and Servant.
[1] Of the Immortality of the Soul, l. 2. c. 1. a. 1, 6, 7.
[XV.]
MADAM,
Your Author is pleased, in Mirth, and to disgrace the opinion of those which hold, that Perception is made by figuring, to bring in this following example:[1] Suppose, says he, one Particle should shape it self into a George on Horse-back with a Lance in his hand, and another into an Inchanted Castle; this George on Horse-back must run against the Castle, to make the Castle receive his impress and similitude: But what then? Truly the Encounter will be very Unfortunate, for S. George indeed may easily break his Lance, but it is impossible that he should by justling against the Particle in the form of a Castle, conveigh the intire shape of himself and his Horse thereby, such as we find our selves able to imagine of a man on Horse-back; which is a Truth as demonstrable as any Theorem in Mathematicks. I answer, first, That there is no Particle single and alone by it self; Next, I say, It is more easie for the rational matter to put it self into such figures, and to make such encounters, then for an Immaterial mind or substance to imagine it; for no imagination can be without figure, and how should an Immaterial created substance present such Figures, but by making them either in it self or upon matter? For S. George and the Castle are figures, and their encounters are real fighting actions, and how such figures and actions can be in the mind or memory, and yet not be, is impossible to conceive; for, as I said, those figures and actions must be either in the incorporeal mind, or in the corporeal parts of matter; and if the figures and motions may be in an incorporeal substance, much more is it probable for them to be in a corporeal; nay if the figures and their actions can be in gross corporeal matter, why should they not be in the purest part of matter, which is the rational matter? And as for being made known to the whole body, and every part thereof, it is not necessary, no more then it is necessary, that the private actions of every Man or Family should be made known to the whole Kingdom, or Town, or Parish: But my opinion of self-corporeal motion and perception, may be as demonstrable as that of Immaterial Natural Spirits, which, in my mind, is not demonstrable at all, by reason it is not corporeal or material; For how can that be naturally demonstrable, which naturally is nothing? But your Author believes the Mind or rational Soul to be individable, and therefore concludes, that the Parts of the same Matter, although at great distance, must of necessity know each Particular act of each several Part; but that is not necessary; for if there were not ignorance through the division of Parts, every man and other creatures would know alike; and there is no better proof, that matter, or any particular creature in nature is not governed by a created Immaterial Spirit, then that knowledg is in parts; for the hand doth not know what pain the head feels, which certainly it would do, if the mind were not dividable into parts, but an individable substance. But this is well to be observed, that some parts in some actions agree generally in one body, and some not; as for example, temperance and appetite do not agree; for the corporeal actions of appetite desire to join with the corporeal actions of such or such other parts, but the corporeal actions of temperance do hinder and forbid it; whereupon there is a faction amongst the several parts: for example, a Man desires to be drunk with Wine; this desire is made by such corporeal actions as make appetite; the rational corporeal motions or actions which make temperance, oppose those that make appetite, and that sort of actions which hath the better, carryes it, the hand and other parts of the body obeying the strongest side; and if there be no wine to satisfie the appetite, yet many times the appetite continues; that is, the parts continue in the same motions that make such an appetite; but if the appetite doth not continue, then those parts have changed their motions; or when by drinking, the appetite is satisfied, and ceases, then those parts that made the appetite, have altered their former motions. But oftentimes the rational corporeal motions may so agree with the sensitive, as there may be no opposition or crossing at all, but a sympathetical mutual agreement betwixt them, at least an approvement; so that the rational may approve what the sensitive covet or desire: Also some motions of the rational, as also of the sensitive matter, may disagree amongst themselves, as we see, that a man will often have a divided mind; for he will love and hate the same thing, desire and not desire one and the same thing, as to be in Heaven, and yet to be in the World: Moreover, this is to be observed, That all rational perceptions or cogitations, are not so perspicuous and clear as if they were Mathematical Demonstrations, but there is some obscurity, more or less in them, at least they are not so well perceivable without comparing several figures together, which proves, they are not made by an individable, immaterial Spirit, but by dividable corporeal parts: As for example, Man writes oftentimes false, and seldom so exact, but he is forced to mend his hand, and correct his opinions, and sometimes quite to alter them, according as the figures continue or are dissolved and altered by change of motion, and according as the actions are quick or slow in these alterations, the humane mind is setled or wavering; and as figures are made, or dissolved and transformed, Opinions, Conceptions, Imaginations, Understanding, and the like, are more or less; And according as these figures last, so is constancy or inconstancy, memory or forgetfulness, and as those figures are repeated, so is remembrance; but sometimes they are so constant and permanent, as they last as long as the figure of the body, and sometimes it happens not once in an age, that the like figures are repeated, and sometimes they are repeated every moment: As for example; a man remembers or calls to mind the figure of another man, his friend, with all his qualities, dispositions, actions, proprieties, and the like, several times in an hour, and sometimes not once in a year, and so as often as he remembers him, as often is the figure of that man repeated; and as oft as he forgets him, so often is his figure dissolved. But some imagine the rational motions to be so gross as the Trotting of a Horse, and that all the motions of Animate matter are as rude and course as renting or tearing asunder, or that all impressions must needs make dents or creases. But as Nature hath degrees of corporeal matter, so she hath also degrees of corporeal motions, Matter and Motion being but one substance; and it is absurd to judg of the interior motions of self-moving matter, by artificial or exterior gross motions, as that all motions must be like the tearing of a sheet of Paper, or that the printing and patterning of several figures of rational and sensitive matter must be like the printing of Books; nay, all artificial Printings are not so hard, as to make dents and impresses; witness Writing, Painting, and the like; for they do not disturb the ground whereon the letters are written, or the picture drawn, and so the curious actions of the purest rational matter are neither rude nor rough; but although this matter is so subtil and pure, as not subject to exterior human senses and organs, yet certainly it is dividable, not onely in several Creatures, but in the several parts of one and the same Creature, as well as the sensitive, which is the Life of Nature, as the other is the Soul; not the Divine, but natural Soul; neither is this Soul Immaterial, but Corporeal; not composed of raggs and shreds, but it is the purest, simplest and subtillest matter in Nature. But to conclude, I desire you to remember, Madam, that this rational and sensitive Matter in one united and finite Figure or particular Creature, has both common and particular actions, for as there are several kinds and sorts of Creatures, and particulars in every kind and sort: so the like for the actions of the rational and sensitive matter in one particular Creature. Also it is to be noted, That the Parts of rational matter, can more suddenly give and take Intelligence to and from each other, then the sensitive; nevertheless, all Parts in Nature, at least adjoyning parts, have Intelligence between each other, more or less, because all parts make but one body; for it is not with the parts of Matter, as with several Constables in several Hundreds, or several Parishes, which are a great way distant from each other, but they may be as close as the combs of Bees, and yet as partable and as active as Bees. But concerning the Intelligence of Natures Parts, I have sufficiently spoken in other places; and so I'le add no more, but that I unfeignedly remain;
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[1] In the second Book of the Immortality of the Soul, ch. 6.