IX THE DOCTRINE OF IMMORTALITY 211 



philosophers agree, that the necessary substratum 

 of each of these is a substance, in which the 

 phenomena adhere, or of which they are attributes 

 or modes. 



" I observe first the universe of objects or of body ; the sun, 

 moon, and stars ; the earth, seas, plants, animals, men, ships, 

 houses, and other productions either of art or of nature. Here 

 Spinoza appears, and tells me that these are only modifications 

 and that the subject in which they inhere is simple, uncom- 

 pounded, and indivisible. After this I consider the other 

 system of beings, viz. the universe of thought, or my impres- 

 sions and ideas. Then I observe another sun, moon, and stars ; 

 an earth and seas, covered and inhabited by plants and animals, 

 towns, houses, mountains, rivers ; and, in short, everything 

 I can discover or conceive in the first system. Upon my in- 

 quiring concerning these, theologians present themselves, and 

 tell me that these also are modifications, and modifications of 

 one simple, uncompounded, and indivisible substance. Imme- 

 diately upon which I am deafened with the noise of a hundred 

 voices, that treat the first hypothesis with detestation and scorn, 

 and the second with applause and veneration. I turn my atten- 

 tion to these hypotheses to see what may be the reason of so 

 great a partiality ; and find that they have the same fault of 

 being unintelligible, and that, as far as we can understand 

 them, they are so much alike, that 'tis impossible to discover 

 any absurdity in one, which is not common to both of them." 

 (I. p. 309.) 



For the manner in which Hume makes his 

 case good, I must refer to the original. Plain 

 people may rest satisfied that both hypotheses 

 are unintelligible, without plunging any further 

 among syllogisms, the premisses of which convey 

 no meaning, while the conclusions carry no con- 

 viction. 



p 2 



