Chap. IV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. z . 



Having faid fo much of Caufcs in general, I will proceed to take 

 notice of fome things which are commonly fpokca of as Caufes, but 

 which are truly not fuch. It is commonly faid that the Eye fees, 

 and the Ear hears; by which expreffion, one might be induced to 

 believe, and, I imagine, it is generally believed, that the Eye is 

 the Caufe of our Seeing, and the Ear of our Hearing, or that the 

 Eye is the Agent in the operation of Seeing, and the Ear in the ope- 

 ration of Hearing. But neither is true ; for it is moft certainly the 

 Mind that both Sees and Hears. Neither is the Eye or Ear even the 

 Inftrumental Caufe, or the Means by which the Mind Sees and 

 Hears. But true philofophy teaches us, that the Mind perceives all 

 things by its own Natural Powers, and that the Body, fo far from 

 affifting its perceptions, is an impediment to them, which is only in 

 part removed by thofe five Inlets of knowledge we have from the 

 Senfes; fo that a Man cannot be faid to See by means of his Eyes, any 

 more than a perfon can be faid to See an object by another going 

 out of the way, who is betwixt him and it. The obftrudlion, indeed, 

 is removed ; but there is a great difference betwixt the Caufe of any 

 thing, and the removal of an impediment, without which the Caufe 

 could not adt *. 



This 



xi'/iTcci, rnr»MT»x,*>i lutt T« airitv. — Simplicius, upon the Phyfics of Ariftotle, lib. I. 

 fol. 3. I have given this quotation for the fake of the young fludent of Greek, 

 ■who, if he has made any confiderable advances in the language, will perceive, 

 that the ufe of the prepoGtions, either (ingle or in compofition, is one of the great- 

 eft niceties in it. The Theologian alfo may, from this paflage, learn how impro- 

 perly the words ««< >«'/♦! ii» »■;•? t«» ei.i', in the beginning of St John's gofpel, are 

 tranflated, " And the word was iu«7A CoJ;" whereas i: fliould be, " after thti- 

 •' mage of God,' as it is exprefled in other parts of (cripture. 



• This I have explained at more length in the firft volume of this work, p. 16/. 

 where 1 have quoted the words of Plato in the Phaedoi where he has exprcfsly made 

 the diftinftion betwixt the Caufe, and that without which the Caufe cannot operate. 



A^;^• ftn »( lirli T« xiTitt T« «iTi, aAXe it iKiiFt ctttu iv T« teiTitr tvx at jr«T iiji tiiTitf. 



This paradox, as I know it will appear to the moft of my readers, that the Min.l 

 fees without eyes, the learned reader will not be difpleafed to fee explained by Ci- 



•' cero. 



