fueh abfurdities Ihould be put Upon the^Wé#ld ;rtftkthiliks>ihe
Being that has no dépendance upon the Pen L write with,, ifuffii
ciently evinces me to the. contrary .: Mot that I fpeak this out of
a conceit .of any mean performances of my own, but only that
it is aftuated by a Being indépendant from it j by : which: I am
able to demonftrate lam a. Rational: Creature; I proceed-next to
Dr. Willis’s Hypothefis concerning the Sôuk of Brutes , which
is, that theÿ are an actual fire, I (hall efideavour to examine his
Reafons, and Conje&ures relating to that Opinion, and-thenlay
down fome Arguments why it cannot befô ; ip order to which,
I lhall examine the v^iûus.Spfefcieslofih'ireiî, andrtheir different
Pabulums, and (hall then, frOm.the Experiments he recites, fee
how far they are convincing upon that Topic: of Fires there
are various forts, but all of thenrmay be reduced to thefe gener
rical Heads, viz: Aerial, Terreftrial , or Animal., the Aerial
ones are thole of Lightning, (hooting of Stars, flying Serpents,
the twins Ca/for, or Pollux^ called by the ■Spaniards Corpsle Saint,
and thefe frequently fix upon the-Mafts and Sails of Ships ; the
Seamen by their long Æontinuàficeÿvbr qüick difappearance, will
pretend to Prognofticaterthe future Weather, it is impoflible
from any experiment he. cou’d make upon thefe in the. Air
Pump, A that he (hoù’d form flay- Corollaries, and fince thefe
no ways refer to this bufinefsfv\d :{hall riôtnfafther enlarge upon
them. TheExperiments recited- by the Honourable Efq; Boyle and
the Doctor,are upon common Fire in the Air Pump, which they
found to extinguifli as they drew out the Vitrous parts ojf the Air,
and the fame thing happening .to Ariimalsi in the Air Pump, the
Doctor hence concludes theSoukof Brutes to be an actual Flame;
and had he lived to, have leçm th&J?hofpkorus prepared from the
Blood, I queftion not but his ptegnant parts wou’d highly have
improved that Notion ; inraidyyer,tQ Ips Hypothefis I wou’d
gladly know of any Man, whether it ispoffible Fire Ihou’d think,
or that voluntary motion can be; fplved by that Element, when
it is by the Laws of Nature confin’d only, to one motion, and
that is Afcenfion, as the. Ffflmiji ,Philqfpphically, and truly
words it , ' as Naturally as. the Sparks fly upwards , and thefe
granted^
granted; it iieëiprlly follows the Hypothefis is groundlefs, be*
oâüfé in'Brutes thèréiïs both 'TifêföghLand vdlüfltkry motion ", as
i§’ that
bfi D Mittb*
aëfiaï Spitit, ' and fêté1 that Hy^hefis:rëëiteâ!;thë fame Ekpecï-,
,Tneritk fife? WiÜü MMfl&i: ^haf qf !Fiï;e'fF; Ind^lÊfÊaevdiÉiètlltó
therefore lyidg2aM^iî that .NBtS^ jfst^e!(Ewiof^ i-fhallnot
aid ïhe^^rliflfrkablë^Aw
thorsîhkt hàvër iWiflon f daft
place, propole my ow;fl!Sénti&ents on' thatJHêad, ’my lPfiöüghts
are,vithat in ail living'^reatü^êl' Wâteyerv théré is If Spiritual,
immaterial Bein&[ tbit thinKsp and aÉ'uktes them : Tö thisfAme'
maÿ^rèplyj - if MÉfe thènwthe difference betwixt Man and
Beaft NfFhëife -SéuliLWiuff bepbbth !equâflÿ: ïtótièrfiiï with, founds
contrary tb^Ée^feaE^Rèli^ôm'5hTo th’ôféî!ï âm wfer$-that théîl
Greâtüres oLKêsfefip db^lebrapatabli
to that of Man,even as we can tffllgtfié’ ôdrs tofe^In-f^roffl: totnf
Intuitive KnOwiedgè bf Angels, ;tl\eir Allegations therèfôrêferï
this ateöünt-aieFófeijgö tbthë pUrpofè; butluppofe ï ¥liovv^tï
tbei^thaftthè:AMugHfÿ'-fliây'i^n&ilkel^-;Sâ0^'®^É% ^ ^ f!ê^
tamsptkftér ©èath1;’ butwhethérhe dbörhtit,Jc>r inWflat future
State they a ïfë lS ;tö'rhe; -firieè bis Infiriîte WlfdOrfi Ilias nët ëöli^
defcended to Reveal his AëtiÖrïs 4 b ferto Mankind, Afees-it at
all concern mei* And therèfóre* ï can - ëâfily cOneMë^th'thd
Philofoplifel, ^à^fltpfaiiôs ^oiiibH dd iiès ; and it wou’d be muëh
better to acquiefcëïn à moaëff1 ignorance,- than diftütBóüf felyes,
and âmufe the World with thefe uïkcédfinf able Theorems: A -
Having thus far accounted for Fhæmfnêm preternatural iti*A-
ninhalsi i!in the 'flbi^plâce, I (hall ’defcefid to gke \ |ti aëcôùnt
Perfons^ih thefe Parts, that have been Emitfentfor thëir Learn-'
ing, and Inventions, in Napi^'ïhilddipfi^^ MralamAs;
mongft thefe the Learned Dr. fyearfin 'may juffly be placed the
firft, witnefs his môft Leàfnéd'E^pfî'tidn op èhe Creed, and his
unatffwerable fltétQfdtèfîicèeJflfnië Eàttüni^ at'this dayi^f^
ceiv’d in the Vatican it felf, though he a Bilhop of a differëht
perfuafidh - from him that préfixés' there^ àûdfefteeniëd as Sacred
D as