Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

298 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMfirst, spring from the latter. In the former the confusionof God with the world consists in making himits material cause; * in the latter it consists in making: Ohim its formal cause: in both the relation of allexisting things to him is that of the Appearance tothe Essence, that of the Part to the Whole.In the first stirrings of Greek philosophic thoughtMatter and Mind were not distinguished, but Anaxa-goras clearly brought out the conception of Mind asdistinct from Matter, of one universal Mind as thedisposer and controller of all things. This conceptionappeared to Aristotle so important, that he calledAnaxagoras, in comparison with those who precededhim, a sober man among drunkards. And in truththis conception was the highest reached, whether byPlato or by himself. rough t up in the belief of amultitude of gods, and with the material figures whichrepresented the functions of those gods continuallybefore their eyes from childhood, their merit was thatthey conceived one supreme God distinct from Matter,pure Mind. Yet in considering the relation of thisGod, who was pure Mind, to Matter, of which theendless manifestations in the universe may be summedup in the word Nature, Plato did not reach beyond theconclusion that this Matter had always existed. Itwas in some undefined way over against the supremeMind, who worked upon it indeed, and reduced it toorder, but who found it there, a something to becounted with, and not wholly to be subdued. ThisMind, distinct from all contact with Matter, waseternal, the first mover, and the cause of motion, buthimself pure Act, and incapable of change. Thus farAristotle carried out the conception of Anaxagoras.Yet in dealing with the problem of Matter, and its