baeus (tom. 1, lib. 1, tit. 14) there
is this definition, [Greek: ousian de phasin ton onton hapanton
ten proten hylen]. In viii. II, Antoninus speaks of [Greek: to
ousiodes kai hyulikon], "the substantial and the material;" and
(vii. 10) he says that "everything material" ([Greek: enulon])
disappears in the substance of the whole ([Greek: te ton holon
ousia]). The [Greek: ousia] is the generic name of that existence
which we assume as the highest or ultimate, because we conceive
no existence which can be coordinated with it and none above
it. It is the philosopher's "substance:" it is the ultimate
expression for that which we conceive or suppose to be the
basis, the being of a thing. "From the Divine, which is
substance in itself, or the only and sole substance, all and
everything that is created exists" (Swedenborg, Angelic Wisdom,
198).

[B] I remark, in order to anticipate any misapprehension, that
all these general terms involve a contradiction. The "one and
all," and the like, and "the whole," imply limitation. "One" is
limited; "all" is limited; the "whole" is limited. We cannot
help it. We cannot find words to express that which we cannot
fully conceive. The addition of "absolute" or any other such
word does not mend the matter. Even the word God is used by
most people, often unconsciously, in such a way that limitation
is implied, and yet at the same time words are added which are
intended to deny limitation. A Christian martyr, when he was
asked what God was, is said to have answered that God has no
name like a man; and Justin says the same (Apol. ii. 6), "the
names Father, God, Creator, Lord, and Master are not names, but
appellations derived from benefactions and acts." (Compare
Seneca, De Benef. iv. 8.) We can conceive the existence of a
thing, or rather we may have the idea of an existence, without
an adequate notion of it, "adequate" meaning coextensive and
coequal with the thing. We have a notion of limited space
derived from the dimensions of what we call a material thing,
though of space absolute, if I may use the term, we have no
notion at all; and of infinite space the notion is the same--no
notion at all; and yet we conceive it in a sense, though I know
not how, and we believe that space is infinite, and we cannot
conceive it to be finite.

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