alio corpore detrudatur: And this, depending fo immediately on our firft Idea of Matter, is, in its kind, felf-evident too; that is, it stands in need of no Proof, as that, upon which it depends, neither needs, nor is capable of Proof. Hence it is, that to fuch Reductitious Axioms we give as full, and as ready an Affent as to those which I call Primitive.

Now tho' the Relations of Things make up the greatest part of our Knowledge, as being more extenfive than the Knowledge of Things in themselves; yet those Axioms, or Properties which immediately discover themselves, upon our Contemplation of the fimple Nature of Things, are as infallible, and depend as immediately, as any other, upon that grand Axiom of all, that our Faculties are true. For I fhou'd be equally deceiv'd by my Creator, in the very Foundation of my Reasoning, if a Property, which my first Idea of an Object discover'd to me, were not really inherent in that Object; as if thofe two Things which agree in one third, did yet, in the fame refpect, difagree between themselves.

And therefore how narrow foever our Knowledge may be, or how great our Ignorance of the Properties which the Almighty has bestowed upon Matter; yet our Knowledge muft of neceffity be adequate

to the Object in our first Idea of it; or otherwife we are immediately deceiv'd by the Author of our Nature, who reprefents it to us. And 'tis plain, we may fufficiently understand a Principle in it felf, tho' we are ignorant of many juft Confequences from it, and tho we may err in our Déductions; 'tis in this exuberant variety of Relations and Qualities, that our Reason is bewilder'd and loft; but, all this while, our firft Apprehenfions are as juft and infallible, as the Author of our Beings.

By fuch certain Evidence as this, we come to know the Passive Nature of Matter ; and I have dwelt the longer upon it, becaufe it is of very great Moment in the prefent Enquiry: For there needs not much Labour to prove that a Sustance, with this Effential Property, is utterly incapable of Thought, fuch as we experience in our felves.

As an Effect of our Thinking Faculty, we are conscious of Spontaneous Motion in our felves, which is a Motion neither rais'd, nor determin'd Mechanically; it is not rais'd like the Motion of a Clock or Watch, either by Elafticity, or Gravity; but we think to move, and immediately upon that Thought we do move, we check or retard that Motion at pleasure; and, in fhort, both move and reft from our felves; our felves; which

neceffa

neceffarily inferrs the Power of Motion within our felves: And this is a Power abfolutely inconfiftent with the Paffive Nature of Matter, as before explain'd and prov'd.

So that our Principle of Motion is plainly a Self-active Principle; and if we confider our Thoughts more abstractedly, we shall find all the feveral Modes of Thinking, such as apprehending, willing, defiring, and judg ing, independent, in the Power; however they may be determin'd in the Manner, of exerting themselves upon any created external Agent; and therefore undoubtedly independent upon Matter and Motion. Therefore fo long as our first Idea of Matter includes in it a Paffive Nature, it includes also an utter Incapacity of Thought.

2. There is another Property of Matter refulting from our first Contemplation of it; which renders it incapable of Thought, and that is, Divifibility.

It must be granted, That our Idea of Matter came in by our Senfes; and it is certain, our Senfes can offer no Extenfion to our Minds but what is Figurate, and therefore compounded, and therefore_refolvable: So that Atoms, ftrictly and Philofophically fpeaking, are inconfistent with our first Idea of Matter; and, for that Reafon, can never be admitted, whatever more D 4 remote

remote Abfurdities attend the contrary. Doctrine; which may prove our Idea of Matter incompleat, but not felf-contradictory: For it is not clear, that an infinite Divifion, in the pofitive fence of the Word, with its Train of Abfurdities, follows from hence, That our Senfes have given us an Idea of Corporeal Extenfion, to the Divifibility of which we can fix no Bounds.

But among the Corpusularian Philofophers, both Ancient and Modern, fome have their Atoms, fo call'd, because they terminate Generation and Corruption; call'd alfo Minima Phyfica, fo fmall, that they are indivifible by Natural Agents, tho' not Omnipotent Power.

Let us firft examin the Nature of Body according to this Hypothefis: We find then Two Properties belonging to these Atoms. 1. That all Bodies are refolvable into them, because compounded of them. 2. That they are all abfolutely Homogeneous; all Heterogeneity of Bodies arifing from a different Physical Compofition, which is not predicable of these last Particles.

From hence it follows, That if any Part of Matter, as fuch, had in it a Capacity of Thought, then all Matter has the fame: This will be eafily granted, if we reflect, that these Atoms are Homogeneous, and that there is nothing, really and intrinfically,

befide these, in any Phyfical. Compofition: But all the Diversity of it arifes from the different Texture, Situation and Motion or Rest of these Particles; which clear Notion in Physics, has long fince deservedly exploded out of the Philofophic World, all Real Qualities and Subftantial Forms. Now I take it for granted that all Matter, as fuch, does not actually think; let us then enquire how it comes to think, as compounded in the Body of Man; tho', in its Intrinfic Nature, as we have feen, utterly devoid of Thought.

'Tis plain, according to this Doctrin, That the Power of Thought must be lodg'd in one, or more of thefe Monads.

If in one, we must fuppofe this Monad to have been created of a different Nature from the reft; or else the reft wou'd think too, (and whatever Properties are in fimple and uncompounded Matter, can never be lost and extinct, in all the Changes it undergoes, fo that we fhou'd have a vital and felf-conscious Univerfe) and if this Monad was created of fuch a different Nature from the reft, as to have the Power or Quality of Thought, we must affirm of it, as we do of the reft, that it cou'd never lose this Power thro' all the poffible variety. and alteration of Second Matter: Nothing but Annihilation, or, which is equal, the

Power