IV. Hence we may discover how Unnatural as well as Impious a Heresy Ana-Baptism is in debarring Hence Ana-Baptism is Impious and Unnatural their Infants from the most Certain Means in the Course of GOD's Supernatural Providence to bring them to Heaven in case they Die before they come to use their deliberate Reason in chusing their Last End But I am here only to lay Certain and Evident Grounds to Confute Errors and not to Pursue them 16. Corollary V. Lastly hence is seen how far more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to hear The foregoing Principles show how much more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to know our Actions and Necessities our Petitions either put up to our common Lord or desiring the Assistance of their Prayen â— as also to know our Necessities our Amendment the Repeâ—tance of a Sinner for which as our Saviour says they have a particulâ—… Ioy tho' such happy Spirits know thâ—… Things after a far Clearer and Nobler Manner than Natural Knowers do viz. not iâ— ignoble Effects but in the best Manner à Prâ—ori or in the First Cause by seeing his Dâ—vine Essence in whom we do all Live Mâ—… and have our Being 17. The Practical Iudgment or Affection of the Soul as Experience teaches does more sway the Operations of it The Practical Iudgments or Affections to carry the Soul to the Attainment of the Good she most Lov'd here in case it be Attainable in the Future State and carry it towards the Attainment of what it wishes than the Greatest Speculative Knowledge of any Good whatever For since we have two Operative Faculties of the Soul Understanding and Will and the Understanding as contradistinguisht from the Will has for it's Proper Act or Effect only a Speculative Knowledge or Iudgment of the Truth of the Thing abstracting from this consideration whether it be our Good or no and goes no farther but when our Consideration by a Close and frequent Converse with the Object and a more thorow-Penetration of it's Agreeableness or how Good it is to us lays this Agreeableness to â—…art and Conceits it to be our Interest to have â—… there are immediately produced in us Affections or which is the same Practical Iudgments â—…pelling us to Act for it or pursue it which are â—…cts of the Will Hence 't is only these Practical Judgments and not Speculative ones which move us to the pursuit and Attainment of any â—…ood whether that Object be our True Good 〈…〉 no. 18. Intellectual Goods tho' Infinite or the seeing Him who is Infinite Truth The Best Intellectual Good or the Sight of GOD is Attainable in the Nâ—xt Life if the Soul be Dispos'd for it are immediately attain'd by the Soul when Separated if she be dispos'd with a Perfect Affection or Love for it For since the Soul is of an Intellectual Nature and such that she is not Capable to be satiated or fill'd with Finite Truths how Great or Many soever they be and therefore she is by her Nature ordain'd to see an Infinit Truth nor can her Speculative Knowledge of all Created Truths breed any Hindrance but by giving her more Light of the Excellency of that Divine Object is rather if no sinister Affection detain her ordain'd to beget in her a high Affection for it nor in the Case here put does any sinister Practical Judgment or any such Affection detain her from it in regard it is here suppos'd that she has an Affection for it so that not only the whole Bent of her unperverted Nature but also the whole Propension of her Voluntary Affections gain'd here by frequent and most Deliberate Acts have addicted her to know or see that Blissful Object Wherefore all imaginable Dispositions being put on her part to see this Infinit Truth it will be seen and known by the Soul in case it be of its own nature Intelligible which 't is most evident it is For since all Unintelligibleness or Obscurity of any Object springs from the Confusedness and Indetermination found in it which arises from the Power or Matter and all Distinctness and by consequence greater Intelligibility from the Act and GOD or Infinit Truth is an Infinitely Pure and most simple Actuality or Purus Candor Aeternae Lucis and therefore of his own Nature infinitely Intelligible and consequently will be actually known so there be no Indisposition Blemish or Impurity in the Spiritual Eye of the Understanding which is to know it or which is the same some Inordinate Affection for some Created or False Good makinâ— it addict its squinting Eye towards It. It followâ— hence that since Extrinsecal Application has no place here or rather this Perfect Affection being the very and only Application of one Spirit to another all imaginable Causes are put for such an Effect or for such a Soul 's seeing God and consequently the Effect it self or the Beatifical Vision must follow 19. Coroll VII Hence the whole Employ of our Lives here ought to be this viz. to take care we do not Therefore to work up our Christian Principles to such Good Dispositions ought to be the whole Employ of our Life here set our Affections inordinately on Temporal or False Goods which being Fleeting do perish and leave us Empty in our Future never-dying State but wisely to wean our selves from affecting them excessively and withal to gain Predominant Practical Judgments or Affections for Eternal Goods which will never leave us and withall will fill and satisfy our Boundless Wishes in the other World or which is the same make us Eternally Happy 20. Cor. VIII Hence is shown that only Love of God above all things can dispose us for Heaven or which This good Disposition is Charity or the Love of GOD above all things is the same make us held worthy or deserve such an Infinit Reward which is Promist us by God's Goodness upon our putting that good Disposition 21. Coroll IX Hence all the Law and the Prophets all the whole Body of Hâ—nce all the Means and Motives lay'd by our B Saviour â—â—nd only to breed and promote in us this Predominant Aâ—fâ—â—ction for Heaven Christian Doctrin all Christ's Instructive Words Exemplary Actions and Affective Sufferings all Church-Government Sacraments Teaching Preaching Mortification Reading Holy Books perusing the Lives of the B. Saints and Martyrs nay all our Keeping Festivals and all Ceremonious Actions of what kind soever if righâ—ly understood and made use of are of no worth or Efficacy towards our Salvation farther than they may â—end Immediately or Remotely to breed and advance in Souls this Ultimate and Effectual Disposition to Bliss Perfect Charity or the Love of GOD above all things whence will follow of course the Love of our Neighbour as our selves and Eternal Happiness as the Reward of both 22. Corollary X. Hence RELIGION is the Art of breeding up Souls in such a manner as may dispose them The
defeat all the Opâ—â—ion that can be made against it 10. Corollary I. Our foregoing Discourses being chiefly built on that piece of Doctrine in my Method This Doctrine being built on that Logical Maxim All Differences are more and less of the Generical Notion The Consideration of that Thesis is recommended to the Reader B. I. L. 3 § 2. that all Intrinsecal or Essential Differences in any Predicament or under whatever Notion are nothing else but More and Less of that Notion therefore since so much stress is put upon this Thesis I beg of my Readers to peruse attentively the Third Chapter of my Method to Science my Ideae Cartesianae Expensae Pag. 51 52 53. and Raillery Defeated § 72. where this Position is at large explicated and defended against the Mistakes of my Opposers Which I do the rather Request because however it may seem New yet I dare affirm that besides it 's being perfectly Demonstrable no one Rule in Logick is more Useful to keep our Notions Distinct or to frame Right Definitions or to Discourse solidly or exactly 11. Corollary II. What 's deduc'd here of the very Essences of things being intellectually or as Objects in the This holds equally in the Soul which is of a Spiritual Nature Understanding of an Angel does for the same reason hold in every Spiritual or Cognoscitive Nature and consequently in the Soul whether in the Body or Separated the Argument being grounded on the Nature of a Spirit and it 's being Superiour to the Nature of Body 12. Corollary III. For the same reason what has been discourst before of the Angels being Pure Acts are Immutable Immutability of a Soul while Separated and of her Final or Eternal State springing from her Choice of a wrong Last End if unretracted before Death may Mutatis Mâ—tandis be apply'd to an Angel without needing Repetition or farther Enlarging upon it 13. Since the Essence or Nature of an Angel is to be after such a manner Cognoscitive the Distinction of Angels The Distinction of Angels is taken from their being more or less Cognoscitive after their manner must consist in their being more or less thus Cognoscitive This is already Demonstrated because by the Doctrine lately given all the Intrinsecal or Essential Differences under whatever Kind or Notion are nothing but more or less of the Common Notion or the partaking of it unequally 14. Yet this Degree of Cognoscitiveness which â—â—â—â—itutes Distinct Angels must This is not to be understood of the greater Extent of their Knowledge but of the Intenseness or Penetrativeness of it understood of the Intenseness â— their Knowledge or the Penetrativeness of their Knowing Poâ—â— For since every Pure Act â—â—is shown above and particuâ—â—â— Raillery Defeated P. 89 90. â—â—ws All things it cannot be understood of the Extent of their Knowledge or that one of them knows a Greater Number of things than Another It must therefore be meant â—â— One of them knows things more perfectly â—â—â— clearly thorowly or deeply than Another â—â—â— Which as may be seen in my Ideae Cartesianae P. 68 69. may spring from two Causes Oâ— Because Eorum aliqui magis perspicaâ—i Intelâ—â—â— acie praediti sunt quà m alii which seems â—â— be most Essential to them The Other Because by their seeing better the First Cause it self they must better and withal more solidly and â—â—â—ndedly know those Effects that spring â—â—â—m that Supreme Cause 15. Corollary IV. From this Greater or Lesser Excess of Knowledge as thus explicated as far as Natural Hence as far as Reason carries us is taken the Distinction of the Three Hierarchies and Nine Quires of Angels Reason carries us are taken the Diverse Orders of Angels All farther or more particular Disquisition concerning the Three Hierarchies and Nine Quires of Angels is left to Divines gathering them from Holy Writ and the Antient Mysticks A Philosopher must step no farther than he can tread sure upon his own Firm Grounds 16. Corollary V. From our Discourse about Human Souls and Angels will be seen in what different manner The different manner by which Angels and Human Souls come to have all their Knowledge and by what means an Angel and a Humane Soul when Separate come to know all things The Later by Notions caus'd at first by Impressions on the Senses and improv'd into Iudgments and Discourses The Former by Knowledge not Acquir'd but Innate The First and Immediate Objects of both of them is Themselves or their own Essence Whence a Soul in regard it's Body and consequently the Determination of the Degree of Rationality it had grew as it were out of Natural Causes knows all things as first Connected with her self then with one another in the well-linkt Chain of those Causes in which there can be no Flaw or Interruption But an Angel knows all Things by Transcending from one Ens or one Degree of Entity to another and this Intuitively that is an Angel by knowing it self knows what place it bears in the Order of Angels or Spirits And since it could not know it 's own particular pitch or Individuality but by knowing how high or low it is in the Order of Angelical Beings nor could this be known but by knowing the whole Order because in an Order which is contriv'd after the best manner each part is proportion'd in exact Symmetry to the rest Hence the Knowledge of that whole Order and consequently of each part of it or each Entity in the whole Creation is Due to it's Nature and therefore is given it As for the Knowledge of Corporeal Nature 't is below them both and therefore both of them comprehends it Knowingly as is deduced above Lastly The Soul gains her Knowledge by Abstract or Inadequate Notions and by Discourse whereas an Angel knows at once the Whole Entities and all that belongs to them and this not by Discourse or Reflex Thoughts but by a Direct Penetrative and Comprehensive Intuition 17. There is besides those Differences amongst Angels mention'd § 13. 14. and Câ—roll V. Another arising from These Angels have a Nobler Essence whose each Act of Knowledge has for it's Object a Greater Portion of the Universe the several Degrees or rather Manners of that Cognoscitiveness which is Essential to them viz. That some of them know more things by One Operation or Act of Knowledge or as it were by one Thought than Another does which happens because the Object of each Thought which some of them have is more Universal than are the Objects of those Thoughts that others have Parallels of which may be found among our several Sorts of Knowers or Philosophers here Some treat of such particular Sorts of Quantities or Figures Others of Quantity or Figure in their whole Latitude or iâ— Common Some Philosophers have for the Objects of their Knowledge such a sort of Ens as Minerals or such a Species of Birds or Beasts Others raise their Thoughts to contemplate Body or
needs no more but to shew that the Connexion he pretends to lies Open or is Inâ—oherent For this done the Sinows of his â—iscourse are Slacken'd and Enfeebl'd and â—he Arguments he so much presum'd on lose â—ll their Credit Truths are so compacted and cimented with one another that it would be impossible his Reasons should keep up their Repute when the most Authentick Testimonies of so many Opposite Truths conspire to show their Senseless Vanity Especially when those Arguments are pretended to be drawn from the Nature of the several Subjects or Things there mentioned v. g. from the Nature of a Spirit of the Soul of her Operation of Knowing of the Object of Knowledge of Similitudes of the Nature of Relation of our Notions and of Words which are to signifiâ— them of Predication or the Verification oâ— Propositions c. For in such a Case each of these Natures having their peculiar Maxims or Principles belonging to them all which give Light and are Consonant to one another all the Art of Mankind could not possibly hinder such a Position from being seen plainly and held to be Pure Nonsence On the other side nothing that I can see has been Objecteâ— against this Position but that their Fancy tâ— which it is very Unsuitable is out of Humouâ— at it Whereas that Faculty it being perfectly Material and Common to Us and Bruteâ— has nothing at all to do with Spiritual Natures or their Operations in regard they never enter'd into our Senses nor consequently could we have any Phantasms of them aâ— yet these Gentlemen seem to make their Fancâ— the Sole Judge in such Matters of which she is no more able to have any Light than a Blind man is to see Colours XVI The Cartesian Ideists did indeed oppose that Thesis which a Jest or too but I thank them never Answer'd so much as one of my Arguments as if they held that the Nature of Man did not consist in Rationality but meerly in Risibility The rest of their Performances was Railing Forging and Ridiculous Libelling What Success they had may be seen in my several Replies viz. in my Ideae Cartesianae Expensae my NONULTRA or RULE of TRUTH and my Raillery Defeated by Calm Reason In which their Philosophy as they call'd it was shewn to be quite destitute of any Principles their Fundamental Positions were confuted by Plainest Demonstrations nay their very RULE of Knowing any thing was manifestly and Unanswerably Prov'd to be most Ridiculous Nonsense But that which put them to Silence and Shame was the Fair Offer or Civil Challenge I sent them Rule of Truth p. 119. 120 121. to bring so much as One Argument which they would vouch to be Conclusive for any One Point of the Cartesian Doctrine and it should Conclude the whole Cause Or if that were too Troublesome that they would barely Name any Principle of theirs which they conceiv'd to be the Strongest or most Evident of any they had and which they judg'd was Influential upon the Cartesian Doctrine and I would undertake to Demonstrate that either it was no Principle or else that it had no force to prove any one Point of their Doctrine True nor had any Influence upon it This was so Direct and Honest a Procedure on my part and so Easy to be comply'd with on theirs in case they had indeed any one such Principle and yet as appear'd of their Non-acceptance of it so impossible to be done or comply'd with that every Intelligent Man could not but see that Cartesius did only talk Wittily in the Air but had not so much as one Inch of Firm Ground on which he could build the least piece of his Doctrine XVII Hence the more I consider'd these Unaccountable things call'd Ideas the more I became Dissatisfy'd with them For first I could not get any Light from the Users of them to guess at much less know what they are â— saw the Ideists totally build upon them and divide them into many several sorts yet none of them were so kind as to acquaint us what Kind or Sort of Things the Ideas themselves were or what was their Generical Notion without knowing which all those Particular Sorts of them and consequently their whole Bookâ— were utterly Unintelligible The Cartesianâ— made them several and Inconsistent things that is perfectly and in many Regards Chimerical Now they tell us they are the very Things themselves as conceiv'd by us Presently after their Fancy recoiling they tell us that Vicem gerunt rei that is that they stand instead of the Things which signifies they are not the Things Can the Thing stand for or supply the place of it self Or can there need any Proxy for what is it self Present to the Mind What can any Man living make of that which neither is the Thing nor is not the Thing or rather which at once both is the Thing and is not the Thing Shortly after as if they meant to split an Indivisible or to nick the Middle between two Contradictions they explicate their Ideas to be quasi res as if it were the Thing whereas one should rather think that if they be not the Thing they are as if it were Nothing Afterwards they assure us they are Ipsissima Mentis Operatio the very Operation or Action of the Mind Now this is neither the Thing which is the Object of our Understanding if it knows any Thing as they sometimes grant nor what stands for the Object nor so much as if it were the Object but is relatively Contradistinct or Opposit to the Object for the Operation and that on which it Operates are most clearly such Again they tell us 't is a Representation of the Thing but not a meer Similitude of it The latter Words tell us what it is not and lest we might hapto understand the former which should tell us distinctly what it is they quibble in it and make it ambiguous The Obvious sense of Representare is to Resemble but they have found out an odd Sense it may as a Term of Art have in some Occasions and to amuze us they pretend it must have it here which is presentem sistere that is to put or set the Thing Present to the Mind Well then if it puts or makes the Thing Present to the Mind Common Sense tells us the Thing it self is in the Mind when 't is made Present to it or put there And if the Thing it self be there why is it said that only Vicarium Rei or quasi-Res is there What Stuff is this See each of those particulars at large shewn from their own express Words Ideae Cartesianae Indicatio 3 from p. 116. to p. 124. XVIII Mr. Locke's Candour and Iudiciounes set him above this Shuffling Folly He could not but see it would be expected from him and was Necessary to give us some Definition of an Idea since his whole Essay proceeds upon Ideas yet his Acute Foresight made him Wary to Venture upon such an
which can have no Existence in Nature 26 How some do mistake the Nature of the Indivisibility attributed to the Soul 27. The Proper and True Sense in which a Spirit is said to be Indivisible 28. That 't is consonant to the Nature of the Subject that the Soul should contain Corporeal Nature and it 's Modes Indivisibly 29. In what Sense we are to take the word Instantaneous when we say the Operations of Pure Spirits are such 30. Last Demonstration Concluding the Whole Point That our Soul it heing so manifestly and manifoldly Demonstrated to be IMMATERIAL is necessarily IMMORTAL MEDITATION In discoursing of our Soul we must transcend our Senses and Corporeal Phantasms and avail our selves only by Reflexion on those Operations which are Proper to it 'T is to be fear'd the Chief Origin of Atheism is in Men's Wills it being so easie to satisfie their Understandings What Duties are incumbent on Us who know and acknowledge our Soul to be Immortal Our former Demonstrations of that Great and most Concerning Truth summ'd up and Recapitulated Of what vast Importance it is to lay 〈…〉 heart this Preliminary Truth to all Religion BOOK II. Of PURE ACTS CHAP. I. Of the SOUL SEPARATED and ANGELS § 1. THe Soul does at her Separation receive some Change according to the Manner of her Existing and her Suppositality 2. The Means how this is done illustrated 3. Yet the same Individual Nature remains in her 4. All the Knowledges and Unretracted Affections the Soul had here remain still in her 5. Each Soul when Separated knows all Created Truths 6. How this is very Possible 7. Hence every Separated Soul knows all Time and Place 8. Hence her Operations are not measur'd by Time They and their Subject being of a Superiour Nature 9. Hence she will be Eternally Miserable unless she knows the First Cause GOD. 10. Hence also she is naturally Unchangeable 11. Hence too as soon as Separated she knows all the Thoughts and Affections Words and Actions of her past Life 12. Whence follows the Particular Judgment which determines her Lot at the hour of Death 13. Hence is understood how the Book of Conscience will be laid open at the Last Day 14. And how Infants are connaturally sav'd by Baptism 15. Hence Ana-Baptism is Impious and Unnatural 16. The foregoing Principles show how much more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to know our Actions and Necessities 17. The Practical Iudgments or Affections do carry the Soul to the Attainment of the Good she most Lov'd here in case it be Attainable in the Future State 18. The Best Intellectual Good or the Sight of GOD is Attainable in the Next Life if the Soul be Dispos'd for it 19. Therefore to work up our Christian Principles to such Good Dispositions ought to be the whole Employ of our Life here 20. This good Disposition is CHARITY or the Love of GOD above all things 21. Hence all the Means and Motives laid by our B. Saviour tend only to breed and cultivate in our Souls this Predominant Affection for Heaven 22. Hence RELIGION is the Way of breeding up Souls in such a manner as may dispose them fâ—… Eternal Bliss 23. From the same Principles is Demonstrated that To depart hence with a Contrary Disposition 〈…〉 a First Affection for any Creature will torment the Soul when Separated with most Unspeakable Grief and Anguish 24. The State of Separation Elevates the Soul to aâ—… Incomparably higher Perfection of Existence shâ—… being then a Pure Act than she had here 25. Wherefore it does consequently Elevate the Activity of all her Powers and particularly the Acts of her Will her Affections to an Unconceiveable Intenseness and Vehemency above what she had while in the Body 26. Hence the Poena Damni in Wicked Souls foâ—… the Loss of the Sight of GOD and also the Loss of thâ—… Temporal False Good they here doted on is Unspeakable and plunges them in a HELL of Misery Their Sad Condition describ'd 27. Hence 't is evident that GOD damns no Man but that the Sinner while he hugs and cherishes 〈…〉 his Thoughts those Inordinate Affections for Creatures on which by his own Deliberate Choice 〈…〉 had set his First Love does connaturally kindlâ—… and foment all the while Hell-Fire in his own Soul To which GOD contributes no farther but by conserving the Wisest Course of the World that Propeâ—… Causes should have their Effects which he has 〈…〉 reason to alter for their sakes 28. The Knowing then all Truths Speculatively doeâ—… not alter the Predominant Affection for Creatures As the Tree falls so it lies 29. Hence one Enormous Actual Sin unrepented renders a Separated Soul liable to Eternal Damnation 30. That the State of Separation does not alter the First Affection of Souls farther Demonstrated 31. Hence Sin does not formally consist in the Falsity of the Practical Iudgment or Affection but in the Disproportion and Inordinateness of it 32. ' From the former Principles it follows that all those several Kinds of Knowledges we had here will be Elevated to an Unmeasurable Excess in the State of Separation 33. Hence also all the Virtuous Affections which good Souls had here for Friends Relations and Acquaintances will remain in the Next Life and make them ardently wish and pray for their Salvation 34. That each Particular Deduced here is Demonstrable by the Principles laid formerly Shown by repeating those Principles 35. Wherefore there is not the least Thought Word or Action Good or Bad which we ever had or did in this Life but will have it's Consequent and Proper Effect Adjusted and Proportion'd to it in the Next MEDITATION The Admirable Nature of a Soul when separated and become a Pure Spirit Display'd That there is no Comparison between our Soul's Condition here and That in the State of Separation Meer Humane Science when at the Height was too short and Impotent to raise Mankind to those Dispositions that fit him for True Happiness The Necessity of Divine Revelation farther shown That the Christian Life is most Comfortable and the Un-Christian Life most full of Anxiety The Unexpressible Transports of Joy which Holy Souls experience at their first entring into Bliss CHAP. II. Of the Existence Essence Knowledge Distinction and Action of ANGELS § 1. THE Order of the Universe requires that there should be Different Kinds of Beings 2. And much more that there should be Pure Acts or ANGELS 3. Especially since the Angelical Natures are Capable of Existing 4. And that otherwise there could be no Immediate Cause of Motion 5. As is also demonstrated from the Nature of all Causality 6. Every more perfect Ens includes in it the Nature of the less-perfect as it is an Ens. 7. And therefore Pure Acts or Spirits Contain in them the Nature of Body 8. Which since it cannot be done by way of Quantity they must contain them by the way of Knowledge 9. Therefore the very Natures or Essences of Bodies are in
her and therefore cannot nourish or improve her but tend to pervert and destroy her Spiritually 16. This Knowledge must also be Evident or beyond Probability For otherwise The Knowledge of Truth which thus perfâ—cts Man must be Evident 't is not properly Knowledge Nor can we be truly said to â—…now a thing to bee if we see it may not bee it being against a First Principle and a Proof which is no more than Probable cannot make us see that the Thing may not bee or necessarily is for an Evident Proof can do no more 17. Corollary VII Whence what has but a Probable Proof cannot sink into or cling to her Knowing Probability perfects no Man Nature or improve and nourish it nor so much as be receiv'd in it at all as 't is Knowing but as 't is Unknowing or Ignorant either of True Principles or of Right Deduction 18. Corollary VIII Hence also what only affects and dilates the Memory or Nor the improving his Memory or Fancy Fancy or serves to excite the Passions as Skill in Languages Eloquence Wit and such like is not properly Connatural Food for the Knowing Nature of the Soul tho' they may be very Useful to express her Knowledge or be a Means to gain Knowledge from those Authors who writ in other Languages Or lastly For her Recreation which is not properly the Food of the Soul but a kind of Sauce to that Food 19. Corollary IX Hence to endeavour the Promoting the Evident Knowledge of Truths especially of those The promoting Evident Truth is the Noblest Action of Man which are of the Highest Concern is the most Manly most Noble and most Universally Beneficial Action that can possibly be perform'd by Manâ— as having for it's Object the most General Good of MANKIND that can be imagin'd And which if it be of Sacred or Revealed Truths has a Direct Tendency to bring him to his Last End and dispose him for Eternal Happiness 20. Corollary X. Hence all Errour it being when reduced to it's True and Hence Errour is the greatest Depravation of Man's Nature Proper Original a Contradiction is a Deprauation of the Soul and if it be such an Errour as is Opposite to those Truths which guide her towards her True Last End it tends of it's own nature to ruin and destroy her Spiritually And would Actually do so if the Poison of it were not rebated and render'd Ineffectual by the Antidote of a Sincere and Good Intention that is such a one as springs from some Truth of a High Nature which well imprinted cultivated and become Practical in that well-meaning Soul directs and strongly addicts her to the Pursuit of that which is her Chief Good Eternal Happiness 21. From what has been Demonstrated § 14 it is Evident That the Essence of Man is RATIONALITY or the The Essence of Man is Rationality Power of Reasoning For as was prov'd above Ch. 2. § 9. 10. and is evident of it self That is the Essence of every thing from which immediately proceeds the Power to perform it's Primary Operation for which it was ordain'd and made But the Act of Reasoning which by § 14 is his Primary Operation proceeds immediately from the Power of Reasoning therefore the Power of Reasoning or Rationality â—â— the Essence of Man 22. Moreover Rationality does perfectly distinguish Man from all other Sorts And distinguishes him from Angels and Brutes of Things whether they be Boâ—…s or Spirits For Matter tho' 〈…〉 parts be never so artificially â—…d together can never make Knowledge and therefore no meer Body can know or Reason And it distinguishes him also from all other Sorts of Spiritual Natures that is from Pure Spirits or Angels in regard that These having no Matter or Quantity in them their Operations â—re therefore Unsuccessive or Instantaneous because there cannot be Part after Part which is the Notion of Succession in that which has no Parts at all Whereas in the Act of Reasoning the Whole Suppositum which has in it both Soul and Body being that which operates hence every such Act it being accompany'd with the Act of the Fancy which is Corporeal is thence necessitated to be Successive both because no Corporeal Motion can be in an Instant as also because no two Parts of such a Motion can possibly be together for this would make it Unsuccessive 32. Corollary XI Hence is demonstrated That Animal Rationale is a True and Proper Definition of Man Hence Animal Rationale is his true Definition Because it both explains or gives us his True Essence and also Distinguishes Mankind from all other Kinds or Sorts of Things 24. In this Essence of Man Rationality are included the Power of Simply Apprehending or Conceiving and In Rationality are included the Powers of Apprehending and Judging the Power of Iudging especially the Power of Seeing the First Principles to be True and Self evident For since in that Compleat Act of Reasoning which is Formally oâ— Equivalently a Syllogism there are necessarily included Iudgments because we cannot hold a Conclusion Inferr'd by our Reason to be True unless we first Iudge the Premisses to be such nor that it follows from those Premisses unless we Iudge that Identical Proposition on which is Grounded the Force of the Consequence to be both True and Self-evident Again since in every Iudgment are Included those Notions or Simple Apprehensions call'd the Subject Copula and Predicate which are the Immediate Parts of the Proposition we Judge of and the Remote Materials of all our Discoursings or Reasonings It follows that tho' the Powers of Apprehending and Iudging be not Formally the Power of Reasoning yet they are Included in it as Integral Parts constituting it or Presuppos'd to it 24. For the same Reason the Power of Reâ—…ing the Particles or Effluviâ—… emitted from outward Objects As also the Power of receiving Simple Apprehensions by Impressions from Objects transmitted them to the Brain and Transmitting them at â—â—rst to the Brain or the Seat of Knowledge is a Necessary Requisite or Previous Disposition to Rationality For since we cannot Discourse without Iudging nor Iudge without Propositions which are the Objects of Judging nor have Propositions in us without having Simple Apprehensions or Notions â—hich are the Parts of a Proposition of which it â—…sists Nor lastly can we as will be prov'd â—…ortly have Notions but by Receiving Impressions on the Senses from Outward Objects and â—…nce on the Brain or Seat of Knowledge by affecting which they do consequently or after it's manner affect the Soul which immediately inâ—…ms that Part and is identify'd with it and thence imbues her with those Notions It follows that the Power of Receiving those Particles by the Senses and transmitting them to the Seat of Knowledge is a Necessary Prerequisite to Rationality and an Essential Property of Man 25. The Power of REFLECTING on our Notions had at first by means of the Senses is also an Essential Property
Stone and a Tree a Horse and an Eagle a Lizard and a Herring c. Nor is at all to purpose to alledge they are a Compound Thing for this is contrary to many Evident Truths since it has been demonstrated Ch. 1. § 27. that there are no Actual Parts in any Compound whatever Nor can the Parts of Ens joyn to make One Thing otherwise than as one of them is Determinable Potential or has the Notion of Matter the other Determinative of the Other as it 's Form Lastly that Unum or One Thing would be Divisum in se which is against the Nature of Ens. Nor is it to purpose to alledge they are United by their Acting together for this only makes them Coacters such as the Principal Cause and the Instrument uses to be and not One Thing as is clearly shown Preliminary V. § 25. Besides they must Be One Thing ere they can Act as One Thing which as is there shown makes the alledging this for a Reason very Preposterous 38. Corollary XIV From what 's deduced above 't is demonstrated against that every-way-Groundless Opinion That the Pre-existence of Souls is a Senseless Conceit and Impossible of the Pre-existence of Souls Since the Form of an Ens being but a Part of that thing it belongs to and a Part of a Thing not being the Thing it self or the Whole Thing and only the Thing it self being Capable of Existance the Soul which is the Form of Man cannot possibly exist till it informs the Matter and with it makes up that Thing call'd Man 39. Corollary XV. Hence that foppish Opinion of the Transmigration of Souls So is the Pythagorean Transmigration is confuted Since the Form is not Received but in Matter fitted to receive it or Dispos'd for it and with it compounding one Thing which shall have a Primary Operation sutable to the Nature of such a Compound which kind of Disposition can no where be found but in Humane Bodies otherwise every meer Animal and Vegetable might require and therefore have a Rational Soul in them which put there could neither need any Transmigration nor could it be without having two Souls in one Body or Two Forms in the same Matter which would make every such Compound a CHIMERA Whence I am forced to declare that those who talk of GOD's Annexing Reason to the Matter of a Brute bid fair for the Tenet of a Pythagorean Transmigration for to what other end can the starting such a Question or such a wild Supposition tend 40. Corollary XVI Hence is farther shown that to those who ask How the Soul and Body come to be That 't is a Folly to ask how the Soul and Body came to be United United The properest Answer is They were never DISUNITED or TWO A farther reason how they come to be One may be gather'd out of the following Meditation MEDITATION BY this time my Soul we have rais'd our selves by immediate Steps from the Material World our Underling and God's Footstool The Rational Progress and Immediate Steps of our Thoughts hitherto till we are come within Ken of our own Nature Nor can we think we have err'd in that Noble and Necessary Quest There have been no Meandrian Turnings and Windings in our Rational Progress which is the Way we have taken We started first from the Simplest and as we may say Embryo-Notions of POWER and ACT which belong to every Created Being We proceeded next to that sort of Power and Act which compounds the Changeable Nature of BODY We went on to take a view of the Essences of the most Uncompounded Bodies and those of their Simpler Mixts and Demixts till we arriv'd at those most Compounded ones which are Organical such as are Vegetables and Animals divers Parts of which seem to have distinct Natures and Operations of their own But they only seem to have them for out of the Compound they can perform no such Operations at all because those Parts being only Potential or in Power to be Things they are hence of themselves not Actually Things nor capable of Being nor consequently of Acting So that 't is the Compound only that Acts according to such a Part which is somewhat of it because it only Is or is in Act. Lastly We have shewn the Establishment of the Essence of an Animal and that its Primary Operation for which it was ordain'd is like it self meerly Sensitive or Material But must the Climax of BEING stop in that lowest Degree of Entity Base Matter Why it was necessary such a Creature as MAN should be made No surely For how should the Alpha of all Being be the Omega of it too if there were nothing Created here but such a Stupid and Senseless Nature as Body which is utterly unable to ascend to him or raise it self towards him and chuse him for its Last End and Final Good And yet how should meer Matter rise to that vastly higher Story of Being call'd Spiritual or how should it arrive to a next Neighbourhood with an Angel They seem rather Contradictory and in the highest manner Opposite The one is of its own Nature Divifible the other Indivisible The one is a Pure Act the other is meerly Potential being made of Matter which depresses it's Compart while here to a Potential State also The Order of Beings which is the Product of God's Creative Wisdom could not but be contriv'd with all the Beauty of the most exact Harmony which consists in fitting one Thing to another It must then arise by Immediate Degrees otherwise it would not be Compacted but Shatter'd And it had been too great a Leap and had left too wide a Chasm in the Frame of the Creation to ascend or rather skip from meer Matter to a Pure Spirit But what cannot Infinite Wisdom By what means GOD's Infinite Wisdom contriv'd the Union of the Soul and Body in one Thing contrive without either perverting or straining the Proportions of Order or Violating the Natures of Body or Spirit either Wherefore to make the Contexture of Beings Close and not intersticed by Flaws Gaps or Incoherences Divine Providence which disposes all things sweetly order'd there should be some Dispositions in Matter which requir'd to be indu'd with such a Form as was beyond the Power of Matter to produce 〈◊〉 have educed out of it viz. Such as was of a Spiritual Nature tho' of the lowest size to perform with its Assistance Operations beyond the Power of Matter to compass alone that is with a Faculty of Reasoning which partakes in some sort â—â—th Natures or with a Power both of Knowing 〈◊〉 also of Succession in Acquiring or Using that Knowledge Those Dispositions being laid in Matter 〈◊〉 â—â—llow'd necessarily that a Form of a Spiritual Naâ—â—re would be in it For to an Infinite Being streamâ—…enerously his Gifts from his Exuberant Source of â—…ss there needs no more to receive and have the Effects of his Bounty but to be Dispos'd for them or
thus The Essence or Nature of Body consisting of Power and Act or Matter and Form has consequently in it's Bowels a Ground of Separability of one from the other or of Dissolution and Destruction of that Compound Ens whenee it is Less Capable of Being as having a constant Capacity of Not-Being woven into it's very Nature Whereas the other Species of Ens Spirit being of it's own peculiar Nature or as 't is contradistinguisht from Body a Pure Act without any Power in it to become another Ens that is without Matter in it has on the contrary no Composition in it nor Power by means of which it might come to lose it's Act or Form and therefore it is of it 's own Nature Indissoluble â—ncorruptible and Immortal The very Terms evincing that what has no Composition in it as to it's Entity is of it's own Nature Incapable of Dissolution as to it 's Entity that is not Mathematically Indivisible as our former Note shew'd but Metaphysically or Entitatively Indivisible and therefore not obnoxious to lose it's Unity or Entity Wherefore the best most Positive and most Proper Notion we can have of a Spiritual Being is that it is a Pure Act which has an Incomparably Greater Capacity of Being than Body has and consequently it is of a Superiour and far more Noble Nature in the Line of Ens. Whence follows that it comprehends eminently in it self the whole Inferiour Nature of Body and being a Pure Act essentially and consequently essentially Active or rather Acting it has a Power or Virtue in it if nothing hinders it's proceeding to Action to order dispose of or alter that Inferiour and meerly Passive Ens Material Nature as it pleases 28. Note III. The Spiritual Nature of the Soul then transcending in it's Essence this That 't is consonant to the Nature of the Subject that the Soul should contain Corporeal Nature and it 's Modes Indivisibly Corporeal World made of the Perishable Rubbish of Base Matter and thence containing in it self after a manner Proper to it's own Nature that is Intellectually or Indivisibly taking this word as explain'd above all the Natures Powers Modes Operations Existence Duration Succession c. that ever did or can belong to Material Nature there can be no wonder that all these as we have shown in our several Demonstrations are compriz'd and can exist in the Soul 's Spiritual Nature as in a Higher Orb of Being comprehending after it's manner all that can be in the Lower and Narrower one of Body Nor can it shock any considerate Man that the Operations proper to the Soul should be Inexplicable according to Physical Principles or transcend the Notions of Bodily Substances and their Modes which we receive by means of the Senses and the Phantasms they imprint which makes them so unsuitable to Fancy and yet I am sure this is all that the Impugners of this Doctrine have to build upon or object For not one Objection drawn from a Metaphysical Medium did they ever produce tho' nothing is more Evident than 't is that only These can have any force against us or do them any service 29. Note IV. As my First and Second Note show how grosly those short-sighted Speculaters do mistake In what Sense we are to take the word Instantaneous when we say the Operations of Pure Spirits are such while they conceit that the Essence of the Soul is Indivisible after the manner of a Mathematical Point so they fall into a parallel Errour by misunderstanding me when I say that all the Operations of a Spiritual Nature are perform'd in an Instant For they imagine that I mean by the word Instant an Indivisible of that Successive Motion call'd Time Whence their Fancy is stunn'd and they are at a strange Wonderment to conceive how so many several Acts following as it were and depending on one another can be begun and ended in one such Instant Whereas tho' I use the Word partly arguing ad hâ—minem because They do so partly because 't is hard to find another Word to signifie the Opposite to Succession yet I mean there by the word Instant such an Indivisible Duration as is directly Contradictory to the whole Nature of Quantitative Succession and corresponds if that improper word which signifies a kind of Commensuration may be here allow'd to all the Successive Motion Bodies ever had or can have nay which eminently comprehends it all under the Notion of Duration as was shown lately as the Essence of a Spirit being of a Superiour Nature does as was shown lately eminently comprehend in it self the Essence of Body under the Notion of Ens or Being Nay it seems to differ from Eternity which is the Duration proper to GOD and which in an Inferiour Degree it resembles only in this that it does not include Impossibility of not-being for it centers in it self â—â— the Differences of Time Past Present and Fuâ—â—â—â— by comprehending them all and therefore is call'd Aeuiternity Wherefore when I say that all the Spiritual Operations of a Spirit are in â—…stant I only mean that they have such a Duration as befits a Pure Act which being devoid â—â— Matter and consequently of Quantity can have no Successiveness in it Whence pursuing â—…sely and keeping strictly to the Reflex Notions I â—ave of Spiritual Nature as contradistinguisht from that which is Material or Corporeal and from the Duration Proper to each of them I must beg leave to recede in this particular from sâ—me Philosophers and Divines of most celebrated â—ame and Greatest Eminency and to declare that I cannot at all conceive what a First and Seâ—…h Instant in the Duration of a Pure Act or a Spirit can signifie For since their Duration has no Parts after Parts as the Successive Duration of Bodies has if it endures or is at all it has it's Whole Duration and so all Second and Third Instants are Insignificant and seem to have their Origin from an Imaginary Correspondence to a Mathematical Instant of Time which Mistake we have lately rectify'd And seeing Succession in what ever Thing or Mode of Thing it is must signifie Part after Part which as both Logick and Metaphysicks demonstrate is the very Notion of Quantity whoever puts Succession or Part after Part in any Modes belonging to a Pure Act or a Spirit does put those Modes and consequently it 's Subject to be Quantitative or Material that is he puts A Pure Act to be no Pure Act which is a Contradiction 30. From the foregoing Demonstrations that the Soul is Immaterial our Grand Conclusion is Demonstratively Last Demonstration Concluding the Whole Point That our Soul it being so manifestly and manifoldly Demonstâ—aâ—ed to be Immaterial is necessarily IMMORTAL evinc'd That Man's Soul is IMMORTAL First Because being Immaterial she is a Pure Act in the Line of Being whence she has no Composition in her under the Notion of Ens only which can render her capable of Dissolution or losing her
comprehend those Times and Places which are Modes of those Things and consequently Parts of the Entire Notion of those Things themselves that is she must comprehend all Time or Place 8. Corollary I. Hence is demonstrated how great an Errour it is and against Hence her Operations are not measur'd by Time They and their Subject being of a Superiour Nature the Nature of a Pure Act to put the Duration of Pure Spirits to be in some sort Successive and that their Operations and consequently their Existence are measureable by the Differences of Time Before and After whereas they comprehend all Time and are of such a Nature as far transcends it 9. Therefore such a Soul cannot but naturally have an Ardent Longing to know the Nature of the First Cause that Hence she will be Eternally Miserable unless she knows the First Cause GOD. made and order'd those Things For since 't is Essential to the Soul to be Cognoscitive and consequently the whole Bent and only Good of her Nature in that State is to have all the Knowledge she can and must wish and the Knowledge of the Effects does naturally and also vehemently excite and enflame those who are wholly addicted to Knowledge as the Soul naturally is in that State to know the Cause which Created them of Nothing and rang'd them in that most beautiful Order Nay since they do not know those things as they ought without knowing them a priori in their First Cause and how and by what virtue he Created them Again since as was often prov'd the Knowledge of all Created Truths they being Finite cannot in the least fill or satisfie the Natural Desire of the Soul and therefore only the Knowledge of an Infinite Truth can satiate and content her and she cannot but vehemently long to enjoy that which only can satisfie a Propension so â—adicated in her Nature It follows from all these heads that the Knowledge of all Created Truths do serve only to increase her Thirst and to enflame her Desire more ardently and impatiently to know the Nature or Essence of that Infinite and Glorious Source of all Being the First Cause from which issued all those admirable Effects and which she now sees is the Object only worthy of her Knowledge Whence she must look upon her self as utterly lost and unâ—one and remain eternally miserable if she falls short of that only Soul-satisfying Sight 10. From the § § 4 and 5. it follows necessarily that a Soul when Separated is naturally while Separated Hence also she is naturally Unchangeable Unchangeable For besides other Reasons the Notion of Created Ens is adequately Divided by Indivisible and Divisible as by its Differences which are Contradictories Nor is there any thing in the Species but the Notion of the Genus in which they agree and the Notion of the Difference by which they disagree and this in our case contradictorily Hence it follows that whatever is Affirm'd of One of the Species besides the Generical Notion the Contradictory to it must be Affirm'd of the Other Species wherefore as truly and certainly as we can affirm of One of the Species Body that it is Quantitative Divisible has Part after Part and that its Operations are perform'd Successively one after another c. so truly can we affirm of the Other Species Spirit that it is Unquantitative Indivisible has not Part after Part and is not Successive in its Operations in regard none of these relate to the Genus But what has no Successiveness in it cannot be otherwise than it was before or Chang'd Therefore the Soul while it is a pure Spirit is naturally Unchangeable 11. From the same § 5. 't is demonstrated without needing any farther Hence too as soon as Separated she knows all the Thoughts and Affections Words and Actions of her past Life Proof that the Soul when Separated knows and cannot but know all the Words Actions Thoughts and Affections of her whole fore-past Life finding those Later in her Self she her Self being then her own First Immediate and Ever-present Object and the Former in the Course of Causes and in the Circumstances there mention'd Also that she cannot but know the Natural Actions Thoughts c. of others since these also were Effects and had their Causes and so were knowable by her as well as the others Lastly That she must a fortiori know what Good or Bad Dispositions were in her self when she Dy'd they being now Modes or Accidents of her self nor is it possible that a Creature that has Knowledge and Will in it should not even in this dull State know what it self chiefly wishes and desires 12. Corollary 1. Hence is understood how the Particular Iudgment determining the Soul's Future Condition Whence follows the Particular Judgment which determines her Lot at the Hour of Death is made at the Hour of Death and how she comes to Hope or Despair of Eternal Hap piness according as she sees her self Fit or Unfit for it whence she becomes Determin'd to her Final Lot which Fitness or Unfitness is in the Old Language of the Christian Church call'd Merit or Demerit which are the same as Disposition or Indisposition for Bliss only differing in an Extrinsecal Denomination taken from GOD's having Promis'd and Threaten'd the Happy or Unhappy Consequences of Good or Bad Actions 13. Corollary II. Hence also is understood how the Book of Conscience will be laid open at the last Day Hence is understood how the Book of Conscience will be laid open at the last Day when GOD shall reveal abscondita tenebrarum or as the Sybill expresses it Cunctaq cunctorum cunctis arcana patebunt and this after a more Clear and Solemn Manner than meer Nature could have perform'd 14 Corallary III. Hence also we may see why and how Infants are connaturally sav'd by Baptism as And how Infants are connaturally sav'd by Baptism by the most General and Genuine Means For they carry no Dispositions out of the Body but Affections to the Mother's Dug to lie soft and warm and such like which being meerly Natural or rather Animal were too weak and too base to put any thing in them which might raise them in their Future State towards Heaven But when they come into the Region of Light and know all things amongst the rest that they were Baptiz'd in Christ's Name and that that External Action the Impressions and consequently the Notions of which remain yet in their Soul was particularly done upon them and was Ordain'd as a Supernatural Means by Him acting as a Supernatural Agent for their Salvation or to addict them to Him and make them His immediately that Sacrament as others also do working its Effect ex vi Institutionis Christi gives them other Thoughts and Higher Aims than meer Nature could have done makes them conceive Actual Hope and Love of their Good GOD and Saviour and so disposes or fits them at the same Instant for Heaven 15. Corollary
Regret Shameful Confusion Fruitless Repentance Black Desperation Cursings of themselves and all Creatures Blasphemings of the Holy Saints and of their Dread Creatour and Just Judge GOD Blessed for evermore Or as our B. Saviour in accommodation to our greatest Griefs here moderately expresses it Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth The Gnawing Worm of Helpless Remorse â—ever dies there nor is the Vehement Fire of these Violent and Contrary Affections ever quenched Quis poterit habitare cum igne devorante Quis habitabit cum ardoribus sempiternis Isaiae Cap. 33. 14. 27. Hence is seen That GOD damns no Man For since by § 23. Inordinate Affection for Creatures addicts the Soul to a wrong Last End and at the GOD Damns no Man same time by doing so does Inâ—â—pose her for her True Happiness the Sight of GOD which she cannot when Separated but Naturally desire and long for and these Inordinate Affections if Unretracted here do still remain in the Soul by § 4. and when Separated she is Unchangeable in that State and consequently sees she must for ever Despair of â—â—taining her True Good she being Impure and Inâ—ispos'd for it and also of ever getting that False Good upon which she had here set her Chief Affection because it is impossible according to the Circumstances of things in the other Life and that hence she becomes incapacitated of having any kind of Good she can desire but has her Desire and Wish crost in every thing And the perpetual crossing her Voluntary and Natural Wishes in every thing especially in what 's of Infinite Concern to her must naturally cause in such a Soul Extreme Grief Torment and Desperation And this Tormenting Grief is enhanced by the Intenseness and Vehemency of her Acts when she is a Pure Spirit with which the greatest and most violent Grief in this life bears no proportion Lastly since it has been clearly shown that all these dismal Effects which induce and make up that wretched State we call Damnation do as is here shown spring originally as from their Sole Cause from her having by her own Free Choice pitchâ— her First Affections upon some Created or False Good and all the other bad Consequences do follow out of the very Nature of a Spirit thus Affected or Indispos'd It is manifest That GOD Damns no Man but that while a Sinner hugs and cherishes Inordinate Affections for Creatures in his Breast he is all the while connaturally kindling and adding Fuel to Hell-Fire in his own Soul to which effect of Damnation GOD contributes no otherwise than by preserving the Natures of things and carrying on the Course of Causes according to those Natures which Wisest Method he has no reason to alter miraculously for their sakes who have preferr'd a Creature before Him 28. It may be objected that these Affections for Creatures were Passions which either Spring from the Body or The Knowing all Truths Speculatively in the State of Separation does not alter the Predominant Affection for Creatures As the Tree falls so it lies from the Circumstances of the former World and therefore they do not remain in a State where neither of them have any Influence upon the Soul I Answer First That these are not Passions in our future State as that word imports Motion but they are far worse viz. the Termini or Effects of the most steadily fixt and worst Passion which we call Resolvedness in ill or Willfulness And this can and must remain in a Soul determin'd to a wrong Last End she having tho' no Motion of the Spirits or Passion a Power in her call'd a Will of it 's own Nature indeed determinable to Good and Bad but by her State of Separation fixt unchangeably in that Determination which she dy'd with Secondly Tho' those Passions did indeed spring here from our Material Compart the Body yet they did not stay in that Part but affected by means of material Impressions the Soul and were â—â—t in her by a deliberate and serious pitching her Chief Affections on them nay perhaps rivetted there by long-continu'd Habits and therefore they must still remain in her for ever unless they had been Retracted while she was in a Changeable condition in this Life 29. Corollary XI Hence one Actual Sin of a high Nature and done with Hence one Enormous Actual Sin Unrepented renders a Soul liable to Eternal Damnation perfect Deliberation of which the Man dies Unrepentant will make the Soul miscarry eternally such as are Self-Murther being kill'd in a Duel for a Puntilio and such like 30. It may be said that the Knowledge of all Truths will rectifie and alter the Soul as soon as she is separated That the State of Separation does not alter the First Affection of Souls farther demonstrated in regard that she sees then clearly the Vileness and Perniciousness of placing her Affection on a wrong Last End 'T is Answer'd First That the Soul as soon as Separated knows all Truths only Speculatively but that the Practical Judgments or Affections which had prepossest her as has been prov'd § 17. do more sway with her than all her Speculative Knowledge which her Choice did not give her but Nature forced into her Secondly There could be no Cause which was Competent to alter her Not her Separation For the whole Effect of that Action is to Divide the Potential Parts of a Compound that is to take from them the State of Potentiality and make them if they can exist separate Actual Wholes Actual Parts as it has been demonstrated being Impossible Wherefore Death being only the Separation of the Soul and Body terminates it's Agency in making them Two of One and has no Influence upon changing them Nor does their State of Separation or their remaining or becoming Separate alter their Natures or their Modes for this consists in the Soul 's existing now A Pure Act which has nothing to do with taking away what she had but only taking her as it found her to elevate her such as she was and consequently those Knowledges and Affections she actually had to a higher Perfection in the Line of Ens or to give her to exist after a Nobler manner than she did formerly Lastly Were this so the Order of the World would be quite perverted for in that case the Wickedest Livers would have equal Priviledge and Benefit in the next world as the greatest Saints since each of them as is presuppos'd to our question knowing all things as soon as Separated their Wickedness would be corrected and effaced which takes away all the dread of Hell evacuates all the Motives to good Life and even destroys the Notion of Virtue and Vice Punishment and Reward and consequently GOD's Attribute of Justice 31. Corollary XII Hence is seen that Sin does not consist meerly in the Hence Sin does not formally consist in the Falsity of the Practical Iudgment or Affection but in the Disproportion and Inordinateness of it Falshood of
us does essentially signifie that the Thing Known is in our Knowledge as Another or as Distinct from the Soul as knowing it as is shown in the Book now cited Prelim. II. §§ 22. 23. and particularly § 26. And Reason gives it must be so since when I know a Tree the Nature of a Tree which is in my Mind intellectually is not there as either my Essence nor as any Intrinsecal Mode of me as is manifest it must therefore necessarily be there as Distinct from me or as Another Nay when our Soul knows her self she must some way or other be Distinct from her self by that Knowledge for it cannot with any Sense be deny'd but that she is in that case her own Object and that therefore for that very regard she must be distinguisht some way from her self as Knowing that Object as is shown Prelim. IV. Nor is this any Imperfection in a Created Spirit to have her Objects in her when she knows them as Other or as Distinct from her For 't is the very Notion or Nature of Knowledge which if we take away from her we must at the same time take away her Knowing Power and her Spirituality and put her to be made of Matter it being the Property of Matter and of Material Things to have nothing in them but such Modes which are Intrinsecal to their Subject and Determine it's Potentiality Nay more 't is the highest Perfection of a Spiritual Nature to have things in it which are different from it as is demonstrated in my Metaphysicks Book II. Ch. 2. §§ 6 7 8 9. Whence there being no Imperfection in this Notion but rather it being the best Perfection of a Spiritual Nature we ought with far better Reason than any other Transfer it to GOD and to say that GOD by Knowing Himself is in some Sense or other in Himself as Another or that He is Distinct from Himself as he is a Knower as is seen Prel IV. 14. To finish this Point we may reflect that we may more easily be Mis-led by fancying those other Attributes to be Distinct in GOD because according to our manner of Conceiving they are Diverse from one another and very Many of them But in our case there are but Two single Attributes viz. Self-Knowing and Self-Loving and yet each of those single Attributes imports Distinction and Aliety if I may use that word in it 's own Particular Notion Which shows plainly that the Distinction here spoken of does not arise out of the Number of those Diverse Attributes or from our Distinct Acts of Conceiving them Abstractedly but from each of those Single and Intrinsecal Natures or Notions of Self-Knowing and of Self-Loving which unless we should impiously degrade the Divine Nature from being Spiritual we must be forced to Attribute to Him and consequently some Distinction as these words do most evidently import 15. Hence is farther manifested that since GOD Knows and Loves Himself there is in the Divine Nature some One Notion that is Common and some Others that are Particulars For it is Evident that Knower and Known Lover and Loved are all distinct Notions from one another and therefore Particulars as also that the word GOD is Predicated and Verify'd of each of them For since all True Predication or Verification is made by the Identifying Particle Est 't is consequent that the Divine Nature is in them all and really Them And therefore since the single word GOD is but one Notion and truly said of them All it must be granted to be COMMON to them all 16. And because this Common Notion GOD cannot but most properly signifie the Divine Being which is Infinite in Perfection and to be a Suppositum by Sect. 3. § 6. is to be Compleat or Perfect in the Notion of Ens Therefore the Notion of a Suppositum cannot but be attributed to that Common Notion GOD. Wherefore that Notion is not only Common but also a Suppositum there is then a Common Suppositum in GOD which is predicated of the Particulars truly attributed to Him and as has been prov'd Identify'd with Him 17. In this Notion of the Common Suppositum the Generality of the Jews the Wiser Heathens and all those who deny a Trinity understood the word GOD and perhaps our selves too when there is not in our Prayers or Discourse any Particular Reference to any of the Persons 18. Wherefore this Common Suppositum may not unfitly be call'd the Absolute Notion of GOD and those Particulars the Relative Notions of the same Divine Essence because they meerly spring from those Relations 19. Whence because the Common Suppositum exprest by the word GOD is held by all who use that Word to be Infinite in all those Attributes which we have Demonstrated in the Third Book of our Metaphysicks to belong to the First Being viz. Infinitely Wise Just Good Powerful c. as also Eternal and Self-Existent it follows that all or each of those Particulars which are Predicated of the Word GOD and therefore are Identify'd with Him must also be granted to have all those Infinite Perfections in them which are attributed to Him since GOD who includes all those Attributes is Predicated or Identify'd with them all as is deliver'd accordingly in the Creed of St. Athanasius 20. The Difficulty is how we can with Truth and our due Regard to GOD who is essentially a most Pure Actuality of Being make Him a Genus or a Species Common to more which have the Notion of Inferiours in respect of Him For true Metaphysicks admits no Composition in GOD of Genus and Difference as is seen Book III. § 35. To clear this we are to consider all those several Manners of Predicating given us by Porphyrius and allow'd by all the Learned World call'd the Five Predicables Now the Notions of Genus and Species which are made by Logical Abstraction are Indeterminate and Potential in respect of the Inferiour Notions and the Things that is they as thus consider'd are Substantiae Secundae which reach not to the Notion of Individuum or Substantia Prima only which are properly Entia or Capable of Existing much less do they reach to the Notion of Existence or Actual Being This being so it would be most absurd to Transfer such Notions to GOD who is Pure Existence Nor can we Predicate any thing of Him as a Difference which determines the foresaid Potentiality of the others for in that which is essentially Pure Actual Being there can be no farther Determination made since this is done by the Act and nothing can be more Actual than Pure Actuality of Being it self 21. Wherefore setting these Three Predicables aside there remain those Manners of Predicating call'd Proprium and Accidens Now I conceive that it argues no Imperfection for the Common Suppositum to be Predicated of those Particulars according to this Last manner For first This is not Abstracted from Inferiours or Common to them as a Potential Notion Determin'd by Differences Again To
other way nor any other Notion according to which it can be conceiv'd to be Particulariz'd or Distinguisht but that of Relation the formal Notion of which is Ad Aliquid or some way or other Ad Aliud by which too we have seen GOD's Knowing and Loving Himself obliges us to distinguish Him whence follows that the Divine Nature is Distinguisht Relatiuely Nor does this Notion multiply the Common Nature Essentially as did the former way which distinguisht the Common Notion by Essential Differences Both because the Relation by Prelim. X. and XI is not Distinguisht from the Divine Essence it self which is the Reason and Ground of Referring it diversely as also because it springs from a most High Perfection in GOD as He is a Spirit I add and terminates also in a High Perfection under the Notion of Being viz. in that of Personality or Person In a word 't is the Divine Essence which is Distinguisht or Particulariz'd there being nothing else in GOD to be Distinguisht Yet it is not Distinguisht Essentially or according to the precise Notion of Essence or Being but Relatively because it is Infinite in Being and so can be in that Absolute Reâ—â—ct but One. 8. For the same Reason I avoid using the word â—â—dividuum tho' I do not blame others that do â—erhaps I am too scrupulous in it yet I cannot â—â—t think 't is something liable to exception at â—ast comparatively My Reasons are First 'T is â—â—o Logical and Artificial and consequently tho' it has got I know not how out of the Schools into the Language of some well-bred Men to say 't is the same Individual Man yet for all that it is not the Vulgar Speech nor so Natural Secondly Because it is made Particularly such by it's Difference too viz. by the Complexion of it's Accidents and subsuming under the Specifick Notion 't is only a Negation of the Superiour Notions and signifies the same as Ungenerical or Unspecifical Whereas the Word Person has a Positive Signification nor has any reference to the Genus and Species as is seen in Angels And moreover it directly imports the highest Perfection in the Line of Substance and therefore it is fitly Transferrible to GOD. Again the word Individuum being a Logical Term is more subject to wrangle For Artists being the Imposers and as it were Creators of the Words which themselves use and such Men seldom Agreeing in their Thoughts and Meanings nor consenting universally that such a word shall stand for such a Meaning or Notion it happens that some of them do take the Word in one Sense others in another and very frequently ampliate or restrain the Signification of it at pleasure Hence perpetual and if this Inconvenience be not remedy'd by Clear Definitions of such Words Eternal Dissentions must needs ensue And indeed most of the Liâ—igâ—â—â— Disputes and Controversies among Learned Mâ—â— in case the Contesters be Sincere and Disintereâ—â—ed do arise from this Defect now mention'd Froâ— which mischief the Words us'd by the Generalâ—â— to express our Natural Notions are Free for we find by Experience that the Vulgar understand one another very well and easily nor are subject to perpetual Word-skirmishes in their Common Conversation as the Others are 9. Nor can it be inferr'd from this Explication that by the same reason there would be a Trinity of Persons in Angels and Souls Separated when they Know and Love themselves For Self-Knowledge formally consisting in this that the Thing known does Inexist in it's own Knowing Power as an Object or after an Intellectual manner and the Existence and consequently Inexistence of all Creatures being Extrinsecal oâ— Acoidental to them as being given them by Another and not Essential to them or their very Essence as it is in GOD it being one of his Peculiar Attributes Hence iâ— follows that the Relation of Knower and Known is in them Accidental to them as being Grounded on what 's Accidental to their Essences and consequently by Prelim. X. is Identify'd with the Object accidentally only Whence it can make only an Accidental Distinction in them and not a Distinction in their Substance or a Distinction of that most perfect Substantial Notion Person as for the contrary reason it must make in GOD. Add that GOD's Self-Knowledge is properly and perfectly Essential to Him as He is an Infinite Spirit and as it were his Primary Operation by which according to our manner of Conceiving he is Constituted such or rather 〈…〉 Eâ—â—ence as He is a Spirit does consist in it â—â—ereas in Angels and Souls the Knowing the â—…le Extent of Entity and even GOD Himself 〈…〉 the Primary Operation for which Nature inâ—â—nded them and to Know themselves was only 〈◊〉 Means or First-Step to bring them to the â—nowledge of all other Things and thence of GOD And therefore Self-Knowledge is far from being their Primary Operation or that by respect â—o which their Essence was Constituted nor consequently can it distinguish their Substance as it does and must in GOD. 10. Nor lastly can it be thought that the Common Suppositum having all Perfections that can â—â— in the Line of Being and therefore amongst the rest Personality in it does constitute a Fourth Person for since GOD or the Common Suppositum as has been shown is Common to the three Relative Persons or in them all it carries along with it all the Perfections of the Divinity and among the rest the Personality too and communicates it to the Relative Persons as it does all the other Positive or Absolute Perfections in the Godhead Whence they have all of them to subsist or Absolutely to be Persons from the Godhead or the Common Suppositum and that they are Different Persons comes wholly and solely from their Distinct Relations as was prov'd above So that there is no show that the Common Suppositum can make a Fourth or Distinct Person since what 's Common to All or each cannot be Particular or Contradistinguisht to any Nor is there any Opposition of the Common Person to the Relative ones both because it has an Absolute and not a Relative Notion as also because it is so far from being Opposite that it is coincident with them all or with each of them SECT VII That this Distinction of Three Persons puts no Imperfection in the Divine Nature and that they are most-â—itly call'd the Father Son and Holy Spirit 1. GOD being the Author of Order and not of Confusion 't is most worthy His Divine Nature and most Consonant to True Reason that there should be some Order amongst those Threâ— Divine Persons and some Solid Ground for that Order And since all Order amongst More must begin from some One or some First it follows that there must be some One amongst them which is the First or Beginning of that Order and that therefore the Notion of the word Beginning must be Transferr'd to GOD or be Peculiar to some One of those Persons who is GOD provided it can be done
proper to it's self nor Act unless it have a Will the Notion of which is to be the Principle of Acting nor can an Infinitely perfect Being act without Knowing What and How to Act both the Eternal Father Son and Spirit must all concur to every such Action But 't is otherwise in that which passes ad intra or within the Deity it self because of their Relative Distinction and Opposition to one another For if I may be allow'd to repeat so oft what is of most Importance GOD precisely as the Divine Object or as Known begets Divine Knowledge and the Divine Essence in the Divine Knowledge which is Essential Truth and the most Proper and Best Perfection or Good of a Spiritual Nature is that Adequate Object from which Divine Love proceeds Hence it is that since God's Essence is Self-Existence which is Infinitely Actual and Infinitely Intelligible or rather Infinitely Known it is Proper to say that the GODHEAD Self-Exists by the Father Knows it Self by the Son who is Divine Knowledge and Loves it Self by the Holy Ghost who is Divine Love Nor can any thing be more Agreeable to Reason than that it should be so in case as we ought we will exalt GOD Infinitely above His Creatures For since Creatures do Exist by an Existence which is Accidental to them whence it comes that their Powers by which they operate are in the Line of Quality or are Accidents It is therefore most Fitting that GOD in whom there is nothing that is Accidental but the most refined or sublim'd Notion of Substance should exercise his own Essence upon Himself and therefore should have a Substantial Notion that is a Person by and in which that Particular to which is specially appropriated Divine Essence should Exist and instead of Powers which are Accidents should have particular Substances or Persons by which He Knows and Loves Himself And therefore as is said above GOD Self-exists or is by the Person of the Father Knows Himself by the Person of the Son and Loves Himself by the Person of the Holy Ghost SECT VIII That notwithstanding this Plurality of Persons the Divine Essence is not less perfectly Simple in it's self or rather 't is more or in more Respects ONE than it would have been had there not been this Plurality of Persons 1. WHat the Opposers of the B. Trinity most pretend to fear is That this Tenet does prejudice the UNITY of the GODHEAD Now tho' it has been already sufficiently prov'd that this has not the least show of Difficulty to a Considering Man yet it were not amiss for their farther Satisfaction to give this Point a farther Clearing tho' it wrong the Method of Discoursing by making Repetitions in which I sometimes indulge my self to inculcate it better to my Readers by their seeing the Coherence of this Doctrine in divers and several occasions For 't is not every Man's Talent to carry along with him every Link in the Chain of a Connected Discourse without needing to be re-minded of it 2. But first I complain that these Objecters confound themselves by not Distinguishing clearly their own Conceptions and therefore neither We nor Themselves know well what it is they would be at Let us try then if we can unravel their Thoughts which they have taken such pains to perplex Can they deny that GOD Knows and Loves Himself 'T is certain they will not for this makes GOD less Perfect than a Creature Tho' as far as I see they never think of it or what Consequences follow from it notwithstanding as was shown this is the Ground-work on which all true Explication of this Mystery is built Can they deny that this granted as it must be we are forced to affirm that GOD is the Knower and Object Known as also the Lover and Thing Loved The very words fly in their Faces and tell them they deny that which is perfectly Equivalent to what they have granted Will they deny that the GODHEAD is One and the Same under all the Notions whatever they are which is signifi'd by all those Relative and Contradistinct Names or Words 'T is equally against Common Sense unless they will say that by the word Himself is not meant GOD which is Self-evident Can they say that Knower and Known Lover and Loved are not Distinct and in some sort Opposite Notions All Mankind will laugh at them and every Junior Sophister who ever heard of the Predicament of Relation will hiss them Can they say that the Deity does not Verifie those Distinct Notions or that we say False when we attribute them to GOD Themselves will not affirm it Can they say That tho' GOD Verifies them yet there is no Distinction at all in GOD This is pure Nonsense For First These Distinct Notions or Attributes are not Extrinsecal Denominations but most Intrinsecal and even Essential to GOD to Know and Love Himself being the Perfection of His Spiritual Nature and one of His Chiefest Attributes Next If those Notions do most formally import Distinction and there be in GOD that which verifies them there is what verifies Distinction in GOD. May they not then with equal reason say that Gold verifies the Notions of Yellow and Heavy yet there is no Yellowness or Weightiness in Gold Can they say That tho' there be Distinction in GOD yet it does not any way or under any Respect make GOD Distinct This were to call Self Evidence in question and arraign First Principles For is it not Self-Known that a Form or Abstract Notion cannot be in any thing but it must make and denominate it such as it self is and may they not as well say that Whiteness may be in a Wall and yet not make it White or Humanity in a thing and not make it a Man as that Distinction is in a thing and yet not make it Distinct Can they find any thing in GOD besides Substance to Distinguish that is will they put any thing in GOD that â—s an Accident or which is the same that is Not-Self-Existent 'T is impâ—â—â—ble to pretend it Can they say That Distinction of the Substance does not Particularize it or â—ake Distinct Substances How can they Distinction whereever it is must make something or other Distinct and this according to the Nature of the Thing it distinguishes And therefore if there be only Substance for it to affect it must put Distinct or Particular Substances and this as evidently as if a Quantitative Thing be Distinguisht it must make Distinct or more Quanta Will they say these Distinct Substances they being Spiritual or Intelligent are not to be â—all'd PERSONS They would do well to let us know their Reason and withal to assign us some Other Name by which Three such Substances ought more properly be called I wish then we knew where their Difficulty pinches For otherwise it would half persuade an uncharitable Man that their Reason ails nothing when it knows not whereabouts it is hurt whence would follow that