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We see that the ens rationis is distinguished from the nihil negativum or pure nothing by the consideration that the former must not be reckoned among possibilities, because it is a mere fiction- though not self-contradictory, while the latter is completely opposed to all possibility, inasmuch as the conception annihilates itself. Both, however, are empty conceptions.

It possesses, you say, all reality, and you feel yourselves justified in admitting the possibility of such a being. If this thing is annihilated in thought, the internal possibility of the thing is also annihilated, which is self-contradictory. This is the logical criterion of possibility, distinguishing the object of such a conception from the nihil negativum.

And thus the object of a conception, to which no intuition can be found to correspond, is = nothing. 1 As Empty Conception without object, ens rationis 2 3 Empty object of Empty intuition a conception, without object, nihil privativum ens imaginarium 4 Empty object without conception, nihil negativum

Opposites, he well observes, are of two kinds, either logical, that is, such as are absolutely incompatible; or real, without being contradictory. The former he denominates Nihil negativum irrepraesentabile, the connection of which produces nonsense.

The secretary was to take some opportunity of speaking to the pope privately; and of warning him, "as of himself," that there was no hope that the king would give way: he was to "say plainly to his Holiness that the king's desire and intent convolare ad secundas nuptias non patitur negativum; and whatsoever should be found of bull, brief, or otherwise, his Highness found his conscience so inquieted, his succession in such danger, and his most royal person in such perplexity for things unknown and not to be spoken, that other remedy there was not but his Grace to come by one way or other, and specially at his hands, if it might be, to the desired end; and that all concertation to the contrary should be vain and frustrate."