4*4 ObjeEUons to the immateriality

" tion: because when these motions are stops,* c life and perceptivity cease; and whenever“ they are recovered, life and sense return" again. Or if the foul were really a di-" stinct living being, how can we imagine" that it would linger , and stay in a body" as good as dead; and not rather fly awayimmediately ?" This objection directly ar-gues for the possibility of a contradiction ;That matter may arise to the perfection ofthought, reason, and self-motion, by beingmoved mechanically. But I argue thus withthe objectors. Matter may rife to thought,reason , andself-movency , without being movedat all , or without any cause ; and that allmatter may become living and thinking , with-out any reason. This is my argument; andif they can find any medium to prove it ab-surd, they will have answered their own ob-jection. For if they fay it is perfectly ab-surd, that any effect should be without allcause ; I own it, and apply it to reason, spon-taneous motion , and life , which in their ob-jection are effected absolutely without allcause; fince, as has been said above, thecause assigned is as void of power to eff e< ^

these, as the absolute negation of all cause

is.