of active property, which actually operates, and alfo the matter or body poffeffed of paffive property whereon the agent operated, or the material of which the thing is made or produced.—The fubject part of a mental cause is some thought or thoughts poffeffed of active property, which actually operates; and fome thought or thoughts poffeffed of paffive property on which the former operated, or which becomes the fubject of influence.

Secondly, Power comes next in order to confideration as effential to a caufe. Power, we have confidered coexiftent with, or the immediate result of ability, capacity, and opportunity. Now ability, capacity, and opportunity, are essential to the existence of a caufe, whether material or mental.

In a material caufe, ability in the agent, capacity in the patient, and opportunity to both.

In a mental caufe, ability in thought under one modification; capacity in thought under another modification; and opportunity to both. Or ability in a fenfation, perception, conception, or notion; capacity in the mind and its thinking ; with opportunity to both.

Some have confidered what I call fuitable circumftances, opportunity and occafion, as itself a caufe. This I conceive to be inconfiftent; they haye farther added, it is that, which removes obftructions. But they feem to forget that remov

ing obftructions, must have a cause confifting of all that is requifite to a cause. And that opportunity is itself the partial caufe, in that cafe, of opportunity.

I grant, however, in regard of the effect, that when an intelligent being is remotely confidered as concurring to the existence of opportunity or occafion, that although he be not the agent yet he truly fuffers, admits or permits all efficiency which is consequent of opportunity.

Some on the other hand may tell me that time, place, pofition, junction, &c. are but circumftances of events that come to pass, and not essential to the causes of these events, or of being as they are. As I am perfuaded fuch language muft arise from an inadequate notion of a cause, I must beg leave to recommend a reviewal of the fubject, and to remind them that fuitable circumftances which compofe opportunity and occafion, are effential to the existence of power, and confequently of every cause. Turn your thoughts to Alexander, Cæfar, or Cromwell, admit for the present their conquefts were laudable. Without fuitable circumftances, power would not have existed, their ambitious aims would not have been gratified, or the revolutions which attended their endeavours effected.-Had Charles the Twelfth, of Sweden, been in the circumftances of Alexander, no doubt fuch were his ambition and cou

rage,

rage, that he would like him have conquered the known parts of the world.

I am not difpofed to refolve all fecond caufes into what fome will call occafional or inftrumental ones; yet permit me to declare, that it is my fixed judgment, that all efficiency strictly conceived, together with whatever is effential to it, depends, not only originally, but conftantly, on the vital effence or spirit of God.

Thirdly, The operation part. Operation has been already attended to, and some known operations noticed, fuch as cutting, scraping, building, distilling, brewing, purging, &c. respecting matter, and comparing, abftracting, generalizing, judging, refpecting mind. It was observed, that numerous operations refpecting both matter and mind, do evidently exift of which we have no direct conception, and to fome of which we have given no name.

has been attended to.

Fourthly, The influence part. Influence also The influence part of a cause, is the modes of the new, or the continued exiftence, that is to fay, abstractly conceived, the effect.

The influence part of a material cause is the change in modes refulting from the operation of matter on matter: And in cafe of abiding and enduring, it is the continuation of former modes in oppofition to exchange. In other words, the influence part of a material caufe is the fenfible

corporal

corporal effect. The influence part of a mental cause respects the new ideas or modifications arifing in the object of contemplation, or the continuation of the former affemblage in cafes of abiding and enduring. Or otherwise expressed, It is that which determinates the fenfation, conception, idea, notion, or affection, as an effect, to be this or that, and diftinguishes it from every thing elfe.

So much for the firft divificn of a caufe, but, Secondly, A caufe admits of a divifion into two parts, namely, the active part, and the paffive part. This divifion is of great utility as being strictly natural, and much conducive to facility of fpeech.

The active part of a caufe includes relative ability in fome object with the addition of actual operation and actual efficiency.

The paffive part of a caufe, is the fubject, its capacity, and the actual influence it fuftains.

I before faid, that material causes are those which respect matter. I now add, That a material caufe is that, which produces a fenfible corporal effect, and that which produces its effect by a material virtue. I faid, that mental causes are thofe which refpect mind; I now add, that a mental cause is that which produces a real effect in mind, or it is that which affects understanding, affection, or determination of mind.

As two fubjects of properties are effential to

every

every cause, and one may be material and the other mental, we may confiftently add mixed, as a third kind of caufes. Mixed causes, are causes to which both matter and mind are effential. These are of two claffes. First, Thofe which respect bodily fenfation; and fecondly, Thofe which regard the communication of motion by endeavour.

:

Of the first class, The fubject part is some material objects, more particularly, an organ of senfation, and an object of sense, in respect of active property And also the mind, in respect of paffive property.—The mind of a man, the subject of fenfation and paffion, through an organized body, on the organs of fenfation of which the mind depends for the origin of thinking itself. The power part implies ability in external objects, the bodily organs of fenfe, the nerves and the inftincts of the body.-It also implies capacity in the mind to which also we rightly add opportunity, without which no power in this respect can exift.Of the operation part I can form no idea, but fome have called it impreffing.-To the influence part we apply the terms feeing, hearing, fmelling, tafting, and feeling, and in general perceiving.

Of the fecond clafs of mixed caufes, or those which refpect communication of motion, or reft by endeavour of mind. The fubject part is the mind and its thinking and alfo the body, more

particularly