INTRODUCTION. XXXI 



evil and the beginning of that eternal sab- 

 bath which remaineth for the people of God 

 in the heavenly kingdom of Christ : thought 

 that can not only take these flights, and ex- 

 ercise herself in these heavenly musings ; but 

 accompanied as she is, in our favoured race, 

 with the gift of speech can reason upon them 

 with a fellow mind, and by such discussion 

 often elicit sparks of truth, that may be useful 

 to enlighten mankind. Who can believe that 

 such a faculty, so divine and god-like and 

 spiritual, can be the mere result of organi- 

 zation? That any juxta-position of material 

 molecules, of whatever nature, from whatever 

 source derived, in whatever order and form 

 arranged, and wherever placed, could generate 

 thought, and reflexion, and reasoning powers ; 

 could acquire and store up ideas and notions 

 as well concerning metaphysical as physical 

 essences may as safely be pronounced impos- 

 sible, as that matter and spirit should be 

 homogeneous. Though the intellectual part 

 acts by the brain and nerves, yet the brain 

 and nerves, however ample, however de- 

 veloped, are not the intellect, nor an intel- 

 lectual substance, but only its instrument, 

 fitted for the passage of the prime messenger 



