§. 1. THERE are Animalcules, which being endued with Life and Mo⯑tion, muſt conſequently perform Animal Functions, that are leſs than any Ob⯑ject perceptible by our Senſes.

THIS is beyond all Doubt from Microſco⯑pical Diſcoveries in Pepper Water, Spring Water, Vinegar, Sperm, the Urine and fluid Juices of almoſt all morbid Animals; and [2] Mr. Lewenhoeck has ſhewn, that there are Animals, many Thouſands of which would not equal a viſible Grain of Sand; and that there are Tubes in Animals, of which ſeveral Hundreds would not equal a common Hair; and the ſmalleſt Animals, to carry on Life, muſt neceſſarily have all the chief Organical Parts of the greateſt Animals, at leaſt analo⯑gically.

§. 2. An organized Animal Body could not poſſibly at firſt have been formed, nor can its Functions be now accounted for, or ex⯑plained, by mere Mechaniſm, or the Laws of Motion which now obtain, without the Sa⯑gacity and Agency of a primary ſelf-exiſtent Cauſe; nor can the Functions be continued without the Superintendance and Influence of a ſelf-moving, ſelf-acting ſecondary Agent, in⯑forming and acting on it continually.

THIS is not only demonſtrable from the Inertia and Paſſivity of Matter, from the ob⯑vious Contradiction of a perpetual circular Motion, which is the Caſe of all Animals (the Motion of the Heart, and the Muſcular Force of the Blood-Veſſels, being the Cauſe of the Circulation, and the Circulation being the Cauſe (efficient or occaſional) of the Motion of the Heart, and of the Muſcular Fibres;) But that mere Mechaniſm acts only according to the Surfaces of Bodies; and yet it is probable, [3] that animated Bodies act according to their So⯑lidities, and that every Atom of an animated Body is conſtantly in Action, for the Preſerva⯑tion and Well-being of the whole Machin, and alſo for exerting that particular Animal Function, which its Figure, Situation and Uſe in the Animal requires. Beſides, natural and ſimple Mechaniſm can act only from One Cen⯑tre of Motion or Impulſe, in One ſingle Di⯑rection only; whereas Curvature requires dif⯑ferent Direction every Moment, and conſe⯑quently various Centres of Motion or Impulſe. Now, if we conſider the Varieties of Motions and Directions in the Joints and Muſcles of Animals, but eſpecially the infinite Variety of Curvatures in the Arteries, Veins, and Nerves, and particularly in the Glands, we will readily perceive it to be utterly impoſſible, and a Contradiction, that an Animal Body could have been at firſt formed without a Supra-me⯑chanical Organiſation; or that it ſhould con⯑tinue to live, and perform Animal Functions, without the continual Agency and Superin⯑tendance of a ſecondary ſelf-active, and ſelf⯑motive Principle.

§. 3. It is highly probable, that the firſt Elements of Bodies, or the leaſt and laſt Particles of Matter, are ſolid, hard, and indi⯑viſible, by any finite Power, or Force what⯑ever; becauſe by Friction, Colliſion, and Uſe, [4] they are not worn out, and loſe not their Original Figure and Size; ſince they are ſtill fit for the Ends and Purpoſes of their firſt In⯑ſtitution.

§. 4. GOD and Nature do nothing in vain; and ſince Body muſt neceſſarily be always en⯑dued with ſome Figure, being neither infinitely ſmall, nor infinitely great (where Figure may poſſibly be thought to evaniſh) the three moſt ſimple Figures of all ſolid Bodies, viz. Spheres, Cubes, and equilateral triangular Priſms, might poſſibly at firſt have made all the Diver⯑ſities of the primitive original Particles of ſpecific Bodies. Theſe Figures, with the parti⯑cular Laws of Attraction and Union thence ariſing, together with different Diameters, and various Combinations, may have made all the Differences of Bodies.

§. 5. THE ſeveral Elements, or the ſeveral Aggregats or Maſſes of the different original Particles, now commonly called Elements, as Water, Air, Light, Salt, and Earth, have each ſome ſpecifick Qualities, which diſtinguiſh them from each other, and which they never entirely loſe in any State whatſoever; but which may be ſwallowed up, and rendered unactive, when blended and combined with other Par⯑ticles, as they are in the integral Particles of natural Bodies, as theſe are conſtituted in this our Syſtem.

[5]WATER has its Incompreſſibility, the Ro⯑tundity, or at leaſt the Spheroidity of its con⯑ſtituent Particles; its Tranſparency, or re⯑fractive Power, its Admiſſion of Salts into its Subſtance without greatly increaſing its Di⯑menſions, at leaſt in a certain Quantity and Proportion, nay ſometimes leſſening them.

AIR has its Elaſticity, its repulſive Force, its acid and nitrous Spirit, and its vivifying Quality to Fire, and Animal Life.

LIGHT has its Activity, Velocity, Tenuity of its Particles, and its Fitts of eaſy Tranſmiſſion and Reflection, and probably a greater Gravity or Byas, on one Side, than the other of its Particles.

SALT has its Solubility in Water only, its penetrating Virtue on Bodies, and its ſtimu⯑lating Quality on animal Fibres; A greater Degree, and particular Law of the attractive Force of its Particles on one another, whereby its Cluſters are generally of regular, and nearly ſimilar Figures terminated by plain Surfaces.

EARTH has its greater Gravity, looſe Con⯑nexion, and leſs Attraction of its Particles; its Friability, and irregular Figure, being probably the Ramenta or Abraſions of the other Ele⯑ments.

[6]PERHAPS the primitive Animal Body might conſiſt of the Firſt pure ſpecific and ſub⯑limed Elements, harmoniouſly combined, and elegantly ranged in their Original Natures, of which our preſent patch'd groſs Bodies, are only the confuſed denſe Kind; as our preſent Globe of Earth, its Water, Salt, Air, Light, and Earth, are but probably the putrified Carcaſe of the primitive Planet; but both may con⯑tinue to have ſome remote Analogy to one another, as a Carcaſe hath to a living Beauty, or an Egyptian Mummy to a living Cleo⯑patra.

ACCORDING to this Analogy then, may not the Matter and Subſtance of the original firſt-created Vehicle or Animal Body, be of ſuch Elements of the original Kind? of a ce⯑leſtial and ſpiritual Nature (ſo to ſpeak) in⯑finitely more ſubtile and refined than the Mat⯑ter of Light, more elaſtick than the fineſt Aether; and whoſe Particles might have had, as it were, an infinite Power of Attraction even at finite Diſtances, and conſequently might per⯑vade all groſs Bodies of our Syſtem without Re⯑ſiſtance or Pain.

§. 6. On ſuch an analogous Suppoſition or Conjecture, the Fineneſs, Elaſticity and Law of Attraction in the Particles of ſuch a ſpi⯑ritual Animal Matter, might admit of De⯑grees [7] (as all Finites muſt neceſſarily do) and the Degree might be in Proportion to the na⯑tural and moral Powers of the Spirit con⯑junctly.

IT ſeems highly probable, that all finite created Spirits have, and muſt have material Ve⯑hicles, of Purity and Fineneſs in Proportion to their natural and moral Powers conjunctly, not only to limit and direct their Energy and Efficiency, but to commerciate with other Ani⯑mals, and inanimat created Natures; none but the Supreme Spirit, the Father of Spirits, being abſolutely and entirely an infinitely pure imma⯑terial Spirit, acting by his Power and Energy with equal Facility at all poſſible Diſtances. And the Vehicles, or original Bodies of all cre⯑ated Spirits might poſſibly be of ſome ſuch Nature, as this deſcribed Matter, which may be called ſpiritual Matter, or Element.

§. 7. This ſpiritual animal Body, at firſt divinely organized, may be rolled up, folded together and contracted in this preſent State of its Duration, into an infinitely ſmall Punctum Saliens, into a Miniature of a Miniature in infinitum, lodg'd in the Loins of the Male of all Animals, (for it is highly probable the Fe⯑male was but a ſecondary Intention, or a But⯑treſs to a falling Edifice) and proceeding in a diverging Series, and progreſſive Gradation, that in due Time it may be fit to be nouriſhed, [8] and increaſed by the Juices of the proper Fe⯑male, and thereby enabled to bear the Coarſe⯑neſs and Injuries of this ruinous Globe, and groſs Element, to which it is to be condemned for a certain Period.

§. 8. IT would ſeem that this ſpiritual Body, of this refin'd ſubtile Matter divinely or⯑ganized, by an infinite Degree of Attraction to its particular informing Spirit, and by an in⯑dividual Fitneſs and Congruity to the ſpecific immaterial Inhabitant, is ſo intimately united with it in its original Creation, that they are never after to be ſeparated, whatever future State they may go into, by any finite Power whatſoever; no more than the Firmneſs and Solidity of the primitive original Atoms of of Matter can be broken or divided by any natural Power. So that in whatever After⯑ſtates it may exiſt, or whatever Plaiſter or Vehicle of a denſer and coarſer Element may be ſuperinduced, the ſpiritual Inhabitant and the primitive Creation-Body go inſeparably together. And as this refined ſpiritual Body might have been the Creation primitive Body, ſo it may, purified, develop'd and mundify'd, be⯑come the laſt Reſurrection and glorify'd Body.

§. 9. It ſeems highly probable, analogous to the other Appearances of Nature, and con⯑gruous to rational Agency (if we ſuppoſe the firſt Being rational, intelligent and wiſe, act⯑ing [9] with Deſigns and Purpoſes) that the con⯑fining of intelligent or ſentient Beings, for ſo long a Time, to ſo dark and ſtrait a Priſon, in the Origin, Seeds and Eggs of Animals, on this ruinous Globe, muſt have been for ſome wiſe and good End and Purpoſe, in God's moral Government of his int ligent and ſentient Creatures; perhaps for Puniſh⯑ment, Correction, progreſſive Purification, and painful Senſation (A Body haſt thou given me, was ſaid of our Saviour, to make him paſſive); Feeling and Experience being the moſt effec⯑tual Mean to admoniſh and teach finite, wan⯑dering and heedleſs Beings; at leaſt this ſeems one Part of the Deſign.

§. 10. THAT in our preſent Scene of Exiſt⯑ence, our natural Powers are tied down, ſopited, and fettered by the Manner of our Origination, and coming into rational Life, is ſelf-evident: The wiſeſt and beſt Man on the Earth, as to rational and intelligent Liv⯑ing, was firſt like a mere Vegetable or Plant, afterward a mere Animal or Brute, and but at laſt, very late, and only for a ſhort Time, the rational and complete Man; and this Truth might be further illuſtrated, and even demonſtrated, from the Qualities of Matter, which are contrary to and deſtructive of the Qualities of Spirit. Now this Progreſſion muſt have ſome End and Purpoſe in the In⯑tention of a wiſe and good Cauſe; and may ſuppoſe, that by the Abuſe of Liberty, and [10] idolatriſing the Creatures, the moral Powers (Juſtice, Goodneſs, and Truth) being eraſed and cancell'd in the Spirit, the moſt effectual Mean and Expedient to reſtore them, was to tye down, contract and ſopite the natural Powers of the Soul (Living, Perceiving, and Willing) to a Level and Equality with theſe defaced moral Powers, that by the Uſe of the proper Means, they might (without Letts or Obſtacles from theſe natural Powers) gradually improve and grow up together, in the ſame Degree and Order; at leaſt this may be One not improbable End and Deſign of Providence, in this progreſſive Growth of the natural Powers of the human Spirit; ſince it is evident in Fact, that where the na⯑tural and moral Powers of the Soul riſe to any Degree, this Progreſſion is obſerved.

§. 11. The Works of God are without Re⯑pentance, the true unbodied Spiritual Sub⯑ſtance in intelligent and ſentient Natures, be⯑ing an Emanation, Efflux, Ray, or Spark, or (if I durſt uſe ſuch figurative Language) an in⯑finiteſimal Miniature of his Subſtance, (and of his living, perceiving and willing, or whole Nature) who is Self-exiſtent; After flowing from him, can no more periſh, or ceaſe to live, per⯑ceive and will, than neceſſary Self-exiſtence can ceaſe to be; ſo that Living, Perceiving and Willing, (i. e. Cogitation) can never be totally extinct in any intelligent and ſentient Being: Never in the Root, Faculty or Power, [11] tho' they may be, and often are, in the Acts; like Fire in Aſhes. Annihilation is contra⯑dictory to, and deſtructive of infinite Wiſdom and Power, and unworthy of infinite Perfec⯑tion, requiring the ſame Omnipotence that Creation does; Reaction being always equal to Action. And Self-activity being an infi⯑niteſimal Miniature of neceſſary Exiſtence and Omnipotence. The firſt Being might as juſt⯑ly be ſuppoſed capable of deſtroying Himſelf, as his Miniature Images: Beſides, it were nei⯑ther wiſe nor good even in a Man, to ſuffer the Heir Apparent of a great Kingdom to deſtroy or annihilate himſelf, if it were poſſible by Correction, Reſtraints, Time, and due Cul⯑ture, to fit him for the Poſſeſſion; and ſure every Thing that is wiſe and good is poſſible to the beſt of Beings. Theſe Natural Powers may be ſopited, contracted and hindred from iſſuing into Action, (as we ſee they are in ſound Sleep, in ſome Diſeaſes, Syncope's, and many other Caſes) by Obſtacles of, and Reſiſtances from groſs Matter, by Bonds, Fetters and Chains made of theſe our Elements; and the coarſer and ſtraiter theſe Fetters and Chains are, the ſtraiter and cloſer the Priſon may be, and the weaker and fewer may be the Acts of the natural Powers, till this Priſon become al⯑moſt dead Matter, and a Dungeon, or a mere Point. Now infinite Wiſdom and Power, being, as it were, neceſſitated by the infinite Benevolence of his Nature, to lay out all the [12] Energy of his Omnipotence and Omniſci⯑ence, to recover and reſtore his Miniature Images, conſiſtent with the Harmony of his own Attributes, and with the Uſage of their natural Powers, (neither of which he could force, or offer Violence to,) ſeems to have contrived this wonderful Expedient, viz. to tye down, ſopite and reſtrain the Acts and Exertion of the natural Powers, of laps'd, ſen⯑tient and intelligent Beings, for a determin'd Space of Time, by Chains and Fetters made of the Elements of this ruinous Globe, in order to puniſh and purify them, and ſo to vindicate his Sovereignty, to repair the Indig⯑nity done to his Purity, to warn and deter the other Orders of his ſtanding Hierarchies, and at the ſame Time, by leſſening the Strength and Activity of the natural Powers in their full Vigour, to allow Freedom and Uninterrup⯑tion from them, for the Reſtoration and Ad⯑vancement of the moral Powers.

§. 12. WERE the natural Powers of a free, laps'd and intelligent Being, greatly and eminent⯑ly higher than the moral Powers in the preſent State, they muſt neceſſarily claſh with, inter⯑rupt and greatly hinder the Acquiſition of the moral Powers. For Example, unerring Evi⯑dence, irrefragable Demonſtration, abſolute Certainty, muſt neceſſarily interfere with Hu⯑mility, Dependence, Reſignation, Faith and Truſt, and conſequently with all Merit, Gra⯑titude, [13] and Love. What Faith? What Reſig⯑nation? What Merit is there in believing the Propoſitions of Euclid? In this we are as much paſſive in our immaterial Principle, as in our Material. We truſt our Lives and Fortunes to a Seaman, or Coachman, not on Demonſtration and abſolute Certainty, but becauſe we believe them to be honeſt able Perſons in their ſeveral Vocations. Faith and Hope muſt eternally exclude Mathema⯑tical Certainty. Perfect Demonſtration and abſolute Certainty, would exclude Choice, Election and Preference, in finite dependent Creatures. It is Probability alone, Veriſi⯑militude, Analogy, and final Cauſes, or Revelation, that can be the proper Evi⯑dence to produce Faith, and to give Merit, Choice, Election and Preference to the Acti⯑ons of finite, laps'd and dependent Creatures; and this whole preſent Scene of Providence, and the Darkneſs, Obſcurity and ſeeming De⯑formity on the Face of Nature, and the Works of an All-wiſe, All-good Being, ſeem only contrived and calculated, to preſerve the na⯑tural Powers of lapſed finite Intelligences in⯑violate, and at the ſame Time to harmoniſe with the Divine Attributes. For had the na⯑tural Powers continued in their Perfection and full Extent, while the moral Powers were cancell'd and extinguiſh'd, they could never have been reſtored conſiſtent with the Har⯑mony of the Divine Attributes, and the na⯑tural, [14] unperiſhable and inviolable Powers of free Intelligences. Liberty to do Good or Evil, Pre-Exiſtence abus'd, univerſal Re⯑ſtoration, and final Confirmation, conſiſtent with the Harmony of the Divine Attributes, and the natural Powers of lapſed Intelli⯑gences, well explain'd, will remove all the poſſible Difficulties and Obſcurity, in Nature, Providence, and Revelation.

§. 13. To comprehend, aſcertain and de⯑min with Preciſion, and Mathematical or Metaphyſical Certainty, the real Nature, or Subſtance of any thing, ſmall or great, is incompatible with Finitude, and the ſole incommunicable Attribute of the Deity; and if lapſed finite Creatures, ſuch as we of the human Race are ſuppoſed to be, could attain to it, it would deſtroy our Liberty to act, (whoſe very Eſſence conſiſts in doing any thing or its contrary) and determin us infallibly to one Tenour of Action, as certainly as one Im⯑pulſe, or one Centre of Motion in a Body, would determine it to one Direction, or in a Right Line, and conſequently would counter⯑act our Recovery and Reſtoration, and render it impoſſible. And the moſt perfect Cheru⯑bim in Heaven, to perpetuate and eterniſe its Happineſs, muſt neceſſarily have made a ſur⯑rendry and ſacrifice of its Will to infinite Good⯑neſs, and its Underſtanding to infinite Wiſ⯑dom; and tho' all that are admitted to the [15] Beatific Viſion, ſee God Face to Face, or ſee as they are ſeen, yet it can be only pro Mo⯑dulo ſuo; and tho' the Faith and Truſt ne⯑ceſſary to us here in our uncertain lapſed pro⯑batory State, when we come to Glory ſhall be done away, yet naked Faith, or a Faith founded ſolely on the Ipſe Dixit of infinite Perfection, as well as pure Love, or love of Infinite Perfection for itſelf, or for its own Amiability, is indiſpenſibly neceſſary even in Heaven, to perpetuate and eterniſe the Felicity of the moſt perfect Seraphim. As our bodily Eyes are utterly incapable of perceiving the real and poſitive Magnitude, Dimenſions and Diſtance of material Objects, nothing but their relative ones; ſo is the moſt ſublime and perfect created Underſtanding for ever in⯑capable to diſcover, and comprehend the pre⯑ciſe Nature, Eſſence or Qualities of the Firſt Being, or of any of his loweſt Works. Ob⯑jects are perceiv'd or comprehended not ac⯑cording to their own abſolute preciſe and poſi⯑tive Nature, by created Underſtandings of any Order and Degree, but reſpectively and rela⯑tively, according to the Degree and Extent of their Faculties; and yet a Miniature may be truly a Picture, and as juſt an one in ſmall, as one at length, and between the Firſt Being, and the abſolute Nature of his Works, as con⯑ceiv'd and comprehended by creaturely Facul⯑ties, there will be allways the Proportion of Infinite to Finite. And when Jeſus Chriſt [16] ſaid he was the Truth, the abſolute Truth, he as really affirm'd his Divinity, as when he ſaid he that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Father, or I and the Father are one; for the abſolute preciſe Metaphyſical Truth of real poſitive Things is inſeparable from the Divine Na⯑ture; and he could not be honeſt and ſincere even as a Creature, if in ſuch a momentuous and and fundamental Point, he could lead Creatures into a Miſtake; an honeſt Perſon would have trembled to come ſo near plain Blaſphemy, and yet he ſays his Words are Spirit and Truth. But I beg Pardon for this Digreſ⯑ſion out of the Sphere of Philoſophy.

§. 14. THE ſubjecting material Bodies, the outward Creation, and, perhaps, ſpiritual Na⯑tures, to general and invariable Laws, (the continuing theſe under the Lapſe, which were and muſt have been eſtabliſh'd in the State of Innocence, I ſay, the Continuance of theſe) ſeems to be another Expedient of infinite Wiſ⯑dom to preſerve Liberty in the Recovery of the moral Powers of lapſed Intelligences, and to conciliate the Harmony of the Divine Attri⯑butes. Without theſe general Laws, (diſco⯑verable only to any Degree, by juſt Obſerva⯑tion, calm Attention, accurate Experiment, extenſive Induction and Calculation) there could be no Room for Correction, Amending, for Choice and Election, or for moral Good and Evil; but Things would happen in the [17] intellectual and moral Syſtem, as they are ſup⯑poſed to happen in the natural Syſtem on the Epicurean Scheme, by Chance, Caſualty, Fits and Starts, or fatal Neceſſity; which is abſolutely to deny the firſt Being to be a rational, intel⯑ligent and free Agent; for infinite Wiſdom can do nothing, but for wiſe Ends and Pur⯑poſes; and muſt contrive Means, which have a natural and neceſſary Tendency and Fitneſs for theſe Ends. If theſe Means be not ſeen by us, or being in ſome meaſure ſeen, may ſeem not to attain their Ends, it is becauſe, being finite lapſed Creatures, our narrow Capacities can⯑not reach them, or becauſe all the Conditions requiſite to make them effectual, were not pre⯑ſent in a particular Caſe; for infinite Wiſdom muſt act uniformly, with Order, Number, Weight and Meaſure; all which, nothing but general Laws and Canons can effect, as is well known to Geometers, and plainly exemplified in the univerſal Canons of Algebra. If theſe general Laws be duly inveſtigated, cautiouſly guarded, and all the neceſſary Conditions be taken in, they can never fail of obtaining their End and Effect; unleſs infinite Wiſdom and Power ſuſpend them for a limited Time, to manifeſt his Power, or for moral Ends and Pur⯑poſes; or unleſs they are kept from attaining their natural Ends directly, by the voluntary and free Agency of imperfect human Intelligences.

§. 14. THE only Thing worthy of a true Philoſopher is, with Attention, to draw up and collect as many as he poſſibly can, of theſe general Laws of the Divine Agency in the natural, moral, and intellectual World, for his own Uſe, or that of his Fellow-Intelligences. For without all Doubt they muſt be ſome few of the moſt obvious of the Laws of infinite Wiſ⯑dom, laid down as the Plan, by which all his Works of Wonder were at firſt form'd, and are ſtill govern'd: And tho' in Him all this great Affair was but one ſingle Act of Wiſ⯑dom and Power, yet in regard to us his infi⯑niteſimal Miniatures, now in a lapſed State, they muſt be conſider'd by Parts, in different Acts, and divided Sections, and view'd ſepa⯑rately, in Proportion to our weak and limited Faculties: For certainly general Laws, and uni⯑verſal Rules, are the Method of Divine Agency, and of his wiſe Providence.

§. 15. THE general Laws of Motion, the Laws of ſimple Mechaniſm, the Laws of Re⯑fraction and Reflection, and many more ſuch general Laws, both in natural Philoſophy, civil Society, and human Policy, are pretty well known and adjuſted, in all the poliſh'd Nations of the World; and it is not impro⯑bable ſuch general Laws may obtain in other Syſtems, at leaſt analogically: and they actually do ſo, as far as our Obſervation reaches. And it is very probable that ſimilar and analogous [19] general Laws, have place in the moral, ſpiri⯑tual and intellectual World. For God is the ſame Yeſterday, To-day, and for Ever; his Nature, Attributes, and Agency, uniform: And ſince he acts by general Laws in material Agency, it is highly probable, and conform⯑able to his infinite Wiſdom, to act in the ſame uniform Manner in all his Operations, ad extra; and, as far as juſt Obſervations have been made, and well-grounded Conclu⯑ſions drawn by Analogy, we ſhall find it ſo in all the Syſtems, Moral, Spiritual or Divine; tho' theſe laſt have been but little ſtudied, and timorouſly applied to, by Perſons of a proper Spirit and Genius, out of Dread of the odious Deſignation of Enthuſiaſm or Superſtition: but future Ages may perhaps get over this Ter⯑ror; for the Method has a ſolid Foundation in the Nature of Things.

§. 16. THESE general Laws of the Divine Oeconomy in Creation and Providence, or the Rules of conſummate Wiſdom and Fitneſs, which the Supreme Being has chalk'd out and laid down, are, without all Doubt, inexhauſti⯑ble and incomprehenſible to ſuch an Order of Beings as we are in our preſent State, and un⯑diſcoverable to any Degree of Perfection; for who can ſearch out the Almighty to Perfec⯑tion? Perhaps the Diſcovery of them may be a Part of the Happineſs and Perfection of another State of Exiſtence, and ſome ſmall Portion of the [20] Employment of happy contemplative Spirits in other Regions; and there, The Works of the Lord will appear wonderful to them that de⯑light therein. For if the Firſt Being be rati⯑onal, intelligent, wiſe and good, as doubtleſs he is infinitely ſo, there muſt of Neceſſity be in all his Works, Conduct and Actions ad extra, one perpetual Analogy, and one con⯑tinued Harmony through the Whole, and in every ſingle Part; each individual Organ and Law muſt be fitted to this great End, viz. the Perfection of the Whole, and of each Part; and he who conſiders the Oeconomy of Na⯑ture, Providence, and Reſtoration, with great⯑eſt Attention and Humility, will moſt clearly diſcern this Wiſdom, Fitneſs, and Divine Or⯑der in them.

§. 17. SUPPOSE an infinitely wiſe, power⯑ful and good Being, did intend to produce ſomething new, that he had no Pattern or Mo⯑del of before Him, (as the firſt intelligent Cauſe could not poſſibly have in Creation) as an Arti⯑ficer; for Example, (to deſcend the loweſt in a Similitude) he could only expreſs, in ſenſible Images, the Genius, Nature, and Ideas of his own Mind, and fit the Parts and Organs of ſuch a Machine to the End and Uſe for which it was deſigned, with Number, Weight and Meaſure; and ſo (to compare great Things with ſmall) Supreme Wiſdom, having nothing but Him⯑ſelf, his own beneficent Nature and Attributes [21] before Creation, to copy forth and repreſent, could, in all his Works of Wonder, delineate no⯑thing but his own Subſtance, Nature, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, Juſtice and Truth. So that all Nature, all Creation, all the Worlds, the Material, Mo⯑ral and Spiritual, can poſſibly be nothing elſe, but the ſupreme, immenſe and infinitely perfect Being, diſplay'd, pourtray'd, and made ſenſible and perceptible. Mundus univerſus nihil aliud eſt, quam Deus explicitus, ſaid a learned Man. To think otherwiſe, is a ſort of Blaſphemy, and degrading of infinite Wiſdom and Per⯑fection below finite lapſed human Intelli⯑gences. For there is no poſſible Work of any Man, but which in ſome Degree is a Picture of himſelf, of his own Idea, or of the Conſtitu⯑tion and Complexion of his Mind at that Time.

§. 18. IF then there be a perpetual Ana⯑logy running through all the Works of God, Natural, Moral and Spiritual; if all his Workings ad Extra, be Repreſentations, Pic⯑tures and Hieroglyphicks, ſtronger or weaker, more general or more particular, of his own Nature, Complexion and Attributes; if the material inanimated Syſtem of outward Things, being contrived with infinite Fitneſs, Juſtneſs, Propriety and Delicacy, do repre⯑ſent his infinite Wiſdom and Power, in a more ſenſible, yet in a darker and weaker Manner: and if the Oeconomy of his univerſal [22] and particular Providence, and the amazing Oeconomy of the Reſtoration of every indivi⯑dual lapſed Being, be ſtronger and more irre⯑ſiſtible Evidences and Repreſentations of his infinite Penetration, (ſo to ſpeak) Benevo⯑lence and Power; then it muſt be acknow⯑ledged; that, through all his Works, there runs one perpetual Progreſſion, one continual Ana⯑logy, and uninterrupted Harmony, of his own Nature, Wiſdom and Power; and that as Pro⯑portion is the Medium, and true Logic of ma⯑terial Natures and Beings, ſo Analogy is the true Key and Analyſis of ſpiritual Natures and Qualities; and as the Data of the firſt is in Senſation, or the Notices from our Senſes, or accurate Experiment: ſo the Data of the laſt is in Attention and Reflexion upon our own ſpi⯑ritual Natures, and their Operations, and Expe⯑rience of the Qualities, Sentiments and Paſ⯑ſions of our own Hearts and Souls; and carry⯑ing theſe to as great a Height as poſſible. For I can conceive no clearer or more diſtinct Manner to give a Child or an ignorant Perſon an Idea (tho' low and imperfect) of the firſt Being, than to tell him He is like the Soul or living Nature, of the beſt and moſt amiable Perſon he ever knew, infinitely exalted, without his Imperfections; but who has Life and Being from Himſelf only: whereas all his Creatures are Emanations from Him, and the Works of his Power: And what is this, but a true Analogy? Juſt ſuch a one, as [23] when we give an Infant or ignorant Perſon an Idea of the Sea, by ſhewing him the neareſt great Lake, and telling him that the Sea is of the ſame Nature, but vaſtly bigger.

§. 19. IT is plain from the natural, civil, and ſacred Hiſtory of the whole human Race, from the viſible and perceptible State of our Globe, its ſurrounding Atmoſphere, kindred Planets, and their Influences upon ours; that Pain, Suffering and Miſery, is as natural and neceſſary to us here in this preſent State, as Exiſtence is. It is utterly unavoidable but in Degree; none ever lived, but felt it it ſome Kind or Degree or other. The Ex⯑treme Tenderneſs and Delicacy of our lumba⯑ginous and ſpermatic State, ſubject us to the Diſtempers and Sufferings ariſing from the In⯑diſcretions and bodily Diſeaſes of our Parents: The Weakneſs and Helpleſsneſs of Childhood and Infancy, expoſe us to innumerable Acci⯑dents and Diſtempers. The imprudent and improper Nouriſhment in Quantity or Qua⯑lity, given us by our Mothers or Nurſes, bring naturally on us Suffering and Miſery: The Groſsneſs, Coarſeneſs, and Inclemency of the Element we live and breathe in, mechani⯑cally infects us with its noxious and deleterious Qualities: Ignorance, bad Example, contagious Cuſtom, and popular Errors and Prejudices continue the Hazards and Dangers of Child⯑hood. Strong Paſſions and Appetites, a wrong [24] Turn of Head or Heart, a corrupt and de⯑generate Age, ſtrengthen and confirm our Mi⯑ſeries and Misfortunes in Youthhood: Diſap⯑pointments, Misfortunes, Cares, Want of, or the bad Uſage of the Neceſſaries and Conve⯑niencies of Life, Luxury or Intemperance, Fa⯑mine or Scarcity, Epidemical Diſeaſes, or un⯑foreſeen Accidents, one or other, or perhaps all together, make the Complexion of Man⯑hood: And old Age (the Cardinal Diſeaſe of human Life) finiſhes the dark Scene of hu⯑man Miſery with perpetual Aches, Sores and Infirmities of Body and Mind; a more ſenſible Dotage and Childhood, a Taedium Vitae, with a Deſire of Diſſolution, which is yet accompanied with a terrible Dread of it; all theſe conclude this Climax and Progreſſion of Miſery; through which the very beſt and wiſeſt, that laſts out the natural Duration of Life, muſt paſs, for his Puniſhment, Expiation, and Purification; not to mention the Remorſe and internal Cru⯑cifixion of thoſe who feel a Law in their Mem⯑bers warring againſt the Law of their Minds in a perpetual Strife and Conflict. It is only in and through the Oeconomy of the Reſto⯑ration, by the Knowledge of the Goſpel, that theſe natural, neceſſary and unavoidable Pains, Puniſhments and Miſeries, can be turned, may be reckoned, and are really Mercies, Bleſſings, fatherly Corrections, loſe their Stings, and become Righteouſneſs, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt.

§. 20. PAIN, Puniſhment, and Suffering then would ſeem to be a natural, neceſſary and (as it were) a mechanical Mean of Expiation, Purification and Perfection, to all ſentient and intelligent Beings, in this preſent State of Exi⯑ſtence: which Virtue, Attention and Care can only leſſen, but which none can totally, but only in a ſmall Degree, avoid, if not by and through the Means juſt now mentioned. As rubbing hard Bodies againſt one another, is the only Method to poliſh and finiſh them; and the harder and longer the Friction, the finer the Poliſh, and the more perfect the Figure; ſo Pain, in ſentient and intelligent Beings, ariſes from Re⯑ſiſtance to Action, or from Re-action, which in ſpiritual as well as material Agency, is al⯑ways equal and contrary to Action. Sentient Beings naturally, neceſſarily, and, as it were, mechanically, recede from, and exert a Principle of Reſiſtance and Re-action to the Cauſe of Pain; intelligent Beings, caeteris paribus, neceſſarily fly from it with greater Velocity, from the united Force of Senſation and Re⯑flection. Senſation and Perception begin the Averſion and Reluctance to the Cauſe or Oc⯑caſion of Pain, and Reflection turns it into an Abhorrence and Deteſtation.

§. 21. CONSCIOUSNESS of the Reaſons and Effects, ſeems in no wiſe abſolutely neceſſary towards Purification in general, at leaſt to⯑wards [26] the firſt Degrees of it, as we ſee in Brutes, Children and Ideots. Pain and Pu⯑niſhment in ſuch a Degree, and often repeated, will naturally bring them to abſtain from that, for which they ſuffer. Conſciouſneſs of the End and Deſign of it ſeems only neceſſary to accelerate, perfect and turn into a Habit, the Averſion and Abhorrence of what has cauſed Pain, and to ſtrengthen that Habit into a ſe⯑cond Nature; as Wood is made ſtreight, firſt by ſoftening it by Fire, and then keeping it by Cords and Weights in a Situation contrary to its Curvature. Pain and Puniſhment ſoften and melt down the Subject, Conſciouſneſs fixes and hardens it, and gives it an habitual con⯑trary Nature. Conſciouſneſs attends ſingle Acts only, and not Habits; when the Habit is perfected, Conſciouſneſs vaniſhes and dies away (as a perfect Muſician, while playing on an Inſtrument, reflects not on ſingle Strokes diſtinctly) ſo that Conſciouſneſs ſeems neceſſary as a Check or Bar, to prevent Relapſes; and ſeldom takes place till the End and Deſign of Puniſhment is in ſome Degree obtained.

§. 22. FROM what has been ſaid, it is evident that this our Planet and its Appen⯑dages, is really and literally a Priſon or Gaol, a Place of Baniſhment, of Pains and Puniſhment for a certain Period of Time, to lapſed ſen⯑tient and intelligent Beings: like Siberia among the Ruffians, the Baſtille or the Pierre in⯑ciſe [27] with the French, or the Plantations or Newgate among us. And the Inhabi⯑tants of both Kinds, ſentient and intelli⯑gent, are, without a Figure: Priſoners, Slaves, and Felons, under a State of Expiation and Purification. Our whole Creation, our in⯑tire Syſtem, in regard to our defaced and ſpoilt Planet, labours like Slaves at the Oar, is in Travail, in a perpetual Fermentation and Efferveſcence, as in a malignant Fever, working for a Criſe and Delivery. Some In⯑dividuals may be delivered ſooner, ſome later, according as their Expiation and Purification is perfected; and at laſt the whole Syſtem, and all its Inhabitants, muſt naturally and neceſſa⯑rily, but harmoniouſly or analogically, and ac⯑cording to general Laws, undergo ſome great and violent Criſe, and an univerſal Gaol-De⯑livery will be brought about; but when and how this will be accompliſhed, is beyond Con⯑jecture; a Thouſand Years are but as a Day here, and the Ways of the Almighty are paſt finding out. It would ſeem as if the only Problem, or Difficulty, (to ſpeak ſo in regard to Omnipotence, where no real Difficulty can happen) worthy of infinite Wiſdom to ſolve, were to recover, perfect and eſtabliſh in per⯑petual and unrelapſing Order and Purity, free and lapſed intelligent Beings, conſiſtent with the Harmony of his own Attributes, and the natural Powers with which he has endued them. How infinite Wiſdom and Power will [28] bring this about, we can only conjecture in a few general Hints, from ſuch of his general Laws as are obvious, from final Cauſes, which are plain, and muſt include ſome Part of the Ends in rational Agency; and from dark Sketches of the Analogy of Things: not im⯑poſſibly thus.

§. 23. AN infinitely wiſe, good and power⯑ful Being having created this Syſtem, we can⯑not ſuppoſe, but it muſt have been as perfect and bliſsful, as its Nature could admit, and his ſentient, intelligent Creatures as happy, as their Natures and Order could allow; and that he muſt have furniſhed them with Means and Power to perpetuate, if not increaſe, this Per⯑fection and Happineſs. But from the very Na⯑ture and Eſſence of Liberty; whoever has a Power to continue or increaſe in a State, muſt alſo have a Power to fall back or decreaſe; whatever is finite, muſt neceſſarily be fallible. Now ſup⯑poſe ſuch finite fallible Beings actually lapſed: the ſame wiſe and good Being muſt have or⯑dered Things ſo, not only that they ſhould re⯑cover and riſe again, but that their Fall and Lapſe ſhould at laſt be a Mean, not only to ſtrengthen, confirm and fix them in Happineſs ever after, (and this ſeems the only Mean, by which fallible free lapſed Creatures, once actu⯑ally fallen, could be brought to an illapſing State of Stability) but even to increaſe the De⯑gree of their Happineſs and Perfection; and this, I think, would not only be the full and plenary [29] Solution of this infinitely difficult Problem, but one worthy of its all-wiſe and all-powerful Author only; and this he has effected, I think, by theſe three Expedients or Means. 1. By continuing general Laws of Agency in mate⯑rial, moral and ſpiritual Actions, plainly inti⯑mating, that the Concurrence of the ſame Cauſes and Conditions will always produce the ſame Effects; and ſo leaving Room for Conſi⯑deration, Amendment, Improvment, Choice, and the Diſcernment of moral Good and Evil, and thus ſecuring Liberty and the other natu⯑ral Powers of lapſed Intelligences. 2. By tying down, ſopiting and ſuſpending the natural Powers of the Soul for ſo long a Time, as is its Duration from the firſt original Male, till the Bonds and Chains, by which their Exertion is reſtrained, be broken and untyed by Death. That during this Time, the Benefit acquired by the progreſſive Parentage (if they happen to return to Order and Habits of Virtue, or have their moral Powers recovered) may ope⯑rate on theſe infiniteſimal Miniatures; by mending their Natures, that they themſelves may have time given to recover into Order; and that the Interruption from the natural Powers arrived at their Perfection, might not prevent the Acquiſition and Recovery of the Moral Powers. And, 3. By the Oeconomy of Redemption by a Saviour, which doubt⯑leſs was projected before the Creation of the World, or this Syſtem, and when the pro⯑per [30] Diſpoſition to receive it, and to reap the Be⯑nefit of it, is acquired; and which may in ſome Time or Place, explicitly or implicitly, be re⯑vealed, to finiſh the Work of Reſtoration. But that not being my Province in a Philoſophical Diſquiſition, I proceed.

§. 24. IT is the groſſeſt Abſurdity and Con⯑tradiction to ſuppoſe, that an infinitely wiſe and beneficent Being would make either ſen⯑tient or intelligent Beings ſuffer, merely for Suffering's Sake. He muſt have had juſt, good and kind Reaſons for this his ſtrange Work. And ſince it is certain, that both ſentient and intelligent Beings do and muſt unavoidably ſuffer, and are in a State of Puniſhment, Mi⯑ſery and Baniſhment here; it neceſſarily fol⯑lows, that they are in a State of Expiation, Pu⯑rification and progreſſive Perfection, in their reſpective Orders; and will at laſt be ſet free, made happy, and perfected, and confirmed in that State for ever. Omnipotence ſurely can, and infinite Goodneſs, I hope, will do all this.

§. 25. IF all is not Deceit and Illuſion, it muſt be evident to a Demonſtration, that no⯑thing imperfect or unhappy in its Order can come out of the Hands of infinite Perfection; and yet it is Fact, that all ſentient and intelli⯑gent Beings here, are univerſally more or leſs, miſerable and imperfect; and that there never [31] was any human Creature, in his right Senſes, which in a whole Duration of human Life, felt not, and thought not himſelf unhappy, miſerable and imperfect, at leaſt, for ſome time, if not for the moſt of his rational Life: and wiſh'd not himſelf earneſtly, better, wiſer, more perfect, and happy. It is impoſſible, that infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs, can puniſh ſentient and intelligent Creatures, or make them miſerable, but for ſome wiſe and bene⯑ficent End and Purpoſe; from whence it will be evident to a rational Perſon, that of neceſſity there muſt have been a State of Exiſtence prior to this preſent: wherein all thoſe ſen⯑tient and intelligent Beings, while in a col⯑lective Maſs, which have been, or ſhall be on this Globe, had misbehaved, rebell'd, and run into Diſorder, probably, by idolatriſing Creatures and Self, and preferring them to the Creator. And the Account of this Rebellion and Lapſe in Revelation, may refer only to the laſt Scene or Act in the Tragedy, or the new modelling this ſecondary State or parti⯑ally lapſed Syſtem, when the ſlighteſt Trial of Faith and Obedience was made; for certainly Nemo repentè fit turpiſſimus; finite Creatures can naturally acquire Habits of Virtue and Vice, or indeed of any kind, only by Degrees, or ſingle Acts repeated. Certain Conſciouſneſs, or clear diſtinct Knowledge of this pre-exiſtent State, would only feed idle Curioſity; and might hinder and counter-act that implicit [32] Truſt, Dependence and abſolute Reſignation in every Thing, ſo abſolutely neceſſary to rela⯑tive Perfection and Happineſs. For the Point in View of infinite Perfection, is to bring all the finite ſentient and intelligent Creatures to an abſolute voluntary Surrendry, and Truſt of themſelves, and every Thing relating to them in Time and Eternity, to his Will and Plea⯑ſure implicitly; nothing leſs being ſufficient to eſtabliſh and perpetuate the Divine Sovereignty, harmoniſe his Attributes, and eterniſe the Peace, Happineſs and relative Perfection of univerſal Nature; which different Willing would eter⯑nally confound and perplex anew, and bring on a ſecond, or perpetuate the preſent Lapſe.

§. 26. IT is not impoſſible, that there are other States, Manſions, and probatory Ce⯑leſtial Regions, proper and peculiar to the ſe⯑veral imperfect Degrees of the moral Faculties of ſpiritual Intelligences, with their Creation-Bodies or Vehicles, according to the ſeveral remaining Degrees of Imperfection, even al⯑moſt in infinitum, in an aſcending or deſcend⯑ing Progreſſion. Infinite Wiſdom and Good⯑neſs may have appointed, in general, a certain limited Period, beyond which the Incruſtation of their Creation-Bodies cannot laſt, things being in ſuch a State: But the actual Approach may be quicker or ſlower, according to certain Terms and Conditions: which we know to be the Caſe of our preſent mortal Tabernacles; [33] and according to the bad or good Uſage of our Liberties in the Uſe of the Means afforded us for acquiring the moral Virtues, and affixing the moral Powers in confirm'd Habits; we may aſcend into more pure, more happy, and more perfect Regions, or deſcend into more groſs, miſerable and dark Dungeons, almoſt in infinitum. But it would alſo ſeem, that ſen⯑tient and intelligent Creatures could ſuffer Pain and Miſery only to a certain finite and limited Degree, (tho' the Time may be eternal, all Spirits being immortal by Nature) all the Activities and Paſſivities of ſuch Beings be⯑ing neceſſarily finite and limited; and when they come to that Point, they muſt neceſſa⯑rily return, wiſh for Deliverance, cry for Mercy, Pity and Freedom, and endeavour it with the whole natural Powers of their Spirits; and to this Point only, it would ſeem, an infinitely wiſe, beneficent and powerful Be⯑ing can intend to bring his lapſed, wandering miniature Creatures now under the Goſpel; and that he ſhould be ready to receive them into Mercy, and allow them the Means for reſtoring and recovering their lapſed moral Powers. But how long Time it may require to bring them to this abſolutely neceſſary Point, no Reaſon or Philoſophy (whether an Inde⯑finite, that is, a creaturely or relatively infinite Time) can determine; and Revelation has not made it plain and explicit, but on the contrary has left it not only dubious, but ſeems to point otherwiſe; to be ſure not before all are brought [34] to this indiſpenſable Point of Returning. The Oeconomy, Satisfaction and Sufferings of the God-Man Jeſus Chriſt, could be only ſufficient to render that Expiation, and Reſto⯑ration of the moral Power in a finite Time, which, in its own Nature, and the Nature of God and of his Purity, muſt have been Infinite and Eternal. The repairing the Indignity and Affront done to his Sovereignty and Purity, and the deterring his other ſtanding Creatures from Lapſe and Rebellion, is not perhaps left in their Power to prevent; that may be done by the neceſſary and unavoidable Pains and Sufferings they muſt undergo, from the painful and le⯑prous Incruſtation of the ſeveral Elements they muſt paſs through; their returning into Order, their Acquiſition of the moral Powers of the Soul, and fixing them in theſe, and conſequently in permanent Happineſs, intirely depends on themſelves, and the Uſe of the Means afforded.

§. 27. IT is no eaſy Matter to form any preciſe limited Idea or Notion of Subſtance either Material or Spiritual; all we certainly know of either, is, that they exiſt, are Rea⯑lities, and are the Baſe or Subject of real Qua⯑lities. But we can no more penetrat into the Subſtratum or Support of theſe Qualities, by the natural Activity of our Spirits, than our Eyes can ſee Objects at a certain Diſtance; ſuch is the Nature, Frame and Limitation of our Order and Rank of natural Powers. [35] We certainly know that material Subſtance is the Subſtratum of Extenſion, Impenetrabi⯑lity, Paſſivity and Figure; and ſpiritual Sub⯑ſtance, of living, perceiving and willing, that is, of Cogitation or Thinking, and alſo of be⯑ginning Motion in Bodies, and giving them a particular Direction. The Aggregate, or Sum of all theſe reſpective Qualities (moſt of which are contrary to the others) may be bound together or united by ſome Bond of Union, which we ſhall never have any direct or immediate Con⯑ception of, till we throw off this material Incruſtation, that intangles and fetters the full Exerciſe and Penetration of our natural Pow⯑ers. And therefore, if we dropt both Subſtances, as unknown and unknowable Things at preſent, or rather, if we ſuppos'd both only mere Ca⯑pacities, Recipients, Canals or paſſive Sub⯑jects of contrary Qualities, as they flow, or are deriv'd from the primary Source and ſelf-ex⯑iſtent Cauſe of all Activity, Qualities and Re⯑alities, whoſe whole End and Uſe (of theſe Capacities) was to receive and contain theſe Qualities, limiting, contrary, and deſtructive of each other reſpectively; or, laſtly, if, as Geo⯑meters uſe the Method, we make the one Poſitive, the other Negative; this way of conſidering this dark Subject might, perhaps, throw ſome Light on it: And then imagin'd that Matter or Body was analogous to (but yet no-wiſe the ſame with, but quite contrary, tho' not contradictory) to Spirit infinitely con⯑dens'd, [36] concentred or incraſſated: And that ſpiritual Subſtance was analogous to Matter infinitely rarefied, refin'd or ſublim'd: Then, in the Geometrical Manner of conſidering ſuch reſpective Qualities and their Subject, Body infinitely rarefied, refin'd and ſublim'd, would at laſt terminat in limited Space or Expanſion; and limited Space or Expanſion infinitely condens'd, contracted and inſpiſſated, would end in ſolid indiviſible Points or Monads, the common Idea of the component Particles of Body. And yet that Body ſhould be rarefied into Space, or Space condens'd into Body, is an abſolute Contradiction and Impoſ⯑ſibility; only this Manner in which Geometers conſider infinitely little, or infinitely great Quantities, is here ſuggeſted, as an Illuſtration of material and ſpiritual Subſtance, ſo difficult to be explain'd. But we not being able to conceive or comprehend Infinitude, or in⯑finite Agency, its Effects and Conſequences, it may, perhaps, be ſaid, that this is only ex⯑plaining one Obſcurity by a greater. It may be ſo: All then we are abſolutely certain of is, that theſe eſſential Qualities of Matter and Spirit reſpectively, viz. in Matter, Exten⯑ſion, Impenetrability, Diviſibility, Mobility, Paſſivity and Figure; and in Spirit, Living, Perceiving, Willing, Self-activity, Self-mo⯑bility, and the Power of beginning Motion, and giving Direction to Bodies; muſt neceſ⯑ſarily be uniform, and always the ſame in De⯑gree, [37] whatever State or Circumſtances they may be in. Theſe reſpective Subſtances are always in their own Nature and Eſſence ſo contrary and deſtructive of one another in their Quali⯑ties, that they become a perpetual Bar, Obſtruc⯑tion and Obſtacle to the Exertion of theſe their eſſential Qualities. They are not indeed contra⯑dictory or deſtructive of one another's Quali⯑ties in every Degree; they are not incompatible and unallyable (as we know by Fact); but they are contrary; and one Degree of the Qualities of the one, deſtroys a relative, equal or pro⯑portional Degree of the Qualities of the other; and the Sum total of theſe Qualities in the one, deſtroys the Sum total of the Qualities of the other, equally or proportionally, like Light and Darkneſs; and an infinite Degree of the one may ſopite or totally obſtruct the ſenſible Actions of the other, tho' not anni⯑hilat or abſolutely deſtroy the other in its Root or Nature. But Infinitude being above our Capacities, we can only ſpeak of the Ef⯑fects of their Contrariety and Oppoſition in their finite Degrees, and pronounce nothing of the Effects of infinite Operations; only we are certain, that no leſs than an infinite Power and Operation in the one, can totally extin⯑guiſh and annihilat the Nature and Opera⯑tions of the other; Reaction being always contrary and equal to Action. We may have a fine Illuſtration and analogous Reſemblance of this infinite contrarv Action, from the Na⯑ture [38] of an infinite converging Series; in which from the next immediate Step in the Progreſſion, by paſſing through infinitely little of that Order, the Terms from poſitive be⯑come negative; and likewiſe, from ſome Par⯑ticles of Matter, which after having got with⯑out their Sphere, from attractive become re⯑pulſive, in reſpect to a particular Centre; theſe Hints are far from an affirming, or any Endea⯑vour to prove, that Matter is only infinitely condens'd Spirit, and Spirit only infinitely re⯑fin'd Matter, as to their ſeveral Subſtances: For the Fact I think falſe, impoſſible and con⯑tradictory; for Matter, however refin'd and ſublim'd, is ſtill Matter, and has the oppoſite Qualities to Spirit, and have their eſſential Qualities in direct Contrariety; and were it otherwiſe, in this Manner of illuſtrating the Subject, the Proof were abſolutely impoſſible; becauſe the Effects of infinite Power and Agency are known and knowable by Him only, whoſe Attributes are infinite Power and Might. If the Propoſition and Effect was true and real, no finite Agency could effect it, nor finite Underſtanding evince it: But theſe In⯑ſtances are adduc'd only as an Illuſtration, to remove the ſeeming ſhocking Abſurdity and Ter⯑ror, in moſt good Perſons Minds, from affirming any Reſemblance or Analogy between mate⯑rial and ſpiritual Subſtances; for theſe evi⯑dently ſhew, that ſimilar and analogous Ef⯑fects are Realities in the Nature of Things, [39] tho' their Manner and Proceſs be inconceive⯑able to us finite Beings; and alſo, as much as in me lies, to take off any Miſtakes and Miſap⯑prehenſion, as if I advanc'd any thing in the Philoſophic Explication of theſe Myſteries of Nature, inconſiſtent with Revelation or Reli⯑gion, as the Reverend Dr. Brown Biſhop of Cork has done in his Divine Analogy; not fully having underſtood my Manner of ex⯑plaining the Subject, or perhaps I had not made my Meaning ſufficiently clear and plain; as the Subject is in itſelf almoſt inexplicable, and ought to be guarded with all poſſible Pre⯑ciſion, if at all handled.

§. 28. IN my poor Way of conceiving and conjecturing, from the obvious Appearances in Nature ſubjected to Senſe; from the final Cauſes the Supreme Rational Being may poſ⯑ſibly have in ſuch external Operations; from the Analogy carried from the Things that are ſeen, to thoſe that are inviſible, and only in⯑telligible; the moſt probable and ſatisfactory Account that can be found of the Oeconomy and Plan of the Reſtoration of finite lapſed Intel⯑ligences, ſeems to be this, at leaſt theſe may poſſibly be ſome of the prominent Lines of this Plan: Some finite free Intelligences of the ſeveral Orders in the living Hierarchies having by the Abuſe of their Liberty, and com⯑mitting Idolatry, by too inordinate Commerce with the Creatures, and habitually turning [40] away from their Source the Creator, deſtroyed and cancell'd the moral Powers of their ſpiri⯑tual Natures: Infinite Wiſdom and Power, by the Neceſſity of his beneficent Nature, em⯑ploying the whole Force of his Omnipotence and Omniſcience, to reſtore and recover them, without committing Violence on their natural Powers, or on the Harmony of his own At⯑tributes; firſt ties down and contracts their natural Powers with Chains of groſs Matter, from a (purpoſely, or mechanically) ruin'd and defac'd Elementary Globe, ſuch as our preſent Habitation is; Chains, which the natural Powers of the Spirit are neceſſarily obliged to endeavour to be unlooſing all the Time, from the original Creation of this groſs Body; during which Time, Means, Opportunity and Leiſure is allow'd, for the Acquiſition and Reſtoration of the moral Powers: As Felons and Robbers are tam'd and mended by working in the Mines, and tugging at the Oar. By the Toil, Labour and Suffering, from this working off, and melting down the groſs and leprous Plaiſter, ſuperinduc'd on the primitive Creation-Body, by fileing, purifying and breaking theſe Chains which fetter the Acti⯑vity and free Agency of the natural Powers of the Soul, on this Creation-Body. Firſt, Repa⯑ration, and an Amende honorable is made to infinite Purity and Sovereignty; and the bad Example to other Intelligences, remov'd: And in the mean time, outward and inward Means [41] may be offer'd and beſtow'd, by external Provi⯑dences, ſuprahumane and imperceptible Aid and Grace, and the Light and internal Operation of the Divine Word and Reaſon, the Meſſiah, for recovering the defac'd moral Powers of the Soul. Some are under this Operation a ſhorter, ſome a longer Time, according to the Wiſ⯑dom and Deſigns of the Sovereign Reaſon, and the Manſion they are to fill in the new Jeru⯑ſalem, even till the laſt Scene, which in the Nature of groſs corruptible Matter can laſt but a finite Time, either in the Nature of the Elementary Planet itſelf, with its Appen⯑dages, or in the Incruſtation on the primitive Creation-Bodies made of this elementary Mat⯑ter; which muſt crumble and diſſolve into Duſt within certain Limits of Time, by the eſtabliſh'd Law of Nature; the firſt, poſſibly, from the Expence and Fixation of Water, as Sir Iſaac Newton inſinuates, and the other neceſſary Fluids; the others for want of Nutrition and Chylification, and both by Natural and general Laws, but ſtill within certain Limits leſs than real infinite. But both muſt at laſt be perfect⯑ly purified; the Earth and its Appendages, poſſibly, by an univerſal Conflagration; the particular groſs Plaiſtering, by being diſſolv'd into its original Duſt, that the primitive Crea⯑tion Body may be diſincumber'd, and made ſupple and pliable to obey the Dictates of the informing immaterial Spirit; and the Spirit, by the Acquiſition and habitual fixing of the Moral Powers. For there cannot be a more [42] certain and indubitable Truth, than that no⯑thing imperfect in its Order could come out of the Hands of infinite Perfection; and that nothing impure or imperfect in its Order, can return to live and commerciate with, or be united to God perfectly, finally and immutably.

§. 29. This Infiniteſimal Particle of Celeſ⯑tial Matter, this Miniature of a Miniature in infinitum, decreaſing in a continued analogical Progreſs, and ſtor'd up in the Seeds of all Ani⯑mals and Vegetables, from the firſt to the laſt Animal and Vegetable; this divinely organis'd Vehicle or Corpuſcle, in which the immaterial Principle was inſpir'd in its Creation, and to which it is ſo intimately united by a particular Law of Union, and an individual Fitneſs and Congruity, is inſeparable from it in all its future States and Circumſtances of Duration, at leaſt by any Degree of Force leſs than infinite. The im⯑material Spirit, the Spiritual Inhabitant of this Celeſtial Vehicle, is in its own Nature immortal and imperiſhable, being an infiniteſimal Minia⯑ture of the Divine Nature and Subſtance, which is Self-exiſtent. I ſay then, the Spirit, the im⯑material Subſtance, that informs this aethereal Creation Body, is of its own Nature immortal and imperiſhable; but the material Vehicle, tho' of a refin'd and aethereal Subſtance, is on⯑ly eternal by the Divine Order and Appoint⯑ment, and comparatively in reſpect of other groſſer and more denſe Compounds, of which Time and Uſe may alter the Form, tho' not [43] deſtroy the Subſtance; and perhaps their Per⯑petuity may be continued by a divine pri⯑mary, or ſecondary ſpiritual Influence, from both theſe immortal Principles. I am ſenſible, theſe ſtrong Figures may be expos'd to Ridi⯑cule, and interpreted profanely, by light Per⯑ſons; but when they underſtand, and can ex⯑plain with Preciſion, what the Force of Infi⯑nitude (ſmall or great) is, their Raillery and Levity may be tolerable; ſuch, of Neceſſity, muſt be the Language, when we attempt to expreſs perceptible only, and ſpiritual Things. I hope I have a due Senſe of the Purity and Perfection of the Divine Nature and Spiritual Things, not to expoſe them maliciouſly and deſignedly to Contempt and Ridicule. My whole Deſign is to help honeſt and ſincere Per⯑ſons to ſome Ideal Knowledge, (which at beſt is but a poor Affair) that may poſſibly com⯑fort and mend the Heart, without hurting the Head.

§. 30. IF there is any Veriſimilitude or Conſiſtency in this Sketch, it will follow from it, that the lighter and thinner (while ſweet and healthy) the Cruſt and Plaiſter from this elementary Syſtem, that is laid over this Crea⯑tion Body, the more the natural Powers of the Spirit will be at Liberty to exert their Func⯑tions, and acquire the moral ones; the Suffer⯑ings and Miſeries of the preſent State of our Exiſtence will be fewer and leſs intenſe, and [44] the total Diſengagement of the Spiritual Inha⯑bitant from its Priſon and Load, will be more eaſy and perfect; and we ſhall ſhake off our Chains and Fetters, as we do our Cloaths to go to Bed. The univerſal Law of Nature, for every ſentient and intelligent Being, that is brought on this elementary Planet, is, firſt, to have its ſpiritual and its celeſtial Body tied down, and concentred by Chains and Fetters of this Element, into a Miniature of a Mini⯑ature, then into a Punctum Saliens, and at laſt into a ſenſible elementary Body: During all this Time, the ſpiritual Nature is working, like a Slave in the Mines, or at the Oar, to ex⯑tend this celeſtial Body to its original analogous Figure and Dimenſions, by breaking all its elementary Fetters; while yet at the ſame time it is cruſting over more denſely the pri⯑mitive celeſtial Body by Nutrition, and the animal Functions with a groſs leprous Plaiſter; when the Creation Body is intirely develop'd, by giving a Facility to its Organs of all kinds, by Culture and Uſe in their ſeveral Ways, its intellectual Faculties get Power and Liberty to exert themſelves; during which Time the Acquiſition of the moral Powers may and ought to take Place, and by Degrees, and in a nearly determinable Period, this Plaiſter dries, hardens, and at laſt crumbles into Duſt; and then the Spirit with the celeſtial Body, if but par⯑tially purified, paſſes into other States, Ele⯑ments, and Manſions, as its Degree of moral [45] Virtue, or Acquiſition of moral Powers re⯑quire.

§. 31. FROM this Repreſentation of the State and Progreſs of ſentient and intelligent Beings in Spirit and Body, during their Baniſh⯑ment to this ruinous Planet; it follows, that the Root, Faculty and Capacity of the Spirit, or its natural Powers, continue potentially and radi⯑cally the ſame; or that living, perceiving, and willing, as to their Eſſence, Power and Capa⯑city, are in all States radically and invariably the ſame; tho' their Exerciſe, Acts and Exertion be reſtrain'd and ſopited by groſs Matter. Whoever conſiders the invariable Nature of ſpirit, muſt be convinc'd, that its giving Motions, with their ſeveral Modifications, muſt always radically and potentially be the ſame, and uniform, how⯑ever their Acts may be ſuſpended, ſopited, or deſtroyed by groſs Matter, and the Im-mecha⯑niſm of Bodies; and that all the Functions of the Body, all its voluntary and involuntary Motions, all its living and vital Actions, all its internal and external Operations, all its Senſations, Paſſions and Willings, that de⯑pend on the Body, are all but Cogitation, or Thinking, in ſome Degree or other, and its ſeveral Modifications, as really, as intenſe, full⯑grown Thinking, with Reflexion, or Meditation, is; in a Word, that the Soul, Spirit, or living Principle, is really the true and only intelligent Being, and the Body only is its Organ, Inſtru⯑ment [46] or Tool, and but a paſſive Adjunct of the living Intelligence; and conſequently, that, 1. our acquir'd Knowledge is but Remembrance; 2. that a moral Senſe and Faculty; 3. that innate Ideas of God and Virtue, of moral Good and Evil; That, 4. ſpiritual Senſa⯑tion and ſpiritual Senſes; and that, 5. the Soul uſes material Organs (tho' not of groſs Matter only) in all its Operations, all theſe are as much Philoſophical Realities (however ridiculed and expoſed by ignorant Perſons) as the ſame Things are, when ſenſibly and out⯑wardly tranſacted on our finiſh'd and perfect external Senſes; and that, 6. All our Culture, Study and Labour, to acquire Sciences and Knowledge, or to perfect our natural Powers, terminat only in fileing off, melting away, and ſcraping down, thoſe Chains, and Cruſt ſuperinduced upon them; and are only re⯑moving Superfluities, reducing Excreſcences, and rendering the groſs Patchwork ſuper⯑induced on our ſpiritual Body, pliant, ſupple and correſpondent, with the leaſt Reſiſtance to it; that the Creation Body may be at Liberty to extend and diſincumber itſelf: And, Laſtly, That the ſhorteſt and readieſt Way to true and ſolid Knowledge, is to endeavour with the ut⯑moſt Vigour, and ſtrongeſt Effects of our ſpi⯑ritual Nature, to recover and acquire the mo⯑ral Powers of the Soul defac'd and cancelled by the Lapſe, viz. Juſtice, Goodneſs and Truth; or, in the Revelation Language, Faith, Hope, [47] and Charity; to which theſe will be found, when juſtly explained, intirely analogous and conſonant; for it could only be to allow Time and Uninterruption from the natural Powers, had they been always in their full Extent and Force, that they have been thus ty'd down, and ſopited; ſo that now they can only riſe and ex⯑tend in Proportion, as the moral Powers are acquired.

§. 32. THE Activity, Senſibility and Pene⯑tration, the voluntary and involuntary Motions of this our Elementary Body, the animal Functi⯑ons, the more material Acts of Thinking and Co⯑gitation, ſuch as Senſation, Memory, Imaginati⯑on, Attention, &c. are all radically and primarily perform'd, by the Self-action and Self-motion of the immaterial Spirit, on this Creation-aethereal Body principally; as Sulphureous Inflammations raiſe Mountains, and as Springs, and Weights move Clock-works; with this notable Differ⯑ence, that the firſt has an internal, immortal Spring of Self-action, the other only a tempo⯑rary and tranſitory one. Perhaps, for Ex⯑ample, towards voluntary and involuntary Motion, or towards the Exertion of the animal Functions; I ſay, perhaps, there may not be wanted any foreign, independent and perplex'd ſubtile Fluid, of whatever Nature; if the ani⯑mal Appearances and Functions can be more ſimply, as clearly and fully explained, by the Action of a ſelf-active and ſelf-motive ſpiri⯑tual [48] Subſtance, informing and influencing a fitly and divinely organized aethereal Body, and thereby immediately impreſſing its Action and Energy on the groſs earthly Plaiſter laid over it. A true ſpiritual Subſtance, of the very loweſt Order, muſt neceſſarily have in itſelf a Spring of Self-action, a Principle and Faculty of Self-motion, from its own internal Nature and Eſſence. I can have no Notion of a ſpi⯑ritual Subſtance, that has not a Power of be⯑ginning and impreſſing Motion on Matter or Body fitly diſpoſed; there ſeems no Diſtinction ſo eſſential between Spirit and Body, as Acti⯑vity and Paſſivity; 'tis true this Activity in created ſpiritual Subſtances is finite and limited, and may be further reſtrained by groſs Matter to any Degree; but it will be always ſufficient to begin and impreſs Motion on Body, ſo long as the Inertia of Body is not greater, than the Self-activity of ſuch an Order of ſpiritual Subſtances, elſe it could not in any Senſe be called ſelf-active. And to produce muſcular Motion, and the animal Functions and Ap⯑pearances, there may be nothing more neceſſary, than Self-activity, and Self-mobility, in a greater or leſſer Degree; and divine Organi⯑ſation, Fitneſs, and not inſuperable Reſiſt⯑ance, or rather a ready Facility, in the pri⯑mitive aethereal Vehicle, which may overcome the Load of Plaiſter and Ruſt laid over it: I ſay, perhaps, this may be ſufficient to account fully for all the animal Appearances; a foreign ſub⯑tile [49] Fluid may be neceſſary to explain the Ap⯑pearances of inanimated Matter; but ſeems here ſuperfluous, and looks perplex'd and ope⯑roſe, and unlike the Operations of the God of Nature, which are always from eaſy and ſimple Cauſes, and by one ſuch Cauſe produce various and beautiful Effects. And I think there is ſcarce accounting for the infinitely different Degrees of Senſibility, the Degrees of Stature and Growth, and the Degrees of Penetration, and of quick and ſlow Thinking, Memory and Solidity, both in ſentient and intelligent Ani⯑mals, without allowing the Plaiſtering and Soder, on the Creation aethereal Body to ſit lighter, thinner and leſs incumbring on ſome than on others, and the aethereal Organs to be more at Liberty in the vaſtly ſenſible and quick Thinkers and Feelers, than in the ſlow.

§. 33. IT would ſeem in this progreſſive State of Purification of lapſed ſentient and intelligent Beings, that when one Cruſt or Plaiſter from the Element to which they are confined, is worn off, another may grow on, of the Nature of the Celeſtial or Terreſtrial Manſion, which they inhabit, fitted to the Degree of the acquired moral Powers; and this in a continual Aſcent or Deſcent, till the moral Powers are perfected and confirmed into Habits, and the aethereal or ſpiritual Body is purified and refined from all the Droſs and Ruſt it had contracted; and then will be [50] accompliſhed their laſt permanent and eternal State, ſuited to their Order.

§. 34. THE ſpecific Law of Attraction, Fitneſs and Similarity of the Element or Planet, to the Degree of the moral Purity or Impurity in ſentient and intelligent Beings, may as naturally and neceſſarily determin and attract them to this their ſpecific Region or Manſion, as the Eggs of Inſects, and Seeds of Plants ſcattered and blown by the Wind, are directed, drawn and adhere, by Electricity, to the Leaves of thoſe Plants and Trees only, which are fitteſt and have the moſt proper Juices for their Adheſion, Incubation and Vivification, and for cruſting them over, to defend their Deli⯑cacy and Senſibility while young and tender, from ſuch Injuries as would put an End to Life. For a Law of Attraction, Fitneſs and Simi⯑larity will be found to hold good, either ſimply or in ſome kind of Proportion, or analogi⯑cally, through all Creation, as well in Spirits, as in Bodies, in the natural, moral and ce⯑leſtial Worlds, till the firſt and ſupreme Being become locally and finally All in all, and that All be in him with Perfection and ana⯑logous Similarity in their ſeveral Natures, as the Fiſh, or Rivers are in the Sea, and that he acts and influences, and gives Perfection and Happineſs to all Things He has made.

§. 1. IT is certain that by our Make, by the Frame of our Organs, we are now fitted as for Vegetable, ſo for Animal Food. The Form of ſome of our Teeth, the Liver, the Pancreas, and many other of our internal Bowels and conglomerate Glands, ſeem primarily and chiefly deſigned and fitted to antidote the Miſchiefs ariſing from ani⯑mal Food, and fermented Liquors, at leaſt for ſome Time, and in the Days of our Youth [54] and Vigour: For certainly, a Part of the De⯑ſigns of any intelligent Agent may be known by Analogy juſtly drawn, and by final Cauſes, and is the beſt Evidence finite and lapſed Creatures ſeem capable of receiving, in the Deſigns and Contrivances of the Creator, till they come to converſe with him Face to Face. They may be miſtaken in them, as well as in every other kind of Evidence, be⯑ing finite, lapſed, and conſequently fallible Creatures: But this ſeems to be the only Evi⯑dence they are capable of at preſent in ſuch Matters; and may ſhew evidently the Deſign of the Author of Nature, as a convex Screw of any Number of Spires, ſhews, that it was de⯑ſign'd to fit ſome concave one of the ſame Number of Spires and Diameter. Chance is only a technical Word, to denote our Igno⯑rance of the true and phyſical Cauſe of Or⯑der and Deſign; and yet admitting the Ex⯑iſtence of Chance, that through the whole human Race there ſhould have been, in the infinite Number of their Organs, a perfect Similarity by Chance only, and not Deſign, may, by a fair Calculation, be ſhewn to be as infinite to finite, that is mathematically impoſ⯑ſible. But the Queſtion I deſign to treat of here, is, Whether Animal or Vegetable Food was, in the original Deſign of the Creator, intended for the Food of Animals, and particularly of the human Race? And I am almoſt convinced it [55] never was intended, but only permitted, as a Curſe or Puniſhment, and a Cure for a Ma⯑lady, or (as the French term it) a pis-alle, and becauſe infinite Wiſdom and Power could make no more of his corrupted rebellious free Creatures in their preſent State; and for this infinitely wiſe and paternal End, He ſeems to have permitted it; 1. To let them feel and experience the natural and neceſſary Effects of their own Luſts and Concupiſcence, by painful and cruel Diſtempers: Feeling and Experience being the ſureſt Means by which a finite lapſed Creature can know and learn. 2. To ſhorten the Duration of their natural Lives, that Sin, Miſery, and Rebellion, might not increaſe in⯑finitely. 3. To produce naturally, and in a Manner conſiſtent with Liberty, and the other natural Powers of the Soul, (which being deriv'd from Him, and being his Minia⯑ture Images, He neither could nor would force or deſtroy) thoſe Sufferings and Mi⯑ſeries, and Diſlike of inordinate Luſts and En⯑joyments, that might make them think, pon⯑der, and return to Order, Love of Virtue, and its source and Original. And, 4. To ſink and contract the natural Powers of the Soul, (viz. Living, Underſtanding, and Will), by means of ſuch frail Bodies, into a Level with the decayed and lapſed moral Ones, (viz. Juſtice, Goodneſs, and Truth) which by this Rebellion were greatly corrupted and de⯑graded. [56] The Reaſons that incline me to think in this Manner, are theſe following:

§. 2. 1. WHATEVER be the true, primoge⯑nial, and laſt Principle of Bodies, beyond which it is impoſſible to analyſe or divide them, theſe are inconteſtably found in all ani⯑mal and vegetable Bodies, as has been before obſerv'd: 1. Sulphur, Oil or material Heat, from whence Spirit and Activity. 2. Salt, or hard angular Particles highly attractive, and diſſolvable in Water. 3. Air, or ſmall elaſtic Particles. 4. Water or Phlegm, from whence alone Fluidity: And, laſtly, Earth, the Baſe and Subſtratum of theſe others. In the due and proportional Union of theſe, do the Va⯑riety and Difference of animal Subſtances con⯑ſiſt. Now it is paſt all Doubt in Philoſophy, and in philoſophical Chemy, that animal Sub⯑ſtances of moſt kinds, poſſeſs in a much greater Proportion the two firſt of theſe Principles, viz. Salts and Oils, than Vegetables, which partake more of the laſt, viz. Air, Water, and Earth. But from many undeni⯑able Experiments, the two firſt Principles are known to be the moſt active, energic, and de⯑leterious, and tend more, by their Activity, to the Diviſion, Diſſolution and Deſtruction of the Subject, than thoſe others, when they en⯑ter in any great Proportion. 2. The Jelly, the Juice or Chyle of animal Subſtances, is [57] infinitely more tenacious and glewy ^*, and its laſt Particles more cloſely united, and ſepa⯑rated with greater Difficulty, than thoſe of vegetable Subſtances. This is evident from the Experiments made with them in joining of Wood, and is known to all Artificers, and may be made manifeſt to the Senſes in the Dif⯑ference between the Tenacity of Camp-jelly, or Fiſh-glew, and that of Paſte made of Flower or Barley; or from the Strength of Ropes or Cords made of Cat-gut or Leather, and thoſe made of Tow or Hemp, of the ſame Dia⯑meter: And therefore animal Food muſt much ſooner, more ſtrongly, and irremediably make Viſcidities in animal Fluids, and more ſchir⯑rouſly obſtruct the Capillaries and Glands, than vegetable Subſtances. 3. But the far more pernicious and deſtructive Part, is the Salts, and Oil, abounding more in moſt animal than in vegetable Subſtances; of which there are ſo many and convincing Demonſtrations, that none can have any Doubt of it, that has the leaſt Acquaintance with natural Philoſophy: For our Blood and Juices being nouriſh'd and ſupply'd by ſuch Subſtances, as abound moſt with theſe active elementary Principles, muſt neceſſarily be ſtored and ſaturated with Salts and Sulphurs; and theſe, being always in a [58] State of Action, are the true, original, and the moſt adequate Cauſes of the moſt excru⯑ciating Diſtempers. 4. When to theſe, ſtrong, fermented and ſpirituous Liquors are added as a Vehicle, or diluting Mixture, and join to the Salts and Sulphurs of animal Subſtances, not only their inflammable Spirits and tartar⯑ous Salts, but their condenſing and hardening Quality on the Food in the Stomach, the Di⯑geſtion is by that means hindered and ſtopped, and the Food not being ſufficiently divided and comminuted, but broken only into groſs Par⯑ticles, does more quickly and obſtinately thick⯑en the Juices, and obſtruct the Glands and Capillaries, than vegetable Subſtances. 5. Animal Juices and Subſtances, before they were turned into Fleſh, muſt have been ſtrain'd through infinitely ſmaller and more numerous Tubes, ſuch as the laſt and extreme Capillaries are (ſome of which are not bigger than the ſix hundredth part of an Hair); by which Means their Particles muſt be render'd extremely ſmaller and finer, and conſequently have a much greater Degree of Attraction, than thoſe of Vegetables, which paſs through fewer Strainers, and have no other motive Powers but the Heat of the Sun; whereas thoſe of animal Subſtances have, beſides the Sun, the Force of muſcular Digeſtion, and of the Moti⯑on of the Heart; the Fleſh of Animals, I ſay, muſt, upon this Account, neceſſarily conſiſt of ſmaller [59] Particles, and ſo be united with a greater Force, and endow'd with a greater Degree of Attrac⯑tion, and conſequently muſt, with far greater Difficulty, be digeſted and ſeparated, than ve⯑getable Subſtances poſſibly can. And hence it is that carnivorous Animals are much more deleterious Food, being endow'd with much finer and more pungent Salts and Sulphurs, than thoſe Animals that live on Vegetables only, as both the higher Savour and delete⯑rious Effects of the firſt abundantly ſhew. From all which it is plain to a Demonſtration, that animal Subſtances muſt naturally and ne⯑ceſſarily incraſſate the Juices, and produce Obſtructions in the Glands and Capillaries, and conſequently create Pains and Diſeaſes, much more readily than vegetable Subſtances. 6. It is plain by Weight, that the Subſtance of moſt animal Food is ſpecifically heavier than that of moſt Vegetables commonly uſed for Food, ſometimes in the Proportion of three to two. The Fibres and Juices of animal Bo⯑dies are not only more compact and cloſely united, and have fewer Vacuities than thoſe of Vegetables, whereby the digeſtive Powers have leſs Difficulty in concocting and grinding equal Quantities of Vegetable than animal Food; but by the leſs Flavour and Savour of vegetable than animal Food, the Appetite is ſooner ſatisfied, and is under leſs Temptation to Exceſs in the firſt than in the latter; and it [60] is conſequently better and ſooner digeſted, cir⯑culated and ſecreted, eſpecially by tender and delicate digeſtive Powers, and ſo cannot ſo readily cauſe Viſcidities and Obſtructions. Laſtly, Infinite Experiment, and the beſt na⯑tural Philoſophy, confirm to a Demonſtra⯑tion, that thoſe Subſtances, which have leaſt of Salt and Sulphur, of Spirit, Oil, and hard pungent Particles, and moſt of ſoft Earth, Wa⯑ter and Air, are the fitteſt to circulate, and be ſecreted through animal Tubes, create leaſt Reſiſtance to the motive Powers, tear, rend, and wear out the Tubes themſelves leaſt, and form leſs obſtinate and powerful Obſtructions, in the ſmaller Veſſels; and conſequently, that vegetable Subſtances, which conſiſt of a leſs Proportion of Salts and Sulphurs, i. e. of pun⯑gent and fiery Particles, and of a greater Pro⯑portion of Earth, Water and Air, i. e. of leſs active and cooler Particles, will be leſs ready to create Diſeaſes, and ſhorten Life, than an equal Quantity of animal Subſtances, which have all theſe in an inverted Proportion. In a Word, vegetable Subſtances are more rare, leſs compact, leſs coherent, more eaſily diſſol⯑vable and digeſtible, turn into a lighter Chyle, have leſs Salt, Oil, and Spirit, and conſequent⯑ly are leſs heating and inflaming, than animal Subſtances, and ſo obſtruct and tear animal Tubes leſs.

§. 3. IF this Account be juſt and philoſo⯑phical, and if it be lawful at all to enquire in⯑to final Cauſes, (which, if the firſt Being be rational and intelligent, and acts with Deſign, and for ſome End, is not only lawful, but laudable, when done with Modeſty and Hu⯑mility) then certainly one Part of his Deſign in permitting animal Food, muſt of Neceſſity have been to ſhorten the Duration of human Life, to create, or at leaſt to permit us by it, to multiply and enrage Diſeaſes, Miſery and Sufferings; ſince it is evident to a Demonſtra⯑tion, that it muſt always produce this Effect, and will always have it preferable to vegetable Food; and whatever is, naturally and neceſ⯑ſarily is, and is permitted by the firſt Being, we may with the utmoſt Certainty conclude, was at leaſt one Part of his Deſign; and if Suf⯑fering, Pain and Miſery here be neceſſary for our Purification and Recovery out of this degenerate State, then very probably that might be his Deſign in this Permiſſion. This Phae⯑nomenon in Providence, (the Permiſſion and Uſe of animal Food) and Fact in Revelation, is not accountable any otherwiſe, than that Pain, Suffering and Diſeaſes, being a natural and neceſſary Mean of Expiation and Purifi⯑cation, in the Oeconomy of Reſtoration, In⯑finite Wiſdom permitted it, tho' unwillingly, as his ſtrange Work, againſt the Grain, as it were, for that End ſolely; as a kind Father [62] ſuffers his unnatural and perverſe Son to be carried to Gaol, to ſuffer Hunger, Cold, Pain and Confinement there, as the only Mean to make him ſober, conſiderate, wiſer and better. For that animal Food and fermented Liquors will more readily, certainly, and cruelly, create and exaſperate Diſeaſes, Pains, and Sufferings, and ſooner cut off Life than vegetable Food will, there can be no more Doubt than in any Propoſition of Euclid, if Reaſon, Philo⯑ſophy, the Natures of Things, or Experience, have Evidence, or Force in them; and it is very obſervable, that this Indulgence for ani⯑mal Food was not granted, till the Aera of Longaevity was expir'd, or at leaſt they took place together; and not till the ſpiritual Corruptions of Pride, Tyranny, Malice, Revenge, Murder, and brutal Commerce, ſo univerſally raged, that infinite Wiſdom, to begin a new World, was forced to deſtroy, by a Deluge, the whole Race of Mankind, except a few of the moſt innocent and leaſt deprav'd Individuals, ſuch as they were, far from perfect, but the leaſt bad of the Race: this ſeems ſo, if any Credit be given to the Jewiſh Hiſtory of Nature.

§. 4. IT will be no Difficulty to one ac⯑quainted with Revelation, to find the like Permiſſions in the divine Oeconomy: Nothing is more plain and demonſtrable from Nature, and its eternal Laws, and from Juſtice and Equity, than that in the original Intention, [63] one Woman was deſign'd for one Man, and no more; for there being no Difference between the Sexes but in their outward Frame, and the Configuration of the Shell or Tabernacle; (their eſſential Nature and ſpiritual permanent Form being of the ſame Degree, conſtant and invariable; different Culture and Form make⯑ing all the real Difference); infinite Wiſdom might then, with the ſame Wiſdom and Pro⯑priety, have given the Male, more Eyes, Sto⯑machs or Heads, as more Wives; and yet, for the Hardneſs of their Hearts, God per⯑mitted Plurality of Women to the Jews. This ſame People, tho' they had not only God's general and imperceptible Providence, as we now have, for their Government and Direc⯑tion, but his miraculous, ſenſible and viſible Preſence, to inſtruct and guide them, yet they wanted a King, as the other Nations had, and he gave them one in his Wrath. Infinite Goodneſs, intending always, by the whole Power of his Omnipotence and Omniſcience, to reſtore his lapſed and rebellious Creatures, conſiſtent with their Liberty, and the natural Powers he had given them, and the Har⯑mony of his own Attributes, deſcends below his firſt Intention, and drops the primary and original Perfection of his Commands to them, for a Time, to condeſcend to their Weakneſs and Infirmity, in order afterwards to bring them up to it again. As a kind Father, who to wean his raſh and giddy Child from the [64] Fire, holds his Finger near a Candle, till he begets a ſenſible Fear and Dread in him of be⯑ing too familiar with that dangerous Ele⯑ment.

§. 5. UPON the Foot of natural Religion only, and from the ſtrict Rules of natural Juſtice and Equity, how any one can juſtify the taking away the Life of a Fellow-Crea⯑ture, out of Wantonneſs, Luxury and Riot, and not from Neceſſity and Self-defence, ſo long as there may be found ſufficient Store of vegetable Food to carry on the Expences of Living, and the more agreeable Performance of the animal Functions; to give a living Creature the greateſt Pain it can poſſibly re⯑ceive, and take from it the only Happineſs it is capable of, viz. its Life, (which none can reſtore or recompenſe) merely to ſcratch cal⯑lous Organs more ſenſibly; how, I ſay, to account for this barbarous and ſavage Wanton⯑neſs on the foot of mere natural Religion and natural Equity only, without Revelation, I can by no means conceive. That the infi⯑nitely wiſe Author and Lawgiver of Nature, who ſees through the whole Syſtem of Intel⯑ligences at once, and perfectly knows for what Ends and Purpoſes he has made them, and ſent them here, and is the ſole Proprie⯑tor of Life and Happineſs, may diſpoſe of them how he pleaſes, knows when they have finiſh'd their probatory and expiatory Courſe, and is [65] able to recompenſe the Loſs of a lower Life, by the Gift of a higher; for it is not impoſſible, the Animals may have been a lower Order of rational Intelligences, who, lapſing leſs, are ſooner, and with leſs Suffering, recover'd; and ſince they ſuffer with us, they may be reſtor'd with us; the Apoſtle ſays, the whole Creation travelleth together; that is, probably, the whole Syſtem of Saturn, the Goal of God's Creation: For Him, I ſay, to give up the Lives of a lower Rank of Beings, for the Expiation, Inſtruction, or Admonition, or other Benefit of a higher, may be an Act of great Juſtice, Wiſdom and Goodneſs. And, if it might be allow'd us to conjec⯑ture, one wiſe End and Purpoſe in this Per⯑miſſion of animal Food, might be to puniſh, admoniſh and correct us, by bodily Diſtem⯑pers, ſo as to bring us to reflect, repent and amend; or even, to ſhorten the Time of our Sufferings here, and by the Violence of our Diſeaſes, and a nearer Proſpect of Death, and a future Reckoning, to reclaim us ſooner and more effectually; and at the ſame Time to ad⯑vance theſe Victims to a higher State of Being and Happineſs. Probably for theſe menti⯑on'd (but to be ſure for wiſe and good) Ends and Purpoſes, has God by Revelation given us a Permiſſion, or Patent, for the Uſe of animal Food: But for fermented Liquors, He has given us none, that I know of; neither are they na⯑tural, or proper; nor were they ever approv'd [66] or recommended for common Uſe, or as pro⯑per and ordinary Drink; but only as Phyſick, or a Cordial, on Feſtivals, or at Sacrifices, on Sickneſs, or in Extremities. In the early and innocent Ages of golden Simplicity, no Hint ſuppoſes them commonly known or tried. And if fermented and ſpirituous Liquors were uſed only as bitter Draughts, Cordials and chalybeat Medicines, to brace and wind up the Stomach, and alimentary Tubes and Solids tranſiently, for a ſhort Time; on Sickneſs, Lowneſs, Fainting, Fatigue, and inclement Sea⯑ſons, as they ſeem to be intended by the Author of Nature; they might be Bleſſings, and great temporary and tranſient Reliefs; but as they are now uſed conſtantly at Meals, as common Beverage to dilute ſolid Food, and to make Perſons eaſy under a Load of high rich ani⯑mal Food, they become the efficient Cauſes of moſt Diſeaſes; and upon the moſt ſeri⯑ous Enquiry, I could never find an adequate natural Cauſe, for the Frequency of nervous and atrocious chronical Diſtempers now, from what they were formerly, nor of the Stuntedneſs, Punyneſs and Feebleneſs, ſo conſpicuous among the better Sort, from what they were before the Conqueſt, and in our Gallic Wars; but the free and frequent Uſe of ſtrong and ſpirituous Liquors, and rich and high Foods, with foreign Cookery, at that Time introduced firſt; and living in great Towns, and uſing only Coaches and Chairs, [67] and ſedentary Employments and Diverſions. And drinking Water only, and living low, is the only adequate Antidote and Remedy for theſe Diſtempers thus produced; for no Axiom is ſo certain in Phyſick, as that Diſeaſes muſt be cured by their Contraries.

§. 6. THE Hurt and Damage all fermented Liquors do an animal Body, is evident from many Conſiderations; as, 1. That it hardens, conſtricts and binds up the Fibres, and ſtrongly unites the Particles of animal Subſtances, ſo that they are with much greater Difficulty ſeparated and divided, i. e. digeſted. A Piece of Meat will continue ſweet and ſound, for many Years in Wine or ſtrong Beer, or in any ſtrong fermented Liquor; the Liquor cementing and pinning to⯑gether the Parts of the Meat; and the ſame hap⯑pens when they are mixed in the Stomach; by which the Digeſtibility and eaſy Diſſolution of it, is obſtructed; ſo that in ſuch a Mixture Mutton is turned into Beef, and Beef into Shoe-Leather. 2. There is in ſtrong Liquors a criſping, corrugating, or cauſtic Quality workt on the Fibres, which burns and dries them up, and deſtroys their elaſtic and ductile Virtue, and conſequently renders them unfit to be broken and divided in the Stomach. This is evident from the Uſe commonly made of ſtrong Beer, as the beſt Plaiſter for Sprains, Relaxations and Strains; and that Brandy will really ſtop Hae⯑morrhages and Ruptures in the Blood-Veſſels, [68] by burning and wrinkling the tender Fibres and Capillaries, and ſo by this criſping Quality muſt keep Food from being readily and per⯑fectly digeſted. 3. The Fire and Heat in ſtrong Liquors, by ſtimulating and twitching the Fibres and Coats of the Blood-Veſſels and Nerves, and conſequently bringing them in⯑to quick and frequent Vibrations, and elaſtic Efforts, will break and tear the Fibres of the alimentary Tubes, and ſeparate their Uni⯑on and Continuity, ſo as at laſt to wear out theſe Organs, at leaſt, much ſooner, and with greater Pain and Suffering, than Water or aqueous Liquors poſſibly can. Laſtly, It is a common and well-known Experiment, that to ſtunt the Growth of young Animals, as Dogs and Cats, they need only be frequently rubbed over with Brandy, Rum, or any Spirit. This ſtops the Ductility and Extenſion of the young animal Fibres, that they cannot be dilated and develop'd by the Force of the Circulation, and ſo ſtunts their Growth. From all which it is plain, that ſtrong, but eſpecially ſpirituous Li⯑quors, are really Poiſon to an animal Conſti⯑tution; and their ill Effects, not only in ſhort⯑ening the Lives, but in ſtunting the Growth and Stature of the lower Rank of People, from the late frequent Uſe of Gin, Punch, and other ſpirituous Liquors, have become ſo fla⯑grant, as to call aloud for the juſt Indignation of the Legiſlature; and it is to be wiſhed, that an effectual Remedy may be found out for ſo [69] deſtructive an Evil. And I am fully con⯑vinced, that the primary and original Deſign of the Author of Nature for the ſolid Food of Animals, was nothing but earthy Particles mixed with Water and Air, finely divided and cemented only, with the leaſt Oil and Salt poſ⯑ſible, as they are found in Seeds, Fruits, young Vegetables, and farinaceous or pulpous Roots, with Water only for Drink; which alone would make the Animal laſt the longeſt, and with the feweſt Pains and Diſeaſes. But this Diet muſt be only tried and begun with the Young, while their Fibres are tender and ſweet.

§. 7. THAT all ſenſitive, as well as intelli⯑gent Creatures, are in an expiatory, purifying and progreſſive State here, and going on to a greater Degree of Perfection, and a nobler State of Being in their ſeveral Orders, is de⯑monſtrable from the utter Contradiction and Impoſſibility there muſt be, that an infinitely wiſe and good Being could create ſentient and intelligent Beings to ſuffer, for no other Reaſon but for the ſake of Suffering; or that he ſhould make Creatures to ſuffer for any other End or Purpoſe, but for Expiation, Pu⯑rification and progreſſive Perfection of Being, and to eſtabliſh and confirm them in their ac⯑quired State of Perfection: Neque enim, ſub juſto Deo, miſer eſſe quiſquam, niſi mereatur, poſſit, ſays St. Auguſtin moſt divinely. Moſt of [70] the Animals are Martyrs for the human Species in Food or Sacrifice: Some of them are Food for one another; all of them are ſubject to epide⯑mical Diſeaſes and caſual Misfortunes; a few of them paſs their Time much more comfortably than others; all of them but unhappily at beſt, and go through Death at laſt. All this muſt be for ſome wiſe Purpoſe, and none can be nobler, than that of Expiation, Pu⯑rification and progreſſive Perfection of Be⯑ing; and ſilent Admonition, and teaching us, their ſuperior Order of Beings. Conſciouſ⯑neſs of this End, either to them or us, might retard this Effect. Childhood, Idiotiſm, and many cephalic and nervous Diſtempers, can bring no Conſciouſneſs of the divine End and De⯑ſign of this Oeconomy along with them, even to intelligent Beings; it is ſufficient, that Conſciouſneſs come when the End is accom⯑pliſhed, or the deſigned Perfection attained. At what Time animal Food came firſt in Uſe, is not certainly known. He was a bold Man who made the firſt Experiment; Illi robur et aes triplex circa pectus erat. To ſee the Convulſions, Agonies and Tortures of a poor Fellow-Creature, whom they cannot reſtore nor recompenſe, dying to gratify Lux⯑ury, and ſcratch callous and rank Organs, muſt require a rocky Heart, and a great De⯑gree of Cruelty and Ferocity. I cannot find any great Difference on the Foot of natural Reaſon and Equity only, between feeding on [71] human Fleſh, and feeding on brute animal Fleſh, except Cuſtom and Example. I believe ſome rational Creatures would ſuffer leſs in being fairly butcher'd, than a ſtrong Ox, or red Deer; and in natural Morality and Juſtice, the Degrees of Pain here, make the eſſential Difference; for as to other Differences, they are relative only, and can be of no Weight with an infinitely perfect Being. Did not Uſe and Example weaken this Terror, and make the Difference, Reaſon alone could ne⯑ver do it. Perhaps it may be conjectur'd, that ſince Sacrifices were certainly an original, re⯑veal'd or traditional Inſtitution, and that no Nation under the Sun, hitherto known, was without them, they being, it would ſeem, a chief Part in the grand Oeconomy of the Re⯑ſtoration; Sacrifice, I ſay, might have been originally inſtituted, 1. To admoniſh and in⯑form the Sinner ſilently, and without com⯑mitting Violence on his Liberty, what he de⯑ſerves; and implicitly to tell him, that he de⯑ſerves the ſame Death he makes the poor Brute undergo. For the Liberty of Man⯑kind ſeems ſo precious, being the Root of Intel⯑ligence, that it is wonderful in how many Shapes infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs, has put Himſelf, in the Conduct of Providence and Nature, to preſerve it inviolate; and at the ſame time to inſtruct and admoniſh his free lapſed Intelligences. I believe a good natural Philoſopher might ſhew with great [72] Reaſon and Probability, that there is ſcarce Beaſt, Bird, Reptile nor Inſect, that does not, in each particular Climat, inſtruct, and admo⯑niſh Mankind of ſome neceſſary Truth, for their Happineſs either in Body or Mind. And, 2. To continue the Expectation of all Ages, of ſome more noble and meritorious Sacrifice, ſome time or other to be celebrated. And it is not impoſſible, that the rude and un⯑taught Mob, who were employed in the lower ſervile Offices about Sacrifices, might have been the firſt who ventured on animal Food, (if it was not inſtituted afore as a Sa⯑crament with the ſame Intention as the Eu⯑chariſt was afterwards) their Station habituat⯑ing them to bear with leſs Pain, the Suffer⯑ings of their Fellow-Creatures while sacri⯑ficed; and they finding it palatable and lu⯑ſcious, might recommend the Uſe of it to Others. Perhaps, I ſay, this might have been the Original Inſtitution of animal Food among all Nations. However, as this is only a remote Conjecture to account for the early Commencement of animal Food, ſo contrary to the original Nature of Man, and the Deſign of the Creator, and has no Regard to thoſe concern'd in our unbloody Sacrifice; I pro⯑ceed now to obſerve how cautiouſly, and with what an evident Forbid, the Jewiſh Law di⯑rects this Permit of animal Food, viz. abſo⯑lutely and poſitively not to eat the Blood of the Animal (in which not only its Life, but its [73] moſt delicious Savour and moſt deleterious Qualities chiefly conſiſt, and becauſe Blood Globules, by their Rotundity, Volubility, and Elaſticity, reſiſt Trituration, that is, Digeſtion). Now this in Reality, and by Inſinuation and Moral, is to ſay, That ſince for the Hardneſs of your Hearts, and your preſent unconquerable Luſtings, you cannot be brought to abſtain al⯑together from animal Food; yet becauſe in the Blood is the Life thereof, and all its dele⯑terious, morbific and noxious Qualities, you are to drain it as much as poſſible of all its Moiſture and Juice, (for the Serum as well as the Grume, moſtly conſiſts of globular Particles), and eat it plain, roaſted or boiled, to drain it ſtill more: By this Method, animal Food will be much leſs pernicious, and will ap⯑proach very near to Vegetables. There is no underſtanding this Permiſſion any other Way, nor is it otherwiſe to be reconciled to common Senſe, or rational Conception, how⯑ever both Jews and Chriſtians have at pre⯑ſent dwindled and diluted its true Import, out of Luxury.

§. 8. THIS Doctrine is further confirm'd by this ſurpriſing Circumſtance in the Permiſ⯑ſion, that there is a very particular and other⯑wiſe unintelligible Diſtinction made between clean and unclean Beaſts, either to be ſacri⯑ficed, or eaten for Food; and a diſtinguiſhing Mark aſſign'd how to know the laſt. And [74] ſince it comes from the ſame Source with the Permiſſion of animal Food, theſe two muſt have ſome material Difference in the Nature of Things; and that can be none other but that the Fleſh of theſe laſt cannot be ſo readily digeſted and ſqueezed from their Blood, but that it will have ſufficient remaining, of a more deleterious Nature, to inflame and mortify the Juices of thoſe who uſe it freely, and to en⯑rage and madden their Paſſions; and he who is deeply acquainted with natural Philoſophy, and the Hiſtory of the unclean Animals, will be ſenſible of the Juſtneſs of this Prohibition and Obſervation. From whence it is natural to conclude, that tho' for the Hardneſs and Perverſeneſs of Mens Hearts, animal Food was permitted and indulged, yet it was with ſuch various Clogs and Exceptions, as might make it as little pernicious as poſſible. For the ſame Reaſon likewiſe was the Fat of the Sacrifice forbid to be eaten: And all this to ſhew that it was with great Reluctancy, and in mere Con⯑deſcenſion, and contrary to the original In⯑tention, it was thus permitted. And tho' un⯑der the new Diſpenſation, St. Peter was in⯑formed by a miraculous Viſion, that nothing was now common or unclean, yet it was not till Self⯑denial, Poverty of Spirit and Mortification, or abſtaining from the Luſts of the Fleſh, were eſtabliſhed as the fundamental Doctrines of this new Syſtem; which when ſincerely be⯑lieved and ſtrictly followed, would leave no [75] room for Difference of Food, or ceremonial Diſtinctions, which ſerved only as a School⯑maſter, to bring them to theſe purer and more univerſal Doctrines of Chriſt. It is certain, at the Creation there could be no ſuch Thing as an Indulgence for animal Food, if only Pairs of each Animal were created at firſt.

§. 9. I MUST however own, that I think ſome vegetable Food, of much Salt, Oil, or luſcious Juice and Poignancy, as much or more deleterious, inflaming, and incraſſating, than ſome mild animal Subſtances: For Exam⯑ple, Onions, Shallot, Muſtard, Horſe-radiſh, all the Nut-kinds, Eaſtern Gums, Balſams, Raiſins, Pickles, Spices, Aromatics, ſtrong fermented Sours, rich and fat late Fruits, as dry yet plump Grapes, much Sugar, and the like; theſe are in ſome delicate Conſtitutions more poiſonous and hurtful to an human Body, than a Bit of the muſcular and lean Fleſh of Chicken, Veal, Lamb, Rabbit, Partridge, Turkey, and the like white and young animal Foods; whoſe Whiteneſs and Tenderneſs ſhews there is little or no red Blood Globules in them, and are conſe⯑quently more eaſily digeſtible, and leſs delete⯑rious. Theſe Vegetables may be allowed in ſmall Quantities, as a Sauce or Reliſh to other⯑wiſe inſipid and unpalatable vegetable Food, to ſickly Appetites; but in great Quantities, and without Caution, they will hurt, heat and thicken the Blood and Juices of tender Con⯑ſtitutions; [76] which is the ſole Cauſe of the acute Diſtempers of all the Eaſtern and Southern Nations, who do not deal, or but very ſparingly, in ſtrong fermented Liquors. Without doubt, plain Milk (the genuine Soup prepar'd by the Author of Nature, and of a middle Na⯑ture between animal and vegetable Sub⯑ſtances) boiled or raw, or prepared with Seeds, as Rice, Sago, Barley, Wheat, Mil⯑let, and the like, is the beſt and ſafeſt of all Foods for ſuch tender Conſtitutions, as being in itſelf Blood, that has not as yet often paſſed through the Lungs, to give it its ſcarlet Colour, and deleterious Qualities, but is drawn almoſt directly from the Stomach and Lacteals, from an Emulſion made there, and Cookery of Nature, of Graſs and Vegetables with pure Water, and deſigned by the Author of Nature, for the Cure and Nouriſhment of the Young, Tender and Delicate: And I can ſee no Difference be⯑tween a young or tender and delicate Animal by Nature, and one made ſo by a Diſeaſe; but that ſuch a Diet is ſtill more neceſſary for the laſt than for the firſt. The mealy Roots and early Fruits are next to theſe; ſuch as Potatoes, Turnips, Carrots, Skirrets, and the like, Strawberries, Cherries, Currants, &c. and only in the laſt Place and Degree is the Sa⯑ladin, Colworts, and latter and richer Fruit⯑kinds, and Winter Vegetables, as containing too much Air or Wind. And the Author of Nature has with ſuch a Profuſion of Kind⯑neſs [77] ſecured againſt Want or Famine, that in inclement Seaſons, and bad Years, if the Earth cannot produce Plenty above Ground, it ſe⯑cures it under Ground in bulbous, knotted, or mealy Roots, even in Snow or Froſt.

§. 10. AGAINST this Doctrine, that ani⯑mal Food was permitted for a Puniſhment, and that fermented Liquors are not an Inſtitution of Nature and its Author; thoſe who have Re⯑gard for Revelation, whence the Patent for animal Food is drawn, may object, that our bleſſed Saviour, who was without Sin, eat and drank of what was ſet before him; that his firſt Miracle was ſupernaturally producing Wine, to celebrate the Marriage of Cana in Galilee; that he was accounted a Wine-biber; that he eat and drank with Publicans and Sin⯑ners; that he wrought other Miracles to pro⯑duce animal Food to a Multitude; that St. Peter had a miraculous Viſion to inſtruct him, that no ſort of Food was unclean; that the Euchariſt is celebrated in Wine; and that St. Paul adviſes Timothy to drink Wine for his Infirmities. To all which I anſwer, 1. That the Queſtion is not what is, now, beſt and fitteſt in the preſent Ends of Providence, in order to reſtore and recover Man from his lapſed and fallen State; but what was probably the firſt Deſign of our Creator, in our primitive un⯑lapſed State, before we and our Habitation (the Earth with its Atmoſphere and Appen⯑dages) [78] were thus ſpoilt and diſordered. 2. One ſort of Repair, Props, or Support, may be proper or neceſſary for a Habitation in one Degree of Ruin and Decay, that would by no Means be neceſſary or proper in another or lower Degree. 3. There is neither Virtue nor Vice in abſtaining from one ſort of Food more than another, but as it is commanded by law⯑ful Superiors; all that is here conſidered, is, which of the two, vegetable or animal Food, in the Nature of Things, by the animal Oeco⯑nomy, and as human Creatures and their Food are now conſtituted, is phyſically and experi⯑mentally fitteſt to carry on and prolong Life, with the leaſt Pain, feweſt Diſeaſes, and for the longeſt Time. Virtue and Vice are of quite another Conſideration, and depend on the internal Principle and Diſpoſition; the Quantity, Manner and Order in which theſe neceſſary Supports are taken, not on the Things themſelves. But if it be asked, Which of the two Diets is moſt conducive to Virtue or Vice? Which of the two is moſt likely to faci⯑litate the Acquiſition of Virtue? What is above⯑ſaid, plainly determines it in Favour of a low Diet; for by it the bodily Paſſions being made cooler and weaker, the Blood and Juices be⯑ing ſweetened, the intellectual Organs thereby render'd cleaner, more agile and penetrating, Reaſon and the ſpiritual Nature of Man has more Liberty to act, and meets with leſs Dif⯑ficulty and Reſiſtance in its Operations. 4. [79] As to our bleſſed Saviour, he having come to ſeek and to ſave what was loſt, was obliged to take the World as he found it, in order to raiſe it from that Degree of Perdition in which it was then plunged. He took upon him the Form of a Servant; he took not the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of the Seed of Abraham; he was in all things like unto us, Sin only excepted. Thoſe to whom he came, and among whom he dwelt and convers'd, could at firſt neither receive nor underſtand his ſublime Doctrines; he had many Things to ſay even to his Diſciples, which they could not then bear; and yet this Doctrine of the Prefe⯑rence and greater Advantages of vegetable than of animal Food, is virtually and implicitly con⯑tain'd in the general Doctrine of Self-denial and Poverty of Spirit, (in the Senſe of the Evan⯑gelic Counſels, that carry quickeſt into Perfec⯑tion, where Celibacy is preferr'd to Marriage; for in the Kingdom of Glory, they are neither married nor given in Marriage, but are as the An⯑gels of God) ſo ſtrongly and pre-eminently incul⯑cated in the Goſpel, as any who reads and con⯑ſiders it, muſt plainly ſee. 5. I readily grant, and have given the Reaſons and Philoſophy of theſe Things, that in our preſent lapſed State, in the preſent Infertility, and inſufficiently nutri⯑tive Qualities of the Vegetables, in the preſent Curſe on the Earth, and the Neceſſity of La⯑bour, Handicrafts, mechanical Force, and mar⯑tial Proweſs, while Wickedneſs is ſo power⯑ful, [80] and the Wicked ſo numerous, there is a Neceſſity for high animal Food, and fer⯑mented Liquors, in ſome Caſes, and to ſome Perſons, to ſecure againſt and remedy theſe Evils. But the ſole Queſtion here is, Whe⯑ther this Diet will prevent Diſeaſes, or lengthen Life ſo effectually as the other? Or whether Providence has not deſigned and appointed ve⯑getable Food for the Cure and Antidote of the Pains and Diſeaſes naturally and neceſſarily ariſing from animal Food, and fermented Li⯑quors? Perhaps God, in his moral Govern⯑ment of the World, has deſign'd animal Food, more readily to puniſh thoſe who will not be drawn by Love and Beauty; i.e. to purify ſome ſorts of Men by Pains and Sufferings. 6. I willingly allow, that fermented and ſometimes ſpirituous Liquors, are excellent Remedies, temporary Filips, Whips or Spurs, in Faintneſs, Sickneſs, Labour, or feſtival Occaſions for Joy, and promoting of Friendſhip, and on Neceſſities and in Extremities: But I contend, then, and then only, they ought to be uſed; and that there is neither Precept, Example, nor En⯑couragement from Reaſon, Experience, or Re⯑velation, to uſe them otherwiſe, or as they are now uſed for common Food, and daily Be⯑verage; whence they become one Cauſe of all the great Diſeaſes of the preſent Age. From theſe general Conſiderations, all the mention'd Difficulties have an eaſy Solution to the Candid and Ingenuous: I am not fight⯑ing [81] Prizes, nor making Articles of a Creed. That infinite Wiſdom foreſaw, and laid in Proviſion and the neceſſary Precaution and An⯑tidote, for the moſt deleterious Effects of animal Food and fermented Liquors, for a ſhort time, ſeems to me evident for theſe Reaſons, 1. In that He provided the Liver, (the Pancreas, and other internal Glands) in Animals, theſe vaſt⯑ly ſtrong, complicated and elabour'd Organs, to draw out the moſt poiſonous Parts of ſtrong Meats and Drinks: the ſtronger the Liver, and the larger that Organ grows, the more Bile it throws out on the Common-ſhoar, the Inteſtines, to deprive the Chyle of its churliſh Salts, and acrid Sulphurs, and thus makes the Liver an uſeful Medicine to promote the animal Functions, Digeſtion, Chylification, and the periſtaltic Motion, and then throw its uſeleſs Parts out of the Habit. 2. By the create⯑ing mineral and ponderous Medicines, (Mer⯑cury chiefly) to open Obſtructions, break ſa⯑line Concretions, and diſſolve the Tenacity of the Globules and Serum. And, 3. In providing mineral Waters of ſo various and complicated Natures, for the ſame Ends and Purpoſes, which they will, well-choſen, effect at laſt, as certainly as thoſe formerly mentioned. Now it is plain to a Demonſtration, that under a ve⯑getable Diet, all thoſe have little or no Uſe in Medicine; nay, any one who is acquainted with the Delicacy, Tenderneſs and Senſibility of the internal and infinitely minute Parts of [82] an animal Machine, muſt know that they are not only in a great Degree uſeleſs, but hurt⯑ful, and tend to tear, diſſolve and deſtroy the infinitely minute Fibrils, of which the Solids of an animal Machin are formed: So that their final End and Deſign in Providence muſt have been to antidote the ill Effects of animal Food and ſtrong fermented Liquors, to a certain Degree, and for a certain Time, probably till ſome time after the Meridian of Life, while the Organs had attained their ut⯑moſt Extenſion and Firmneſs; for it is not im⯑probable, that none of the Mineral Waters exiſted under the Form and in the Manner they now appear, till after the Deluge, the Aera of animal Food, fermented Liquors, and the ſhortneſs of Life.

§. 11. To the Appearance of the preſent State of Nature, that ſeems to claſh with this Doctrine, viz. the vaſt, nay infinite Maſs of Life, or living Creatures, generated by Heat and Moiſture, the many Millions of organiz'd Seeds of Plants and Animals deſtroyed every Seaſon, the Impoſſibility of having any Sort of Food, or even pure Water, without deſtroy⯑ing and devouring Millions of Animaculs; that here almoſt each Animal devours and lives upon another; and that both in the ſentient and intelligent Creation, there ſeems to be a natural and unconquerable Appetite and crave⯑ing Deſire of animal Food, and an inſatiable [83] Thirſt of Blood: To theſe and ſuch-like Pre⯑judices, (I cannot call them Objections) it may be anſwer'd, I. Firſt, That theſe Facts are not denied, but are of no Weight againſt the Propoſitions here chiefly aſſerted, viz. 1. That it is Phi⯑loſophically certain, that animal Food is in its own Nature more ready to produce Diſtempers than vegetable Food. 2. That it is therefore highly probable, that an infinitely good and wiſe Being would not appoint in his firſt Intention, animal but vegetable Food, at leaſt to his in⯑telligent and rational Creation, and which ac⯑cordingly is confirm'd from Revelation: And, 3. The chief Aſſertion here made, is, That in Conſequence of theſe two Propoſitions it fol⯑lows, that vegetable Food, Seeds eſpecially, muſt be the proper Antidote, and Cure of the Diſeaſes brought on by animal Food. But, II. It may be conſider'd, as St. Paul aſſerts, that this whole Creation, the whole Syſtem, but chiefly this our Globe, with all its Inhabitants, labours, and is under a mortal Diſtemper, and in Tra⯑vail, like a parturient Woman, to throw off this preſent Load of Corruption, Deteriority, and Lapſe, that it may regain its ori⯑ginal Spirituality, Purity, and Liberty; it is at preſent in a State of Expiation, Purifica⯑tion, and progreſſive Perfection; every Thing is out of its natural Order, the Syſtem is, as it were, in a Fever, and every Part and Particle is in Action, (like the Body of a Man in a febrile Fermentation), to throw off its peccant Hu⯑mours, [84] and to bring the whole Compound into Order, Regularity, and perfect Health. But, III. Theſe very Appearances on which the Objection is founded, confirm to a Demonſtra⯑tion, what I aſſert, viz. That all animal Life here is in an expiatory, purifying, and pro⯑greſſive State, towards its original Perfection; for it would be the groſſeſt Contradiction, to ſuppoſe that an infinitely good and wiſe Being, ſhould give Pain to any of his Creatures, for any other End, but to reclaim and perfect them; that He alone knows when his Juſtice, Purity, and the Amende Honorable, and the Infection of Impurity, are perfectly anſwer'd and cancelled, in their preſent State of Melio⯑ration, and ſo knows when and how it is fitteſt to put an End to it by Death, that is, by the Rupture and Diſſolution of their groſs and earthy Priſon, form'd out of this our ruinous planetary Syſtem, now ſpoil'd and defac'd; to ſet the indwelling ſpiritual Inhabitant free into ſome more pure and refin'd Syſtem; and that animal Life of all Kinds and Degrees, does and muſt neceſſarily ſuffer here, by bodily Wants and Infirmities, by the Injuries and Inclemen⯑cies of Seaſons, by the Rapacity and Ferocity of their Fellow-Creatures, beſides a thouſand other Accidents, and at laſt moſt intenſely by their Death, and the Rupture of their outward Shell or Tabernacle; From all this is a plain De⯑monſtration, that they are in a State of Suffer⯑ing, Expiation, and progreſſive Purification, and [85] that at laſt they will all be ſet at Liberty, and become the Sons and Children of God in ſome Degree or Order or other, according to his original Intention, and the Plan of this his univerſal Monarchy and Kingdom, laid before the Foundation of the World; and all this Darkneſs, Sufferings, and unintelligible Play, is only to ſave human Liberty, and produce at laſt pure Love and naked Faith. IV. No body ever denied, that Animals of all Kinds might be deſtroyed, even intelligent as well as ſen⯑tient, when it is done for ſome wiſe or uſe⯑ful Purpoſe, as in Self-defence, or even for moral Purpoſes, implicitly to admoniſh and teach others their Duty, what they deſerve, or what they are to believe and hope; theſe Pur⯑poſes, with all their particular Circumſtances, are under the moral Government of an infi⯑nitely wiſe Being. The only Queſtion here is, Whether they may reaſonably and juſtly be put to Pain unneceſſarily and wantonly, or for no wiſe End or Purpoſe, but only to ſcratch callous Pallates, when other Means of Health may be had more effectual, and no leſs plea⯑ſant. V. It is not altogether Fact, that Ani⯑mals devour one another from any other Rea⯑ſon, but for Want of ſufficient Plenty of pro⯑per vegetable Food, as Seeds, tender Plants, mealy Roots, and the like, which even the moſt carnivorous Animals will brouze on, when they can meet with it in Plenty, as is well known in natural Hiſtory; and even the [86] Fiſh, which of all Animals are the moſt vora⯑cious, will readily feed on Balls of Meal and Milk, without offering to devour one another; as the ingenious Mr. Andrews of Norfolk has found by Experiment; for having put ſeveral Sorts of ſmall and great Fiſhes together into a large whiten'd Pond of clear Water, where they might all be eaſily ſeen and number'd, and feed⯑ing them with Balls made of Milk and Flower, (which were put into pervious Troughs) he found, at leaſt thought, that they did not offer the leaſt Violence to one another. VI. Allowing Ani⯑mals to be actuated by a ſpiritual or immaterial Principle, of the ſame Nature with intelligent Creatures, yet they are not of the ſame De⯑gree and Order with them; they may be intel⯑ligent Creatures of an inferior Order, begin⯑ning lower, and verging more ſlowly towards their intended Perfection; they may be under different Conditions of Purification, and may paſs the whole of their Duration here, in the State of Infants, who dye before they are born, or before they arrive at the Uſe of Rea⯑ſon, and yet in other States of Being may grow and advance to a much higher Perfection of Senſation and Intelligence than we can readily imagine. For to me it ſeems utterly incredible, that any Creature, whether ſen⯑tient or intelligent, ſhould come into this State of Being and Suffering, for no other Pur⯑poſe than we ſee them attain here; and it is equally incredible, that any Creature ſhould [87] ſpontaneouſly exert animal and muſcular Func⯑tion, i.e. ſhould live and feel, without ſome Degree of an immaterial, immortal, and ſelf⯑active Spirit. Matter and its Laws, can never account for ſuch Appearances. There muſt be ſome infinitely beautiful, wiſe and good Scene remaining for all ſentient and intelligent Be⯑ings, the Diſcovery of which will raviſh and aſtoniſh us one Day. Moderately wiſe Ends, Purpoſes, and Means, are unworthy of infinite Perfection; whatever God does muſt be every way worthy of Himſelf: His Working may ſerve many wiſe and good Ends and Purpoſes here, but the laſt and great End of all muſt be of Dignity and Majeſty worthy of Him, tho' we cannot yet a great while comprehend it.

§. 12. To conclude: 1. It is plain from Re⯑velation, that animal Food was permitted, and fermented Liquors not forbidden; and conſe⯑quently, that there is neither Virtue nor Vice in the Uſe of them abſolutely, but in the Or⯑der, Time, Quantity, and other Circumſtances of their Uſage. 2. That in our preſent Situ⯑ation, and under our preſent Circumſtances, for ſome Perſons, and in Order for ſome Pur⯑poſes, a reaſonable Quantity of animal Food, and fermented Liquors, may be abſolutely ne⯑ceſſary. 3. It is plain from Reaſon, Philo⯑ſophy, and Experience, that Exceſſes in high animal Food, and ſtrong fermented Liquors, [88] are the true efficient and moſt general Cauſe of moſt atrocious and dangerous Diſtempers; and conſequently, that vegetable Food, and unfer⯑mented Liquors, are the true and natural An⯑tidote of ſuch Diſtempers. 4. That animal Food, and fermented Liquors, will more pro⯑bably, and more naturally cauſe Diſtempers, and ſhorten Life, than vegetable Food, and un⯑fermented Liquors. 5. That a moderate and ſmall Quantity of animal Food, and generous fermented Liquors, will naturally tighten, harden, and ſtrengthen, give Firmneſs and Force to animal Solids and Fibres, and enrich, warm, and invigorate the Blood and Juices; and conſequently, is ſafeſt to all ſubject to eruptive Diſtempers, as Gout, Eriſipelas, &c. in the Fits. But at the ſame time that it hardens and tightens the Solids, it condenſes and thickens the Juices, and renders the Animal of a ſhorter Duration of Life, and more ſubject to Diſ⯑eaſes. 6. Laſtly, That for bodily Strength, animal Food, and fermented Liquors, ſeem fitteſt; but for intellectual Exerciſes, vegetable Food, and unfermented Liquors, ſeem appro⯑priated; and that conſequently, the beſt Way to ſecure the golden Mediocrity, between bo⯑dily Strength and ſpiritual Force, (the State fitteſt for the Generality of Mankind) is for the healthy to confine themſelves to about a Pound, at leaſt half a Pound, of animal Food, and a Pint, at leaſt half a Pint of fermented Liquors, [89] daily: But for the unhealthy, valetudinary, and ſtudious, to ſink below this Medium in both theſe, till, by Experience and Obſerva⯑tion, they find that Quantity of either, they are eaſieſt under, and to ſtick to that, ſhould it even be to deſcend totally into Vegetables, Milk and Seeds, with unfermented Liquors.

THE following Propoſitions are manifeſt from Experiment^*.

• 1. MERCURY conſiſts of ſmaller Par⯑ticles than any known Fluid, for it will paſs where no other Fluid can.
• 2. THE Particles of Mercury, in all their Diviſions, preſerve a ſpherical Figure, from the ſtrong Attraction of their Parts; as is evi⯑dent by fine Glaſſes: And the ſmaller the Particles, the more perfect the Spheres; as the ſame Glaſſes demonſtrate.
• 3. MERCURY is the heavieſt of all natural Fluids, being 14 times heavier than Water.
• 4. THE Particles of Mercury attract ſome Bodies the moſt of any, as Gold; and fly from [109] others the moſt, as Oil of Vitriol, and all Acids.

§. 1. THE natural Faculties, Properties or Attributes of all rational Spi⯑rits, and human Intelligences, (and indeed of all Intelligences of whatſoever Order or Degree) are inconteſtably theſe three: 1. Perception or Underſtanding. 2. Willing, Chuſing or Freedom. 3. Memory, Reflection or Attention. Out of theſe three all the Ope⯑rations of a human Spirit may be deduced; and ſuppoſe living or actuating ſome Vehicle as their Baſe: and though they may be (and are juſtly) conſidered ſeparately, yet, in well⯑exerciſed and duly cultivated Spirits, they are ſometimes ſo inſtantaneous, as to ſeem one and the ſame Act of the Mind, and are called by [120] the general Name of Thinking or Cogitation, when either in ſeparate Acts, or inſtanta⯑neous, and all Spirits differ chiefly in the De⯑grees of theſe natural Powers.

§. 2. HOWEVER uncommon the Expreſ⯑ſion may ſeem, yet to thoſe who admit a Deity, or ſupreme Spirit, of infinite Perfec⯑tion, the Author and firſt Cauſe of all Things, finite Spirits of all poſſible Orders can be conceived philoſophically, no otherwiſe than as Miniatures, Effluxes, Emanations, Infi⯑niteſimals, or infinitely ſmall Sparkles, of this infinite Source of Living, Intelligence, Action, Perfection and Happineſs, voluntarily emitted, lighted up or created, by this infinitely perfect Being, and endow'd with his radical and eſſen⯑tial Qualities and Attributes of Life, Activity and Intelligence; ſo that all Spirits are, in their own Natures, diminutive or infinitely ſmall Deities, and neceſſarily (now they are created, and have a derivative Exiſtence from Him) muſt partake of his Immortality, Intel⯑ligence and Freedom, or his Divine Nature and Image; and conſequently can never be annihilated, forced, or deprived of the Powers of Perception, Intelligence and Willing, no more He can.

§. 3. THESE Faculties and Powers of all Spirits are not only to be felt, but diſtin⯑guiſhed in every human Mind, duly exerciſed [121] and cultivated, by attentively conſidering its Nature and Operations; but neceſſarily follow by Analogy, from the Nature of the firſt Cauſe, that Being of infinite Perfection, the Deity; who being of infinite Wiſdom and Power, could find nothing without Himſelf, before Creation, to be a Model or Pattern for his intelligent Creatures; and therefore ſtamp'd them with his own moſt glorious Image, creating them little Divinities, re⯑ſembling Himſelf in his radical and eſſential Attributes, ſo as at laſt to become ſimilar to Him in Perfection and Happineſs, in their ſeve⯑ral Orders, Gradations and Ranks. For in⯑finite Perfection wanting nothing, and to whom no Happineſs nor Perfection could be added, could have no other End or View, in producing rational Intelligences into Being, but to make them happy, by partaking of his eſſential Happineſs, in their ſeveral Orders and Ranks; that is, in becoming ſimilar to him in his natural as well as moral Attributes; his natural ones (as has been ſaid) being Life, Intelligence and Activity; his moral ones, Juſtice, Goodneſs and Truth; in which two united conſiſts the Perfection and Happineſs of all intelligent Creatures.

§. 4. IN a mere Philoſophical Diſquiſition, though no Argument is to be taken from Re⯑velation; yet to expreſs my Meaning ſo as to leave no room to be miſtaken by ſuch to whom [122] Revelation is familiar, I ſhall repreſent it in the Words of the Scriptures. It is ſaid in Ge⯑neſis, on the Deſign of the Creation of the human Soul, Let us make Man after our own Image; and again, in the Image of God created he him; and elſewhere, You are God's Images: And to ſhew the human Rank, David ſays, He was created a little lower than the Angels; and our Saviour, ſpeaking of Marriage, ſays, that in Heaven they are nei⯑ther married, nor given in Marriage, but are like the Angels; and the ſame Manner of de⯑ſcribing the human Spirit frequently occurs in the Scriptures, both of the old and new Teſtament.

§. 5. IT is a frequent and common Opinion of all Pagan and Chriſtian Antiquity, that all created Intelligences have Bodies or Ve⯑hicles of one kind or another, fitted to their Order, Rank, Degree of Purity, Habitation and Situation. It is highly probable and phi⯑loſophical, to think there is no perfectly pure and immaterial Spirit, but the Supreme Spi⯑rit, the Father and Creator of all Spirits; and that all created Spirits, how high and ſublime ſoever, have proper and peculiar Bodies, and organiz'd Caſes, not only to circumſcribe and limit their Powers, and their Extenſion and Expanſion, but to enable them to communicat, and commerciat with, to contemplat and admire the Contrivance of the material World; [123] to converſe with the lower Ranks of Intelli⯑gences, that we certainly know, have material Vehicles, ſuch as we of the human Race are; but alſo to execute the Orders of the Divine Oeconomy and Providence, over the whole Syſtem of Intelligences, and material World. And accordingly we find Mention made in holy Writ, of a natural Body and a ſpiritual Body; and of the Sun and Planets having a particular Glory, in their Bodies, peculiar to themſelves; and of the glorious Appearance and Radiation of our Saviour's Body on the Mount. And it is very abſurd, and almoſt blaſphemous, to think theſe Myriads of Stars and Luminaries, that appear in a Winter Night, in the Heavens, and its milky Way, to be no⯑thing but twinkling Tapers, uninhabited, and deſigned only to be ſtupidly and ignorantly gaz'd on by us.

§. 6. WHAT a ſpiritual Subſtance, or of what Nature the Subſtratum of theſe Faculties of Underſtanding and Will, or of Thinking, is, we ſhall never perfectly know, till we arrive at the World of Spirits, and drop this coarſe earthly Tabernacle. Indeed, we know nothing of the internal Subſtance of any Being; all we know or can know, is their ſenſible Qualities and the Effects of them on us; and ſomething in general we learn of inanimated Bodies, and their Laws, from the Uniformity of theſe Ef⯑fects: And we may be certain, that ſpiritual [124] Subſtance is in moſt, if not all its Qualities, contradictory, at leaſt contrary, to Body or ma⯑terial Subſtance, and vice verſâ. For Ex⯑ample, we know that Matter is abſolutely paſ⯑ſive, and equally ſuſceptible of Motion or Reſt; and that Spirit, or ſpiritual Subſtances, are ſelf-active and ſelf-motive, and the immediate productive Cauſe of all Motion in Body, and conſequently is endow'd with Freedom or Liberty. We know that Matter is impene⯑trable, and that two Bodies cannot poſſeſs the ſame Space at the ſame time; but Spirits may and can pervade and penetrat one another, at leaſt by their ſpiritual Virtue and Energy; as is evident from Perſuaſion, Conviction, Reaſoning and Compaſſion, and ſuch-like ſpiritual Actions. It is true, the Sphere of their Activities is li⯑mited and circumſcribed; but we alſo know, that the Spirit acts in every Point of that Cir⯑cumſcription: as we find by our Bodies, every Part of which is more or leſs ſenſible, by the membranous Mouths of the nervous Tubuli be⯑ing ſpread over all the ſolid Parts of an animal Body; and we know no Body, or mere Matter, that is ſo. Matter is certainly diviſible in infini⯑tum, and may be actually divided into very ſmall Parts; but Spirit, having no ſenſible Parts, is nei⯑ther diviſible nor diſcerptible. Perſons of light Underſtandings, and groſs Conceptions, may diſpute or ridicule theſe Truths; but they muſt be poor Philoſophers, who can think them not highly probable; and have a mean Notion of the Extent of Nature, and its Author. Four [125] of the greateſt Philoſophers of this or any other Age, to wit, Sir Iſaac Newton, Mr. Leibneitz, Mr. Hugens, and Mr. Fatio, when they deſcribe the Matter, which they ſuppoſe to be the Cauſe of Gravity, conſider it as in⯑finitely ſmall in its Particles, infinitely rare, infinitely elaſtic, and moved with an infinite Velocity. And the firſt of theſe, by a very ſtrong Figure, calls it Spiritus quidam Sub⯑tiliſſimus. What theſe four Infinitudes may effect on Matter, to deſtroy at leaſt theſe groſs, palpable and ſenſible Qualities we obſerve in it, ſuch as ſenſible Extenſion, Impenetrability and Paſſivity, I will not take upon me to deter⯑mine: But all the Notion we can now form of Spirit, is to divide, refine, ſublime and ex⯑alt Body and Matter ad infinitum, ſo that we be ſure it can have very little of the ſenſible Qua⯑lities; and this, I fear, is as far as Philoſophy can go, while we have only groſs and palpa⯑ble Vehicles of Clay. For by Analogy to infi⯑nitely divided, ſubtiliz'd, ſublim'd and refin'd material subſtance, we form the only Idea, Notion or Perception, we can now frame of ſpiritual Subſtances, and that is but a groſs one, and neither juſt nor true.

§. 7. LIVING, Senſation or Actuation of Matter, is not eaſy to define or deſcribe. Ex⯑iſtence or Being belongs to Matter as well as Spirit; but Life, Senſation or Perception, and their Conſequences, belong only to ſome one Rank of Spirit or Mind; and I may defy all [126] the Philoſophers and Mathematicians, that ever have been, to explain conſiſtently, from Matter and Mechaniſm alone, as it now obtains, the Life, Growth and Fecundity of the loweſt Plant or Vegetable, at leaſt its Seed or Seeding, much leſs of the leaſt Inſect or Animal, and leaſt of all of a rational, ſentient and perci⯑pient Being: So that where-ever there is any Degree of Life, Vegetative, Senſitive or Ra⯑tional, there is probably ſome Degree of a Soul or Spirit, immaterial, immortal and pro⯑greſſive; ſo that Life or Animation, in all Creatures in general, is indeed Matter or⯑ganiz'd and actuated by a Spirit, or Soul, of ſome one Rank or Degree or other: I mean only created Life, or Life derivative, as it is in Creatures; for in the Creator, Life is with⯑out Matter, without Body or Vehicle, and without Limits, or Poſſibility of Non-exiſt⯑ence or not Living. The beſt Notion, Idea, or Perception, we can frame of created Life, is that of a nice, delicate, finely contriv'd Ma⯑chine, of a vaſt Variety of Organs ſet in Mo⯑tion by the firſt Cauſe, and continued by an in⯑ternal ſelf-motive Spring, which Spring is this ſpiritual Subſtance.

§. 8. As we have ſome Notion of what Ex⯑tent the beſt-form'd and moſt cultivated hu⯑man Spirit is, there may be Myriads of a lower Rank of the ſame Species; and that as under the human Species, there is an almoſt [127] infinite Variety of the brutal and irrational Spe⯑cies, and under theſe, a like or greater Variety, of the vegetable Kind, from the Moſs on the Wall and the coralline Sea-plant, up to the higheſt Divine, Philoſopher or Mathemati⯑cian of the human Race; and that all the ſe⯑veral Species, from the higheſt to the loweſt, ſink ſo gradually into one another, that it is impoſſible to determine where one Degree ends, or the next begins: So it is alſo highly probable, that above the human Species there are Orders, Ranks and Hierarchies, riſing gra⯑dually and inſenſibly, without Limits and without End. This the Dignity, Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs of the firſt infinitely perfect Being, and the Analogy of Things, ſeem to oblige us to conjecture or hope; and the infinite Variety of Syſtems, Fixt Stars, (which we known to be Suns, and very pro⯑bably have primary and ſecondary Planets, analogous to ours) and the infinite Expanſion of Space, makes it probable and philoſophical. And as an Angel is only of a little higher and more noble Order than the human Race, and all created Intelligences have Vehicles or Bo⯑dies of an Order and Purity analogous to their Rank and Degree in the Scale of Intelli⯑gences; we may fairly and philoſophically de⯑fine a pure original, not lapſed, Angel, of the loweſt Order, a ſpiritual Subſtance of the next immediat Order above the Human, actu⯑ating a divinely organiz'd Body, of a Purity [128] and Sublimity analogous to their Order, and the Perfection of his informing Spirit.

§. 9. WE have a pretty clear Perception of what the human Race is at preſent, both in their Body and Spirit. He that has a juſt, though not an adequate Idea of infinite Per⯑fection, that is, of infinite Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, can find no poſſible Reaſon or Mo⯑tive, why ſuch a Being ſhould create Intelli⯑gences, imperfect in their Order, unhappy and periſhing, when the ſame Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, could either have totally abſtain'd from creating them at all, or have made them to be at laſt happy in their Order and Rank, conſiſtent with their Natures and his own; Malice and Difficulty having no Place in ſuch a Being. But any one who conſiders this ruinous diſorder'd Globe, and the Miſeries, Darkneſs and Wretchedneſs of the whole Syſtem of Intelligences that inhabit it, cannot but conclude one of theſe two, either that their Author had not Power to make them otherwiſe, or that they have wilfully forfeited their Rank, and his Favour and Protection, by tranſgreſſing the Terms and Conditions on which they were intitled to it; and ſo being left to reap the Fruits of their own Labour, ſunk into a lapſed diſorderly Condition.

§. 10. INFINITE Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, could, primarily and originally, bring no Intelligence into Being, with ratio⯑nal and intelligent Spirits, actuating divinely organiz'd Bodies or Vehicles, but under theſe two Conditions: 1. That the organiz'd Body ſhould be ſupple, pliable, and joyfully obedient to all the Dictates and Commands of the free intelligent Spirit: And, 2. That the Spirit ſhould be ſupple, pliable, and obedient to the Dictates and Influences of the Eternal and infinitely perfect Spirit, its Author and Crea⯑tor: And in theſe two, its original Innocence, Happineſs and Perfection, muſt neceſſarily have conſiſted. And this was and muſt have been the true original and paradiſaical State of both Body and Soul of the human Race; and muſt be the Conſtitution and Complexion of the unfallen angelical State, and of all the Hie⯑rarchies of unlapſed Spirits. Which two Conditions, I think, neceſſarily infer a pre⯑exiſtent State to our preſent one, ſince we do not find them in ourſelves now.

§. 11. ALL created Intelligences being free and finite, muſt of Conſequence be fallible, and liable to run into Diſorder, as well as capa⯑ble of obeying Order: For they could not be free, unleſs they had the Power of chuſing either Side; Self-activity being of the Eſſence and Root of Intelligence, and perhaps the Source [130] from which it ſprings; ſo that all created finite free Intelligences were naturally capable of Falling, of Rebellion and Diſorder. An infinitely wiſe and intelligent Being, of ſuf⯑ficient Power, could not make another intel⯑ligent Being with Deſires, Impreſſions and Pantings after a State which was according to Order, to his Nature, and the Nature of Things, unleſs at the ſame time He had ap⯑pointed Means and proper Objects to ſatisfy theſe juſt and natural Deſires; no beneficent and good Being could act ſo. Now that we (at leaſt many of us of the human Race) have yet a Notion and Idea of a better State of Being and Acting, than we find ourſelves in, and wiſh and pant after it, is moſt certain and undeniable; every honeſt and think⯑ing Perſon muſt find a Law in his Mem⯑bers, that wars againſt the Law of his Mind, and wiſhes and deſires to be freed from the one, that he may conform to the other. Now this is what is called the Lapſe or Fall; and if this State of Imperfection laſt for ever, ſo muſt the Fall; and till this Deſire or Pant⯑ing be ſatisfied, the intelligent Creature cannot be completely happy; and for this End was the Oeconomy of Jeſus intended.

§. 12. How and by what Steps the Lapſe was brought on, is of no Conſequence for us preciſely to know. The Deſign and Point in View of all the Oeconomy of Providence, and [131] of Jeſus, is to reſtore us, with the Conſent, Concurrence and Integrity of our three radi⯑cal Attributes, of Living, Activity or Free⯑dom, and Intelligence, which He cannot do Violence to, they being immediately derived from Himſelf, whoſe Images and Miniatures all Intelligences are: And the Means that alone can effect this, without intrenching upon theſe eſſential and radical Qualities, are pure Love, naked Faith, and univerſal Reſigna⯑tion; which Means we could not perfectly uſe, if preciſe Truths, particular and ſpecific Steps, and the naked Nature of Things, were always pointed out to us: This (at firſt at leaſt) would infallibly weaken our Faith and Truſt, counteract our Reſignation, and deſtroy our Liberty; and therefore all that is reveal'd concerning this, and the other Truths of paſt, future and inviſible States, is general, unde⯑termin'd, and indefinite; and the Preciſion is promis'd only on our Advancement and Pro⯑greſs. He that doth the Will of my Father, ſhall know of the Doctrine: Our firſt Leſſon is juſt what is abſolutely neceſſary to begin our Return; the Knowledge of more Truths and greater Preciſion, is to reward our Progreſs. The next immediate Step, or what is to be done daily and hourly, we are never igno⯑rant of in our Duty; and that is all that is neceſſary; the reſt are all wiſely put out of our Reach, and do not belong to us now, till we advance that Step; and when we [132] come into the proper Diſpoſition of Body and Mind, to benefit by the juſt and preciſe Knowledge of theſe mentioned and ſuch-like Divine Truths, (though abſolute Preciſion be inconſiſtent with Finitude) we ſhall admire and adore the Wiſdom of our Teacher, for having conceal'd from us what would then have hurt us, as much as for theſe general Truths, which ſerve ſufficiently to animate and encourage us in our now travelling and probatory State; for both are directed with equal Wiſdom. If we are ignorant, it is becauſe we are not come into the proper Diſpoſition to benefit by Know⯑ledge, or that more preciſe Knowledge would hurt us, and draw us out of our Orbit, or ſhorteſt Road.

§. 13. IF we may be allow'd to conjecture with Humility and Modeſty, about ſuch unre⯑veal'd and indefinite Truths and States, we may reaſonably think, that this Lapſe was not brought about all at once, but Step by Step, by many Machinations, Plots and Contrivances of the ſuperior lapſed Intelligences on the In⯑ferior. Nemo repente fit optimus aut turpiſ⯑ſimus. Finite Intelligences muſt form and ac⯑quire all their Habits by repeated Acts, and Step by Step: So that in all Probability, the Fall might have been a long time in bringing about; and innumerable Numbers of all the ſeveral Ranks and Orders, and ſome of all the different Hierarchies, might have been [133] brought into this general Rebellion, and have gradually departed from that pure Love, naked Faith and univerſal Reſignation, which alone made the Eſſence of their Perfection and Hap⯑pineſs; though in the brief contracted Account we have of it in Revelation, it is compriz'd in a few general Words, which is all we in our pre⯑ſent State, it ſeems, could bear, without Vio⯑lence being committed on our Liberties, our univerſal Reſignation obſtructed, and the Merit of pure Love and a generous Truſt and Confi⯑dence in infinite Perfection deſtroy'd; more explicit and detail'd Accounts, might have nou⯑riſhed Pride, Preſumption and Self-ſufficiency, and ſo ſunk us deeper.

§. 14. OUR Senſes were given us to com⯑merciat with material Objects, and to per⯑ceive and enjoy the Beauties of the inanimate Creation, as well as to limit the Extenſion and Expanſion of our Powers and Faculties; and by them all our Senſations, Ideas and Pic⯑tures of Bodies and inanimate Creatures, are convey'd to the ſentient and intelligent Prin⯑ciple. The Key and Mean of all our natural Knowledge of them, is Experiment or Ob⯑ſervation, perform'd by our Senſes ſimply, or improv'd by Art, and the Logic of all human and natural Knowledge about them, is Pro⯑portion juſtly apply'd: For Syllogiſm and for⯑mal Argument, is but Proportion expreſs'd in abſtracted Terms, or the Ideas meant by theſe [134] Terms; and this is the true and only Mean of natural Knowledge about Bodies and their natural Qualities and Laws. In ſpiritual Truths, imperceptible and immaterial Beings, (viz.) about their Nature, Qualities and Ranks, can know nothing naturally and humanly, (unleſs it be infus'd and impreſs'd by ſome other Spirit) but by Analogy, Similitude, Al⯑legory, Trope, Metaphor, or Figure, referring them to, and comparing them with, our own intelligent and ſentient Spirit, and its Manner of Operation; and then cloathing them with ſuch Terms, or referring them to ſuch Knowledge, as we have receiv'd from Senſation, or from Proportion; and this is the only Mean and Inſtrument of hu⯑man Knowledge we can poſſibly have, in the Nature, Qualities and moral Relations of Spirits, ſpiritual and moral Actions and Du⯑ties. The ſentient and intelligent Principle, or Soul, is the Spring or Source of both Keys or Kinds of Logic, without which both would be equally uſeleſs. Culture and Experience is in ſpiritual Knowledge, what Experiment and Obſervation is in ſenſitive Knowledge; Ana⯑logy is to the firſt, what Proportion is to the ſecond; Similitude, Allegory, Trope, Meta⯑phor and Figure, (all the Appendages of Ana⯑logy, or a more diſtant or near Approximation to it) are what a more or leſs accurate, a ge⯑neral or more particular Experiment and Obſervation, or juſter and clearer Proportion [135] apply'd to material Objects, is in ſenſitive Knowledge; and a cloſe, ſimple, full and co⯑gent Analogy, is as juſt and coercive a Demon⯑ſtration in ſpiritual Knowledge, as a Mathe⯑matical or Geometrical one is in ſenſitive Knowledge. Scripture, Revelation, and our own inward Feelings of the Operations of our Soul, give the Data, (viz. the general Propo⯑ſitions, the accurate Obſervations on them) analogous to Mr. Flamſtead's or Dr. Halley's Obſervations of the Appulſes of the Moon to the Fixed Stars, from ſufficient Numbers of which, the great Orbit of the Lunar Revolu⯑tion is determin'd, by comparing them with the general Law of Attraction. Here Reve⯑lation gives us the Obſervations; the Know⯑ledge we have of the Nature of the Operations of our own Spirits, gives us the general Law; and Analogy may anſwer to Algebra and Calculation in Aſtronomy and mix'd Mathe⯑matics; and we may err and blunder in the firſt for want of Care and Attention, as we may in the laſt, being ever finite, and conſe⯑quently fallible.

§. 15. THE Account we have in Revela⯑tion of the Lapſe, may have a literal, natu⯑ral and material Meaning (as all the Words and Works of God have a natural or literal, ſpiritual and divine Meaning and Uſe, elſe he were not God, that is, a Being of infinite Per⯑fection); and theſe Meanings may only deve⯑lope [136] and unfold themſelves, and appear to dif⯑ferent Perſons, according to their different De⯑grees of Purity and Perfection; the literal and cortical Meaning and Uſe, may be fitted to elementary and initiating Perſons, and be juſt and true in its Degree; and the others proper only for the more advanced; and this with infinite Variety, Juſtneſs and Property. Now in Moſes's Account of the Lapſe, the Tree of Life, of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Serpent, Paradiſe, and all the Scene and Group of this myſterious Affair, was cer⯑tainly literal, material and real, as there repre⯑ſented and deſcribed; but perhaps happen'd not till the laſt Act of this Tragedy. Paradiſe was certainly a moſt delicious and enchanting Place of material and bodily Delights; the Tree of Life and its Fruit was deſign'd to perpetuat the Life and Health of the then new-modell'd, though not perhaps Ethereal Vehicle; the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, certainly communicated by its Fruit, Pain, Diſeaſes and Death to this partially incruſted Body: The Serpent, no Doubt, was a lapſed Spirit, em⯑bodied in this then more beautiful Animal. Now as all this Scene, may have alſo ſpiritual Meaning as well as a literal and elementary one, of more Conſequence to our Happineſs and Perfection to be known and believ'd, as the Spirit is of more Value than the Body; why may not Paradiſe mean in this Senſe, the three original and fundamental Powers of [137] the Soul, Living, Activity or Liberty, and Intelligence, or its original and immutable Nature and Conſtitution, intruſted with us finite Intelligences, to cultivate, improve and exalt? The Tree of Life be Him, from whom all Life and Being proceeds, the Father of us all? The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the primary Image of the Deity, the Son of God, by whoſe Oeconomy Evil known and felt, could only be done away and eraz'd, or his divine Nature, Juſtice, Goodneſs and Truth, which Image was in the human Na⯑ture defac'd, by truſting it to his own Spirit and Liberty? The Serpent, the grand Decei⯑ver, or lapſed ſpiritual Nature in General, or one of the higheſt Order of the lapſed Hie⯑rarchy? And ſo the whole Scene of the Lapſe may be more properly and feelingly allegoriz'd, or explain'd in plain Terms to an honeſt and ingenuous Heart, (viz.) thus: All created finite Intelligences being free, and con⯑ſequently fallible, innumerable Numbers of them, through Pride, Self-ſufficiency, and De⯑ſire of Independence, truſting to, and conduct⯑ing themſelves by their own natural Lights, as being made little Deities, and deriveing with their Being from their Author, a Ray, Efflux, or infiniteſimal Emanation of his Self-exiſt⯑ence, infinite Activity or Power, and infinite Wiſdom, that is, of his Nature and eſſential Attributes; deriving, I ſay, dependent and de⯑rivative Living, Freedom and Intelligence, [138] but affecting Independency, and departing from pure Love, naked Faith and univerſal Reſig⯑nation to infinite Perfection, they gradually ſunk into Selfiſhneſs, Propriety and inordinate Love of the Creatures; and inſtead of being govern'd abſolutely in all things by the Provi⯑dence, Influences, Impulſes and Suggeſtions of the Eternal Spirit, they affected to be govern'd by their own natural Spirits, and ſelfiſh and narrow Views and Prejudices, and became, as it were, independent, un⯑guarded, and unreſtrain'd Thinkers and Actors, prying into and determining in all Matters whatſoever; and inſtead of being reſign'd to the univerſal Reaſon and ſovereign Will and Order of Divine Providence, found Fault with, criticis'd, grumbled at, and blaſphem'd the Conduct and Oeconomy of infinite Wiſdom, and gradually departed from pure Love, naked Faith, and Truſt, and univerſal Reſignation, the ſole Means to preſerve them in the Perfec⯑tion of their dependent State, and in Simila⯑rity to his moral Attributes; and ſo fell from the perfect Happineſs of their Rank and deri⯑vative Being; Self, ſpurious Self, became tran⯑ſubſtantiated into their thus deprav'd Natures.

§. 16. WHEN human Nature had thus lapſed, by affecting Independence, and deſire⯑ing to govern itſelf by its own natural Spirit ſolely, and wallowing in the Objects of Senſe, and ſwallow'd in Creature-pleaſures, it being [139] an eternal Law, eſtabliſh'd in Nature, (for many wiſe and great Ends) and, by Analogy, (as we find it) extending from material to ſpiri⯑tual Things, viz. that Like draws and is equally drawn to Like; or that Bodies and Spirits at⯑tract and unite with ſimilar Bodies and Spi⯑rits, from the univerſal Principle of Attrac⯑tion and Union; the human Body did hence neceſſarily and mechanically (as it were) con⯑tract a Ruſt, Groſſneſs, Stupor and Inactivity, and became reſtive and diſobedient to the Commands of the natural Spirit, gradually degenerating into an earthly, groſs, material Priſon or Dungeon; and the Spirit was here⯑by more contracted, reſtrain'd and limited in its original and immutable Attributes of Live⯑ing, Activity and Intelligence, as to their Ex⯑tention, Purity, the Quickneſs and Exertion of their Acts, (for all Spirits are limited and tied down to the Nature, Order and Purity of their Vehicles, while their Union laſts, though their natural Powers in their Fund and Eſſence be immutable, and conſtantly the ſame) ſo that their natural Spirits now being aſſiſted by the ſupernatural Grace and Influence of the Eternal Spirit, procur'd by the Mediation of Jeſus, muſt work out their Recovery and Re⯑ſtoration by gradually returning to their origi⯑nal Order.

§. 17. PERHAPS, as all animated Beings, Sentient or Intelligent, muſt neceſſarily be [140] cloath'd with ſome Vehicle, purer or groſſer, ethereal or planetary, fitted to the Manſion they are confin'd to, and to their Degree of Purity in their moral Powers, and their Ex⯑tention or Rank of natural Powers; ſo all created free Intelligences, of whatever Order or Degree, muſt neceſſarily paſs through ſome State of Probation, Apprenticeſhip and Trials, of their Love, Faith and Patience, before they can arrive at their final, immutable, and for ever permanent State, and the Manſion they are eternally to inhabit afterwards. That ſome⯑thing like this was the general Senſe of Man⯑kind, ſeems to be hinted in all Pagan Anti⯑quity that we have any Accounts of, Egyp⯑tian, Syrian, Grecian and Roman, by their Initiations into the Myſteries of their Gods; and this, chiefly, in order to produce an habi⯑tual Firmneſs, Force and Stability, on finite, free, labile Intelligences, in the different Inſti⯑tutions. It would ſeem, as none but God is a pure Spirit in his Nature and Subſtance, none but God can be infallible and impeccable: And that all Creatures being finite and free, muſt neceſſarily, by their Nature, be labile, fal⯑lible and peccable; and that even infinite Wiſ⯑dom and Power could not make a Creature (for God cannot work Contradictions) that was of its own Nature, illabile, infallible and im⯑peccable; but that before that ſecondary Na⯑ture of eternal Infallibility, Illability and Im⯑peccability could be brought about, on the [141] moſt perfect of created Intelligences, it muſt neceſſarily be, by confirm'd Habits, produced by repeated Acts, and perfected into pure Love and naked Faith, or into an abſolute Surrendry of their natural and moral Powers, to infinite Perfection, which alone can produce derivative Infallibility and Illability on them, and ſo eternize Perfection and Happineſs, and which only can be produced by various Trials, Eſſays and Temptations to the contrary: He who never was tempted, what knoweth he? Thus the Son of God, as Man, was made perfect by Suffering: As a Potter gives Firmneſs and Impenetrability to his Earthen Ware, by keeping it in the Fire till it vitrifies. Had Lucretia lived to all Eter⯑nity, her Chaſtity would never have been doubted; whereas Cleopatra muſt not only firſt have made an Amende Honorable, but have paſs'd through ſeveral ſevere new Trials, before her's could have been believ'd. We plainly find by Revelation, that many of all the ſeveral Hierarchies fell on their Trial; for tried they muſt have been, elſe they could not have fallen; for Reaction always ſuppoſes Action. As it is the Nature of Pride and Ma⯑lice, to be ſpiteful, infectious and tempting, (in Hopes that Numbers may make them over⯑look'd, or too powerful, and ſo ſecure) we find they, or their Leader, (ſuppoſe his Name Lu⯑cifer) had a great hand in the human Lapſe, as it is glanced at under the Serpent that tempted [142] Eve. And from this Fall of the Angels, the natural and plain Account of Daemonology, and the early impious Hereſy of the Manichaeans, (Lucifer and his Angels) is to be deriv'd. What the Trials of theſe fallen Angels were, and in what manner thoſe of the Angels in the ſeveral Hierarchies who ſtood, combated, kept firm and unſhaken, and thereby were for ever confirm'd, eſtabliſh'd and eterniz'd, and perhaps increas'd and inlarg'd in Purity, Luſtre and Glory, by their Victory; is not re⯑veal'd, nor to be diſcover'd but by Analogy or Conjecture. The Hiſtory of the human Lapſe is ſo brief and obſcure in Moſes, (per⯑haps partly allegorical, partly literal) with a plain Deſign to damp idle or hurtful Curioſity, and ſo prevent our being hurt thereby, by withdrawing us from the one thing neceſ⯑ſary, that it amounts almoſt to a total Forbid⯑ding, and a Warning from prying with too much Eagerneſs into this myſterious Affair; and to leave things ſecret (the Secreta Imperii Divini) to God. All that is certain is, that we are lapſed at preſent, or in a State of Trial and Probation, (we of the human Race on this ruinous Planet) and cannot poſſibly now be as we came out of the Hands of our infinitely wiſe, good and powerful Creator. Pre-exiſt⯑ence, the Manner of our Lapſe, the Duration of our Baniſhment, and the laſt Term and Li⯑mits of our Reſtoration, are, with infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs, in their Detail con⯑ceal'd [143] from us, becauſe they would infallibly hurt us; if more preciſe, they might obſtruct the Merit of Faith, or draw us out of the ſhorteſt Way. Either of theſe two Manners of explaining the Lapſe, may ſuffice an honeſt modeſt Philoſopher, (who is ſenſible of his own limited Faculties) to make the Affair nei⯑ther improbable nor impoſſible; eſpecially when he finds himſelf both imperfect, un⯑happy, and unfit to be finally united with a Being infinitely perfect and happy, as He now is. I chuſe the firſt, as more conformable to Revelation, and the Form of ſound Words; and every modeſt Chriſtian Philoſopher will be cautious not to be wiſe, above what is written.

§. 18. WHETHER this Globe of Earth, as we now inhabit it, was the original and pri⯑mitive Seat of innocent and unlapſed human Spirits, and by the Energy and Force of the Lapſe, was gradually and neceſſarily, and, ac⯑cording to the preſent Laws of Bodies, turn'd into the ruinous, dark, diſmal State it is now in, and ſuch elementary and clayey Priſons made of it, as our preſent Vehicles, and the human Race, with all the Spirits concern'd in the Rebellion, thruſt down and confin'd upon it, is not material to be known, nor perhaps philoſophically to be determin'd: It ſeems moſt probable, and conformable to the Ana⯑logy of Things, and the common Laws of [144] Nature, that it gradually and naturally changed from its original Beauty and ſuperior Place among the Stars, into its preſent ruinous and decay'd State, from the natural Malignity, and deleterious Energy of the Rebellion in its pri⯑mitive Inhabitants, which perhaps was gradual. What is certain is, that ſuch a Place as Para⯑diſe is deſcrib'd, is now no-where to be found on it; and that balancing the Inconveniencies with the Advantages, of want of Light and Sun, and of cold, uncertain and various Sea⯑ſons, of Barrenneſs, and Mountains cover'd with Ice and Snow, of the one Part, with the Hurricanes, Tempeſts, Volcano's, Earth⯑quakes, Thunder and Lightning, poiſonous Inſects, and ravenous and ſavage Beaſts, ſcorching Heats, and peſtilential Winds, Blaſts or Damps, of the other, the whole Globe is pretty near equal in Conveniencies; and no particular Place without its Comforts and Inconveniencies. So that either Paradiſe was on ſome other Planet, or (which is moſt natural to ſuppoſe) Crime, Rebellion and Diſ⯑order have had a phyſical and neceſſary Influ⯑ence, on the Matter or Vehicle belonging to each human Spirit; and thus the whole Maſs of rebellious Intelligences, with the Globe they inhabited, was naturally and phyſically chang'd and diſorder'd. I ſay, it is moſt natu⯑ral and philoſophical, and perhaps a neceſſary Conſequence of phyſical Efficiency and Energy, to conclude that the Spirit, according to its [145] Degree of Purity or Depravity, ſhould purify and ſublime, or corrupt and diſorder the ele⯑mentary Vehicle, with which it is cloathed: as Fire turns Bodies into its own Nature, and Cold deadens and incraſſats them, according to the Degree of their Intenſeneſs. We ſee Lu⯑xury, inordinat Leachery, Riot and Lazineſs, firſt incraſſat, then inflame, and at laſt mor⯑tify and putrify human and animal Bodies; and Abſtinence, a low and cool Regimen, Ex⯑erciſe and Air, lighten, enliven and volatilize them. And it is not impoſſible, that a whole Race, and all the Inhabitant Maſs of ſuch cor⯑rupted and putrified Bodies, and deprav'd and degenerated Spirits, may have had ſuch an in⯑ſenſible and gradual Influence on a whole Globe, its Atmoſphere and different Regions, as quite to alter its original Nature; as we ſee Heaps of putrifying Fiſh, Inſects, and the Car⯑caſſes of Men, by the Fermentation and Vo⯑latilization of the animal Salts, (from intenſe Heat) produce an univerſal Plague and Peſ⯑tilence, as was that of Athens, and many others. Thus far the Change of our Planet might have been a natural and neceſſary Con⯑ſequence at leaſt, the Elements, or Beginning of ſuch a Depravation of the Bodies of its Inhabitants, and their Habitation: which, no doubt, infinite Wiſdom and Power, (who directs the natural and neceſſary Effects of his inanimat Crea⯑tion, for the moral Purpoſes of his intelligent Creatures, ſupernaturally) and out of the gene⯑ral [146] Law eſtabliſh'd for material Bodies and ſpiritual Subſtances, may have heighten'd, exa⯑ſperated, or even quicken'd, according to his Pleaſure, for the wiſe Ends and Purpoſes of his Providence; and thus might have deſtroyed that Paradiſe, which by Rebellion and Diſ⯑order had been abus'd, viz. ſupernaturally and contrary to the general Laws of the Celeſtial Motions, might have changed the Orbit, the Centre of Rotation, the Diſtance of the Earth from the Sun, and the Angle of the Ecliptic with the Equator; to reverſe the Elements, deſtroy its Figure and Structure, and thus to weaken the Fertility, and produce the reſt of the Appearances we now obſerve on our Planet, and throughout the whole Solar Syſtem, which have many evident Marks of Ruin and Deſolation; and this for a Puniſh⯑ment and expiatory Purification of the lapſed Inhabitants: And thus alſo the Deluge might have been brought on, after the Deſtruction of a paradiſaical Globe, by altering only its Centre of Gravity; and after the ſame Manner other Changes might have been produc'd.

§. 19. AN animal Body is nothing but a Syſtem or Aggregat of mere mechanical Powers, viz. of Ropes, Pullies, Levers, Tubes, Glands, Strainers, and the like; viz. One great Pipe with infinite Branches, (infinite in Number, Fitneſs and Delicacy;) ſecreting proper and ſpecific Li⯑quors, to keep them (theſe Solids) in Repair, [147] and preſerve them in their due Tone, and a pro⯑per Degree of Elaſticity, thereby to ſerve the Intentions, and anſwer the Ends of the intel⯑ligent Spirit, while confin'd to this Planet. And as I have often uſed the Similitude, I ſtill find it the moſt proper, viz. that the Body, this earthly Vehicle and Machin, is, as it were, a curious finely contriv'd Organ, or muſical In⯑ſtrument, whoſe Keys, Stops and Pipes were all originally, elegantly adjuſted and duly tun'd, for the Uſe of the Muſician, or in⯑dwelling Spirit. In this Fitneſs and Propriety to anſwer the Purpoſes of the Creator, does the Union conſiſt; if that is partly diſorder'd, this Union is partially diſſolv'd; while the great and neceſſary Parts are tolerably ſound, the Union will ſtill ſubſiſt, tho' imperfectly; but if theſe eſſential Organs are quite ſpoiled, the Union will be totally diſſolv'd, and the Inha⯑bitants, by the eternal Laws of Spirits, muſt ne⯑ceſſarily find out, and paſs into ſome other aſtral Vehicle, or muſical Organ, proper for its then Degree of Purity or Corruption; as an Inſect is, by the great Law of Inſtinct, directed to depoſit her Eggs on thoſe Leaves or Trees that are fitteſt to preſerve and vivify them; or a Bird ſeeks by Inſtinct, the Situation and Materials for her Neſt, that is moſt proper to ſhelter and accom⯑modate her Young; and this perhaps in a conti⯑nual Progreſſion, from aſtral Vehicle to Vehicle, perpetually refining, as the rational free Intelli⯑gence [148] purifies in its moral Capacity or Attri⯑butes.

§. 20. MATTER, or Body, is eſſen⯑tially incapable of any thing but Diviſion, Figure, Motion and Situation. It is natural⯑ly paſſive, and to make it active, or capa⯑ble of Self-motion, is an abſolute Contradic⯑tion and Impoſſibility; for two oppoſite and contrary Principles can never ſubſiſt in the ſame Subject: and therefore it muſt be intire⯑ly inert and paſſive, and for ever continue in the State it is put in, unleſs it be chang'd by ſome external Force; and that can never be effected but by a Spirit, or ſpiritual Sub⯑ſtance: which, on the contrary, is eſſentially ſelf-active and ſelf-motive, and by its Agency determines the Motion and Reſt, and different Directions and Actions of Bodies. It is true, this Agency is under certain Reſtrictions, be⯑ing limited and ſubjected to the general Laws of the Nature of Bodies; but the Beginning, End and Degree of the Force and Motion, and all other Changes produc'd in Bodies, are from the Energy and Action of ſpiritual Sub⯑ſtances, either primary or ſecondary, original or created; ſo that where Matter, Mechaniſm and its Powers and Laws end, there ſpiritual Agency and Energy begin. And therefore I fear, that Sir Iſaac Newton's Spiritus qui⯑dam ſubtiliſſimus, Deſcartes's and Leibnitz's [149] Vortices, Hugens's and Fatio's infinitely rare, rapid, ſubtil Matter, with the Qualities they muſt endow them, to ſolve Appearances, (I mean only in animated Bodies, for in Ina⯑nimat it may be required, nay ſome ſuch Fluid ſeems neceſſary, I think) is, I fear, imagi⯑nary and without Foundation, from ſufficient Experiment, or the Anology of Nature; un⯑leſs by their infinitly ſubtil Matter, they mean real ſpiritual Subſtance, or elſe the firſt Elements of Bodies; for Matter muſt be ex⯑tended, diviſible, inert, and gravitat, elſe it can be no longer Matter; and when ſuch im⯑material, and, as it were, ſelf-moving Matter is granted, it will ſeparate us, but one Step fur⯑ther from ſpiritual Subſtance and Agency; or the perpetual Influence of the Firſt Cauſe, in whom all things live, move and have their Being. And, I fear, the whole of the Sup⯑poſition, how mechanical and adequat ſo⯑ever, to anſwer Appearances in all animated Beings, and in all Accounts of it given by theſe great Men, has not that Simplicity and Beauty conſpicuous in, and eſſential and neceſſary to, all the Works of God, i. e. to infinit Wiſdom and Power. Of the ſame kind are animal Spirits, in the Account of muſcular Motion; and, on the whole, I can conceive Matter no otherwiſe, but as di⯑vided, extended, mov'd and figur'd, and actu⯑ated and directed by Spirit, which only can act on it, by its own ſelf-motive Energy, tho' that too is limited and circumſcrib'd by Mat⯑ter, [150] in all created Spirits. If Experiment or repeated Obſervations ſhould aſcertain the Ex⯑iſtence of ſuch an infinitely rare and elaſtic Matter neceſſarily, (which I fear it will hardly do) then we muſt ſubmit to receive it; but, I think, ſince Reſiſtance will always neceſſarily accompany Matter in Motion, how ſmall, rare or elaſtic ſoever, it will of conſequence at laſt alter the Figure and Direction, and abate the Force and Figure of the Particles, ſo as to render them unfit to produce the Effect, and anſwer preſent Appearances; and perhaps this Syſtem may be ſo ordain'd at firſt thus to end. But ſtill, as we muſt ſtop ſomewhere at laſt, and admit of ſpiritual Agency to impreſs the firſt Motion, nothing but repeated and un⯑deniable Experiment and Obſervation ſhould induce us to multiply Cauſes, and allow any ſuch Fluid intervening between animated Matter and the firſt or ſecondary Mo⯑vers. This will be better underſtood by an Example: It is well known what Pains have been taken, and how many Hypotheſes have been fram'd, not only by Phyſicians, but Geometers of the firſt Rank, to explain muſ⯑cular Motion, and all, I think, hitherto in vain. This ſubtil Matter under the Name of animal Spirits, (or at leaſt in propagating them) and even Sir Iſaac's Spiritus ſubtiliſſi⯑mus, has been imploy'd for this Purpoſe, tho' with little Satisfaction to moſt attentive and qualify'd Judges. How much more na⯑tural, [151] philoſophical and ſimple is it, to ſuppoſe the Nerves to be infinitly delicat and me⯑chanically adjuſted membranous Tubes, Twiſts or Ropes, whoſe Elaſticity and Mechaniſm is preſerv'd by an internal milky ſoft Pith, which Membranes receive their firſt Impreſſion and Impulſe from the ſelf-motive Principle with⯑in us, (for the ſelf-moveing Principle muſt communicat the firſt Impulſe either on this ſup⯑pos'd intermediat Fluid, or on theſe Mem⯑branes, and either of them is equally unintel⯑ligible and explicable; but the laſt is the ſhort⯑eſt way, and therefore likelieſt to be the Method of the Author of Nature, who always works the ſhorteſt Way, and after the ſimpleſt Manner, as may be mathematically demonſtrated in all his real and natural Workings) and com⯑municat and propagat it by proper and har⯑monious Oſcillations to the Muſcles, by whoſe mechanical Structure thoſe harmoni⯑ous Motions are excited into Action, by that admirable Mechaniſm ſo fully and juſtly ex⯑plain'd, by the learned and ingenious Dr. Alexander Stewart! How much more ſimple and natural is it to conceive, that the Surfaces of Bodies, their Effluvia or repelling Steams, communicat certain juſtly proportion'd and commenſurable Undulations, Vibrations and Tremors to ſuch membranous Pipes, which the natural Sagacity of the intelligent Principle knows by its own innate Powers, to indicat the Preſence of ſuch and ſuch Bodies; in the [152] ſame Manner as the Governor of a beſieg'd Town, or the ſeveral Ships of a Fleet, under⯑ſtand what ſuch a Number of Guns, or ſuch a Flag, import and ſignify! Thus Things are eaſy, intelligible and ſimple. We daily ſee and hear, what fine Pieces of Muſic a skilful Muſician can fling off a well-tun'd Inſtrument, from the various Motions of his Fingers or Voice: But this I propoſe as a mere Illuſtra⯑tion. If Experiment ſhould ſhew the Ne⯑ceſſity of the mentioned ethereal Fluid, even then, I think, it will take Place only in unani⯑mated Nature. And if there is any Regard to be had to ſuch an Hypotheſis, before it be abſo⯑lutely decided by Experiment, it muſt be, be⯑cauſe Nature and its Author never act by Starts, Fits, and Intervals, but by ſlow, uniform and imperceptible Degrees, tho' the Progreſſion is often not to be determin'd by finite Experi⯑ments, or finite Capacities. But even tho' the Organs of Senſe may and do want Media, the animal Functions are too intimat and neceſ⯑ſary to Life to need ſuch.

§. 21. LIFE, Activity and Intelligence, are natural and neceſſary in ſome Degree to all ſpiritual Beings, as all the Conſequences and Combinations of them are; as being Minia⯑tures, Sparkles or Infiniteſimals of the Deity. All of the ſame Order, Rank or Hierarchy, have theſe nearly in the ſame Degree; and theſe Hierarchies and Ranks, differ only in their [153] Degrees of theſe primary Attributes. What may make the moſt apparent Difference in this State of things, in the Individuals of the ſame Rank or Species, is, perhaps, the more coarſe or elegant Texture; or the Fitneſs or Unfitneſs of their ethereal Vehicles in their firſt Forma⯑tion, as they primarily came out of the Hands of their Maker. All the radical Differences conſpicuous in the human Race now, are owing to the different Frame, Texture and Culture of their bodily Machin, and its ſpiritual Organs; ſo that originally there muſt have been no Dif⯑ference of Sexes, becauſe at laſt, in their re⯑ſtor'd and recover'd State there will be none; they will, in that reſpect, be like the Angels, as Revelation expreſly aſſerts. Something ana⯑logous to Creative Fecundity, poſſibly, may be even in Angels, and primarily may have been too in the human Race, becauſe of their Si⯑milarity and Reſemblance to thoſe Angels, and to their grand Original the Deity; I ſay, ſome miniature Reſemblance of his Creative Power might have been in them. Beneficent Nature muſt be neceſſarily communicative, and earneſtly deſirous, there may be infinitly more Beings to contemplat, worſhip and adore the infinitly perfect Being, and admire the Ope⯑rations of his Hands, to imitat Him, and par⯑take of his Felicity. But how this Creative Power, or earneſt Deſire of more Intelligences, operated then, I will not take upon me to conjecture: But certain it is, that the Diviſion [154] of the Sexes was after the Lapſe was begun, and, perhaps, when it was far advanc'd; poſſi⯑bly to put a Drag on it, and prevent the final Degeneracy into Self-love, or an idolatrous and unnatural Commerce with the brute Creation.

§. 22. IT is both philoſophical and highly probable to ſuppoſe, that the Bodies as well as the Spirits of all the human Race were created at one and the ſame time; at leaſt were ſent into theſe Adamical Dungeons they now in⯑habit, at one and the ſame time. The Spirit endow'd with the three radical Qualities of Life, Activity and Intelligence, in the Per⯑fection that belong'd to its Order and Species; and the Body, in the Perfection of their then Eſtate, at leaſt in the original and firſt Stock, in whoſe Loins were included in Miniatures and Infiniteſimals, in a perpetual Progreſſion de⯑ſcending, all the Race and Maſs that ſhould ever exiſt, of that Species. This will be no Difficulty to thoſe who know and underſtand, the infinit Diviſibility of Matter, and the Doctrine of firſt, ſecond, third and conſequent Fluxions or Differences, as they are now de⯑monſtrated and explain'd. Theſe infiniteſimal Bodies have probably been animated, and growing in their own Manner, and according to their Laws, from their firſt Formation, and from the Time of the primary general Crea⯑tion, till they arriv'd at their full Maturity. No doubt both theſe miniature and mature [155] Bodies, were vaſtly different from what we find our lapſed earthly Tabernacles now are. As the Spirit was perfect in its Kind, ſo was the Body: As the Spirit was pliant, ſupple, and chearfully obedient to the Influences of the Eternal Spirit, (which was breath'd into it by the Spirit of God, viz. pure diſintereſted Love) ſo was the Body pliant and obedient to the Commands of the human Spirit: All was Or⯑der, Peace, Love and Harmony; and probably the Frame and Figure of the Body might be in many Particulars different from what we now find it, as we have obſerv'd of the Difference of the Sexes in the former Section; and theſe Differences may be neceſſary in one State of the Progreſſion, and may naturally drop off, and decay, in another, when of no fur⯑ther Uſe: Inſtances of which we may ſee in the different Shapes of ſeminal Animalculs, Eggs, Nymphae and young Inſects, from what they have when arriv'd at Maturity; of a Chick in the Egg, from what it is when per⯑fectly grown; in the ſeveral Stages of the Silk-worm, and moſt other animated Beings, Vegetables as well as Animals. And this is a juſt and wiſe Contrivance, and evidently de⯑monſtrates Deſign in the Maker, to fit the living Creature for its ſeveral Situations. But what is moſt material, is, that even this now Adamical and groſs Tabernacle of ours, muſt neceſſarily contain under it, the Principles, Ele⯑ments, Springs and linear Root of that ethereal [156] or paradiſaical Body it was created in, and of that perhaps glorious Body it will be reſtor'd to at laſt in the final Recovery (which per⯑haps are both the ſame). But this can be no Difficulty to thoſe who know that the Rays of the Sun are but Matter and Body, which may be contain'd in a Dungeon of Pu⯑trefaction, and in a Dunghil as well as in the azure Sky; and that the Particles of Matter attract and repel each other in different Cir⯑cumſtances, and purify and ſublime as well as incraffat and condenſe, by the mere Force and Energy of the preſent Laws of Nature: And this Law, by which the whole Stock of ſuch an Order and Rank of Intelligences advances in a certain Progreſſion towards Happineſs and Perfection, (the Confirmation and Stability of which is only to be found in the laſt and moſt perfect State of Purity and Happineſs, as being free, but finite, and conſequently fallible Crea⯑tures) muſt abſolutly depend on and be brought about by Experience, confirm'd Ha⯑bits, many appropriated Trials, and much gra⯑dual Labour; for nothing is more certain than the Axiom, Nemo repente fit turpiſſimus aut optimus. This Law, I ſay, of deriving the whole Race from ſuch a radical Stock in an increaſing Progreſſion, was a noble Deſign, and of infinite Love and Wiſdom, for rendering the ſucceeding and poſterior Generations Par⯑takers of all the Acquiſitions of Wiſdom, Knowledge, and other Improvements of their Predeceſſors: But as Corruptio optimi eſt peſ⯑ſima, [157] by the Lapſe all the contrary has hap⯑pen'd, and