314 AN TIE NT METAPHYSICS. BooklV. 



of Seeing and Hearing, which, among us, arc become fo imperfed:, 

 that we are often obliged to fupply their defedls by machinery ; and 

 I doubt other organs of delicate ftru£ture, among us, are likewife 

 very much impaired. 2dly, Their natural parts are much better than 

 ours, in thofe things upon which they have exercifed them, fuch 

 as ftratagems of war, and hunting, in which they difcover an ex- 

 traordinary fagacity. ^dly, They have certainly more ftrength of 

 Mind than we have, can endure much more pain and fatigue, and 

 have greater patience and perfeverance in all their enterprifes. Now, 

 this being the cafe, it is not to be wondered at that they fhould 

 have more of that inftindive knowledge, which, I fay, is congenial 

 to the Mind, by which it is converfant with things in diftant Places, 

 and in Times future as well as paft. And, if any extraordinary 

 communication or revelation of future events were necefTary for the 

 condudl of their lives, I hold that fuch uncorrupted Minds, as theirs 

 were before they learned our vices, are much fitter veflels for Divine 

 Infpiration than Minds fuch as ouis. 



Hitherto I have fpoken only of the Animal and Intelledual Mind, 

 and have fhown that they are both capable of tranfporting themfelves 

 to different Places and Times : But fuch a power given to the Vege- 

 table Mind would be altogether fuperfluous; as the Vegetable is fixed 

 to one fpot, and has not its food to fearch, or its progeny to rear, in 

 the fame manner as the Animal has : And there would be flill lefs 

 reafon for giving this faculty to the Mind which moves unorgani- 

 zed Bodies. 



And here we may obfcrve the wonderful contrivance of Nature in 

 providing for the prefervation of Animals, and the carrying on their 

 ccconomy. If the Vegetable part of the Animal was to be abroad 

 at any time, as well as the Scnfitive or Intellectual Part, the Animal 

 muf> ceafe to cxift. But, as the Vegetable Life is always at home, 



the 



