TRANSMUTABLE. 181 



collection of these. Not endowed, therefore, with 

 independent powers, its acts are acts pre-deter- 

 mined for it, in the fundamental arrangement 

 of its entire economy, with a precision and to 

 an extent exactly commensurate with the con- 

 ditions of its existence and welfare. The animal 

 has consequently no field allotted to it for the. 

 exercise of judgment, and can, therefore, commit 

 no error, nor be responsible for any act." 



"In our human economy, on the other hand, 

 we are not only conscious of the material objects 

 which surround us, but we have in addition a 

 consciousness even more vivid of our conscious 

 principle itself. We recognise in our economy, 

 moreover, not only certain capacities and facul- 

 ties, the proper ends, operations, and scope of 

 which are directly pre-determined and arranged, 

 as in the lower animals, for certain requirements; 

 but we are conscious, in addition, of beliefs, ca- 

 pacities, and faculties, the objects of which are 

 indicated, and their operations conditioned and 

 regulated by the laws of the conscious principle 

 itself. In virtue of the endowments of this his 

 higher principle, man is enabled to extend con- 

 tinuously his knowledge of the laws of external 

 nature, and his influence over her. From the 

 same source he derives his consciousness of the 

 law of duty, and of that liberty of action with 

 which it is .associated; hence also, through free 

 knowledge and moral liberty, the unassisted human 

 reason acquires the conviction of a supreme law- 

 giver." -(Edin: New Phil: Journal, Oct., 1859.) 



