INTRODUCTION, r 



ph^r, or the metaphyfician. To the metaphyfician it belongs, as I have 

 faid, to treat of Mind leparate from body, or, at leaft, operating fepa- 

 tately. Of this latter kind, there is one that we know moft intimately, 

 which, though not feparated from body at preient, is, by its nature, 

 reparable, and does adually operate feparatelv, even in this ftate of its 

 exiftence — I mean the human foul ; the iludy of which, therefore, is 

 of the greateft importance ; not only in refped of religion and mora- 

 lity, but of theology or thefrj philofophy ; as ir is only by the diligent 

 ftudy of it we can ever attain to any knowledge of the Supreme 

 Mind. 



And here we may obferve by what regular fteps the antients afcend- 

 ed to that Supreme Mind, the contemplation of which is the end of all 

 philofophy. They began with that loweft Mind, or Motive Principle, 

 which is in all phyfical bodies, unorganized as well as organized. 

 From thence they proceeded to the Motive Principle in the vegetable and 

 the animal ; and from the animal or fenfitive Nature, they afcended to the 

 rational and intellectual Nature of man ; and, by ftudying this, the di- 

 vine part, in our nature, they attained, as far as human capacity could 

 attain, to the knowledge of what is moft exalted in the univerfe, and 

 at the top of the pyramid. Thus, proceeding regularly through Phy- 

 fics, and never lofing fight of Mind, they came, at laft, in the natural 

 order of things, to Metaphyfics, and that part of it which is the fum- 

 mit of philofophy, and of all human knowledge, I mean Theology. 

 The progrefs of the moderns in thefe fpeculatioas is not fo regular ; 

 for, without going through Phyfics, we endeavour to rife at once to the 

 higheft regions of Metaphyfics, or, if we take Phyfics in our way, it 

 is a kind of Phyfics in which Mind is almoft wholly laid afide, and 

 Matter and Mechanifm fubltituted in its place. And it is this pre- 

 pofterous way of (ludying Metaphyfics which has produced fuch wild 

 and extravagant notions, and brought fo great a difgrace upon the 

 nobleft of all fciences. 



The 



