540 



APPENDIX. 



principle, as I have laid, of all life and animation in the creation, 

 is that mind, which animates all bodies organized and unorganized, 

 and even the elements ; and tui,s may be reckoned the highefl; genus 

 of this kind of being. The next mofl general idea of this clafs, is 

 that which animates only bodies organized, fuch as vegetables, 

 which may be faid to conftitute another general idea, but lefs gene- 

 ral than the firfl I have.mcntioned. The third general idea is that, 

 from which proceed the feveral minds that animate fenfitive beings 

 i'uch as animals. 



Of the animal and vegetable minds, there are many different gc- 

 nufes and fpeciefes, which are well known to naturalifts : And all I 

 fhali fay of them here, is, that every genus of animal or vegetable, 

 is a general idea, comprehending under it all the feveral fpeciefes 

 of animal or vegetable j and thefe fpeciefes are likewife ideas, but 

 lefs general, containing only individuals of the animal or vegetable 

 kind. But as nothing in nature can exift without mind, not even 

 individuals, all the genufes and fpeciefes of animals and vegetables 

 are general ideas, or minds, producing more particular ideas of fpe- 

 ciefes or individuals. 



And in this way I think I have fhown, that the univerfe, befides 

 the particular fyftems which it contains, is in itfelf the mofl: com- 

 pleat fyftem that can be imagined, proceeding altogether, as we mufl 

 fuppofe the univerfe and every thing in it to proceed, from minds, 

 that is from ideas more or lefs general or particular. And in this 

 way I think, that, with what 1 have faid in the preceding volume 

 above referred to, I have proved that Plato's fyftem of ideas is the 

 true fyftem of the univerfe, by which every thing is derived from 

 the firft caufe in the moll regular order, beginning with ideas or 

 minds, which are the mofl natural production from mind ; nor in- 

 deed can we fuppofe any other immediate produftion from the Su- 

 preme 



