43^ co^XLusION. 



atlon perturb a spirit conscious of the self-evident 

 and self-sufficing order of the All in the fruition of 

 a self-supported harmony that suggested no question 

 and admitted of no doubt, of a life of light that 

 could not be borne until the last dark shadow had 

 vanished from the soul ? 



§ 5. But from the ecstatic contemplation of such 

 a state of Being we should be apt to be rudely 

 recalled by the objection that it was inconceivable 

 and impossible, and incompatible with conscious 

 existence. There would be quoted against us a 

 psychological '* law " of Hobbes', that sentire semper 

 idem et nil sentire ad idem ixcidtmt, that a con- 

 sciousness in which there was no change was no 

 consciousness at all. And doubtless there would be 

 truth In this objection if by being " always con- 

 scious " of a feeling consciousness in Time were 

 indicated. Our present nature cannot react inde- 

 finitely upon the same stimuli. Or rather, the stimuli 

 being the resultant of constantly-changing factors, 

 cannot remain the same. The nature and the 

 stimulus are both changing from moment to moment, 

 and can generate only an imperfect and impermanent 

 consciousness. But it is only on account of the 

 imperfection of our nature that our activity cannot 

 endure. God, as Aristotle says,^ eternally rejoices 

 in a single and simple pleasure, and our case would 

 be very different if we also had attained to perfect 

 harmony and eternal Being. For, as all Time and 

 change would have been transcended, whatever 

 ecstasy of bliss accompanied the first consciousness 

 of the attainment of perfect adaptation, would per- 

 sist unimpaired, timelessly and without change. 



^ Eth. NicJi. vii. 14(13), s.f. 



