Chap. x. OFMANSSOVLE 9 - 



I may reafonably fuipaft, that my faying how imperfcd foules g, 

 are rules to the proportion of their growth^ may have occafioned Th *f . 

 great reflection, and tnay have bred fome trouble in the curious ^ f "' 6 

 and hcedefull Reader. I confefle this expretfJon was delivered by ^{J| J M A 

 me, only to free my felfe for the prefent from the labour of fhcw- kncvT whilft * 

 ing what knowledge every feperated foule hath : but upon fecond ihc wa$ in bcr 

 thoughts, I find that fuch fliding over thi's difficult point will not 

 ferve my turne, nor favemc the paines of untying this knot : for 

 unlcfle I explicate what I meane by that fpeech, I fliall leave my 

 Reader in great doubt and anxiety ; which to free him from, I 

 muft wade a littlt further in this queftion of the extent of afipe- 

 rated foules fyajvledgf, into which, I have thus, upon the by, en. 

 gaged my felfe : but let him firrt be advertifed, that I doc not here 

 meddle, with what a feperated foule may know by revelation, or 

 by fupernaturall meanes : but that I doe only tracke out her na- 

 turall paths and doe guefleatwhatflicis,orknoweth, by that 

 light which her converfation in her body afYorderb us. 



Our entrance into this matter muft be, to confider what mu- 

 tation in refpeft of knowledge, a foules firft change out of hef 

 body, maketh in her , for it is not unlikely, but that nature may 

 fome way enlighten us fo farre, as to let us underftand what muft 

 follow out of the negation of the bodies con fort fhjp, added unto 

 what we lm/v of her and other works in this world. This then 

 firrt occurreth t hat furely flic can nor choofe but ftil know in that 

 ftate, all that i"he did kn'o'.v wh ; les fhe was in the body ; fince we 

 are certain that the body hath no part in that which is true know- 

 ledge : as is above declared, when we fliewed ; firtt, that all true 

 knowledge is refpe^ive ;' fecondly, that the firft impreffio.ns of 

 the fancb, doe not reach to the interiour fbule,and laftly, tat 

 fKe workcth by much more, then what hath any a&uall correC 

 pondence in thefancie, and that all things are united ro her by 

 the force of Being : from which laft, it fbllowcth chat all things 

 fhe, knoweth, are her fftfe; and fhe, /'/, all that foe kyotveth : 

 wherefore > if ftiee keepeth tier filfe sad her owne^w/**-, 

 Oiee muft needs keepc the knowledge of al' that flic knew in this 

 world, 



