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particle of matter has length, breadth, and thickness. Figure in the fame manner enters into the conception of every particle of matter; because every particle of matter is bounded. By the power of abstraction, figure may be conceived independent of the body that is figured; and extenfion may be conceived independent of the body that is extended. These particulars are abundantly plain and obvious; and yet obferve what a heap of jargon is employ'd by the followers of Leibnitz, in their fruitless endeavours to define extenfion. They begin with fimple exiftences, which they fay are unextended, and without parts. According to that definition, fimple existences cannot belong to matter, because the fmalleft particle of matter has both parts and extenfion. But to let that país, they endeavour to show as follows, how the idea of extenfion arifes from these fimple existences. " We

may look upon fimple existences, as ha"ving mutual relations with refpect to "their internal state: relations that form

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a certain order in their manner of exiftAnd this order or arrangement ence.

"of things, coexifting and linked toge

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“ther but so as we do not diftinctly un "derstand how, caufes in usa confuled "idea, from whence arifes the appearance "of extenfion") A Peripatetic philofopher being vafked, What fort of things the fenfible fpecies of Aristotle are, anfwered, That they are neither entities, nor nonentities, but fomething intermediate between the two. The famous aftronomer Ifmael Buliaddus lays down the following propo-, fition, and attempts a mathematical demonftration of it, "That light is a mean>proportional between corporeal: fub"tance and incorporeal." nodnsis saf

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clofe with a curious fort of reafoning, fo fingular indeed as not to come under any of the foregoing heads. The firft editions of the latest verfion of the Bible into English, have the following preface, "Another thing we think good to admo"nifh thee of, gentle reader, that we have "not tied ourfelves to an uniformity of “phrafing, or to an identity of words, "as fome peradventure would with that "we had done, because they observe, that "fome learned men fomewhere have been "ras exact as they could be that way. Truly, "that we might not vary from the fenfe

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of

of that which we have tranflated before, "if the word fignified the fame in both places, (for there be fome words that "be not of the fame fenfe every where),

we were especially careful, and made a confcience according to our duty. But that we should exprefs the fame notion "in the fame particular word; as, for "example, if we tranflate the Hebrew or "Greek word once by purpose, never to "call it intent; if one where journeying, never travelling; if one where think,

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never fuppofe; if one where pain, never ache; if one where joy, never gladness, "&c.; thus to mince the matter, we 46 thought to favour more of curiosity than wifdom, and that rather it would breed "fcorn in the Atheist, than bring profit

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to the godly reader. For is the king"dom of God become words or fyllables? "Why fhould we be in bondage to them, "if we may be free; ufe one precifely, "when we may ufe another, no lefs fit, as commodiously? We might alfo be

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charged by fcoffers, with fome unequal "dealing toward a great number of good "English words. For as it is written by

a certain great philofopher, that he

"fhould

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"fhould fay, that thofe logs were happy "that were made images to be worship

ped; for their fellows, as good as they, (c lay for blocks behind the fire: fo if we "fhould fay, as it were, unto certain

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words, Stand up higher, have a place

in the Bible always; and to others of "like quality, Get ye hence, be banished "for ever, we might be taxed peradven

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ture with St James his words, namely,

to be partial in ourselves, and judges of " evil thoughts." Quæritur, Can, this tranflation be fafely rely'd on as the rule of faith, when fuch are the tranflators?

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APPENDIX.

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IN reviewing the foregoing sketch, it occurred, that a fair analysis of Aristotle's logic, would be a valuable addition to the historical branch. ́. A distinct and candid account of a system that for many ages governed the reasoning part of mankind, cannot but be acceptable to the public. Curiofity will be gratified, in feeing a phantom delineated that fo long fascinated the learned world; a phantom, which fhows infinite genius, but like the ругаmids of Egypt or hanging gardens of Babylon, is abfolutely ufelefs unless for raifing wonder. Dr Reid, profeffor of moral philosophy in the college of Glasgow, relifhed the thought; and his friendship to me prevailed on him, after much folicitation, to undertake the laborious task. No man is better acquainted with Ariftotle's writings; and, without any enthufiaftic attachment, he holds that philofopher to be a first-rate genius.

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