A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More

...speak, and perfect Indiscerpibility the quality of being unable to be divided or pulled apart into separate pieces, does not for all this immediately imply a power of perception residing therein. For I believe every Spirit may be thus unified; but I am not certain that every Spirit has perception, but rather on the contrary that some have not. Therefore, although everything that is perceptive must be a Spirit, every Spirit does not need to be perceptive. From this, perception must be an immediate power in that rank of Spirits that are perceptive; and therefore it must be an argument of no small unskilfulness original Greek: ἀπαιδευσία (apaideusia), meaning a lack of education or ignorance to ask or expect a reason why it is so.

Nor can we give any account of that vital Oneness original: Onenesse in every Spirit—consisting of sympathy and shared activity of parts—unless we should argue that it is very fitting, seeing the nature of a Spirit is opposite to that of Matter, that the first and most immediate consequences of their natures should be opposite also. Therefore, it being here acknowledged that Matter is inert original: stupid, meaning lacking sensation or life, or destitute of vital sympathy and shared activity, Spirit must be vital, and endowed with such properties. Or we could argue that, as Matter (which lacks that Essential Unity consisting of the inability to be divided) is also devoid of this vital Oneness, so Spirit (which has this Essential Unity) should consequently be endowed with the vital kind. But this is not entirely according to the strict original: severity manner of reasoning which I prefer; though the argument is in no way contemptible if we consider the immediate opposition of the two species, and that it is but the first degree and most immediate emergence of vitality which we are arguing for in this comparison.

But I did not care to rely on such kinds of logical arguments original: ratiocinations, being well assured that I had already finished my task by merely demonstrating that what I assert belongs to Spirit was incompatible with Matter or Body; and that therefore Spirit must necessarily be acknowledged both to exist, and to be also the subject of such powers and properties—namely, of vital sympathy and shared activity of parts, and, which is the flower of all, of the faculty of perception. And who can question but that they are rightly placed there?

For I think there is no one but will acknowledge that there is generally in all men either a vague intuition original: confused presage, or a more definite idea original: Notion, that whatever has this power of sympathy and perception is the most refined original: subtil and unified thing there is. Now I dare appeal to anyone, if he can conceive of anything more refined or more unified than the essential idea of a Spirit, as it is immediately defined in contrast to Matter. For can there be anything more unified than what is utterly incapable of being divided into parts? Or more refined than what is not only able to penetrate Matter, but also itself, or things of its own kind? For Spirit will penetrate Spirit, though Matter cannot penetrate Matter. Therefore, there being no resistance original Greek: ἀντιτυπία (antitypia), the quality of matter that prevents other matter from occupying the same space in a Spirit—neither to its own kind nor to anything else—it is evident that it is the most refined thing there is. Therefore, the communication of vital impressions (and all impressions here are vital, though not all are perceptions, nor any of them physical motions) is not made by the bumping or crowding of parts, but by spiritual sympathy, which is more loose and free from those restrictions that are in the mechanical laws of Matter.

Of which the natural logical consequence original: Consectary is, that to resolve a phenomenon into sympathy is not always to take refuge in the "Asylum of Fools" a phrase used to describe a lazy explanation that avoids true scientific inquiry. For it is the result of very refined and laborious original: operose demonstration to come to the certain knowledge of the existence of spiritual beings; which once granted, their