140 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



SubftanceSj into another. In natural Subftances, indeed, fuch as 

 Vegetables and Animals which are propagated by Generation, we ob- 

 ferve that the mixtures of fome of them produce a motely oflspring, 

 participating of the nature of both Speciefes. But this confufion 

 goes no farther than the firft generation : And, if we could fup- 

 pofe it to go fiirther, it could not affed the prefent argument ; for it 

 is impoflible to conceive that Mind can propagate Mind, in the way 

 that Plants and Animals produce one another. We muft therefore 

 hold, that the Intelledual, the Vegetable, and the Animal Natures, 

 whatever improvements they may receive in their feveral kinds, 

 continue always diftindl Subftances, and never run into one another ; 

 fo that the Vegetable never becomes an Animal, nor the Animal 

 an Intelledual Being. And, if fo, we muft not dream, as fome phi- 

 lofophers appear to have done, of an afcent of Minds from the low- 

 eft to the higheft ; nor imagine, that the Vegetable, by being pafled 

 through certain Strainers ond Refiners, can ever become Intcl- 

 ieaual. 



2do, It follows, from the three Subftances being diftind, that the 

 deftrudion or annihilation of one cannot produce the deftruclion of 

 the other. If, indeed, the Intelledual Mind was nothing but a Qiiality 

 or Property of the Anhnal, and the Animal the fame of the Vegetable, 

 it would be impoflible that the one could fubfift after the other was de- 

 ftroycd : But, as they are fcparate Subftances, they muft have a fcpa- 

 rate exiftcnce, not dependent upon one another, or upon the exiftence 

 of any other Subftancc, as Accidents or Qualities are dependent upon 

 the exiftence of the Subft.inces in which they are inherent. Suppo- 

 ftng, therefore, that, at our death, the Animal Life in us was wholly 

 annihilated, as it no doubt ceafes to exift in the fame compofition of 

 Matter, our Intelledual Mind, being a diftind Subftance, would ftill 

 continue to exift : And the only confequcnce with refped to it 



would 



