Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and…

III. The Constitutive Reasons from the Intellective state.

III. § 1. Though the Tempter would persuade men, because of the case of Infants in the Womb, Apoplectic's, &c. that the understanding will be but an unactive Power when separated from these corporeal Organs, I have seen before sufficient Reasons to repel this temptation. I will suppose that it will not have such a mode of Conception as it hath now by these Organs: But, 1. The Soul will be still essentially a Vital Intellective substance, disposed to act naturally, and that is, to those acts which it is formally inclined to (as fire to illuminate and heat.) And as it cannot die (while it is what it is in Essence) because it is Life itself, that is, The Vital substance; so it cannot but be Intellective (as to an Inclined Power,) because it is such Essentially (though God can change or annihilate any thing if he would.) 2. And it will be among a world of Objects. 3. And it will still have its dependence on the first cause, and receive his continual actuating influx. 4. And no Man can give the least show of true Reason, to prove that it shall cease sensation, (whether the sensitive Faculties be in the same substance which is Intellective, which is most probable, or in one conjunct as some imagine) though the Species and Modes of Sensation cease which are denominated from the various Organs. 5. Yea, no Man can prove that the departing Soul doth not carry with it its igneous Spirits, which in the Body it did immediately actuate: (If it were never ⟨p. 139⟩so certain that those Greek Fathers were mistaken (as well as Hippocrates) who took the Soul itself to be a sublime Intellectual Fire.

III. § 1. Though the Tempter would persuade men, because of the case of Infants in the Womb, Apoplectick's, &c. that the understanding will be but an unactive Power when separated from these corporeal Organs, I have seen before sufficient Reasons to repel this temptation. I will suppose that it will not have such a mode of Conception as it hath now by these Organs: But, 1. The Soul will be still essentially a Vital Intellective substance, disposed to act naturally, and that is, to those acts which it is formally inclined to (as fire to illuminate and heat.) And as it cannot die (while it is what it is in Essence) because it is Life itself, that is, The Vital substance; so it cannot but be Intellective (as to an Inclined Power,) because it is such Essentially (though God can change or annihilate any thing if he would.) 2. And it will be among a world of Objects. 3. And it will still have its dependence on the first cause, and receive his continual actuating influx. 4. And no Man can give the least shew of true Reason, to prove that it shall cease sensation, (whether the sensitive Faculties be in the same substance which is Intellective, which is most probable, or in one conjunct as some imagine) though the Species and Modes of Sensation cease which are denominated from the various Organs. 5. Yea, no Man can prove that the departing Soul doth not carry with it its igneous Spirits, which in the Body it did immediately actuate: (If it were never