Chap. II. A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. 143 



4/«7, As, therefore, none of tlic three Minds can perifli by the dc- 

 ftriidion of one another, or of the Body, it is evident that, if they 

 do perifh, it muft be in confequence of fomething in their own na- 

 ture that makes them liable to Death and Dcftrudion. Now, this 

 cannot be the cafe ; for, in the ordinary courfe of Nature, of which 

 only I am fpeaking, not of any extraordinary or miraculous interpo- 

 fition of Deity, there is nothing annihilated : And what we call the 

 Death or deftrudion of any Subftance, fuch as Animal or Vege- 

 table, is nothing but the diflolution or feparation of the Bodily parts 

 of it, and the derangement of the organization by which the Plant 

 or Animal operated. Now, of an immaterial Subrtance, which has 

 no parts, it isimpofTible that there can be any diflolution or derange- 

 ment of parts ; and I will venture to affirm, that whoever fpeaks of 

 the death or annihilation of a Soul, or of any other Mind, has no 

 Idea affixed to his words, and fpeaks without underftanding what he 

 fays. 



5/0, As to the queflion, Whether thofe Minds exift leparated from 

 all Matter and Mortal Concretion, I think there can be no doubt 

 but that the Intelledual Mind may exift in that way ; for, as it can 

 operate without Body, there can be no reafon given why it fhould 

 not exift without Body. We are fure that the Supreme Mind exifts 

 in that manner. And, as our foul is in a conftant ftate of progref- 

 fion, even in this life, when we live as we ought to do, there is the 

 greateft reafon to believe, and none at all to doubt, that we at laft 

 fhall be fo refined and purified from all the contagion of Matter, 

 .as to become pure fpiritual creatures. But this will not happen, 



Donee hnga dies, perfeSfo temporis orhe, 

 .Concretam exemit labetn, purumqiie reliquit 

 Etherium Sen/um et aiirdi Jmiplicis ignem *. 



Even 



* Virgil. jEn. Lib. (J. t. 745. 



