Parent of Error in all the other Operations of the Understanding; but Things are only diftinguishable by their Properties; and then are we confus'd, and most liable to Error, when we mifplace Properties; which we certainly do in the Cafe before us, unlefs Omnipotence has actually exerted it felf, as this Author fuppofes it may have done.

All which will, I hope, be of weight to a thinking Man and a Philofopher to incline his Affent to this Propofition, that the Argument drawn from our Thinking Faculty, is a truly Rational and Philofophical, a Just and Conclufive Argument to prove an Immaterial Subftance in Human Nature; fince it is deduc'd from the clearest Ideas we have of things, agreeably to the most certain Method of Philofophizing, and the true Rules of Judging in all other Cafes,

SECT.

SECT. V.

Of the Repugnancy in our Ideas, between Cogitation and Extenfion, and how far this proves an Immaterial Subftance in Human Nature.

TH

HIS Repugnancy is a just Confequence from what is prov'd in the preceding Section; viz. The Difference between Extenfion and Thought is so wide, that there is no third Idea to unite them in one Subftane; and this must render our Endeavours to conceive them as fo united, for ever fruitlefs; and whatfoever we cannot conceive in created Nature, to be fo much as poffible, is a Repugnancy in the Nature of the Thing.

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This indeed does not appear upon a first and fuperficial View of our Nature, by which the Generality of Mankind is de ceiv'd, chiefly upon these three Accounts.

1. Finding themselves to be both Thinking and Material Beings, they judge this a good Reafon, as founded upon Experience, to bring Thought and Matter into one Substance; but this is a plain Fallacy put upon themselves: For the Question not being, Whether they are a thinking and extended C 4 Being;

Being; but, Whether this being of theirs is One, or a Compofition of Two Substances; in order to determin that Point, they are first to fuppofe their Material Part alone, as taken for granted on both fides, and then conceive, if they can, how it thinks.

2. They are farther deceiv'd by their Experience, That Corporeal Motions naturally produce Thought in them; without attending to this true Obfervation from Nature, That one Subftance may, at least occafionally, produce an Effect in another, which it tou'd never have produc'd by its proper and fole Efficiency: For, by this Method, the wife Author of Nature has connected the Series and Chain of Caufes and Effects in the Universe.

3. They are still more egregiously impos'd upon, when they confound, as they do from their Infancy, Motion and Thought in themselves.

This they do in almost all their Senfations, which they either fuppofe to be convey'd from the Object, under the Form of Real Qualities; or to be pure Motions and Vellications of their

Vide Malebranch. de Inquirend. Verit.

own Organs: Whereas, nothing is more clear in all Philofophy, than that the

lib. 1. cap. 10. Idea, fuppofe of Pain or Plea

fure,

fure, is as really a Thought, as the Idea of Thinking is.

Thefe Prejudices being remov'd, it is eafy for any one to experience in his Mind this Repugnancy of conceiving Extension and Thought, as the Properties of one and the fame Substance.

Let him, as Method requires, frame as clear and diftinct an Idea as he can of each of them separately; and then let him endeavour what he can to conjoyn them; let him try to mark out an Inch of Reafon, or an Ell of Contemplation; which wou'd be as easy to do, were the two Properties confiftent, as to conceive a reasoning Inch, or contemplating Ell of Matter; for whereever two Properties are united in one SubStance, they may be reciprocally predicated: Thus I can conceive an extended Whiteness, as well as a white Extenfion.

Now this Repugnancy being apparent both to Reason and Experience, let us take into Confideration again Mr. Lock's Refuge to the Power of God. We have already difgrac'd this Objection, as unphilofophical, and fhall now endeavour to prove it abfurd and mischievous.

First, It is abfurd in this Place to recurr to that Power. Were it only to suppose the Faculty of Thinking preferv'd in Human Body, while alive, by a perpetual

Miracle,

Miracle, it wou'd not found well in the Mouth of a Philofopher: But this Suppofition is of a much larger extent; for we can conceive that one Spirit, especially the Spirit of God, may communicate Thoughts and Words to another; and fo may teach, in a Moment, what wou'd naturally coft many Years learning, nay what cou'd never be naturally learnt; as Prophecy : We can also imagin the Laws of Gravitation fufpended in one Place, by the Power that made them; fo that, there, Iron shall swim on the Water; and there is no difficulty in fuppofing that the Creator can recapacitate fenfelefs Matter for a reunion with fpiritual Subftance. In all thefe Cafes we clearly apprehend, that the Subject is capable, and the Power fufficient; which two are the only Prerequifites to any Operation.

But, in the Cafe before us, we have only the bare Notion of Omnipotence to help us out; and, if that may be apply'd without ever attending to the Capacity of the Subject, it may, and ought to be equally apply'd in all Cafes; and fo wou'd make all, or rather nothing miraculous, and exclude every other Conclufion drawn from our Reasoning upon the Nature of Things.

Secondly, From this Notion of the Repugnancy, this Refuge will appear to be very mifchievous. I think