CONCLUSION. 
297 
in this analogy applicable to their difficulties; for, what¬ 
ever can transmit a similarity of organization will answer 
their purpose, because, according even to their own theory, 
it may be the vehicle of consciousness; and because con¬ 
sciousness 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 organi¬ 
zation 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, especially in the progress of insect life, in 
which the dormant organization does not much resemble 
that which encloses it, and still less suits with the situation 
in which the enclosing body is placed, but suits with a dif¬ 
ferent situation to which it is destined. In the larva of the 
libellula, which lives constantly, and has still long to live, 
under water, are descried the wings of a fly, which two 
years afterwards 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, amongst a thousand other in¬ 
stances, it shows completely, that the Deity can mould and 
fashion the parts of material nature, so as to fulfil any pur¬ 
pose 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 affected by material caus¬ 
es, 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 
above suggested are not wanted, at least in the same de¬ 
gree. But to such as find, which some persons do find, an 
insuperable difficulty in shaking off an adherence to those 
analogies which the corporeal world is continually suggest¬ 
ing to their thoughts ;*to such, I say, every consideration 
will be a relief, which manifests the extent of that intelli¬ 
gent power which is acting in nature, the fruitfulness of 
its resources, the variety, and aptness, and success of its 
means; most especially every consideration which tends to 
show, that, in the translation of a conscious existence, 
there is not, even in their own way of regarding it, any¬ 
thing greatly beyond, or totally unlike, what takes place 
