Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with the recompences of the future state for the cure of infidelity, the hectick evil of the times / by William Bates ...
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Title
Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with the recompences of the future state for the cure of infidelity, the hectick evil of the times / by William Bates ...
Author
Bates, William, 1625-1699.
Publication
London :: Printed by J.D. for Brabazon Aylmer ...,
1676.
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Subject terms
God -- Proof.
Immortality.
Soul.
Cite this Item
"Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with the recompences of the future state for the cure of infidelity, the hectick evil of the times / by William Bates ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a26782.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2024.
Pages
CHAP. 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 prin∣ciple.
The difference between Man
and Brutes amplified. The Spiri∣tual
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 sub∣stance
descriptionPage 171
than the sensitive Soul.
The Brutes are acted by pure ne∣cessity;
their powers are moved
and determined by the external
application of objects. 'Tis visible
that all kinds of sensitive Crea∣tures
in all times, are carried in
the same manner by the potent
sway of Nature towards things
sutable to their corporeal facul∣ties.
But the rational Will is a
principle of free election, that
controuls the lower appetite, by
restraining from the most plea∣sant
and powerful allurements,
and choosing sometimes the most
distastful things to sense. Now
from whence arises this contenti∣on?
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 ve∣hement
descriptionPage 172
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 evi∣dent
that sensitive Creatures al∣ways
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 subsist∣ence
it would use all means to pre∣serve
it. Upon the sight of con∣trary
motions in an engine we
conclude they are caused by di∣verse
springs, and can such oppo∣site
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
descriptionPage 173
impossible to be what they are
not, as not to be what they are.
But do the Beasts reverence a Di∣vine
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 sen∣sual
satisfactions? Do they feel re∣morse
in doing ill, and pleasure
in doing well? Do they exercise
the Mind in the search of Truth?
have they desires of a sublime in∣tellectual
good that the low sen∣sual
part cannot partake of? have
they a capacity of such an im∣mense
Blessedness, that no finite
Object in its qualities and durati∣on
can satisfy? Ask the Beasts,
and they will tell you. Their acti∣ons
declare the contrary. But
the humane Soul has awful ap∣prehensions
descriptionPage 174
of the Deity, distin∣guishes
of things by their agree∣ment
or disconformity to his
Laws: Its best and quickest Plea∣sures,
and most piercing wound∣ing
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 con∣templation
of God, the great Ob∣ject
of the rational Powers, as to
lose the desire and memory of all
carnal things? What stronger Ar∣gument
and clearer Proof can
there be of its affinity with‖ 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 possi∣bly
conceive any being more ex∣cellent
descriptionPage 175
than what is corporeal, so
it could only relish gross things
wherein Sense is conversant.
The Sum of what has been dis∣courst
of, is this, that by consider∣ing
the different operations of
Man and of Brutes, we may clear∣ly
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 opera∣tions
independent on the Body
that serves it either as an instru∣ment,
or matter of their producti∣on:
such are the use of the Sen∣ses,
Nutrition, Generation, all the
internal work, and the preparing
the Phantasms, without which
they would be far less serviceable
to Man. 'Tis not strange there∣fore
that it perishes with the Bo∣dy,
there being no reason for its
descriptionPage 176
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 com∣mon
to man with Plants and Ani∣mals,
understands, discourses,
reflects on it self, that are acts
proper to its nature, and includ∣ed
in its true conception, where∣by
'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 per∣form'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
descriptionPage 177
a spiritual substance, such as sub∣sist
for ever without any commu∣nion
with Bodies, so entirely be∣long
to it by the condition of Na∣ture,
that for their production 'tis
sufficient of it self. The Under∣standing
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 dis∣agreeing,
are proper to those Na∣tures
that have no alliance with
Bodies. It follows therefore the
Soul, in its separate state, may con∣template,
and delightfully injoy
intellectual objects, or torment
it self with reflection on things
contrary to its will: Nay, it un∣derstands
more clearly, and is
affected more strongly than be∣fore.
For these operations during
its conjunction are not common
descriptionPage 178
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 pro∣portion'd
to the body. And from
hence 'tis reasonable to conclude
that it survives the Body, not
losing with it the most noble fa∣culty,
the mind, that is peculiar to
it, nor the necessary instrument of
using it. For as the universal Pro∣vidence
of God supports the lo∣wer
rank of Creatures in their
natural Life, so long as their fa∣culties
are qualified for actions
proper to that life, we may strong∣ly
argue that his conservative In∣fluence
will not be withdrawn
from the humane Soul that is apt
descriptionPage 179
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‖ Father of Spirits, whose
image is ingraven in its nature,
not as in brittle glass, but an in∣corruptible
Diamond.
I shall add to the natural argu∣ments
an observation of the Pla∣tonists,
that of all other Philoso∣phers
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, where∣in
they meet, that no vacuum may
interpose in the series of things.
descriptionPage 180
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 to∣gether,
that the order of things not
being interrupted, the mind by
continual easie degrees may as∣cend
from the lowest to the high∣est
in perfection. And from this
just and harmonious proportion
that is proper to essences, the intel∣ligible
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 Un∣derstanding
to the Angels. For
this reason they give him the my∣sterious
name of Horizon, the
ending and union of the two He∣mispheres,
descriptionPage 181
the superiour and in∣feriour,
the two orders of Na∣tures,
immortal, and that shall pe∣rish.