46 



7. Protagoras, the disciple of Dcmocritus says, that 

 in man is contained the rule or measure of every 

 thing, that the whole existence of external things 

 consists in the impression we perceive in ourselves ; 

 insomuch that what is imperceptible, has no existence. 

 He also carried farther, than even Democritus did, the 

 consequences of his system ; for admitting with his 

 master, the perpetual mutability of matter, which 

 occasioned a constant change in things ; he then 

 added that whatsoever we see, apprehend, or touch, 

 are just as they appear, and that the only true rule or 

 criterion of things, was in the perception men had of 

 them. I leave the reader to judge, whether Pro- 

 tagoras's manner of thinking might not have trans- 

 mitted to Berkeley the idea of a system, which he 

 with so much sttbtilty hath maintained ; " that there 

 is nothing in external objects, but what the sensible 

 qualities existing In our minds induce us to imagine, 

 and of course that they have no other manner of ex. 

 jstence ; there being no other substratum for them, 

 than the minds by which they are perceived, not as 

 modes or qualities belonging to themselves, but as 

 objects of perception to whatever is percipient." 



8. We sboiild think we were listening to the two 

 tnodf-rn philosophers, when we hear Aristippus ex. 

 hortii-g men, " to be upon their guard with respect 

 to the reno ts of sense, because it does not always 

 yield just information, for we do not perceive exte- 

 rior objec-s as they are in themselves, but only as 

 they afreet us. We know not of what colour or 

 smell they may be, these being only affections in 

 ourselves. It is not the objects themselves that we 

 are enabled to comprehend, but are confined to judge 

 of then* only by the impressions they make upon us, 

 and the wrong judgments we form of them in this re- 

 spect, is the c-ais: of all our errors. Hence, when we 

 perceivea t< w r which appears roud, or an oar which 

 seems crooked in the water ; we irav say that our 

 senses intimate so and so ; but ougut nut to affirm; 



