it can scarce be separated from it even so much as
in thought; which did as constantly influence this
Mass of matter as the Sun do’s the World.
Now there are some Bodies from whence we perceive
no Reflection of Light, as the thin Air: others
from which we do but imperfectly; such are thick Bodies
which are not smooth (but there is a difference in
these, and the difference of their Colours arises
from the different manner of their Reception of the
Rays); and from others we receive the Reflection in
the highest degree, as from Bodies which are smooth
and polish’d, as Looking-Glasses and the like;
so that those Glasses when ground after a particular
manner will Collect so much Light as to kindle a Fire.
So that Spirit which comes by the Command of God,
do’s at all times act upon all Creatures, in
some of which notwithstanding, there appears no Impression
of it, but the reason of that is, because of their
Incapacity into whom it is infus’d; of which
kind are things inanimate which are fitly represented
in this similitude, by the thin Air. There are
another sort again; in which there does appear something
of it, as Vegetables and the like, which are represented
by the thick Bodies we mention’d, which are not
polish’d. And then lastly, there are others,
(represented by those Glasses, in our last comparison)
in which the impressions of this Spirit are visible,
and such we reckon all sorts of Animals. But then,
as these smooth and polish’d Bodies which are
of the same figure with the Sun [i.e. Spherical]
do receive the Rays in a more plentiful manner than
any other whatsoever, so also do some Animals receive
the Influence of that Spirit more than others, because
they are more like to that Spirit and are form’d
after his Image: such is Man particularly, which
is hinted before where ’tis said that
God
made Man after his own Image[19].
Sec. 7. Now, when this Form prevails to such
a degree that all others are nothing before it, but
it remains alone, so as to consume, with the glory
of its Light, whatsoever stands; in it’s way;
then it is properly compared to those Glasses, which
reflect Light upon themselves, and burn every thing
else; But this is a degree which is peculiar to the
Prophets.
Sec. 8. But to return, and speak something more
fully concerning the Opinion of those who account
for this kind of generation; They tell us, that as
soon as this Spirit was join’d to the Receptacle,
all the other powers immediately, by the Command of
God, submitted themselves to it. Now, opposite
to this Receptacle, there arose another Bubble divided
into three Receptacles by thin membranes, with passages
from one to the other, which were fill’d with
an aerial substance, not much unlike that which was
in the first Receptacle, only the first was something
finer; and in each of these three Ventricles,which
were all taken out of one, were plac’d some
of those Faculties, which were subject to this governing
Spirit, and were appointed to take care of their respective
Stations, and to communicate every thing, both great
and small, to that Spirit, which we told you before
was plac’d in the first Receptacle. Right
against this Receptacle, opposite to the second, there
arose another third Bubble, fill’d with an aerial
substance, which was grosser than that which was in
the other two; this was made for the Entertainment
and preservation of some other of the inferior Faculties.