Regret Shameful Confusion Fruitless Repentance Black Desperation Cursings of themselves and all Creatures Blasphemings of the Holy Saints and of their Dread Creatour and Just Judge GOD Blessed for evermore Or as our B. Saviour in accommodation to our greatest Griefs here moderately expresses it Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth The Gnawing Worm of Helpless Remorse â—ever dies there nor is the Vehement Fire of these Violent and Contrary Affections ever quenched Quis poterit habitare cum igne devorante Quis habitabit cum ardoribus sempiternis Isaiae Cap. 33. 14. 27. Hence is seen That GOD damns no Man For since by § 23. Inordinate Affection for Creatures addicts the Soul to a wrong Last End and at the GOD Damns no Man same time by doing so does Inâ—â—pose her for her True Happiness the Sight of GOD which she cannot when Separated but Naturally desire and long for and these Inordinate Affections if Unretracted here do still remain in the Soul by § 4. and when Separated she is Unchangeable in that State and consequently sees she must for ever Despair of â—â—taining her True Good she being Impure and Inâ—ispos'd for it and also of ever getting that False Good upon which she had here set her Chief Affection because it is impossible according to the Circumstances of things in the other Life and that hence she becomes incapacitated of having any kind of Good she can desire but has her Desire and Wish crost in every thing And the perpetual crossing her Voluntary and Natural Wishes in every thing especially in what 's of Infinite Concern to her must naturally cause in such a Soul Extreme Grief Torment and Desperation And this Tormenting Grief is enhanced by the Intenseness and Vehemency of her Acts when she is a Pure Spirit with which the greatest and most violent Grief in this life bears no proportion Lastly since it has been clearly shown that all these dismal Effects which induce and make up that wretched State we call Damnation do as is here shown spring originally as from their Sole Cause from her having by her own Free Choice pitchâ— her First Affections upon some Created or False Good and all the other bad Consequences do follow out of the very Nature of a Spirit thus Affected or Indispos'd It is manifest That GOD Damns no Man but that while a Sinner hugs and cherishes Inordinate Affections for Creatures in his Breast he is all the while connaturally kindling and adding Fuel to Hell-Fire in his own Soul to which effect of Damnation GOD contributes no otherwise than by preserving the Natures of things and carrying on the Course of Causes according to those Natures which Wisest Method he has no reason to alter miraculously for their sakes who have preferr'd a Creature before Him 28. It may be objected that these Affections for Creatures were Passions which either Spring from the Body or The Knowing all Truths Speculatively in the State of Separation does not alter the Predominant Affection for Creatures As the Tree falls so it lies from the Circumstances of the former World and therefore they do not remain in a State where neither of them have any Influence upon the Soul I Answer First That these are not Passions in our future State as that word imports Motion but they are far worse viz. the Termini or Effects of the most steadily fixt and worst Passion which we call Resolvedness in ill or Willfulness And this can and must remain in a Soul determin'd to a wrong Last End she having tho' no Motion of the Spirits or Passion a Power in her call'd a Will of it 's own Nature indeed determinable to Good and Bad but by her State of Separation fixt unchangeably in that Determination which she dy'd with Secondly Tho' those Passions did indeed spring here from our Material Compart the Body yet they did not stay in that Part but affected by means of material Impressions the Soul and were â—â—t in her by a deliberate and serious pitching her Chief Affections on them nay perhaps rivetted there by long-continu'd Habits and therefore they must still remain in her for ever unless they had been Retracted while she was in a Changeable condition in this Life 29. Corollary XI Hence one Actual Sin of a high Nature and done with Hence one Enormous Actual Sin Unrepented renders a Soul liable to Eternal Damnation perfect Deliberation of which the Man dies Unrepentant will make the Soul miscarry eternally such as are Self-Murther being kill'd in a Duel for a Puntilio and such like 30. It may be said that the Knowledge of all Truths will rectifie and alter the Soul as soon as she is separated That the State of Separation does not alter the First Affection of Souls farther demonstrated in regard that she sees then clearly the Vileness and Perniciousness of placing her Affection on a wrong Last End 'T is Answer'd First That the Soul as soon as Separated knows all Truths only Speculatively but that the Practical Judgments or Affections which had prepossest her as has been prov'd § 17. do more sway with her than all her Speculative Knowledge which her Choice did not give her but Nature forced into her Secondly There could be no Cause which was Competent to alter her Not her Separation For the whole Effect of that Action is to Divide the Potential Parts of a Compound that is to take from them the State of Potentiality and make them if they can exist separate Actual Wholes Actual Parts as it has been demonstrated being Impossible Wherefore Death being only the Separation of the Soul and Body terminates it's Agency in making them Two of One and has no Influence upon changing them Nor does their State of Separation or their remaining or becoming Separate alter their Natures or their Modes for this consists in the Soul 's existing now A Pure Act which has nothing to do with taking away what she had but only taking her as it found her to elevate her such as she was and consequently those Knowledges and Affections she actually had to a higher Perfection in the Line of Ens or to give her to exist after a Nobler manner than she did formerly Lastly Were this so the Order of the World would be quite perverted for in that case the Wickedest Livers would have equal Priviledge and Benefit in the next world as the greatest Saints since each of them as is presuppos'd to our question knowing all things as soon as Separated their Wickedness would be corrected and effaced which takes away all the dread of Hell evacuates all the Motives to good Life and even destroys the Notion of Virtue and Vice Punishment and Reward and consequently GOD's Attribute of Justice 31. Corollary XII Hence is seen that Sin does not consist meerly in the Hence Sin does not formally consist in the Falsity of the Practical Iudgment or Affection but in the Disproportion and Inordinateness of it Falshood of
every Step our Soul takes towards Knowledge and the same discourse holds as to our Acquiring Virtue and only beseems some Heathen who had but Half-Lights of a DEITY The Progress and Conduct of every Act of ours towards both it's Immediate and it 's Ultimate End and Perfection do all of them spring from the Giver of every Good and perfect Gift as well as the Beginning of it This Soveraign Cause is as well in Natural as Supernatural Effects Principium Rector Dux Semita Terminus idem Nay every least Manner of Action as far as it is Good as well as the Action it self is not only Determin'd but Proportion'd to it's Proper End by his Universal Superintendency Therefore Right Reason and True Philosophy as well as St. Paul's Sublime Faith and Divinity do oblige us to catechize and ask our selves Quid â—abes quod non accepisti Quod si accepisti quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis 'T is Vain and False Philosophy then and not the True one which begets that miscall'd Science which does inflare or puff â—â—â—n up with a self-assuming Pride Philosophy were â—â—â— Philosophy did it not bring us to True Science â—â—â— Science would not be Science did it not refund â—â—â—â—cts into their Genuine Causes and consequently â—â—â—ry Action of ours as far as it is Good and not Defective into that Supreme and First Cause in whom we live move and have our Being Hence also is seen how powerfully True Science conduces to â—ake Men Virtuous For by seeing thus evidently â—â—r Total Dependence on GOD and how little we â—â—â— do of our selves it reads us a Solid and most effectual Lecture of Profound Humility which is the Ground of all Virtue and the Basis of all our Spiritual Building At least I say we have thro' God's Assistance gain'd by our former Discourse a Certain tho' something Confus'd Knowledge of what That we ought to comply with the Designs of our Great Cretour and by what means this may be best accomplisht we are as to our Particulars and a Clear Discernment of what Kind we are viz an Intelligent and Rational Being Let us follow then and comply with what we undoubtedly know Let us not degenerate from our Nature and then we may be sure we shall not wrong our Creation nor offend our Great Creatour Let us cultivate â—â—â— Reason and extirpate it's Enemy Passion Let us love Truth our Best Natural Perfection and pursue it by making use of those Means which are most Proper to attain it To do this as we ought let us not precipitate our Assent rashly but warily and wisely suspend till Self-evidence of our Principles and Evidence of our Deductions appear only which can secure our Steps from stumbling into Errour While we take this way we may hope in the same good Providence which has led us on hitherto to grow fit to comprehend Higher Truths till we ascend by those Gradual Approaches as by the Stepâ— of Jacob's Ladder to reach Heaven and attain the Blissful Ssght of Him who is TRUTH it self which only can satisfie fully our Inquisitive and infinitely Capacious Understanding CHAP. VI. some Preliminaries fore-lay'd in order to Demonstrate the Immortality of the SOUL 1. THO' Man be but One 1. Preliminary Thing as was prov'd Chap. 4. § 1. and Ch. 5. § 20. â—â—r we cannot but make Diverse We cannot but have different Conceptions of the Parts of Man Conceptions of Him as he is Man according to those Different Naâ—â—â—es or Parts found in him call'd â—â—â—l and Body This needs no farther Proof it being granted by all insomuch as some will â—â—eds make them Two Distinct Things And is â—â—â—her Prov'd For since as has been demonâ—â—rated above the Soul is the Form or ACT of the Body and we cannot but have Different Notions or Conceptions of ACT and POWER it follows that we cannot but have Different Notions or Conceptions of the Soul and the Body 2. Preliminary II. Whence follows that we may and must have Different Notions or Conceptions of every Operation of Man as â—â— is Man For since every And consequently of every Operation of his as he is Man Man tho' One Thing yet has two Different Natures in him of which he consists and every Thing is that of which it consists and Operates or Acts as it is it follows that every Operation of Man as well as Himself is of vastly Different Natures and partakes of both and consequently we can and are oblig'd to have Diverse Conceptions of every such Operation for the same Reason for which we must have Diverse Conceptions of those Natures themselves that is we can find somewhat in such Operations that is Proper or Peculiar to One of those Natures and not Proper or Peculiar to the Other Hence I proceed Closer to my Main Thesis to be demonstrated in my next Chapter viz. 3. If we can find by Evident Reflexion that there is somewhat in the Operations which Man has according That we must examin whether there be anything in Man according to his Soul which is above Quantity or Matter his Soul that is above the Nature of Matter or above Quantity which is the Common Affection of all Corporeal Nature and therefore that is Indivisible or which is the same Indissoluble or Incorruptible it must follow demonstratively that then that Part of Man call'd his Soul is Immaterial Incorruptible or Immortal In order to Demonstrate which we proceed with our Preliminaries 4. Preliminary III. There are Three Distinct Operations of Man according to his Soul as 't is Intellective or That there are Three Distinct Operations of Man as he is Intellective Knowing viz. Simple Apprehension Iudging and Discoursing This I think is granted by all and is easily prov'd For we must first Lay hold of that which we are to work upon or take into out Mind that of which we are to Iudge or Discourse that is have a Notion of it for otherwise we should Iudge and Discourse of we know not what Wherefore that Operation call'd Simple Apprehension or the having the Notion of the Thing in our Mind is clearly Antecedent to the other Two and consequently Distinct from them Again Discoursing does clearly presuppose some Iudgments already had and Assented to ere we can Deduce any thing out of them by Discourse since we must necessarily Iudge our Premisses True ere we can hope to derive their Truth to another Proposition or Deduce any thing out of them by our Reason which manifests a perfect Distinction between the Operations of Discoursing and Iudging 'T is therefore Evident that there are Three Distinct Operations of Man according to that Part call'd the Soul as 't is Intellective or Knowing call'd Simple Apprehension Iudging and Discoursing 5. Preliminary IV. The Notion of Created Ens or Thing Abstracts from or is Indifferent to Existence and Non-Existence The Notion of Ens or Thing is Indifferent to Actual Being or Not-Being and a
inconsiderable in comparison of the Whole tho' it may change some Part or Parts of it yet it 's Activity which consists in it's Addiction to do that Effect or in it's Act of Volitiâ—â— and not in it's bare Knowledge of it is stinted to a certain Proportion of Matter according to the Greater or Lesser Excellency of it's Essence from which it's Activity springs and to which it goes parallel 25. An Angel can easily and in an Imperceptiâ—… Time order and alter that Quantity An Angel can move or change those Bodies which are of Matter or those Bodies that are within the Bounds of it Activity which generally speaking are only those which it superintends anâ—… also those material Causes which are requisite as fit Instruments for Holy Angels to do Men Good or Protect within the Sphere of it's Activity in an imperceptible Time them or for Bad Angels to do them Harm or Punish them as sutes best with GOD's Mercy or â—ustice For since all Motion proceeds from Angels as Second Causes and that by knowing all Nature Intuitively their Knowledge reaches not only to the Subject or Patient which is to be alter'd but to every imaginable circumstance either belonging to the said Patient or to those Material Agents which being apply'd are proper to work upon them It follows that this alone must needs wonderfully facilitate the Effect Again since those Acts of the Angel's Will which were the Efficient Causes of Altering those Bodies were of themselves Instantaneous It follows that tho' the Nature of the Patient which is Material or Quantitative would not permit the Effect or Change to be put by a â—…ite Power in an Instant yet all imaginable Requisites do concur to produce in it such or as little a Time as the perfect Subjection of the Patient can bear and as the Activity of the Agent which acts on it's part Instantaneously requires that is in a very Imperceptible Time And accordingly 1 Cor. 15. v. 51 52. the Holy Scripture tells us that the Change of those Bodies which survive at the Resurrection from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Condition the â—…rangest Change Matter can possibly bear will be made in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye that is in the least time we are able to conceive 26. Corollary VIII Whence it being so consonant to the Natures of Things Hence the Wonderful Effects recorded in Holy Writ to have been done by Angels are Consonant to Metaphysical Principles viz. to the Activity of Angels and to the Passiveness of Matter our meer Naturalists need not wonder that the Prophet Habbacuc was carried so suddenly Dan. 14. 35. by an Angel impetu Spiritus sui as the Scripture expresses it to Daniel in the Lion's Den at Babylon a place unknown to the Prophet and therefore very far off so quickly which can scarce be conceiv'd possible to be done so suddenly without strangely disordering and even killing him without taking from the Air all power of Resistence Nor need it be wonder'd at that a Light shone so suddenly in St. Peter's Prison nor that his Chains fell off and that the Iron-Gate open'd to them of it's own accord Act. 12. nor that all the Guards were stupify'd with a dead Sleep Nor that Angels so suddenly make to themselves a Body of Air to appear in and as suddenly disappear again Nor at many other such like Effects related in Holy Writ None of these I say ought to appear Wonderful to any Solid Philosopher who attends to his Principles and True Reason For since the Motion of Bodie and therefore all Action springs from Angels as the Immediate Causes their Activity upon Bodily Substances so Inferiour tâ— them must needs be very Soveraign and Powerful Nor is there any thing in thâ— whole Discourse or in any of these anâ— such like Particular Actions which does not subsist upon Solid Grounds and is not built upon and is consonant to Evident Principles of Reason 27. Corollary IX From what has been deduced formerly we may Collect as most Agreeable to Rational That the Ordinary Ministring Spirits or the Guardian Angels of particular Persons are the Lowest sort of Angels Principles that those Angels or Ministring Spirits who by their Office are to work upon Matter and are with good reason hold to be those of the lowest Quire and particularly the Angel Guardians should at the General Resurrection be employ'd in Changing the Mass of pre-existent Matter for we cannot think Creation begins a-new when the World is near an end into Human Bodies fitted according to the respective Dispositions of the Holy and the Wicked Souls as is seen Mat. 13. where the Harvest is said to be the Resurrection and the Angels the Reapers gathering the good Seed to be eternally preserv'd and the Tares to be burnt We may hence also clearly gather that the Chief Overseeing that Grand Affair belongs to the Superiour Influence of an Arch-Angel signify'd Metaphorically 1 Thessal 4. 15. by the Voice of an Archangel and his Trumpet blowing to summon the Dead to appear before Christ's Dread Tribunal Which understood literally is the putting them or making them to appear in their Distinct Ranks according to their several Merits or Demerits that Christ may judge them by discriminating the Sheep from the Goats that is by Beatifying the Former and Establishing them in Sanctity and the Reward of it Glory and the Later as the Nature of their State requires unchangeably in Sin and consequently Damnation as is emphatically exprest in our Saviours Words Apoc. 22. 11. He that is Unjust let him be Unjust still and he that is Filthy let him be Filthy still and he that is Righteous let him be Righteous still and he that is Holy let him be Holy still Which Final Sentence forbids and precludes to the Damned all hope of Change or fruitful Repentance and fixes them Unalterably and for ever in their Sinful State and consequently in Eternal Death which is the Reward and Connatural Effect or Fruit of Sin Whence also we see the reason of that severe Saying Ex inferno nulla Redemptio and why their Bad and Unchangeable Affections which so strongly detain them there are called Rudentes Inferni 2 Pet. 2 4. 28. Corollary X. For the reason given above all the Affairs of very High moment are said to be done by But the Greater and Weightier Affairs are transacted by Archangels â— an Archangel Thus Michael made head against Lucifer and subdu'd him Thus Gabriel the Archangel was the Messenger of the Incarnation Nor can it be doubted but the Head of those Angels which gave the Law on Mount Sina as is written Acts 7. 38. and v. 53. was of the same Dignity Nor that those Intelligences which give and continue Motion to the Matter of ours and of all the other Suns if that opinion may be allow'd which holds all the Fixed Stars to be so many Corpora per se lucentia or so many Suns are all
afterwards are Accidental 11. To be an Individuum some degree of Constancy Permanency or Stability is requir'd 12. Which Existence supervening does establish 13. The Twisting the Results of so many Causes into one Individuum argues the Design of an All-comprehending Providence 14. This Complexion of Accidents can never be eradicated while the Individuum continues 15. And gives the Compound a Different Genius and Natural Propension 16. Existence can with no show of Reason be pretended to be the Principle of Individuation 17. The Distinction between the Notion of a Subsistent Thing or a Suppositum and the Notion of an Individual Ens clearly manifested 18. How and When the Individuality is lost 19. The First Rule how to know this 20. The Second Rule 22. The Third Rule 22. Hence Simple Division of the Matter or Quantity in Living Bodies does not change the Individuum 23. Much less in Man 24. When 't is Chang'd in Simple Bodies 25. When in First-Mixt Bodies 26. When in Demixts 27. When in Homogeneous Mixts 28. When in very Heterogeneous or Organical Bodies 29. Two Contradistinct Natures may compound One Thing 30. The Divine and Humane Natures may siâ—â—sist in the same Suppositum 31. Notwithstanding those Natures and their Properties must remain Unmingled and not Confounded as some Eutvchians imagin'd 32. Yet all the Actions and Padions must be attributed to the Suppositum tho' according to such a Nature contrary to what Nestorius fancy'd 33. Hence Lastly There is no show of Contradiction that GOD should be Three according to the Respect of Person and yet not-Three but One according to the Respect of Nature or Essence 34. A large Explication of some Grounds very Useful to take off all Shadow of Contradiction from divers Chief Mysteries of Christian Faith and to show how Consonant they are to the most Exact Rules of Right Reason MEDITATION How impossible it is for us to know perfectly all that belongs to our own Individuum By what Wonderful and Untraceable ways GOD's Providence has brought about our Individuation and gives us all our Knowledge and other Endowments How little our Best Performances contributed to the Acquisition of them and how little reason the most Knowing and most Virtuous Man living has to be Proud of the most Laudable Actions GOD has done by him That we ought to comply with the Designs of our Creatour by pursuing the End of our Nature and by what Means this may be best accomplisht CHAP. VI. Some Preliminaries fore-lay'd in order to Demonstrate the Immortality of the Soul § 1. WE cannot but have Different Conceptions of the Essence of MAN 2. And consequently of every Operation of his aâ— he is Man 3. We are therefore to examine whether there be any thing in Man according to his Soul which is above Quantity or Matter 4. There are Three Distinct Operations of Man as he is Intellective 5. The Notion of Ens or Thing is Indifferent to Actual Being and not-being 6. Every Form must denominate the Subject in which it is such as the Form it self is 7. A Notion may either be consider'd Subjectively or Objectively 8. Every Object of our Knowledge must either be the Thing it self in the Mind or something that 's Like it 9. NOTIONS understood objectively are the Things themselves as they are in the Mind and not meer Similitudes of them Prov'd unanswerably 10. Prov'd no less unaswerably by the Concession of the Ideists themselves that the Thing it self must thus be in the Mind 11. In what Sense that saying Every Like is not the Same is verify'd 12. Every Inadequate Notion we have of the Thing is of the Whole Thing Confusedly and Materially tho' it be only of one Metaphysical Part or Considerability of it Distinctly and Formally 13. A Third Unanswerable Proof that the Thing must be in the Mind when we know it 14. The Author's Reason why he builds on this Thesis The Reasons why some others are backwards in Assenting to it 15. Notwithstanding the Immortality of the Soul may be demonstrated tho' this Thesis were wav'd CHAP. VII Of the Immateriality and consequently the Immortality of Man's SOUL § 1. FIrst Leading Demonstration Because her Operations and Objects are receiv'd in her after an Indivisible Manner 2. Dem. II. Because her Capacity is Infinite 3. Dem. III. Because she has Other Natures in her without Altering her own 4. Dem. IV. Because they are in her not as Intrinfecal Modes affecting Her but as Distinct from her Contrary to the Nature of Material Subjects 5. Dem. V. Because the Contrary Thesis is Opposite to the Natural Notions of all Mankind 6. Existence is the only Absolute Notion we have and all the rest are Respective 7. Dem. VI. Because she has in her the Notion of Existence which is every way Indivisible 8. Dem. VII Because she has Actual Respects in her 9. This Demonstration enforced 10. Dem. VIII Because she has in her the Notions or Natures of Vast Quantities which are impossible to be there Themselves as they are in Matter nâ—â— yet any Material Similitudes of them 11. Dem. IX Because the Parts of Motion are perfectly Distinct and Determinate in the Soul which are utterly Undistinguisht and Indeterminate as they are in Material Subjects 12. Dem. 10. Because the Soul has Past and Future Parts of Time Present in her at once 13. Dem. XI Because the Soul can tye together as many Singulars as she pleases in the Notion of One Number of which generally the Fancy can have no Material Resemblance 14. Dem. XII Because Sensible Qualities tho' Innumerable and Contrary to one another are in the Soul without Disordering her in the least 15. Dem. XIII Because the said Qualities as in her do not fight and expel one another as they must were their Subject made of Matter 16. Dem. XIV Because Innumerable multitudes of various and large Figures are in the Soul at once 17. Dem. XV. Because the Soul has in her Universal Notions 18. Dem. XVI Because the Thing is in and by the Soul Divided into such Parts as Material Division cannot reach 19. Dem. XVII Because that kind of Composition which the Soul makes afterwards of these thus-Divided Parts is impossible to be perform'd by a Material Agent 20. Hence is seen the reason why Angels do not thus Compound and Divide and consequently they know the Whole Thing Intuitively 21. Dem. XVIII Because what is meant by the Copula is which we use in all our Affirmative Iudgments cannot be so much as shadow'd or represented by a Material Similitude 22. Dem. XIX Because the Connexion of the Conclusion with Right Premisses is above the force of all Nature or Matter and impossible to be Solv'd or Broken 23. Dem. XX. Because all the Notions the Soul has are most concise and exact even to an Indivisible 24. Dem. XXI Because the Soul is a Pure Act and therefore Immaterial 25 Dem. XXII Because the Soul gives a kind of Being to Non-Entities and Chimeraes
which can have no Existence in Nature 26 How some do mistake the Nature of the Indivisibility attributed to the Soul 27. The Proper and True Sense in which a Spirit is said to be Indivisible 28. That 't is consonant to the Nature of the Subject that the Soul should contain Corporeal Nature and it 's Modes Indivisibly 29. In what Sense we are to take the word Instantaneous when we say the Operations of Pure Spirits are such 30. Last Demonstration Concluding the Whole Point That our Soul it heing so manifestly and manifoldly Demonstrated to be IMMATERIAL is necessarily IMMORTAL MEDITATION In discoursing of our Soul we must transcend our Senses and Corporeal Phantasms and avail our selves only by Reflexion on those Operations which are Proper to it 'T is to be fear'd the Chief Origin of Atheism is in Men's Wills it being so easie to satisfie their Understandings What Duties are incumbent on Us who know and acknowledge our Soul to be Immortal Our former Demonstrations of that Great and most Concerning Truth summ'd up and Recapitulated Of what vast Importance it is to lay 〈…〉 heart this Preliminary Truth to all Religion BOOK II. Of PURE ACTS CHAP. I. Of the SOUL SEPARATED and ANGELS § 1. THe Soul does at her Separation receive some Change according to the Manner of her Existing and her Suppositality 2. The Means how this is done illustrated 3. Yet the same Individual Nature remains in her 4. All the Knowledges and Unretracted Affections the Soul had here remain still in her 5. Each Soul when Separated knows all Created Truths 6. How this is very Possible 7. Hence every Separated Soul knows all Time and Place 8. Hence her Operations are not measur'd by Time They and their Subject being of a Superiour Nature 9. Hence she will be Eternally Miserable unless she knows the First Cause GOD. 10. Hence also she is naturally Unchangeable 11. Hence too as soon as Separated she knows all the Thoughts and Affections Words and Actions of her past Life 12. Whence follows the Particular Judgment which determines her Lot at the hour of Death 13. Hence is understood how the Book of Conscience will be laid open at the Last Day 14. And how Infants are connaturally sav'd by Baptism 15. Hence Ana-Baptism is Impious and Unnatural 16. The foregoing Principles show how much more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to know our Actions and Necessities 17. The Practical Iudgments or Affections do carry the Soul to the Attainment of the Good she most Lov'd here in case it be Attainable in the Future State 18. The Best Intellectual Good or the Sight of GOD is Attainable in the Next Life if the Soul be Dispos'd for it 19. Therefore to work up our Christian Principles to such Good Dispositions ought to be the whole Employ of our Life here 20. This good Disposition is CHARITY or the Love of GOD above all things 21. Hence all the Means and Motives laid by our B. Saviour tend only to breed and cultivate in our Souls this Predominant Affection for Heaven 22. Hence RELIGION is the Way of breeding up Souls in such a manner as may dispose them fâ—… Eternal Bliss 23. From the same Principles is Demonstrated that To depart hence with a Contrary Disposition 〈…〉 a First Affection for any Creature will torment the Soul when Separated with most Unspeakable Grief and Anguish 24. The State of Separation Elevates the Soul to aâ—… Incomparably higher Perfection of Existence shâ—… being then a Pure Act than she had here 25. Wherefore it does consequently Elevate the Activity of all her Powers and particularly the Acts of her Will her Affections to an Unconceiveable Intenseness and Vehemency above what she had while in the Body 26. Hence the Poena Damni in Wicked Souls foâ—… the Loss of the Sight of GOD and also the Loss of thâ—… Temporal False Good they here doted on is Unspeakable and plunges them in a HELL of Misery Their Sad Condition describ'd 27. Hence 't is evident that GOD damns no Man but that the Sinner while he hugs and cherishes 〈…〉 his Thoughts those Inordinate Affections for Creatures on which by his own Deliberate Choice 〈…〉 had set his First Love does connaturally kindlâ—… and foment all the while Hell-Fire in his own Soul To which GOD contributes no farther but by conserving the Wisest Course of the World that Propeâ—… Causes should have their Effects which he has 〈…〉 reason to alter for their sakes 28. The Knowing then all Truths Speculatively doeâ—… not alter the Predominant Affection for Creatures As the Tree falls so it lies 29. Hence one Enormous Actual Sin unrepented renders a Separated Soul liable to Eternal Damnation 30. That the State of Separation does not alter the First Affection of Souls farther Demonstrated 31. Hence Sin does not formally consist in the Falsity of the Practical Iudgment or Affection but in the Disproportion and Inordinateness of it 32. ' From the former Principles it follows that all those several Kinds of Knowledges we had here will be Elevated to an Unmeasurable Excess in the State of Separation 33. Hence also all the Virtuous Affections which good Souls had here for Friends Relations and Acquaintances will remain in the Next Life and make them ardently wish and pray for their Salvation 34. That each Particular Deduced here is Demonstrable by the Principles laid formerly Shown by repeating those Principles 35. Wherefore there is not the least Thought Word or Action Good or Bad which we ever had or did in this Life but will have it's Consequent and Proper Effect Adjusted and Proportion'd to it in the Next MEDITATION The Admirable Nature of a Soul when separated and become a Pure Spirit Display'd That there is no Comparison between our Soul's Condition here and That in the State of Separation Meer Humane Science when at the Height was too short and Impotent to raise Mankind to those Dispositions that fit him for True Happiness The Necessity of Divine Revelation farther shown That the Christian Life is most Comfortable and the Un-Christian Life most full of Anxiety The Unexpressible Transports of Joy which Holy Souls experience at their first entring into Bliss CHAP. II. Of the Existence Essence Knowledge Distinction and Action of ANGELS § 1. THE Order of the Universe requires that there should be Different Kinds of Beings 2. And much more that there should be Pure Acts or ANGELS 3. Especially since the Angelical Natures are Capable of Existing 4. And that otherwise there could be no Immediate Cause of Motion 5. As is also demonstrated from the Nature of all Causality 6. Every more perfect Ens includes in it the Nature of the less-perfect as it is an Ens. 7. And therefore Pure Acts or Spirits Contain in them the Nature of Body 8. Which since it cannot be done by way of Quantity they must contain them by the way of Knowledge 9. Therefore the very Natures or Essences of Bodies are in
in One most Simple Formality 46. Hence even the Names of our Best Virtues are not in every regard properly spoken of GOD. 47. Nor Omnipotent Creatour or such like All our Language having some Tang of Imperfection Annext to it 48. Nor yet Negative Words as Immense Infinite Immaterial c. 49. No Priority or Posteriority either Real or made by our Reason conceiving some Ground for it in the Thing can be attributed to GOD. 50. Notwithstanding all these are with some Impropriety spoken of GOD yet all of them but the Last are Truly said of Him 51. The Solid Ground of Mystick Theology 52. Hence is concluded that all the Names or Words we have whether they be Affirmative or Negative do fall short of reaching the Divine Essence MEDITATION How by considering the Visible Things of this World we have arriv'd at the Knowledge of the Invisible Things of GOD His Essence and Attributes That these have been Demonstratively Deduc'd and this with an Evidence beyond that of the Mathematicks That this will redound to our greater Disadvantage if we live not accordingly This Knowledge of GOD obliges us to the Duties following viz. Of most Profound Adoration and Respectful Attention when we address to him in Prayer Of a Firm Belief of what he has Reveal'd Of Endeavouring to dispose our selves to receive farther Influences of His Grace and to Hope with Full Assurance that He will most certainly give us all we are Capable or Dispos'd to receive Of Trembling at his Iustice if we wilfully break his Commands or carelesly run on sn Sin Of Hoping Unwaveringly we shall obtain his Pardon if we sincerely Repent Of Resignation in all sinister Contingencies to the Infinitely Wise Disposition of His Providence in the Government of His World Especially to Love Him who is our Only Happiness and True Good as we ought both for what He is in Himself and for what He is to Us. Lastly to the Duty of Imitating His Holy Moral Attributes which is the most Effectual Means to perfect us in all sorts of Virtue BOOK IV. Of the several OPERATIONS of Things and of the Manner in common how the First Being administers His World § 1. ALL Action springs Immediately from the Existence of the Cause 2. And the Acting in such a Manner from the Thing 's being of such a Nature 3. Therefore the Power of Operating thus or thus is refunded into the Essence of the Thing 4. Therefore all Causality is the Imparting to the Patient somewhat that was some way or other in the Agent or the Cause 5. Hence Motion only Applies the Natural Agent to the Patient 6. The First Operation among Bodies is DIVISION 7. The Next Operations are IMPULSE and ATTRACTION 8. The Reason of which Operations is not to be fetch'd from Physicks but from Metaphysicks 9. Nor in Metaphysicks from the Matter or Form 10. But from the Essence or Nature of the Common Modification of Body Quantity 11. This Disputable Point fully Clear'd 12. Hence is seen particularly the Reason of Attraction 13. Every Impulse does at first Condense and every Attraction at first does Rarify 14. All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it 15. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature 16. Every Part of Motion is a New Effect 17. And therefore it requires a Continual Influx of some Moving Cause 18. This Moving Cause is some Chief Angel which Rarefies the Matter in the Solar Bodies 19. Angels are Pre-mov'd and Directed by GOD to move Matter in such a manner as is most sutable to His Eternal Decrees 20. The First-mov'd Bodies do Determine and Continue the Motion of the Others 21. Hence Angels and the Bodies which they move do as Second Causes determine the Individuation of all new-made Bodies 22. But 't is evidently beyond their Power to give Existence 23. Which therefore is Peculiar to GOD 24. As 't is also to Conserve them in Being 25. And to give to a Nobler Essence a Nobler Existence 26. For the same reason a Spiritual Form will be given to Matter connaturally Dispos'd for it 27. The same holds in Supernatural Gifts which also abstracting from Miracle are carry'd on by Dispositions 28. Hence GOD is not the Cause of any Defect much less of SIN 29. That all the foremention'd Sorts of Operations do spring from the Respective ESSENCES 30. That GOD does All that 's Good in All and in what Manner and by what Means MEDITATION That God's Ordinary Providence carries on the Course of Nature by Proper Causes still producing Proper Effects Demonstrated And Confirm'd because otherwise Mankind could not possibly have any Science nor know how to behave themselves or what to do in their Practice and ordinary Actions The same Great Truth Demonstrated a posterioriâ—… Hence the Course of GOD's Workmanship the Fabrick of Nature is Close and Indissoluble The Epicurean Tenet that the World is Govern'd by CHANCE shown most Absurd and Senseless What CHANCE truly is How Groundlessly some Christian Philosophers the Ideists do in part violate this Method of GOD's Ordinary Providence Demonstrated The Witty Folly of Stoical FATALITY confuted and exploded The Application of this Doctrine to our own Duties A Rational Explication OF The Mystery of the most Blessed TRINITY Trans-natural Philosophy OR METAPHYSICKS BOOK I. Of the ESSENCES of Compound Entities CHAP. I. Of POWER and ACT. 1. ALL Mankind must necessarily have the Notions of POWER and ACT or know what those Words POWER and ACT are Natural or Common Notions mean For since all Mankind do in their Common Language use to say that such a Thing which was not before can be or exist as also that Fire can be made of Wood that Water can be made Hot and such like and this in innumerable Occasions And 't is Evident that the word can does in those Speeches signifie the Power to Exist be made of Wood be made Hot c. and the other words do signify the Acts which answer to those Powers and by reason of which when they come to have those Acts they are truly said to be Actually such as the words which correspond to those Powers do import Also since all Mankind have in their Minds the Meaning of those Words which themselves do intelligently use and the Meaning of any Word iâ— the same with that which we cali their Notiâ—â— exprest by that Word which Notion we have in our Minds when we use that Word It follows evidently that All Mankind must necessarily have the Notions of POWER and ACT oâ— Know what those Words mean 2. Hence is gathered that there are three Soâ—â—â— of Power and Act For since That there are Three sorts of each we can truly say that such 〈◊〉 Thing newly generated was 〈◊〉 and now is and 't is most Self evident that could not be which had not a Possibility or Power to be 't is manifest that the Thing had a Possibility or Power to be that iâ— had
〈…〉 labour for our own True Good pursue that bestâ—…isht Food which connaturally nourishes our Soul in it's way and comply with the Best Intentions and End of our Creation CHAP. IV. Of the Essence of MAN 1. MAN is One Thing made up or Compounded of a Corporeal and a Spiritual Part which we call BODY and SOUL For were the Body and Soul iâ— MAN is One Thing made up of Soul and Body Man Two Distinct Things those Two Things they being of such Different Natures could not possibly have any Coalition nor any kind of Union 〈…〉 as to make up One Compound more than can 〈…〉 Angel and a Brute Nor could they be in 〈…〉 Manner or according to any Mode of which wâ— have a Notion cemented together Not according to that Mode or Accident call'd QUANTITY the Unity of which kind of Parts is Continuity because the Spiritual Part the Soul is not Quantitative nor can it be thus Continu'd or Joyn'd to the Body Nor consequently according to the Notion of Quality For first Quality supposes tâ—… Thing which it Qualifies already constituted and only superadds some Perfection or Imperfectiâ—… to it's Nature Secondly Because all the Qualities of One of those Parts are Corporeal ones aâ—… all the Qualities of the Other Part are Spiritual that is they are Quantitatiâ—s and Not-Quantitativâ— which can no more unite than a Body and a Spâ—… could Nor according to Relation or to speâ—… more properly according to the Things themselves as they are consider'd to be Relata or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this Notion is of the Thing it self as it gives us the Ground or Reason of our Relating or Comparing it to Another in such a Respect which presupposes the Things and is so far from giving us a Ground of conceiving them to be One that it obliges us to conceive them as some way or other Two and moreover Relatively Opposite to one another and Opposition cannot be the Formal Reason of Unity And if we take the word Relation not Fundamentally but Formally for the very Act of Referring 't is clearly a Spiritual Mode peculiarly belonging to One part of Man the Soul and therefore for the Reason lately given it cannot unite both those Parts together Nor can they be United according to any of the Four last Predicaments for These as is shown in my METHOD can only belong to Bodies Nor lastly can those Parts were they Two Things be United according to Action and Passion in which the Cartesians â—â—ce this Union for these besides their being Extrinsecal Considerations do most evidently presuppose the Whole Thing or Suppositum only which Acts oâ— Suffers constituted and therefore cannot be the Formal Cause or Reason of constituting that Whole or Compounding those Parts together but are the Exercise of that Essence and 〈…〉 Existence already Constituted such It is left â—â—en that those Two Parts can only be United 〈…〉 make One Compound according to the First Predicament or according to the Notion of Ens Thing or Substance But to be United or which â—…the same made One precisely under the Notion or Respect of Thing is out of the force of the very Words to be One Thing Therefore this Compound of SOUL and BODY call'd MAN is truly and necessarily One Thing 2. Therefore the Soul and Body in Man are only Potential Parts of that Compound Therefore the Soul and Body are here only Potential Parts and neither of them while in the Compound is Actual For it has been already Demonstrated Ch. 1. § 27. that there can be no Actual Parts in any Compound whatever Moreover were they Actual while in the Compound each of them would have it's oâ—â— Act there and consequently it 's own Essence and this not only Distinctly from the Other but Independently of it since every Act in the Line of Substance as both these Parts are determines the Substance to be This fits it for Existence and makes it capable to Subsist alone wherefore each of those Parts when separated would retain it's Act and Essence and exist or actually remain such as it was whereas 't is manifest that a Human Body does not exist or remain so much as a Sensitive or Vegetative Thing but becomes a meeâ— Dead Carkass 3. Therefore neither Part while in the Compound can Act or Operate Alâ—… Therefore Neither Part can Operate Alone For 't is Demonstrable that Whâ—… ever Acts must Be Actually Bâ—… in our case neither Part Is actuaâ—… but are both of them only Potential by § 2. Wheâ—… fore 't is manifest that Neither Part can work Alâ—… but concomitantly with the other that is in all 〈…〉 Operations of Man as he is Man 't is the Wâ—… Compound or that Ens Thing Substantia Priâ—… or Suppâ—sâ—â—um which only can Act or Operâ—… sâ—nce It only Is actually 4. Corollary I. Hence is seen on what Evident Ground that most Useful and Solid Maxim Actiones Which Groundâ— that Excellent Maxim Actiones Passiones sunt Suppositorum Passiones sunt Suppositorum which all seem to admit but Few I fear duly reflect on is built viz. on those most Evident Truths Nothing can Act but what is it self in Act or Is Actually or Nothing can Act in such a manner unless it Bee such and No Parts in any Compound singly consider'd Are Actually With which notwithstanding it well consists that The Whole may act more chiefly and Peculiarly according to This Part than to That as we also experience not only in Man but in every Compound whatever 5. Corollary II. How Useful this Doctrine is to explicate the Incarnation or the Subsistence of Two Natures Hence the Christian Tenet of the Incarnation is Agreeable to Right Reason in One Divine Person and the Different Operations of Christ our Saviour as he is GOD and MAN will easily appear to Reflecters and will more fully be seen when we shall have occasion to show the Conformity which that Fundamental Article of Christian Faith has to the Principles of True Philosophy 6. Tho' the Peculiar and Immediate Form or Act of that Part call'd The Seat of Knowledge be that Spiritual Of the Form or Act of Man as he is Man Part we call The Soul yet the Act or Form of Man as he is Man is the said Spiritual Part together with that Complexion of Accidents in his Body which contribute to fit him for his Primary Operation For since Man is One Thing which has in it both a Corporeal and a Spiritual Nature § 1. and every Thing acts as it is his Operation peculiar to him as he is Man must also be Corporeo-Spiritual and consequently his Total Form which constitutes him such an Individual Acter must likewise partake of both those Natures 7. Corollary III. Hence in every Operation of Man as he is Man the Operations peculiar to the Soul Both â—arts concurr to every Operation of Man as he is Man cannot be produced without the Immediate
Stone and a Tree a Horse and an Eagle a Lizard and a Herring c. Nor is at all to purpose to alledge they are a Compound Thing for this is contrary to many Evident Truths since it has been demonstrated Ch. 1. § 27. that there are no Actual Parts in any Compound whatever Nor can the Parts of Ens joyn to make One Thing otherwise than as one of them is Determinable Potential or has the Notion of Matter the other Determinative of the Other as it 's Form Lastly that Unum or One Thing would be Divisum in se which is against the Nature of Ens. Nor is it to purpose to alledge they are United by their Acting together for this only makes them Coacters such as the Principal Cause and the Instrument uses to be and not One Thing as is clearly shown Preliminary V. § 25. Besides they must Be One Thing ere they can Act as One Thing which as is there shown makes the alledging this for a Reason very Preposterous 38. Corollary XIV From what 's deduced above 't is demonstrated against that every-way-Groundless Opinion That the Pre-existence of Souls is a Senseless Conceit and Impossible of the Pre-existence of Souls Since the Form of an Ens being but a Part of that thing it belongs to and a Part of a Thing not being the Thing it self or the Whole Thing and only the Thing it self being Capable of Existance the Soul which is the Form of Man cannot possibly exist till it informs the Matter and with it makes up that Thing call'd Man 39. Corollary XV. Hence that foppish Opinion of the Transmigration of Souls So is the Pythagorean Transmigration is confuted Since the Form is not Received but in Matter fitted to receive it or Dispos'd for it and with it compounding one Thing which shall have a Primary Operation sutable to the Nature of such a Compound which kind of Disposition can no where be found but in Humane Bodies otherwise every meer Animal and Vegetable might require and therefore have a Rational Soul in them which put there could neither need any Transmigration nor could it be without having two Souls in one Body or Two Forms in the same Matter which would make every such Compound a CHIMERA Whence I am forced to declare that those who talk of GOD's Annexing Reason to the Matter of a Brute bid fair for the Tenet of a Pythagorean Transmigration for to what other end can the starting such a Question or such a wild Supposition tend 40. Corollary XVI Hence is farther shown that to those who ask How the Soul and Body come to be That 't is a Folly to ask how the Soul and Body came to be United United The properest Answer is They were never DISUNITED or TWO A farther reason how they come to be One may be gather'd out of the following Meditation MEDITATION BY this time my Soul we have rais'd our selves by immediate Steps from the Material World our Underling and God's Footstool The Rational Progress and Immediate Steps of our Thoughts hitherto till we are come within Ken of our own Nature Nor can we think we have err'd in that Noble and Necessary Quest There have been no Meandrian Turnings and Windings in our Rational Progress which is the Way we have taken We started first from the Simplest and as we may say Embryo-Notions of POWER and ACT which belong to every Created Being We proceeded next to that sort of Power and Act which compounds the Changeable Nature of BODY We went on to take a view of the Essences of the most Uncompounded Bodies and those of their Simpler Mixts and Demixts till we arriv'd at those most Compounded ones which are Organical such as are Vegetables and Animals divers Parts of which seem to have distinct Natures and Operations of their own But they only seem to have them for out of the Compound they can perform no such Operations at all because those Parts being only Potential or in Power to be Things they are hence of themselves not Actually Things nor capable of Being nor consequently of Acting So that 't is the Compound only that Acts according to such a Part which is somewhat of it because it only Is or is in Act. Lastly We have shewn the Establishment of the Essence of an Animal and that its Primary Operation for which it was ordain'd is like it self meerly Sensitive or Material But must the Climax of BEING stop in that lowest Degree of Entity Base Matter Why it was necessary such a Creature as MAN should be made No surely For how should the Alpha of all Being be the Omega of it too if there were nothing Created here but such a Stupid and Senseless Nature as Body which is utterly unable to ascend to him or raise it self towards him and chuse him for its Last End and Final Good And yet how should meer Matter rise to that vastly higher Story of Being call'd Spiritual or how should it arrive to a next Neighbourhood with an Angel They seem rather Contradictory and in the highest manner Opposite The one is of its own Nature Divifible the other Indivisible The one is a Pure Act the other is meerly Potential being made of Matter which depresses it's Compart while here to a Potential State also The Order of Beings which is the Product of God's Creative Wisdom could not but be contriv'd with all the Beauty of the most exact Harmony which consists in fitting one Thing to another It must then arise by Immediate Degrees otherwise it would not be Compacted but Shatter'd And it had been too great a Leap and had left too wide a Chasm in the Frame of the Creation to ascend or rather skip from meer Matter to a Pure Spirit But what cannot Infinite Wisdom By what means GOD's Infinite Wisdom contriv'd the Union of the Soul and Body in one Thing contrive without either perverting or straining the Proportions of Order or Violating the Natures of Body or Spirit either Wherefore to make the Contexture of Beings Close and not intersticed by Flaws Gaps or Incoherences Divine Providence which disposes all things sweetly order'd there should be some Dispositions in Matter which requir'd to be indu'd with such a Form as was beyond the Power of Matter to produce 〈◊〉 have educed out of it viz. Such as was of a Spiritual Nature tho' of the lowest size to perform with its Assistance Operations beyond the Power of Matter to compass alone that is with a Faculty of Reasoning which partakes in some sort â—â—th Natures or with a Power both of Knowing 〈◊〉 also of Succession in Acquiring or Using that Knowledge Those Dispositions being laid in Matter 〈◊〉 â—â—llow'd necessarily that a Form of a Spiritual Naâ—â—re would be in it For to an Infinite Being streamâ—…enerously his Gifts from his Exuberant Source of â—…ss there needs no more to receive and have the Effects of his Bounty but to be Dispos'd for them or
it from all others in the First Instant of our Being What Mathematicks could contrive what Mathematician can explicate how all those Crooked and mutually-crossing Lines of sundry Kinds in which those Causes mov'd shohld meet in our Individuation as in their Center How much more wonderful will it be to reflect that each of those numberless Causes had also their Causes fore-lay'd and they others before them and so upwards to the First Framing of the World And yet our Reason assures us that none of these later or immediate Causes nor consequently our self their Product could â—ver have been had not this long Pedigree of Causes as Ancient as the Beginning of Time successively anteceded determining Matter to this Individual Body of ours which requir'd the Infusion of such a particular Soul whence we became what we are Blind Matter could never have seen her direct way to such a Steady End Rash and Heedless Chance could never have cost Senseless Matter into such an orderly and wellcomplicated Frame Be ever prais'd that Adorable Providence which has design'd so large a portion of the Creation to run in a direct Track for the Production of so mean a Thing so poor an Atome of Being â—â— our selves and our Contemporary Individuuâ—ns â—re Yet we have by this Discourse gain'd a clear sight of what in common makes our Individuation and in what it consists And has given us all our knowledge and other Endowments tho' the Detail of it's particular Ingredients be hid from us We have learnt too that nothing but an all-comprehending Wisdom and Providence which has Plac'd us tho' remotely yet surely in the Rank of Effects from the First Constitution of the World could have ripen'd Nature so as to make us Spring out of the Seeds of our Causes in our proper Season How Unreasonable then and how short-sighted is our Pride which would persuade Mankind that any particular Acquir'd Endowments of Dignity Progeny Beauty or Parts particularly that the Knowledge in which some may excel others do belong to our selves or our Individuums or essentially distinguish us from those of our own Kind who have not been so Fortunate or so blest by Providence as we have been I have done this and I have done the other thinks the Proud Boaster God has done this and the other by me says the Humble and Wise Christian. Nay if we reflect well we shall find that we fall short of being even Common Instruments For those owe only their Motion and Direction to the Principal Cause but We owe our Being too to Him who makes use of us to bring about his Infinitely-Wise Designs None of those Endowments Productions or Acquisitions are to be attributed to us as Us. Our Substantial Individuation anteceded those Ornamental Accessories for we must be This ere we could thus Act or be thus Qualify'd Nay there is not one of those superadded Accidents whether Intrinsecal or Extrinsecal that furbisht up our Individuum and fitted it to act for the Ends of the World 's Great Governour but requir'd as vast a Chain of Precedent Causes as our Individuum it self Our Nurses show'd us one fine thing after another which that we might pick and glean Notions out of them by our Senses we look'd wistly upon and long'd to handle them We put them to our Mouths and knockt them against other things as if we had a mind to know how they Tasted or Sounded And after we had perus'd them so long till we had suckt all the Knowledge out of them they could afford us we straight grew weary of them threw them away and cry'd for some new thing we had never seen before which we us'd in the same manner as we did the former to enlarge our little Stock of Simple Apprehsnsions which are the Elements of our Natural Knowledge Then they began to name the things they show'd us and by their continual Tattle they fram'd our Tongues and instructed our Lisping Vocal Organs to imitate them and so taught us by Degrees to prattle and ask for those things we needed Growing up we came by little and little to compound those Simple Thoughts or Notions which we had acquir'd into Iudgments and were deliver'd over from How little our best Performance contributed to the Acquisition of them our Natural Instructers to the Discipline of Schoolmasters and in process of time we began to converse with the Learned Part of the World by their Books and Verbal Discourses whence we become tinctur'd with their Thoughts concerning the several Natures of Things and the Rules of Art 〈…〉 which we stor'd up in the Repository of our Memory .. When we were thus furnisht with fit Matter and some Forms of Discoursing New Occasions and Circumstances joyn'd those previous and preparatory Knowledges with which we were preâ—…u'd to our Present Thoughts which Dispositions had even to every single particular been foreâ—aid in us thro' the whole Course of our former Life â—nd working in us according to our Natural Genius 〈…〉 our Individual pitch of Rationality were the Adequate Cause of that peculiar Turn of Writing and Discoursing in which we differ from other Scholars Now each of those Assistants of ours which contributed to this Effect were themselves And how little the most Knowing or Best Man has to be Proud of the most Estimable Actions GOD has done by him Individuums too and consequently had as far-fetcht and as Ancient a Descent of Causes to make them be what they are as our Selves had And the same may be said of those Circumstances by which those several Informations come to be Apply'd from time to time to our Knowing Faculty which how little for the most part they are in our power to foresee lay or prevent every Reflecter knows So that that Maxim of the Stoicks Agimur non agimus seems in a manner tho' not in their Sense Appliable to the Wisest of us We do all of us Act indeed by our Natural Powers which were given us by our Good Maker at first yet those meer Powers could not have exerted themselves into Action at all nor have been Useful to us unless order had been taken by the same Goodness to Determine them to perform This or That Action in particular or to Act after such a manner and this by a Course of Causes impossible to be laid or carry'd on by any in by the same Great Governour of the World When I set my self to speculate or write do I know before hand what New Thoughts I shall have or what â—â— Former Thoughts will Dictate to me Not one jâ—â— The present Circumstances do indeed set those Thought I had got on work and level them at such an Object But the Disposal of them Rationally depends â—â— Millions of Unseen Causes preordain'd to bring â—â— about which 't is Impossible for us to recollect or â—â— give any account of them Whence A Joue Principium is but a scanty Acknowledgement of our Intire Dependence on GOD for
and Confâ—sion Whence follows that that which Determines most perfectly or to an Indivisible has no Matter at all in it but is of it 's own peculiar Nature and consider'd according to her self only a Pure Act and therefore Immaterial 25. Demonstration XXII Numberless are the Demonstrations and to the shame Demon. XXII Because the Soul gives a kind of Being to Non-Entities and Chimeraes which can have no Existence in Nature of Atheists be it spoken as many as the Soul has particular Acts or Objects to evince her Immateriality and consequently her Immortality I have rather hinted a few of them here than endeavour'd to enumerate them all or pursue them home as they might deserve Only I hope that the Grounds I have laid and the Way I have taken in my Proofs may exciâ—â— some others to add many other Demonstrations as occasion invites and enforce these I have here touch'd upon to a fuller and clearer Eviction of this Preliminary Point to all Religion I shall only add this Last Demonstration We have Notions in our Minds of Indivisibles of Negations Privations of Non-Ens of Chimera's of Chrystal Mountains a Golden Earth and innumerable such which we can frame to our selves at pleasure We are most Certain all these are in our Minds as Objects of our Simple Apprehensions because we know and have in us the Meanings of those Words which signifie them as also because we can by our Iudgment admit some of them as Possible and reject others as Impossible which we could not do unless we had the Natures as it were of each of them in our Understanding before we come to judge of them otherwise we should Admit and Reject we know not what nor why which we are sure we do not Nay we can by a Reflex Act have a Notion of their Formalities as Distinct from or Superadded to the Subjects they are conceiv'd to affect Now none of these formally conceiv'd can with any shew of Sense have any Being in Nature or Matter some of them being formally Non-Entities others Chimerical which is in a manner the same Therefore this Distinct Being they have in our Mind as Objects of our Simple Apprehension is most incontestably Immaterial and therefore their Subject the Soul is such also To clear the Meaning of some Words we have us'd and to meet with some Objections I thought fit to subjoyn these following Notes 26. Note I. I fear that when we say the Soul is of an Indivisible Nature some Readers who are not well vers'd in Metaphysicks should be apt to apprehend How some do mistake the Nature of the Indivisibility attributed to the Soul that we take the word Indivisible in a Mathematical Sense and mean she is Indivisible as a Point is or so little that there is not Space enough for the least possible Divider to come between the Parts of it and so Divide it And hence they may imagine it Inconceiveable that all these several Notions or Natures of things which are in our Knowledge and so many Innumerable Operations should all be Compriz'd and Transacted in so narrow a room as is a Point or a Quantitative Indivisible But the thing is quite otherwise Those kind of Indivisibles call'd Points and such like have no Positive Being in Nature but because we must conceive a Finite Line whose every Part it being some Quantity is Divisible has an End hence this End or as we may call it No-fartherness of Quantity is no Quantity and therefore Quantity being Divisibility it is not Quantitative nor Divisible but Indivisible Now those Ends or Not-Beings of Quantity we call Points or Surfaces according to the Respective Quantities which they are conceiv'd to terminate So likewise Continuative Indivisibles which some do imagine in Quantity and suppose them to be in the midst of all Quantitative Beings can mean no more in any good Sense but that let us divide any Continu'd Quantity where we please the Parts when Divided becoming so many Wholes will for the same reason be each of them Terminated as that Greater Whole was Whence some conceit that these result as it were from that Division only they change their Office and are become Terminative now whereas they were before Continuative and that they were potentially in that Former Whole before and are only of late Discluded For Because we call this sort of Quantity Continu'd it being the Genius of such Mis-Speculaters whenever they are at a plunge to invent some New Entity to do the Job they cannot apprehend how Quantitative Parts should cohere but by this Cement of Continuative Indivisibles Not considering that 't is the Nature Entity or Unity peculiar to Quantity to be Continu'd of it's self For it 's Essence being Divisibility and what 's Divisible or has only a Power to be Divided quantitatively or a Power to be made More according to the Respect of Quantity not being Actually thus Divided and what 's not Actually thus Divided or made more is out of the force of the Terms Actually One according to the notion of Quantity which kind of Quantitative Unity we call Continuity to contra-distinguish it from Discrete Quantity the Parts of which are actually and really Divided and Separated and only Ty'd into One Number by the Operation or Consideration of the Mind as is shewn above Hence whatever Bodies have Quantity in them are by It as by the Formal Cause Quantitatively One or Continu'd without any other assistance Another Reason or rather the main Errour which led those Schoolmen into that Groundless Conceit was their Fanâ—ying that there are Actual Parts in every Compound particularly in Quantity the contrary to which is Demonstrated Ch. 1. § 27. No wonder then such a Fundamental Truth in Metaphysicks being violated those Gentlemen have faln into these absurd Tenets about Indivisibles especially being apt to conceit that whenever we have a diverse Conception or Notion in our Mind there is a New Entity in re answering to it adequately even tho' sometimes the Object of that Conception be purely a Non-Ens 27. Note II. When therefore we say that an Angel or a Soul is Indivisible however we are forced to use a Negative The Proper and True Sense in which a Spirit is said to be Indivisible Manner of Expression because we have no Proper Notion of a Spiritual Substance we do not intend to express by that word a meer Negation as we did in those Indivisibles call'd Points but the most Positive Being that can be next to that of GOD himself Which I show thus Ens and all other Common Notions as is Demonstrated in my Method to Science B. 1. L. 3. is Divided by More and Less of the Common Notion of Ens or by being more Capable of Being or Existing Thus far Logick which teaches us how to Divide our General Notions by Proper or Intrinsecal Differences The Supreme Science of Metaphysicks which treats of the Essence of Things takes up the Thesis and pursues it
defeat all the Opâ—â—ion that can be made against it 10. Corollary I. Our foregoing Discourses being chiefly built on that piece of Doctrine in my Method This Doctrine being built on that Logical Maxim All Differences are more and less of the Generical Notion The Consideration of that Thesis is recommended to the Reader B. I. L. 3 § 2. that all Intrinsecal or Essential Differences in any Predicament or under whatever Notion are nothing else but More and Less of that Notion therefore since so much stress is put upon this Thesis I beg of my Readers to peruse attentively the Third Chapter of my Method to Science my Ideae Cartesianae Expensae Pag. 51 52 53. and Raillery Defeated § 72. where this Position is at large explicated and defended against the Mistakes of my Opposers Which I do the rather Request because however it may seem New yet I dare affirm that besides it 's being perfectly Demonstrable no one Rule in Logick is more Useful to keep our Notions Distinct or to frame Right Definitions or to Discourse solidly or exactly 11. Corollary II. What 's deduc'd here of the very Essences of things being intellectually or as Objects in the This holds equally in the Soul which is of a Spiritual Nature Understanding of an Angel does for the same reason hold in every Spiritual or Cognoscitive Nature and consequently in the Soul whether in the Body or Separated the Argument being grounded on the Nature of a Spirit and it 's being Superiour to the Nature of Body 12. Corollary III. For the same reason what has been discourst before of the Angels being Pure Acts are Immutable Immutability of a Soul while Separated and of her Final or Eternal State springing from her Choice of a wrong Last End if unretracted before Death may Mutatis Mâ—tandis be apply'd to an Angel without needing Repetition or farther Enlarging upon it 13. Since the Essence or Nature of an Angel is to be after such a manner Cognoscitive the Distinction of Angels The Distinction of Angels is taken from their being more or less Cognoscitive after their manner must consist in their being more or less thus Cognoscitive This is already Demonstrated because by the Doctrine lately given all the Intrinsecal or Essential Differences under whatever Kind or Notion are nothing but more or less of the Common Notion or the partaking of it unequally 14. Yet this Degree of Cognoscitiveness which â—â—â—â—itutes Distinct Angels must This is not to be understood of the greater Extent of their Knowledge but of the Intenseness or Penetrativeness of it understood of the Intenseness â— their Knowledge or the Penetrativeness of their Knowing Poâ—â— For since every Pure Act â—â—is shown above and particuâ—â—â— Raillery Defeated P. 89 90. â—â—ws All things it cannot be understood of the Extent of their Knowledge or that one of them knows a Greater Number of things than Another It must therefore be meant â—â— One of them knows things more perfectly â—â—â— clearly thorowly or deeply than Another â—â—â— Which as may be seen in my Ideae Cartesianae P. 68 69. may spring from two Causes Oâ— Because Eorum aliqui magis perspicaâ—i Intelâ—â—â— acie praediti sunt quà m alii which seems â—â— be most Essential to them The Other Because by their seeing better the First Cause it self they must better and withal more solidly and â—â—â—ndedly know those Effects that spring â—â—â—m that Supreme Cause 15. Corollary IV. From this Greater or Lesser Excess of Knowledge as thus explicated as far as Natural Hence as far as Reason carries us is taken the Distinction of the Three Hierarchies and Nine Quires of Angels Reason carries us are taken the Diverse Orders of Angels All farther or more particular Disquisition concerning the Three Hierarchies and Nine Quires of Angels is left to Divines gathering them from Holy Writ and the Antient Mysticks A Philosopher must step no farther than he can tread sure upon his own Firm Grounds 16. Corollary V. From our Discourse about Human Souls and Angels will be seen in what different manner The different manner by which Angels and Human Souls come to have all their Knowledge and by what means an Angel and a Humane Soul when Separate come to know all things The Later by Notions caus'd at first by Impressions on the Senses and improv'd into Iudgments and Discourses The Former by Knowledge not Acquir'd but Innate The First and Immediate Objects of both of them is Themselves or their own Essence Whence a Soul in regard it's Body and consequently the Determination of the Degree of Rationality it had grew as it were out of Natural Causes knows all things as first Connected with her self then with one another in the well-linkt Chain of those Causes in which there can be no Flaw or Interruption But an Angel knows all Things by Transcending from one Ens or one Degree of Entity to another and this Intuitively that is an Angel by knowing it self knows what place it bears in the Order of Angels or Spirits And since it could not know it 's own particular pitch or Individuality but by knowing how high or low it is in the Order of Angelical Beings nor could this be known but by knowing the whole Order because in an Order which is contriv'd after the best manner each part is proportion'd in exact Symmetry to the rest Hence the Knowledge of that whole Order and consequently of each part of it or each Entity in the whole Creation is Due to it's Nature and therefore is given it As for the Knowledge of Corporeal Nature 't is below them both and therefore both of them comprehends it Knowingly as is deduced above Lastly The Soul gains her Knowledge by Abstract or Inadequate Notions and by Discourse whereas an Angel knows at once the Whole Entities and all that belongs to them and this not by Discourse or Reflex Thoughts but by a Direct Penetrative and Comprehensive Intuition 17. There is besides those Differences amongst Angels mention'd § 13. 14. and Câ—roll V. Another arising from These Angels have a Nobler Essence whose each Act of Knowledge has for it's Object a Greater Portion of the Universe the several Degrees or rather Manners of that Cognoscitiveness which is Essential to them viz. That some of them know more things by One Operation or Act of Knowledge or as it were by one Thought than Another does which happens because the Object of each Thought which some of them have is more Universal than are the Objects of those Thoughts that others have Parallels of which may be found among our several Sorts of Knowers or Philosophers here Some treat of such particular Sorts of Quantities or Figures Others of Quantity or Figure in their whole Latitude or iâ— Common Some Philosophers have for the Objects of their Knowledge such a sort of Ens as Minerals or such a Species of Birds or Beasts Others raise their Thoughts to contemplate Body or
Writers accommodate themselves to our Rude Fancies Tho' GOD's Wisdom has laid Means for our Natural Knowledges in the works of the Creation yet 't is below the Dignity of those Heaven-inspir'd Oracles to teach us literally such Truths as belong to Philosophy or to give Reasons for every particular they mention 'T is Unworthy the Majesty and Authority of the Divine Spirit that Endited them to instruct us Scientifically as if no Credit or Belief were to be given to his Word signify'd How Faith has antecedently enlightned our Reason and that 't is our Duty to Explicate and Defend it against the Empty Flourishes of the Drollish Renouncers of Faith and Reason both to us by such Authentick Instruments writ by his Immediate Commission 'T is Favour enough that he has been pleas'd to give us some Conclusions or acquaint us with some Theses of a higher Nature and to ascertain their Truth by engaging his Infallible Veracity and that by means of our Industrious Study he bestows upon us the Inferiour and more Familiar Light of Scientifical Knowledge to explicate those Truths by showing their Agreeableness to Evident Principles of Nature which the same GOD of Truth has also taught us tho' not so immediately that so we may comfort Faith and make it more Lively and Operative in our selves and others as also defend it against Opposers and confute by Solid Discourses the Fantastick Raillery of Ignorant Unbelievers who chuse rather to mistrust their own Natural Notions than assent to any thing that sutes not with their Imagination and are ready to renounce the best Productions of their Reason reflecting upon Principles than to allow any thing to Faith tho' the same Reason informs them by a thousand Instances that nothing is more Unreasonable than such a restiff humoursomeness So certain it is That No Man can be an Adversary to Faith but he must withal be an Enemy to True Science If any Man complains he is injur'd by this censure I 'll candidly tell him how he may clear himself Let him leave off his Witty Talk and Loose Drollery and laying first his Principles draw thence by Connected Discourses his Conclusions This Method will have force upon Humane Nature whereas when Truth is enquir'd after Raillery satisfies no Man of Sense nor pleases any but Gigglers But alas Their weak Cause forbids them any such Manly Procedure The very Attempting it will convince themselves if Candid that 't is impossible and impracticable and make them confess at least by their carriage and ill performance that they never follow'd the wise Conduct of True Reason but were deluded by the Folly of their Imagination But what Gratitude what Acknowledgments do we owe to those Blessed Spirits for their ever-watchful care over us for What Gratitude Love and Veneration we owe to those Blessed Ministring Spirits preventing our Heedlesness and want of Foresight from falling into a thousand Mischances for keeping us in all our ways Psal. 90. 11. For inspiring us with good Thoughts and pitching their Tents about us to defend us from the Assaults and Fiery Darts of our Ghostly Enemy What Respect ought we to show towards them for the Excellency rf their Nature and their High Station in the Created Universe What Veneration for their Purest Sanctity and for the Glory they enjoy by being Attendants in GOD's Empyreal Court and their seeing daily the Unvail'd and Blissful Face of our Father who is Heaven Mat. 18. 10. Let us then present them with our humble thanks for their Sollicitons care of us and their offering up the Incense of our Prayers in their Golden Censor at the Throne of Grace Rev. 8. 3 4 5. Our Good GOD who has commanded us to honour our Father and Mother and our Magistrates and to be Grateful to our Benefactors whom as Second Causes he has order'd to be Instrumental to our Good will not be offended that we honour his Holy Angels whom he has appointed to assist us in a more Soveraign manner both Temporally and Spiritually and who have a greater power over the World and all material Nature than Alexanders or Caesars Who can reflect upon those words told us by the mouth of our Saviour himself that the Angels do rejoice at the Repentance of a Sinner and not admire at such a disinteressed Goodness and Charity towards us poor Mortals and love honour and thank them for it Common Morality and Nature enjoyn us these Duties and what 's Agreeable to the Laws of Right Nature or Reason can never be opposite to Christianity which establishes and not dissolves those Laws Tho' they need not nor require those Duties at our hands yet we do nevertheless owe them Tho' they do neither more or less assist us whether we apply to them or neglect them yet our Obligation is not the less but rather more for their Love What Benefit we shall reap by keeping up a Spiritual Communication with them to us and such a Love as is not at all Selfish There is not such a Distance between the Church Militant and Triumphant as to render a Mutual and Spiritual Commerce between them Impracticable We are all of us Fellow Servants of the same Common Lord and have the same Head Christ Jesus Nor can Distance at all hinder the Communication of Spiritual Natures which are above the Limited Nature of Quantity They are truly and in a better manner Present with us while we are in their Thoughts which is all the Presence of which Spiritual Natures are Capable and we are really United Spiritually with them when we have the same Pious Affections with them They frequently conversed with Mankind under Visible Apparitions in the time of Moses his Law And tho' Better Ordinary Means be now allow'd and therefore such Extraordinary Favours need not be so Frequent yet this is no reason to neglect an Invisible or Spiritual Communication with them Especially since it is our Interest and Benefit to caltivate it by considering their Happy State their Obedience to the Divine Will and their Diligent and Charitable Concern for us They are as Pure in their Morals from Sin as they are in their Naturals from Matter and they purifie and spiritualize our Souls while our Understandings and Wills are employ'd in thinking on such Holy and Pure Objects Our Soul takes a Tincture and a kind of Nature as it is Moral from the Objects it affectionately converses with That Soul which is oft thus thinking of Earthly Things is Earthly Of Corporeal Pleasures is Brutish Of Empty Honour is Aiery and Vain Of GOD is Divine and for the same reason the Soul which thus affectionately applies it's Thoughts and Yet to honour them so as still to remember they are only our Fellow-Servants tho' highly dignify'd by our Common Master Affections to Angels or converses with them spiritually cum Sancto Sanctus eris is ANGELICAL Only let us be sure we honour them for their Masters sake and that we do not venerate
the meaning of Unum or One according to Action Place or Habit should have the same Common Notion with One according to Substance Quality Relation or any of the Others These Grounds laid the Question now is What is the Analogical Entity or Unity peculiar and Proper to Quantity as Distinct from the rest What we affirm iâ— that since we see that those Entities which are not actually Divided are only Capable to be Divided and this by reason of their Quantity and not of their Substance Quality or any other Respect therefore the Notion or Essence of Quantity is Divisibility And let it be noted that we speak not here of Quantity according to a Mathematical Consideration but according to a Physical one or as it is the Cause of Natural Action or Passion and affects it's Subject accordingly Now Divisibility or a Capacity to be Divided excludes being Actually Divided already Wherefore since what 's Actually Divided is made more according to it's Quantity or more Quanta what 's only Divisible is eo ipso One in Quantity Wherefore since if any two Bodies in Nature were Discontinu'd they would be Actually Divided according to the Notion of Quantity It follows that the Unity peculiar to Quantity is Continuity Wherefore all the Bodies in the World having Quantity in them must have Divisibility in them which is the Essence of Quantity and consequently they must have Continuity in them which is its Proper Unity Which shows that all Quantitative things having essentially Continuity in them or which is the same Coherence of their Parts It follows that they must as necessarily cohere as it is that what has Coherence of parts in it it's parts must cohere or which is the same What Coheres does Cohere And yet what a puzzle has â—â— cost diverse Great Wits to find out a reason for the Coherence of the parts of Quantity while they sought in Physical Causes where it was not to be found and not in Metaphysicks which discoursing of the Essences of Things demonstrates it ab altissimis Causis and gives it ascertain'd to their Hands For the self-same reason all Vacuum within the World which is evidently Discontinuity of Quantity or a Chasm or Interruption of it is Demonstrated Impossible and Contradictory and amounts to these Propositions when resolv'd into it's Proper Principles viz. Continuity is not Continuity Quantity is not Quantity Quantitative Unity is Quantitative Plurality c. When the Natures or Essences of Things are not attended to and thence become Violated the Genuine Consequences of such Discourses must necessarily be open Contradictions In vain then do Ingenious Men endeavour to torture Nature by Suckers in Pumps and such Inventions to find out a Vacuum The Essences of every Thing and of every Mode of Thing are Establisht by the First Being and sooner may all Nature be torn into Atomes than they can cease to be what they are To proceed 12. Hence is shown the reason also of Attraction and why when one Body is mov'd fromwards Another that Hence is seen particularly the reason of Attraction other must follow otherwise except in the Case to be mention'd § 13. that other would become Discontinu'd which aâ— was said involves a Contradiction And from the same Ground follows the necessity of some Impulse when one is mov'd towards Another For Quantity or Divisibility cannot be in a Subject â—…hout rendring it Divisible Nor could it be â—…isible unless it 's Potential Parts were out of â—…d not within one Another which we call Peâ—…rated that so there might be space enough 〈…〉 the Dividing Body to come between it's parts 〈…〉 which Division formally consists Nor could 〈…〉 be if the parts of Quantity were Penetrated 〈…〉 not-Extended Whence follows that it must 〈…〉 the Motion continues be Impell'd or Driven â—…wards 13. Notwithstanding every Impulse does to 〈…〉 degree Condense the Impell'd Body and â—…ry Attraction does to some deâ—…e Rarifie that which is Attraâ—… Every Impulse does at first Condense and every Attraction Rarefies at least at first For since â—…re can be no Action in Nature â—…hout it 's Proper or Formal â—…ect or can any Agent work â—…on Body but according to such or such a preâ—…se Respect in which 't is Passive and there are manifestly Two Operations or Actions in Nature â—…ll'd Impelling and Attracting and these have their Formal Effects upon Quantity and all Effects upon Quantity must either be upon the Essence of it as has been shown from § 6. to § 13. 〈…〉 else according to its Differences that is on Boâ—… as they are more or less Divisible or as they 〈…〉 Rare or Dense It follows that whenever any â—…pâ—llent or Attracting Body acts upon another 〈…〉 will first Compress and Condense its parts or Diâ—… and Rarifie them till the Motion being â—ommunicated through the Whole it drives forwards or draws after it the whole Intire Body it works upon That the Effect of Impulse and Attraction are Formally on Quantity or on Body as it is Quantitative and not as it is Substance or affected with any other Mode is demonstrated in the Appendix to my Method to Science § 25. 14. All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it For Division or the All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it Sliding of the parts of the Dividing Body between the parts of the Body Divided which is formally Division is most manifestly Local Motion Also the Impâ—lling another Body before it or Drawing them after it is clearly to make them change Place or move Locally And the same must be said of Rarefaction and Condensation which dilate the Body so as to take up a Greater Place or Shrink it into a Lesser which is in some Degree to changâ—â— Place 15. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature This has been Demonstrated B. 2. Ch. 2. §§ 4 5. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature and Method to Science pag. 299. Thesis IV. Ideae Cartefianae p. 44. § 31. and Raillery Defeated § 43. In which places this Demonstration is maintain'd and enforced And it is further shown agreeable to Reason For since on the one side all Action in Nature abating the formality of connotating or respecting the Agent is the same as Motion and therefore must proceed from some Act or such a Thing as has the Nature of Act in it and Angels are Pure Acts and consequently more able to Act than Bodies are they are therefore in this regard fit Agents to produce Action or Motion especially since as is seen â—… Ch. 2. § 8. they contain all Body and conâ—…ently every Mode or Virtue of Body in them 〈…〉 the other side since Motion in its precise Naâ—… or as distinguisht from its Subject is the 〈…〉 approaching to Non-Entity and Non-Existence 〈…〉 any Notion we have as is shown in my Meâ—… B. 1. Less 8. § 2. and for that Reason â—…ot proceed
immediately from GOD who is Esâ—…l EXISTENCE it follows that tho' it be such 〈…〉 Imperfect Effect it may yet proceed congruâ—…y enough from an Angel who he being a â—…râ— and as such having no Prerogative in â—…s regard over his Fellow-Creatures has Noâ—… as oâ— Himself or Non-Existence inâ—… in his very Being which fit him in every â—…rd to be the most Proper Immediate Cause of â—…tion Lastly 't is a most senseless opinion to think â—…at GOD as the Cartesians hold gives all Created â—â—â—â—es their Being and endows them with Faculâ—… and Powers to perform such or such Operatiâ—…s and yet will not permit them to perform them â—…t does all the lowest and meanest Effects immediately by Himself which is at once Derogatory 〈…〉 GOD 's Supreme Majesty and makes those â—owâ—rs themselves Useless Frustaneous and â—…d for Nothing which is against the Metaphyâ—…al Bonity or Goodness which is a Property of â—…eir Entity as has been shown B. 1. Ch. 2. 〈…〉 11 12 13. 16. All Motion is a Perpetual Novelty or a â—ontinu'd New Effect For since Every part of Motion is a New Effect â—o Succeeding part of Motion is while the foregoing ones are â—…ssing nor can possibly be any of those parts which went before it follows that each of them is made a-new or is a New Effect 17. Therefore Motion requires a Continual Influx of the Moving Cause For since no part of Motion can be Therefore it requires a Continual Influx of the Moving Cause of it self and every part of it is a Distinct or New Effect also since to move a thing thus far is not to move it farther and the same reason holds all along thorow the whole Course of Motion It must needs require continually either a New Cause or a Continually New Effort of the same Moving Cause to produce its Continuance otherwise it might cease in any part of it's Flux were it not still helpt forward 18. This Continuance of Motion is perform'd by the Operation of some Chief Angel incessantly Rarefying the Matter of the Solar Bodies and consequently darting This Moving Cause is some Chief Angel Rarefying the Matter of the Solar Bodies out it's Rays of Light or Fire to those Bulks of Matter which are within it's Influence For since this Continual Rarefaction forces the preceeding Particles or Rays to fly forwards to make place for the succeeding ones and this with a quickness proportionable to the Penetrativeness or Tenuity of those Particles which is Inconceiveably such and these affecting and piercing by degrees more Solid Bodies do set all their several parts a playing according to their respective Natures from which must necessarily ensue the several Motions of Division Impulse Attraction and consequently of Rarefaction and Condensation which are the Parents of all other more particular Operations from which as even Experience tells us do proceed all the Effects in Nature It follows that this Continual Rarefaction of the Solar Matter is the Cause of the â—…tinuance of all our Motion As Experience 〈…〉 say also teaches us in the Change of the Seaâ—…s of the year whence Common Reason asâ—…res us that should that Angelical Operation â—…se for some considerable time all the Earth â—…ould be nothing but a frozen unactive and unâ—oveable Mass. 19. Angels are Pre-mov'd by the First Being to â—ove the Material World even to the least Atome or Circumstance Angels are Pre-mov'd or Directed by GOD to move Matter as iâ— most sutable to His Eternal Decrees of it in such a Manner as 〈…〉 most Agreeable to his Eternal â—…d Immutable Decrees For â—…ce it belongs to Infinite Wisâ—… to administer the whole â—…eation or the Universality of his Creatures â—…ording to the Wisest and Best Manner and tâ—â— Managery of the Material World is carry'd â—â— by Motion and Motion is effected by Angels â—â— its Immediate Causes and Angels are Intelligent Beings which act by Knowledge â—…d are Premov'd or Determin'd to act by Motives and the Best Motives to make Faithful Servants â—ct is to Know their Master's Will Nor could â—â—ey know his Will or his most hidden and Inâ—…able Decrees by which they were to square â—…ir Actions unless GOD had some way or other â—â—nifested them It follows that these Maniâ—…tions of his Divine Pleasure are the Proper Motives to them to move and order all Material â—ature as He had Decreed Which this Order â—f the World being the Best reaches to the â—ost Minute Parts and Least Circumstances of â—… 20. The First or Chief Bodies thus mov'd by Angels do in their manner Premove that is Determine and Continue The First mov'd Bodies do Determine and Continue the Motion of the rest the Motion given them at first by the Angelical Nature For since an Instrument is Movens Motum or such a thing as being Mov'd by another has a power to produce immediately the Effect it is Design'd for and 't is evident from what 's said above that Bodies have a Power in them to Divide Impel Attract and thence to Rarifie and Condense others as Immediate Agents 'T is manifest that by the First of these Effects the Bulk Figure Situation and consequently the Mixture or Texture of the Component Parts of the other Bodies which they do thus move are made and from the other motions their Intrinsecal Temperament or the Rarity and Density of those Parts proceeds All which being Determinate Effects proceeding from Bodies as their Immediate Movers 'T is Evident that this Determination and Continuance of Motion springs immediately from the Motion of the next precedent Body which by its Motion premoves and determines the Motion of the following ones 21. Hence Angels and the Bodies they move do as Second Causes Immediately Determine the Individuation Hence Angels and the Bodies they Move do as Second Causes determine the Individuation of all New-made Bodies of all Bodies whatever For since the Complexion of Accidents is the Essential Form which by distinguishing it from all others does constitute every Individual Body by making it to be Determinately or Individually This as has has been â—…ov'd B. 1. Ch. 2. and consequently renders 〈…〉 Capable of Existence or an Ens and this â—omplexion of Accidents is chiefly caus'd by the â—utting together Rare and Dense Parts in such a â—roportion and the Bulk Figure and Situation â—f those Parts do concur also and help in their way to form it into such a Constant or Coherent â—…s and to distinguish it from others and all these are immediately produced by the Operations mention'd in the foregoing § which are caus'd by Angels as Moving Bodies and by the Bodies themselves as the Instrument of Intelligences or â—â— Moved by them 'T is evinced that Angels and bodies as Second Causes are the Immediate Determiners of the Individuation of all new-made bodies whatever 22. 'T is beyond the Power of those Second Causes to give Existenâ—e to the least Body in Nature For since But 't is beyond their Power to give
Existence by § 2. the Nature or Quality of the Operation follows from the Nature or Quality of the Agent and as will be seen shortly is finally refunded into the Essence of the Cause whence it springs and none of those Things call'd Bodies nor yet Angels which move them have Existence in their Essence but are meerly Capable of Being and as far as is of themselves may not-be it follows that however they may by their Operation impart to the new-made Ens Motion Rarity Density or other such Effects as either were Essential to them or sprung out of their Essence yet they could never communicate to them Existence this being Extrinsecal and Accidental to them and of an Excellency incomparably above or beyond their Essence as much as the Notion of Act or Actual Being is above that of meer Power or Possibility of Being which is beyond all Proportion 23. Therefore it can belong only to GOD the First Cause to give Actual Which therefore is peculiar only to GOD. Being or Existence because only his Nature is Essentially Existent 24. Therefore for the same reason it belongs to Him and to Him only to As also to Conserve things in Being Conserve them in Being For since the reason as far as is on His part why His Goodness gave them Being at first was because they were Determinate Entia or Individua and only Capable of Being and wanted it and they are still for every moment afterwards Entia or Capable of Being and as far as is of themselves may for every moment not-be it follows that for the same reason for which He gave them Being at first it belongs to Him still to conserve it And that none else can support them in Being is hence Evident because all Creatures they being of their own Nature meerly capable to be do want a Support themselves Besides that Actual Being even when Creatures have it is Extrinsecal to their Essences from which only the Nature or Quality of the Effect proceeds by §§ 2 3 4. 25. For the same Reason if the Thing be Nobler that is fit for more or Nobler Operations a Nobler Existence And to give to a Nobler Essence a Nobler Existence must be given it else a Contradiction would follow viz. â—… That Thing would be otherwise than it should be â—…d consequently otherwise than 't is Capable to be which is a Contradiction 26. For the same Reason if Matter rais'd to it's highest pitch come to â—â— so dispos'd that it requires For the same Reason a Spiritual Form will be given to Matter connaturally Disspos'd for it 〈…〉 Form of a higher or Spiritual Nature that Capacity is Supply'd by the First Being according to the Exigency of that Matter and a Form of a Spiritual Nature or a Soul will be in it And because Matter and Form compound an Ens oâ— a Thing Capable of Existence therefore at the same instant an Existence suitable to bâ—th â—â—ose Natures that is Corporeo-Spiritual will by § 25. be given it by GOD's Redundant Goodness and Steady Emanation of Being 27. For the same Reason also even in Spiritual and Supernatural Endowments those who are Dispos'd The same holds also in Supernatural Gifts which are also carried on by Dispositions by an Ardent Desire of them aâ—d apply to the Giver of them by Fervent and Frequent Acts of their Will relying with perâ—â—ct Confidence on his Ungrudging Bounty may be Infallibly sure to receive them Which is the greatest Comfort and Encouragement to Weak and Well-meaning Souls and debars rechless and wicked Sinners from all hope of Excuse since there had needed no more to make them Virtuous Saints than only to have ask'd it with Humility Faith and Perseverance 28. For the same Reason GOD who is Self-Existence and therefore Infinitely Perfect cannot be the Cause Hence GOD is not the Cause of any Defect much less of Sin or not-Being of any Defect whether it be Natural or Moral which we call Sin but such Defects are refunded into the Incapacity of Creatures that were to receive these farther Perfections or into their Defectiveness in Operating Much less can he be the Cause of the Greatest or rather Total Defect Not-being 29. Hence is seen that all the several sorts of Operations that are have been or can be are finally refunded into How all these Sorts of Operations do spring from the Respective Essences the Essences of the Things that operate For the Operation must be such as the Power to operate is nor can be at all without it for otherwise a Thing might do what it has no Power to do that is might do what it cannot do And the Power of Acting is such as the Essence is and among Creatures springs from It as it Root being a Property of it To show this particularly The Operation of Attraction is grounded on the Unity that is the Essence of Quantity which is Continuity The Operation of Impulse springs from the Impenetrability of Quantitative Parts which is either the Nature of Divisibility or Quantity or else next a kin to it as is shown above § 12. The Operations of Rarefaction and Condensation by § 13. clearly arise from the former and therefore from the Essence of the same Cause on which those Former Operations were grounded The First Motion or Action of all Bodies and the Continuance of â—â—â—m is refunded into the Essence of Angels which on the one side being Pure Acts are the â—â—est Agents to be the Origin of Action which â— done by Motion On the other side having noâ—â—â—ng of Actual Being or Existence in their Naâ—â—â—e they can only produce that Inferiour Effect â—â—â—d Motion in such Beings as are below them â—â—stly the Operation of Creating or Giving Actual Being springs peculiarly from the Essence of the First Being which is Self-Existence By which is seen without need of particularizing â—â—w Wisely the FIRST BEING administers His World by Reserving to Himself to be the Immeâ—â—â—e Cause of the Noblest Effect and most resemâ—â—ng Him Existence and appointing his Underlings and Journeymen the Angels to move every part of the Material World according to their respective Natures By which means the well-compacted Frame and Course of Nature hangs together by the Indissoluble Connexion of Proper Causes with their Proper Effects And â—â—ce all the Exact Knowledge or Science we have is built on this His Creative Wisdom does by this Means give Knowledge to those Cognoâ—â—ive Creatures which because they are not â—ure Acts and consequently have not Knowledge due to them by their Creation are to Acâ—â—re it here from Natural Objects affecting their â—oul by means of their Senses and by Reflexion on the Notions they imprint 30. From what has been prov'd hitherto it has been demonstrated how our Great and Wise GOD does all That GOD does all that 's Good in All and in what Manner and by what Means that is Good or has Being in it in all things For
they have their Essences from the Ideas in his Divine Understanding and their Existences by his Peculiar and Immediate Act of Creation He still conserves their Essence in Being by the same Continued Action and at the same time all their Faculties and Powers by which they act on one another He puts them forwards to exercise those several Faculties and actually to produce their Operations on one another according to their Natures by Motion which is given them by his Chief Officers in administring the World Angels and continues their Motions and Operations by their Incessant perpetuating of that Motion So that both their Essences their Actual Being their Power to act their Exercise of that Power and consequently whatever belongs to the Action it self as far as it is Positive or has Entity and Goodness in it and amongst the rest the Determination of our Will to what 's Good and Virtuous do all of them Entirely depend on GOD and are Deriv'd from Him Ipâ—â— Honor Gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen MEDITATION THe Essences of Things which give all Bodies their several Sorts of Operation being estaâ—…t by GOD and Vacuum being own Impossible from the Contiâ—â—ity That GOD's Ordinary Providence carries on the Course of Nature by Proper Causes still producing Proper Effects Demonstrated à priori of Quantity which is it's â—â—d of Unity or Entity It folâ—â—â—s that all the Bodies of the â—aterial World do immediately conâ—â— upon or touch one another â—â— therefore being set on work â—pusht forward by Motion which iâ— given and continu'd to them by the Angelical Nature they must necessarily affect or work upon one another and this according to their respective Essences or as we express it in Philosophical Language Proper Causes must still produce proper Effects And seeing this Reason holds in all Bodies whatever since the Creation was finisht and Natural Causes begun to move in a Regular Order â—â—sequently the whole Course of Nature to show and â—â—plain which is the Work of a Natural Philosopher â—â—sists in the Production of such Effects as are Proper â—d suteable to the Genius of their Causes Thus is the Providence of our Great GOD adâ—inistring the World after the Wisest â—anner Demonstrated a Priori Conâ—irm'd Because otherwise Mankind could not possibly have any Science nor know what to do in their ordinary Actions And that this way of Governing the Material World does most become His Divine Wisdom appears hence that as was lately said all our Acquir'd Wisdom in Natural things or all our Science is entirely grounded on our Knowing this Connexion of such Causes with such Effects insomuch that all Mankind would be a pack of Ignorant Fools if the Consequence of these later from the former were not Certainly establisht since in that case they could never know what things they were to make use of to compass any Effect they intended nor know what to eschew and what to pursue No Proportion of any Means to the End being Possible to be known in case such Determinate Causes were not apt to produce such Determinate and Proper Effects or which is the same if every thing did not Act as it Is but that Any thing might do or not do Any thing Nor is this Connected Tenour of managing the Material World by Proper Causes and Effects less Evident a posteriori The same Great Truth Demonstrated a posteriori For let us pitch our thought upon any one Effect done at present and let it be the Greatest or the most Inconsiderable one as it may seem to us for this alters not the case Plainest Reason will tell us that either it had some Cause or it had none If it had none and yet is it must have been Self-Existent Which is both against Experience for we see it lately produced and against our Reason too because to be Self-Existent is an Incommunicable Attribute of the DEITY If it had a Cause then that Cause was either Indifferent to produce this or any other Effect in which caâ—e it could produce Nothing since Ex indifferenti nihil sequitur Besides every Effect whether it be a Thing or a Mode of Thing is Determinate for whatever is produc'd â—s and whatever is is Determinate since nothing in common can be and an Indeterminate Cause cannot produce an Determinate Effect for in that Supposition it would work contradictorily to it's self It must then be Determinately apt or Proper to produce this kind of Effect and no other This Effect was therefore put because there was such a Determinate or Proper Cause to produce it This seen let us make the same Discourse concerning that which was the Proper Cause as we did now concerning its Effect now mention'd and so of all the Antecedent Causes in the World since Time first started into Motion Each of them Existed or was in it's Season None of them could exist of themselves therefore each of them had a Cause and that by our former Discourse a Determinate or Proper one Nothing therefore is or can be more Demonstrable nor more immediately reducible to Self-Evidence than it is that the whole Course of Nature is carry'd on by Proper Causes and Proper Effects This Consideration made that Great Aristotelian and truly Christian Philosopher Boetius begin his Devout Rapture in Hence the Course of GOD's Work manship the Fabrick of Nature is Close and Indissoluble these Words O qui perpetua Mundum Ratione gubernas The whole Current of our Reason runs upon this Ground and proceeds every step in this beaten Track that every Cause produces such Effects as are Agreeable and Proper to its peculiar Nature and this perpetually or thro' the whole Course of the World For were the Line of Causality interrupted by Chasms and Interstices our Reason would be at an utter Loss This it was also which made that Divine Writer the Author of Ecclesiasticus speaking of the Manner in which the World is Administer'd by the Divine Wisdom deliver his comprehensive Thoughts in these Emphatical Words Attingit a fine in finem fortiter disponit omnia suaviter It reaches from the Beginning to the End or carries it quite thorow Strongly for what stronger than the Infractile Chain of Causality establisht on this Great and Self-Evident Truth that Nothing can make it self or which is the same Nothing that is only Potential or meerly in power to work an Effect can reduce it Self to Act as to that Effect Or what Disposition more Sweet or farther from offering Violence to the Nature of any Cause than 't is to order that it should work connaturally or Act as it is Notwithstanding the Greatest and Clearest Truths can never want Enemies while there is Errour in the World Nor will The Epicurean Tenet of CHANCE Governing the World is most Absurd and Senseless there ever want Errour as long as Men either carelessly or wilfully decline the only Paths that lead to Truth which are to bottom their Discourse at
down and breaks his Neck Now all these are said to be done by Chance But does any of these who say so hold that there was no Cause at all which made the Glass the Tyle or the Man fall No certainly for every Man of Common Sense holds that no Effect can be without a Cause and will deny that a Tyle or a Glass did move themselves Their meaning then is and they tell you they did not fore-see or fore-know that any of these would fall being Attentive to some other Object or Business CHANCE then is an UNADVERTED or Unforeseen Cause for had they foreseen that such Causes taking them all together would have brought those Disasters it had been Willfulness and Design in them to have come in the way of such Misohievous Causes and Design is Opposite to the Notion of Chance In this Sense then Christianity allows us to say the Chance or an Unforeseen Cause wrought these Effect â—â— But since nothing is Unforeseen to GOD who laid and order'd all those Causes What is Chance to Us is Providence if we regard Him nor is there any Thing Distinct from Him call'd Chance which has the least hâ—nd in administring the World but He is the only Adequate Governor of it 'T is not without some loathness I am forced to take notice that some of our Modern Ideists tho' I hope with a good How groundlessly some Christian Philosophers the Ideists do in part violate this Best Method of GOD's Ordinary Providence now Demonstrated Intention do violate this connected course of Causes and Effects in which GOD's Ordinary Providence consists Whoever as do the Cartesians make all Second Causes which have Powers or Faculties given them to work such Effects to be Useless as to those Effects even as Instruments Whoever puts on the Creature 's side only OCCASIONS which they say are No Causes for every Act of Knowledge Mankind has and perhaps for every Effect in Nature Whoever puts Determinate Ideas to be produced by Indeterminate and therefore Improper Causes as the Soul was before she did elicit them as they pretend of her self Whoever puts such Idea's Annext voluntarily to such Motions which were not at all Like them or No Causes of them alledging gratis that GOD Wills it Whoever maintains the Annexing of one Thing or Mode of Thing to another otherwise than by being the Proper Cause of it does fall into the same ill-grounded Errour of interrupting the Course of GOD's Ordinary Providence by Second Causes and destroys the Laws of Causality As has been over and over Demonstrated in my Ideae Cartesianae Indicatio Tertia from § 30. to § 50. and in my Solid Philosophy Asserted Reflexion 4. § 3. and 5. It will run in the Fancies of some less Intelligent Intelligent Readers who take things at the first rebound and pass a The Folly of the Stoical FATALITY confuted and exploded peremptory Iudgment on what they understand but by halves that this Settled Order of Providence I here assert does introduce a kind of Fatality into the World Now if by the word FATUM they mean what is Spoken or Decreed by GOD I must own the Position and stand to it as clearly demonstrated above Which leads me to the Other sort of the Opposers of Providenoe I mean those who maintain a Stoical FATALITY a Tenet widely Different from our Thesis or rather perfectly Contradictory to it For ours proceeds upon a Continued Connexion of Natural Causes with Consequent Effects which are Suteable and Agreeable to their Natures Theirs regards no Influence of any Causes at all but is built on the force of this Contradiction Either such a thing will be or will not be Wherefore say they since it inevitably follows that both of these cannot be True and yet one of them must be True 't is a Folly to endeavour to avoid any Harm or to pursue any Good since out of the force of not-admitting Contradiction what will be will be But this tho' the Wittier of the two is a Pure Folly since as Common Experience tells us and Common Sense assures us nothing is done but by Means of Causes nor not-done but because there wanted Causes able to do it But they fancy to themselves by the Words will be and will not be there is a certain kind of Self-Existence or Non-Self-Existenee in the Futurity of Events Whereas none of them has or can have any Existence or Non-Existence at all but as they stand under Determinate Natural Causes â—r no Causes Whence we who know this to be so are bound in Prudence to endeavour as much as lies in us to put those Causes if we would have the Effect follow They forget too that We our selves are part of the Rank of Causes and that the using our own Reason in chusing and applying those other Causes is the Supreme Superintendent Cause and the very Best of all the rest They reflect not also that since Future Effects are not neither of those Propositions they put and rely on has any Truth in it at all nor has the Futurity of it any Certainty but as it stands under Determinate or Proper Causes which will produce that Effect from which only it has Title to the name of Future So that the Proposition Such a thing will be or is future is an imprudent saying and not be spoke by any Man of Sense unless he sees the Causes will certainly make it be These Discoursers do therefore argue from a Logical Impossibility found only in our Mind considering the Nature of Ens and that it excludes Non-Ens out of it's Notion to a Physical one which is wholly grounded on the Nature of Causes Lastly This Thesis is manifestly convicted of Folly by the Consent of all Mankind and even of themselves too who do all of them lay means for the Effects they aim at Nor could the World continue or subsist if this whimsical Doctrine stands as by applying it to a Harvest next year the using ways for Trade and Traffick or for defending our Country and a thousand such particulars does manifestly appear For either Success will follow or not follow whither we endeavour or not endeavour to lay Means for such Effects which consideration will also help to cure those weak Discoursers who so perplex their thought about Predestination All which depend on the same Principles and can disrellish no Man unless he be offended that GOD is the First Cause and that Good comes to us from Him by Second Causes laid in the Best Order imaginable But in how different a manner does our way of Philosophy discourse of GOD's Ordinary Providence from that of those other Philosophers and particularly from that of the Ideists It puts no blind Suppositions nor Conceits taken from Fancy but is entirely built on Principles and such Principles as are either Self-Evident or so neerely remov'd from them that they are easily reducible thither viz. Every Thing acts as it is and therefore is a Proper Cause
him pretending no Skill or Knowledge more than to understand the bare signification of the words in which Faith is conceiv'd But an Explicater is to use all the Skill and Art he has to show the Points of Faith Agreeable to such Other Truths as indifferent Mankind admits at least such as he can by Dint of Reason force his Adversary to grant that so he may comfort and strengthen Faith and make it more Lively and Operative in the Hearts of the more Intelligent Believers and withall Defend it from being Opposite to Right Reason against the Cavils of Unbelievers who impugn it upon that score But the main Advantage which an Explicater of Faith who follows the Principles of True Reason or True Philosophy will gain by this Exact way of Discoursing is this that Let him settle his Principles first and show them to be Evident Let him state the Question clearly and explain the Meaning of the Terms or Words which concern that Question or are made use of in Discoursing of it and then applying them to the Point in hand show it's Consonancy to those Principles all which I shall here endeavour and when he has done this let him peremptorily Challenge his Adversary to take the same Decisive Method to prove his Negative Tenet and it will quickly appear that the Maintainer of Falshood his Cause not bearing such a Test will either decline this only-satisfactory Manner of Discourse in which case he will in effect plainly confess that what he maintains is not True Or if he happens to be so Adventurous as to Attempt it his Principles will easily be seen to be so Unlike what they pretended to be and so Unworthy that Name that all Men of Sense will quickly discern that his Cause has only Superficial Fancy and not True and Solid Reason to support it SECT I. Preliminaries Fore-lay'd as Principles to the Explication of this Mystery § 1. Prâ—â— I. CLearness being the most necessary Qualification of all others for an Explication we are first to reflect that All our Clear and Distinct Knowledges of any thing whatever depend on this Principle that Our Soul works by Abstracted or Inadequate Conceptions which she frames or â—as of the whole Thing This is granted I think by all Men of Learning and is in a manner Self-Evident For let us take any Whole Thing v. g. an Orange and we may find that we make many Several Conceptions of it viz. That it is Round Yellow Heavy Juicy c. which tho' they all belong Intrinsecally to that one Thing and therefore we mean them all Confusedly when we name That Thing yet we cannot discourse Clearly and Distinctly of any one of them while we conceive them as Ioyn'd with great Multitudes of others no not so much as with one of those Others For how can we know that Object Distinctly which is not Distinct it self as being not yet Distinguisht Now 't is only our Understanding that Distinguishes it into those Distinct Parts or Inadequate Conceptions of it Wherefore we cannot Discourse of any Thing Clearly or Distinctly until we have first represented it to our Minds with such a Distinction by making many Distinct Abstracted or Inadequate Notions of it 2. Prel II. Having found or made those Inadequate Conceptions we are next to Discourse consequently of each of those Considerations of the Thing without mingling them with Others For to what end should we Distinguish our Notions in order to discourse Clearly if we do not keep them Distinct but by Confounding them afterwards Distract our Thoughts and draw them in despite both of Nature and Art into Different Considerations at once which must needs hinder us from seeing any one of them Clearly Whence all the most Exact Discoursers do carefully observe and follow this Rule For the Mathematicians treat of Bodies as Long or of Lines without considering them at the same time as Broad and of their Breadth without considering them as Deep or according to all the Three Dimensions tho' in Nature no One of them is found without all the rest And in case they did otherwise their Discourses could never proceed endways nor be Clear and Evident being indeed in that case nothing but a meer Ramble from one Question to another while they speak sometimes of one sometimes of Another Notion or Subject 3. Prel III. Therefore when we Affirm and Deny according to Different Abstract Notions there can be no show of a Contradiction For these Abstract Notions being Different Respects according to which we conceive the Thing diversely and the weakest Logician and every Man of Common Sense being so wise as to know that there cannot possibly be any Contradiction unless we Affirm and Deny according to the Same Respect â—…hing can be more Weak than to pretend 〈…〉 in such a case there is the least show of a â—…tradiction 4. Prel IV. Hence one of those Respects or Consiâ—â—â—ations of the Thing may be Deny'd of the other 〈…〉 which is Equivalent all our Predications when we speak True being of the Thing the Thing â—â— consider'd according to One of those Respects â—ay be Deny'd of it self consider'd according to Another Respect V. G. The Same Man may be both a Father and a Son but that Same Man as â—â— is a Father is not that Man as he is a Son Otherwise the Abstractive Particle as cutting â—â— that precise Respect from all Others it would â—â—llow that the Notions of Father and Son are the â—ry Self-same Notion or Respect Whence we â—â—e oblig'd to affirm that That Man as he is a Father is some way Different from Himself as he â—â—â— Son or according to some Notion or Respect viz. That of Relation Tho' he be still the same according to the Notion of Ens or Thing that is the same Man 5. Prel V. Tho' the Truth of the Propositions or Points of Faith are made known to us by Supernatural Means or by Revelation yet each single word in which they were deliver'd or Preacht at first must be such as was in use then and there to signifie our Natural Notions This is very Evident Because unless Faith had been deliver'd oâ— Preacht to the First Faithful in such Language aâ— every one understood or as suted with their Natural Notions the Hearers having as yet no Notions but what were Natural could not have understood what had been told them nor could have known what it was they were to believe By Natural Notions I mean those which we have by Direct Impressions on the Senses or by such Reflexion as the Generality of Mankind naturally have Tho' this be True and Faith was thus deâ—â—ver'd at first yet it does not follow that an Explicater may not be allow'd to use some words of Art since he writes to Learned Men. 6. Prel VI. Hence those words being Proper to express Men's Natural Notions which they had from Creatures to signifie which they were Agreed on and Us'd by Mankind in that place it follows that
them Finite is Infinitely short of His INFINITE Bounty or Goodness 5. Again Fecundity bears in it's Natural Notion a very High Perfection We may observe That all Living Creatures when grown up to a consummate pitch in their respective Natures are Fruitful or Prolifick that is are apt to produce another of their own Kind And Spiritual Natures when they come to know are said to Conceive and our Knowledges are call'd Conceptions tho' few reflect on the word or the Analogy it bears to the Verbum in the Divine Mind or to the Procession of the Son only our Conceptions of Natural Objects are Imperfeâ—â— and never arrive at their utmost Perfection till 〈…〉 see them in the First Cause Since then these arâ— some kind of Perfection in their several ways 〈…〉 most Consonant to Reason that we should Transfeâ— the Notion of Fecundity too to GOD to whom â—â— being Infinitely Perfect we ought to ascribe all sorts of Perfection after they are stript from the Imperfections and from their Limitedness which necessarily accompanies all Finite Beings as has been often said above 6. As for his Communicating his Whole Divine Essence whence in Discourse with no small Man among the Deists I have heard it inferr'd that if the Father Communicates His WHOLE Essence and all it's Attributes to the Son He can leave nothing at all for Himself it is Evident that this Objection proceeds from most profound and most Gross Ignorance of Spiritual Natures A Master may communicate all his Knowledge to His Scholler or to such a degree as to make Him as Learned as Himself Does it follow thence that he has Empty'd or Disfurnisht himself of his whole Stock of Learning and is become now an Ignorant Dunce But speaking of Objects which is more to the Point Even Material Objects lose nothing at all by being known Suppose I could penetrate so â—horowly the Individuating Complexion of Accidents of such a Body in Nature so that I comprehended every minute consideration that could possibly belong to it would that Body be ever the Worse or Diminisht in it self because it is Wholly Known or Understood I desire those weak Reasoners to consider that as Spiritual Natures are above Quantity so they do not follow the Rules of Material Beings nor in discoursing of them ought we to take our Measures â—…om such Predicates or Sayings as we use when â—e speak of Bodies Rather Divisible and Indiâ—…sible which are their Differences that constitute â—…em being Contradictories whatever Conceptions â—…e make of the One the quite Opposite must be made of the Other excepting only the Notion of the Common Genus Ens in which and which only they do boâ—h of them agree Nothing at all is Defalkt from Them by their Communicating themselves nor do they lose any thing even by Actiag upon Bodies The Nerves of an Angel are not over-strain'd nor their Spirits spent by Changing or Altering them Nor are Spiritual Objects impair'd by their being thus Communicated But 't is prodigiously weak to object this in our case where the Discourse is of GOD's Knowing Himself and where it is granted that He does so unless those Gentlemen think that the Word Himself in that speech does not signifie GOD or else they conceit that GOD is the Worse by Knowing Himself that is the Worse for being Infinitely Perfect for in such Nonsense as this all their Objections against the most B. Trinity when driven home to their Principles will be found to terminate 7. Tho' I cannot but judge that enough has been said both here and indeed in divers places of this Treatise to assert and manifest that notwithstanding this Distinction or Plurality of Persons there is not the least Show of prejudicing the Unity of the GODHEAD yet it were not amiss to add one Consideration more which will much surprise the Anti-Trinitarians and be lookt upon by them as a most strange Paradox which is that the Unity of the GODHEAD is so far from being violated by a Trinity of Persons that it is in divers regards better Strengthen'd by that Position To show which I premise this Lemma That That Unity is Best which is every manner of way such and not that which is not so Whence follows that such a Compleat Unity in all Regards ought to be ascrib'd to the GODHEAD Wherefore since it has been by so many Demonstrations quoted and related to above prov'd I hope beyond all possibility of Confute that Knowledge consists in this that the Nature Known even tho' it be of a Material or Corporeal thing which is of a contrary Nature to that of the Knower must out of the very Notion of being Knâ—wn be One and the Same in the Knower as it is in it self Likewise since our Natural Notions do assure us that Love is Spiritually Unitive of the Lover with the thing Loved and these ways of making the Divine Nature One with it self are clearly Different from that of being an Infinite Actuality of Being whence we deduced GOD's Metaphysical Unity in our Third Book of our Transnatural Philosophy it follows necessarily that the Deity had not been in so many Respects One had He not per impossible Known and Lov'd Himself that is had there not been a Trinity of Persons by which only He could be said to Know and Love Himself as has been abundantly Deduced Wherefore since it belongs to the Divine Unity to be Infinitely and consequently every way such even out of this very consideration secluding all others there ought to be admitted a Trinity of Persons SECT IX The Substance of the foregoing Explication Recapitulated 1. TO sum up the precedent Explication in short Since GOD Knows and Loves Himself there is in the Divine Nature what does Verifie both Knower and Known Lover and Loved Wherefore since each of these Pairs of Notions they being relatively Opposite have unavoidably some Distinction in them and being verify'd of GOD are in the Divine Nature there is necessarily some Distinction in the Divine Nature Again since these Notions which are Verify'd of GOD and therefore since they cannot be thought to be Extrinsecal Denominations are really in Him are Distinct and not Common Notions to Many but each of them singular in it's self they must be Particulars to which the word GOD is Common and in some manner or other predicated of them all There are therefore in GOD in some Sense or other Distinct Particulars As appears farther because this Predication is made by the Copula Est which Identifies those Particulars with the Common Predicate GOD that is signifies these Distinct Particulars are Intrinsecal to the Divine Nature and not Apply'd to it Outwardly by our false or untoward manner of Conceiving it but spring out of the very Nature of the Thing or Divine Nature truly Conceiv'd Also since what 's meant by the word GOD must be conceiv'd to have All Perfections in it in the Line of Being of which to be Subsistent or a Suppositum is One we must
nor Die and Suffer for our Sins nor Arise again for our Justification nor Ascend into Heaven to draw our Hearts and Affections after Him c. Let now the Deniers of a Trinity put a meer Man however endow'd instead of a GOD and Common Sense will tell themselves and every Considering Man how Feeble Languid and Ineffectual all these Motives to Holy Life had been in comparison of what they would be if all these most Endearing Obligations had been laid upon us immediately by GOD Himself And can they then expect the Christian Church Governours can do less than deny them the right hand of Fellowship and Communion who in matters of the Highest Concern do thus prejudice the Common Spiritual Good of that Community 8. If the Authors of the Letter concerning the â—inity and the Athanasian Creed be sincere in their Profession that they intend no more but to get Light and Information to promote their Eternal Hapâ—â—â—â—ss I desire they would please to ask themselves â—â—ese Questions and let their own Consciences answer them Did not GOD intend that the Law of Grace should put Souls in the Purest and Best State that can be next to that of Glory in Heaven which immediately succeeds it and consequently that it has the Best Means in it that can be to promote the Eternal Happiness of Mankind Next Is not the Belief that GOD sent His only Son to Die for our Sins that GOD the Son did die for us and in his proper Person taught us His Heavenly Doctrine and led such a most Perfect Life amongst us for our Example and the many other Tenets and Motives consequent from these I say Are not these Better Means of Eternal Salvation and more Effectual to raise our Thoughts to an Affectionate Love of Him to Trust in His Mercy to follow His Dectrine and imitate His Holy Life than if a meer Man a Creature and therefore infinitely short of His Divine Majesty had been sent for that purpose Now if they grant These then they must acknowledge that the Doctrine of the Trinity upon which all these Advantages are Grounded being the Best Means or rather the Principle on which these Best Means for Virtue are Built must be acknowledg'd to be True I am far from thinking that Ignorance is the Genuine Mother of Devotion much less that Errour especially so shameless an Errour as is nothing but Nonsense and Contradiction nay such an Idolatrous Errour as gives Divine Honour to a Creature should be so great a Friend to Piety and Devotion and so Effectual and Proper as we have seen this is to beget in Souls such Purity of Heart as is apt to cultivate them with all sorts of the Best Virtues and raise them so effectually to Heaven nay incomparably more Effectually than the Contrary Tenet if as they hold it be True could possibly Effect I have not time at present to pursue the Confutation of that Pamphlet But if any farther Reply shall be judg'd Needful than what Mr. Frankland has already given it my Endeavours shall be ready to Defend so Great a Fundamental of Christian Faith In the mean time I shall presume that whoever peruses attentively this present Explication shall find that all their Objections are either Defeated or Prevented I only remark that all their Opposition is built either upon their Ignorance of a Spiritual Nature or else on their not distinguishing exactly the Notions or Meanings of the words of which they make use which I have done as accurately as I could possibly in my Method to Science and in my Preliminaries here For 't is very easie to observe that they Confound the Notion of Substance or Being with that of Relation Positive with Relative Nature with Suppositum They quarrel with the word Person which is a plain Natural Notion and yet themselves do not tell us what it should mean as if they who oppose it were not also oblig'd to acquaint the Reader what it is or signifies as well as we since otherwise they must confess they oppose they know not what They build mainly on that weak Topick that some Divines have differ'd about their Explications of it â—s if every Thesis whatever did not Abstract from â—ll Explications The Tenet it self was Anteceâ—ent and the Explications Superven'd and therefore the Article it self is still but where it was and stands firm upon its proper Basis Divine Revelation though They I and all other Explicators in the World were never so Faulty But my Appendix grows too Bulky and 't is time to close it SECT Last That the Anti-Trinitarians cannot satisfie any Man of Common Sense 1. BUT what shall the Unlearned Vulgar do in the mean time On the one side they see the Opposers of the Trinity do bear themselves high in pretending Evidence against it and that they offer many plausible and seeming Reasons which they are not able to Solve and the Replies of Learned Men are perhaps too Speculative for those of their pitch How then and in what manner ought they to bear themselves Their Reason is startled and dissatisfied and consequently their Conscience when it is confidently Pretended and offer'd to be Prov'd that the embracing this Tenet obliges them to acknowledge more GODS than One which both sides grant to be Perfect Idolatry I Answer and offer to them these Considerations 2. And First I would ask them of what Religion or Profession they were when they first Read those Books or listen'd to those Discourses which startled them in the Belief of a Trinity Had they any Faith at all before or were they mere Infidels or Seekers If they had any Faith then they had some Ground for that Faith and held that Ground Certain as the Ground of Faith ought to be and then they stand oblig'd by Evident Reason either to see that Ground invalidated and overthrown or to continue where they are Now this Opposing the Point it self by way of Pretended Reason does not at all combat their Ground of Believing thus but brings Foreign Objections against the Particular Article which is a kind of Conclusion from that Ground that is it lets the Principle alone and attacques the Conclusion which is manifestly an Indirect way of Proceeding and withal Foolish For if the Principle stands what 's bulit on that Principle will stand too let Objections say what they please Besides Grounds and Principles have something of Solid in their Meen and Notion and ought always and generally do subsist upon Settled Iudgment and Right Reason whereas Objections are almost always the Product of Fancy which is a Volatil Roving and Unsettled Faculty ever Wayward Humoursâ—me and Unsatisfied and of so Unconstant a Nature it self that 't is incapable of settling any Principle at all 3. Again a very ordinary Experience in the World will teach them that Lawyers plead very plausible for contrary Causes and sometimes Preachers for contrary Opinions so that it is not every seeming Reason which we cannot readily Answer