three dialogues-第12节

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perceiving　that　which　represents　them　in　the　intelligible
Substance　of　God。　This　I　do　not　understand；　but　I　say；　the　things
by　me　perceived　are　known　by　the　understanding；　and　produced　by
the　will　of　an　infinite　Spirit。　And　is　not　all　this　most　plain
and　evident？　Is　there　any　more　in　it　than　what　a　little
observation　in　our　own　minds；　and　that　which　passeth　in　them；　not
only　enables　us　to　conceive；　but　also　obliges　us　to　acknowledge。

　　　　　。　I　think　I　understand　you　very　clearly；　and　own　the
proof　you　give　of　a　Deity　seems　no　less　evident　than　it　is
surprising。　But；　allowing　that　God　is　the　supreme　and　universal
Cause　of　an　things；　yet；　may　there　not　be　still　a　Third　Nature
besides　Spirits　and　Ideas？　May　we　not　admit　a　subordinate　and
limited　cause　of　our　ideas？　In　a　word；　may　there　not　for　all　that
be　？

　　　　　。　How　often　must　I　inculcate　the　same　thing？　You　allow
the　things　immediately　perceived　by　sense　to　exist　nowhere
without　the　mind；　but　there　is　nothing　perceived　by　sense　which
is　not　perceived　immediately：　therefore　there　is　nothing　sensible
that　exists　without　the　mind。　The　Matter；　therefore；　which　you
still　insist　on　is　something　intelligible；　I　suppose；　something
that　may　be　discovered　by　reason；　and　not　by　sense。

　　　　　。　You　are　in　the　right。　｛216｝

　　　　　。　Pray　let　me　know　what　reasoning　your　belief　of
Matter　is　grounded　on；　and　what　this　Matter　is；　in　your　present
sense　of　it。

　　　　　。　I　find　myself　affected　with　various　ideas；　whereof　I
know　I　am　not　the　cause；　neither　are　they　the　cause　of
themselves；　or　of　one　another；　or　capable　of　subsisting　by
themselves；　as　being　altogether　inactive；　fleeting；　dependent
beings。　They　have　therefore　　cause　distinct　from　me　and
them：　of　which　I　pretend　to　know　no　more　than　that　it　is　。　And　this　thing；　whatever　it　be；　I　call
Matter。

　　　　　。　Tell　me；　Hylas；　hath　every　one　a　liberty　to　change
the　current　proper　signification　attached　to　a　common　name　in　any
language？　For　example；　suppose　a　traveller　should　tell　you　that
in　a　certain　country　men　pass　unhurt　through　the　fire；　and；　upon
explaining　himself；　you　found　he　meant　by　the　word　fire　that
which　others　call　。　Or；　if　he　should　assert　that　there　are
trees　that　walk　upon　two　legs；　meaning　men　by　the　term　。
Would　you　think　this　reasonable？

　　　　　。　No；　I　should　think　it　very　absurd。　Common　custom　is
the　standard　of　propriety　in　language。　And　for　any　man　to　affect
speaking　improperly　is　to　pervert　the　use　of　speech；　and　can
never　serve　to　a　better　purpose　than　to　protract　and　multiply
disputes；　where　there　is　no　difference　in　opinion。

　　　　　。　And　doth　not　；　in　the　common　current
acceptation　of　the　word；　signify　an　extended；　solid；　moveable；
unthinking；　inactive　Substance？

　　　　　。　It　doth。

　　　　　。　And；　hath　it　not　been　made　evident　that　no　
substance　can　possibly　exist？　And；　though　it　should　be　allowed　to
exist；　yet　how　can　that　which　is　　be　a　；　or　that
which　is　　be　a　？　You　may；　indeed；
if　you　please；　annex　to　the　word　　a　contrary　meaning　to
what　is　vulgarly　received；　and　tell　me　you　understand　by　it；　an
unextended；　thinking；　active　being；　which　is　the　cause　of　our
ideas。　But　what　else　is　this　than　to　play　with　words；　and　run
into　that　very　fault　you　just　now　condemned　with　so　much　reason？
I　do　by　no　means　find　fault　with　your　reasoning；　in　that　you
collect　a　cause　from　the　：　　I　deny　that　
cause　deducible　by　reason　can　properly　be　termed　Matter。

　　　　　。　There　is　indeed　something　in　what　you　say。　But　I　am
｛217｝　afraid　you　do　not　thoroughly　comprehend　my　meaning。　I　would
by　no　means　be　thought　to　deny　that　God；　or　an　infinite　Spirit；
is　the　Supreme　Cause　of　all　things。　All　I　contend　for　is；　that；
subordinate　to　the　Supreme　Agent；　there　is　a　cause　of　a　limited
and　inferior　nature；　which　　in　the　production　of　our
ideas；　not　by　any　act　of　will；　or　spiritual　efficiency；　but　by
that　kind　of　action　which　belongs　to　Matter；　viz。　。

　　　　　。　I　find　you　are　at　every　turn　relapsing　into　your　old
exploded　conceit；　of　a　moveable；　and　consequently　an　extended；
substance；　existing　without　the　mind。　What！　Have　you　already
forgotten　you　were　convinced；　or　are　you　willing　I　should　repeat
what　has　been　said　on　that　head？　In　truth　this　is　not　fair
dealing　in　you；　still　to　suppose　the　being　of　that　which　you　have
so　often　acknowledged　to　have　no　being。　But；　not　to　insist
farther　on　what　has　been　so　largely　handled；　I　ask　whether　all
your　ideas　are　not　perfectly　passive　and　inert；　including　nothing
of　action　in　them。

　　　　　。　They　are。

　　　　　。　And　are　sensible　qualities　anything　else　but　ideas？

　　　　　。　How　often　have　I　acknowledged　that　they　are　not。

　　　　　。　But　is　not　　a　sensible　quality？

　　　　　。　It　is。

　　　　　。　Consequently　it　is　no　action？

　　　　　。　I　agree　with　you。　And　indeed　it　is　very　plain　that
when　I　stir　my　finger；　it　remains　passive；　but　my　will　which
produced　the　motion　is　active。

　　　　　。　Now；　I　desire　to　know；　in　the　first　place；　whether；
motion　being　allowed　to　be　no　action；　you　can　conceive　any　action
besides　volition：　and；　in　the　second　place；　whether　to　say
something　and　conceive　nothing　be　not　to　talk　nonsense：　and；
lastly；　whether；　having　considered　the　premises；　you　do　not
perceive　that　to　suppose　any　efficient　or　active　Cause　of　our
ideas；　other　than　；　is　highly　absurd　and　unreasonable？

　　　　　。　I　give　up　the　point　entirely。　But；　though　Matter　may
not　be　a　cause；　yet　what　hinders　its　being　an　；
subservient　to　the　supreme　Agent　in　the　production　of　our　ideas？

　　　　　。　An　instrument　say　you；　pray　what　may　be　the　figure；
springs；　wheels；　and　motions；　of　that　instrument？

　　　　　。　Those　I　pretend　to　determine　nothing　of；　both　the
substance　and　its　qualities　being　entirely　unknown　to　me。

　　　　　。　What？　You　are　then　of　opinion　it　is　made　up　of　｛218｝
unknown　parts；　that　it　hath　unknown　motions；　and　an　unknown
shape？

　　　　　。　I　do　not　believe　that　it　hath　any　figure　or　motion　at
all；　being　already　convinced；　that　no　sensible　qualities　can
exist　in　an　unperceiving　substance。

　　　　　。　But　what　notion　is　it　possible　to　frame　of　an
instrument　void　of　all　sensible　qualities；　even　extension　itself？

　　　　　。　I　do　not　pretend　to　have　any　notion　of　it。

　　　　　。　And　what　reason　have　you　to　think　this　unknown；　this
inconceivable　Somewhat　doth　exist？　Is　it　that　you　imagine　God
cannot　act　as　well　without　it；　or　that　you　find　by　experience　the
use　of　some　such　thing；　when　you　form　ideas　in　your　own　mind？

　　　　　。　You　are　always　teasing　me　for　reasons　of　my　belief。
Pray　what　reasons　have　you　not　to　believe　it？

　　　　　。　It　is　to　me　a　sufficient　reason　not　to　believe　the
existence　of　anything；　if　I　see　no　reason　for　believing　it。　But；
not　to　insist　on　reasons　for　believing；　you　will　not　so　much　as
let　me　know　　you　would　have　me　believe；　since　you　say
you　have　no　manner　of　notion　of　it。　After　all；　let　me　entreat　you
to　consider　whether　it　be　like　a　philosopher；　or　even　like　a　man
of　common　sense；　to　pretend　to　believe　you　know　not　what　'　and
you　know　not　why。

　　　　　。　Hold；　Philonous。　When　I　tell　you　Matter　is　an
；　I　do　not　mean　altogether　nothing。　It　is　true　I　know
not　the　particular　kind　of　instrument；　but；　however；　I　have　some
notion　of　；　which　I　apply　to　it。

　　　　　。　But　what　if　it　should　prove　that　there　is　something；
even　in　the　most　general　notion　of　；　as　taken　in　a
distinct　sense　from　；　which　makes　the　use　of　it
inconsistent　with　the　Divine　attributes？

　　　　　。　Make　that　appear　and　I　shall　give　up　the　point。

　　　　　。　What　mean　you　by　the　general　nature　or　notion　of
？

　　　　　。　That　which　is　common　to　all　particular　instruments
composeth　the　general　notion。

　　　　　。　Is　it　not　common　to　all　instruments；　that　they　are
applied　to　the　doing　those　things　only　which　cannot　be　performed
by　the　mere　act　of　our　wills？　Thus；　for　instance；　I　never　use　an
instrument　to　move　my　finger；　because　it　is　done　by　a　volition。
But　I　should　use　one　if　I　were　to　remove　part　of　a　rock；　or　tear
up　a　tree　by　the　roots。　Are　you　of　the　same　mind？　｛219｝　Or；　can
you　shew　any　example　where　an　instrument　is　made　use　of　in
producing　an　effect　　depending　on　the　will　of　the
agent？

　　　　　。　I　own　I　cannot。

　　　　　。　How　therefore　can　you　suppose　that　an　All…perfect
Spirit；　on　whose　Will　all　things　have　an　absolute　and　immediate
dependence；　should　need　an　instrument　in　his　operations；　or；　not
needing　it；　make　use　of　it？　Thus　it　seems　to　me　that　you　are
obliged　to　own　the　use　of　a　lifeless　inactive　instrument　to　be
incompatible　with　the　infinite　perfection　of　God；　that　is；　by
your　own　confession；　to　give　up　the　point。

　　　　　。　It　doth　not　readily　occur　what　I　can　answer　you。

　　　　　。　But；　methinks　you　should　be　ready　to　own　the　truth；
when　it　has　bee