A26976:43
Of the immortality of mans soul, and the nature of it and other spirits.…
Of the immortality of mans soul, and the nature of it and other spirits. Two discourses, one in a letter to an unknown doubter, the other in a reply to Dr. Henry Moore's Animadversions on a private letter to him, which he published in his second edition of Mr. Joseph Glanvil's Sadducismus triumphatus, or, History of apparitions by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for B. Simons, 1682
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. De Nomine: There is no such agreement among Philosophers of the name Matter as you suppose. I refer you for brevity, but to a very small Book of a very Learned Author (advanced by the Preface of one eminent for subtlety) the Metaphysics of Dr. Rich. Crakenthorp, who tells you at large, that Matter is taken either properly (as you and I do Substance) and so Spirits are material, or improperly and narrowly for that only which hath the three dimensions; and so Spirits are not material. It's unprofitable to cite many more to to the same purpose: And I ⟨p. 12⟩suppose you know, that not only Tertullian, but many other of the Fathers (many of whom you may find cited by Faustus Reg. whom Mammertus answereth) so used both Matter and Corpus also.
1. De Nomine: There is no such agreement among Philosophers of the name Matter as you suppose. I refer you for brevity, but to a very small Book of a very Learned Author (advanced by the Preface of one eminent for subtilty) the Metaphysicks of Dr. Rich. Crakenthorp, who tells you at large, that Matter is taken either properly (as you and I do Substance) and so Spirits are material, or improperly and narrowly for that only which hath the three dimensions; and so Spirits are not material. It's unprofitable to cite many more to to the same purpose: And I ⟨p. 12⟩suppose you know, that not only Tertullian, but many other of the Fathers (many of whom you may find cited by Faustus Reg. whom Mammertus answereth) so used both Matter and Corpus also.
§ 2. The word [Form] is as ambiguous; You and I are not the only persons that use it not in the same sense. Matter in its first Conceptus called Primus, hath no Form; that is, is conceived of abstracted from all Form. Matter in its next Conceptus is conceived of as diversified by accidents, as quantity, figure, &c. And so the 3 passive Elements, Earth, Air & Water, are diversified by many accidents, making up that Consistence, which is called their several forms, known only by sense, and capable of no perfect definition. Many such passive Materials conjunct have their Relative Form, which is that Contexture in which consisteth their aptitude for their use: as a House, a Ship, a Gun, a Watch. In Compositions where the Active natures are added, and operate unitedly on the passive, there the Active is the Form of the Compound, quite in another sense than any of the former, viz. as it is principium motus.