4. And this Astral Spirit is no more than that part in Man that is commonly called the sensitive Soul, and by the Schools is commonly defined thus: “Anima sentiens est vis, quæ apprehendit & percipit ea quæ extra ipsam sunt. And this is corporeal, and (as Dr. Willis holdeth) mortal and coextended with the Body, and that it hath the power of imagination, appetite, desire, and aversion and the like, and in a manner, a sensitive way of ratiocination, and yet is distinct from the rational Soul or Mens that is incorporeal, immortal, and far more excellent.” And perspicacious Helmont holding this sensitive Soul to be distinct from the mens or immortal and rational Soul, saith thus: Est ergo anima sensitiva, caduca, mortalis, mera lux vitalis data à patre luminum, nec alio modo verboq; explicabilis. But of the rational Soul he saith: Ipsa autem mens immortalis, est substantia lucida, incorporea, immediate Dei sui imaginem referens, quia eandem in creando, sive in ipso Empsychosis instanti, sibi insculptam suscepit. So that both these late and learned Authors hold, that in every Man there are two distinct Souls, the sensitive that is mortal, corporeal, and coextended with the Body, and the rational, that is immortal and absolutely incorporeal: so that though in words and terms they seem to differ, yet in substance they agree. For the Hermetick School, the Platonists, Paracelsus, Jacob Behemen, and others do hold three parts in Man which they call, Soul, Spirit and Body, and these two last Authors do hold the body to be one part in Man, and two Souls besides, the sensitive and rational that are two distinct parts, the one corporeal and mortal, and the other incorporeal and immortal, and so they do but nominally differ. And now our task must be to prove, that first there are such three parts in Man, and that after death they do separately exist, which we shall attempt in this order.
Gen. 1. 30.
Eccles. 3. 21.
Ibid. 12. 7.
Matth. 10. 28.
Acts 20. 10.
Luke 23. 46.
1. Though arguments taken à notatione nominis, do not necessarily prove, yet they illustrate, and render the case plain and intelligible; and we shall find that the Hebrews have three distinct appellations for these three parts. As for the Soul, either rational or sensitive, or vital spirit, they use Nephesh which is common to brutes and reptiles as well as to Man, as saith the Text: And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth in which there is a living soul, Nephesh-Haiah. And therefore to distinguish the rational and immortal Soul, from this which is sensitive, mortal and common with brutes, the Text saith: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Upon which Tremellius gives us this note: Ut clarius appareret discrimen quod est inter animam hominis, & reliquorum animantium: Horum enim animæ ex eadem materia provenerunt, unde corpora habebant, illius verò anima spiritale quiddam est & Divinum. And upon the words; Sic fuit homo. Id est (ait) hac ratione factum est, ut terrea illa statua animata viveret. Another word they use, which is Ruah, and this is also generally attributed to Men and Beasts, as the words of Solomon do witness. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upwards, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? And in both these, touching both Man and Beast, the word Ruah is used as common to them both; and sometimes it is taken specially for the rational immortal Soul, as, And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Also they have the word Niblah, and Basar, that is, corpus, caro, or cadaver, and by these three they set forth, or distinguish these three parts. And the Grecians have likewise their three several names for these parts, as ψυχὴ, anima, vita, which is taken promiscuously sometimes for the rational and immortal Soul, as in this place; And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. And it is taken for the life in that of the Acts: And Paul said, Trouble not your selves, his life is in him. Also they have the word Πνεῦμα, Spiritus, ventus, spiritus vitæ, being variously taken, yet sometimes for the rational and immortal Soul, as Father into thy hands I commend my spirit. So they have the word Σῶμα, Corpus, the body or gross and fleshly part. And to these accord the three Latine terms for these three distinct parts; Anima, Spiritus and Corpus.
Mens ad Herm. p. 21.
Pimand. c. 12. p. mihi 451.