such need of sensible things for he was of the number of corruptible bodies but though defects of that sort were in him yet this hindered not but that he had an essence free from bodies and incorruptible and hence also it appeared unto him that the heavenly bodies were much more so and he knew that they understood that necessary existent beeing and did behold it in a perpetual act because nothing like unto these impediments which hindered him from continual vision by sensible things falling in was to be found in heavenly bodies Then he began to consider with himself for what cause he of all the sorts of animals was indued with this essence by which he resembled the Celestial Bodies but now it was formerly manifest to him how the Elements were and how they were changed into one another that whatever was not above the surface of the earth remained not in the same form whereas generation and corruption continually succeeded one another and that most of these bodies were mixed and compounded of contrary things and therefore tended to corruption but that nothing was found among them which was pure but what was nearest among them to purity and simplicity without any mixture that was furthest off from corruption as the body of Gold and of the Iacynth and the heavenly bodies are simple pure and therefore furthest off from corruption nor doth any succession of forms besal in them Here also it was manifest to him that as touching bodies in the generable and corruptible world some had the reason of their essence consisting of some one form super added unto the notion of corporeity as the four Elements others whose essential reason consisted of more forms as the animals and the plants and that whose essential reason consisted of the fewest forms had the fewest actions and the greatest distance from life but if a thing were altogether destitute of form that there was no way in it to life but it was in a state like unto privation but that whose subsistence of the essential reason consisted of more forms had the more actions and a more ready entrance into the state of life but if that form were so disposed that there were no way of separating it from the matter to which it belonged then its life should be very manifest stable and lively but that which is destitute of all form is the hyle and matter nor is any life in it but it is like unto privation And that which subsisteth by one form is the four Elements which are in the first degree of existence in the generable and corruptible world and other things are compounded of them having more forms but these Elements are of a weak life seing they move but one way also they are of a weak life because every one of them hath a contrary in manifest opposition to them which resisteth them in that whereunto their nature incline and laboureth to spoil them of their form and therefore their essence is infirm and weak but that the plants are of a stronger life and the animals are yet of a more manifest life then they and that because if there be any thing among these compounds wherein the nature of one Element hath dominion that because of the power it hath therein doth overcome the nature of the other Elements and doth abolish their strength so that the compound is in the power of that Element which hath dominion and therefore it is disposed but unto a small portion of life as the Element it self is but when among these compounds there is that wherein the nature of any one Element hath not dominion then all are of an equal temperament therein and of equal vertue so that the one doth not weaken the vertue of another more then that other doth of that one but they work upon one another in an equal operation nor is the operation of one Element observable more then the operation of another and it is far from being like unto any one of the Elements but that it is as if nothing were contrary to its form that in this manner becometh fit for life and the greater that this equality be and the more perfect and the further from inclining unto the other part it is so far the further from having a contrary and its life is the more perfect And whereas the animal spirit the seat whereof is in the heart is of a most equal temperature for it is more subtile then earth and water and more gross then fire and air it hath the manner of a midst or medium contrary unto none of the Elements in any observable manner of contrariety and so it is disposed unto the form which doth constitute an animal and that which followeth he saw to be this to wit that the most equal in temperature among these animal spirits was disposed to the most perfect life in the generable and corruptible world and that it may near be said concerning that spirit that there is no contrary unto its form and therefore that it is like unto these heavenly bodies which have nothing contrary unto their form and that therefore they are the spirit of that animal which hath the most perfect life because it is indeed in the midst of the elements neither simply moving it self upwards nor downwards and if it could be placed in the midst of that space which lyeth betwixt the center and that supreme place whither the fire reacheth and that no corruption should befall it there it should fix it self nor should it desire to move either upwards or downwards but if it were locally moved it should be moved about the middle as the heavenly bodies are moved and if it were moved in one place it should be moved about it self and should be of a Spherical Figure seing it could not be otherwise and therefore that it was very like unto the heavenly bodies And when he considered the properties of the animals and saw not one among them of which he could suspect that it had the knowledge of this necessary existent beeing but that he knew that as to his own essence he did know it thence he concluded that he was an animal that had a spirit of an equal temperature like unto all the heavenly bodies and it was manifest unto him that he differed in kind from all the sorts of animals and that he was made for another end and appointed unto some great thing unto which no other animal was fitted and it was enough to signifie his Nobility that the vilest part of himself to wit his bodily part was likest of all others unto the heavenly substances which are without the generable and corruptible world free from the accidents of defect and change and alteration But that his best part was that thing by which he did know that necessary existent beeing and this intelligent thing behoved to be some heroick and divine thing which changed not and was not obnoxious to corruption and to which is not to
differed not but in respect of the diversity of actions and that this diversity proceeded from the force of the animal spirit the nature of which by speculation he had first discovered and that this spirit was one in essence and that the true reason of the essence was the same and that all the other members were but as instruments and in this respect he saw his essence to be one From this he turned himself to all the sorts of animals and he saw that every one of them was one in this manner of contemplation then particularly considering them as goats horses asses and all sorts of fowls according to their kinds he saw the individuals of every sort to be like one another both as to their outward parts and inward apprehensions motions and inclinations and they differed not among themselves but in some few things in respect of these wherein they agreed whence he concluded that the spirit which was in the whole species was one thing and differed not otherwise but that it was distributed into diverse hearts so that if it were possible that the whole of it which is now scattered in those hearts could be collected and put into one vessel that the whole should be one thing Like on water or liquor first dispersed into diverse vessels and again gathered into one which in both states both of dispersion and collection was one thing but that multiplicity had befallen it in some respect In this manner of contemplation he saw the whole species to be one and he concluded the multiplicity of individuals to be but like the multiplicity of members in one person which are not indeed many Then he concluded to have all the species of animals present in his mind and considering them he saw them all agree in this that they had sense and were nourished and did move themselves of their own accord whither they would which actions now he did know to be the actions most proper to the animal spirit but that other things wherein they differed after this agreement were not so proper to the animal spirit From this consideration it was manifest to him that the animal spirit in the whole kind of animals was indeed but one although there was some small difference which was proper more to one species then another as of one water put into diverse vessels perhaps one part may be hotter then another resembling that which is in one degree of coldness which is proper to that animal spirit in one species and then as that whole water is one so also is the animal spirit one although in some respect multiplicity had befallen it And so in this manner of consideration he saw the whole kind of animals to be one Then also having observed the various sorts of Plants he saw the individuals of every sort to be like one another as to the Branches Leaves Flowers Fruits and Actions and comparing them with the animals he knew that there was some one thing of which all were partakers which in them resembled the spirit in animals and that they were all in respect thereof one thing and so viewing the whole kind of Plants he concluded them to be all one in respect of the agreement which he saw in their actions to wit that they were nourished and did grow Then with one conception of his mind he joyned together the whole kind of animals and plants and he saw them all to agree in this that they received nourishment and growth but that the animals exceeded the Plants and excelled in this that they had sense and perception and yet somewhat like thereunto seemed to be in the Plants as that their Flowers turned themselves to the Sun and their Roots moved themselves to that part which gave them nourishment and other actions of this nature whence it appeared to him that both Plants and Animals were one thing in respect of one thing common to both which in one of them was more perfect and compleat but in the other was restrained by some impediment like to water divided in two parts one parts whereof is congealed another fluid Thus far he concluded that the Plants and Animals were one thing Then he did contemplat the bodies which have neither sense nor nutrition nor growth such as the Stones the Earth the Water the Air and the Fire all which he saw to be bodies having dimensions viz. longitude latitude and profundity and that they differed not otherwise among themselves then that some were coloured others without colour some hot others cold with other such differences he saw also such as were hot to become cold and the cold to become hot also he saw the water to be converted into vapours and again that of the vapours water came to be generat and that whatever was burnt to be turned into cinders ashes flame and smoak and that the smoak while it ascended meeting with any stone-arch there it stuck together and became like to other earthly substances whence it appeared to him that all these things were one although in some respect multiplicity had befallen them in the same manner as to Animals and Plants Then considering with himself that wherein he perceived the Plants and Animals to be united he saw that necessarily there was some body like unto them having longitude latitude and profundity and to be either hot or cold as one of these other bodies which neither have sense nor receive nourishment but that they differed from them in actions flowing therefrom no otherwise then in respect of the organs which belong to the Plants and Animals and perhaps that those actions were not essential but derived thereunto from some other thing so that if in the same manner they were deferred unto those other bodies those should be like unto this Therefore considering this in its essence as denuded of these actions which at first view seemed thence to flow he faw it was no other thing but a body of the same kind with them from this contemplation it appeared unto him that all bodies were one thing both these that had life and these who had not and these that moved as these who rested but that it appeared that actions proceeded from some of them by reason of the organs which actions he knew not whether they were essential or otherwise derived unto them In this state he considered nothing in his mind but bodies and after this manner he saw the whole fabrick of the Creatures to be one thing which at the first view he thought to be many without number or end And in this judgement and state he remained for some time Then he considered all bodies both living and without life which once seemed to him one thing at other times many and innumerable but he saw that every one of them necessarily had one of these two things in them viz. that either they aspired upwards as smoak flame and air when detained under the water or that they moved contrariwise i. e. downwards
taken away and the wotery form departed from that body when actions flowed therefrom which were proper to arise from another form and that another form did arise which was not in it before and actions flowed therefrom the nature of which was not to proceed therefrom while it was endued with the former But he knew that it was necessary that every thing which is newly produced needeth a producer and from this contemplation some universal and distinst impression was made in his mind of the effector of that form Then he directed his speculation further unto these forms the knowledge of which he had first attained presenting them one after another And he saw that they all existed of the new and necessarily stood in need of an effector Then he considered the essences of the forms and he saw them to be nothing else then such a disposition of the body from which these actions flow e. g. in water which when it is vehemently heated it is disposed to move upwards and is made fit thereunto and that disposition is its form for there is nothing here but a body and somethings flowing therefrom which are perceived by the sense which formerly did not exist as the qualities and motion and the effector which produced them after they did not exist But the aptitude of the body to other motions more then to others is its disposition and form and the same appeared unto him of all other forms Also it was manifest to him that the actions which flowed from them did not really belong to them but to the effector who by those actions produced those attributes which are ascribed unto them and that notion which appeared unto him is that which is spoken by the messenger of God I am his hearing by which he heareth and his seeing by which be seeth and in the text of the Alcoran Cap. Al. Anphal You have not killed them but God hath killed them and thou hast not cast them down but God hath cast them down But when he came to the knowledge of this Effector or Efficient Cause which appeard to him generally and indistinctly a vehement desire siezed on him to know the same distinctly But because he had not withdrawn himself as yet from the sensible world he began to seek after this voluntary Agent among the sensible things nor yet did he know whether it was one or many therefore he considered all bodies present to wit these to which formerly his thoughts were fixed continually and he saw that all of them were sometime generated and sometime corrupted and if he saw any of them not wholly corrupted he saw parts of them corrupted e. g. as to water and earth he saw the parts of both corrupted by the fire and also he saw the air so corrupted with the greatness of the cold that from thence snow came to be generated and that again from that came water and also as to other bodies present he saw none of them which did not exist of the new and needed not a voluntary Agent therefore he rejected all these things and turned his thoughts unto the heavenly bodies Thus far by his contemplation he had advanced about the end of the fourth septenary of his age that is in the space of 28. years Now he knew that the Heavens and all the Stars therein were bodies extended according to the three dimensions of longitude latitude and profundity and that none of them wanted this property and whatever wanted not this property was a body therefore that they were all bodies Then he considered with himself if they were infinitly extended and did proceed unto a perpetual longitude latitude and profundity without end or if they had periods and were confined with limits where they ended so that there could be no further extension but here he was a little astonished then by the force of his apprehension and sagacity of understanding he saw that an infinite body was an absurd thing and impossible and a notion which could not be understood and this sentence was confirmed unto him by many arguments which occurred and that he so reasoned with himself Surely this heavenly body is finite from that part which is nearest unto me and obvious to my sense This is without all doubt because I perceive it with the sight but also from that other part which is opposed to this part of which this doubt in me hath arisen I know that it is impossible to be infinitly extended For I conceive two lines beginning from this part which hath an end which in the profundity of the body according to its extension should go forth infinitly then if I should suppone that from the one of these two lines a great part is cut off on that side whose extremity is finite and then take that of it which rmaineth and let the extremity of it wherein the off-cutting is made be applyed unto the extremity of that line which hath nothing cut off from it and let that line which hath somewhat cut off it be made parallel to that line from which nothing is cut off the understanding going alone with them unto that part which is said to be infinite and thou shalt either find two lines infinitly extended so that none of them is shorter then another and so that line from which somewhat is cut off shall be equal to the other from which nothing is cut off which is absurd Or if it do not go forth continually with it but be broke off of its progress on this side and cease to be co-extended with it then it shall be finite and when that part shall be returned unto it which was formerly cut off which was finite the whole shall be finite then it shall not be shorter then that other line from which nothing is cut off nor shall exceed it therefore it shall be equal unto it but this is flnite therefore that also shall be finite and therefore the body in which such lines are designed is finite for every body in which these lines can be designed is finite but in every body these lines can be designed therefore if we determine an infinite body we determine that which is absurd and impossible And when by his excellent ingine which he had stirred up to excogitate such an argument he was certain that the body of the Heavens was finite he would know of what form it was and how it was bounded with the ambient surfaces and first having contemplated the Sun and the Moon and the other Stars he saw that they all had their rising from the East and their setting in the West and that these which passed through by the Vertical Point described the greater Circle but these which declined from the Vertical Point North-ward or South-ward he saw that they described a lesser Circle in it and that the Circle of every one as it was more remote from the Vertical Point towards any of the parts was less then the Circle that was more near
many members and diverse senses and motions is yet one in respect of its spirit which derived its origine from one Center whence its division into all the other members had its rise and that all the members served unto that or were furnished thereby But that the office of that spirit in using the body was like unto one who fighteth with his enemies with armour of all sorts or who hunteth after a prey of all kinds both in land and sea and prepareth some instrument to every kind whereby to catch it But the armour whereby man fighteth is divided into these whereby he repelleth any evil offered unto him from others and these whereby he offereth dammage unto others and in the same manner the instruments of catching are divided into these which are fit to catch fishes and these which are fit to catch other creatures belonging to the earth Also the things which he used for cutting were divided into them that were fit for cleaving and them fit for breaking and them fit for bor boring And although the body was one yet he used it several wayes according to the use of every instrument and according to the obtaining the ends he proposed After the same manner he judged that the animal spirit was one the action whereof was the seeing when he used the instrument of the eye and the action whereof was the hearing when he used that of the ear and the action whereof was the smelling when he used that of the nose and the action whereof was the tasting when he used that of the tongue and the action whereof was the touch when he used that of the skin and flesh and the action whereof was motion when he used any member and the action whereof was nutrition and perception of the aliment when he used the liver and unto every one of these actions there were subservient members but none of them could do their office but by means of that which was derived into it by that spirit by passages which are called the arteries so that how oft these passages were either broken off or stopped the action of that member should cease Now these arteries derive that spirit from the ventricles of the brain the brain receiveth it from the heart but there is great abundance of spirit in the brain because that is the place wherein many partitions are variously divided but if any member by any means be deprived of this spirit its action ceaseth and it becometh as an abject instrument which none useth and is altogether unprofitable but if the spirit altogether depart from the body or any way be consumed or dissolved the whole body together is deprived of motion and is reduced to the condition of death Thus far had contemplation brought him when he had reached the third seventh year from his birth that is the 21. year of his age And within that time mentioned he found out many inventions and he cloathed himself with the skins of beasts which he had dissected and he made shoes to himself therewith making threeds of hairs and of the bark of the reeds of wild mallows malve's hemp or plants of that kind whose rinds were fit to be threed and he had learned to do these things from the former use of the rushes and he made himself awles of strong briers and Canes sharpened on the stones But he learned the Art of building from what he saw done by the swallows Also he made himself a bed and a place where to put the remnants of his meat also he defended it with a door made of Canes joyned togegether that no beast should come thither when he was absent about any business Also he caught ravenous fowls the help of which he used in fowling also he tamed fowls to himself that he might have the profit of their eggs and young ones He took also from the horns of wild bulls as it were points of spears and fastning them to strong Canes and rods of the tree Alzani and others and so by the help of the fire and edges of stones he fitted them that they were like spears Also he made a shield of skins with diverse plyes all these things he did because he saw himself destitute of natural armour And now when he saw that his hand supplied the defect of all those things and that none of all the sorts of beasts resisted him but that they fled from him and overcame him by running he invented some device whereby to remeed this unto which thing he thought nothing more profitable to him then to tame some of the beasts that were of a swift course and to feed them with convenient food until he could get upon them easily and thereby might pursue the other kinds of beasts Now there were in that Isle wild horses and asses whereof he choosing some as seemed fit unto him he tamed them untill by their means he obtained his desire and when he had made of ropes and skins which sufficed for bridles and other furnishing he accomplished what he expected of getting hold of those beasts which otherwise by no Art he could attain He discovered all these various inventions while he was occupied in dissecting and in the study of searching out the properties of all the parts of the animals and wherein they differed one from another and that in that space of time as we have declared of twenty one years Then he began to expatiat further in contemplation and to view all bodies which are in this world obnoxious to generation and corruption as the diverse sorts of animals plants minerals and diverse kinds of stones and also the earth and the water the exhalations the ice the snow the hail the smoak the hoar-frost the fire and heat in which he observed diverse qualities and actions and motions partly agreeing among themselves partly disagreeing While he gave his mind seriously to the contemplation of these things he saw them to agree in part of their qualities and in part to disagree and that they were one in the respect of that wherein they agreed but in the respect of that wherein they differed that they were many and various So when he looked into the properties of things as distinguished from one another he saw them so various and manifold that they exceeded number and that the nature of things was so largely diffused that it could not be comprehended Also his own essence seemed manifold unto himself while he considered that he had diverse members every one distinct from another by some peculiar action or property Also viewing every one of these members he saw it could be divided into very many parts whence he concluded its essence to be manifold and in the same manner the essence of every thing Then preparing himself to another contemplation after a second manner he saw all his members although many to be so connexed that there was no discord at all amongst them but were after a manner one and that they
as the water and parts of the Earth and of Animals and Plants but that none of those bodies are free from one of these motions or rest but when some impediment hindereth which stop their way as when a stone descending findeth the surface of the earth so hard that it cannot pierce it which if it could do it would not desist from its motion as is manifest Therefore if thou lift it up thou shalt find it resisteth thee from its propension whereby it is carried downwards seeking to descend In the same manner the smoak in its ascending is not reflected unless it meet with a hard Pend or Arch which restraineth it then it will decline to the right and left hand but where it hath escaped that Pend it ascendeth breaking through the air which cannot restrain it He saw also that the air where a bag of Skins is filled with it and hard stopped if thou put it under the water it will endeavour to ascend and wrestleth against what holdeth it under the water nor ceaseth it to do so untill it come to the place of the air i. e. when it hath come out of the water but then it resteth that reluctancy and propension to move upwards which first it had departing from it Also he enquired if he could find any body which at any time wanted both these motions or the inclinations unto them but he found none among these bodies present with him but this he sought being desirous to find it that from thence he might perceive the nature of a body as it is a body without any quality adjoyned of these which induce multiplicity But when this was difficult unto him and having considered these bodies which among others were less subjected unto these qualities he saw them no wise to be destitute of one of these two qualities which are called weightiness and lightness he then considered whether weightiness and lightness agreed unto a body as it is a body or unto a notion superadded unto corporeity But it seemed unto him that they agreed unto a notion superadded unto corporeity for if they belonged unto a body as a body there should no body be found in whom both of them were not but if we find a heavy thing without all lightness and a light thing having no heaviness and these things without doubt are two bodies in every one of which there is some notion whereby it is distinguished from the other that is superadded unto corporeity and that notion is the thing whereby the one differeth from the other which if it were not they should be one thing in every respect It was therefore manifest unto him that the essence of both these to wit of a heavy and light thing is compounded of two notions in the one of which they both agree and that is the notion of corporeity the other is that whereby the essence of the one differeth from the other and that is weightiness or gravity in the one and lightness or levity in the other which notions whereby the one ascendeth the other descendeth are joyned unto the notion of corporeity Also thus he did contemplat the other bodies of things both having and wanting life and he saw the true reason of every ones essence to be compounded of a notion of corporeity and of some other thing superadded unto corporeity whether that thing was one or manifold And so the forms of bodies appeared unto him according to their diversity These were the first things which became known to him of the spiritual world seeing these forms are such as are not perceived by sense but are perceived some way by intellectual speculation And among things of this kind which appeared unto him it appeared unto him that the animal spirit the seat whereof is the heart and which we have above explained necessarily hath some notion superadded unto corporeity whereby it was fit to do these wonderful works out of the various manners of sensation and diverse ways of apprehending and the diverse kinds of motions and that that notion was its form and difference whereby it is distinguished from other bodies and that is it which the Philosophers call the Animal i. e. the sensitive soul and so that thing which supplieth unto Plants the vice of the radical heat in animals is somewhat proper unto them which is their form and that which the Philosophers call the vegetative soul And thus that there is somewhat proper unto all bodies of animat things and these are they which are found beside Animals and Plants in the world of generation and corruption by the power whereof every one of them performeth the action proper thereunto as various sorts of motions and kinds of sensible qualities and that thing is the form of every one of them and is that which Philosophers signifie by the name of Nature And when out of this contemplation it certainly appeared to him that the true essence of that Animal Spirit to which his mind was continually intent was composed of a notion of corporeity and some other notion added thereunto and that the notion of this corporeity was common to it with other bodies but that the other notion joyned thereunto was peculiar unto it The notion of corporeity became of no esteem unto him and he rejected it and his mind did altogether cleave unto that second notion which is expressed under the name of the Soul the true reason or manner of which he desired to attain therefore he fixed his thoughts upon it and made the beginning of his contemplation by considering all bodies not as bodies but as having forms whence the properties necessarily flow whereby they are distinguished one from another and instantly prosecuting this notion and comprehending it in mind he saw the whole multitude of bodies to agree in some form whence some action or actions proceeded but he saw some part of that multitude although agreeing with all in that form yet to have another form superadded thereunto from which some actions slowed also he saw some classe of that part although agreeing with that part in the first and second form to be distinguished from them in a third superadded form whence some actions flowed e. g. all earthly bodies as Earth Stone Minerals Plants Animals and all other heavy bodies they make up one multitude which agree in the same form from whence floweth their motion downwards so long as nothing hinders them to descend and when by any force they are moved upwards and then are permitted to themselves by the force of their own form they tend downwards but some part of this kind as Plants and Animals although they agree with the former multitude in that form they have yet another form from whom nutrition and accretion do flow But nutrition is when that which is nourished placeth somewhat in the room of that which hath been taken from it by converting some matter having affinity with it which it draweth unto it self into a substance like to its own But
accretion is a motion unto the three dimensions of longitude latitude and profundity according to a just proportion and these two actions are common to Plants and Animals and without doubt arise from a form common to both and that is it which is called the vegetative Soul but some of this part and particularly the Animals although they have the first and second forms common with that part yet they have a third superadded form from whence come sensation and motion from place to place Also he saw every peculiar species of Animals having some property whereby it is divided from other species and is distinguished and different from them and he knew that it flowed from some form proper thereunto which was superadded to the notion of its form common to it with other Animals and so the same to befall all sorts of Plants And it was manifest unto him that as touching these sensible Bodies which are in the world of generation and corruption the essence of some of them is compounded of more notions superadded to the notion of corporeity and that of others is compounded of fewer and he knew that the knowledge of the fewer was more easie unto him then that of the more and first he enquired to find the knowledge of the true reason of the form of some thing whose essence consisted of fewer things But he saw that the essences of Animals and Plants consisted of many notions because of the diverse kinds of actions in them So also as to the parts of the Earth he saw some more simple then others and he proposed unto himself to contemplat the most simple forms of all things as much as possible and so he observed that the water was a thing not of a manifold composition because of the fewness of the actions which proceeded from its form The same he also observed of the Fire and Air and now formerly it had come into his mind that of these four some were converted into one another and therefore that there was some one thing which all did participate and that was the notion of corporeity but it behoved that thing to be denuded of those notions whereby these four were mutually distinguished one from another and that it neither moved upwards not downwards nor was hot nor cold nor moist nor dry because none of these qualities is common to all bodies and therefore it belonged not unto a body as a body and if a body could be found wherein were no other form superadded to corporeity none of these qualities should be in it and it were impossible that any quality should be in it but that which agreed to all bodies informed with forms of whatsoever kind Therefore he considered with himself if any one adjunct could be found which was common to all bodies both animat and inanimat but he found nothing that agreed unto all bodies but the notion of extension unto the three dimensions which is found in all bodies and that is it which they call longitude latitude and profundity therefore he knew this notion belonged to a body as a body But the existence of a body did not offer it self to his sense which had only this adjunct so that it had not some other notion superadded to the former extension so as to be void of all other forms Then as concerning this extension unto three dimensions he considered whether that was so the notion of a body as that no other was in it or if the matter was otherwise But he saw beyond this extension another notion which was that wherein this extension did exist and that this extension could not alone subsist by it self nor could that which was extended subsist by it self without extension And the same he considered further with himself in some of these sensible bodies indued with forms as e. g. the clay and he saw that when any figure was made of it as spherical that it had longitude latitude and profundity according unto some proportion then if that same Sphere were taken and were converted into a Quadrat or oval Figure that the longitude latitude and profundity came to be changed and to have another proportion then formerly they had but that the clay is the same and is not changed but that of necessity it hath longitude latitude and profundity of whatsoever proportion it be and that it cannot wholly want them but that out of their successive mutation therein it was manifest to him that they had a notion different from the clay but because it could not be altogether destitute of them it was clear to him that they were of its essence So it appeared to him out of this contemplation that a body as a body is really composed of two notions the one whereof supplyeth the room of the clay in this example as to its spherical shape the other sustaineth the place of the longitude latitude and profundity in the spherical square or any other figure and that no body can be understood but what is made up of these two notions and that the one of them cannot subsist without the other but that the form which could be changed and successively put on various figures and that was extension did resemble the form in all bodies indued with forms but that which remained in the same state and that was it which in the former example supplied the room of the clay did resemble the notion of corporeity which was in all bodies indued with forms but this which is in the place of the clay in this example is that which the Philosophers call the matter and the hyle which is altogether naked of forms And when his contemplation had reached thus far and had somewhat departed from sensible things and that he had now approached to the borders of the intellectual World he was somewhat astonished and he enclined unto that of the sensible world to which he was accustomed Therefore he retired a little and left the body in kind because it was a thing which his sense could not conceive nor could he comprehend it and he did take unto his consideration the most simple of the sensible bodies which he saw and these were the four which his speculation had been formerly occupied about And first he considered the Water and he saw when it was permitted to be in that state which its form required that a sensible cold appeared therein and a propension to move downward but when it was warmed with the fire or heat of the Sun that first the cold went from it but the propension to move downwards remained but when it was vehemently heated that then also its propension to move downward departed therefrom and that it enclined upwards and so both these qualities wholly departed from it which alwayes flowed from it and its form Nor was there any thing further known to him of its form but that from thence proceeded these two actions and when these two actions had forsaken it the reason of the form was altogether
more absolute more beautiful more excellent and more lasting and that there was no proportion betwixt these things which are in him and the things which are in others Neither ceased he to observe all the attributes of perfection and he saw that they all belonged to him and proceeded from him and that we was worthy of them above any other to whom they should be ascribed Also he searched out all the attributes of defects and he saw him to be free of them and separate from them and how could he not be free of them For what other motion is there of defect but meer privation or what dependeth therefrom And how can he have any fellowship or mixture with privation who is a simple beeing of a necessary existence in himself which giveth existence to every existent thing and besides whom there is no existence For he is the Existence he is the Absolution he is the Perfection he is the Beauty he is the Splendor he is the Power he is the Knowledge and he he and all things perish beside him Thus far his knowledge had brought him about the end of the fifth septenary from his birth that is in the space of five and thirty years and the consideration of this Agent was so fixed in his mind that it hindered him to think upon other things beside him and he did forget that contemplation of the natural existence of things wherein he was and he ceased to enquire into them untill he came to that that his sight could not fall upon any thing but presently he beheld in it some prints of the operation of this Agent so that presently he turned his thoughts to the worker passing by the work so that his study was exceedingly fixed upon him and his heart was wholly abstracted from the inferiour sensible world being wholly addicted to the superiour intellectual world And when he had attained the knowledge of this supreme Beeing and permanent Existence of whose existence there is no cause but that is the cause of the existence of all things he would know by what means this knowledge came unto him and by what faculty he did apprehend this existent therefore he searched into all his senses which are the hearing the seeing the smelling the tasting and toutching and he saw that all these apprehended nothing but the body or what is in the body for the hearing apprehendeth sounds and these arise from the agitation of the air by the collision of bodies the sight apprehendeth colours the smell odors the tast savours and the toutch apprehendeth temperatures and hardness and softness roughness and smoothness so also the phantasie apprehendeth nothing but as it hath length breadth and depth but these things which are apprehended are all the adjuncts of a body and these senses apprehend no other thing because they are faculties diffused through bodies and divisible according to their divisions so they apprehend nothing but the body subject to division for this faculty seing it is diffused through a divisible body it is necessary that when it apprehendeth any thing it be divided according to its divisions therefore every faculty belonging to the body or incite in the body can apprehend nothing but a body or what is in a body But now it was clear that this Beeing of necessar existence is free from all bodily adjuncts in any respect and therefore that there is no way of apprehending the same but by something which is not a body not a faculty inherent in the body nor any way depending from bodies neither in a body nor without a body nor joyned to a body nor separate from a body And now it was manifest to him that he had apprehended it by its essence and that he had a firm knowledge thereof and thence it was manifest to him that his own essence by which he did apprehend that was somewhat incorporeal to which no bodily adjuncts agreed and whatever corporeity he apprehended from his outward or exterior part was not the true reason of his own essence but the true reason of his own essence was that by which he did apprehend that absolute necessary existent Beeing Therefore when he knew that his essence was not this bodily thing which he apprehended with his senses and which the skin encompassed his body seemed somewhat altogether contemptible unto him and he addicted himself wholly to the contemplating that noble essence by which he did apprehend that noble and necessary existent Beeing and by his essence he did consider that noble Beeing whether it could perish or be corrupted and evanish or were of perpetual duration but he saw corruption and dissolution to be of the adjuncts of bodies and to come to passe by putting off one form and putting on another as when Water becometh Air and when Air becometh Water and when Herbs become Earth or Ashes and when the Earth is turned into Plants for this is the notion of corruption But that there can be no corruption supposed of that which is not a body nor hath need of a body to its subsistence but is wholly separated from bodily things And when he was sure that his essence could not be corrupted he would know what the condition of it was to be when it should cast off the body and be separated therefrom but now he knew that it did nto cast it off untill it was no longer an instrument fit for it therefore considering all his apprehensive faculties he saw that every one of them sometime was in power sometime in act as e. g. when the eye winks or turneth it self from a visible object it is in power apprehensive but that is apprehensive in power which doth not now apprehend but can afterwards apprehend but when it openeth it self and turneth it self to a visible object it becometh apprehensive in act but by that which is called apprehending in act is signified that which now apprehendeth and every one of these faculties may be one time in power another time in act and if any of these faculties never apprehend in act as long as it is only apprehensive in power it doth not desire to apprehend any particular thing because as yet it hath no knowledge of it as in him who is born blind but if it once apprehend in act and be afterwards apprehensive in power so long as it remaineth in power it desireth to apprehend in act because it knoweth that apprehensible object and is intent on it and leaneth towards it as when one hath at any time enjoyed his sight and then becometh blind for he doth not cease to desire visible objects and how much the more perfect splendid and fair that is which is apprehended its desire shall be still the greater and the grief shall be the greater for the want of it therefore his grief who is deprived of the sight which he had after he hath seen is greater then his grief who is deprived of the smelling because these things which the sight apprehendeth are