Chap. XVII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 22*3 



getable, animal, and celeftial ; and, for this reafon, is cenfured by Pro- 

 dus, in a paflage above quoted, as leaving the elements to move at 

 random, without any mind direding them *. But, that he recognized 

 the principle in thofe fimple bodies, as well as the more artificial, is 

 evident from many paiiages of his philofophical works ; and, indeed, 

 it is an effential part of his fyftem of natural philofophy. And every 

 philoiopher, w^io is not a m.aterialift, and who believes that niatter can- 

 not move itfelf, muft admit that all thofe bodies are maved by mind, 

 either external, or internal, fupreme, or fubordinate.. 



Thus, I have endeavoured to diftinguifh the feveral minds which 

 inform and animate nature, and produce the different movements 

 that we oblerve in the material world, making three kinds or orders 

 of them, rifmg one above another. The firft, and lowed of them, is 

 that which makes unorganized bodies cohere and move in differeat 

 diredions, but each kind of body only in one determined diredion; 

 A higher kind of mind is that which informs the 'vegetable ; and a 

 higher ftill that which conftitutes Jeiifiti've life, and direds the move- 

 ments of the animaL 



And here we may fee the grofs error of thofe Dhilofophers, antient 

 or modern, who ji ake Nature their God, and would lubllitute, in place 

 of the Supreme Intelled, this animaiing Ipiiit which we fee d iff u fed 

 through the whole univerfe j for this fpirit is lo far from excluding 

 intelligence from the government of the worlu, or making it unnccef- 

 fary, that it manifeftly fuppofes it : For, ab Nature acLs wuhout intelli- 

 gence, or knowledge ot its end, y.t works regularly and artificially, 

 for attaining that end ; it is evident ttat iticie mull be fome higiier 

 pov^er than nature, which propofes thai end, and direds the operation 

 of ihofe natural agents towards it: And this Power is Gael 1 he 

 Atheilt, therefore, is reduced to the neeelfity, eith.er ot maintaining, 

 that Nature does nothing for any end or purpolt, which is contrary to 



commoa 



f Page 208. 



