The Immortality ufthe Soul.. 33 Now if the Mind were of the fame Nature with the corporeal Faculties, their Judgment~ would be uniform. · · · · .:. · · Chap. 8. 5 . The Senfes fnffer to a great degree by the exceffive vehem~nce of their Objefrs. ~ Too bright a light blinds the Ey,~. Too firong a found deafs the ~r. ~ut the Soul receives vigor and perfetbon from the excellence and fubhmlty oftts ObJetl:; .and when moft intent in conremphtion, and conccmer'd in its felf, becomes as. jr were all Mmd, fo that the operations ofit as fenfitive are fufpended, feds the pure(\ dehghts fa r above the perception of the lower faculties. Now from whence is the dirtempor of the Senfes in their exercife, bnt from matter, as well that of the Object as the Organ? And from whence the not fuffering of the Mind, but from the impreffing the forms of Objefrs, fepar:ued from all matter, and confeqnently in an immaterial faculty ? For there is of neceffity aconvenience and proportion, as be1ween a Being and themanner of its operations, fo between that, and the fubj eClwherein it works. This f\rongly argues the Soul to be immaterial, in that 'tis impaffible from matter, even when it is moO: converfant in it. For it refines it from corporeal accidents, to a kind of fpirituality proportioned .to its Nature. And from hence proceeds the unbounded capacity of the Son! in its .conceptions, partly becau(e .the forms of things inconfitlent in thei r Natures, are fo purified by the Mind, as they have an objective exif\ence without enmity or contrariety; partly becaufe in the workings of the Mmd, one act dotS not require a different manner from 3.nother, but the fame reaches to all that lS mte1Jigible in the fame order. · 6. The Soofes are fubject to languifhing and decay, and begin to die beforo Death. But the Soul many times in the weaknefs of Age is mof\ lively and vigorcu fl y productive. The inte!Jet!ual Off-fpring carries no marks of the decays of tbe Body. In the approaches of Death, when the corporeal fucultiesare relaxt,and very faintly perform their functions, the workings of the Soul are ofteM rais"d above the ufual pi tch of its aCtivity. And this is a pregnant probability that 'tis ofa Spiritual Nature, and that when the Body which is here its Prifon rather than Manfionfalls to the Earth, "ti< not oppref\ by its ruins, but fer free, and enjoyef\ its true(\ liberty. This made Heraclitm fay thatthe Soul goes out of the Body as Lightning from a Cloud, becaufe it's never more clear in its conceptions K.i' "Hp than when freed from Matter. And what Lt1creti1H excellently expreffes in his Verfes is _ ~;':;;;"':'!':a, true in another fenfe that he intended ; • ll•"= p9f)» Cedit item retro, de Terra quod fuit ante, . In Terram; fed qtud mijfont eft ex lEtherh' oris, Id rHrfm Cmli folgentia Temp/a rmptwt. Whatfprang from Earth falls . to its native place: What Heav'n infpir'd releafr from the weak tye Offlefh afcends above the fh ining Sky. Before I proceed, I will briefly confider the Objections offome who fecretly favour the part of impiety. 1. 'Ti• objected, That the Soul in its intellectual operations depends o.n the Phan- }:~r~. and thofe are drawn from th"e reprefentations of things conveyed through . the But it will ~ppear this does not enervate the force of the Arguments for its Spiritual Na· ture. F~r thiS dependance tS only objel:tive, not inf\rumental of the Soul's perception. The firfi tmages of thmgs are introdue'd by the mediation of the Senfes, and by their p~efence .C~or nothing elfeis requifite) the mind is excited, and draws a Picture refemblmg, or tf tt pleafe, not refembling them,. and fo operates alone, and compleats its own work. Ofth!Swehave a clear expermtent m the conceptions which the Mind furmsofthings fo different from the lirf\Notices of them by theSenfes. T~e fir(\ apprehenGons of the Deity are from the vifible effells of his Powtr, but the Idea m ·WhJCh t?e Underf\anding contemplates him,. is framed by removing all imperrefrions. that ~re m the Creatures, and confequently that he is not corporeal. For what· foever IS fo, 15 hable to corruption, that is abfolutely repugnant to the perfeCtion of h1s Nature. Now the common Senfe and Fancy, only powerful to work in Matter, can- !'ottruly exprefs an immaterial Being. Indeed as Painters by their Colours reprefent mvtfible thmgs, asDarknefs, the Winds, the internal Aff ctions of the Heart, fo that by the reprefentations, th e Thoughts are awaken'd offuch objeCt; ; (o the Fancy may with the hk~ Art fhadow_for~h SJ?iritual Beings by the mof\ re[embling forms taken fromfenfible thmgs. Thus tt tmagms the Angels under the likenefs of youngMen w1th Wmgs, F ro i¥~<t79"· Piurarchin. Rom.
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