Book III, The Temple of iVjfdome . 2 o i

fpecifiqiiely from the Soul of Beafts , no other- wife then the S^?i among the Stars, or Gold among Mt- tals.
There remains, fays fome body to me, a queftion to be anfwered, whether all Souls are equal at their firft i?jfufio77. I anfwer. Nothing comes imT4.ediately from Gocly but is pure, perfeft and uncorrupt : And if it be of that Soul purely^ which at the fame inftantisbodi revived and infufed ; then no queftion but they arc alike : but becaufe the fenfitive part in man bears a great fway, it many times falls out, that by the deficien- cy of the Origmal parts^ the Souls is eclipfcd and im- prifoned fo, as it caiinot appear in the vigour it would (heiv, if the bodies cbmpofition werefo perfeft, make it fo fine, pure and open. Now a perfed: Soul in ati imperfeft body is like a bright Taper in a dar}{ Lan- ihornc^ the fault is not in the light, but in the cafe 5 which curtains it with fodull an outfide, as it will not let the fnine be tranfparent. 1 have had men come to me againft my defires, for I affect not acquaintance ; yet thfty were both able and ingenious, who after a lit- tle hurt received in a vital part, did grow almofi: infen- fible, when the vital paflages of the fenfitive and vege- tive are imperfci^, though they extinguifh wot the intcl- leftiial, becaufe a thing mortal cannot deftroy a thing immortal; yet their defe^l keeps it founder, asitap* pearethnotto the outward aypreheofion. Not that man hath three diftinft Souls; for the intellectual in man containeth the other two: and what are different in PlantS5Beafts and man, are in man one and Co-monad together, otherwife he were a plant and fcverally abrute iand rational ; but as the folid Chriftaline Heavenund firft mover contains the Etberial Region and Fluid Heaven ; and the Etberial Region and fine Fluid Heaven^ contains the R^^ton of the Fire and Air^ and the Region of the
Fire
2 o 2 The femple oj iV/jc/ome. B. )ok 111,
Tire and Air Globes of the Earths and fVaters , yet all makes but one World: So the Intelleftual contains the fenfitive, and the fenfiuve the vegetative; yet all in man make but one Soul 5 but the differences of men may all be referred to two caufes ; either inward or outward : inward are defers in nature and generati* on ; either when the Aftive part the feed is not perfed, or when the nutrinental and palfive powers fail of their fufficiency, are too abundant or corrupted: And when man is of himfelf from the Womb, the maligni- ty of (bme humour may interpofe the true operation of the Internal Etherial firfi moifture. Let us now come to the Species or infpired Ejfence, The fuftance of the reafo?iable Soul comprehends thefe "inquiries , touching the Nature thereof, aswhetlicr it be Native or Adven" tive^ Separable or Infeparable^ Mortal or Immortal : how it is tyed to the Laws of matter 5 how far not, &c. This 1 have in The Harmony of the World bound over at laft unto JR.e/i^zoz7, there to be determined and defined a- mongft other myfteries; for otherwifc they ftill lie open to many errours and illufions of fenfe : For feeing that the fubftanceofthe Soul was not deduced and extrafted mhtv Creation itbm theMafs of Heaven and Earthy but preferved by God, when the xAngels fell to be a Chaos, and immediately revived and infpired from God'-, and fee- ing the Laws of Heaven and Earth are the proper fub- jcfts ofPhilofiphy : How can the knowledge of the fub^ ftance of the reafonable Soul be divined or fetcht from Tbilofophy ? but it mull be drawn from the fame infpi* ration fro.ti whence the fubftance thereof firll flowed, as you may read in The Harmony of the World,
CHAP,
»00k HI . The Temple of mfdome. 205
«a— •^— -
CHAP. XXXI. .
7;^^ you are with conjideme to attend and okejpur Gentus his commands^ natural and unprejudiced diB^ites \ the fame notions and truths are at leai naturally and unavoydably ajjented unto hy the Soul, whether fjje have ofherJelfaH^ul knowledge in her or not : and that the definition of an Imma- terial Beings absolutely perfeB is [uch '^ and this abfolutel) perfetl Immaterial Betng^ is God: Of MafcuUne and Feminine faculties given to man by God.
NOw in The Temple of Wifdome you will finds your Genius^ whofe name you know by the an- fwering, is not unfurniftied for ths. dilating of truth unto you : I demand of any man, why under a pre- tence that fhe having nothing of her own, but may be molded into an aflTent to any thing , or that (he do ar- bitrarioufly and fortuitoufly compofe the feveralim- prefTesfKe receives from without; he will be ftiilfo Cqueamifh or timerous as to be afraid to clofe with his own faculties^ and receive the natural Emanations of his own minde as faithful Guides. But if this (eem, though not too fubtle, which I contend for, viz> that the Soul hath aftual knowledge in her felf in that fcnfe which I have in the book of The Harmony of the World at large explained ; yet furely this at leaft will be confeft to be true , that the nature of the Soul is fttch^ that fhe will certainly and fully aflent to fome conclu(ionS| however (he came by the knowledge of them, unlefs fce manifeft violence to her own faculties : which truths
muft
204 The Temple of W/fr'ome, Book 1 1
muft therefore be concluded not fortuitous or arhhram riousy but natural to the Soul^ to adume the Idea ofa be] ing abfohitely perfeft above propofed *, it being in fuel ibrt Cct forth, that a man cannot rid bis minde of it, bulj£ he itiuft ;ieeds acknowledge it to be indeed the Tde! of fuch a belig \ it will follow that it is no a bitrari.m; nor fortuitous conceipt^ but neceflary ; aid therefon natural to ihg Soul at leaft , if not ever aftuail) there.
Wherefore it ismanifeft that we confulting with our ownnaturallight, concerning the notion of being abfo- lutely perfeft, that this Temple oflVifdome tells us, that) it is z ffiritual juhjiance^ eternal ^ infinitcin EJfence and goodnefs^ Omnipnte72t^ Omnifcieftt^^ind of it (elf neceflarily txiftent 5 for this anfwer is ftrh, that if we underftood the feafe thereof^ we cannot tell how to deny it : and therefore it h true according to the light of Nature i but it is minifeft that that which is fclf-fubliftent, itifi nitely Goody Omnifcimt 2L^d Omjupotent^ is the Root and Original of all things 5 a:id Omnipotency fignifies a Poxver that can effeft any thing that implies no contradiftion to be effefted, and Crea:io:i implies no contradiftion Therefore this perfect Being can create all things. But if it found the mitter or other fubftances exifting afore- hand of themfelvc? , this Omnipotency and Povver of Creation will be in vain, which the free and unpreju- diced faculties of the minde of man do not admit of: Therefore the natural notion ofa Being abfolutely per- fcft5iTiplies that th* fame Being is Lord and Maker of all things. To prove there is a God^xs not my intent* I have done it already in our Htrmmy of the World 5 or to de- monft:at?that the Snow is white,or the Sun gives light ; and according to naturallight, that which we fee with the eyes of our weak uiderftmding, is to be adored and woi'Ihipped of all that haij the knowledge of it^ with all
huml-
k:;o k 1 1 1 . T^e Ternf)le oj tvifaome, 205
... - I -
lumility and thankfulnefs: and. what -is this but to cknowledged ir to be God ?
For I demand of you that believe nothing but (Qnky low could {cr\[c ever help you to ihefe truths above no- cd? that which exifts without the help of another sneceflary and eternal 5 for neceflity and eternity are lofembl qualities 5 and therefore arcnot theobjefts ifanyfenfe: but there is other knowledge and percep- ion in the Scul^ beiides that of fenfe. I deny their artkifle ofjtomes^ a bufinefs that will not fall under enfe. The Scul of man hath other cognofcitive fa- lulties, behdes that of fenfe.
Concerning the fenfible or produced Soul; what nakes thefe tearms of Acvs v.timus &fGrrn a corporis y nd fi'.ch-like wild logical univerfalities, to the know- edge of the Sculs [lihjtance ? for thefenfible Scul^ov the ioul of Beads mull needs be granted tobea corporeal ubflance, attenuated by heat^ and made invifible, I ay, a thin, gentle gale of Winde, fwell d and blown up rom fc-me flamy and Airy Nature ^ indeed with foft- lefs of Air to receive imprefl^on , and with the vigor )ffire to embrace Adion, nourifhed partly by anOyly, 5art!y by a watery fubftance fpi ead over the body, re- iding (in perfe£l creatures) chiefly in the head, running hrough the Nerves, refrefht and repaired by //?z>iJ«(7«j" ^lood of the ArtfTUs, ] hear of no man that hath writ- en any thing, that underftands this point, but hath )rought forth Prodigies, Lies, Superftitions, and very ontagious Opinions 5 and mcft vilely abafing the dignity >f tht jcul c/>2tfw, and the fame of glorious ^grippa^ (nighr,oftranfmigrationof Souls out of one Body into •nother , and kiftrations of ^ouls by peri ds of years. \nd now of the too near affinity in every point of the
oul of Man, with the 5ouls of Bcafts : This Soul in Jcaftsis a principle Soulj vs hereof the Body of Beads
is
Ik
2 o 6 ^r)e i em fie o] Wjjdome. *50Ok IIT
is the Organ ; but in man this Soul it felf is the Organ oj the Soul Rational^ and may rather be called by appella cion of a Spirit then of a SomL
Now I will inform you of another faculty of th Soul o{ Man', which thoi^h it feem inferiour, yet iti far from being contemptible, it being both good fo himfelf,and convenient for the terreftrial world^for thi makes him capable of being the head of the living Crea cures in the Earth, as that faculty indeed is the mothe of all mankind
Thofe higher and more intelleftual accompjifli T.ents I muft confefs made the man very wife, and of quic perception, for he knew very well the natures of th feeafts of the Field, and Fowls of the Air : I mean, no onely of the vifible and terreftrial Creatures, but alfo c the fallen and unf alien Angel s^ or good and bad Gent and his former Angelical condition, and was able t judge aright of them, accordingto the principles the €onfijiedofy and the properties they had j whereas ma was yet lofty in the higher parts of the Air, andcoul pafs from the Etherial Kegionj2imong({ the innocent an ttnfaUen Souls of Men , to the Criftaline Heaven , an there take pleafure a little while, that God might fhe\ hiserrour among the good Angels: now is caft to Eart with his new wedded joy , there to dwell , and hi (everal generations, until the day of redemption. B thefedifcoqrfes you muft obferve how the Angels of ' ftromancy, and Genii of Geomancy in their FigUfi and proper Metals, or other maccer,communicat&
\
\i
CHAl
JOOOK Ail. J ne 1 empie of yrijaome, 207
• CHAP* XXXII.
Of tie /mature of the Soul of Man : what the CeU^i- al Ar^gelsfaj of it rjaturally to our apprehe/ijio^y that cannot [peak with the Tohgue of Men and Angeh : nhether jh^ he a meer modipcation of the hods-i ASjoufinde at large ia our Harmony of - the World.
Ere are the faculties of the Soul^ that are well known to be Underftanding, Keafcriy Imagination^ Memory^ Appetite^ JVill. In the knowledge concerning the Souly the Original of thefe facuhies ought to be handled^ and that VhyficaVy^ as they are Connatural with the 5r7«/, and adhere to it, onely their ufcs and objefts are deiigned to other Ath^ but the fa! ailties of the Soul have two appendtyices^ which as they have been by Plato and Paraceljks , and others handled , have rather pre- fented us with fmoak, then zny Lucid flames of truth: one of thefe is the knowledge of natural Divination^ the other of fascination : But fir ft, I (hall tell you the nature of the Soul of mau^ and then finifh thofe more obvious faculties, that I fpeakof in the Soul of Man^ that naturally ttnd to the difcovery of the exifience of a God. I nr.uft confidcr the eflence of the Soul hct felf^ what it is, whether a meer Modification of the body, or an Immaterial being diftinft therefrom : and thea whether Corporeal, or incorporeal, as we (aid in 7hc Harmony of the World*
If you fay that the foul is a meer modification of the body, the foul then is but one Univerfal faculty of the body, or many faculties put together j and thofe ope- rations
2 05 'TheTem^leo^wiffJome. Book III,
rations which are ufiially attributed unto the body I dcT.and therefore to what in the body will you zt- ixihntQ Sf07itancoits Alotion ? 1 nnderiland thereby a power in our felves of wagging or holding 11:111 mcft oj che parts of our body^as our hand (fuppofe) or little lin- ger. If you will [ly that it i^ nothing but the immijfmi of the Spirits hito fiich and juch Mnjcies', I would g!ad!y know what doth imxit thefe Spirits^ anddireft them fo curioufly : is it ihemfelves or the Br^i?/, or that particular piece of the Brain they call the Conarian or Pine-kernel ? whatever it be , that which does im- mit their, and direft them, muft have Ani iiadverfion and the fare that hath Animadverlion, hath Memory and Reafbn alfo. Now I think it is a queftion whether ' the Spirits tbemfelves be capable cf Am ma river ft 072^ Me- mory and Reafo/i. If I (hould fay it is impofliblejthere is none dare contradift me, no not the Nativity-man him* felf vvith all his Stars : for thefe Animal Angels are no- thing elfe but matter very chin and liquid \ vvhofe na- tHre conhds in this^that ^^11 particulars of it be in Motion^ and being ioofe from one another, frigge and play u^ and down according cothemeafure and nr.anuer of agi tation in them.
I may now demand which of the particles in thefe^ fo many loofly moving one from another, hath Animad- verfion in it ? if you (ay that all put together have, 1 ap- peal to him that thus anfwers5how unlikely it is^that that ftould have Ammadverfwn^ that is fo utcerly tmcapable, of Me moij/y and confcquently of Keafaiy for it is im- poffiblc to conceive Memory compatible to fuch a firb- jeft, as it is how to write characters in the water or irt the winde-
If you (ay the Brain immitsand dire^s thefe Spirit?, how can that (b freely i^ndifpnntamvufly mnve it felf er a* nother that hath no Mufcles ? tell me how if you can,
what