350 NATURAL THEOLOaY. 



ture has adopted, when the purpose was to transfer an organ- 

 ization from one individual to another, may have something 

 analogous to it when the purpose is to transmit an organiza- 

 tion from one state of being to another state : and they who 

 found thought in organization may see something in this 

 analogy applicable to their difficulties ; for, whatever can 

 transmit a similarity of organization will answer their pur- 

 pose, because, according even to their own theory, it may 

 be the vehicle of consciousness, and because consciousne.'ss 

 carries identity and individuality along with it through all 

 changes of form or of visible qualities. In the most general 

 case, that, as we have said, of the derivation of plants and 

 animals from one another, the latent organization is either 

 itself similar to the old organization, or has the power of 

 communicating to new matter the old organic form. But it 

 is not restricted to this rule. There are other cases, espe* 

 cially in the progress of insect life, in which the dormant 

 organization does not much resemble that which incloses it, 

 and still less suits with the situation in which the inclosing 

 body is placed, but suits with a different situation to which 

 it is destined. In the larva of the libellula, which lives con- 

 stantly, and has still long to live, under water, are descried 

 the wings of a fly, which two years afterAvards is to mount 

 into the air. Is there nothing in this analogy ? It serves 

 at least to show, that even in the observable course of nature, 

 organizations are formed one beneath another ; and, among 

 a thousand other instances, it shows completely that the 

 Deity can mould and fashion the parts of material nature so 

 as to fullil any purpose whatever which he is pleased to 

 appoint. 



They who refer the operations of mind to a substance 

 totally and essentially different from matter — as most cer- 

 tainly these operations, though aflected by material causes, 

 hold very little affinity to any properties of matter with 

 which we are acquainted — adopt perhaps a juster reasoning 

 and a better philosophy ; and by these the considerations 



