Ut suprac.7.p.74.
4. The first argument that this learned Physician urgeth, to prove that there are two Souls in man, the one sensitive and corporeal, the other rational, immortal and incorporeal, is in this order. “But (he saith) whereas it is said that the rational soul doth by it self exercise every of the animal faculties, it is most of all improbable,because the actions and passions of all the animal senses and motions are corporeal, divided and extended to various parts, to perform which immediately the incorporeal and indivisible soul (if so be it be finite) seemeth unfit or unable. Further (he saith) what belongeth unto that vulgar opinion, that the sensitive soul is subordinate to the rational, and as it were swallowed up of it, that that which is the soul in brutes, in man becomes a meer power; these are the trifles of the Schools. For how should the sensitive soul of man, which before hath been in act a subsistent, material and extended substance, losing its essence, at the advent of the rational soul, degenerate into a meer qualitie? But if it be asserted that the rational soul, by its advent also doth introduce life and sensation, then man doth not generate an animated man, but only a formless body, or a rude heap of flesh.â€
5. Another argument he useth to prove these two souls in man is this: “Therefore (he saith) it being supposed that the rational soul doth come to the body before animated of the other corporeal soul, we may inquire, by what band or tye, seeing it is a pure spirit, can it be united to this, seeing it hath not parts, by which it might be tied, or adhere to the whole or any of the parts? And therefore he thinketh that concerning this point it is to be said with most learnedGassendus: That the corporeal soul is the immediate subject of the rational soul, of which seeing it is the act, perfection, complement and form, also by it the rational soul is made or becometh the form and act of the humane body. But seeing that it doth scarce seem like or necessary, that the whole corporeal soul should be possessed of the whole rational soul; Therefore it is lawful to determine that this rational soul, being purely spiritual, should reside as in its Throne, in the principal part or faculty of it, to wit in the imagination, framed of a small portion of the animal spirits, being most subtile, and seated in the very middle or center of the brain.â€
6. Another chief argument that he useth to prove these two souls in man, is the strife and disagreements that are within man: “Because (he saith) the intellect and imagination are not wont to agree in so many things, but that also the sensitive appetite doth dissent in more things: From whose litigations moreover it shall be lawful to argue, that the moodes of the aforesaid souls, both in respect of subsisting and operating, are distinct. For as there is in man a double cognitive power, to wit the intellect and imagination, so there is a double appetite, the Will proceeding from the Intellect, which is the Page or servant of the rational soul, and the sensitive Appetite, which cohering to the imagination, is said to be the hands, or procuratrix of the corporeal soul.â€
Ephes. 4. 18.
7. To these we shall add, that when the understanding is truly enlightened with the spirit of God, and led by the true light of the Gospel, in the ways of Christ, then is man said to be spiritual, because the carnal mind and the sensitive appetite are subdued andbrought under to the obedience of Christ by his grace. So also when the understanding is darkned, as saith the Apostle;Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. Then man becomes wholly led with the carnal and sensual appetite, and is therefore calledψυχικὸς ἄνθÏωπος, the natural, animal or soully man: And in both these conditions the organical body is led and acted according to the ruling power, either of the Spirit of God, and so it is yielded up a living sacrifice to God, or of the spirit of darkness, corruption, and the sensitive appetite, and so is an instrument of all unrighteousness. By all which it is most manifest that there are in man these three parts, of Body, Soul, and Spirit, which was the thing undertaken to be proved.
8. Lastly as to this point, it is a certain truth that two extreams cannot be joined or coupled together, but by some middle thing that participated or cometh near to the nature of both. So the Soul which (by the unanimous consent of all men) is a spiritual and pure, immaterial and incorporeal substance cannot be united to the body, which is a most gross, thick and corporeal substance, without the intervention of some middle nature, fit to conjoin and unite those extreams together, which is this sensitive and corporeal Soul or Astral Spirit, which in respect of the one extream incorporeal, yet of the most pure sort of bodies that are in nature, and that which approacheth most near to a spiritual and immaterial substance, and therefore most fit to be the immediate receptacle of the incorporeal Soul: And also it being truly body doth easily join with the gross body, as indeed being congenerate with it, and so becomesvinculum & nexusof the immaterial Soul and the more gross body, that without it could not be united.
Now having (as we conceive) sufficiently proved that there are in man these three distinct parts of Body, Soul, and Spirit, in the next place we are to shew that these three may, and do separately exist, and that we shall endeavour by these reasons.
Reas. 1.
Eccl. 12. 7.
2 Cor. 5. 1.
1. It is manifest by Divine Authority thatthe spirit, that is the rational, immortal and incorporealsoul,doth return to God that gave it. That is not to be annihilated or to vanish into nothing, but to abide and remain forever or eviternally. For the Apostle saith:For we know, that if our earthly tabernacle or house were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. By which it is manifest that the immaterial Soul doth exist eternallyex parte post, as the Schools say, and also the gross body being separated from the immortal Soul, doth by it self exist until it be consumed in the grave, or by corruption be changed into earth, or some other things, or that the Atomes be dispersed, and joined unto, or figurated into some other bodies. So it is most highly rational that this sensitive Soul, or Astral Spirit, which is corporeal, should also exist by it self for some time, until it be dissipated and wasted, in which time it may (and doubtleslydoth) make these apparitions, motions and bleedings of the murthered bodies.
Reas. 2.
2. Upon the supposition that the rational Soul be notex traduce, but be infused after the bodily organs be fitted and prepared, which is the firm Tenent of all Divines Ancient, middle and Modern, and must upon the granting of it to be simply, and absolutely immaterial and incorporeal (which is indisputable) of necessity be infused, because no immaterial substance can be produced or generated by the motion of any agent, that is meerly material, or forth of any material substance whatsoever. And therefore I say that the Soul being infused, it must of necessity follow the organized body, that could not exist (except as a lump of flesh) without the corporeal sensitive soul; which must of necessity demonstrate, that as they did separately exist before the union of the Soul and Body, so they also do exist distinctly after their separation by death, and so the Astral Spirit may effect the things we have asserted.
Reas. 3.
Histor. rarior. Obs.62.p.325, 326.
3. And if the experiment be certainly true that is averred byBorellus,Kircher,Gaffarel, and others (who might be ashamed to affirm it as their own trial, or as ocular witnesses, if not true) that the figures and colours of a plant may be perfectly represented, and seen in glasses, being by a little heat raised forth of the ashes. Then (if this be true) it is not only possible, but rational, that animals as well as plants, have their Ideas or Figures existing after the gross body or parts be destroyed, and so these apparitions are but only those Astral shapes and figures. But also there are shapes and apparitions of Men, that must of necessity prove that these corporeal Souls or Astral Spirits do exist apart, and attend upon or are near the blood, or bodies; of whichBorellusPhysician to the King ofFrance, gives us these two relations.
Hist. 1.
1.N. de Richiera Soap-maker (he saith) andBernardus Germanusfrom the relation of the Lord ofGerzan, and others, distilling mans blood atParis, which they thought to be the true matter of the Philosophers-stone; they saw in the cucurbit or glass body, the Phantasm, or shape of a Man, from whom bloody rayes did seem to proceed, and the glass being broken they found the figure as though of a skull, in the remaining fæces.
Hist. 2.
2. There were three curious persons also atParis, that taking the Church earth-mould from S.InnocentsChurch, supposing it to be the matter of the stone, did distill it and work upon it, and in the glasses they did perceive certain Phantasms or Shapes of Men, of which they were no little afraid.
Hist. 3.
De Myst. Sang. Anatom.c.6.p.233.
3. Our Countryman Dr.Fluda person of much learning and great sincerity, doth tell us this well attested story: “That a certain Chymical Operator, by nameLa Pierre, near that place inPariscalledLe Temple, received blood from the hands of a certain Bishop to operate upon. Which he setting to work upon theSaturday, did continue it for a week with divers degrees of fire, and that about midnight theFridayfollowing, this Artificer lyingin a Chamber next to his Laboratory, betwixt sleeping and waking, heard an horrible noise, like unto the lowing of Kine, or the roaring of a Lion; and continuing quiet, after the ceasing of the sound in the Laboratory, the Moon being at the full by shining enlightening the Chamber, suddenly betwixt himself and the Window he saw a thick little cloud, condensed into an oval form, which after by little and little did seem compleatly to put on the shape of a Man, and making another and a sharp clamour, did suddenly vanish. And that not only some Noble Persons in the next Chambers, but also the Host with his Wife, lying in a lower room of the house, and also the neighbors dwelling in the opposite side of the street, did distinctly hear as well the bellowing as the voice, and some of them were awaked with the vehemency thereof. But the Artificer said that in this he found solace, because the Bishop of whom he had it, did admonish him, that if any of them from whom the blood was extracted, should die in the time of its putrefaction, his Spirit was wont often to appear to the sight of the Artificer, with perturbation. Also forthwith uponSaturdayfollowing he took the retort from the Furnace and broke it with the light stroak of a little key, and there in the remaining blood found the perfect representation of an humane head, agreeable in face, eyes, nostrils, mouth and hairs, that were somewhat thin and of a golden colour. And of this last there were many ocular witnesses, as the Noble person Lord ofBourdalone, the Chief Secretary to the Duke ofGuise, and that he had this relation from the Lord ofMenantonliving in that house at the same time, from a certain Doctor of Physick, from the owner of the house, and many others.â€
So that it is most evident that there are not only three essential, and distinct parts in Man, as the gross body, consisting of Earth and Water, which at death returns to the earth again, the sensitive and corporeal Soul, or Astral Spirit, consisting of Fire and Air, that at death wandereth in the air, or near the body, and the immortal and incorporeal Soul that immediately returns to God that gave it: But also that after death they all three exist separately; the Soul in immortality, and the body in the earth, though soon consuming; and the Astral spirit that wanders in the air, and without doubt doth make these strange apparitions, motions, and bleedings; and so we conclude this tedious discourse with the Chapter.