(42) Such
persons know that, with the removal of ignorance, the wonder which forms
their only available means for proving and preserving their authority would
vanish also. (AP:43) But I now quit this subject, and pass on to my third
point.
(AP:44) After men persuaded themselves, that everything which is created
is created for their sake, they were bound to consider as the chief quality
in everything that which is most useful to themselves, and to account those
things the best of all which have the most beneficial effect on mankind.
(45) Further, they were bound to form abstract notions for the explanation
of the nature of things, such as goodness, badness, order, confusion,
warmth, cold, beauty, deformity, and so on; and from the belief that they
are free agents arose the further notions praise and blame, sin and merit.
(AP:46) I will speak of these latter hereafter, when I treat of human
nature; the former I will briefly explain here.
(AP:47) Everything which conduces to health and the worship of God they
have called good, everything which hinders these objects they have styled
bad; and inasmuch as those who do not understand the nature of things do
not verify phenomena in any way, but merely imagine them after a fashion,
and mistake their imagination for understanding, such persons firmly
believe that there is an order in things, being really ignorant both of
things and their own nature.
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