Chap. I. A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. 349. 



and number, nor to quality, fubftance, or any other of the categories, 

 confidered abfolutely in themfelves, and without refpect to duration)^ 

 it follows, that time is the meafure of duration. 



But, can time be applied to the duration of all beings ? Suppofe a 

 being altogether unchangeable, both as to its fubflance, and as to its 

 qualities and energies — eternal likewife, as well as invariably the 

 fame — How can we conceive any meafure of duration applied to fuch 

 a being ? The whole of its duration, being infinite, is impollible to 

 be meafured ; nor can any period or ftate of it be meafured, as there 

 is no change or fucceffion of ftates or of energies in fuch a being, by 

 which any period of its exiftence can be marked and bounded. It re- 

 mains, therefore, that only the duration of fuch beings can be mea- 

 fured as change, either in fubftance, or in their qualities or energies ; 

 and, if fo, we can make the definition of time a little more particular, 

 by faying, ' That it is the meafure of the duration of beings liable to 

 * change or fucceffion.' 



Thus, we have difcovered the fiihjeBs to which the meafure of time 

 16 applied ; But it remains to be inquired what this meafure is, of 

 what nature, and from whence taken. 



As the things to be meafured exift by change and fuccefllon, it is 

 evident that the meafure mufl be of the fame kind : For the meafure 

 or ftandard mufl: of neceffity be like to the thing meafured, otherwife 

 it could not be applied to it. If, for example, it were magnitude that was 

 to be meafured, whofe parts are continuous and co-exifient, the mea- 

 fure muft be of the fame kind. A^ain, if the thing to be meafured were 

 number, whofe parts are difcrete, the meafure muft be number, or the 

 common meafure of number — unity. In like manner, when the thing 

 has no parts co-exiftent, but exifts only by fucceffion, the meafure 

 muft be of that kind ; and, if it were a thing that exifted wholly by 

 change and fucceffion, the more perfed meafure it would be. Now, 



as 



