Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

§. 3.

The Communications of Angels and Souls in Heaven, is therefore conceived to be an ability in those blessed Spirits si∣lently and without sound to instil and insinuate their minds and thoughts to each other, by a meer act of their Wills: just as we now speak to God or our selves in our hearts,* 1.1 when our lips do not move, or the least outward sign appears.

There are two ways by which the Souls of men speak, one outwardly by the Instruments of Speech, or sensible signs; the other inwardly, without sound, or sign. This inward silent Speech is nothing else, but an act of the Will, cal∣ling forth such things into our actual Thoughts and Medita∣tions, which before lay hid and quiet in the Memory, or ha∣bit of knowledge. These thoughts, or actual revolvings of things in the mind, is in Scripture called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Word or Speech in the heart, Deut. 15.9. Take heed to thy self, that there be not a wicked word in thy heart, we tran∣slate, a wicked thought: thoughts are the words and voice of the Soul: and so Matth. 9.3. they spake within them∣selves, (i.e.) their Souls spake, though their lips moved not: all Meditation is an inward Speech in the Soul, and there∣fore 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 indifferently signifies both to speak,* 1.2 and to medi∣tate. The Objects which we revolve in our thoughts, are so many Companions with whom we converse: and thus a man (like Heinsius) may be in the midst of abundance of ex∣cellent Company, when he is all alone. And this is silent talk to our selves, without any sound or noise.

* 1.3But you will say, though the Spirit of a man can thus talk to or with it self;* 1.4 yet this can signifie nothing to others: For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man that is in him? 1 Cor. 2.11. It is not therefore enough to open this inter∣nal door of the Will; for except we open also the external door of the lips, no man can know our minds, or be admitted into the secrets of our Souls: should we never so earnestly desire that another should know our mind, except we please also to discover it by word or sign, he cannot know it; and therefore an act of the Will is not sufficient, without some external signification superadded. And these Souls be∣ing bodiless, can give no such outward signification.

There is indeed a necessity among men in this World to unlock another door beside that of their Will,* 1.5 to communi∣cate the Secrets of their hearts to others;* 1.6 but Angels, and the Spirits of men having no Bodies, consequently have but one door, to wit that of the Will to open, and the opening thereof (which is done by one act or desire in a moment) is enough to discover so much of their minds as they would have discovered to another Spirit. If they keep the door of their Will shut, no Angel or Spirit can know what is in their thoughts, without a Revelation from God; and if they but will or desire others should know, no words can so fully manifest one mans mind to another, as such an act of the will doth manifest theirs And this, saith learned Zanchy, is the Tongue of Angels, and the same way the Spirits of men have to make known their minds in the unbodied state. It is but the turning of the Key of the Will, and their thoughts or desires are presently seen, and known by others, to whom they will discover them, as a mans face is seen in a glass, when he pleaseth to turn his face to it. Would one Spirit make known his mind to another, it is but to will he should know it, and it is immediately known.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dicimur nobis ipsis in animo loqui, cum aliquid actu cogitamus; & animo volvimus: cogitamus autem actu, ex voluntatis imperio, hoc est, cum volumus. Zanch.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cum puncto si∣nistro, locutus est o••e, aut corde cogita∣vit, meditatus est.
• * 1.3

  Object
• * 1.4

  Duo sunt o••lia aliorum respe∣ctu, quorum nisi utrum∣que à te re∣feretur, fieri non potest, ut que tu habes in intellecta, & corde tuo o••culta, ••a alius habere, & cognos••ere queat urum ex parte animi est voluntas, nisi enim quae occul••a latent in corde tuo, ea vilis aliis patefieri, quis ea percipiat•• alterum est ipsum corpus carni••m, ac proindè licèt quasi aperto priori interi∣orique ostio velis, que in animo volvis, alicui patefacere, nisi tamen hoc etiam alterum exter∣num re••eres, nullo modo ab aliis hominibus cognosci poterunt. Z••nch. de operibus Dei, lib. 3. cap. 19.
• * 1.5

  Sol.
• * 1.6

  Quoniam igi∣tur Angeli iis carent crassis corporibus, id∣circo nihil im∣pedit, quo mi∣nus q•••• unus Angelus in sua versat mente, ea alter videat, nisi ejus volun∣tas: si enim ea nolit ab altero resciri: Nun∣quam, nisi Deo re••••ilante resci∣entur. Zanch. ubi supra.