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THUS far I have prosecuted the Platonick Doctrine of the SOUL; so that even by This, the gross Opinion of such as deny the Existence of so divine a Spark in Man, may be confuted.

AND this being sufficient for that purpose, I need not introduce any Christian Arguments to second it; which, however important, are commonly deem’d light by an obstinate Sett of Men. Wherefore I shall only add, that from the Disparity of Manners, Affections, Dispositions, Capacities, Judgments, Opinions, and Passions of Men, it appears most probable and evident, that every one of us is individually indued with a Soul, and that with a proper Soul, peculiar to our respective Bodies, according to the wise Proverb; So many Men, so many Minds: as well as Horace’s^[2] Saying,

“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum.

——And Persius^[3] says,

“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;

“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno.

TO which Assertion the great Prophet David assents, in that God fashioned and made the Hearts and Minds of Men one by one, enduing them with peculiar Dispositions, and assigning every Soul its proper natural Conditions. Hence Solomon^[4] says, I was a witty Child, and had a good Spirit; yea, rather being good, I came into a Body undefiled: That is, adapted to the Disposition of his SOUL. As we see some Torches or Candles burn brighter, and some Fuel cast more Heat and Light than others; so the Splendour of every SOUL shines in a different way, and produces different Distinctions of Minds: as is evident in Youths, who (however accurately taught, and painfully instructed) are not equally capable of learning Arts, Discipline, or any sort of Erudition.