46 The Wisdom of GOD Parti. 



unreafonable to imagine and affirm that the cool 

 venal Blood fhould be heated to fo high a Degree 

 in fo fhort a Time as the Interval of two Pulfes, 

 which is lefs than the lixth Part of a Minute. 

 Secondly, in cold Animals, as for Example, Rehy 

 the Heart will beat for many Hours after it is 

 taken out of the Body, yea, tho' the Ventricle 

 be open'd, and all the Blood fqueez'd out. 

 Thirdly, The Procefs of the Fibres which com- 

 pound the Sides of the Ventricles running in 

 Spiral Lines from the Tip to the Bafe of the 

 Heart, fome one Way, and fome the contrary, 

 do clearly feew that the Syjlole of the Heart is 

 nothing but a Mufcular Conftridion, as a Purfe 

 is fhut by drawing the Strings contrary-ways; 

 which is alfo confirmed by Experience : For if 

 the Vertex of the Heart be cut off, and a Fin- 

 ger thruft up into one of the Ventricles, in 

 every Syjlole the Finger will be fenfibly and ma- 

 nifeftly pinch'd by the Sides of the Ventricle. 

 But for a full Confutation of this Fancv, I refer 

 the Reader to Dr. Loii-ers Treatife De Corde^ 

 cap. 2. and Des Cartess Rules concerning the 

 transferring of Motion from one Body in Motion 

 to another in Motion, or in Reft, are the moft of 

 them by Experience found to be falfe y as they 

 affirm who have made Trial of them. 



The Pulfe of the Heart Dr. Cudworth would 

 have to be no Mechanical, but a Vital Motion, 

 which to me feems probable, becaufe it is not 

 under the Command of the Will; nor are we 

 confcious of any power to caufe^ or to reftrain it, 

 but it is carried on and continued without our 



Know- 



