BOOK I PART IV
however broken or uninterrupted in their ap-
pearance: This appealing interruption is con-
trary to the identity: The interruption conse-
quently extends not beyond the appearance,
and the perception or object really continues
to exist, even when absent from us: Our sen-
sible perception s have, therefore, a continued
and uninterrupted existence. But as a little re-
flection destroys this conclusion, that our per-
ceptions have a continued existence, by shew-
ing that they have a dependent one, it would
naturally be expected, that we must altogether
reject the opinion, that there is such a thing
in nature as a continued existence, which is
preserved even when it no longer appears to
the senses. The case, however, is otherwise.
Philosophers are so far from rejecting the opin-
ion of a continued existence upon rejecting that
of the independence and continuance of our