Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/165

Rh melts the yielding Compages of the Body to such a consistency, and so much of it as is fit for his purpose, and makes it pliable to his Imagination; and then it is as easie for him to work it into what shape he pleaseth, as it is to work the Aire into such forms and figures as he ordinarily doth. Nor is it any more difficulty for him to mollifie what is hard, then it is to harden what is so soft and fluid as the Aire.

5. And he that hath this power, we can never stick to give him that which is lesser, viz. to instruct men how they shall for a time forsake their Bodies, and come in again. For can it be a hard thing for him that can thus melt and take a-pieces the particles of the Body, to have the skill and power to loosen the Soul, a Substance really distinct from the Body and separable from it;. which at last is done by the easie course of Nature, at that final dissolution of Soul and Body which we call Death? But no course of Nature ever transforms the Body of Man into the shape of a Wolf; so that this is more hard and exorbitant from the order of Nature then the other.

6. I but, you'l say, the greatness and incredibleness of the Miracle is this, That there should be an actual separation of Soul and Body, and yet no Death. But this is not at all strange, if we consider that Death is properly a disjunction of the Soul from the Body by reason of the Body's unfitness any longer to entertain the Soul, which may be caused by extremity of Diseases, outward Violence or Age; and if the Devil could restore such Bodies as these to Life, it were a Miracle indeed. But this is not such a Miracle, nor is the Body properly dead, though the Soul be out of it. For the life of the Body is nothing else but that fitness to be actuated by the Soul. The conservation whereof is help'd, as I conceive, by the anointing of the Body before the Ecstasie, which ointment filling the pores, keeps out the cold, and keeps in the heat and spirits, that the frame and temper of the Body may continue in fit case to entertain the Soul again at her return. So the vital steams of the carcase being not yet spent, the pristine operations of Life are presently again kindled; as a Candle new blown out, and as yet reeking, suddenly catches fire from the flame of another, though at some distance, the light gliding down along the smoke.

7. Wherefore there being nothing in the nature of the thing that should make us incredulous, these Sorceresses so confidently pronouncing that they are out of their Bodies at such times, and see and doe such and such things, meet one another, bring messages, discover secrets and the like, it is more natural and easie to conclude they be really out of their Bodies then in them. Which we should the more easily be induced to believe, if we could give credit to that Narration Wierus tells of a Souldier, out of whose mouth whilest he was asleep a thing in the shape of a Weasel came, which nudling along in the grass, and at last coming to a brook side, very busily attempting to get over, but not being able, some one of the standers by that saw it made a bridge for it of his sword, which it passed over by, and coming back made use of the same passage, and then entred into the Souldiers mouth again, many looking on. When he awaked, he told how he dream'd he had gone over an iron bridge, and Rh