The Existence of God and the Immortality of the Soul, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.Ch. IX.
The acts of the Will consider'd. Its choice of things distastful to Sense, and sometimes destructive to the Body, argue it to be a spiritual principle. The difference between Man and Brutes amplified. The Spiritual operations of the Soul may be perform'd by it self in a separate state. This is a strong proof God will continue it. The Platonick argumeut that man unites the two orders of Natures intelligent and sensible, Immortal and perishing.
2. THe acts of the Will that imperial faculty, prove it to be of a higher order of substance than the sensitive Soul. The Brutes are acted by pure necessity; their powers are moved and determined by the external application of objects. 'Tis visible that all kinds of sensitive Creatures in all times, are carried in the same manner by the potent sway of Nature towards things sutable to their corporeal faculties. But the rational Will is a principle of free election, that controuls the lower appetite, by restraining from the most pleasant and powerful allurements, and choosing sometimes the most distastful things to sense. Now from whence arises this contention? If the rational Will be not of a higher nature than the sensual appetite, why does it not consent with its inclinations? How comes the Soul to mortifie the most vehement desires of the body, a part so near in Nature, so dear by Affection, and so apt to resent an injury? And since 'tis most evident that sensitive Creatures always with the utmost of their force defend their Beings, from whence is it that the rational Soul in some cases against the strongest recoile and reluctance of Nature, exposes the body to Death? If it depended on the body for subsistence it would use all means to preserve it. Upon the sight of contrary motions in an engine we conclude they are caused by diverse springs, and can such opposite desires in Man proceed from the same principle?
If the rational Soul be not of a sublimer order than the sensitive, it follows that Men are Beasts, and Beasts are Men. Now 'tis as impossible to be what they are not, as not to be what they are. But do the Beasts reverence a Divine Power, and at stated times perform acts of solemn Worship? Is Conscience the immediate rule of their Actions? will Lectures of temperance, chastity, justice arrest them in the eager pursute of sensual satisfactions? Do they feel remorse in doing ill, and pleasure in doing well? Do they exercise the Mind in the search of Truth? have they desires of a sublime intellectual good that the low sensual part cannot partake of? have they a capacity of such an immense Blessedness, that no finite Object in its qualities and duration can satisfy? Ask the Beasts, and they will tell you. Their actions declare the contrary. But the humane Soul has awful apprehensions of the Deity, distinguishes of things by their agreement or disconformity to his Laws: Its best and quickest Pleasures, and most piercing wounding Troubles are from Moral Causes. What colour, what taste has Vertue? yet the purified Soul is inflam'd by the views of its most amiable thô not sensible beauty, and delighted in its sweetness. How often is it so ravish'd in contemplation of God, the great Object of the rational Powers, as to lose the desire and memory of all carnal things? What stronger Argument and clearer Proof can there be of its affinity with‖Hoc igitur Argumentum habet Divinitatis suae, quod illum Divina delectant. Senec. God, than that Divine things are most sutable to it? for if the rational Soul were of the same order with the sensitive, as it could not possibly conceive any being more excellent than what is corporeal, so it could only relish gross things wherein Sense is conversant.
The Sum of what has been discourst of, is this, that by considering the different operations of Man and of Brutes, we may clearly discern the different powers of acting, wherewith the rational Soul is endowed in the one, and the sensitive in the other. The Soul in Beasts performs no operations independent on the Body that serves it either as an instrument, or matter of their production: such are the use of the Senses, Nutrition, Generation, all the internal work, and the preparing the Phantasms, without which they would be far less serviceable to Man. 'Tis not strange therefore that it perishes with the Body, there being no reason for its duration in a separate state, since 'tis fit only to act by the ministry of the Body. But the Soul of Man, besides the operations that proceed from it as the form of the body it animates, such are all common to man with Plants and Animals, understands, discourses, reflects on it self, that are acts proper to its nature, and included in its true conception, whereby 'tis distinguished from that of Brutes. Indeed the exercise of sensitive operations depends so absolutely on its union with the body, that they cannot be perform'd, nor conceived as possible without its presence, and the use of corporeal organs. But the more excellent operations that proceed from the higher faculties, wherewith 'tis indowed not as the form of a material Being, but as a spiritual substance, such as subsist for ever without any communion with Bodies, so entirely belong to it by the condition of Nature, that for their production 'tis sufficient of it self. The Understanding and Will are Angelical Powers, and to know and will, and to be variously moved with pleasure or greif according to the qualities of objects sutable or disagreeing, are proper to those Natures that have no alliance with Bodies. It follows therefore the Soul, in its separate state, may contemplate, and delightfully injoy intellectual objects, or torment it self with reflection on things contrary to its will: Nay, it understands more clearly, and is affected more strongly than before. For these operations during its conjunction are not common to the Body, but produc'd by it in the quality of a mind, and are then most vigorous and expedite, most noble and worthy of it, when the Soul withdraws from all sensible things into it self, and is most rais'd above the manner of working that is proper and proportion'd to the body. And from hence 'tis reasonable to conclude that it survives the Body, not losing with it the most noble faculty, the mind, that is peculiar to it, nor the necessary instrument of using it. For as the universal Providence of God supports the lower rank of Creatures in their natural Life, so long as their faculties are qualified for actions proper to that life, we may strongly argue that his conservative Influence will not be withdrawn from the humane Soul that is apt and capable in its own nature to exist, and act in a separate state. In short, the understanding and elective powers declare its descent from the‖foreign. Plato. Father of Spirits, whose image is ingraven in its nature, not as in brittle glass, but an incorruptible Diamond.
I shall add to the natural arguments an observation of the Platonists, that of all other Philosophers approach nearest the truth in their discourses of God and the Soul, of the Majesty of the one and the excellence of the other. They observe that the unity of the World is so closely combin'd in all its parts, the several beings that compose it, that between the superiour and inferiour species there are middle Natures, wherein they meet, that no vacuum may interpose in the series of things. This is evident by considering that between inanimate bodies and living, insensible and sensible, there are some beings that partake of the extremes, and link them together, that the order of things not being interrupted, the mind by continual easie degrees may ascend from the lowest to the highest in perfection. And from this just and harmonious proportion that is proper to essences, the intelligible beauty and musick of the World arises, that is so pleasing to the considering mind. Now what band is there to joyn the two ranks of Beings, intelligent and sensible, but Man, that partakes of Sense, common with the Beasts, and Understanding to the Angels. For this reason they give him the mysterious name of Horizon, the ending and union of the two Hemispheres, the superiour and inferiour, the two orders of Natures, immortal, and that shall perish.