Confequently, the obligation to all thofe virtues that are more immediately derived from that great vital fpring and principle of all virtue, devotion, those which give a fuperiority to the world, a fearlefs integrity, and a noble independence of mind in the practice of our duty, is more strongly felt, and therefore may be fuppofed to take a deeper root in the mind, than upon any other fyftem whatever. In fhort, it is that philofophy which alone fuits the doctrine of the fcriptures, though the writers of them were not philofophers, but had an instruction infinitely fuperior to that of any philofophical school. Every other system of philofophy is difcordant with the fcriptures, and, as far as it lays any hold upon the mind, tends to counteract their influence.

In the laft place, I think it may not be unuseful to obferve, that a distinction ought to be made with respect to the relative importance and mutual fubordination of the different pofitions contended for in this treatise. The principal object is, to prove the uniform compofition of man, or that what we call mind, or the principle of perception and thought, is not a fubftance diftinct from the body, but the refult of corporeal organization; and what I have advanced preliminary to this, concerning the nature of matter, though fubfervient to this argument, is by no means effential to it for whatever matter be, I think I have fufficiently proved that mind is nothing more than a modification of it.

Again, that man is wholly material is eminently fubfervient to the doctrine of the proper, or mere bumanity of Chrift. For, if no man has a foul diftinct from his body, Chrift, who, in all other refpects, appeared as a man, could not have had a foul which had existed before the body; and the

whole doctrine of the pre-existence of fouls (of which the opinion of the pre-existence of Chrift was a branch) will be effectually overturned. But I apprehend that, fhould I have failed in the proof of the materiality of man, arguments enough remain, independent of this, to prove the non pre-existence of Chrift, and of this doctrine hav ing been introduced into christianity from the system of Oriental philofophy.

Lastly, the doctrine of neceffity, maintained in the Appendix, is the immediate refult of the doctrine of the materiality of man; for mechanism is the undoubted confequence of materialisin. But whether man be wholly material or not, I apprehend that proof enough is advanced that every human volition is fubject to certain fixed-laws, and that the pretended felf-determining power is altoge ther imaginary and impoffible.

In fhort, it is my firm perfuafion, that the three doctrines of materialism, of that which is commonly called Socinianifm, and of philofophical neceffity, are equally parts of one fyftem, being equally founded on juft obfervations of nature, and fair deductions from the scriptures; and that whoever fhall duly confider their connexion, and dependence on one another, will find no fufficient confiftency in any general fcheme of principles, that does not comprehend them all. At the fame time each of thefe doctrines ftands on its own independent foundation, and is capable of fuch feparate demonstration, as fubjects of a moral nature require; or admit.

I have advanced what has occurred to me in fupport of all the three parts of this fyftem, confident that, in due time, the truth will bear down before it every oppofing prejudice, how inveterate foever, and gain a firm eftablishment in the minds of all men

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