5 1 o Motive and AR'ion in Mcrah different [Book X* 



phyfics *. That fome motive in the mind precedes 

 every human action is certain, and thus far the ana- 

 logy is juft j but the motive may as well be in the will 

 itfelf, as the mere refult of any external caufe. lf> 

 indeed, the analogy was true in all its parts, a human 

 being would be altogether as fubj'icT: to the laws of 

 inert matter as a blockt>f marble or of wood. What- 

 ever is fubjedl to an abfolute neceffity, can never be 

 the incipient caufe, or the beginner of motion or ac- 

 tion of any kind ; it muft be altogether under the 

 command and direction of external objects ; it muft 

 be altogether inert or paflive, having no principle of 

 action in itfelf. On this account, as I before inti- 

 mated, there would be much more uniformity in the 

 actions of men, if they were fubject to a. fatal influ- 

 ence, then there appears to be; there would be no 

 difficulty in deciding what muft be their conduct in 

 any given circumftances. 



A freedom of deliberating, chufmg, and determining 

 upon things, is what every man feels in himfelf f. Ic 



* The arguments by which the atheifts have attempted to prove 

 this analogy, are the moft abfurd and puerile that can well be ima- 

 gined. " Every efFeft," fay they, " muft proceed from fome caufe, 

 and this caufe muft be dependent on another." The direct con- 

 clunon from this is *' that there is no where any origin or be- 

 ginning of motion, but every thing is neceffarily produced by an 

 eternal chain of caufcfc and effects, without any independent ori- 

 gin." Such reafoning as this exaftly refembles that of the Indian, 

 who fuppofes the earth to reft on a crocodile, the erocodile on an 

 elephant but what does the elephant reft on ? In fadr, to com- 

 pare the operations of the mind to any of the qualities of matter, 

 is to compare, as Dr. Clarke obferves, a fquare to the colour of 

 blue, or a triangle to a found. It is like the blind man, who being 

 afked what idea he had of fcarlet, faid, he fancied it muft be 

 fomething like the found of a drum. 



f " As it is in the motions of the body, fo it is in the thoughts 

 of our minds ; where any one is fuch, that we have power to taka 



