The true intellectual system of the universe: the first part; wherein all reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted. And its impossibility demonstrated / By R. Cudworth.

  • Ralph Cudworth
Date:
1678
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The true intellectual system of the universe: the first part; wherein all reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted. And its impossibility demonstrated / By R. Cudworth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with that which appeareth ina Dream to one that {leepeth, or ina Looking-glafs.to one thatis awake, Thiz Aeridl Bodies, which may appear and vanith when they pleafe. But the Opinion, that fich Spi- rits were Incorporeal «and Immaterial, could never enter into’ the minds of menby: Nature; Unabufed by Dodrine;. but it {prting up fromthofe deceiving and: deceived Literati; Schola(ticks, Philofo- phers, and Theologers:enchianting mens Underftandings, and making them believe; that the Abftra&t Notions of Accidents and Effences eould exiftalone by themfélves, without the Bodies, as certain Sepa- rate and Incorporeal Subftances. To Conclude therefore, To make an Incorporeal Mind to be thé Caule of all things, is to make our own Phancie, an Imaginary Ghoft of the World,to be a Realitysand to fuppofe the there Ab/trad Notion of an Accident,and a Separate Effence,to be not only an Abfolute thing by it felf, and a Real Subftance Incorporeal, but alfo the firft Ori- ginal of all Subftances, and of whatfbever is in the Univerfe. And this may be reckon’d for a Fourth Arheiftick Ground; IX. Fifthly, the Atheifts pretend further to prove, that there isno other Subftance in the World befides Body, as alo from the Princi- ples of Corporeali(m it felf, to evince that there can be no Carporeal Deity, afterthismanner. No man’ can deyife any other Notion of Subftance, than that it is a thing Extended, exifting withent the Mind, not Imiaginary but Real and Solid Magnitude 5° For what{oe- ver is not Extended, is Nowhere and Nothing. » Sa that Res Extens J4, isthe only Subftance, the folid Bajis and Subftratum of all. Now this.is the very felf-ame thing with Body 5 For 4ilvai«, or Refiftence feems to be a neceflary Confequence and Refult from Extenfion, and they that think otherwife, can fhow no reafon why Bodies may not alfo penetrate one another, as fome Corporealifts think they do ; From whence it is inferred,that Body or Matter is the only Subftance of allthings: And whatfoever elf€ isin the World, that is, all the Differences of Bodies, dare nothing but feveral Accidents and Mo- difications of this Extended Subftance, Body or Matter. Which Ac- eidents, though they miay be fometimies call’d by the names of Real Qualities, and Forms, and though there be different apprehenfions concerning them aniong{t Philofophers, yet genetally they agree in this, that thereare thefe two Properties belongingto thems Firft, that none of them can fubfift alone by themfelves, without Extend- ed Subftance or Matter, as the Bais and Support of them: And Ser eondly, that they may beall deftroyed without the Deftruction of any Subftance. Now as Blacknefs and Whiteriefs, Heat and Cold, fo likewife Life, Senfé and Underftanding, are {uch Accidents, Ma- difications or Qualities of Body , that can neither exift by thems felves, and may be deftroyed withoutthe Deftruction of any Sub- ftanceor Matter. For if the Parts of the Body of any Living Ani- mal be difunited and feparated from one another, or the Organical Difpofition of the Matter alter’d, thofe Accidents, Forms or Quali- ties, of Life and Underftanding, will prefently vanith away to Noe thing, all theSub{tance of the Matter {till remaining one degec er | other Ce es oa gee ae ee £ = —s