Madam,
Your humble and
faithful Servant.
[XXXIV.]
MADAM,
Since in my former Letters I have discoursed of Immaterial Spirits, and declared my meaning, that I do not believe them to be natural Creatures, or parts of Nature; you are of opinion, as if I did contradict my self, by reason that in the first Edition of my Book called Philosophical Opinions, I name the rational and sensitive Matter, rational and sensitive Spirits. To which I answer, first, That when I did write my first Conceptions in Natural Philosophy, I was not so experienced, nor had I those observations which I have had since; Neither did I give those first Conceptions time to digest, and come to a maturity or perfect growth, but forced them forth as soon as conceived, and this made the first publishing of them so full of Imperfections, which I am much sorry for; But since that time, I have not onely reviewed, but corrected and altered them in several places, so that the last Impression of my Philosophical Opinions, you will find more perfect and exact then the former. Next, I pray you to take notice, Madam, that in the mentioned first Edition, by the word Spirits, I meant Material, not Immaterial Spirits; for observing, that Learned Men do discourse much of Animal Spirits, which are Material, and that also high extracts in Chymistry are called Spirits; I used that word purposely, thinking it most proper and convenient to express my sense and meaning of that degree of matter which I call rational and sensitive. But considering again, that my opinions, being new, would be subject to misapprehensions and mis-interpretations; to prevent those, I thought it fitter to leave out the word Spirits in the second, as also in the last Edition of my named Book of Philosophy, lest my Readers should think I meant Immaterial Spirits; for I confess really, that I never understood, nor cannot as yet apprehend Immaterial Spirits; for though I believe the Scripture, and the Church, that there are Spirits, and do not doubt the existency of them, yet I cannot conceive the nature of Immaterial Spirits, and what they are; Wherefore I do onely treat of natural material substances, and not of incorporeal; also my discourse is of the Infinite servant of the Infinite God, which servant is corporeal or material Nature: God is onely to be admired, adored, and worshipped; but not ungloriously to be discoursed of; Which Omnipotent God, I pray of his Infinite Mercy to give me Faith to believe in him, and not to let presumption prevail with me so, as to liken vain and idle conceptions to that Incomprehensible Deity. These, Madam, are my humble Prayers to God; and my request to you is, that I may continue the same in your love and affection, which I have been hitherto; so shall I live content, and rest,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.