1*78 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



death to a new state of sentient existence, because 

 the old organization is apparently dissolved. But 

 I do not see that any impracticability need be ap- 

 prehended even by these ; or that the change, even 

 upon their hypothesis, is far removeH from the an- 

 alogy of some other operations which we know 

 with certainty that the Deity is carrying on. In 

 the ordinary derivation of plants and animals from 

 one another, a particle, in many cases, minuter 

 than all assignable, all conceivable dimension — an 

 aura, an effluvium, an infinitesimal — determines 

 the organization of a future body : does no less 

 than fix, whether that which is about to be pro- 

 duced shall be a vegetable, a merely sentient, or 

 a rational being ; an oak, a frog, or a philosopher ; 

 makes all these differences ; gives to the future 

 body its qualities, and nature, and species. And 

 this particle, from which springs, and by which is 

 determined, a whole future nature, itself proceeds 

 from, and owes its constitution to, a prior body ; 

 nevertheless, which is seen in plants most decisive- 

 ly, the incepted organization, though formed with- 

 in, and through, and by, a preceding organization, 

 is not corrupted by its corruption, or destroyed by 

 its dissolution ; but, on the contrary, is sometimes 

 extricated and developed by those very causes ; 

 survives and comes into action, when the purpose 

 for which it was prepared requires its use. Now 

 an economy which nature has adopted, when the 

 purpose was to transfer an organization from one 

 individual to another, may have something analo- 



