Clarke's zweite Entgegnung

When I said that the Mathematical Principles of Philosophy are opposite to those of the Materialists, the Meaning was, that whereas Materialists suppose the Frame of Nature to be such, as could have arisen from mere Mechanical Principles of Matter and Motion, of Necessity and Fate; the Mathematical Principles of Philosophy show on the contrary, that the State of Things (the Constitution of the Sun and Planets) is such as could not arise from any thing but an Intelligent and Free Cause. As to the Propriety of the Name, so far as Metaphysical Consequences follow demonstratively from Mathematical Principles, so far the Mathematical Principles may (if it be thought fit) be called Metaphysical Principles. - Tis very true, that nothing is, without a sufficient Reason why it is, and why it is thus rather than otherwise. And therefore, where there is no Cause, there can be no Effect. But this sufficient Reason is oft-times no other, than the mere Will of God. For instance: Why This particular System of Matter, should be created in one particular Place; when (all Place being absolutely indifferent to all Matter) it would have been exactly the same thing vice versa, supposing the two Systems (or the Particles) of Matter to be alike; there can be no other Reason, but the mere Will of God. Which if it could in No Case act without a predetermining Cause, any more than a Balance can move without a preponderating Weight; this would tend to take away all Power of Chusing, and to introduce Fatality.

Many Ancient Greeks, who had their Philosophy from the Phoenicions, and whose Philosophy was corrupted by Epicurus, held indeed in general Matter and Vacuum, but they knew not how to apply those Principles by Mathematiks, to the Explication of the Phaenomena of Nature. How Small soever the Quantity of Matter be, God has not all the less Subject to exercise his Wisdom and Power upon: For, other Things, as well as Matter, are equally Subjects, on which God exercises his Power and Wisdom. By the same Argument it might just as well have been proved, that Men, or any other particular Species of Beings, must be infinite in Number, least God should want Subjects, on which to exercise his Power and Wisdom.

The Word Sensory does not properly signify the Organ, but the Place of Sensation. The Eye, the Ear etc. are Organs, but not Sensoria. Resides, Sir Isaac Newton does not say, that Space is the Sensory; but that it is, by way of Similitude only, as it were the Sensory etc.

It was never supposed, that the Presence of the Soul was sufficient, but only that it is necessary in order to Perception. Without being present to the Images of the Things perceived, it could not possibly perceive them: But being present is not sufficient, whithout it be also a Living Substance. Any inanimate Substance, tho' present, perceives nothing: And a Living Substance can only there perceive, where it is present either to the Things themselves (as the Omnipresent God is to the whole Universe;) or the Images of Things (as the Soul of Man is in its proper Sensory.) Nothing can any more Act, or be Acted upon, where it is not present; than it can Be, where it is not. The Soul's being Indivisible, does not prove it to be present only in a mere Point. Space, finite or infinite, is absolutely indivisible, even so much as in Thought; (To imagine its Parts moved from each other, is to imagine them moved out of themselves;) and yet Space is not a mere Point.

God perceives Things, not indeed by his simple Presence to them, nor yet by his Operation upon them, but by his being a Living and Intelligent, as well as an Omnipresent Substance. The Soul likewise, (within its narrow Sphere) not by its simple Presence, but by its being a Living Substance, perceives the Images to which it is present; and which, without being present to them, it could not perceive.

6 et 7. Tis very true, that the Excellency of God's Workmanship does not consist in its showing the Power only, but in its showing the Wisdom also of its Author. But then this Wisdom of God appears, not in making Nature (as an Artificer makes a Clock) capable of going on Without him: (For that's impossible; there being no Powers of Nature independent upon God, as the Powers of Weights and Springs are indepedent upon Men:) But the Wisdom of God consists, in framing Originally the perfect and complete Idea of a Work, which begun and continues, according to that Original perfect Idea, by the Continual Uninterrupted Exercise of his Power and Government.

The Word Correction, or Amendment, is to be understood, not with regard to God, but to Us only. The present Frame of the Solar System (for instance) according to the present Laws of Motion, will in time fall into Confusion; and perhaps, after That, will be amended or put into a new Form. But this Amendment is only relative, with regard to Our Conceptions. In reality, and with regard to God, the present Frame, and the consequent Disorder, and the following Renovation, are all equally parts of the Design framed in Gods Original perfect Idea. Tis in the Frame of the World, as in the Frame of Mans Body: The Wisdom of God does not consist, in making the present Frame of Either of them Eternal, but to last solong as be thought fit.

The Wisdom and Foresight of God, do not consist in providing originally Remedies, which shall of themselves cure the Disorders of Nature. For in Truth and Strictness, with regard to God, there are No Disorders, and consequently no Remedies, and indeed no Powers of Nature at all, that can do any Thing of themselves (as Weights and Springs Work of themselves with regard to Men:) But the Wisdom and Foresight of God, consist (as has been said) in contriving at once, what his Power and Government is Continually putting in actual Execution.

God is neither a Mundane Intelligence, nor a Supramundane Intelligence; but an Omnipresent Intelligence, both In and Without the World. He is In All, and Through All, as well as Above All.

If God's conserving all Things, means his Actual Operation and Government in preserving and continuing the Beings, Powers, Orders, Dispositions and Motions of all things; this is all that is contended for. But if his conserving things, means no more than a King's creating such Subjects, as shall be able to act well enough without his intermeddling or ordering any thing amongst them ever after: This is making him indeed a real Creator, but a Governor only Nominal.

The Argument in this Paragraph supposes, that whatsoever God does, is supernatural or miraculous; and consequently it tends to exclude all Operation of God, in the governing and ordering of the Natural world. But the Truth is: Natural and Supernatural are nothing at all different with regard to God, but distinctions merely in Our Conceptions of things. To cause the Sun [or Earth] to move regularly, is a thing we call Natural; To stop its Motion for a Day, we call Supernatural: But the One is the Effect of no greater Power than the Other; nor is the One, with respect to God, more or less Natural or Supernatural than the other. God's being present In or To the World, does not make him to be the Soul of the World. A Soul, is part of a Compound, whereof Body is the Other Part; and they mutually affect each other, as Parts of the same whole. But God is present of the world, not as a Part, but as a Governor; acting upon All things, himself acted upon by Nothing. He is not far from every one of us, for in Him we [and All things] live and move and have our Beings.