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since the scale of being advances by such regular steps 

 as high as man, is it not probable, that it still proceeds 

 gradually upwards, through beings of a superior nature I 

 As there is an infinitely greater space between the Su- 

 preme Being and man, than between man and the lowest 

 insect. 



This thought is thus enlarged upon by Mr. Lock : 

 " That there should be more species of intelligent crea- 

 tures above us than there are of sensible and material 

 below us is probable from hence, that in all the visible 

 and corporeal world we see no chasm, no gaps. All 

 quite down from man, the descent is by easy steps: there 

 is a continued series of things that in each remove differ 

 the least that can be conceived from each other* There 

 are fishes that have wings, and are ,not' strangers to the 

 airy regions ; and there are birds which are inhabitants 

 of the waters, whose blood is as cold as that of fishes. 

 There are animals so near a-kin both to birds and beasts 

 that they are in the middle between both. Amphibi- 

 ous animals link the terrestrial and aquatic together. 

 Seals live either on land or in the sea. Porpusses 

 have the warm blood and entrails of a hog. There are 

 brutes that seem to have as much knowledge and reason 

 as some that are called men. Again ; the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms are so closely joined, that between 

 the lowest of the one and the highest of the other, there 

 is scarce any perceptible difference. And if we go on 

 till we come to the lowest and most inorganical parts of 

 matter, we shall find every where that the several 

 species are linked together, and differ in almost insensi- 

 ble degrees. 



" Now, when we consider, on the other hand, the in- 

 finite power and wisdom of the Creator, does it not ap- 

 pear highly suitable to the magnificent harmony of the 

 universe, and the infinite goodness of the architect, that 

 the species of creatures should also, by gentle degrees, 

 ascend upwards from us (as they gradually descend from 

 us downwards), towards his infinite perfection 1 And if 



