CHAP. I.Of the five Senses in general.
Of the five Senses in general.
The first Thing to be consider’d, in common to all the Sensitive Creatures, is, their Faculty ofSeeing,Hearing,Smelling,TastingandFeeling; and theOrgansministring to there fiveSenses, together with the exact Accommodation of those Senses, and their Organs, to the State and Make of every Tribe of Animals[a]. The Consideration of which Particulars alone, were there no other Demonstrations of God, is abundantly sufficient to evince the infinite Wisdom, Power and Goodness, of the great Creator. For, Who can but stand amaz’d at the Glories of these Works! At the admirable Artifice of them! And at their noble Use and Performances! For suppose an Animal, as such, had Breath and Life, and could move it self hither and thither; yet how could it know whither to go, what it was about, where to find its Food, how to avoid thousandsof Dangers[b], without Sight! How could Man, particularly, view the Glories of the Heavens, survey the Beauties of the Fields, and enjoy the Pleasure of beholding the noble Variety of diverting objects, that do, above us in the Heavens, and here in this lower World, present themselves to our View every where; how enjoy this, I say, without that admirable Sense ofSight[c]! How could also the Animal, withoutSmellandTaste, distinguish its Food, and discern between wholsome and unwholsome; besides the Pleasures of delightful Odours, and relishing Gusto’s! How, without that other Sense ofHearing, could it discern many Dangers that are at a Distance, understand the Mind of others, perceive the harmonious Sounds of Musick, and be delighted with the Melodies of the winged Choir, and all the rest of the Harmonies the Creator hath provided for the Delight and Pleasure of his Creatures! And lastly, How could Man, or any other Creature distinguish Pleasure from Pain, Health from Sickness, and consequently be able to keep their Body sound and entire, without the Sense ofFeeling! Here, therefore, we have a glorious Oeconomy in every Animal, that commandeth Admiration, and deserveth our Contemplation: As will better appear by coming to Particulars, and distinctly considering the Provision which the Creator hath made for each of these Senses.
FOOTNOTES:[a]Ex sensibus ante cætera Homini Tactus, deinde Gustatus: reliquis superatur à multis. Aquilæ clariùs cernunt: Vultures sagaciùs ordorantur, liquidiùs audiunt Talpæ obrutæ terrâ, tam denso atque surdo naturæ elemento.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 69.[b]Subjacent Oculi, pars corporis pretiosissima, & qui lucis usu vitam distinguant à morte.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 37.[c]Fœminæ aliquæ Megarenses solis oculis discernere valebant inter Ova quæ ex Gallinâ nigrâ, & quæ ex albâ nata sunt, is what is affirmed (how truly I know not) byGrimald. de Lumin. & Color. Pr.43. §. 60.
[a]Ex sensibus ante cætera Homini Tactus, deinde Gustatus: reliquis superatur à multis. Aquilæ clariùs cernunt: Vultures sagaciùs ordorantur, liquidiùs audiunt Talpæ obrutæ terrâ, tam denso atque surdo naturæ elemento.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 69.
[a]Ex sensibus ante cætera Homini Tactus, deinde Gustatus: reliquis superatur à multis. Aquilæ clariùs cernunt: Vultures sagaciùs ordorantur, liquidiùs audiunt Talpæ obrutæ terrâ, tam denso atque surdo naturæ elemento.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 69.
[b]Subjacent Oculi, pars corporis pretiosissima, & qui lucis usu vitam distinguant à morte.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 37.
[b]Subjacent Oculi, pars corporis pretiosissima, & qui lucis usu vitam distinguant à morte.Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 37.
[c]Fœminæ aliquæ Megarenses solis oculis discernere valebant inter Ova quæ ex Gallinâ nigrâ, & quæ ex albâ nata sunt, is what is affirmed (how truly I know not) byGrimald. de Lumin. & Color. Pr.43. §. 60.
[c]Fœminæ aliquæ Megarenses solis oculis discernere valebant inter Ova quæ ex Gallinâ nigrâ, & quæ ex albâ nata sunt, is what is affirmed (how truly I know not) byGrimald. de Lumin. & Color. Pr.43. §. 60.