soul viz. Deliver me uphold me So Jonathan loved David as his own Soul viz. as he did himself his own Person And this Form of Expression seems agreeable enough to Reason and common Practice in other Cases Pars pro Toto As we use to say Sweet Soul and dear Heart Forma dat esse rei And so Men frequently use by the most noble Part to express or denote the whole And hence I conclude that the last Part of Moses's Text here is well Paraphrased And Man became a Living Person without intent to speak of a Soul by its self or otherwise then as in conjunction with the Body it helped to make up the Person And because this is a Material Point and beats hard upon our Opponents Foundation another Parallel Text shall be cited for Illustration and Confirmation of the same viz. Ezech. 37. The Prophecy over dry Bones which thereupon came together and the Sinews and Flesh came up upon them and the Skin covered them above but there was no Breath in them Then he was commanded to Prophecy over these Bones yet not to call for Souls or Spirits for their Animation but to say to the Wind Thus saith the Lord God Come from the four Winds O Breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live And thereupon the Breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great Army Here it seems we have a Specimen of the First Mans Creation viz. His Body was first made ready for that Animating Breath which should first tine and kindle the Flame of Life in his Body then made ready for it And this Flame constantly fanned by Respiration and un-put out or extinguished by any violent or other means seems to be the Actus primus Corporis Organici Whilst that continues flaming and glowing the Person lives when that is extinguish'd the Person dies beyond Remedy and being once extinguish'd in all Parts of the Body it cannot be again re-kindled but by fresh Fire from Heaven or a Divine Power Our Author Pag. 252. He says The Radical Moisture which is daily consuming by the Flame of Life must needs be spent e're long And I say that if this Flame be not fed and nourished by Food and Viands competent and of suitable Nature this Flame must first diminish then decay and lastly be extinguished as daily Experience teaches in Times of Scarcity and Famine and the like distressing Accidents So as this Vision gives us some Traces whereby the manner of Adam's Creation and the Infusion of the Breath of Life into him may guessingly be collected And as it directs backwards to the Creation so it doth it forwards open some Prospect towards the manner of our expected Resurrection in which after the Body shall have been made ready and compleat for the Reception and Nourishment of it the Animating Breath shall again kindle in it the Flame of Life as by God shall be appointed for the Actuating such Raised Bodies and as it did before their former Dissolution And this Flame will be of the same Kind and Nature with the former and as much the same as the Bodies then Rising will be the same Bodies with the former before it was a body with such Organs acted by a Natural Flame of Life and the same shall it be after the Resurrection with this Change to the Blessed that their Natural Body shall be made a Spiritual Body By this Counter Exposition of Moses's Text before recited I pretend to have battered and shaken or even to have overthrown the First and one of the Main Foundations of our Author's Opinion upon which he principally insists and grounds himself in the first 46 Pages of his Book And I now proceed to propound an Argument in direct Opposition to his Opinion and all that he hath said in maintenance of the same Thus then I argue That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh but the Soul as well as the Body is generated and comes of Flesh Ergo The Soul is a Material and not an Immaterial Intelligent Spirit The Major of these Propositions is apparently agreeable to the Course of Nature and John 3 6. sufficiently supported by our Lords own Assertion The Minor I prove by Gen. 5.3 Adam begat a Son in his own likeness after his Image Hence I argue Adam after the breathing into him of the Breath of Life became a Living Person and continued to be so at the Procreation and Birth of his Son therefore the Procreation of a Son in his own likeness intends That the Son was generated a Living Person but so he could not be without a Soul or Spirit James 2.26 The Body without the Spirit is dead and Nature agrees viz. That one cannot be a Living Person unless he have the two Essential Parts which constitute the same viz. Body and Soul It seems clear That when Adam begat a Son he begat a Living Person and that so he could not be without a Soul Ergo Adam begetting a Son in his own likeness a Living Person begat his Soul as well as his Body And for a farther Proof of my Minor Proposition I argue again from Gen. 1.28 and 9.2 God says to our First Parents Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth and bring forth abundantly in the Earth Hereupon I say That if Man do not beget a Son in his own likeness after his Image viz. a Living Person as Adam is said to do it could not be in the Power or Nature of Man to replenish the Earth with other Men or Persons like himself or of his own Kind and Nature And to believe or maintain otherwise crosses not only the import of these Texts but the common experience of Mankind also and the Evidences appâ—aring every day for Children are born all the World over with their perfection of parts little indeed but magnum in parvo potentia and perfectly Living Persons in the likeness of their Parents and the very Abbreviations and Epitomes of them Some say but they are but vain words That the Parents procreate the Body only but the Soul a Praeexistent Spirit lies hovering in the Air
watching every New Procreation of a Body and thence if glides down intâ— the Impregnated Womb and insinuates it self into the Seed or the Embrion they cannot well tell whether Others say God creates New Souls pure innocent Spirits for each new Procreation be it by Adultery Incest Buggery so as the Shape be Humane So often as people commit these Crimes with success God is ready to make a New Soul for every Procreated Body and that then he puts or casts these new innocent pure Souls or Intelligent Spirits into Bodies so procreated in Sins of the deepest Dye And what can this poor intelligent Spirit do to prevent its going into a Body procreated in and by wickedness and where she is sure to be polluted with Original Sin before she knows where she is If this were a true Story the Case of such Souls were much to be lamented and what Augustus said of being Herod's Son might reasonably enough be applied to it The making and using of Souls after such a fashion are alike contrary to the Goodness and Honour of God and the Invention is such as wants the ordinary grace of Romance viz. to be made probable or something like the Truth It is not so much as offered or attempted to be proved by any Sentence or Thing recorded or appearing in either of God's Two Great Books of Nature or Scripture and therefore it shall here be forsaken and left to the Maintainers as a rotten Prop for the Immateriality for which only intent it was first invented and set on foot and is still continued for that very Design and neither doth nor can serve for any other use intent or purpose whatsoever Now rejecting both these Opinions viz. Of the Praeexistence and the New Creation of Souls upon every Procreation of Bodies I stick to and maintain the Third Opinion viz. That Souls are generated together with their Bodies by Vertue and Power of Gods benediction Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth Procreate Children like your selves from one end of the World to another according to the Course appointed for all other Animals Shall we say or think That a Man generates more imperfectly than an Horse or a Bull our Experience doth not so prove to us nor does our Reason perswade us to believe it and Scripture affords no Proof of it How comes it then to be so generally professed to be believed only from an ardent Mistaking Zeal to maintain a Separate Subsistence of Souls without which the Old World could not and the later and present do not or will not conceive and believe Recompences future to this life can be and will be fully and sufficiently distributed to Mankind according to their Behaviours in this Life they will continue to believe That if Mens Souls have not a Subsistence in Separation from their Bodies the expectation of sufficient future Recompences is destroyed and this grows from the Pulpit where the Doctrine of the Resurrection hath been utterly put to silence by the Opinion of Souls going presently to Heaven upon Death And if in truth the Case were so the Doctrine of the Resurrection might well enough be laid aside as it is and fall into disesteem as little useful for the advancement of future Recompences The desire I say of maintaining a Separate State of the Soul for such purposes drives some to invent and most Men to believe such very unlikely and unreasonable Proposals and Assertions as I have late before and do here relate and endeavour to detect and confute Our Author hath the Ingenuity to confess That the Opinion of the Generation of Souls as well as Bodies is very ancient and was generally maintained by the Western Churches But say I the Opinion of the Separate Subsistence of Souls hath even quite rooted it out and that of necessity for what comes of the Flesh cannot naturally be Immaterial and to maintain Immateriality we find Men proneto deny visible experienced Truths and accept of gross unreasonable Fictions Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum when it falls under a confident Mistake as Christ foretels his Disciples When they persecute you they will think that in so doing they do God good Service And what if the present Writer meet with a like Usage He may say with St. Paul Galat. 26. Am I therefore become your Enemy or will you count me your Enemy because I tell you the Truth Or that which I believe to be so It seems such Proceeding would be both Unkind and Unchristian Joh. 8 40. Our Lord says You sâ—ek to kill me a Man that tells you the Truth and even for telling them the Truth this did not Abraham The best sort of People will not do so but they are ever the fiercest and therefore Persecution and Reproach are natural and common Consequences of those Endeavours which intend to stemm the Tide of a commonly received Opinion and roâ—e against the stream of it Acts 21 Paul was foretold of a heavy Persecution but he would not be perswaded to go out of the Right Way for avoiding it and as his Friends ceased so I rest my self Ver. 14. saying The Will of the Lord be done Our Present Text now under Examination Proves The Ancient Western Churches and amongst them St. Austin were in the Right in thinking the Soul Generated as well as the Body and that God's Direction is still observed by Nature For Men now as Adam did get Children after their own likeness viz. Living and Animated Persons and which ever since have replenished and do still replenish the Earth as the Effects of their Parents Fruitfulness And thus from the Creation and Generation of Mankind I pretend to have proved That the Soul or Spirit of Man is generated and born of the Flesh of the Parents and with the Flesh of the Children Connatural to the Body and no Stranger to it I take another Argument for Proof of the Materiality from Natural Supports of the Soul whil'st it remains in Conjunction with the Body and thereupon I argue thus That which can neither act or subsist in the Body without the Supplies and Supports of Material Provisions is it Self Material but the Soul cannot act or subsist in the Body without the Supplies and Supports of Material Provisions Ergo The Soul is most likely to be of a Material Nature The Major I prove by the Rational and Received Rule of Simile simili gaudet For proof of the Minor I instance in Three Material Things or Provisions all so necessary for the Soul of Man as that if any One of them fail or be wanting the Soul cannot act or subsist in the Body but must needs part from it either by Extinguishment or Avolation And these Three so necessary Provisions are Blood Breath and Food or Nourishment For the Blood if it be totally exhausted or corrupted a Man can live no longer but the Soul will be forced to dislodge out of its present Tenement For Breath we know by every days Experience
Calamos cera conjungere plures instituit Lastly I have chosen the Organ as that Instrument whereunto Mankind may most sutably be compared and from hence shall begin to make general Observations upon these Instruments and Creatures comparando As the Whistle and Horn have no great Variety in their Sounds so have the Insects but something analogous in them to them to Flame and Blood and therefore may rather be counted Animata than Animalie and we shall but little insist upon them but chuse to observe rather upon our Third Instrument the Penny Pipe which can make a Variety of Sounds by several Stops upon it First it appears that this as all our other Instruments this and they all are acted and made sounding by one same Actor or Principle viz. Breath or Wind inspiring them And I say the like of the small Animals compared to it viz. Mice Moles c. we say that they as all other Animals are framed and acted after a similar Manner and as the rest of the greater Animals are and as Man their Supream also is for each of these small Animals have Skin Bone Flesh Blood Sinews Nerves Muscles Joints Heart Brain and Breath as well as the Horse or the Elephant or even as Man himself and act their Five Senses and Vital Faculties as other Animals do and have a Flame of Life or Glowing in their Flood which makes it Circulate Active and Moving as is done in other more large and potent Animals in a Proportion and Nature sutable to their beings The thing is all of a hind in them all as the Wind and Breath in the Musical Instruments the Wind in them doth not make a like Sound or Musick in them all but according to the structure and capacity of every one of them Now give a Penny Pipe into the best Artists hand and who hath a very good Breath yet he shall be able to make but very mean Musick with it sutable to the mean capacity of the Instrument and this is the Case of the Mouse or the Mole amongst Animals though they in their Structure Parts and Spirits are of the same Nature with the greater Animals yet such Spirit and Flame can do no more in those small and weak Bodies than the Capacities and Organs of them will extend unto and those Degrees of Power proportionate to its own Strength Nature and Constitution And so it is in every Degree of Animals one above another the Flame or Material Spirit of Life works in each of them proportionably to act and perform such things and in such manner as the Structure of their Bodies and the Figure Power and Order of their Members make them able and inclinable to act and gives them a Power to execute And just as in the Wind Instruments one sort of Spirit acts them all and one sort of Materials viz Hard Materials Wood or Metâ—al make the Body or gross and palpable parts of them and yet there is that vast Variety in the Musick and Sounds of them as if they were not at all of kin one of them to the other but rather as if they were quite different things in their Nature which plainly they are not for the Matter and Spirit in them all are alike It is true they are different Instruments and make very different Sounds and Sort of Musick And it seems the Case is the same amongst Animals Matter and Spirit are of like Nature in them all Man himself though Sanctius his Animal Mentisque capacius altae his Genus is the same with theirs he is Animal let the differentia be what it will Rationale or Religiosum Man is of the same Kind with the other Animals and is compared by David to the Beasts that perish utterly and so should Man have done unless God had promised and appointed a Resurrection for him and a Judgment upon him But all our Maintainers of the Immateriality exclaim and declaim upon the transcendent advantages which Men have over and beyond the Beasts in the Power and Activity of their Rational Faculty which mistakingly and yet generally they call the Soul of Man and seem so to esteem and think of it but to me it seems there is not a greater difference in Nature or Power betwixt Men and Beasts then in Musick there is between the Organ and the inferiour Instruments from the Trompet to the Penny Pipe or Whistle There is as great a transcendency in the Organ over or and above each of the other Instruments in the Musical Use of them as there is in Men over and above Beasts in the several Kinds of them These Machines viz. the Organ and the Man the one amongst Wind Instruments and the other amongst Animals must evidently be accounted for Superlative and Supream with whom none of the Inferiour Animals or Instruments can hold a reasonable Comparison but Ocularly visible it is that the Organ hath no other Spirit or Cause of its Sound Musick and Harmony but the same that acts in all the Inferiour Instruments And semblably it seems that although Man be a Superlative and Supream Animal yet he may be and is acted by a like Flame or Spirit as we agree doth actuate and enliven the other Animals of an Inferiour Nature or Degree inabling for Acts of Life and Vegetation Nourishment Digestion and Generation stirring their Affections of Lust Wrath and Fear Moving and acting their Five Senses to perceive their several Objects And all these and their Local Motions are as vigorous and perfectly acted in Beasts as in Men and this sort of Soul acts also in Brutes an Understanding Phancy Judgment and Memory true in their Kind but to a very low Degree in comparison with Faculties of those Kinds found amongst Men for that the Humane Head and Organs there placed are far more advantageously framed and fitted for such purposes And thus it seems there is set forth and shewed an apparent and pregnant likeness or similitude between the Correspondence which the Organ hath with the Inferiour Wind Instruments and that which Man hath with the Inferiour Animals And that this Comparison or Similitude may be helpfully used towards the Discovery of the Nature and Operations of an Humane Soul and some farther Assimilations may be made of Man to an Organ viz. First That as in an Organ the Wind cannot command or alter the Sound of any of the Pipes so as to make the Treble Mean Tenor or Bases sound otherwise than that Artist who made them intended them for So it is in Man his Spirit or Soul cannot act any of his Senses or Faculties to other then those very purposes for which the Divine Artificer made and intended them it cannot make the Hand see nor the Foot hear the Shoulders understand nor the Buttocks digest but it can only act every Part Member and Organ to those purposes intended by him that made them Secondly As when any of the Pipes in an Organ are ill made cracked or otherwise harmed the Wind cannot
hath no Participation thereof with her or that she doth or can act any thing or produce any Effect without the Spirits Members and Organs of the Body which it seems cannot be excluded from participating with the Soul in all its Affections Operations and Motions no more than the Soul can be unconcerned in the Health Accidents Rejoicings or Sufferings of the Body We come now to the other Question or Query which if it be determined in the Affirmative will strongly inferr the Souls Materiality viz. Concerning the Mode of the Generation of Mankind If the Parents do generate a Child like unto themselves consisting of the same Matter and Form or such a like Soul and Body as themselves are if the Child's Soul and Body be generated by the Parents as well the one as the other if the Thing have been proved or can and shall be proved effectually so to be done a very strong Inference and Argument may thence be drawn That the Soul is of the same Nature and Constitution with the Body Materially and Naturally Extinguishable by Dissolution of the Compositum Man whose Constituent Parts they were For it seems Generation and Corruption do mutuo se ponere tollere What grows from Generation hath a Natural Tendency to Growth Strength Decay and Dissolution If therefore one Man doth generate another like himself and so the Soul as well as the Body it seems likely that what comes from Generation is under a clear Capacity of Corruption if it be not under a Necessity of Terminating by that Means We are in a great Measure convinced that the Parents do procreate Children like themselves both their Souls and Bodies and that therefore both those Parts have in Nature and Reason a Capacity or a Tendency if not a sort of Necessity to terminate in Corruption So as we do not perceive that Arguments drawn from Reason or Nature and hitherto produced are strong enough to evince That the Humane Soul is Immaterial or Self-subsistent after the Dissolution of the Person and Corruption of that Body to which it was knit and which whilst Life lasted it did inform direct and actuate And herewith shall be concluded the Disquisition intended concerning the Soul of Man founded upon the Grounds of Nature and Reason and tried by the Arguments extracted from them We proceed from them to the Second Sort of Arguments offered for Proof of a Soul 's Separate Subsistence drawn by our Opposers from the Ground of Moral Congruity There must be say they a Reward and Punishment future to this Life of this the Corrupted Carkass is by no Possibility in Nature capable and therefore the Soul must needs have a Separate Subsistence that thereby Future Rewards and Punishments may have a proper Subject to work upon And this sort of Argument is propounded and handled by Baxter in his Quoted Book at P. 34. reaching thence to 40. and by Dr. More in his 18th Chap. of the quoted Book Pag. 314. to the End of that Chapter and by Sir K. Digby in the 10th Paragraph of his 9th Chapter And all our Authors have mainly insisted upon this Argument in Places before quoted And it is done by them upon very good and unanswerable Reason such as the Wit of Man grounding it self only upon Nature and Reason is not able to make sufficient Reply unto or to overcome This we look upon as the Potent and Prevalent Argument whereby the whole World and in all the Ages of it hitherto hath been drawn and even forced to consent to the Opinion of a Separate Subsistence of a Humane Soul and to invent Elisiums Fortunate Islands and Paradises for the Good also Tartarums and Barathrums and Gehenna's for the Wicked Souls departed The Silly Americans have not wanted their more crude Conceipts viz. That in Places beyond their Mountains the Good Souls Sing and Dance amongst Groves and Fountains and the Wicked ones are relegated to Denns and Caves and other Dark and Disconsolate Places suting with their Demerits Thus from the Necessity of Future Recompences the Opinion of the Souls Separate Subsistence hath been spread and received over the Face of the whole Earth far and wide without stint in place or stay in time All Nations and all Religions have accepted of this Opinion and it hath hitherto prevailed amongst them and thus may their Argument be framed It is Morally Congruous amongst all Men That Good Men and Actions should be rewarded and recompenced and that Bad Men and Actions should be punished But Men find and see it falls out very often that Rewards and Punishments are not so distributed in this World Ergo Moral Congruity requires and that proves there must be a future State wherein Men and their Actions shall be Rewarded and Recompenced according to their Deserts This. Men cannot reasonably refuse to grant and then ex concessis it may be further argued Man is Constituted but of Two Essential Parts viz. his Body and his Soul His Body dying Corrupts and Turns to Dust and so becomes incapable of Reward or Punishment in a future State Ergo If the Man and his Actions be Rewarded or Punished in a future State he must receive the Effects of such Reward or Punishment in that part of him which is reputed capable and may by possibility have a separate Subsistence after the Mans Death viz. in his Soul and that this may be done The Soul must have a separate Subsistence after Death of the Body And the same holds true Negative There is nothing of Man to be Rewarded or Punished in a future State but his Body or his Soul But the Body in a State of Dissolution is not capable of Reward or Punishment and if the Soul extinguish in Death then is there nothing of the Man lest capable of receiving Reward or Punishment in a State future to this Life Ergo That the Rules of Moral Congruity may stand and be maintained in the World the Soul of Man must needs enjoy a separate Subsistence capable of Reward and Punishment after Death and the Dissolution and Corruption of his Body This Argument appears irrefragable not to be confuted or effectually answered by the uttermost strength of Mans Reason And therefore it is nothing strange that it hath prevailed with Jews and Gentiles Mahometans and Christians inducing them generally to belive a Separate State of Humane Souls after Death and it is still used by all our Authors for maintenance of the same Opinion at this time We still agree that the force of this Argument cannot by the bare Wit or Reason of Mankind be Answer'd and Refuted but yet we say that the same may be fully so Answered by Deductions out of the Divine Revelations and Oracles of God and that by Arguments thence to be taken both Negative and Positive and though we do mainly relie upon our Positive Argument on this behalf yet it seems not requisite to pass over in Silence the Negative Argument which may be drawn out of our Holy