in the whole Field of Contemplation, more apt to fill a Man's Mind with Great and Sublime Ideas, with Divine and Angelick Speculations. How Noble and Rational a Notion does it give us of the Beatifick Vifion, which it makes to confift in a clear Intellectual View of that Eternal Mind, who comprehends all Truth in his Omniform Effence; in whom the uncreated Ideas of all things, eternally shine forth with an unclouded Splendor; who in his Infinite Effence, as in a bright Intelligible Mirrour, beholds, in One Comprehenfive View, the whole Actuality, and even Poffibility of Being; who is eternally Happy in the fole Contemplation of Himself; and the Vition of whom is truly Beatifick to all created Minds; who, as He cannot but be fufficient for the Will, as containing all Good, is likewife an Object no lefs fatisfactory and filling to the Understanding, as containing all Truth and all that is Intelligible. How Glorious and Happy, according to thefe Principles, muft the State of an Angel or separate Spirit be; who is admitted to drink at the SpringHead of Truth, and to quench his Intellectual Thirst with the living Streams of Eternal Wisdom! What fervent Defires, what ardent Afpirations, does this faint Glimpfe of the Happiness of the feparate State excite in the Soul, after the full and compleat Poffeffion and Enjoyment of it? How does She long to have this grofs Medium of her Mortal Body remov'd, that fo She may without a Veil, with a fixt and attentive Eye, contemplate the naked Beauty of Original Truth and Wisdom? O Wifdom! how boundless are thy Treasures? how inexhaustible thy Stores? who doft afford fufficient Matter for the eternal Contemplation of an Infinite Mind; and whofe pure Fountains perpetually 'tually quench the Thirft of the whole Intelligent Creation, without being in the leaft diminish'd. How fhou'd we be tranfported with thy Divine Beauties? how ravish'd with thy Charms, if those thick Films of Mortality, which now, like Clouds, intercept the Rays, and conceal thee from our Sight, were once remov'd; and we admitted to a clear and open Vifion of thee? Thou wou'dst so attract and employ all our Thoughts, that outward Objects wou'd be difregarded by us. Thus Separate Minds and Unembodied Spirits contemplate and enjoy thee. No fenfible Impreffions difturb their deep attentive Meditations. No heavy Mafs of ill-organiz'd Matter clogs and depreffes their Minds, and reftrains the Native Energy of their Thoughts; but free and unconfin'd as Air, active and nimble as Light, they apply their fagacious Minds to the Contemplation of Truth, without Satiety or Wearinefs. Nor are they, like us, confin'd to a certain Sett of Ideas, a particular Inclofure of Knowledge, fo much only as is neceffary for us in our prefent State; but are fuffer'd to range at large and without Reftraint in the Intellectual World; to expatiate freely in the infinite Regions of Truth, and to felect what Objects they please for their Contemplation. Thus you fee what excellent Matter this Theory affords for the most exalted Speculations; which was the third and laft Particular I propos'd to illuftrate. Upon the whole, I think I may juftly conclude, That Mr. Norris's Theory of the Ideal World, (how extravagant and enthufiaftick foever his Notions may appear to those, who have not been converfant in Metaphyfical Enquiries,) is really an admirable Performance; as being in refpect either of the Certainty, Usefulness, or Dignity of the Subject, fcarce fcarce inferior to any other. His Thoughts are Great and Sublime, yet Eafy and Perfpicuous; his Fancy is Beautiful and Entertaining; and his Way of Reasoning, for the most part, Juit and Exact. I am, Your fincere Friend and Servant, H. NEEDLER. SIR, To Mr. D. Portsmouth, November 20, 1711. Have been of late fo afflicted with a Pain in my Head, (which ftill continues, tho' not fo violent as it was,) that I was utterly uncapable of making my Returns as ufual; which Failure therefore I hope you will excufe. I have nothing now to prefent you with, but a fhort Hymn which I writ during my Illness. I. Why art thou thus with Grief oppreft, What anxious Fears difturb thy Reft, II. Let chearful Hope, with dawning Light, And And from thy Breaft, with fudden Flight, III. Lift up thine Eyes: Above, behold! IV. Let not the Weight of prefent Ill To impious Doubts thy Thoughts incline, V. To all thy Pray'rs and fecret Sighs VI. He, when as yet thou Nothing wert, And with a Father's Kindness lov'd. VII. The Fulness of his Joy Supreme I am, SIR, Tour fincere bumble Servant, H. NEEDLER. Το I To Mr. D. Dear SIR, Portsmouth, December 3, 1711. Have always thought the many Instances and Tokens of Reafon and Defign, which are commonly obferv'd in the Actions and Behaviour of Brutes, fufficient to refute the Cartefian Opinion of their merely Mechanical Nature. And I have been lately confirm'd in my Oppofition to that Notion, by the odd Humour of a Horse, which formerly work'd in this Yard; who wou'd labour very diligently, 'till he heard the twelve-a-clock Bell ring; But after that, nothing cou'd prevail with him to proceed. As if he thought, he had then perform'd his due Task, and was refolv'd not to be impos'd upon. For my Part, when I confider this, and fuchlike Actions of Brutes, I cannot but attribute to them fome Degree of Knowledge and Reason. My Friend H is of Opinion, that they are Men in Difguife, like the Companions of Ulyffes enchanted by Circe; That their Souls are originally and intrinfically as perfect and excellent as ours; and that all the Difference between us and them, arifes merely from the difadvantageous Organization of their Bodies, which are not fo well difpos'd to affift their Souls in their Intellectual Operations, as ours. So that, according to him, if the Soul of Socrates had been lodg'd in a Hog, instead of a human Body, it wou'd never have arriv'd at any Attainments beyond those of its Fellow-Animals. This was likewife the Opinion of the Ancient Pythagoreans and |