but only in their relative capacity, and for the sake of those things whereof they are figns, it comes to pass, that the mind often overlooks them, fo as to carry its attention immediately on to the things fignified. Thus, for example, in reading, we run over the characters with the flighteft regard, and pass on to the meaning. Hence it is frequent for men to fay, they fee words, and notions, and things, in reading a book: whereas, in ftrictness, they see only the characters, which fuggeft words, notions, and things. And, by parity of reason, may we not fuppofe, that men, not refting in, but overlooking the immediate and proper objects of fight, as in their own nature of small moment, carry their attention onward to the very thing fignified, and talk as if they faw the secondary objects ? which, in truth and strictness, are not feen, but only fuggefted and apprehended by means of the proper objects of fight, which alone are seen.

ALC.-To speak my mind freely, this differtation grows tedious, and runs into points too dry and minute for a gentleman's attention.

I thought, faid Crito, we had been told, the Minute Philofophers loved to confider things closely and minutely.

ALC.-That is true, but in fo polite an age, who would be a mere philosopher? There is a certain fcholaftic accuracy, which ill fuits the freedom and ease of a well-bred But, to cut fhort this chicane, I propound it fairly to your own confcience, whether you really think that God himself speaks every day, and in every place, to the eyes of all men?

man.

EUPH. That is really, and in truth, my opinion: and it should be yours too, if you are consistent with yourself, and abide by your own definition of language. Since you cannot deny, that the great mover and author of naturę conftantly explaineth himself to the eyes of men, by the fenfible intervention of arbitrary figns, which have no fimilitude, or connexion, with the things fignified; fo as by

compounding and difpofing them, to suggest and exhibit an endless variety of objects, differing in nature, time, and place, thereby informing and directing men how to act with refpect to things diftant and future, as well as near and prefent. In confequence, I fay, of your own fentiments and conceffions, you have as much reason to think, the Universal Agent, or God, fpeaks to your eyes, as you can have for thinking any particular person speaks to your

ears.

ALC.-I cannot help thinking, that fome fallacy runs throughout this whole ratiocination, though perhaps I may not readily point it out. It seems to me, that every other fenfe may as well be deemed a language as that of vifion. Smells and taste, for inftance, are figns that inform us of other qualities, to which they have neither likeness nor neceffary connexion.

EUPH.-That they are figns is certain, as also that language, and all other figns, agree in the general nature of fign, or fo far forth as figns. But it is as certain that all figns are not language; not even all fignificant founds, fuch as the natural cries of animals, or the inarticulate founds and interjections of men. It is the articulation, combination, variety, copiousness, extensive and general ufe, and easy application of figns (all which are commonly found in vifion) that conftitute the true nature of language. Other fenfes may indeed furnish figns and yet thofe figns have no more right than inarticulate founds to be thought a language.

ALC.--Hold! let me fee! In language, the figns are arbitrary, are they not?

EUPH.-They are.

ALC.-And consequently, they do not always fuggeft real matters of fact. Whereas, this natural language, as you call it, or these visible figns, do always fuggeft things in the fame uniform way, and have the fame conftant regular connexion with matters of fact: whence it fhould

feem, the connexion was neceffary, and therefore, according to the definition premised, it can be no language. How do you folve this objection?

EUPH.-You may folve it yourfelf, by the help of a picture, or looking-glass.

ALC.---You are in the right. I fee there is nothing in it. I know not what else to say to this opinion more, than that it is so odd and contrary to my way of thinking, that I fhall never affent to it.

XIII. EUPH.----Be pleafed to recollect your own lectures upon prejudice, and apply them in the prefent cafe. Perhaps they may help you to follow where reafon leads, and to fufpect notions which are strongly riveted, without having been ever examined.

And I do

ALC.---I disdain the fufpicion of prejudice. not speak only for myself. I know a club of moft ingenious men, the freeft from prejudice of any men alive, who abhor the notion of a God, and I doubt not, would be very able to untie this knot. Upon which words of Alciphron, I, who had acted the part of an indifferent ftander-by, obferved to him, that it miíbecame his character, and repeated profeffions, to own an' attachment to the judgment, or build upon the prefumed abilities of other men, how ingenious foever: and that this proceeding might encourage his adverfaries to have recourfe to authority, in which, perhaps, they would find their account more than he.

Oh! faid Crito, I have often obferved the conduct of Minute Philofophers. When one of them has got a ring of difciples round him, his method is to exclaim against prejudice, and recommend thinking and reasoning, giving to understand that himself is a man of deep researches and close argument, one who examines impartially, and concludes warily. The fame man, in other company, if he chance

to be preffed with reason, shall laugh at logic, and affume the lazy fupine airs of a fine gentleman, a wit, a railleur, to avoid the drinefs of a regular and exact inquiry. This double face of the Minute Philofopher is of no small use to propagate and maintain his notions. Though to me it feems a plain cafe, that if a fine gentleman will shake off authority, and appeal from religion to reafon, unto reafon he must go: And if he cannot go without leading-strings, furely he had better be led by the authority of the public, than by that of any knot of Minute Philofophers.

ALC.----Gentlemen, this discourse is very irkfome and needlefs. For my part, I am a friend to enquiry. I am willing reafon fhould have its full and free scope. I build on no man's authority. I have no interest in denying a God. Any man may believe, or not believe, a God, as he pleases, for me. But after all, Euphranor muft allow me to ftare a little at his conclufions.

EUPH.---The conclufions are yours as much as mine, for you were led to them by your own conceffions.

XIV.----You, it seems, ftare to find, that God is not far from every one of us; and that in him we live and move and have our being. You, who, in the beginning of this morning's conference, thought it strange, that God fhould leave himself without a witnefs, do now think it strange the witnefs fhould be fo full and clear?

ALC.----I must own I do. I was aware, indeed, of a certain metaphyfical hypothefis, of our feeing all things in God, by the union of the human foul with intelligible fubfiance of the Deity, which neither I, nor any one else could make fenfe of. But I never imagined it could be pretended, that we saw God with our fleshly eyes, as plain as we fee any human perfon whatsoever, and that he daily speaks to our fenfes in a manifest and clear dialect.

CRI.As for that metaphyfical hypothefis, I can make no more of it than you. But I think it plain, this optic

language hath a neceffary connexion with knowledge, wifdom, and goodness. It is equivalent to a conftant creation, betokening an immediate act of power and providence. It cannot be accounted for by mechanical principles, by atoms, attractions, or effluvia. The inftantaneous production and reproduction of so many signs combined, diffolved, transposed, diversified, and adapted to fuch an endless variety of purposes, ever shifting with the occafions, and fuited to them, being utterly inexplicable and unaccountable by the laws of motion, by chance, by fate, or the like blind principles, doth fet forth and testify the immediate operation of a Spirit or thinking Being: and not merely of a Spirit, which every motion or gravitation may poffibly infer, but of one wife, good, and provident Spirit, who directs, and rules, and governs the world. Some philofophers, being convinced of the wisdom and power of the Creator, from the make and contrivance of organized bodies, and orderly fyftem of the world, did nevertheless imagine, that he left this fyftem, with all its parts and contents, well adjusted and put in motion, as an artist leaves a clock, to go thenceforward, of itself, for a certain period. But this visual language proves, not a Creator merely, but a provident Governor, actually and intimately present, and attentive to all our interefts and motions, who watches over our conduct, and takes care of our minutest actions and defigns, throughout the whole course of our lives, informing, admonishing, and directing inceffantly, in a most evident and fenfible manner. This is truly wonderful.

EUPH.---And is it not fo, that men should be encompaffed by fuch a wonder, without reflecting on it?

XV. Something there is of divine and admirable in this language, addreffed to our eyes, that may well awaken the mind, and deferves its utmost attention it is learned with fo little pains; it expreffeth the differences