Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-06-09

scholastic theology Of AQUINAs and
| DUNs SCoTUs and the others did, in much
of their mystic utterances. When a
writer does not understand himself, how
can he explain himself TO Others The
things past were events occurring sue
cessively IN time-not the time itself.
AS well say that the things or worlds on
our right and left, behind and before us,
are space-before and behind, on right
and left.
Reality is that which our Senses,
Consciousness and Common Sense or
Sound Reason tell US Is reality. If these
are lying witnesses, we have no proof OF
any thing; and scepticism is necessity.
The world aud life are real because OF
the Where, Here aud There. the When,
Now and Then that is, because OF the
presence and continuance Of both. lf
they are not present and continuing, they
are nothing. and We have no proof there
is GOD. We can only know Him by
His works. II any one wishes tc express
something else than what we are thus
taught is Reality, let him find or coin
another word. When hesevers the word
from that idea and meaning, he has a
word without meaning, q mere sound,
like half the words used ia Metaphysics.
1t is very idle to play and jnggle with
such words.
Infnity is boundlessness, the non
finite, the non-bounded, the limitless.
Space is infinite space; finite space is q
fraction Of it, one part of the Infinite
number of parts that make the infinite
whole. Eternity is boundlessness Of du-
ration; its nOn-fnite: endless Time.
Time is endless Time, Is Eternity. A
space of time is part or fraction OF
Eternity, a finite part Of an infinite
whole. Eternal, everlasting, perpetual
never-ending, all mean the same thing,
enduring always, without beginning or
end: continuing always. If any one
wishes to express something else, let him
find or invent another word than Eter-
nal or Eternity When he divorces
either word from its legitimate and cur
rent meaning, ne will have OHLy a word,
l0ithoR a meaning, idly and emphly to
play withal.
Extension and continuance are reali-
ties, or else there is no reality for US,
none in the universe Of things and we
are at once forced to adopt that philosO-
phieal system which holds that matter
has no real existence and that outward
things, as outward, are but apparsnts
and real only within our souls, as ideas.
HUME, by completing the same argu-
ment, proved the unreality OF spirit, and
so the nOthingness Of everything. II
we ourselves are real, all else Is unreal,
and the material universe a mere sham
What IS reality, if the universe Is mol!
What the means OF attaining truth, II
the senses, reason and consciousness are
not
SPACE and Time are things, as little as
the possibility. of the existence Of q
thing Is thing. Space is the where,
in which extension or extendedness, and
the presence and existence Of matter are
possible. Time is the when, in which
continuance of matter and existence, and
succession as well as continuance of lives
and events are possible. They are reali-
ties. this Space and this Time, in the
same sense as darkness is-nOt things /,
but still not merely imaginary and ideal.
They do not exist or obtain in the mind
alone. Is the continuance OF pain, the
succession of its pangs, not real Ii not,
what is so ? Say they are not so, and
YOU take away from the word its mean
ing, and leave it without any. To what
avail iuggle with it afterwards You
are as conscious of continuance of exist
enee as you are Of any thing else. II
your consciousness fails and cheats you
here. how can you trust il any where ?
How can it prove any thing
A body of any kind, moving across
infinite space, would occupy an Infinite
time. If that is not true, there is no
truth. To move q certain distance would
require certain time TO move twice as
far, twice the time; still to move and
not pause nor reach the end, an infinite
time. Time, then, is as real as space.
To speak of dRRihiiatiHg space would be
absurd. AnnihiIatiOn would produce
space, if it already were not. As little
can we speak of the annihilstion Of
Time. Annihilate all that exists; and
Tine remains, in which things could
exist and contiR8e. o..
Reality is absolute reality. Nothing
can be real TO US and unreal to God. II
so, all wOnld be illusion. Ii God and the
Universe had never been, Time and Space
would baye been, because nothingness
could not nor have Deel. SO would dark
ness. because, if there were no light, lne
absence of Light could not not be, could
not not be extended, and could not not
continue. The Deity does not cheat US
with ideas of Space and Time, extension
and deoh6inHRnee. z there really no space,
no room, in which Go pisEs Yorlds
Then there are no worlds. Could the
sword enter the scabbsrd, If the hollow
of the scabbard was not, though not a
thing? Could there be conse quenees Of
acts, and <gSects of causes, aud free will
which ufaRes US responsible, if there
were no tipes If all is Here, in the literal
meaning Of the word, there is no real ex
tension: if all is NOlg, there is no real,
continuing existence; life is unreal there
is no matter; nothing but the Me-, and
az existence only for an inappreciable
instant.