Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Jn what part of the body the ſoule lodgeth.
1 King. 3.12. The Lord gave to Salomon a wiſe and an underſtanding heart.
THis queſtion hath much troubled the greateſt Philoſophers, the Peripatetickes the Platenickes and the Phyſitians, and the Iewes differed from them all. How the puripatetickes divided the faculties of the ſoule. How the Iewes place the faculties of the ſoule.The Peripatetickes divided the faculties of the ſoule into the vegetative, ſenſitive, and reaſonable, and they place them all in the heart. The Platonicks divided the faculties of the ſoule into the jraſcible, foreign cerebrumconcupiſcible and reaſonable facultie, which they placed in the braine: foreign ſpiritat foreign animaand the Phyſitians differed from both, for they ſay principium motus eſt hepar, dignitatis cerebrum, foreign jecur& neceſſitatis est cor: and the Iewes differing from all, ſay, that rationale habet ſedem in Cerebro, Reaſons to prove that the ſoule lodgeth in the braine.which they call Moahh from [moahh] medulla. Secondly ſpiritus hath the ſeat in the heart, which is the beginning of life. And [nephes] anima ſeu concupiſcible they placed it in the Liver called cabhod.
It may ſeeme that it hath the chiefe reſidence in the braine, and dwelleth there: Reaſon, 1 hath it not all the officers of eſtate about it in the head? here it hath the ſenſes as the informers, and the Phantaſie, the common ſenſe, and memorie as the Recorder, in the hinder part of the head.
Againe that ſeemeth to be the ſeat of the ſoule which is the originall of ſenſe and motion; Reaſon, 2 but the inſtruments of ſenſe and motion are the nerves proceeding from the braine, which nerves direct the externall ſenſes, and conſequently reaſon it ſelfe which is informed by them. Reaſon, 3
Thirdly, the braine is arbor inverſa, and as the life of the tree proceedeth from the root of it, ſo doth the life of man proceed from the braine.
Fourthly, Reaſon, 4 the paſſages from the braine to the heart are the conducts of life; ſtoppe theſe paſſages from the braine to the heart, and immediately a man dyeth, as wee ſee in apoplexies, which is a diſeaſe of the braine properly, and not of the heart.
Fiftly, Reaſon, 5 becauſe the head is the moſt excellent part where the ſoule lodgeth, it is put for the whole body. Achis ſayd to David, 1 Sam. 27. Thou ſhalt be keeper of mine head, that is, of me: ſo 2 King. 2.3. Thy maſter ſhall be taken from thine head this day, that is, from thee. Reaſon, 6
Laſtly, becauſe the ſoule lodgeth in the head, we uncover the head firſt as the moſt excellent part, we bow the head when wee applaud to any thing; and becauſe the ſoule lodgeth in the head, therefore when a man ſinneth, the head is eſpecially puniſhed.
It is alleadged that the heart was created before the head. Object.
Quod eſt primum naturâ eſt ultimum dignitate; Anſw. that which was firſt in nature, is laſt in dignitie: the heart was created onelyonly to ſerve the head, and not the head to ſerve the heart: the heart is membrum organicum as the reſt of the members of the body, but that it is erganum animae, Reaſons proving that the ſoule lodgeth in the heart.that is ſtill denyed.
It may be ſayd for the heart that the ſoule lodgeth in it, Reaſon, 1 it is primum foreign , it is the member of the bodie that liveth firſt and dyeth laſt, it is not like the eye which ſeeth laſt, and faileth firſt.
The inſtruments of life the ſpirits proceed from the heart; Reaſon, 2 the child when he is in his mothers bellie then ſpirat, when he is borne then reſpirat; thirdly, inſpirat, he draweth in the breath againe: and laſt expirat, hee letteth out the breath againe, therefore the pulſe is framed before either the ſinewes or Arteries bee framed.
Life and heat proceed from the heart, Reaſon, 3 therefore in any danger or feare, the blood runneth backe from all the parts of the body to comfort and ſuccour the heart.
Fourthly, the heart is a part voide of all excrements, Reaſon, 4 and nothing but the pureſt ſpirits are in it; the braine againe is a place full of cold humors, and therefore the heart is more fit to bee a lodging place for the ſoule.
Fiftly, Reaſon, 5 the heart is the midſt and therefore the moſt excellent place of the body, it is not an arithmeticall midſt, for it enclineth more to the left ſide nor to the right to helpe the coldneſſe of it; it is not medium magnitudinis vel molis, as the navell is juſt in the midſt of the body: Mediu… arithmetieum, moles, perfectionis.it is medium perfectionis as the Sunne is which is the moſt excellent ſort of midſt; ſo all motion, heat and life of the body proceedeth from the heart.
Sixtly, Reaſ. 6 a monſter that is borne with two heads yet it hath but one heart, if it have two hearts then of neceſſitie it muſt have two heads, two hearts cannot bee in one body.
Seventhly, Reaſon, 7 when a man ſpeaketh truth with proteſtation, he layeth his hand towards his heart, and when we would expreſſe our love to our neighbour, wee ſay we love him with our heart. Eſay. 1.5. The whole head is ſicke and the whole heart is faint, and from the ſole of the foote to the head there is no ſoundneſſe: the head is the Prince, the foote arē the common people, and the heart the Prieſts; and as the naturall life proceedeth from the heart, ſo doth the ſpirituall life from the Church-men, who are the inſtruments to beget the ſpirituall life.
God him ſelfe careth for no part of the body when he wanteth the heart: This people draw neere to mee with their lips, but their heart is farre from me. The underſtanding is called the heart, The Lord gave Salomon a wiſe heart, 1 King. 3.12. The memory is called the heart, Write my Lawes in thine heart, The heart put for the underſtand, the memorie, the affections, and for the conſcience.Prov. 3.3. The affections are called the heart, 2 Cor. 6.8. Our heart is enlarged toward you: the conſcience is called the heart, 2 Sam. 24.10. Davids heart ſmote him; ſo the will is called the heart, 1 King. 3.
The ſoule is not in one part of the body more than in another, The ſoule is not onelyonly in one part of the body.and we muſt hold that opinion, eſt in toto corpore, it is in all the body and in every part of the body, which muſt be underſtood negative but not poſitive, that is, it is not in this or that part of the body, more than in another, but it is in the whole body repletive; and the diverſe faculties of the ſoule which follow the temperature of the body, cannot be placed in one part, but it exerciſeth the functions of it in one place more than in another, The ſoule exerciſeth the faculties more in one part than in another.as it underſtandeth moſt in the head, and loveth moſt in the heart and the reines.
The concluſion of this is, the ſoule is in everie part of the body to animate it for naturall uſes, Concluſion. ſo it ſhould be in every part of the body to make our members the weapons of righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, Rom. 6.19. To make Davids foote dance before the Lord 2 Sam 6.14. to make the knees bow before the Lord, Rom. 14.11. and to make the tongue to prayſe the Lord.