[1] Of the Immortality of the Soul, pt. 1., c. 4.
[IV.]
MADAM,
Since your Worthy and Learned Author is pleased to mention,[1] That an ample experience both of Men and Things doth enlarge our Understanding, I have taken occasion hence to enquire, how a mans Understanding may be encreased or inlarged. The Understanding must either be in Parts, or it must be Individable as one; if in Parts, then there must be so many Understandings as there are things understood; but if Individable, and but one Understanding, then it must dilate it self upon so many several objects. I for my part, assent to the first, That Understanding increases by Parts, and not by Dilation, which Dilation must needs follow, if the Mind or Understanding of man be indivisible and without parts; but if the Mind or Soul be Individable, then I would fain know, how Understanding, Imagination, Conception, Memory, Remembrance, and the like, can be in the mind? You will say, perhaps, they are so many faculties or properties of the Incorporeal Mind, but, I hope, you do not intend to make the Mind or Soul a Deity, with so many attributes, Wherefore, in my opinion, it is safer to say, That the Mind is composed of several active Parts: but of these Parts I have treated in my Philosophy, where you will find, that all the several Parts of Nature are Living and Knowing, and that there is no part that has not Life and Knowledg, being all composed of rational and sensitive matter, which is the life and soul of Nature; and that Nature being Material, is composable and dividable, which is the cause of so many several Creatures, where every Creature is a part of Nature, and these Infinite parts or creatures are Nature her self; for though Nature is a self-moving substance, and by self-motion divides and composes her self several manners or ways into several forms and figures, yet being a knowing, as well as a living substance, she knows how to order her parts and actions wisely; for as she hath an Infinite body or substance, so she has an Infinite life and knowledg; and as she hath an Infinite life and knowledg, so she hath an infinite wisdom: But mistake me not, Madam; I do not mean an Infinite Divine Wisdom, but an Infinite Natural Wisdom, given her by the Infinite bounty of the Omnipotent God; but yet this Infinite Wisdom, Life and Knowledg in Nature make but one Infinite. And as Nature hath degrees of matter, so she has also degrees and variety of corporeal motions; for some parts of matter are self-moving, and some are moved by these self-moving parts of matter; and all these parts, both the moving and moved, are so intermixed, that none is without the other, no not in any the least Creature or part of Nature we can conceive; for there is no Creature or part of Nature, but has a comixture of those mentioned parts of animate and inanimate matter, and all the motions are so ordered by Natures wisdom, as not any thing in Nature can be otherwise, unless by a Supernatural Command and Power of God; for no part of corporeal matter and motion can either perish, or but rest; one part may cause another part to alter its motions, but not to quit motion, no more then one part of matter can annihilate or destroy another; and therefore matter is not meerly Passive, but always Active, by reason of the thorow mixture of animate and inanimate matter; for although the animate matter is onely active in its nature, and the inanimate passive, yet because they are so closely united and mixed together that they make but one body, the parts of the animate or self-moving matter do bear up and cause the inanimate parts to move and work with them; and thus there is an activity in all parts of matter moving and working as one body, without any fixation or rest, for all is moveable, moving and moved. All which, Madam, if it were well observed, there would not be so many strange opinions concerning nature and her actions, making the purest and subtillest part of matter immaterial or incorporeal, which is as much, as to extend her beyond nature, and to rack her quite to nothing. But I fear the opinion of Immaterial substances in Nature will at last bring in again the Heathen Religion, and make us believe a god Pan, Bacchus, Ceres, Venus, and the like, so as we may become worshippers of Groves and shadows, Beans and Onions, as our Forefathers. I say not this, as if I would ascribe any worship to Nature, or make her a Deity, for she is onely a servant to God, and so are all her parts or creatures, which parts or creatures, although they are transformed, yet cannot be annihilated, except Nature her self be annihilated, which may be, whensoever the Great God pleases; for her existence and resolution, or total destruction, depends upon Gods Will and Decree, whom she fears, adores, admires, praises and prayes unto, as being her God and Master; and as she adores God, so do all her parts and creatures, and amongst the rest Man, so that there is no Atheist in Infinite Nature, at least not in the opinion of,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[1] Antid. Book. 2. Ch. 2. a. 1.