Chapter XXII: Madam,

Your _Author_ having assigned Indivisibility to the Soul or Spirit that moves and actuates matter, I desire to know, how one Indivisible Spirit can be in so many dividable parts? For there being Infinite parts in Nature, they must either have one Infinite Spirit to move them, which must be dilated infinitely, or this Spirit must move severally in every part of Nature: If the first, then I cannot conceive, but all motion must be uniform, or after one and the same manner; nay, I cannot understand, how there can be any dilation and contraction, or rather any motion of the same spirit, by reason if it dilate, then, (being equally spread out in all the parts of Matter,) it must dilate beyond Matter; and if it contract, it must leave some parts of matter void, and without motion. But if the Spirit moves every part severally, then he is divisible; neither can I think, that there are so many Spirits as there are Parts in Nature; for your _Author_ says, there is but one Spirit of Nature; I will give an easie and plain example: When a Worm is cut into two or three parts, we see there is sensitive life and motion in every part, for every part will strive and endeavour to meet and joyn again to make up the whole body; now if there were but one indivisible Life, Spirit, and Motion, I would fain know, how these severed parts could move all by one Spirit. Wherefore, Matter, in my opinion, has self-motion in it self, which is the onely soul and life of Nature, and is dividable as well as composable, and full of variety of action; for it is as easie for several parts to act in separation, as in composition, and as easie in composition as in separation; Neither is every part bound to one kind or sort of Motions; for we see in exterior local motions, that one man can put his body into several shapes and postures, much more can Nature. But is it not strange, _Madam_, that a man accounts it absurd, ridiculous, and a prejudice to Gods Omnipotency, to attribute self-motion to Matter, or a material Creature, when it is not absurd, ridiculous, or any prejudice to God, to attribute it to an Immaterial Creature? What reason of absurdity lies herein? Surely I can conceive none, except it be absurd and ridiculous to make that, which no man can know or conceive what it is, _viz._ an immaterial natural Spirit, (which is as much as to say, a natural No-thing) to have motion, and not onely motion, but self-motion; nay, not onely self-motion, but to move, actuate, rule, govern, and guide Matter, or corporeal Nature, and to be the cause of all the most curious varieties and effects in nature: Was not God able to give self-motion as well to a Material, as to an Immaterial Creature, and endow Matter with a self-moving power? I do not say, _Madam_, that Matter hath motion of it self, so, that it is the prime cause and principle of its own self-motion; for that were to make Matter a God, which I am far from believing; but my opinion is, That the self-motion of Matter proceeds from God, as well as the self-motion of an Immaterial Spirit; and that I am of this opinion, the last Chapter of my Book of Philosophy will enform you, where I treat of the Deitical Centre, as the Fountain from whence all things do flow, and which is the supream Cause, Author, Ruler and Governor of all. Perhaps you will say, it is, because I make Matter Eternal. 'Tis true, _Madam_, I do so: but I think Eternity doth not take off the dependance upon God, for God may nevertheless be above Matter, as I have told you before. You may ask me how that can be? I say, As well as any thing else that God can do beyond our understanding: For I do but tell you my opinion, that I think it most probable to be so, but I can give you no Mathematical Demonstrations for it: Onely this I am sure of, That it is not impossible for the Omnipotent God; and he that questions the truth of it, may question Gods Omnipotency. Truly, _Madam_, I wonder how man can say, God is Omnipotent, and can do beyond our Understanding, and yet deny all that he is not able to comprehend with his reason. However, as I said, it is my opinion, That Matter is self-moving by the power of God; Neither can Animadversion, and Perception, as also the variety of Figures, prove, that there must be another external Agent or Power to work all this in Matter; but it proves rather the contrary; for were there no self-motion in Matter, there would be no Perception, nor no variety of Creatures in their Figures, Shapes, Natures, Qualities, Faculties, Proprieties, as also in their Productions, Creations or Generations, Transformations, Compositions, Dissolutions, and the like, as Growth, Maturity, Decay, &c. and for Animals, were not Corporeal Matter self-moving, dividable and composable; there could not be such variety of Passions, Complexions, Humors, Features, Statures, Appetites, Diseases, Infirmities, Youth, Age, &c. Neither would they have any nourishing Food, healing Salves, soveraign Medicines, reviving Cordials, or deadly Poysons. In short, there is so much variety in Nature, proceeding from the self-motion of Matter, as not possible to be numbred, nor thorowly known by any Creature: Wherefore I should labour in vain, if I endeavoured to express any more thereof; and this is the cause that I break off here, and onely subscribe my self,

Madam,

_Your faithful Friend_

_and Servant._