Chap. III. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 207 



doubt, in many refpe£ls, though in fome particulars they may be 

 of difierent kinds, coming together by a certain fympathy, and co- 

 hering, fo as to form one mafs, to which, according to their diffe- 

 rent Natures, we give different Names, fuch as Gold, Silver, Iron, 

 &c. And the growth of thcfe Bodies is, by accretion, or appofi- 

 tion, from without, of certain particles of the fame kind. — On the 

 other hand, the Vegetable is produced from feeds, and in a way of 

 generation, which has been difcovered to be very analogous to the 

 generation of Animals ; and its growth and nutrition is not by ac- 

 cretion or external appofition of parts, but by nourifliment, which 

 it receives from the earth by the means of certain organs, which 

 convey it into the inward parts of the Plant, where it is digefted, 

 aflimilated, and diftributed all over the Body. Hence comes the 

 growth of the plant, its foliage, flowers, fruit, and feed. 



The laft difference I fliall obferve, is from the final Caufe, which 

 ought never to be out of the view of the philofopher ; As the Ve- 

 getable is of a Nature much more excellent than any unorganized 

 Body, and as it is a law of Nature, that what is lefs excellent is 

 produced for the fake of that which is more fo, the unorganized 

 Body, being lefs excellent than the Vegetable, is intended for the 

 fake of it. And, accordingly, the Earth, the Air, the Water, the 

 Fire, Salts, and all other Mineral Subllances, ferve for the pro- 

 duction of Vegetables. 



As the fcale of life rlfes higher, the difficulty of diftinguifliing the 

 feveral principles of vitality increales. It is, therefore, more difficult 

 to dlftinguifh the Vegetable from the Animal Life, than the Vege- 

 table from the Elemental : And the fimilarity has of late been dif- 

 covered to be fo great, that fome, as I have obferved, are inciiueJ 

 to think, that the difference is only in degree, fuch as they luppofe 



th. 



