three dialogues-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


out　of　his　mind：　what　answer　think　you　he　would　make？

　　　　　。　The　same　that　I　should　myself；　to　wit；　that　it　doth
exist　out　of　his　mind。　But　then　to　a　Christian　it　cannot　surely
be　shocking　to　say；　the　real　tree；　existing　without　his　mind；　is
truly　known　and　comprehended　by　（that　is　）　the
infinite　mind　of　God。　Probably　he　may　not　at　first　glance　be
aware　of　the　direct　and　immediate　proof　there　is　of　this；
inasmuch　as　the　very　being　of　a　tree；　or　any　other　sensible
thing；　implies　a　mind　wherein　it　is。　But　the　point　itself　he
cannot　deny。　The　question　between　the　Materialists　and　me　is　not；
whether　things　have　a　　existence　out　of　the　mind　of　this　or
that　person；　but　whether　they　have　an　　existence；
distinct　from　being　perceived　by　God；　and　exterior　to　all　minds。
This　indeed　some　heathens　and　philosophers　have　affirmed；　but
whoever　entertains　notions　of　the　Deity　suitable　to　the　Holy
Scriptures　will　be　of　another　opinion。

　　　　　。　But；　according　to　your　notions；　what　difference　is
there　between　real　things；　and　chimeras　formed　by　the
imagination；　or　the　visions　of　a　dream　　since　they　are　all
equally　in　the　mind？

　　　　　。　The　ideas　formed　by　the　imagination　are　faint　and
indistinct；　they　have；　besides；　an　entire　dependence　on　the　will。
But　the　ideas　perceived　by　sense；　that　is；　real　things；　are　more
vivid　and　clear；　and；　being　imprinted　on　the　mind　by　a　spirit
distinct　from　us；　have　not　the　like　dependence　on　our　will。　There
is　therefore　no　danger　of　confounding　these　with　the　foregoing：
and　there　is　as　little　of　confounding　them　with　the　visions　of　a
dream；　which　are　dim；　irregular；　and　confused。　And；　though　they
should　happen　to　be　never　so　lively　and　natural；　yet；　by　their
not　being　connected；　and　of　a　piece　with　the　preceding　and
subsequent　transactions　of　our　lives；　they　might　easily　be
distinguished　from　realities。　In　short；　by　whatever　method　you
distinguish　　on　your　scheme；　the　same；　it
is　evident；　will　hold　also　upon　mine。　For；　it　must　be；　I　presume；
by　some　perceived　difference；　and　I　am　not　for　depriving　you　of
any　one　thing　that　you　perceive。

　　　　　。　But　still；　Philonous；　you　hold；　there　is　nothing　in
the　world　but　spirits　and　ideas。　And　this；　you　must　needs
acknowledge；　sounds　very　oddly。

　　　　　。　I　own　the　word　；　not　being　commonly　used　for
；　sounds　something　out　of　the　way。　My　reason　for　using　it
was；　because　a　necessary　relation　to　the　mind　is　understood　to
｛236｝　be　implied　by　that　term；　and　it　is　now　commonly　used　by
philosophers　to　denote　the　immediate　objects　of　the
understanding。　But；　however　oddly　the　proposition　may　sound　in
words；　yet　it　includes　nothing　so　very　strange　or　shocking　in　its
sense；　which　in　effect　amounts　to　no　more　than　this；　to　wit；　that
there　are　only　things　perceiving；　and　things　perceived；　or　that
every　unthinking　being　is　necessarily；　and　from　…the　very　nature
of　its　existence；　perceived　by　some　mind；　if　not　by　a　finite
created　mind；　yet　certainly　by　the　infinite　mind　of　God；　in　whom
〃we　five；　and　move；　and　have　our　being。〃　Is　this　as　strange　as　to
say；　the　sensible　qualities　are　not　on　the　objects：　or　that　we
cannot　be　sure　of　the　existence　of　things；　or　know　any　thing　of
their　real　natures　　though　we　both　see　and　feel　them；　and
perceive　them　by　all　our　senses？

　　　　　。　And；　in　consequence　of　this；　must　we　not　think　there
are　no　such　things　as　physical　or　corporeal　causes；　but　that　a
Spirit　is　the　immediate　cause　of　all　the　phenomena　in　nature？　Can
there　be　anything　more　extravagant　than　this？

　　　　　。　Yes；　it　is　infinitely　more　extravagant　to　say　　a
thing　which　is　inert　operates　on　the　mind；　and　which　is
unperceiving　is　the　cause　of　our　perceptions；　＇without　any　regard
either　to　consistency；　or　the　old　known　axiom；　＇。＇9＇　Besides；　that
which　to　you；　I　know　not　for　what　reason；　seems　so　extravagant　is
no　more　than　the　Holy　Scriptures　assert　in　a　hundred　places。　In
them　God　is　represented　as　the　sole　and　immediate　Author　of　all
those　effects　which　some　heathens　and　philosophers　are　wont　to
ascribe　to　Nature；　Matter；　Fate；　or　the　like　unthinking
principle。　This　is　so　much　the　constant　language　of　Scripture
that　it　were　needless　to　confirm　it　by　citations。

　　　　　。　You　are　not　aware；　Philonous；　that　in　making　God　the
immediate　Author　of　all　the　motions　in　nature；　you　make　Him　the
Author　of　murder；　sacrilege；　adultery；　and　the　like　heinous　sins。

　　　　　。　In　answer　to　that；　I　observe；　first；　that　the
imputation　of　guilt　is　the　same；　whether　a　person　commits　an
action　with　or　without　an　instrument。　In　case　therefore　you
suppose　God　to　act　by　the　mediation　of　an　instrument　or　occasion；
called　；　you　as　truly　make　Him　the　author　of　sin　as　I；
who　think　Him　the　immediate　agent　in　all　those　operations
vulgarly　ascribed　to　Nature。　I　farther　observe　that　sin　or　moral
turpitude　｛237｝　doth　not　consist　in　the　outward　physical　action
or　motion；　but　in　the　internal　deviation　of　the　will　from　the
laws　of　reason　and　religion。　This　is　plain；　in　that　the　killing
an　enemy　in　a　battle；　or　putting　a　criminal　legally　to　death；　is
not　thought　sinful；　though　the　outward　act　be　the　very　same　with
that　in　the　case　of　murder。　Since；　therefore；　sin　doth　not
consist　in　the　physical　action；　the　making　God　an　immediate　cause
of　all　such　actions　is　not　making　Him　the　Author　of　sin。　Lastly；
I　have　nowhere　said　that　God　is　the　only　agent　who　produces　all
the　motions　in　bodies。　It　is　true　I　have　denied　there　are　any
other　agents　besides　spirits；　but　this　is　very　consistent　with
allowing　to　thinking　rational　beings；　in　the　production　of
motions；　the　use　of　limited　powers；　ultimately　indeed　derived
from　God；　but　immediately　under　the　direction　of　their　own　wills；
which　is　sufficient　to　entitle　them　to　all　the　guilt　of　their
actions。

　　　　　。　But　the　denying　Matter；　Philonous；　or　corporeal
Substance；　there　is　the　point。　You　can　never　persuade　me　that
this　is　not　repugnant　to　the　universal　sense　of　mankind。　Were　our
dispute　to　be　determined　by　most　voices；　I　am　confident　you　would
give　up　the　point；　without　gathering　the　votes。

　　　　　。　I　wish　both　our　opinions　were　fairly　stated　and
submitted　to　the　judgment　of　men　who　had　plain　common　sense；
without　the　prejudices　of　a　learned　education。　Let　me　be
represented　as　one　who　trusts　his　senses；　who　thinks　he　knows　the
things　he　sees　and　feels；　and　entertains　no　doubts　of　their
existence；　and　you　fairly　set　forth　with　all　your　doubts；　your
paradoxes；　and　your　scepticism　about　you；　and　I　shall　willingly
acquiesce　in　the　determination　of　any　indifferent　person。　That
there　is　no　substance　wherein　ideas　can　exist　beside　spirit　is　to
me　evident。　And　that　the　objects　immediately　perceived　are　ideas；
is　on　all　hands　agreed。　And　that　sensible　qualities　are　objects
immediately　perceived　no　one　can　deny。　It　is　therefore　evident
there　can　be　no　　of　those　qualities　but　spirit；　in
which　they　exist；　not　by　way　of　mode　or　property；　but　as　a　thing
perceived　in　that　which　perceives　it。　I　deny　therefore　that　there
is　…　of　the　objects　of　sense；　and　　that　there　is　any　material　substance。　But　if　by
　is　meant　only　；　　which
is　seen　and　felt　（and　the　unphilosophical　part　of　the　world；　I
dare　say；　mean　no　more）　　then　I　am　more　certain　of　matter's
existence　than　you　or　any　other　philosopher　pretend　to　be。　If
there　be　anything　which　makes　；die　generality　of　mankind　｛238｝
averse　from　the　notions　I　espouse；　it　is　a　misapprehension　that　I
deny　the　reality　of　sensible　things。　But；　as　it　is　you　who　are
guilty　of　that；　and　not　1；　it　follows　that　in　truth　their
aversion　is　against　your　notions　and　not　mine。　I　do　therefore
assert　that　I　am　as　certain　as　of　my　own　being；　that　there　are
bodies　or　corporeal　substances　（meaning　the　things　I　perceive　by
my　senses）；　and　that；　granting　this；　the　bulk　of　mankind　will
take　no　thought　about；　nor　think　themselves　at　all　concerned　in
the　fate　of　those　unknown　natures；　and