Book 1 1 1 . Thf Temple o\ mfdome. 2 o f

.what does inimitthefe Spirit/^ andoireft themfocurH oully ? is it themfelves or the Brahy or that particular piece of the braia we call Conarionor Pim-k^rneL^WhsLt" ever it be , that which docs immit them and direft 'the Tij niuft \\diVtAnimadverpoH-, and the {ame hath Me- vtnory and Keafon : For Anatomiftj fay. That though : the Brain be the inftrument of Senfe , yet of it felf ic !i is infenfible : How then (hould that that hath no Senfe direft thus Sfontanzoufly a:id Arhitrarioufly , the r^imal Spirits into any part of the body, an Aft that r6- I quires deter r.inate fenfe and perception ? But k€C ; Doftors, Chyrurgions and Anatomitts conclude what^ I they will : I ihall demonftrate that the Brains have no ^tn(e 5 for the fa ne thing in us that hath Senfe, hath al- io Animadverfion 5 and chat which hath Animadvef'^ fimm US3 hath alfo a faculty o^ free and Arhitrarious fancieand Keafi?i, Read our Book called The Holj ^siide.
Let us now confidcr the Nature of the Brain^ and(ee how compatible thofe alterations are to fuch a fubjeftj verily, if we take a right view of this Lax-pith, or Marrow in mans Head j neither our Senfe nor Under- fianding can difcover any thing more in this fubftance that can pretend to fuch noble opeiations, as Sagacious CoUeftion? of R.earon , then we can difcern in a fine chimical Ladies Sack-Poflec. For this loole pulp, that is thus wrapt up mthin out Cramum^ iihutz jpun^y and porous ^(?^', and pervious, notonely to the Animal Spi" Hts^ but alfo to more jFwjioe and Oqnor^ elfe it could -not well be nourifliedjat leaft it cou'd not be (b fofc and moiftned by drunk^ejs andexcefs, as to make the Llnder- flanding inept, and fotti(h in its operations Where- fore I now demand, in this foft fubftance, which we call -the^r^w, whofe foftnefs implies that it is in fonfic itoc^nr^Lignid^ and Liqmdity itnp'lisi a fiv£ral Mati^
Ppp ol
2 I o Ihe I'empit ot mfdome.
ofloofned parts: In what part or parcel thereof doe Fancy, Reafon and Animadverfion lie > In this La: - confiftence that lies like a Net all on heaps in the wa ter : Can you tell in what knot, loop or interval there of does this faculty offiee Faticj^ andaftive Reafon re fide ? I believe you cannot allign me any. If you (houl( fay. In all together^ you mnft fay that the whole Brain i figured into this or that reprefentation> which wouh cancel (JHemory^ and take away all capacity of there be inganydiitinft notes and places for the feveral Specie o\ things there prefented. But if you will fay there is it 'every part of the Brain this power of Animadverjioi and Fancy^ you are to remenber that the Brain is ii fome meafure a liquid bodyj and we muft enquin how thefe loofe parts underftand one anothers fcvera Animadverfions and Notions: and if they could (whicl is yet unconceiveable) yet if they could from hence d any thing towards the Immifpo^ and dircftion of th minimal Spirits into this or that part of the body, the) muft do it by knowing one anothers mindes 5 and by ]oynt conte?ition ofjirength ; as when many Mariners ai the ^apftone^ at once the word being given, pull toge- ther the l^ars about ^iov the weighing of their Bcft Borver or Sheath-Anchor^ that the Tingle ftren^thof one could not move, being fo maffie a Body 5 but this is to make the feveral particles of the Brain, fo many individua perfons : A thing I do not believe, as you may fee in the firft Book.
Belides, how come thefe many Animadverficns u feem but one to us, our minde being thefe, as it is fup- pofcd ? Or why if the figuration of one part of the Brain^ be communicated to all the reft , does not th fame objeft feem fituated both behind us and befor usjand every way, as the imprefs of the oh]eU is refieGed^ ^gairtft all the parts of the Brains / But there appearing
to
tousbutonc Animadvcrfion, and one fice of things: It is a fufficient argument that there is but oncj or if there be many, that they are not mutually communicated from the parts one to another, and therefore there can be no fuch joynt endeavour towards one defign ; whence it is that the brain cannot immit ordireft thefe /^wiw^/^pirzV/intowhat part of the body they pleafe% Read our Harmeny of the. World,
The Brain hath no fenfe,and therefore cannot imprefjt fifontaneoufly any Motion on the Animal Spirits ; ic is no flight argument, in that fome diflefted were found without Brains , fome with water in ftead of Brains* Read the Holy Guide, Now I appeal to any free judge, '■ how likely thefe liquid particles are to approve them- I felves of that nature and power, as to be able by c- ! refting and knitting t^emfelves together for a moment of time, to bear themfelves fo as with one joynt con- tention of ftrength to caufe an arbitratious obligation of the Spirits into this or that determinate part of the body. But of this and the faculties of the Soul) th Angels have not given more liberty.
I^pp 3 @HAPr
" r
CHAP. XXXI l:
Of A^h)' tjemi ahd /d^as, concey>ii/'dg the fub-
' ^^^'^^ ^f ^^^ ^^^^^ ifhether really dt(iinH^ ami then
y vphether corporeal or incorporeal : And of what the
Angeh are '.concerning the kr.cwleclge afthejacul-
^' ties of the Soul.N'atural Ajiroynar/cy and Geoman-
;' l^y.'Andhdwtofortipe the imagination : the nature
'(ij R. C. Phyfick : The kndw ledge of Ajtromancy^
a^d theknovpledgeo[Geomar.cyai^ain demon flra-
^Hfe Angels that govern the World, publifh , that
a^
f
the Nerves, 1 mean the Marrow of them, which is of the felf-fame fubftance with the Brain^ have no fenfei'as is demonftrable {rom^ C at alepfij ovCatochus ; but I will not accumulate arguments in a matter (b pal- pable : As for that little piece of the Brain, which we call the Conarion, that was riientioned in the laft