OF MANS SOULE. Chap.VIII. 73 



unto the others we have drawn from our obfervations unto her 

 apprchcnfions, her judgements,and her difcourfcs. 



Looking then into this matter: the firft con fi deration we meet 

 withallis, that our understanding is in her owne nature an orde- 

 rer ; and that her propc r work is to rank and put things in order: 

 for if we reflect upon the workes and arts of men, as, a s^ood life, 

 a common- wealth, an army, a houfe, a garden, all artefacts; 

 what arc they, but compofitions of well ordered parts ? And in 

 every kind, we fee that he is the Mailer, and the Architect, and is 

 accounted the wifcft,and to have the belt undcrftanding,who can 

 beft> or moft, or further then his feMowes, let things in order. If 

 then to this we joyne, that Quantity is a thing whole nature con- 

 fifteth in a capacity of having parts and multitude, and confe- 

 quently is the fubject of ordering and ranking; doth it not evi- 

 dently follow, that our foule, compared to the whole mafle of bo- 

 dies,and to the very nature of corporeity or quantity, is as a pro- 

 per agent to its proper matttr to worke upon ? Which if it be, it 

 inuft neceflarily be of a nobler ttraine 5 and of a d ffcrent and higher 

 nature thcirit ; and confcqucntly, cannot be a body,or be compo- 

 led ot Quantity : for had it matter in it felfe, whit it expeclcth 

 and requireth from the agent } it would not need the agents help, 

 but of it felfe it were fit to be an Agent. Wherefore if the nature 

 of corporeity, or of body, in its full latitude, be to be ordered, 

 it followeth that the thing whofe nature is to be an ordcrer, 

 muft as it is fuch , be not a body, but of a fuperiour nature, 

 and exceeding a Body : which we expreficby calling it gjpiritit- 

 a/l thing. 



Well then, if the ibule be an orderer, two things belong necef 1 2. 

 farily unto htr: The oneis, that ihe have this order within her That the foulcs 

 felre ; the other is, that (lie have power to communicate it uHto ^'"f ^out 

 fuch things, as are to be ordered. The firft Ihe hath by fcience, of ^ ng ^ovcd, 

 which enough already hath been faid towards prjving cur in- doth prove her 

 tent. Next, that her nature is communicative or this -order, is to be iinmate- 

 evide j nt out of her action and manner of working. But whether na ^ 

 of her felfe fhe be thus communicative, or be fo by her conjuncti- 

 on to the body (he informeth, appeareth not from thence 1 . But 

 where Experience fulleth fhbrt, Reafon fupplyeth, andihcw- 

 eth us that of her owne nature (he is communicative ot order ; 



for 



