ble combination of the elementary parts of matter, however diversified, and extended, can produce a result which is immaterial, or which is destitute of the properties, and qualities of matter; so no reduction of compound bodies can be carried beyond the elementary forms out of which, or by which, they were produced. Equally and necessarily circumscribed, and limited, are the operations of the mind, with its own ideas, whether derived from sensation, or reflection. I say, or reflection; for the mind having received the ideas of sensation from without, by external impression, when it turns its view inward upon itself, and observes its own actions upon those ideas it has from sensation, it takes from them other ideas which are as capable of becoming objects of its contemplation as any of those it received from foreign: things; these are called ideas of reflection. Hence the ideas of reflection are formed by the attention the mind pays to its own operations upon the ideas of sensation; as for example, the idea of perception, and the idea of willing, we form by reflection, or by turning the attention of the mind to itself when in the act of perceiving a thing, or in the act of willing; in the first instance perception, and volition were produced by, or employed upon, objects of sensation, or ideas produced by it--but neither the ideas of perception or volition, or any other reflex idea, are capable of farther analysis than to the principles already enumerated; and they ascertain no other powers in the mind than those which are employed in their origination and use.. The power of the mind in forming reflex ideas, and the use it makes of them, are all employed in the investigation of mind itself—it is through: them that the mind becomes acquainted with itself; but not so, in its investigations of external things.

1 wish it not to be forgotten, that the ideas of reflection are by a necessity of nature, subsequent to the ideas of sensation, as they are formed by the attention the mind bestows upon its own operations when exercised or employed by the ideas of sensation; and I desire the reader to bear in mind that the ideas of sensation and reflection form the entire limits of our knowledge. These preliminary definitions, and explanations, are all-important to the present inquiry, and I am happy to find that all the logicians, and metaphy.

sical philosophers, whether advocates, or opposers of revealed religion, concur in them.

Section 2.

The powers of the mind exercised upon the objects, and laws of nature, and its own faculties, in order to the discovery of a creation, or a first cause independent of nature, and the failure of such a conclusion, arising from the necessity of things.

I will now, by fair experiment, try whether the powers, and resources of mind can be applied in any way upon nature so as to originate the idea of God without revelation. In order to this, we will suppose that every thing appertaining to Diety is to be discovered, comprehending his existence, name, and attributes. In this inquiry we will make no abatement for the increased energy, and enlarged capaci ty which the mind derived from that culture, and improvement which it acquired in the school of revealed religion; or from that education, which was connected with, and consisted in part of revealed ideas, for the investigation of the present subject. That the mind gains strength by use; by its extension of knowledge, and exercises upon it; that its activity, and resources are multiplied; its inventive powers disciplined, and matured; and what logicians call the analytic, synthetic, and inductive powers (which are the methods, and exercises of right reasoning) are developed, and perfected, must be acknowledged. Yielding all the advantages which the mind derives from revelation itself, in these respects, for opposing its necessity in originating the idea of a God, (except the ideas, and words which it affords not otherwise known,) we will proceed to the inquiry. For the sake of clearness, and certainty, I will lay down the following rules for the direction of the investigation, which I am sure every thinking, and reflecting mind will acknowledge to be correct, and just:

1. To concede nothing that is not self-evident; and to take nothing for granted that ought to be proven.

2. To employ, no more causes in explaining an effect than are obvious, and sufficient.

3. To permit the use of no name or noun-substantive, nor terms expressive of qualities or attributes which are not attached to objects within the ken or apprehension of the mind by sensation or reflection (through their ordinary opérations) agreeably to the former definitions of these terms. 4. To draw no conclusion but what is just, and fairly contained in the premises.

In directing our attention to the various objects which address the senses, and impress the mind through them, we are struck with their great variety, both in appearance, and quality. The sun, moon, and stars, exhibit a splendid, and magnificent scenery to the eye; they are not less remarkable for the order, and harmony of their motions, than necessary to our globe. The earth, with its inhabitants, exhibit a great diversity indeed. These, from their peculiarity of character, are divided into three kingdoms; the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral; and each is marked by a regular gradation of difference, and is partitioned out into orders, genera, and species; governed by definite, and regular laws. Our earth performs regular, diurnal, and annual revolutions, by means of which, day, and night are produced, and the different seasons of the year. The animal, and vegetable orders are stimulated by the solar light, and heat into life, and energy; and when the shade of night comes on, they, for the most part, assume a state of repose, during which period they renovate their strength for the renewed excitements, and exercises of the succeeding day. The annual revolution's of the earth, produce seed time, and harvest; and during the rigours of the winter season, the animal, and vegetable kingdoms, and particularly man, recover from the exhausting influence of the summer heat, and the disease-producing tendencies of the autumnal vapours. The spring, and summer, strew their fruits along as they pass for the nourishment, and health of man, and other animals. The autumn, matures the crops of fruits, and vegetables, reared in the spring, and summer, and replenishes the store-houses of men, and other animals, with the necessary food, until the succeeding year shall renew the supply.

The surplus of the fields, and the foliage of the forests are committed to the earth, to restore its fertility, which the growth of the preceding summer had exhausted. The winter frosts, and snows, and rains, dislodge from the atmosphere the morbid gasses, and diseased particles which were produced by the previous autumnal putrefactions of animal, and vegetable substances, and thereby render animal life more healthy, the air more salubrious, and the earth more prolific.

When we descend from general to particular observations, we find that every order of organized matter, whether animate or inanimate, are undergoing incessant changes by decompositions, and new combinations; exhibiting new properties, proceeding from those changes.

The human race is propagated by parents, whose offspring in its forming state presents scarcely the appearance of life, but which, by the operation of the laws of the animal œconomy, progresses in its strength until a perfect fœtus is evolved; and after having attained suitable strength and size, is ushered into the world complete in miniature. The circulation of the blood is now diverted from its former course; and instead of deriving air through the lungs of the mother, the helpless babe, is obliged to expand its own, by an effort to to relieve a suffocating sensation in its labouring bosom, arising from an accumulation of blood about the heart, and thereby admits the vital current which is now to sustain the life, and warmth of the whole body. The little stranger is for the first time also exposed to the external influence of air upon the body, and of light, and sound upon the eyes, and ears. It advances from this state of infancy to childhood, with a progressive developement of its intellectual powers, proportionate to the growth of the body and senses, and their excitement by external causes. By regular advancements, he reaches the state of manhood, having, in the course of his observation, and experience, acquired the knowledge of the sensible objects which surrounded him. Old age and decay at length come on; and after a few struggles of dissolving nature, he falls into the ground; or is made food of for other animals. Were we to bestow particular attention upon the propagation, progress, and succession of other ani

mals, we should perceive the same progression, and change, differing according to the grade, and economy of their na

ture.

The vegetable kingdom is propagated through the instrumentality of seed or slips; the growths of it have their rise, progress, and decline, regulated by the laws of life peculiar to themselves. If we examine by chymical analysis, we shall find that there are a few elementary principles, which by various combinations, effected by different laws of attraction, form the various objects of sense with which the mind is conversant.

If we attend to the mind's operations, we perceive the exercise of different powers; first, that of perception, by which it sees things addressed to the senses, as well by their immediate impression upon the organs, as through the signs of ideas, or words which have been stipulated by consent, and established by custom; after ideas are thus acquired, the mind has the power of reviving or calling them up again; this power we call memory; it also has the power of comparing two or more ideas together, and deducing a conclusion relative to their agreement or disagreement; this power we call reasoning; it has the further power of combining the ideas previously received, of transposing, augmenting, and diminishing them; this power we call the imagination. In the exercise of all these powers the mind is under an absolute necessity of having something to act upon, not being able to form any idea out of nothing, nor to conceive of any thing but through sensible existence, and its qualities or properties operating upon it. Hence, however variously it may combine, transpose, &c. the ideas it receives from the sensible objects which surround it, it is necessarily limited by the materials thus derived. By combination, it may form new ideas, or produce new associations; it may conceive of a golden apple, or a diamond mountain; in neither of those cases, however, can it be said that the mind has done more than to make a new disposition of the ideas it had previously received. There is no more of a creative power manifested here, than is by a workman, who forms a house with the materials furnished to his hand-nor is there any more power to act independent of materials in the former than in the latter case. No principle is better established