THESOULis a certaindivine Light, created after the Image ofGod; figured by aSeal, whose Character is theeternal Word.
THESOULis a certaindivine Substance, individual, and entirely present inevery Partof the Body, depending only upon the Power ofHim, who is the ultimateEnd, and efficientCauseof all things; whoseBody(according toPlato) isTruth, whoseShadowisLight, and whoseNameisGod.
ANDthis divine Substance ofLight, theSOUL, immediately proceeding from that divine Fountain of all Things,God, (according to the Opinion of thePlatonists) is join’d, by competentMeans, to the grosser Matter of theBody. WhichMeanstheseHeathensaccount for in manner following:viz.
THESOUL, in its Descent, is involved in anetherial Body, which they call thecelestial Vehicle, orChariotof theSoul; thro’ whichMedium, by the Command ofGod, (who is theCenterof the World) it is firstinfus’dinto the middlePunctof theHeart, which is theCenterof theBody; whence it isdiffus’dthro’ all the Parts and Members of theBody, joining itself to thenatural Heat. As aSpirit, generated byHeatfrom theHeart, it plungeth itself into theHumours; and thus inhering in all the respectiveParts, it becomes equal in degree ofProximityto all theMembers.
THUSthe immortalSOULis, by an immortalEngine, convey’d to, and included in the mortalBody: But when byDiseases, or otherways, theseMediums(theHeatandHumours) begin to dissolve, theSoulrecollects itself, and flies back betimes to its firstReceptacle, theHeart: When theSpiritof theHeartalso fails, theHeatextinguishes, and theSpiritleaves theMan; He dies, and theSOULflies away in itsoriginal Vehicle: When theBodyreturns to Earth, whence it came, and theSpirittoGod, who gave it asacred Natureanddivine Offspring: whichSpiritjudging theSOUL, if it has liv’d ill, subjects it to some general and some particularTorments of Hell, abandoning it also to the Pleasure of theDevil: Whereas, if it hasdone well, it mounts itscelestial Chariot, rejoicing together with theSpirit, and passes freely to the Choirs ofHeaven; where it enjoys all its pureSensesandFaculties, the perfectKnowledgeof all things, a perpetual blessedFelicity; and at last, the divineVision, thePossessionof the eternal Kingdom,&c.
THUSfar I have prosecuted thePlatonick Doctrineof theSOUL; so that even byThis, the gross Opinion of such as deny theExistenceof sodivineaSparkin Man, may be confuted.
ANDthisbeing sufficient for that purpose, I need not introduce anyChristian Argumentsto second it; which, however important, are commonly deem’d light by an obstinateSettof Men. Wherefore I shall only add, that from the Disparity ofManners,Affections,Dispositions,Capacities,Judgments,Opinions, andPassionsof Men, it appears most probable and evident, that everyone of usis individually indued with aSoul, and that with a properSoul, peculiar to our respectiveBodies, according to the wiseProverb; So many Men, so many Minds: as well asHorace’s[2]Saying,
“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum.——AndPersius[3]says,“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.
“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum.——AndPersius[3]says,“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.
“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum.
“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum.
——AndPersius[3]says,
——AndPersius[3]says,
“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.
“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;
“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.
TOwhich Assertion the great ProphetDavidassents, in thatGodfashioned and made theHeartsandMindsof Men one by one, enduing them with peculiarDispositions, and assigning everySoulits proper naturalConditions.HenceSolomon[4]says,I was a witty Child, and had a good Spirit; yea, rather being good, I came into a Body undefiled: That is, adapted to theDispositionof hisSOUL. As we see someTorchesorCandlesburn brighter, and someFuelcast moreHeatandLightthan others; so theSplendourof everySOULshines in a different way, and produces differentDistinctionsofMinds: as is evident inYouths, who (however accurately taught, and painfully instructed) are not equally capable of learningArts,Discipline, or any sort ofErudition.
BUTnotwithstanding that some curiousPhysicians(who have strictly scrutiniz’d the Works of Nature) would have theSOULto center in theBrain, whence all itsSenses,Faculties, andActionsproceed; yet somePhilosophershave justly assign’d theCenterof theHeartto its Residence: which Doctrine is also approved by the wiseSolomon[5], saying;Keep thy Heart with all Diligence, for out of it are the Issues of Life.
HOWEVERyet, if any should still obstinately persist in denying theBeingof theSOUL, I advise such to go no farther, but look intothemselves, and call their ownMindsto Counsel; for even there they will have a fullView, not only of itsBeing, but also of its supernaturalExcellency; If they but seriously weigh the eximiousGifts, and unlimitedFacultiesofNature, together with the egregiousOrnamentsofReason,Understanding,Judgment,Memory, and many other Accomplishments, with which everyMindis abundantly endued; they will clearly perceive something of a superexcellentNature, and SupernaturalQualityin themselves; which is nothing else but what I call theSoul, and which is also of a more noble and excellingSubstance, than anycorporeal Matterliable toCorruptioncan be.
THISBeing, only and alone, vivifies, rules, and governs theBody; furnishing it with innumerableActions, and exercising it with as many curiousOffices. Hence, from its manifoldEffects, and differentOperations,it has variousAppellations, according to St.Augustine’s Saying: “Cùm Corpus animat, Vitâq; imbuit, Anima dicitur: Dum vult, Animus: dum Scientiâ ornata est, ac Judicandi peritiam exercet, Mens: dum recolit ac reminiscitur, Memoria: dum ratiocinatur, ac singula discernit, Ratio: dum Contemplationi insistit, Spiritus: dum Sentiendi vim obtinet, Sensus.” Which are all the principalFunctionsof theSoul, whereby it demonstrates itsPower, and performs its relativeOffices. In the Execution whereof, St.Cyprianasserts, that theSOULmakes use of theBody, as theWorkmandoes of theMallet,Hatchet, orAnvil: tho’ (I think) theSimilemay be drawn much nearer, theSOULbeing inclosed and dwelling in theBody, as theFishor theSnailin theShell; without whichReceptacle, orRampartof Defence, it cannot subsist: Which is evident in that, as soon as theBodylabours under anyGrief, theSOULis also affected; not with a primaryAffection(as some would have it) but by aLawof the most strictAlliance, and nearestAffinity; and hence it is, that theVicesandVirtuesof theoneare transfus’d, and flow into theother.
THISis the only reason why, when thecorporeal OrgansorInstrumentsare vitiated or impeded, theSOULcannot explicate its ownFaculties, according to the Words ofSolomon[6];The corruptible Body presseth down the Soul, and the earthly Tabernacle weigheth down the Mind. WhichTruthmay serve to obviate two Objections;viz.ThatofChildrensbeing destitute of theSOUL, andthatof theSOUL’s growing up withYouth, and declining withAge, orSickness: Since, tho’ it less displays itself inInfancy,Sickness, andDotage, yet it still is, and continues furnished with its properFaculties, and that from theBeginningof Life, until itsEnd; neither does theSOULin itsSubstanceever suffer the leastDiminution, but only by theIneptitudeof the Instrument orOrgan, it may be hindered in theDischargeof its Functions, andExecutionof its Offices.
ANDtho thisdivine Substancecan contract nothing ofVice,Spot, orContagionfrom theConcretionof the corruptibleBody: yet as a thickCloudobscures theSun-Beams, and overcasts itsLight; or, as by holding aversicolour Glassto our Eyes, Matters appeardifferentfrom what they really are: So theIntemperatureof theBodyobscures theLightofReason, and overshadows theIntellectsof theMind, which of course obstructs theFunctionsof theSoul. Hence it is, that adeliriousordrunkenMan thinks he sees double, ortwo things, tho’onebe the onlyObjectof his Eyes: And as, for this reason,melancholickPersons imagineAbsurdities, and feignDreamsto themselves; socholerickPersons grow insensiblyhot, and are suddenlyincensedby the Fumes ofnoxious Humoursoppressing theBrain.
BUTthere is anotherSettof Miscreants, who don’t so much deny theExistence, as theImmortalityof theSoul. This I esteem a Piece of the grossestImpiety, to thinkthatspiritual SubstanceMortalandFrail, which is inspir’d inManby the DivineWillandCommand, proceeding immediately from the very Substance ofGodhimself: Since if Man be made after theImageofGod, to express hisSimilitude, he must needs participate of hisNature, and consequently be aFellow-Sharerof Eternity: And if thehumanSoulbe Partaker of the divineEssenceorSubstance, asGodiseternaland incapable ofDecay, so it must needs beeternal, and free from allCorruption.
MOREOVER,Godform’d and made all otherThingsfor the sake ofMan, butHimhe made for hisown sake, and therefore like untoHimself; for which reason, he was pleas’d to agglutinateImmortalitytoMortality, andDivinitytoHumanity: By which Means, thedivineNatureincorporates, as it were, with thehuman, and thehumanis united to thedivine.
HENCEwe may clearly see how marvellouslyGodhas been affected towards us from theBeginning; how much he delighted in us, and desired the entireFruitionand full Enjoyment of our perpetualFamiliarity, and eternalFellowship; whichTruthChrist[7](the Wisdom of theFather) confirms by his ownTestimony.
ANDsuch is still the great Love and Propension ofGodtowardsMan, that all Things (thro’ hisGrace) are communicated tohimby his onlySON;[8]and that more especially because we are conditionalSharers, equalInheritors, andJoint-Heirswith him, agreeable to the[9]Apostles Phrase; and whatever is express’d inCHRIST, may also be inMan: Since asheiseternal, and lives for ever, soMan(by hisGraceandMerits) does the same; forhehaving sufficiently bruisedSatan’s Head, ledCaptivityCaptive, and conquer’dDeath, rose again, and became thePrinceandCaptainof so glorious aVICTORY, that allMen, by virtue of thatTriumph, might be raised up again at the Last Day, andthatto participate of anImmortalityofWelfareorWoe.