QVEST. IX. Whether the knowledge of the sensible thing be perfected in the Organ.
ALthough it be made manifest by that which hath beene saide, that the proper action of the Sensatiue Faculty is the diiudication of the sensi∣ble thing, yet there seemeth to be some difficulty behinde, for, if the Facultie doe make this iudgement of the obiect in the sensorium or Or∣gan, then those which sleepe with open eies should also see because the colour doth alter the Organ. In like manner a sound might be heard, odours smelt, and any tactile quality might be felt by vs; seeing that the Organ is altred by the Obiect, and yet when wee are asleepe we neither do see, nor heare, nor Perceyue with anie other Sense except the Obiects be verie vehement. Haue therefore the Poets truly faigned that sleepe is the brother of death, because it dooth depriue vs of all our * 1.1 sense yea of our verie Touch; insomuch that it seemeth to extinguish the creature & be∣••eaue it not of Sense onely but of life also? Or else do we perceyue while we sleepe, and know not that we haue Sense? The first cannot be, for although sleepe haue a great cor∣respondencie and affinitie with death, yet it doth not depriue the creature of sense. For * 1.2 these things do concurre vnto Sense: a conuenient obiect, an organ fitly disposed, the alteration of the same organ and a sensitiue Facultie, al which things we haue euen when we sleepe.
First, the Obiect is present, for colour though we be asleepe, yet is it the Obiect of fight, and continueth to be actuallie an obiect as long as it is illuminated with the light of a Candle or with the daylight; so also it is with sounds, odours and other obiects of the Senses. The Organ is also present and so is the alteration of the same; seeing there is nothing which can hinder the operation of the sensible species vpon the organ, or the alteration of the same. Neither is the Faculty wanting: for if the Facultie of one sense should faile all the Senses would be forfeited, and so of a liuing creature should be made a Plant depriued of sense and motion.
Moreouer, though we sleepe, yet our organs liue and they liue by the Soule. If * 1.3 therefore the soule with all her powers and faculties be wholy in the whole, and wholie in euerie part, it must needs be that if the creature liue the Faculties of Sense must bee present in euerie place where the Soule is. But the soule is found in the organs of senses, yea euen when we are asleepe; except you will say that the Soule dies when wee fall a∣sleepe. Wherefore it necessarily followes that the Faculty of Sense is there also pre∣sent in the organ.
Seeing therefore in sleepe we haue the obiect actuallie prepared vnto sensation, see∣ing * 1.4 also the organ fitly disposed is not wanting, and the iudging Faculty at hande, and that nothing more is required vnto perfect sense; it is not to be doubted but that Sen∣sation may be absolued in the organ and iudgement also giuen of the obiect euen vvhen we are fast asleepe. But the reason why we do not perceyue this Sensation, is, not because we haue no sense at all, but because we know not that we haue Sense.