Observations, censures, and confutations of notorious errours in Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan and other his bookes to which are annexed occasionall anim-adversions on some writings of the Socinians and such hæreticks of the same opinion with him / by William Lucy ...

Sect. 2.

* 1.1This I conceive, with what went before, may be a∣bundantly enough for the confutation of his conclusion. And next I come, to my second Proposition, which is, That colour is a reall thing in the object; to prove this, I shall use this medium; That which produceth reall ef∣fects, is a reall thing; but colour in the object produceth reall effects; therefore, &c.

The major hath its evidence from hence, that no∣thing can cause an effect nobler,* 1.2 or more excellent then it self, which if colour, that is in the object, be not a real thing, it should do, when it produceth real effects. The minor may be demonstrated by many experiences, because some colours dissipate the Sun-beams, some con∣gregate

them, which are real effects: As for instance, take one of your ordinary Burning glasses, use all the art you can, it will not burn white paper or linnen, they scatter the beames; but black, or colour the paper or linnen, it will enflame it, and so much the easier, the neerer any colour comes to black, which will collect these beams; this is a sign undeniable, that there is some colour in that linnen or paper which hath these ef∣fects. Again, some colours hurt the sight of the eye, as red, white, and light colours; some are grateful to it, as black or green, these are real effects, and every mans daily experience sheweth them to be so.

Secondly,* 1.3 This may be proved from that operation it hath upon a mans eye; for since the stroak, which he conceives is made upon the eye, must needs be the same made by a white or black wall, as I have shewed, or more close, the same wall now white, and anon souted or blacked, it cannot be that the divers species or Image, which is wrought in the eye, can proceed from any thing but that very Colour which is in the wall, because the diversity of the Image must needs argue some diver∣sity of cause, which can be none but the colour of the object, upon examination of all other pretended causes, for that varying, the image alters; and that remaining the same, the image doth so likewise, and this so con∣stant, that to all eyes, well disposed, it appeares such, whatsoever they are, so the medium be not some way or other clouded; which must needs argue a certainty of causation to him, who in this very Proposition allows the object a causing vertue; because it is a motion from the object, which is by this image made appear; now the motion is the same from black or green, but the colour only differs.

* 1.4Thirdly, let the Gentleman consider what he did mean to do, when he writ this book; did he mean to co∣lour the paper with real letters, or fancy onely? if not with real letters, how could he expect that one word should not be taken for another? he could never think that A. should force the eye or braine, otherwise then B. doth, and so cause another Image, but out of this, that he coloured the paper in another figure, when he made A. then when he made B. Let a man againe conceive, that in the same feather of a Cock, he discernes one speck of white, another of red, another of black, and those are all discerned by another mans eye; let a man think what can so distinguish these colours in this, and not in another feather, but that these colours are there, and not in another. It is a strange thing that his wit should think to perswade a man, not onely against his own eyes, but all the eyes in the world, and all the rea∣son too, but his owne. Well, I conceive this is enough for these two Propositions, That colour is not the Appa∣rition of that motion, and that colour is a reall thing in this object: These two passed Propositions are such, wherein I have disputed with Master Hobbes, no man that I ever read of opposing my conclusions, but himself.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Colour a real thing in the object.
• * 1.2

  1 Argument.
• * 1.3

  2 Argument.
• * 1.4

  3 Argument, or instance of A. B. in the book.