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understanding. And taking the word in this sense, 

 the mind has no idea of her own operations. For 

 these are originally within us themselves, and so are 

 known by inward consciousness ; not as outward 

 things are, by any similitude of them, conveyed 

 through the senses to the memory. 



SECT. II. 



Of the Idea of Spirits. 



HEN we observe such effects among material 

 things, as we Imow cannot proceed from any in- 

 herent power in them, we necessarily infer, there are 

 some other beings not material which have the power 

 of producing those effects ; though as these beings 

 are imperceptible to our senses, we have no idea of 

 them. 



It has been said, indeed, that we have as clear an 

 idea of spirit, as we have of body : and to prove this, 

 it is said farther, that we conceive thinking, as clearly 

 as we do extension. But what if we did ? A pure 

 spirit, if we speak strictly, does not think at all. 

 Thinking is the property of an imlodied spirit, as re- 

 quiring the concurrence of material ergans, and being 

 accordingly ever performed more or less to advan- 

 tage, as these are better or worse disposed. They 

 are soon relaxed by the labour of thought and atten- 

 tion, and must be constantly wound up anew by rest 

 and. sleep. A distemper puts the whole machine out 



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