SOUL. 



proceeds mind, or intelleft, and foul, or the aftive principle. 

 The primary eflential good is the centre ; mind, the light 

 emerging from it, and remaining fixed ; foul, the motion 

 of the emerging light ; and body, the opaque fubftance, 

 which is illumined by the foul. From the emanative energy 

 of mind is produced foul, or the aftive principle of life. 

 This divine principle is the fountain, whence all life is 

 derived. It fubfifts, as well as intclleft, within the divine 

 elTence, and is therefore iStsjxoV^iov, fupramundane. This 

 13 the immediate fource of the principle which animates the 

 world, lyKoa-iJiwy, and which is difTufed, in various portions, 

 through animated nature. The fouls of men and inferior 

 animals conftitute the common limit between the intel- 

 leftual and fenfible world. The human foul is derived 

 from the fupramundane foul, or firft principle of life, 

 and is in this refpeft filter to the foul of the world. 

 Souls are not in the body as their place, nor as their 

 receptacle, nor as their fubjeft, nor as a part of a whole, 

 nor as form united to matter, but fimply as the ani- 

 mating principle ; and it is in this refpeft only, that we 

 know the foul to be prefent with the body. The power 

 of the foul is diffufed through every part of the body ; 

 and though it be faid to refide in its chief inftrument the 

 brain, it is incorporeal, and exifts entirely every where within 

 the fphere of its energy. Partaking of the nature of real 

 being, it is immutable. It is the principle of motion, 

 moving itfelf, and communicating motion to bodies. The 

 vices and infelicities of the foul, are wholly derived from 

 its union with the body. 



Souls, in the periodical revolutions of nature, feparate 

 themfelves from their fountain, and defcend into the lower 

 regions of the world. In their pafTage, they attraft to 

 themfelves an ethereal vehicle, and at lafl fink into animal 

 bodies, as into a cavern or fepulchre. But when, by the 

 power of reminifcence, they again turn themfelves to the con- 

 templation of intelligible and divine natures, they regain their 

 freedom. God, on account of his greatnefs, is not known 

 by intelligence or fenfe, but by a kind of intuition fuperior 

 to fcience, by means of which the foul can fee him in his 

 real nature, as the fountain of life, mind, and being, and 

 the caufe of good. A foul which has attained to this vifion 

 of God will lament its union with the body, and will re- 

 joice to leave its prifon, and return to the divine nature 

 from which it proceeded. After death, the fouls of men 

 pafs into other animals, or afcend into fuperior regions, and 

 are converted into beings of an higher order, according to 

 their prefent degree of defilement or of purification. 



The human foul, according to Jamblichus, has an innate 

 knowledge of God, prior to all reafoning, having originally 

 derived its ed'ence from, and fubfilted in, the divine nature. 

 By the intervention of demons, it enjoys communications 

 with the fuperior divinities, and with God himfelf. Prayers, 

 hymns, lultrations, and facrifices are the means by which 

 this intercourfe is maintained. The mind of man, as we 

 learn from the writings of Porphyry and others, originally 

 a portion of the divine nature, having fallen into a Uatc 

 of darkncfs and defilement by its union with the body, is 

 to be gradually emancipated from the chain of matter, and 

 by contemplating real entities, to rife to the knowledge 

 and vifion of God. The end of philofophy is, therefore, 

 the liberation of the foul from its corporL-al imprifonment. 

 For this purpoi'e it mult pafs through the feTcral lUges of 

 the human and divine virtues. The human virtues arc 

 phyfical, economical, and political ; or thole which refpeft 

 the cave of the body, and tlic oiliccs of domeftic and civil 

 life. The divine virtues are purgative, ihcoictic, and the- 

 urgic : the firll clafs confilts in bodily abltincncc, and other 



voluntary mortifications ; the fecond comprehends all thofe 

 excrcifes of the intelleft and imagination, by which the 

 mind contemplates abftraft truth, and intelligible natures ; 

 the third includes thofe religious exercifes, by which the 

 philofopher is qualified for, and admitted to, an immediate 

 intercourfe with fuperior beings, attains a power over 

 dxmons, and afcends fo far above the ordinary condition 

 of humanity, as to enjoy the vifion of God in this life, and 

 to return, at death, to the divine mind, whence it firll 

 proceeded. Thus, we have given a fpecimcn of the vifionary 

 fubtleties of the Alexandrian philofophy, or that of the 

 Ecleftic fcft. 



According to the popular doftrine of the Jews, in and 

 after the tenth centur)-, the foul of man is a thinking fub- 

 ilance, having three faculties, the vegetative, the fenfitive, 

 and the rational : it is poflefied of hberty, and is immortal. 

 After death it is not immediately admitted to celeltial joys, 

 but wanders in this world, chiefly about its body, during 

 which time it is tormented by evil dimons ; in this purga- 

 tory it is clcanfed from its ilains ; after which it pafles into 

 either bodies of men, or inferior animals. There will be 

 a refurreftion of the bodies of dead men, and an univerfal 

 judgment, which will be fucceeded by a ftate of retribution. 

 The foul will enjoy eternal life in paradife, and the wicked 

 will be configned to the infernal regions ; the Jew for a time, 

 but the infidel for ever. The world will be deft royed ; but 

 the materials of which it is compofcd will remain. Thus the 

 modern Jews blended tenets, which they derived from their 

 facred fcripturcs, with opinions which they borrowed from 

 their Gentile neighbours. They firft fuffered their doftrines 

 to be corrupted by the Egyptian philofophy, and after- 

 wards learned from the Saracens to reafon, after the Peri- 

 patetic manner, upon metaphyfical fubjefts ; of which ex- 

 amples may be feen in the writings of Maimonides, and in 

 the book Cofri. The human foul, according to the 

 Cabbaliftic doftrine, proceeding by emanation from the 

 Deity, is an incorporeal fubltance, of the fame nature with 

 the divine intelleft. Being united ti) the body, one com- 

 plex nature is produced, endued with reafon, and capable 

 of aftion. The human foul confifts of four parts, " ne- 

 phefh," or the principle of vitality ; " ruach," or the 

 principle of motion ; " nefchamah," or the power of in- 

 telligence ; and "jechidaii," a divine principle, by means 

 of which it contemplates fuperior natures, and even afcends 

 to the Enfophic world. All fouls were produced at once, 

 and pre-exilted in Adam. Every human foul has two guar- 

 dian angels, produced by emanation, at the time (A the pro- 

 duftion of fouls. The mind of man is united to the divine 

 mind, as the radius of a circle to its centre. The fouls of 

 good men afcend above the manfion of angels, and are 

 delighted with the vifion of the firft light, which illumi- 

 nates all the world. 



The doftrine of the Arabians, ftaled by Al-Gazcl, is, 

 that the fouls of men are immortal, and that their bodies 

 will be raifcd from the dead. In the interval between death 

 and the refurreftion, fouls remain in an intermediate Hate ; 

 and after the refurreftion the good and faithful (liall be re- 

 warded, and the wicked and unbelieving fliall be pmiifhed ; 

 but they wlio, after having fuilered punilhmeiit, Ihall con- 

 fefs one God, will, through Ins favour, be releafed from 

 their confinement, and placed among the blelfed. 



The Cartefians make thinking the elTencc of the foul ; 

 and, from this principle, deduce its immateriality and im- 

 mortality. But, according to Mr. Locke, &c. the prin- 

 ciple is falfe ; nor is there any need to define the loul a fub- 

 ftance that thinks, to prove it immortal. It is enough that 

 tiie foul be capable of thinking, and tliatit produce its own 



thoughts, 



