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CHA P. V.

Extracts from Mr. BAXTER's enquiry into the nature of the human Soul, wherein the immateriality is evinced from principles of reafon and philosophy.

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XXIS firft fection muft furely be allowed, a fine performance; wherein the vis inertia effential to matter is demonftrated. And indeed, no man can conceive that the fame thing should be both movens and motum. There is a plain contradiction in this affertion, eademque fubftantia corporis gravis, migrat et descendit, a feipfo impulfa. A moved refifts motion; a mover overcomes that refiftance: these oppofites can never confift in the fame individuab thing.*

And

a P. 11. Note.

And even as to gravitation itself, a material impulfe cannot be the cause of gravi ty, but fome Being that is not matter, must of neceffity be that cause.-. And this must be alfo an inceffant impulfe, not the permanent effect of a tranfient fimultaneous impression. For it is obvious that an equally accelerated motion could never be effected by one fingle and inftantaneous impreffion; but by a fucceffive repetition of impulse.

So that to say be has lodged in matter, certain powers, whereby events are to be directed, is but one degree removed from Epicurean neceffity. And to say be fill fuperintends the execution of those powers himself, though it is more pious, is fcarce better philoSophy; for befides the impoffibility of planting powers in matter inconfiftent with the nature and effence of it, a Being, who by the excellency of his nature, is necessarily every where prefent, all knowing and almighty, does not want to be relieved of a part of the task. Such philofophy only fuits Lucian's deities. The world must depend every moment on fome fuperior Being, for the preservation of its frame; and all the great motions in it

a F. 13.

I 3

are

are caufed by fome immaterial power, not having originally impressed a certain quantity of motion on matter, but perpetually and actually exerting itself every moment in every part of the world. *

e P. 45.

Again,

*There is a fine obfervation, made by the learned SPENCER, near an hundred years ago; this great machine of the world, like a watch, though it contain very frong and powerful springs of action within itself, and fuch wheels, caufes natural, whofe elaborate figures and contrivance fpeaks them, to the firft view, defigned and fitted for fome uniform and equal motion; yet these blind and decaying powers must be managed and perpetually wound up by an hand of power and counfel, or they will either fland fill, or perform their motions without time and method. The harmony would not laft long, did not the chief musician firike time and measure, moderate and direct those parts, which are apt to be too quick and loud, to move fo impetuously and unfeasonably as to disturb the harmony of the whole.

Now this general prefence and affiflance, whereby God appears to acknowledge and fuccour his own productions, ftands very well with a fufficiency (in its kind) in all natural agents to exert thofe operations, to pursue thofe ends, to hold fuch place in the univerfe, to maintain fuch regular figures and colours, as even their vou yea, law originally fealed upon their feveral fpecies and orders appointed them unto."

And Chevalier RAMSAY, in his philofophical principles of natural and revealed religion, has this very judicious paragraph: God does not act upon his living images by omnipotent irrefiflible

* See his difcourfe on prodigies, p. 136. 137.

Again, God is the fole mover in all mechanical motions, efpecially in the human body; forafmuch as refifting matter cannot move itself, nor unrefifting matter any thing else. And in the circulating fluid it feems demonftrable, forafmuch as there is a congeries of particles to be carried round, and befides the conftant change of their direction, the diminution of any impulse impreffed from the action of these particles a

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irrefiftible wills, that force their confent, but he accommodates, proportions, and fubmits, so to speak, the exercise of his almighty power to their free natures. He knows how to accomplish whatever he pleases in heaven and upon earth. His great ends can never be eternally fruftrated: but there is no fatal, unchangeable fucceffion of means, foreseen, foreordained and fixed. He fees by one unfucceffive act, all the possible combinations of finite forces or wills: but he never forefees what he leaves free, as abfolutely, certainly, and infallibly future. He can forefee and foretell all the natural and neceffary confequences of the free de terminations of intellectual agents; yet he never forefees thefe free determinations themselves, but as contingent and poffible. He over-rules all events by his all-comprehenfive providence, and directs them to the accomplishment of his final defigns; but they do not neceffarily co-exift in his mind from all eternity as prefent. Thus the effential freedom of intelligent natures, is neither fettered nor deftroyed by an infallible prefcience, or fatal predeftination.

This very account of the freedom of the human Soul in its operations, is of itself, furely enough to demolish the materialif's whole fyftem.

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mong themselves, by their mutual illifions, attrition, contrary and interfering directions ; add to this the irregularity and intricacies of the meanders, they move in, differing inconceivably from the fimplicity of a circular motion: the vaftly unequal capacities of thefe channels, and their endless divifions and branchings; fhew the impoffibility of a mechanical caufe of the circulation of the blood."

Nay, the circulation of the blood in the fetus in the womb, is different from the method thereof after it is born.

man.

This immediate impulse of the first agent, is fubmitted to co-operate with the will of For although fpontaneity confifts in Jetting the mechanism at work; we are free to excite motion in the hand, or foot, or not to excite it; but we are not free to excite it with, or without the help of mechanism; if it is begun fpontaneously, it is yet executed or performed mechanically.

e

Yet, there may be an ineptitude of the mechanical inftruments of motion, which is the caufe of the imperfection of spontaneous motion in infants, decrepit old people, and wounded men for all on the part of the

will

a P. 60.

P. 65, 66.

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