Chap. II. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 197 



did not exlft in any paft time ? Becaufe we have no Confcioufnefs 

 of what we did in our ftate of infancy, are we from thence to 

 conclude that we did not then exift, or that we never were infants ? 

 And the fame rcafon that makes us believe we exifted then, fhould 

 make us believe that we exifted in the womb, and that we may have 

 exifted thoufands of years before. The philofophers, who argue as 

 Mr Locke does, do not appear to me to make a diftindion, which 

 is the foundation of all good logic, and, indeed, of all found philo- 

 fophy ; — betwixt Subftances and Accidents, nor to have known that, 

 if the Soul be a Subftance, it may undergo a change as to its Acci- 

 dents, and yet continue the fame. It may, therefore, have Memory 

 and Recolledlion of its paft actions at one time, and not at another, 

 and yet be the fame individual Subftance. And, indeed, if this recol- 

 ledion be neceflary to aflure us of our exiftence in every paft time, 

 there is no man can be fure that he is the fame man that exifted all yel- 

 terday : For, though he may recollect his actions in fome part of that 

 day, he cannot recollect ihem in every part of it ; and ivhen he 

 cannot recoiled them, then he muft be fuppofed not to have exifted. 

 Virgil, therefore, I hold to be a much better philofopher than Mr 

 Locke, when he tells us, that the Spirits, before they are reimbo- 

 died, drink of the waters of Lethe : And it is no doubt for very 

 good reafons that Providence has fo ordered it, that we have no me- 

 mory or recolledlion of our former ftate. 



It may be objeded, that an Intelligence, quiefcent and dormant 

 in the womb, and during the time of our infancy, is difficult to be 

 conceived. But to this I anfvver, that many of our Divines main- 

 tain that our Souls are in that ftate, from the time of our death till 

 the refun-edion : And, indeed, thofe who deny an intermediate 

 ftate muft fay fo. Nor is there any thing unphilofophical, or con- 

 trary to the general analogy of Nature in fuch an opinion ; for 

 we know that both plants and animals may be in fuch a dor- 

 mant ftate, fome of them for a very confiderable time, A wil- 

 low, 



