Sect. XIV. 2. 4- OF IDEAS. 85 



touch, any more than we can with odours or flavours without 

 our fenfes of fmell and tafte. 



But that any being can exift without exifling in fpace, is to 

 my ideas utterly incomprehenfible. My appeal is to common 

 fenfe. To be implies a when and a where ; the one is com- 

 paring it with the motions of other beings, and the other with 

 their fituations. 



If there was but one object, as the whole creation may be 

 confidered as one objecl:, then I cannot alk where it exifts ? 

 for there are no other objects to compare its fituation with. 

 Hence if any one denies, that a being exifts in fpace, he denies, 

 that there are any other beings but that one 5 for to anfwer the 

 queftion, " Where dees it exift ?" is only to mention the fitu- 

 ation of the objects that furrcund it. 



In the fame manner if it be afked— -« "When does a bein» 

 exift i" The anfwer only fpecifies the fucceflive motions either 

 of itfelf, or of other bodies ; hence to fay, a body exifts not in 

 time > .is to fay, that there is, or was, no motion in the world, 



4. Of the Spirit of Animation. 



But though there may exift beings in the univerfe, that have 

 not the property of foiidity ; that is, which can pofiefs any part 

 of fpace, at the fame time that it is occupied by other bodies ; 

 yet there may be other beings, that can aflame this property of 

 foiidity, or difrobe themfelves of it occafionally, as we are taught 

 of fpirils, and of angels ; and it would feem, that the spirit 

 of animation muft be endued with this property,, otherwife 

 how could it occafionally give motion to the limbs of animals ? 

 — or be itfelf ftimulated into motion by the obtrufions of fur- 

 rounding bodies, as of light, or odour ? 



If the fpirit of animation was always necefTarily penetrable, 

 it could not influence or be influenced by the foiidity of com- 

 mon matter ; they would exift together, but could not detrude 

 each other from the part of fpace, where they exift j that is, 

 they could not communicate motion to each other. No two 

 things can influence or affect each other, which have not fame prop* 

 erty common to both of them ; for to influence or affect another 

 body is to give or communicate fome property to it, that it had 

 not before 5 but how can one body give that to another, which 

 it does not pofiefs itfelf ? — The words imply, that they mufl 

 agree in having the power or faculty of pofleffing fome common. 

 property; Thus if one body removes another from the part of 

 fpace, that it pojSefles, it muft have the power of occupying 

 that fpace itfelf; and if (toe body communicates heat o] motion 



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