Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	eye_n	know_v	see_v	5,308	5	3.5185	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37244	A work for none but angels & men that is to be able to look into and to know ourselves, or a book shewing what the soule is, subsisting and having its operations without the body ... : of the imagination or common sense, the phantasie, sensative memory, passions, motion of life, the local motion, intellectual power of the soul ... Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit.	Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626.; Jenner, Thomas, fl. 1631-1656.	1658 (1658)	Wing D410; ESTC R27853	22,709	36

A WORK For none but ANGELS MEN THAT IS To be able to look into and to know our selves OR A BOOK Shewing what the SOULE Is Subsisting and having its operations without the Body it s more then a perfection or reflection of the Sense or Temperature of Humours Not traduced from the Parents subsisting by it self without the Body How she exercises her powers in the Body the vegetative or quickning power of the Senses Of the Imagination or Common sense the Phantasie Sensative Memory Passions Motion of Life the Locall Motion Intellectuall powers of the soul Of the Wit Understanding Reason Opinion Judgement Power of Will and the Relations betwixt Wit and Will Of the Intellectuall memory which is the Souls store-house wherein all that is laid up therein remaineth there even after death and cannot be lost that the Soule is Immortall and cannot dye cannot be destroyed her cause cease●h not violence nor time cannot destroy her and all Objections answered to the contrary Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit In faelix qui pauca sapit spernitque doc●ri Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attaine unto it Psal 139.6 LONDON Printed by M. S. for Thomas Jenner at the South-Entrance of the Royall EXCHANGE 1658. Of the Soule of Man and the Immortality thereof Why since the desire to know did corrupt the roote of all mankind did my parents send me to Schoole that my minde might be inriched therewith for when our first parents cleere and sharpe reasons eye could have approached the eternall light as the Intellectuall Angells even then the Spirit of lies suggests that because they saw no Ill therefore they were blind and breathed into them a curious wish which did corrupt their will for that ill they straight desired to know which ill was nothing but a defect of good which the Devill could not shew while man stood in his perfection so that they were first to doe the Ill before they could attaine the knowledge of it as men by tasting poyson know the power of it by destroying themselves Thus man did ill to know good and blinded reasons eye to give light to passions eye and then he saw those wretched shapes of misery and woe nakednesse shame and poverty by experience Reason grew darke and could not discern the fair formes of God and truth and mans soul which at first was fair spotlesse and good sees her selfe spotted hanted with spirits impatient to see her own faults therefore turnes her selfe outward and sees the face of those things pleasing and agreable unto her sences so that she can never meet with her selfe The lights of Heaven which are the fair eyes of the World they looke down upon the World to view it and as they run and wander in the Skies they survey all things that are on the Center yet the lights mine eyes which see all objects farre and nigh look not into this little world of mine nor see my face in which they are fixed since nature fails us in no needfull thing why doe I want means to see my inward selfe which sight might bring me to the knowledge of my selfe which is the first degree to true wisdome that power which gave me ability to see externals infused an inward light to see my self by means of which I might have a perfect knowledge of my own form But as the eye can see nothing without the light of the Sun neither can the mind see her self without Divine light for how can art make that cleere which is dim by nature and the greatest wits are Ignorant both where she is and what she is one thinkes her to be Air and another fire and another Blood defused about the heart and that she is compounded of the Elements Musitians say our soules are Harmonies Physitians the complexions Epicures makes them swarmes of Atomes which by chance fly into our Bodies some again that one soule fills every man as the Sun gives light to every star others that the name of soule is a vain thing and that it is a well mixt body and as they differ about her substance so also where her seate is some lift her up into the Brain others thrust her down into the stomack some place her in the heart and others in the liver Some say that she is all in all and all in every part and that she is not contained but containes all and thus the learned Clerkes play at hazzard and let them say it is what they will there be some that will maintain it the only wise God to punish the pride of mens wits hath therefore wrought this confusion but he that did make the Soule of nothing and restor'd it when fallen to nothing that so we might be twice his can define her subtle forme and knowes her nature and powers To judge her selfe she must transcend her selfe for fetterd men cannot expresse their strength but now in these latter dayes those Divine Mysteries which were laid in darkness are brought to light and this Lampe of God which doth defuse it selfe through all the Region of the braine doth shew the immortall face of it VNDERSTANDING I once was Aegle ey'ed full of all light Am owle eyd now as dim as darke as night As through a glasse or Cloud I all thinges vew Shall on day see them in there proper hue MEMORIE A com̄on Jnne all com̄ers to reteyne A Siue where good run̄e out bad remayne A Burrow with a thousand vermine hydes A Den where nothinge that is good abides This she doth when from particular things she abstracts the Universall kinds which are immateriall and bodilesse and can be lodged no where else but in the minde And thus from divers acts and accidents which fall within her observation she abstracts divine power and virtue again how can she know severall bodies if she were a body the eye cannot see all colours at once nor the tongue relish all tasts at one time but successively nor can we judge of Passion except we be free from all passions nor can a Judg execute his office well if he be possest of either party if lastly this quick power were a body were it as swifte as fire or winde which blowes the on one way makes the other a spier her nimble body yet in time must move not slide through all places at an instant she is nigh and far above beneath in poynt of time which thought cannot devide she is as soon sent to China as to Spain and returnes as soon as sent she as soon measures the heavens as an ell of Silke As then the soule hath a substance besides the body in which she is confinde so hath she not a body of her own but is a spirit and a minde immateriall Since the body and soul have such diversities we may very well muse how this match began but that the Scripture tells us Zachariah 12.1 sayth the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth

power to see although her windowes be choked with mists and clouds the imperfections are not in the agent but instrument the soule hath one intelligence in all in infants and old men although too much moysture be in the brain of the one and too much drinesse in the other which makes them that they cannot attain the outward printes of things then the soul wanting work is idle and we call the one childishnesse and the other dotage yet the soule hath a quick and active wit if she had apt tooles to worke withall and stuffe for give her but Organs fit and objects fair give but the aged man the sence of the younge man and she will straight way shew then her wonted excellency and as an old harper although he hath all his Crochets in his Brain yet can he not expresse it when the gout is in his fingers then dotage is no weaknesse of the minde but of the sense for if that did wast we should find it in all old men but most of them even at their dying houre have a minde more quick and lively and use their understanding power better then in their youth and their dying speeches are admired But it may be further objected if all her Organs dye then hath the soule no powers to use and is extincte because she cannot reduce them to act and if her powers be dead then what is she for some power springes from every thing and actings proceed from them therefore kill her power and act and destroy her It s very true the death of the body is the destruction of the sences so that she cannot use those faculties although their root still rest in her substance but as the body when it lives by the wit and will can judge and chuse without the aid of the body so when the body can serve her no longer and her sences are extinct yet can she discourse in heavenly contemplation all alone of what she hath heard and learned and as a man that hath good horsemanship and can play well on a lute if thou take both horse and lute away yet he still retains his skill and can put that forth if they be returned unto him when the body revives they shall be able to fulfill all their wanted offices But it may be further objected How shall she employ her self seeing all her sences be gon she may keep and enjoy what she hath got but hath no means to understand or to get more then what doe those poor soules which get nothing or those that cannot keep what they have got like lives which let all out these soules must sleepe for want of exercise See how man argues against himselfe Why should we not have other means to know as children in the wombe live by the navil but being come forth are nourished otherwise children if they had use of their sences and could hear their mothers tell them that in a short time they should come from thence they then would fear their birth more then we fear our death and would cry out that if their navill strings were cut how should their lifes be preserved since no other conduit brings their food and if a man should reply unto those babes and tell them when they come into this fair world they shall see the Sun Moon and Stars Sea and earth and meet with ten thousand dainties which they shall take in with pleasure in their mouthes which shall be cordiall as well as sweet and their little limbs shall grow unto tall bodies they would thinke it a fable as we doe of the Story of the Golden age or as among us many sensuall spirits hold the world to come a feined stage yet those infants shall find it true So when the soule is born for death is nothing but the soules birth she shall see ten thousand things beyond her imagination and know them in an unknown manner them shall she see no more by spectacles nor hear no more by her double Spies her selfe in instant will all things explore for every thing is present to her and lyes before her But still it may be objected if the soules departed doe live why do they not return to bring us newes of the strange world wherein they see such wonders vain man we doe beleeve that men live under the Zenith of both the frozen poles although none come from thence to tell us So cannot we have the like faith of our soules the soule hath no more to doe here then we have to returne into our mothers womb what man did ever covet it although we all come from thence and that shewes the soule hath a good being that they never desire to come hither again doubtlesse such soules as mount up so high as to see their Creators face holds this in so base an account as that she looks down and scorns this wretched place As for such as are detruded to hell if they would come here yet they cannot but still there are some wicked ones as say that politick men have spread this lye of heaven and hell only to make men virtuous so then it seems morall virtues be good but they speake this for their private gain for that is the standing of Common-wealths wherein their private benefit is interrested but how can that be false that the Christian Jew Turke Persian Tarter Canibal hold to be true this doctrine entred not into the ear but is native in the breast if death should destroy man for whose sake all things was made then should he be more miserable then Dawes Trees and Rockes which last longer then he who is taken away at an instant but blessed be that great power that hath blessed man with longer life then heaven and earth and hath infused into man mortall powers not subject to the grave for although the soul seeme to bear about it her grave and almost buried alive in this world she needs not to fear the death of the body for when this shell is broke there comes forth a chicken for as there are three essentiall powers of the soule the quickning power and power of the Sence and also of reason there be also three kinds of life defined her in her due season to perfect them all The first life which is vegitive is that nursing power spent in the wombe where when she finds defects of nourishment she expells her body and growes too bigge for that place and comes into the world where all his sences are in perfection where he finds flowers to smell and fruits to tast sees sundry formes and hears varieties of sounds and when he hath past somtime upon this stage his reason begins to be awaked which although she springes when sences begin to fade by reason of age yet can she make here no perfect practice Then doth the aspiring soul leave the body which we call death but were it known to all what life our soules receive by this death they would rather call it a birth