Observations, naturall and morall with a short treatise of the numbers, weights, and measures used by the Hebrews, with the valuation of them according to the measures of the Greeks and Romans : for the clearing of sundry places of Scripture in which these weights and measures are set downe by way of allusion / by Iohn Weemse ...

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 Phi∣losophers, the Peripatetickes the Platenickes and the Physitians, and the Iewes differed from them all. 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 facul∣ties of the soule into the jrascible, concupiscible and reasonable facultie, which they placed in the braine: and the Physitians differed from both, for they say principium motus est hepar, dignitatis cerebrum, & neces∣sitatis est cor: and the Iewes differing from all, say, that rationale habet sedem in Cerebro, which they call Moahh from [moahh] medulla. Secondly spiritus hath the seat in the heart, which is the beginning of life. And [ne∣phes] 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 un∣cover 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 onely 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 erga∣num animae, that is still denyed.

It may be sayd for the heart that the soule lodgeth in it, [Reason, 1] it is primum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it is the mem∣ber 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 fra∣med before either the sinewes or Arteries bee fra∣med.

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 mag∣nitudinis vel molis, as the navell is just in the midst of the body: 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 neces∣sitie it must have two heads, two hearts cannot bee in one body.

Seventhly, [Reason, 7] when a man speaketh truth with protesta∣tion, 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 understan∣ding 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, Prov. 3.3. The affecti∣ons are called the heart, 2 Cor. 6.8. Our heart is enlar∣ged 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, and we must hold that opinion, est in toto cor∣pore, 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 tempe∣rature of the body, cannot be placed in one part, but it exerciseth the functions of it in one place more 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.

Notes

• How the puripatetickes divided the faculties of the soule. How the Iewes place the faculties of the soule.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cerebrum
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 spiritat 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 anima
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 jecur
• Reasons to prove that the soule lodgeth in the braine.
• Reasons proving that the soule lodgeth in the heart.
• Medi∣u••

  • arithmetieum,
  • moles,
  • perfectionis.
• The heart put for the understand, the memo∣rie, the affections, and for the conscience.
• The soule is not onely in one part of the body.
• The soule exerciseth the faculties more in one part than in another.