15 8 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



mufl. have the Idea of Figure in particular things, he has not learned 

 to abflrad the Dimenllons of Body from Body, and to make a Science 

 of them by themfelves. As to Subftance Immaterial ; it is an Idea 

 of the higheft Abftradion, and the nobleft fubje£l of Speculative in- 

 tellcifl ; But it is fuch an Idea, as it is impolRble the Savage can 

 have perfedt, that is, abftradlcd from all Matter ; for -it is only by 

 entering into ourfclves, and ftudying our own Minds, for which the 

 Savage has neither leifure, being wholly occupied with the concerns 

 of the Animal Life, nor inclination, that we can attain to iuch an 

 Idea. He cannot, however, be faid to have no Idea of it : But his 

 Idea of it is the fame that he has of Number and Figure ; that is, he 

 perceives it incorporated with Matter ; for he perceives that there is 

 a Power that moves Body, and which is not Body, Nor do I believe 

 that there is any Savage who thinks that Body moves itfelf, or who 

 makes the diftind;ion, which our modern philofophers make, betwixt 

 Natural Caufes and the Operations of Mind ; for thofe Natural Cau- 

 fes, when diftinguifhed from Mind, can be nothing elfe but Matter 

 and Mechanifm, by which they fuppofe all the Operations of Nature 

 are produced. But the Savage is fo far from being of that opinion, 

 that he underftands, and, I think, rightly, the winds and waters, 

 and every part of Nature, to be moved by Mind ; though, I believe, 

 he is not philofopher enough to diftinguifh the feveral kinds of 

 Mind, or to conceive that there may be Mind that ynovcs without 

 Intelligence or Volition, But he perfedly conceives that the Mind 

 which performs thofe operations is a far greater Power than his 

 Mind ; and, therefore, all favages believe in Superior Minds : And 

 fo far the Indian, 



ivhoje uiUutorJ Mind 



Sees God in clouds^ and bears him in the "wind *, 



is much wifer than many of our philofophers. 



Let 



• Pope's F-JT'iy on Man. 



