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Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Rev. Arthur Collier ...
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Rev Arthur Collier Author:Robert Benson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: r demonstration of it; so, I presume, upon second consideration, you will find the same, in order to an answer to, or confutation of it. This would make any c... more »ontroversy between us on this subject, much more easy, simple, and intelligible, and would serve your own sincere desire after truth, as well as my ease in answering you, much better than the method you have taken. But as I am sat down to answer you in your own present way, I will endeavour to tell you, in as few words as I can, what my principles direct me to respond to your objections. Obj. 1. If external matter, or world, does not exist, then body exists in spirit. Then extended being exists in unextended being. But this is absurd. Ergo, external matter does exist. Am. 1. Instead of saying, that external matter does exist, or does not exist, if you would speak my language, which here you are concerned to do, you should say one of these two things. Either that visible matter is, or is not, external; or, that the complex idea called external matter, does not imply such or such contradictions. Ans. 2. Granted to be true, that, on my principles, body—that is, visible or seen body—does exist in mind or spirit; where is the absurdity of this ? You say, it is absurd to say that extended being can exist in unextended being. How do you know this ? But do not you know the contrary ? For are not the objects seen in (as we say) a looking-glass extended—that is, visibly extended? And do not these exist in mind, viz.—the mind which sees them ? And have not you yourself granted me, that the visible or seen world—that is, every visible object, as such, is no more than an image, viz. of another world which is external, and consequently, as such, invisible; and on this foundation have also granted, that external matter, or an ex...« less