172 ESSAYS ann OBSERVATIONS 
and magnitudes with refpec to other bodies, 
or a regular fucceflion of fome kind of clear 
perceptions, correfponding to every variety of 
fituation and magnitude, and all this accompa- 
nied with a memory and a power of comparing 
paft with prefent perceptions. It would there- 
fore make nothing to the prefent purpofe to 
‘have recourfe to that extraordinary fubterfuge, 
made ufe of by Mr Hodés on a like occafion, 
"That all matter is endued with an obfcure 
fenfe and perception, and wants only the or- 
gansand memory of animals. And it hath 
never yet been alledged, that all matter is ef 
-fentially endued with a clear and diftin& fen-. 
fation or confcioufnefs. If it fhould, we 
need be at no lofs for an anfwer. For, were 
that the cafe, why have we no perception of 
this activity that is fuppofed to be exerted by 
our own bodies in falling to the ground? 
Dr Clark, Wollafion, and others, have fo 
fully proved that matter is incapable of any . 
degree of thinking, that it is impoffible to 
confute their arguments, but by fcornfully 
denying the force of all:metaphyfical demon- 
{trations whatever. If matter thinks, then 
either thinking is effential to all matter, or it 
arifes from the modification, magnitude, fi- 
gure 
ee Ce Or aoe 
X 
ke 
} 
Ant 
