S9 6 NEW ESSAYS 



against me when I go a step further and say, God may 

 give to matter thought, reason and volition, as if that 

 were to destroy the essence of matter. But to make 

 good this assertion they say that thought and reason are 

 not included in the essence of matter ; which proves 

 nothing, for motion and life are just as little included in 

 it. They also urge that we cannot conceive how matter 

 can think ; but our conception is not the measure of God's 

 omnipotency 15 V He afterwards takes as an instance 

 the attraction of matter, on p. 99 1CO , but especially on 

 p. 408 161 , where he speaks of the gravitation of matter 

 towards matter, attributed to Mr. Newton (in words 

 which I have quoted above), declaring that we can never 

 conceive the * how ' of it. This is practically to go back 

 toj>ccult qualities 162 , nay more, to inexplicable qualities. 

 He adds (p. 401) 163 that nothing is more calculated to 

 favour scepticism than to deny what one does not under- 

 stand, and (p. 402 ) 163 that we do not conceive how even 

 the soul thinks. He thinks (p. 403 ) J68 that as the two 

 substances, material and immaterial, can be conceived 

 in their bare essence without any activity, it is in the 

 power of God to give to the one or the other the power 

 of thinking. And he endeavours to take advantage of 

 the admission of his opponent, who attributed sense 

 [sentiment] to the lower animals, but did not attribute 

 to them any immaterial substance l6 *. He maintains that 

 liberty and self-consciousness [la consciosite] (p. 408 ) It6 , 

 and the power of making abstractions (p. 40p) 16& can 



159 Cf. Essay, Eraser's ed., vol. ii. p. 240 note. 



160 All the. texts give '99,' which seems to be a slip for '399.' 

 Works (ed. 1823), iv. 463 sqq. ; Bohn's ed., ii. 392 sqq. 



161 Works (ed. 1823), iv. 467 ; Bohn's ed., ii. 395. 



162 The qualitates occultae of the Scholastics. See Introduction, 

 Part iv. p. 156. 



163 Works (ed. 1823), iv. 463; Bohn's ed., ii. 392. Cf. Essay, 

 Eraser's ed., vol. ii. p. 194 note. 



16* Works, iv. 466 ; Bohn's ed., ii. 394. 

 165 Works, iv. 468 ; Bohn's ed., ii. 395. 



