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420 ObjeEHons to the immateridlity

motions were begun anew, which wouldnever make the fame conscious being as be-fore. The soul must be continually generated,with every new respiration, and pulse of theheart; and continually cease to exist , as themotions ceased that caused it. We might aswell fay that every motion of the balance orpendulum of the watch should beget thought:and how these independent thoughts couldbe applied to one subject, or constitute athinking being, is inconceivable (j).

XVIII.

(s) V 7 hat is here said sets the reasons for the imma-teriality of the foul in a new and different light. It isvery absurd that the soul should be successively generatedby every pulse of the heart, or blown up with every re-spiration of the lungs. A power may be inherent in, orbelong to one certain subject; but that a power shouldhe hourly produced by mechanical motion, constantlybegot, constantly die; have no subject to reside in; andbe itself the subject of other powers and capacities, asthe soul of man is, are absurdities not to be parallelled.'This power must then consist of parts, parts infinitelysmall, according to their momentary production :> stwould be a fleeting successive thing; the parts of it in-dependent, which could never make a continued consci-ousness. Such a foul could have no nature, no concep-tion belonging to it: it is as if we should say, Durationisa power, motion is a foul ; or we might say any otherthing we please, provided it be but absurd enough: The

Sceptic