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PART that the Deftruction of several of the Organs and Inftruments of Perception and of Motion belonging to them, is not their Destruction; fhows demonftratively, that there is no Ground to think that the Diffolution of any other Matter, or Deftruction of any other Organs and Inftruments, will be the Diffolution or Deftruction of living Agents, from the like Kind of Relation. And we have no Reafon to think we ftand in any other Kind of Relation to any thing which we find diffolved by Death.

But it is faid these Obfervations are equally applicable to Brutes: and it is thought an infuperable Difficulty, that they fhould be immortal, and by confequence capable of everlafting Happiness. Now this Manner of Expreffion is both invidious and weak: but the thing intended by it, is really no Difficulty at all, either in the way of natural or moral Confideration. For it. Suppose the invidious Thing, defigned in fuch a Manner of Expreffion, were really implied, as it is not in the leaft, in the natural Immortality of Brutes; namely, that they must arrive at great Attainments, and become rational and moral Agents; even this would be no Difficulty: fince we know not what latent Powers and Capacities they may be endued with. There was once, prior to Experience, as great Pre

fumption

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fumption against human Creatures, as there is CHAP. against the brute Creatures, arriving at that Degree of Understanding, which we have in mature Age. For we can trace up our own Existence to the fame Original with Theirs. And we find it to be a general Law of Nature, that Creatures endued with Capacities of Virtue and Religion, fhould be placed in a Condition of Being, in which they are altogether without the Ufe of Them, for a confiderable Length of their Duration; as in Infancy and Childhood. And great Part of the human Species go out of the prefent World, before they come to the Exercise of these Capacities in any Degree at all. But then 2dly. The natural Immortality of Brutes, does not in the least imply, that they are endued with any latent Capacities of a rational or moral Nature. And the Oeconomy of the Universe might require, that there fhould be living Creatures without any Capacities of this Kind. And all Difficulties as to the Manner how they are to be difpofed of, are so apparently and wholly founded in our Ignorance, that it is wonderful they should be infifted upon by any, but fuch as are weak enough to think they are acquainted with the whole System of Things. There is then abfolutely nothing at all in this Objection, which is fo rhetorically urged, against the greatest Part of the natural Proofs or Pre

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fumptions

PART fumptions of the Immortality of human I. Minds: I fay the greatest Part; for it is lefs applicable to the following Obfervation, which is more peculiar to Mankind :

III. That as it is evident our prefent Powers and Capacities of Reason, Memory, and Affection, do not depend upon our grofs Body in the Manner in which Perception by our Organs of Senfe does; fo they do not appear to depend upon it at all in any fuch Manner, as to give Ground to think, that the Diffolution of this Body, will be the Destruction of these our prefent Powers of Reflection, as it will of our Powers of Senfation or to give Ground to conclude, even that it will be fo much as a Sufpenfion of the former.

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Human Creatures exift at prefent in two States of Life and Perception, greatly different from each other; each of which has its own peculiar Laws, and its own peculiar Enjoyments and Sufferings. When any of our Senfes are affected or Appetites gratified with the Objects of Them, we may be faid to exift or live in a State of Senfation. When none of our Senses are affected or Appetites gratified, and yet we perceive and reafon and act; we may be faid to exift or live in a State of Reflection. Now it is by no means cer

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tain, that any thing which is diffolved by CHAP. Death, is any way neceffary to the living Being in this its State of Reflection, after Ideas are gained. For, though from our prefent Conftitution and Condition of Being, our external Organs of Sense are neceffary for conveying in Ideas to our reflecting Powers, as Carriages and Leavers and Scaffolds are in Architecture yet when these Ideas are brought in, we are capable of reflecting in the most intense Degree, and of enjoying the greatest Pleasure, and feeling the greatest Pain, by Means of that Reflection, without any Afliftance from our Senfes; and without any at all, which we know of, from that Body, which will be diffolved by Death. It does not appear then, that the Relation of this grofs Body to the reflecting Being, is, in any Degree, neceffary to Thinking; to our intellectual Enjoyments or Sufferings: nor confequently, that the Diffolution or Alienation of the former by Death, will be the Destruction of those present Powers, which render us capable of this State of Reflection. Further, there are Inftances of mortal Diseases, which do not at all affect our present intellectual Powers; and this affords a Prefumption, that those Diseases will not deftroy these prefent Powers. Indeed, from the Obfervations made above, it appears, that there is no

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PART Prefumption, from their mutually affecting each other, that the Diffolution of the Body is the Destruction of the living Agent. And by the fame Reasoning, it must appear too, that there is no Prefumption, from their mu tually affecting each other, that the Diffolution of the Body is the Destruction of our prefent reflecting Powers; But Inftances of their not affecting each other, afford a Prefumption of the contrary. Inftances of mortal Dif eases not impairing our prefent reflecting Powers, evidently turn our Thoughts even from imagining fuch Diseases to be the Destruction of them. Several Things indeed greatly affect all our living Powers, and at length fufpend the Exercise of them; as for Inftance Drowfinefs, increafing till it ends in found Sleep and from hence we might have ima gined it would deftroy them, till we found by Experience the Weakness of this Way of judging. But in the Diseases now mentioned, there is not fo much as this Shadow of Pro bability, to lead us to any fuch Conclufion, as to the reflecting Powers which we have at prefent. For in thofe Difeafés, Perfons the Moment before Death appear to be in the highest Vigour of Life, They difcover Apprehenfion, Memory, Reafon, all entire; with the utmoft Force of Affection; Sense of a Character, of Shame and Honour; and the highest mental Enjoyments and Sufferings,