DISSERTATION II. 229 as one common principle of action and passion ? And may not what is done or sustained by one spirit, be sometimes attributed to the whole complex being, or sometimes to the other spirit, by reason of their most close and intimate union. The union of the soul and body to make one complex being, that is, a man, which are two things so utterly distinct in their own natures, gives foundation enough for the union of two spirits intoone complex principle of action, since kindred natures maybetter admit of closer union thannatures so exceeding different. V. May not the personal pronouns I, thou, and he, be ap- plied to this whole complex being, especially in every instance wherein the inferior-spirit acts in entire subordination to the su- perior? And as the word person, in common language, sig. nifies one single, intelligent, voluntary agent, so may it not, in this instance, signify one complex, intelligent; voluntary agent ? And thus the word person will appear to be used here in a sense near akin to the common ideas of it. VI. Are there not many other words in human language which are used in this manner, that is, to signify either one sin- gle substance, or to signify one complex substance, made up of two, or more, single substances united ? We may borrow in- stances from corporeal unions. When two contiguous houses have mutual communication made betweenthem by proper doors, and are inhabited by one family, they are often called one house : They were two single houses before, now they are one complex house. So two trees may be planted close together, and if they are barked on one side, and bound to each other, by this union they will, as it were, grow intoone, and we may with propriety call them one tree : Such instances are also common in twin- fruits, as apples, cherries*, &c. We may borrow instances also from political unions. So the parliament of England, and the parliament of Scotland, are united and made one parliament : Or those two single natians, which contain thousands of intel- ligent agents, may be united and made one nation, that is, one complex nation. So a man and his wife, who are two single natural persons, may be called one political person, for they are one person in the eye of the law,. because what the one sustains, receives, or acts, is in many cases attributed to the other. Now to apply these queries to the doctrine of two natures in the person of Christ. VII. May not the great God, the infinite Spirit, think it proper to assume into union with himself a finite Spirit, in so close and intimate a manner as is possible for two such spirits to be united to each other? And may they not be t* I would not have usedsimilitudes of so low a rank to represent things sa- cred, if I could have found such proper resemblances amongthe higher ranks of be jags s But, as others have observed before, an iron key that spina a lock, is letter this a golden one which will not open it. r 3
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