THE SYNTHETICAL METHOD. 483 



animal kingdom, and which is material. 3. A rational 

 immaterial and immortal soul, in whicli the intellect and 

 will are conceived to be seated, and which is peculiar to 

 men and angels. Now the consequence of admitting that 

 any sensitive principle can be material, has already been 

 seen ; and it was in order to avoid it, I suppose, that a 

 new version of this unauthorized compound of Alexan- 

 drian philosophy, and Jewish tradition, was devised. 

 Whether this new version be more satisfactory, it is for 

 the reader to determine from the following abstract. For 

 my part, I shall be sorry if it cannot be doubted without 

 incurring the charge of heresy. 



Man, as we are now told, has three lives, viz. the life of 

 vegetation ; the life of volition ; and the life of understand- 

 ing. These are termed three decrees distinct in themselves. 

 I trust, however, that species are meant, as it savours rather 

 strongly of materialism, to make the understanding a de- 

 gree of material life ; we shall therefore consider them as 

 distinct species. We easily discern, that the chief alter- 

 ation that has been here made on Locke's system, consists 

 in the sensitive soul being furnished with will. It is, how- 

 ever, besides, made immaterial and mortal ; so that each 

 man has two distinct species of immaterial beings in him, a 

 mortal and an immortal being. It is not specified how this 

 squares with Mr. Locke's notions of identity ; indeed ne 

 ver was the unity of the sentient principle more distinctly 

 denied. But we are also told, that while the plant is en- 

 dowed with organic life alone, the animal enjoys the life 

 of voUtion. " It is this," we are informed, " which gives 

 it the power of voluntary motion, of sensation, perception, 

 and of that sagacity which, though it may sometimes rise 

 to a very high degree, is nevertheless totally distinct fronj 



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