4^0 



ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. BookV. 



half. The firft experimental men in Europe were Chemlfts : But they, 

 as I have elfewhere obferved *, were firm believers in Mind, ac- 

 cording to the dodlrine of Antient Philofophy ; in which though 

 it does not appear they were learned, yet, as it was the only 

 philofophy of thofe times, it was very natural that they fhould 

 adopt the dodlrines of it ; and, therefore, what they obferved of 

 Natiu'e, made them admire the more the works of God, and 

 the operations of Mind in Body ; for it was in that way they 

 accounted for all the wonderful phacnomena that their art exhibit- 

 ed : Whereas, our prefent men of Experiment, being ignorant of 

 Antient Philofophy, and confequently of the Philofophy of Mind, 

 and obferving furprifing operations of Body by itleif, as they 

 think, come at laft to be perfuaded, that there is nothing elfe 

 in the Univerfe but Body ; and that the inherent Powers of Body, 

 or the Fires Infitae^ are fufficient to account for all the phaeno- 

 mena of Nature. There have been very few among us hitherto, 

 that have carried Materialifm the full length. But, if we believe 

 that Man is a machine, as Dr. Prieflley, and the Abbe Prade 

 do, and that our whole Solar Syftem is nothing but a Machine,, 

 where can we flop ? It is but one ftep farther, and, I think, not a 

 ftride, to believe that there is nothing but Matter and Mechanifm in 

 the Univerfe. 



I doubt it is the propenfity of our modern Philofophy to Mecha- 

 nifm, that has contributed to make firfl the philofophy of Des Cartes, 

 and then that of Sir Ifaac Newton, fo eagerly embraced all over 

 Europe. That Des Cartes's philofophy is entirely of the mechanical 

 kind, cannot, I think, be denied : But I hope I have fhown, that 

 Sir Ifaac's Aftronomy can be fupported, without any aid from Ma- 

 terialifm ; 



Non tall Auxil'io nee defenforihits ijl'is 



Caufa egli 



And 

 ♦ Vol.1, p. 239. Where I have given a pretty full account of their philofophy, 

 which agrees wonderfully with the Antient Philofophy, 



