Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	blood_n	body_n	heaven_n	3,657	5	5.5698	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37987	A demonstration of the existence and providence of God, from the contemplation of the visible structure of the greater and the lesser world in two parts, the first shewing the excellent contrivance of the heavens, earth, sea, &c., the second the wonderful formation of the body of man / by John Edwards ...	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1696 (1696)	Wing E201; ESTC R13760	204,339	448

them and to them Here then this great Queen resides as in her Palace and these pure refined Particles are her immediate Instruments in all her Functions and particularly they are the Means of Sense and Motion Wherefore we may infer as an ingenious Observer doth That the Fabrick of our Bodies was made in Subserviency to the Animal Spirits for the Extraction Separation and Depuration of which all the Parts of the Body were contrived and designed As the Chymical Laboratory and all its Furnaces Crucibles Stills Retorts Cucurbits c. were made by the Artist for the making of his Spirits and Quintessences And this is as much as if he had said All was made for the Soul for this acts wholly by these Spirits and can do nothing without them And 't is likely that there is a secret Parcel of these which are the Soul's Vehicle and whilst the other Spirits as well as the Blood circulate in the Body a certain Number of these remain in the Brain Or if they shift Place and circle with the rest the Soul supplies it self with fresh Spirits However this is evident and unquestionable that the Soul acts in the Body by Mediation of these Animal Spirits which are dispatched over all the Body by the Nerves And though we feel Pain or Ease in the most extreme Parts of our Bodies yet the Sensation is in the Brain properly Therefore Dr. Willis ranks the Gout which infests the Feet among the Diseases of the Head because the Pain is felt by the Nerves which are seated in the Head And upon this Ground we may most philosophically assert that in the Brain are situated all the five Senses and that all the Senses are feeling or touching because they are all exerted by Help of the Nerves which are originally seated in the Brain By the Spirits which are communicated to these the Soul affects the Body i. e. moves it and makes it sensible When these are dissipated and diminished the Body becomes languid and weary When they are intercepted it is stupid and senseless When they are wholly stifled it becomes dead And all this depends upon what had been said before concerning the Communication which is between the Heart and the Brain that is the former sends Arterial Blood to make these Spirits in the latter and this latter returns this Kindness to the former by transmitting those Spirits to it whereby it is enabled to thrust the Blood contained in it into the Arteries and so it doth it self a Kindness at the same time The serious Consideration of this Friendly Reciprocation of Motion between these two cannot be enough admired and the Contemplation of this and all the rest which hath been said on this Subject cannot but infuse into us a firm Belief of a God-head who hath thus wonderfully constituted the Body and hath rendred himself adorable from the Consideration of those many Excellencies which he hath furnished it with CHAP. V. The several Kinds of Flesh and how exactly fitted and placed in the Body according to their several ses and Purposes Why the hinder Part of the Cranium is so strong and thick The admirable Conformation and Contrivance of the Vertebrae of the Neck and Back The particular Structure of the Hip-Bones The Nature and Vse of the Ribs How smiting under the fifth Rib 2 Sam. 2.23 is to be understood The peculiar Configuration of the Bones of the Hands The general Vse of the Bones together with the Marrow of the whole Body They are numerous The Nature and Serviceableness of the Gristles A distinct Enumeration of the several Sinks and Dreins which are made to carry off excrementitious Humours What is the immediate Matter of the Seed What of the Milk The Author interposes his Opinion The Lymphatick Vessels The Pores of the Skin THere are some other things worth our notice which because they were not properly reducible to any one Region or Venter some of them belonging partly to one and partly to another and some appertaining to all I have left them to be spoken of in this Place I will therefore add a few Remarks concerning the Flesh and the Bones and the several Drains of the Body all which we shall find to be undeniable Testimonies of the singular Care and Goodness of God in framing our Bodies First It is not unworthy of Consideration that there is a fourfold Sort of Flesh. 1. That which is Musculous and is most properly Flesh. This being solid and nervous is made use of to cloth the Bones and to guard and secure the internal Parts This is a Fence to keep them from being exposed to Danger And being flexible and soft is further serviceable to shape the Limbs and Members and give them a Proportion and Comeliness It was given to plump and fill up the Skin and thereby to adorn and beautifie the Body And especially to prevent or cure the Disorders of a Meager Countenance an Hippocratick Face And it is not only for Ornament but Ease and Repose This is a soft Bed of it self and makes Discumbiture a delightful Posture and conciliates Rest and Sleep And in the Day-time as well as in the Night it is commodious and easie because it facilitates our Sitting Where by the way I could observe that the hinder Parts of Man's Body which are for sitting are covered with this Sort of Flesh more than any other Part of the Body and more than the like Parts are in any other Animals whatsover Which was designedly done without doubt because these Parts are fitted for the Posture of sitting which no other Creatures are capable of in that way It is Man only that sitteth i. e. resteth his Body upon the Ischias Beasts having four Legs can stand upon them the better and so support their Bodies a long time without being wearied But Man wanting these Supporters requires Rest and these Parts are excellently fitted for this end i. e. they are round fleshy and very prominent that they may be the fitter Cushion for the Body The God of Nature hath herein provided for our Ease 2. There is another sort of Flesh called Parenchyma Though 't is but improperly said to be Flesh because it hath no Muscles Yet this Viscerose sort of Flesh is most suitable which is the thing I would observe to those Vessels and Parts of the Body which are composed of it as the Lungs the Liver Spleen Reins It is a Substance proper to these and no other Parts by reason of its Laxness 3. A Membranous Flesh or fleshy Skin which is as agreeable to its Kind as the rest are it being adapted to a particular Use and Service in the Body which no other sort of fleshy Substance could fit because being clammy and glutinous and sticking close it is a suitable Covering to wrap up other Parts of the Body in Of this therefore are composed the Coats of the Eye the Gullet the Guts the Bladder the Pleura or inward Lining of the Ribs the

of Wit and Art in the Prosecution of it and hath said more than any other Man ever did or perhaps could in Defence of this Hypothesis But any Impartial Judg that hath perused what the Learned Dr. More hath offer'd against it will pronounce it to be a vain Enterprize and indeed utterly Unphilosophical He hath demonstrated that there is not any necessary Causality in Matter whereby such Effects are produced that there is no such immutable Law implanted in it no such original and independent Power but that it is derived wholly from a higher Principle By sundry Arguments he irrefragably baffles the Notion of solving all Things by Mechanick Principles but by no Topick more effectually than that which I have propounded viz. the wise Contrivances in the Works of Nature Mere Motion is no Designer no Contriver therefore it can't be the Cause of those Things which we daily see We must then rationally as well as necessarily infer an All-wise Being from the Operations of the Creatures for we see that they are directed to some End And as to what Des Cartes saith that the Ends of the creating of things are not known to us unless God be pleased to reveal them I refer the Reader to the Honourable Mr. Boyl who hath professedly writ against this Doctrine and hath with undeniable Demonstrations confounded it that is he hath most clearly and convincingly shew'd that the Ends and Designs of God in the Works of the Creation are manifestly known and in abundant Instances he shews that they are most obvious and apparent He denies not that in some of God's Works the Ends designed are somewhat obscure and seem to be beyond our reach but then it is as true that in most of them the Ends and Uses are manifest and the exquisite fitness of the Means is conspicuous And as he observes by this way of ordering and managing Things the most wise Author of them doth both gratify our Understandings and make us sensible at the same time of the Imperfection of them Indeed this must be said that Cartesius's Opinion viz. that the Consideration of Final Causes hath nothing to do in Philosophy is consistent enough with his own Principles for if all that we see in the Bodies of Animals and elsewhere in the World be merely Mechanical then there is no Contrivance no Art because he holds all to be the natural Result of Matter and consequently there is no End and which follows from that there is no Signature of Divine Wisdom in the framing of them But this Conceit of his of Mechanism hath been justly exploded by all the great Masters of Reason who have handled this Subject and the excellent Person before-named hath for ever silenc'd that Opinion if Convictive Arguments can silence it Therefore Des Cartes's denial of Final Causes falls to the Ground because it hath nothing to support it now since that Foundation is removed Mr. Boyl hath observed well not only like a Philosopher but a Christian that this French Wit by his throwing aside Final Causes hath thereby deprived his Disciples of the chief End of Natural Philosophy which is to set forth the Praises of God and to admire his Goodness and Wisdom in the Fabrick of the Universe But if we will truly Philosophize we must by no means shut out the Consideration of the Ends of the Creation but we must with great diligence and study enquire into them and acquaint our selves with them And then by seeing and observing the World we shall learn to know a God we shall be brought to acknowledg and adore an infinitely wise Author who appointed all things their Ends as well as gave them their Beginning And now having thus spoken in General I will descend to Particulars and consider the whole visible Structure and System of the World as to its several Parts Here we will contemplate 1. The Heavens 2. Those things which are observable between the Heavens and the Earth 3. The Earth 4. The Sea 5. The Inhabitants that belong to these several Regions Aerial Terrestrial Aquatile All these proclaim a God an Omnipotent Supream Being a Wise and Provident Governour CHAP. II. The Author proceeds to a Particular Proof of the Divine Existence and Providence from the Consideration of the Heavenly Bodies The unrivall'd Beauty of the Sun The Vniversal Vsefulness and Benefit of it It s vast Dimensions The trascendent Swiftness of its Motion It s Regular Course through the Heavens Where is largely discuss'd the Copernican Hypothesis concerning the Earth's Motion and is proved to be precarious because 1. It is grounded on this Vnphilosophical Notion that it is difficult and troublesome to the vast Heavenly Bodies to be continually journeying and posting and therefore the Copernicans would free them of this great Trouble by laying it upon the Earth which they fancy can bear it better 2. It confronts that Historical part of the Bible Jos. 10.13 Isa. 38.8 In such a plain Narration of Matter of Fact and that of a Miracle it is not to be supposed that Words are spoken any otherwise than according to the real Nature of the Thing and the Propriety of Speech 3. It proceeds upon an erroneous and mistaken Apprehension concerning the Nature of the Earth and the chief Inhabitant of it Man For both of them are far greater than the Heavens in real worth and value 4. We may as well imbrace the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which is an absolute Defiance to our Senses as this Opinion Objections and Evasions framed from Custom and the moving in a Ship answered 5. If the Trembling of the Earth may be felt as all grant then the violent Whirling of it about must needs be more sensible Objections against this answered Demonstrations which depend on the Eye-sight are fallible and have been questioned by the best Artists The Modishness of the Copernican Notion tempts most Men to follow it This is no Temptation to the Author who for the Reasons premised holds that the Heavens continually roll about the Earth from that effectual Impulse which they at first received from the Almighty Hand I Begin with the Heavens that immense Space where the Sun and Stars are placed that vast Expansum which contains the Great and Glorious Luminaries of the World for I speak not any thing of Angels the Blessed Inhabitants of this upper part of the Creation as afterwards when I shall treat of Man I shall say nothing of his Soul because I have design'd to discourse only of the visible World These Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal. 19.1 they tell aloud who was their Author even the same who is the Infinite and Bountiful Source of all Things He framed this Molten Looking-Glass Job 37.18 this Solid and Bright Mirrour of his own Majesty that we might behold Him and his Perfections in it And yet He stretched out the Heavens like a Curtain Psal. 104.2 as a Vail to shrowd as it were

Difference between a Motion of a part of the Earth as in the usual Shakings of it and of the whole as in the present Case Yes I grant a Difference but it makes against them for the the moving of the whole Terrestrial Mass is a more sensible thing than the Motion of a part of it only Therefore if we feel this latter we may feel the former i. e. we may feel it if there be any such thing But it is evident there is no such thing because we have no Sense at all of it For this and other Reasons I take the Immobility of the Earth to be an unshaken Verity I hold it a consistent and rational System that the Earth is the Steady Center of the Material World and that the Sun and Fixed Stars with their innate Light and the Planets with their borrow'd one wheel about this Beloved Spot and as it were dance round the Lord and Owner of it who is the Glory of this Visible World and the Image of the Supream Deity To conclude having thus offered my Own Thoughts on this Controverted Point I commend the Reader to that Accomplished Mathematician and Astronomer Ricciolus who hath in his Almagestum Novum several Demonstrative Arguments against the Copernican Hypothesis which if they be well weigh'd will be found to have great Force in them However this must be said that there is no certain Proof there is no Demonstration of the Contrary For tho there is a Great and Celebrated Experimenter in Philosophy one whose profound Insight into all Mathematical Secrets is well known to the World and whose Integrity and Faithfulness in discovering what he hath found out are not to be question'd in the least though there is I say such an Excellent Person who hath offer'd something to demonstrate the Earth's Diurnal Circuit for he found that there was a sensible Parallax of the Earth's Orb among the Fixed Stars and particularly that Fixed Star which is in the Dragon's Head yet no Man knows better than himself that Demonstrations that depend upon Eye-sight are fallible and uncertain witness the Disputes that have been between the Learnedst Mathematicians about Parallaxes and several other matters which are to be judged by Sense And this Gentleman himself declares that he was not fully satisfied with the Observation which he made because by reason of inconvenient Weather and some other Causes he could not make it exactly Therefore with all Deference and Respect paid to this Learned Gentleman and other Great Philosophers of our own Nation I look upon the Motion of the Earth as an Ingenious Conjecture only And so some of the most Judicious Writers have granted it to be But since several Persons of Eminency have appear'd in its behalf and have espous'd it as a true Hypothesis it hath been taken up for a modish piece of Philosophy for there is a Mode in Philosophy as well as in Clothes or any thing else and it h●th been thought ridiculous by some not to conform to it He is not reckon'd a Virtuoso who makes not this one of the Articles of his Philosophick Creed I am verily perswaded that most become tame Proselytes to this Opinion merely in Compliment to some considerable Persons who vouch it This is one of the chiefest Reasons why the Copernican Notion is so prevalent The other Doctrine held by the Old Peripatetick Gentlemen and others heretofore is grown out of Fashion and therefore is rejected I speak not this as if I were against any Ingenious Discovery or Invention be it never so New as I have already declared or against any Philosophick Liberty justly so called but then I would have it bottomed on some good Foundation something that a Man can have some Notice of by Sense or some other plain way But such is not the Doctrine of the Earth's Circumrotation Therefore it is so far as I have hitherto discern'd a precarious and groundless Opinion and is the vain result of Copernicus's Gigantick Attempt to raise up the Earth into the place of the Heavens I will only add this one thing more That seeing Copernicus's System begins to be Vulgar and Common I thence expect its Declination for very few Opinions of this Nature are long-lived when they come to be generally received For the Great and Ambitious Wits disdain what is Common and much more that which is Old and accordingly will bethink themselves of some New System or perhaps will retrieve the Old One which will seem New and Fresh at first especially from those Colours which they may give it Thus the Opinions concerning the Earth go round when That stands still For my part I keep my Ground and presume to proceed upon the Antient Hypothesis Which yet is not altogether so neither for that Great Soul of Astronomy Tycho Brahe hath maintain'd it making the Earth the Moveless Center of the World About this moves the vast Machin of the Heavens being set into Motion by the Almighty Architect and Framer of them But especially the Motion of the Sun in so constant and regular a Course is to be taken notice of by us with Religious Admiration If its Revolution were stopt in any one part of Heaven that side of the Earth which is next to it would be scorch'd and burnt up and the opposite side would be all frozen and by that means the whole Earth become useless which may give us some account of the great Blessing which we enjoy by the Circular Progress of the Sun CHAP. III. The Oblique Course of the Sun being the cause of the Vicissitudes of Day and Night of Winter and Summer which are so beneficial to Mankind is an Argument of the Divine Care and Providence The Powerful Influence of the Moon evidences the same So do the Planetary Stars and Fixed Ones Which latter are eminent for their Magnitude Number Beauty and Order Regular Course Vse and Influence all which set forth the Wisdom and Goodness of the Beneficent Creator The Study of the Stars leads us to God Astronomy Vseful BUT more particularly and signally the Course of it in that Oblique Line which it m●k●s is most remarkable and is a Proof of a Wise Being who order'd it so at first for the Good of the World For I listen not here to what a Modern Author suggests that the Heavens before the Deluge in Noah's time had not the same Course they now have As if the Eruption of the Flood had reach'd to the Celestial Orbs and had wash'd the Sun Moon and Stars We read that God threatned to send a floud of Waters on the face of the Earth Gen. 6.7 13 17. but there is not a word of the Heavens being concern'd in the Inundation But this Learned Writer tells us that not only the Earth but the Heavens are not the same that they were at first but that they have another Form and State and particularly he saith that the Situation of the Earth in respect of the Heavens

their Dens and Nests avoiding things noxious and hurtful and consulting their Safety and Welfare c. are palpable Indications of that Over-ruling Wisdom which they are acted by Some have lash'd out too far here and have from this Consideration viz. the great Sagacity of Brutes attempted to prove that they are Rational Plutarch hath a whole Treatise in favour of this The Pythagoreans held the same and it was grounded on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Democritus Empedocles and other Philosophers were of this Opinion as Stobaeus relates And we learn from Sextus Empiricus that it was asserted of old that no Animal is Irrational but that they are all capable of Understanding and Science Porphyrius is very warm on the same Argument and makes it the grand Foundation of his Discourse concerning Abstinence for therefore he saith we ought to refrain from feeding on any sort of Animals because they are like our selves Rational Beings Justice extends to them as well as to those of our own kind or rather they are of our own kind and therefore we must be just to them and consequently we must not take away their Lives for killing them is Injuring them And several other things he offers to prove this Opinion Indeed to give this Author his due he saith as much for the Rationality of Brutes as can possibly be suggested Nothing can be more Ingenious and Plausible than what he hath deliver'd so that Brutes are for ever oblig'd to him for his Endeavours of this sort Nay he and some others go further telling us that they have not only Reason but Speech and that as there are different Species of Brutes so there are of Languages too in which they understand one another And some Philosophers of old as Melampus Tiresias Thales Apollonius Tyanaeus and Pliny if A. Gellius saith true of him pretended that they understood them and Porphyrius was so foolish as to believe it and Sextus the Emperick had the same Thoughts It is true some Brutes have a way of communicating with one another i. e. by the Noise they make they signify to one another their natural Propensions and Desires thus Hens hold some vocal Correspondence with their young ones c. If this be all they mean by using a Language we acknowledg it but we cannot but add that it is improper and absurd to call an Inarticulate Sound a Language or Speech Nor can Brutes in general be said to have or use this when it is found but in few of them and especially when it is only an Expression of their natural Instincts and not of any internal Reason that they are owners of Had there been any such thing as the Language of Brutes wer should have heard of it from the Inquisitive Augurs among the old Romans If there had been any such Notion among the wisest of the Pagans most certainly they would have made Divinations from this But it appears that they had no such apprehension and among all their ways of Augury which was from what they could possibly observe in Animals we have not a Word of this we never read that any of their Soothsayers pretended to prognosticate from the Language of brute Beasts Which plainly shews that this was a groundless odd Fancy of a few Men and is no Proof of the Rationality of Beasts which is the thing they aim at There were some Iews likewise as well as Pagans that held there is Reason and Understanding properly so call'd in Beasts Philo was so deluded as to be of this Number and Maimonides and some other Rabbies follow'd him Yea one of the Christian Writers who was a Novice in Philosophy as well as Divinity maintains the Reasonableness of Brutes and holds that they use a Language And there are some Moderns who almost forfeit their Rational Nature by pleading for that of Brutes But all Persons void of Prejudice and vain Conceit exclude these Creatures from partaking of Reason strictly so call'd and only acknowledg a bare Semblance or Shew of it in them Which is the very thing that the Old Stagirite long since asserted There is saith he another kind of Prudence Art and Wisdom in Brutes and in the same Place he calls it an Image or Resemblance of Prudence As specious as it is it is founded in these two Memory and Sense The quickness of both these produceth those Actions in them which have some appearance of Reason some faint Glimmerings of Intellectual Light And let me add this which gives the true account of this matter and is a great Argument of the Divine Prudence and Management these Creatures are endued with this wonderful excellency of Memory and Acuteness of their Senses insomuch that they surpass Man because they are destitute of Reason which is Man's Prerogative For Reason is principally in order to Religion to the knowing and enjoying of God and understanding the Means in order to that end The Maker and Governour of the Universe hath wisely compensated the want of this in Brutes by bestowing on them a transcendent Sharpeness as to the other especially the Corporeal Senses which are more quick and apprehensive in them than in those of Humane Race Eagles and some other Fowls are more quick-sighted than Men. Some sorts of Dogs are note for their excellent Smelling though any Considerate Man may see that this excellent Quality is not so much for themselves as for their Masters for the Benefit and Advantage of their Owners yea most Beasts have a wonderful Acuteness and Dexterity as to their Outward Senses above Men and that because God hath bestowed some better thing upon Man viz. a Rational Soul In which respect it is said He teacheth us more than the Beasts of the Earth and maketh us wiser than the Fowls of Heaven Job 35.11 Therefore Pliny and Plutarch who blame the Conduct of Nature because all Creatures are armed but Man who comes helpless into the World talk very unphilosophically for they seem to forget that Man hath Reason which is better than Horns Shells c. They speak as if they were unacquainted with the Excellent and Noble Nature of this Faculty which is far superiour to all that is in Brutes and shews the great and singular Felicity of Man viz. that it consists not in the Operations of the lower Faculties but in the Perfections of the Rational Endowments It remains now that I answer an Objection and then put a Period to this Part of my Undertaking It may be said Are there not many Useless and Superfluous Animals in the World Yea is there not a great Number of Hurtful and Mischievous Creatures on the Earth and in the Air and 't is likely in the Waters too How can a Wise Providence be proved from the Existence of such Creatures as Foxes Otters Weesels Pole-Cats Rats and Mice To what purpose could Spiders Flies Fleas Lice Wasps Hornets Caterpillars or Owls Kites Valtures or Frogs Toads Serpents Vipers Scorpions be made Doth