Chap.IV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 21 



Before I conclude this chapter, I muft obferve, that there is a qua- 

 lity afcribed to Mind by Dr Clarke *, which, I hold, does not belong 

 to it, but is, as I have faid, efTential to Matter. The quality I 

 mean is Extenfton. For if Mind be extended, it muft necefTarily be 

 divifible ; and it muft alfo be figured, if it be not infinite. So that 

 here we have Mind both figured and divifible, two properties that 1 

 hold to be effential to Body, and belonging to Body only. This 

 fo ftrange a notion of Mind extended, if it be carried to Deity, which 

 I think it muft be, becomes a moft impious, as well as moft abfurd 

 notion ; for, though the Mind of the Deity, being infinitely extend- 

 ed, as thofe philofophers fuppofe, cannot be figured or difcerptibie, 

 yet it muft be divifible by lines, like any thing elfe that is extend- 

 ed ; fo that we can fay here is one part of it, and there is another. 

 But, as to the human Mind, it muft not only be divifible' and figu- 

 red, but alfo difcerptibie. This laft Dr Clarke will not allow, and 

 maintains, that it is not difcerptibie any more than Space. But I 

 fay it muft be difcerptibie, unlefs the Doftor will maintain that it is 

 nothing but Space ; for, if it be not Space, but fomething that is in 

 Space, and is extended, it muft neceflarily be both divifible and dif- 

 cerptibie. Now, what a ftrange kind of Mind is this, that has 

 length, breadth, and depth, and may be cut and carved like a piece 

 of meat ? 



And here I cannot help obferving, that I think it is impoflible that 

 Dr Clarke could have fallen into this ftrange error of making exten- 

 fion a property of Spirit, if he had ftudicd the antient metaphyfics 

 as he ought to have done, particularly the metaphyfics of Ariftotle ; 

 for there he would have learned what quantity continuous, or Ex- 

 tenfion, as we call it, is. And Ariftotle would have firft informed 

 him what the genus of this fpecies is, viz. Quantity ; for we can 

 never underftand what any fpecies of things is, unlefs we know the 



genus 



• See his correfpondencc of letters with the Gloucefterfiiire gentleman. 



