146 AN TIE NT METAPHYSICS. Book IL 



firft, excell them, in poiver and capacity^ as much as wc do after- 

 wards, by the means of culture and civilization^ excell them in energy 

 or aciuality ? 



And, in the frfl place, ponjoers and capacities are latent thingo, 

 which are no otherwife to be known to us, except by their energies 

 and operations. Now, it muft be admitted, that no brute has ever dif- 

 played thofe fuperior talents, of which the human mind is poflefled. I 

 have allowed that they can reafon in a certain degree, by comparing 

 the perceptions of fenfe, and, from that compariion, drawing certain 

 conclufions, for the direction of the oeconomy of their lives. Thus 

 far the antient philofophers have gone, and no farther. But, as to in- 

 telled, no antient philofopher has beftowed it upon them, nor any 

 modern, who could diftinguifh betwixt the operations of intellect, and 

 the ratiocination above mentioned. Now, nature does nothing in vain, 

 according to Ariflotle's maxim * ; and, therefore, we cannot fuppofe 

 that fhe has given to any animal a poiver that never was exerted, or 

 which, we have any reafon to think, ever will be exerted. 



zdo-i This argument will be much ftrengthened, if we confider what 

 h is that has given man the opportunity of exerting thofe powers, which 



un- 



Ji/»«;M«, that is, in capacity^ and is nothing at all anuuUy, or i»i*y«f . And, in that fituation, 

 he conpares it to a tablet or book, in which nothing is written, and fays that it is no more 

 than the place or receptacle oi forms. {De Atima^ lib. 3. cap. 5.) It is evident, there- 

 fore that, according to Ariftotle*s opinion, till our mind be ftocked with fenfationsj 

 and till we have learned, from thofe fenfations, to form ideas by abftradion, and 

 then to compare thofe ideas, we have no more intellect than a child. How long the 

 human mind muft have continued in this condition, in a ftate of nature, muft be evi- 

 dent to every one who has been able to diveft himfelf of the notions which we acquire 

 by living in a fbte of civilization, and has carried back his thoughts to that original 

 llate, prior to civil life, and all its arts and fciences. 



• Dc Jninia, Lib. 3. cap. 10. See a former note, page 132. 



