A26976:96
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.
Ans. I would have had it plainer, but must take it as it is. It seems then that you think that it is only the Anima ⟨p. 38⟩Mundi, without any subordinate moving Principle: But you should have spoken out. I will not wrong you so much as to suppose that you think any Indiscerptible Spirit proper to a Stone, or a Fox, or an Ass, moveth all the World: Therefore I must judge that to the Motion of all the Stones, Clods, &c. in the world, there is none but an Universal Mover. I confess I think (as Dr. Gilbert de Magn.) and many others, that the whole Tellus hath one Active Principle (which I plainly think is Fire;) and if he call it Anima Telluris, I leave him to his liberty. But I think there are subordinate particular Moving Principles besides the Universal?
Ans. I would have had it plainer, but must take it as it is. It seems then that you think that it is only the Anima ⟨p. 38⟩Mundi, without any subordinate moving Principle: But you should have spoken out. I will not wrong you so much as to suppose that you think any Indiscerpible Spirit proper to a Stone, or a Fox, or an Ass, moveth all the World: Therefore I must judge that to the Motion of all the Stones, Clods, &c. in the world, there is none but an Universal Mover. I confess I think (as Dr. Gilbert de Magn.) and many others, that the whole Tellus hath one Active Principle (which I plainly think is Fire;) and if he call it Anima Telluris, I leave him to his liberty. But I think there are subordinate particular Moving Principles besides the Universal?
Do you think that only the Anima Mundi animateth all Animals? I think you do not; else all Apparitions should be but by one Soul. Besides an Anima Universalis, there must be a particular (or singular) Soul in every Man, Beast, Bird, &c. There must be more than the Universal Soul, to make you write, speak, do better than others: And if so, how am I sure that nothing under the Universal Spirit moveth descendentia gravia? In motu projectorum (another instance of my Ignorance) there is sure some causality in Anima singulari projicientis. The Universal