102 A TREATISE 



her owne nature, a fixed fubHance 3 that is^ pure being. Both 

 wh'-ch ftates ofthefouie, may in iotne fort be adumbrated by; 

 what we fee pafleth in the coppelling ofa fixed mettall; for 

 i s long as any Jead,or drofle,or aJJay remainetfi with ft,it con- 

 tinueth melted, flowing, and in motion under the muffle : 

 fcut as foone as they are parted from it, and that it i s become 

 pure, without any mixture,and fingly it felfe ; it contra&eth 

 it felfe to a narrower roome, and at that very indant, ceaferh 

 from all motion, groweth hard, permanent,re/7ftent unto all 

 rperanons of fire, and fuffereth no change or diminution in 

 its instance by any outward violence we can ufe unto it. 



CHAP. XI. 



Skewing tvbft e/efls,the divers manners of living In this world ^dse exult 

 in a fouls, after fie ii feparated fimbtr bdy. 







That a fo'ule in f\^ c l ^ l *6' m *^ P era dt enture feeme of hard digeflion in 

 this lifeisfubjcd V/ourp*ft difcoutfe; and it is, that out of the grounds wee 

 to mutation, and have laid, it fcemeth to follow that all fculcs will have aft equa- 

 ay be pcrfefted lity ; fincc we have concluded, that the greateft fliall /ee or know 

 io knowledge. no mi>re ^^ t ^ j ea ^ . ant j jnt feed,iherc apcarcth no cau/e why 

 this great and noble creature, {hold ly iroprifojied in the obfcurc 

 dangeon of r oyfome fle&jif in the firft iniiant, in which it hath 

 its hrft k; owledge it hath then already gained all wha:fbever it 

 is capable of gaining i the whole progrefle ofa long life after- 

 wards. Truly, the Platonikc Philofophcrs ('who are perfwadcd 

 that a human foule doth nor profit in tt is lif^nor that (he acqui- 

 red any knowlcdg here; as being of her fclfc corr-pleately perfcft, 

 and that all our difcouifis, are but her remcmbrings of what /he 

 h ad f^r gotten) will find themielves ill belied to render a Philcfo- 

 phicall and fufficirnt caufe of her being locked into a body : for 

 to put forgetfulnes in a pure fpirit; fo palpable an etltdt of corpo- 

 reity and fogreat acorrupdon,in refped ofa creature whofc ca- 

 tuie i*,to know of itfclfe,ian unfurTetableerrour.Befides,whcn 

 drey tell us, that fhce can not bee changed, btcaufe all chang* 

 would prejudice the fpirit uall nature, which they attribute to 

 heijbut that well Hie may be warned and cxciated by being in a 



hocfy; 



