238 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book 11. 



we muft, like the French philofophers, make machines alfo of the 

 brutes. 



Here, therefore, are three kinds of mind, the intelledual, the ani- 

 mal, and the vegetable, all moving body, but fubordinate and inferior 

 one to another ; fo that, I tliink, it muft be acknowledged, that there 

 are different degrees of minds producing motion, and that it is not on- 

 ly the thinking and reafoning mind which does fo. And, indeed, the 

 only doubt feems to be. Whether the Superior Mind or Intelled be 

 the immediate caufe of the motion, though it certainly direds and fu- 

 perintends it, and therefore may be hid to he the primum mobile P 

 or, Whether the motion be not immediately produced by an inferior 

 mind, as there appears to be a progrefs in every part of nature, which 

 does nothing by ftarts or bounds, but by all regular fteps and tranfi- 

 tions from one thing to another, though to us often imperceptible ? 



The only queftion, therefore, is concerning the motions of the bo- 

 dies called inanimate, betwixt which, and thofe of the vegetable, there 

 is no difference, except that they are lefs various ; becaufe the body 

 which is moved is likewife lefs various, and of fimpler texture : But 

 they are as conftant and regular, and have a tendency to a certain end 

 and purpofe, as well as thofe of the vegetable. And there are fome of 

 them, which, like thofe of the vegetable, feem to be direded by fomc 

 kind of inclination or appetite, fuch as the motions of eledive attrac- 

 tion above mentioned, where there appears not only appetite and in- 

 clination, but fomcthing of choice or preference of one thing to ano- 

 ther. 



I have infifled fo much upon the mind, or principle of movement, 

 in body unorganized, not only becaufe I know it will be the chief ob- 

 jedlion made to my fyftem, but becaufe one of the principal fources of 

 materialifm and atheifm, both in antient and modern times, appears 



to 



