inaBivity of Matter, &c. 195

rations that prove the foul immortal and im-material ; but yet when he fays, " That it is" as evident to him, that brutes reason in" some instances, as that they have sense (u)and here takes it for granted, " That it is" but mere matter with fuperadded proper-" ties, that thus reasons,” (though he offersno proof of either of these assertions;) andsince all men suppose the matter of thebrute body finally dissipated at death, thisgives an ignorant sceptic courage to affirmthat it may be so with the human foul.Why should we maintain a point gratis , andbarely for maintaining’s fake; as here Mr.Locke allows the foul is immaterial, but con-tends it might have been material; why, Ifay, should we maintain a point gratis> thathath a bad tendency? Were all other argu-ments wanting, this itself would be one a-gainst it. No truth by being known couldhave a bad effect on the minds and lives ofmen: and contrarily, what will always havea bad effect on the minds and lives of men,will have strong probability at least againstits being truth, supposing no argument couldbe brought for or against it.

(u) Book 2 . chap. 11. sect. n,

O 2

XXXI.