Chap. ir. A N T I E NT M M T A P H Y 8 I C S . 145 



Gto, The (loilrhie, therefore, of Tranfinigration, wliich I believe 

 is the nioft antient philofophy in the world, co:nes to this, upon the 

 principles of my philofophy ; That, as Mind never perilhes, when- 

 ever the Body to which it is annexed is difTolved, if it he by Nature 

 deftined not to exift feparately without Body, it muft, of noceiTity, 

 animate fome other Body, and, therefore, mult tranfinigrate into an- 

 other compofuion of Matter. This mufl: be the cafe of both the 

 Vegetable and Animal Life, and, for the greater part, I believe, of 

 the Intelledual Life ; as there are very few fouls that are prepared, 

 upon quitting this Body, for the higheft ftate of refinement, which 

 muft be in a feparate ftate of exiftence. 



■ The only queftion upon this fubjed appears to me to be, F/oiii 

 what form, to what form the feveral kinds of mind may be moved ? 

 and, Whether the tranfmigration be univerfal to the three feveral 

 orders of Being, Vegetable, Animal, and Man ? 



That the Soul of Man tranfmigrates into Man, cannot, I think, 

 be doubted, unlefs we fhould fuppofe that there is a creation of a 

 new Soul for every Human Body that is born, which no philofo- 

 pher will believe, and which Synefius, the moft learned Bifhop of 

 the antient Chrifl:ian Church, declares he could not believe *. Or, if 

 we {hould fuppofe this new creation, what is to become of the Souls 

 of the departed ? They are not fit, for the greater part, as I liave 

 faid, to exifl; in a pure Spiritual State : They muft, therefore, ani- 

 mate fome body ; And what Body fo fit as that of Man ? 



But what fhall we fay of the Animal Mind ? Does it tranfini- 

 grate into the Body of Man ? And I am of opinion it does not : 

 For, as the Animal Mind cannot, as I have faid, be transformed into 

 the Intelledual Mind, if we could fuppofe fuch a tranfmigration, 

 Vol. n. T the 



*■ See Vol- I. p. 260. 



