518 Colonel Wilk^ Extracts from the AMak e Ndseri. 



itself; nor can self, when made a medium, serve as an instrument to self. 

 And this is the meaning of philosophers, in affirming, that with regard to 

 reason, the agent, the thing acted on, and the act, are one and the 

 same. 



That the soul operates by means of instruments, is evident from its 

 perceiving by means of the senses, and communicating motion by means 

 of muscles, tendons, and nerves, the detail of which belongs to physiology. 



Sixthly, That it is not perceived by any of the senses, is proved by the 

 senses having no notice of any thing that is not matter nor material. Now 

 the soul is neither matter nor material ; ergo, it is not perceived by them. 



This is what we proposed to discuss regarding the nature of the soul, 

 which may suffice, as far as regards what we have already affirmed on that 

 subject. 



But it is moreover to be understood, that the human soul continues to 



exist after the dissolution of the body, and that death has no power to 



destroy it ; but, on tlio contrary, that its annihilation is by no means 



possible. 



• •••••• 



[A demonstration is here oniitteil, too miicli savouring of the subtilties of the old 

 schools of the West, and quite unworthy of the subject. It rests chiefly on a play 

 of words, regarding the terms existence in esse, and aimiiiilation in potentid-l 



• •••••• 



Moreover, any person, who minutely considers the properties of bodies, 

 lias an accurate knowledge of their dependence on the laws of composition 

 and association, decomposition and disjunction, and is well versed in the whole . 

 science of the "world of co7Tuption and decay (chemistry), must know, that no 

 body whatever becomes entirely destroyed : but that accidents, modes, com- 

 position, association, figures, and qualities, which subsist in a compound sub- 

 ject, maybe changed, while the amount of matter shall still remain the same. 

 For example, water may become air, and air fire, but the matter which 

 receives these three separate appearances will still subsist : otherwise it 

 could not be said that water became air, and air fire. For if an entity 

 should be destroyed, and another produced, so that no sort of junction 

 subsisted between them, it would be impossible to say that one entity 

 became the other entity, or that such matter bore the property of having its 

 forms extinguished and varied. Now, seeing that material substances are 

 not susceptible of annihilation, uncompounded essences, which are purer 



