there resides She to the brest Sends them reform'd but not exprest The heart from Matter Beauty takes Of many one Conception makes And what were meant by Natures Laws Distinct She in one Picture draws VIII THe heart by Love allur'd to see Within her self her Progeny This like the Suns reflecting Rayes Upon the Waters face survaies Yet some divine though clouded light Seems here to twinckle and invite The pious Soul a Beauty more Sublime and perfect to adore Who sees no longer his dim shade Upon the earths vast Globe display'd But certain Lustre of the true Suns truest Image now in view The Soul thus entring in the Mind There such uncertainty doth find That she to clearer Light applies Her aimes and near the first Sun flies She by his splendour beautious grows By loving whom all Beauty flows Upon the Mind Soul World and All Included in this spacious Ball. IX BUt hold Love stops the forward Course That me beyond my scope would force Great Power if any Soul appears Who not alone the blossoms wears But of the rich Fruit is possest Lend him thy Light deny the rest The Third PART TO treat of both Loves belongs to different Scienences Vulgar Love to Naturall or Morall Philosophy Divine to Theology or Metaphysicks Solomon discourseth excellently of the first in Ecclesiastes as a Naturall Philosopher in his Proverbs as a Morall Of the second in his Canticles esteemed the most Divine of all the Songs in Scripture Sâ—anza I. The chief order established by Divine Wisdom in created things is that every inferiour Nature be immediately governed by the superiour whom whilst it obeys it is guarded from all ill and lead without any obstruction to its determinate felicity but if through too much affection to its own liberty and desire to prefer the licentious life before the profitable it rebell from the superiour Nature it falls into a double inconvenience First like a Ship given over by the Pilot it lights sometimes on one Rock sometimes on another without hope of reaching the Port. Secondly it loseth the command it had over the Natures subjected to it as it hath deprived its superiour of his Irrationall Nature is ruled by another unâ—it for its Imperfection to rule any God by his ineffable Excellence provides for every thing himselfe needs not the providence of any other Betwixt the two extreams God and Bruits are Angells and Rationall Souls governing others and governed by others The first Hierarchy of Angells immediately illuminated by God enlighten the next under them the last by Platonists termed Daemons by the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Guardians of Men are set over us as We over Irrationalls So Psalm 8. Whilest the Angells continued subject to the Divine Power they retained their Authority over other Creatures but when Luciser and his Companions through inordinate love of their own Excellence aspir'd to be equall with God and to be conserved as He by their own strength they fell from Glory to extream Misery and when they lost the Priviledge they had over others seeing us freed from their Empire enviovsly every hour insidiate our good The same order is in the lâ—sser World our Soul the inferiour faculties are directed by the superiour whom following they erre not The imaginative corrects the mistakes of outward sense Reason is illuminated by the Intellect nor do we at any time miscarry but when the Imaginative will not give credit to Reason or Reason confident of it selfe resists the Intellect In the desiderative the Appetite is govern'd by the Rationall the Rationall by the Intellectuall which our Poet implies saying Love whose hand guides my hearts strict reins The cognoscitive powers are seated in the Head the desiderative in the Heart In every well order'd Soul the Appetite is govern'd by Intellectuall Love implyed by the Metaphor of Reins borrowed from Plato in his Phaedrus Love to advance my flight will lend The wings by which he did ascend Into my heart When any superiour vertue is said to descend we imply not that it leaves its own height to come down to us but drawes us up to it selfe its descending to us is our ascending to it otherwise such conjuction would be the imperfection of the vertue not the perfection of him who receives it II. Love â—lowing from the sacred Spring Of uncreated good From the Fountain of divine goodnesse into our Souls in which that influx is terminated When born c. The order participation conversion of Ideas see Part 2. Sect. how Heaven he moves the Soul Informs and doth the World controul Of these three properties Love is not the efficient God produceth the Ideas in the Angelick Minde the Minde illustrates the Soul with Ideal Beauty Heaven is moved by its proper Soul But without Love these principles do not operate He is cause of the Mindes conversion to God and of the Souls to the Minde without which the Ideas would not descend into the one nor the Specifick reasons into the other the Soul not illuminated by these could not elicite this sensible form out of matter by the motion of Heaven III. WHen the â—irst emanation from God the plenty of Ideas descended into the Angelick Minde she desiring their perfection reverts to God obtaining of him what she covets which the more fully she possesseth the more fervently she loves This desire Celestiall Love born of the obscure Minde and Ideas is explain'd in this Stanza true Heaven God who includes all created beings as Heaven all sensible lib. 2. Sect. Only Spirituall things according to Platonists are true and reall the rest but shadowes and images of these the sacred Sun The light of Ideas streaming from God enlivened leaves The Metaphore of Leaves relates to the Orchard of Iupiter where these Ideas were planted 2. 10. Enlivened as having in themselves the principle of their operation Intellection the noblest life as the Psalmist Give me understanding and I shall live So the Cabalist to the second Sephirah which is Wisdome attributes the name of Life adorn bestowing form To adorn denotes no more then accidentall perfection but Ideas are the Substance of the Minde and therefore he adds bestowing form which though they come to her from without she receives not as accidents but as her first intrinsecall act which our Author implies terming her desires innate And by this love exalted turns Into the Sun for whom she burns Love transformes the Lover into the thing loved Wealth and Want Porus and Penia 2. 10. IV. The properties of Celestiall Love are in this Stanza discovered in new fetters caught The Soul being opprest by the Body her desire of Intellectuall Beauty sleeps but awakened by Love is by the sensible Beauty of the body led at last to their Fountain God which glow Dying yet glowing greater grow Motion and Operation are the signes of life their privation of death in him who applies himselfe to the Intellectuall part the rationall and the sensitive fail by the Rationall
adversary are Falsitie Paradox Soloecism and Tautologie Sophismes are solved either by distinction or negation Thus much may serve for a slight view of his Logick whereof we have but few Books left in respect of the many which he wrote upon that part of Philosophy THE SECOND PART CHAP. I. Of PHYSICK NOt to question the Method of Aristotle's Books of Physick much lesse their titles as some to make them better agree with Laertius's Catalogue have done and least of all their Authority with Patricius we shall take them in that order which is generally received according to which next Logick is placed Physick Physick is a science concerning that substance which hath the principle of motion and rest within it self The Physicall Books of Aristotle that are extant treat of these nine generall heads Of the principles of naturall things of the Common affections of naturall things of Heaven of Elements of the action and passion of Elements of Exhalation of Plants of Animals of the Soul CHAP. II. Of the Principles of Naturall Bodies THe Principles of naturall Bodies are not one as Parmenides and Melissus held nor Homoiomeria's as Anaxagoras nor Atomes as Leucippus and Democritus nor sensible Elements as Thales Anaximander Anaximenes Empedocles nor numbers or figures as the Pythagoreans nor Idaea's as Plato That the Principles of things are Contrary privately opposite was the joint opinion of the Ancients and is manifest in Reason For Principles are those which neither are mutually of one another nor of others but of them are all things Such are first contraries as being first they are not of any other as contrary not of another Hence it follows that being contrary they must be more then one but not infinite for then naturall things would not be comprensible by Reason yet more then two for of contraries only nothing would be produced but that they would rather destroy one another There are therefore three Principles of naturall bodies two contrary privation and form and one common subject of both Matter The constitutive Principles are matter and form of privation bodies consist not but accidentally as it is competent to Matter Things are made of that which is Ens potentially Materia prima not of that which is Ens actually nor of that which is non-ens potentially which is pure nothing Matter is neither generated nor corrupted It is the first insite subject of every thing whereof it is framed primarily in it self and not by accident and into which it at last resolveth To treat of forme in generall is proper to Metaphysicks CHAP. III. Of Nature and the Causes of Naturall bodies OF Beings some are by Nature as Plants others from other causes those have in themselves the principle of their motion these have not Nature is a Principle and Cause of the motion and rest of that thing wherein it is primarily by it self and not by accident Materiall substances have nature Natural properties are according to Nature Nature is twofold Matter and Form but Form is most Nature because it is in act Of Causes are four kinds the Material of which a thing is made the Formall by which a thing is made or reason of its essence The efficient whence is the first principle of its mutation or rest as a Father the Finall for which end it is made as health is to walking Causes are immediate or remote principall or accidentall actuall or potentiall particular or universall Fortune and Chance are Causes of many effects Fortune is an accidentall Cause in those things which are done by election for some end Chance is larger an accidentall cause in things which are done for some end at least that of Nature They are both efficient Nature acts for some end not temerariously or casually for those things which are done by nature are alwaies or for the most part done in the same manner yet somtimes she is frustrated of her end as in Monsters which she intends not Necessity is twofold absolute which is from Matter conditional which is from the end or form both kinds are in naturall things CHAP. IV. Of the affections of naturall Bodies Motion Place Time MOtion is of a thing which is not such but may be such the way or act by which it becommeth such as curing of a body which is not in health but may be in health is the way and act by which it is brought to health Neither is it absurd that the same thing should be both in act and power as to different respects for the thing moved as water in warming is in act as to the heat which it hath in power as to the greater heat which it is capable of Infinite is that which is pertransible without end such an infinite in act there is not not amongst simple bodies for the elements are confined to certain number and place neither amongst mixt bodies for they consist of the elements which are finite But there are things infinite potentially as in addition Number which may be augmented infinitely in division Magnitude which may be divided infinitely in time and continued succession of generation The properties of place are that it containes the thing placed that it is equall to and separable from the thing placed that the place and thing placed are together that it hath upwards or downwards and the like differences that every Physicall body tends naturally to its proper place and there resteth Place is the immediate immovable superficies of a continent body Those things which are contained by another body are in place but those which have not any other body above or beyond them are not properly in place Bodies rest in their naturall places because they tend thither as a part torn off from the whole Vacuum is place void of body such a vacuum there is not in nature for that would destroy all motion seeing that in vacuum there is neither upwards nor downwards backwards nor forwards Nor would there be any reason why motion should be to one part more then to another Moreover it would follow that it were impossible for one body to make another to recede if the triple dimension which bodies divide were vacuous Neither is the motion of rare bodies upwards caused by vacuity for that motion is as naturall to light bodies as to move downwards is to heavy Time is the number of motion by before and after Those two parts of time are conjoyned by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present as the parts of a line are by a point Time is the measure of rest as well as of motion for the same measure which serves for the privation serves for the habit All motion and mutation is in time for in every motion there is a swiftnesse or slownesse which is defined by time The Heavens Earth Sea and other sensibles are in time for they are movable Time being a numerate number exists not without a numerant which
he erreth also for then there would be somthing that should be alwaies and yet could not be alwaies Heaven is void of labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it hath no contrary to retard its motion Heaven hath the threefold difference of position upwards and downwards backwards right and left for these are proper to all animate things which have the principle of motion within themselves The right side of Heaven is the East for from thence begins its motion the left side the West and consequently the Artick pole is lowermost the Antartick uppermost forwards our Hemisphear backwards the other Heaven naturally moveth circularly but this circular motion is not uniform throughout all Heaven for there are other Orbs which move contrary to the primum mobile that there may be a vicissitude in sublunary things and generation and corruption Heaven is Sphaericall for to the first body the first figure is most proper If it were quadrangular triangular or the like the angles would somtimes leave a space without a body and occupate another space without a body The motion of Heaven is circular as being the measure of all others therefore most compendious and swiftest The motion of the primum mobile is aequable and uniform for it hath neither beginning middle nor end the primum mobile and first mover being eternall both and subject to no variation Starres are of the same body with that wherein they are carried but more thick and compact they produce warmth and light in inferiour things through frication of the Air by their motion for swift motion fires wood and melts lead yet the spheares themselves are not heated but the Air only and that chiefly by the sphear of the Sun which by his accession towards us increaseth the heat his beams falling more directly and with double force upon us The Starres being infixed in the Heavens are moved not by themselves with a proper motion as fishes in the water and Birds in the Air but according to the motion of their Orbes Otherwise those in the eight Sphear would not be alwaies aequidistant from one another neither would the stars have alwaies the same side turned towards us as we see the Moon hath The primum mobile is carried about with the swiftest motion the seven Orbes of Planets under it as they are nearer to it are carried so much the more swiftly about by the motion thereof and as they are further distant more slowly Whence by how much the nigher they are to the primum mobile so much the slower is their proper motion because it is contrary to that of the primum mobile as being from East to West The Starres are round for that figure is most unapt for self-motion wee see the Moon is round by her orbicular sections therefore the other Starres are so likewise for the reason is the same in all The Centre of Heaven is the Earth round seated immoveable in the midst which together with the Sea makes up one Globe CHAP. VII Of Elements THe Element of Bodies is a simple Body into which other Bodies are divided in which it is either actually or potentially as in flesh wood and the like there is fire and earth potentially for into these they are segregated but actually they are not for then should the flesh and wood bee segregated Whereas every naturall Body hath a proper motion motions are partly simple partly mixt the mixt proper to mixt bodies the simple to simple it is manifest that there are simple bodies for there are simple motions the circular proper to Heaven the right to the Elements The Elements are not eternall for they are dissolved with reciprocall mutations and perish and are mutually generated of one another The motive qualities of the Elements are gravity and levity Heavy is that which is apt to be carried downwards to the Centre or midst of Heaven light is that which is apt to be carried upwards towards the extremities of Heaven These are either simple or comparative Simply heavy is that which is below all as the Earth Simply light is that which is above as all the fire Comparatively heavy and light are those in which are both these above some below others as Air and Water From these have mixt things gravity and levity the heavy are carried downwards to a definite medium the light upwards to a definite extream for nothing tends to infinite Whence it followeth that two Elements are extreamly contrary simply heavy and simply light Fire and Earth which tend to contrary places Betwixt these are two means participating of the nature of each extream Air and Water Those Elements which are highest and lightest are most perfect and have the nature of forms in respect of the inferiour because these are contained by those to be contained is the property of matter to contain of form Hence it followeth that there are four kinds of particular second matter differing by the accidentall differeâ—ces of heat cold humidity siccity levity and gravity simple and comparative though there be but one common matter of them all for they are made mutually of one another The mean Elements are heavy in their proper places for Earth being taken away Water tending downwards succeeds in its room Air descends into the place of Water but not contrariwise for Water ascends not into its place of Air unlesse by force In the extream it is otherwise for the Air being taken away the fire will not descend into its place nor the Earth ascend into the place of Water or Air for Fire is not heavy nor Earth light in their naturall place because they are extream Elements Figure conduceth to the swiftnesse or slownesse of motion either upwards or downwards but is not simply and in it self the cause of motion so an acute figure cuts the medium swiftly a broad obtuse figure slowly Hence a thin plate of Lead or Iron will swim on water because it comprehends much of the subjected body which it cannot easily divide or penetrate CHAP. VIII Of generation Corruption Alteration Augmentation and Diminution THere is a perpetuall succession of generation as well simple as accidentall which proceeds from two causes Efficient the first mover and the Heavens alwaies moving and allwaies moved and Materiall the first matter of which being non-ens actually ens potentially all things generable and corruptible consist This is incorruptible in its self susceptible of all forms whereby the corruption of one natural substance becometh the generation of another whatsoever matter remaineth upon the corruption being assumed towards the generation of another Generation and Corruption are twofold simple of a substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an accident generation of the lesse noble substance is called generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the more noble as that of Earth in respect of fire Corruption alwaies succeedeth generation because the terme to which of corruption viz. non-ens is the
proposition either affirms or denies therefore every proposition is either true or false between these there is no medium CHAP. III. Of Substance and Accident OF Ens in generall there are three divisions first by accident and per se secondly Potentiall and active thirdly intentionall and reall Of Ens by accident there is no Science for it is in a manner non-ens it hath no cause per se it is not generated or corrupted per se it is not alwaies nor for the most part not necessary whereas Science is of things contrary to these Ens per se is divided into ten Categories The first is substance and the first Ens and consequently the first Category for it is predicated in quids of the first subject whereas Accidents are predicated in quale or quantum Again substance only is Ens per se accidents are Ens as they are affections of substance Substance is the first Ens by Reason or definition because accidents are defined by Substance By knowledge because the knowledge of accidents depends on the knowledge of substance By time for there is some substance without accident as God and Intelligences but there is no accident without a substance Likewise material substances are precedent in Time at least to some accidents which arrive unto them after they have some time generated And lastly by Nature for the subject is by Nature before that which inhereth in it Hence this part of Physick treateth onely of substance Subject or substance is threefold matter form compositum The two latter are more Ens then matter though matter be truly substance as being the first and last subject which remaineth though all the affections of a body be taken away This is first matter which in it self is neither compleat substance nor quantitative nor in any other Category Neither is it first substance for that is separable and may exist by its own power without others That is likewise a determinate perfect singular substance but matter cannot be separated from form neither is it singular or determinable Form is that which the thing it selfe is said to be per se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the being of a thing what it was the whole common nature and essence of a thing answerable to the definition Compound sensible substances have a proper definition but ens by accident consisting of subject and accident hath not though it may be by accident described and explained Even Categoricall accidents being one per se and of one nature have a quiddity and definition not simply as substances but after their owne manner Matter and form are not properly generated but the whole Compositum whereto Ideas separate substances confer nothing neither as efficient nor exemplary Causes The common substantiall or formall parts of the thing defined are to be put into the definition of the whole but the materiall parts of the Individuum it selfe must not CHAP. IV. Of Power and Act. NExt Substance we come to Power and Act. Power is either active or passive Active power is the principle of changing other things or acting on another in as much as it is another Passive power is in a manner the same with active for the motion of passion and action is really the same neither can one be without the other though simply they are diverse being in different subjects passive in the Patient active in the Agent Of powers some are void of Reason as the power of warming some rationall as Arts The rationall are of contraries as Medicine is of health and sick the irrationall of one only as heat produceth heat The power contrary to the Megarick Philosophers followers of Zeno remains althogh not reduced to act for we call a man Architect though he be not actually employed in building Again Animals have sense even when they are not in act Thirdly it were impossible any thing could be which were not actually Possible is that whose power if it were reduced to act would not imply any impossibility They are mistaken who think there is any thing possible which shall never actually be or that there are powers whose acts are impossible for hence it would follow that all things should be possible nothing impossible Possible is that which doth or may follow from some power if it never followeth or commeth out of that power it is impossible That which is possible therefore must at some time or other be in act Of powers there are three kinds some naturall as Senses some acquired by custome as playing on a Pipes some by discipline as Arts. The two last require previous operations the naturall do not Naturall and irrationall powers are necessarily reduced to act when the Agent and Patient are at a due distance and there is nothing betwixt to hinder them The rationall powers are not so for they are free to act or not to act as they please Act is when the thing that was in power is otherwise then when it was in power All act is before power and before all nature which is contained under power by reason â—ssence and time By reason because power is defined by act By time because though power be temporall before act in the same numericall object for a man may first be learned before he actually be such yet in different things of the same species act is ever before power in time for nothing can be made or reduced from power unlesse by an agent actually existent Lastly act is before power in essence first because it is later in generation for generation beginneth from the imperfect state of a thing and proceedeth to the perfect Now all generation proceedeth from power to act Secondly act is the end of power but the end as it is later in generation so is it more perfect by nature and first in intention CHAP. V. Of True and False THe first division of Ens is into intentionall and reall The intentionall is either true or false The intellect asserteth truly if its judgment be conformable to the thing falsely if not conformable for there is composition and division in the things themselves as well as in the intellect Whence if the intellect compound things by affirmation as they are really compounded or divide them by negation as they are really divided it asserteth truly otherwise falsely True and false are in the simple apprehension of things but simply not enunciatively so as that truth is nothing but a simple perception of the object falshood a non-perception or ignorance thereof though ignorance be not properly falsity Whence simple apprehension may be true in it selfe false it cannot be for falsity requireth composition Complex truth and falshood may be of the same separate substances He cannot be deceived in the knowledge of things immovable whosoever hath once conceived them immutable for either he will judge alwaies truth or alwaies erre because things immovable are alwaies in the same manner The vicissitude
the common rule of naturall Philosophers of nothing proceeds nothing it is not possible any thing can be made of that which is not or that which hath a being can be resolved into that which hath none Secondly because contraries are made mutually of each other therefore they were in each other before for if it be necessary that whatsoever is made be made of that which is or is not but that it should be made of that which is not impossible wherein all agree that ever discoursed upon nature it followes necessarily that they be made of things that are and are within these very things though by reason of their smallnesse not discernable by us Hence is it that they say every thing is mixt with every thing because they see any thing made of any thing but things seem different and are called diverse in respect to one another by reason that the multitude of infinites which are within aboundeth in the mistion for the whole is neither quite white nor black flesh nor bone but every thing seemeth to be of the nature of that whereof it hath most of simple nourishment as bread water and the like are bred the hair veines arteries nerves bones and other parts of the body all things are therefore in this food as nerves bones and the like discernable by reason though not by sense Of these Atomes the whole world consisteth as gold of grains these homogeneall parts are the matter of all things his opinion is thus exprest by Lucretius Next Anaxagoras we must pursue And his Homoiomeria review A term that 's no where mention'd but among The Greeks too copious for our naâ—row tongue Yet may the sense be in more words arraid The principle of all things entrailes made Of smallest entrails bone of smallest bone Blood of small sanguine drops reduc'd to one Gold of small graines earth of small sands compacted Small drops to water sparks to fire contracted The like in every thing suppos'd yet he Nature asserted from all vacuum free And held that each corporeall being might Be subdivided into infinite That God is an infinite selfe-moving mind that this divine infinite mind not inclosed in any body is the efficient cause of all things out of the infinite matter consisting of similar parts every thing being made according to its species by the divine minde who when all things were at first confusedly mingled together came and reduced them to order Sect 2. Of the Heavens That the higher parts of the world are full office the power that is there he called aether and that properly saith Aristotle for the body which is continually in quick motion is conceived to be divine by nature for that reason called aether none of those that are here below being of that kind That the ambient aether being of a fiery nature by the swiftnesse of its motion snatcheth up stones from the earth which being set on fire become starres all carried from East to West That the Startes are impelled by the condensation of the aire about the Poles which the Sun makes more strong by compressing That the starres are earthly and that after the first secretion of the Elements the fire separating it selfe drew some parts of the earth to its own nature and made them like fire Whereupon he farther affirmed The Sun is a burning plate or stone many times bigger then Peloponnesus whose conversionn is made by the repulse of the Northern aire which he by compressing makes more strong the Moon is a dark body enlightned by the Sun habitable having plaines hills and waters that the inequality in her face proceeds from a mixture cold and earthly for there is darknesse mixt with her fiery nature whence she is called a star of false light Plato saith that the Moon was occasion of dishonour to him because he assumed the originall of this opinion of her borrowing light to himselfe whereas it was much moreantient That the milky way is the shadow of the earth upon that part of heaven when the Sun being underneath enlightens not all Or as Aristotle that the Milkie way is the light of some starres for the Sun being under the earth looks not upon some starres the light of those on whom he looks is not seen being swallowed up in his the proper light of those which are hindred by the earth from the Suns illumination is the Galaxy Laertius saith he held the Galaxy to be the reflection of the light of the Sun Sect. 3. Of Meteors THat Comets are the coâ—apparition of wandring starres which approach so near each other as that they seem to touch one another Or as Laertius the concourse of Planets emitting flames That falling starres are shot down from the aether as sparkles and therefore soon extinguished That Thunder is the collision of Clouds lightning their mutuall attrition Or as Plutarch the cold falling upon the hot or the aetheriall upon the aeriall the noise which it makes is Thunder of the blacknesse of the cloud is caused lightning of the greatnesse of the light Thunderbolts of the more corporeall fire whirle-winds of the more cloudy Presters That lightning distills from the aether and that from that great heat of Heaven many things fall down which the clouds preserve a long time enclosed That the Rain-bow is a refraction of the Suns light upon a thick dark cloud opposite to him as a looking glasse by the same reason faith he appeared chiefly in Pontus two or more Suns That Earth quakes are caused by the aire or aether which being of its own nature apt to ascend when it gets into the veines and cavernes of the earth finding difficulty in the getting out causeth that shaking for the upper parts of the earth contract themselves by the benefit of rain Nature having made the whole body thereof alike laxe and spungy the parts as in a Ball superiour and inferiour the superiour that which is inhabited by us the inferiour the other This wind getting into the inferiour parts breaks the condensed aire with the same force as we see clouds broken when upon the collision of them and motion of the agitated aire sire breaks forth this aire falls upon that which is next seeking to get out and tears in pieces whatsoever it meets untill through those narrow passages it either finds a way to Heaven or forceth one which Laerâ—ius obscurely expresseth the repulsion of the air upon the earth THat Snow is not white but black nor did it seem white to him because he knew the water whereof it is congealed to be black Sect 4. Of the Earth THat the begining of motion proceeding from the mind the heavie bodies obtained the lowest place as the earth the light the highest as the fire those betwixt both the middle as the aire and water thus the sea subsists upon the superficies of the earth which is flat the
come mixt bodies differing according to the various proportion of the temperament and as they are compounded of the Elements so they resolve into the same All these mixt bodies consist of all the Elements of Earth for every things participates of the nature of that thing wherein it is produced of water because every mixt thing must be concrete and terminated which properties Water best affordeth to Earth of Air and Fire because every perfect mixt body is made by temperament of contraries such is Air to Earth Fire to Water Again the nature of all mixt bodies as well animate as inanimate as to mixture is the same but that the animate consist of all the Element is manifest in that they are nourished by them The causes and common principles of mixt bodies are three materiall fomall efficient The Materiall is the power to be and not to be by which elementary things are generated and corrupted The formall is the reason of the essence of every thing the universall efficient is the circular motion of Heaven not onely as being eternall continuall and before generation but chiefly because it bringeth nigh to us and carrieth far from us that which hath the generative power of all things that is the Sun and the other Stars which by their accession and recession are the causes of generation and corruption All these are so disposed according to the order of Nature that because no naturall being can be permanent in the same individuall state they may be at lest preserved by a continuall succession of many individuum's of the same species Whence the naturall cause of generation is onely conservation of the species CHAP. XI Of imperfect mixt bodies MIxt bodies are twofold imperfect and perfect Meteors are imperfect mixt bodies produced according to Nature but after a lesse orderly and constant manner The generall matter thereof are the Elements the efficient the celestiall bodies which act upon inferiours by a kind of coherence Heaven is highest next Heaven the Element of fire next fire air under air water and earth Clouds are not generated in the sphear of fire nor in the region of the air partly by reason of the heat which is there partly because of the motion of the Heavens which carrieth along with it the element of fire and the upper region of the air by which motion heat is produced in inferiour bodies for the air being carried along by the Heaven is heated by that motion and by the proximity of the Sunne and of the Element of fire Flames that appear in the upper part of the air are made thus The Sun by his warmth extracteth a kind of breath out of the Earth which if hot and dry is called exhalation and if hot and moist vapour Exhalation ascends higher as being higher and being got into the upper region of the air is there enkindled by the motion of the air and proximity of the fire Hence come those they call fire-brands goates falling-starres and the like Hence are also Phasmes such as are called gulses chasmes bloody colours and the like the exhalation being variously colour'd by reflection of the light but chiefly seeming purple which colour ariseth from the mixture of fire and white The efficient cause of Comets are the Sun and stars the materiall an exhalation hot dry condensed and combustible so as it burnes not much nor is soon extinguished It is called a Comet or airy starre when it is a like on every side a pogoneia or bearded starre when it hath a long train That it consists of fire is manifest because at the same time there is commonly great winde and drought It appears seldome and then single and beyond the Tropicks because starres especially the Sun dissipate the matter whereof it consists The Galaxie is not the light of many starrs together as Anaxagoras held but an exhalation hot and dry kindled by the motion of many great starrs which are in that part where the Galaxie appeareth We come next to those meteors which are in the middle and lower region of the air When the Sun and other Starres draw up vapours out of waterish places into the middle region of the air they are there kept so long untill they are condensed by the cold of that place into drops of water which if they come down very small are called misling if greater rain This thick vapour which is seen suspended in the aire and changeth from air to water is a Cloud Mist is the superfluity of a cloud condensed into water Vapour attracted by a small heat not much above the earth and descending more condensed by the nocturnall cold becometh either dew or frost Frost when it congealeth before it resolves into water Dew when it turnes into water so as the warmth cannot dry it up nor the cold freez it Snow is a congealed cloud rain dew frost and snow differ almost only in bignesse and smalnesse Haile though it be of the same nature as ice yet is seldome produced in winter as being caused by Antiperistasis As the air above the earth condensed becommeth vapour and vapour by cold becommeth water so doth it also in the caverns and receptacles of the earth by a continuall mutation first it turnes into little drops then those little into greater Hence comes all springs and heads of rivers abundantly flowing out at one part of the earth Hence great Rivers and Fountains commonly flow from great hills which have greatest caverns The parts of the earth are in continuall mutation sometimes humid sometimes dry sometimes fertile sometimes desert by new eruptions or defections of rivers or accesse or recesse of the sea according to certain periods of time Thus have the parts of the earth their youth and age as well as plants and living creatures by the heat and conversion of the Sun Time and the World are eternall but Nilus and Tanais were not alwaies for those places whence they first issued were once dry grounds The proper place of water is the concave superficies of the aire This place the Sea compassing the earth possesseth for the swift and more rare water is drawn upwards by the heat of the Sun the salt more thick and terrene setleth downwards For this reason all waters tend to the sea as to their proper place yet hereby the Sea is not enlarged for the sun draweth out of it by reason of its expansion as great a quantity of water as it receiveth from rivers The sea is as the world eternall the saltnesse thereof proceedeth from admixtion of some terrene adust exhalation From the top of the Sea is drawn up a fresh vapour from the bottom heated by the Sun an exhalation which passeth through the Sea and commeth up with the vapour but falling back into the Sea bringeth that saltnesse with it as water passed often through ashes Winds are produced by the Sun and Starrs of a hot dry
and deception and true and false judgment is only in things contingent and mutable CHAP. VI. Of one the same and diverse ONe is an affection of Ens not a substance as Pythagoras and Plato affirmed but a Categoreme predicated of every thing as it is Ens. To one is opposite many by privative opposition and therefore one is manifested by many as indivisible by divisible the privation by the habit For divisible is more known to sense then indivisible and multitude then unity To one are referred the same equall like to many diâ—ers â—â—equall unlike Things are dâ—verse either by Genus or species by genus those which have not the same matter nor a mutuall generation or whereof one pertaines to corruptible substance the other to incorruptible By species those which have the same genus Genus is that wherein those things that are diverse are said to be the same according to substance CHAP. VII Of immortall eternall and immoveable substances SUbstance is threefold two kinds naturall whereof one is corruptible as Animal the other sempiternall as Heaven The third is immoveable That there is a perpetuall immoveable substance is proved thus Substances are first Ens therefore if all substances are corruptible all things likewise must be corruptible which is false for there is an eternall locall motion circular proper to Heaven which it is not possible should have had a beginning or shall have a dissolution no more then time If therefore Time be eternall as motion there must necessarily be some incorruptible and eternal substance not only that wherein that eternall motion exists the Heaven it self but one substance which so moveth that though it remain its self moveable yet it moveth others from eternity to eternity not having only the power of moving but being continually in the act of motion For Plato and the rest who conceived God to have done nothing for a great while erre because that power were frustraneous which were not reduced to act Besides motion would not have been eternall unlesse the moving substance were not only eternall and in perpetuall actuall motition but such likewise that it could not but it must move allwaies as being a pure act void of power Hence the substances which cause eternall motion are void of matter for they move from an eternall act and are void of all power In things that somtimes are somtimes are not power is precedent to act but simply and absolutely act is precedent to power For neither things naturall nor artificiall are reduced from power to act but by somthing that actually exists Now if the same thing alwaies return by a circular motion it necessarily followeth that there is somthing eternall which remaineth ever the same and operateth in the same manner Such an eternall first moving substance is the first Heaven The vicissitude of Generation and corruption is not caused by the first Heaven for that moveth alwaies in the same manner but by the inferiour Orbes especially the Sun which by his accession bringeth life by his recession death to all things mortall Thus is the first Heaven eternall for it is moved with eternall motion besides which there is somthing which alwaies moveth and is never moved it self and is eternall and substance and act CHAP. VIII Of Gods THis first mover moveth in the same manner as things appetible and intelligible that is it so moveth others as it self remaineth immoveable The motion of the first Agent as it is the first efficient cause consisteth in that influence thereof whereby it concurreth effectively with the inferiour Intelligences in moving its own orb Wherefore the efficience of the first mover is an application of the powers of the inferiour movers to their proper works wherein he concurreth with them actively and independently Thus the Intelligences move the Heavens not for the generation of inferiour things for the end must be more noble then the means but for that chief and amiable good whereunto they endeavour to be like as their ultimate end The first mover is void of mutation an ens wholly and simply necessary and consequently the principle of all Upon this first principle depend Heaven and nature because without him their ultimate end and first efficient nothing can be or be operated This first mover God enjoyeth the most perfect life perpetual and most pleasant which absolute felicity is proper to him for as much as he understandeth and contemplateth himself with infinite delight For as we are happy in contemplation that lasts but a little while so is God most happy in the infinite and most perfect contemplation of himself who is of all things most admirable God is an eternall living being the best of beings an immoveable substance separate from sensible things void of corporeall quantity without parts and indivisible for such must that principle or substance be which moveth in infinite time Nothing finite hath infinite power All magnitude must be either finite or infinite Finite magnitude cannot move in infinite time infinite magnitude there is not as we proved in the Physick God is impossible not subject to alteration the first locall motion which is the circular not being competible to God because he is immoveable it followeth that other motions that induce passion or alteration and are later then locall motion cannot likewise be competent to him CHAP. IX Of Intelligences BEsides this first Substance the mover of the first Heaven thâ—re must likewise be other substances separate from matter eternall and immoveable president over the motions of the inferiour orbes so that after what number and order those orbes are disposed according to the same are these eternall moving and immoveable substances ordered From the number of the motions may be collected the number of the Sphears and consequently of the substances moving which according to Aristotle are 47. Heaven is numerically one because the first mover is one It is an ancient Tradition that these first substances that move the Heavens are Gods This opinion is truly divine but what is added that they had the shape of men or some other Animal was only invented for perswasion of the common people for use of Laws and the convenience of Life Thus much may serve for a short view of his Metaphysicks THEOPHRASTVS CHAP. I. His Country Parents Masters THEOPHRASTUS succeeded Aristotle he was born at Erestus as Plutarch Laertius and others affirme a Sea-town of Lesâ—os seated upon a hill as Strabo describes it distant from Sigrium 18 Stadia His Father was named Melantes as Athenodorus affirmeth according to others Leo by profession a Fuller Theophrastus was first called Tyrtamus He heard Leucippus in his own Country afterwards went to Plato and lastly became an auditor of Aristotle who changing the roughnesse of his name called him as Suidas saith first Euphrastus afterwards Theophrastus from the divine eloquence of his speech wherein as Cicero Pliny Laertius Strabo and others aver he excelled all the
sicknesse For this agreeth not with the Author of Nature and Parent of all good things but he having generated many great things most apt and usefull other things also incommodious to those which he made were aggenerated together with them coherent to them made not by Nature but certain necessary consequence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As saith he when Nature framed the bodies of Men more subtle reason the benefit of the World would have required that the head should have been made of the smallest and thin bones but this utility would have been followed by another extrinsecall inconvenience of greater consequence that the head would be too weakly defended and broken with the least blow Sicknesses therefore and diseases are engendred whilst health is engendred In like manner saith he whilst Vertue is begotten in Man by the counsell of Nature vices like wise are begotten by contrary affinity CHAP. XVIII Of Nature NExt Iupiter Possidonius placeth Nature By Nature they somtimes understand that which containeth the World somtimes that which produceth things upon Earth both which as we said is to be understood of God For that Nature which containeth and preserveth the World hath perfect sence and reason which power is the Soul of the World the mind and divine Wisdom Thus under the terme of Nature they comprehend both God and the World affirming that the one cannot be without the other as if Nature were God permeating through the World God the mind of the World the World the body of God This Chrysippus calleth Common-Nature in distinction from particular Nature Nature is defined by Zeno an artificial fire proceeding in the way of generation which is the fiery spirit the Artist of formes by others a habit receiving motion from it self according to prolifick reason and effecting and containing those things which subsist by it in certain definite times producing all things from which it self is distinct by Nature proposing to it self these two ends Utility and Pleasure as is manifest from the porduction of man CHAP. XIX Of Fate THe third from Iupiter according to Possidonius is Fate for Iupiter is first next Nature then Fate They call Fate a concatenation of Causes that is an order and connexion which cannot be transgressed Fate is a cause depending on Laws and ordering by Laws or a reason by which the World is ordered Fate is according to Zeno the motive power of matter disposing so and so not much diftering from Nature and Providence Panaetius assirmeth Fate to be God Chrysippus desineth Fate a spirituall power governing the World orderly or a sempiternall and indeclinable series and chain of things it self rolling and implicating it self by eternall orders of consequence of which it is adapted and connected or as Chrysippus again in his Book of Definitions hath it The reason of the World or Law of all things in the World governed by Providence or the reason why things past have been the present are the future shall be For Reason he useth Truth Cause Nature Necessity and other termes as attributed to the same thing in different respects Fate from the severall distributions thereof is called Clotho Lachesis and Atropos Lachesis as it dispenseth to every one as it were by lot Atropos as it is an immutable dispensation from all eternity Clotho in allusion to the resemblance it hath with spinning and twisting of Threads Necessity is a cause invincible most violent and inforcing all things Fortune is a Cause unknown and hidden to humane reason For some things come by Necessity others by Fate some by deliberate Counsel others by Fortune some by Casualty But Fate being a connexion of Causes interlaced and linked orderly compriseth also that cause proceedeth from us That all things are done by Fate is asserted by Zeno in his Book of Fate and Possidonius in his second Book of Fate and Boethus in his 11th of Fate Which Chrysippus proves thus If there is any motion without a cause then every axiom is not either true or false for that which hath not efficient causes will be neither true nor false but every axiom is either true or false therefore there is no motion without a cause And if so then all things that are done are done by precedent causes and if so all things are done by Fate That all axioms are either true or false Cicero saith he labour'd much to prove whereby he takes away Possibles indeterminates and other distinctions of the Academicks of which see Alcinous Chap. 26. In answer to the sluggish reason if it be your fate to die of this sicknesse you shall die whether you have a Physician or no and if it be your fate to recover you shall recover whether you have a Physitian or not Chrysippus saith that in things some are simple some conjunct Simple is thus Socrates shall die on such a day for whether he do any thing or not it is appointed he should die on such a day But if it be destin'd thus Laius shall have a son Oedipus it cannot be said whether he accompany with a woman or not for it is a conjunct thing and confatall as he termes it because it is destin'd that Laius shall lie with his wife and that he shall get Oedipus of her As if we should say Milo shall wrastle at the Olympick Games and another should infer then he shall wrastle whether he have an adversary or no he were mistaken for that he shall wrastle is a conjunct thing because there is no wrastling without an adversary Thus are refelled all sophismes of this kinde you shall recover whether you have a Physician or not for it is no lesse determined by fate that you shall have a Physician than that you shall recover They are confatall Thus there being two opinions of the old Philosophers one that all things are so done by Fate that Fate inferreth a power of Necessitie as Democritus Heraclitus Empedocles and Aristotle held the other that the motions of our souls were voluntary without any Fate Chrysippus as an honourable Arbitratour took the middle way betwixt these but inclining most to those who conceived the motions of our souls free from necessitie The Antients who held all things to be done by Fate said it was by a violence and necessitie those who were of the contrary opinion denyed that Fate had any thing to do with our assent and that there was no necessitie imposed upon assents They argued thus If all things are done by Fate all things are done by an antecedent cause and if appetite then likewise those things which follow appetite therefore assents also But if the cause of appetite is not in us neither is the appetite it selfe in our power and if so neither those things which are effected by appetite are in our power and consequently neither assents nor actions are in our power whence it followeth that neither praise can be
moisture of another nature or a moist element By this water saith he the earth is sustained as a great ship which presseth upon the water that bears it up because the most weighty part of the world cannot be upheld by the Air which is subtle and light Thus is Aristotle to be explain'd who saith Thales held that the Earth being capable of swimming resteth as wood or the like now of such things none suim upon Air but upon Water Upon this ground it was that he held Water as Laertius saith to be the cause of Earthquakes Thus Seneca He holds that the Globe of the Earth is upheld by water and carried as a bark and floateth by the mobility thereof at such time as it is said to quake One of his reasons alledged by Seneca is this because in all extraordinary motions thereof some new Fountains commonly issued which if they incline to one side and shew their keel asidelong gather water which if it chance the burden they bear be overweighty raiseth it selfe higher towards the right or left side From the testimony of Homer by which Thales according to Plutaâ—ch and Iustine Martyr defended this Tenet that water is the principle of all things it is manifest it was deliver'd though imperfectly by other Grecians before Thales Plutarch else where producing this Authority of Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of all things Chaos was the first addeth the greater part of antient Philosophers called water Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from dissusion The Scholiast of Apollonius upon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Earth of slime was made affirms citing Zeno that the Chaos whereof all things were made according to Hesiod was water which setling became slime the slime condens'd into solid Earth to which adde this testimony of Orpheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Water slime was made This opinion they borrow'd from the Phoenicians with whom the Grecians had a very antient correspondence Linus came from thence Orpheus had his learning from thence as Thales is conceived to have done likewise which appears clearly in Numenius an antient Philosopher who cites the very words of Moses for this opinion The spirit of God moved on the face of the waters There is an eminent place in Eusebius to prove this the divinity of the Phoenicians asserts the principle of this world to be a dark spirituall air or the spirit of dark air and Chaos troubled and involv'd in darknesse that this was infinite and a long time had no bound but say they the spirit being moved with the love of his own principles there was made a mixtion which nexure was called love this was the beginning of the production of all things but the spirit it self had no generation and from this connexion of the spirit was begotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some call slime others corruption of watery mistion and of this was made the seed of all creatures and the generation of all things Nor were the Indians ignorant of this as Megasthenes delivers their opinion They are of the same mind in many things with the Grecians as that the world had beginning and shall have end that God its Maker and Governour goes quite through it that all things had different beginnings but that of which the world was made was water The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principle because with Philosophers it includes the efficient cause and consequently understood singly excludes the rest that being the most noble hath given occasion to some to mistake Thales as is by acknowledging no other principle he consequently accounted Water to be God but that Thales understands by Principle only the material Cause we may easily gather from Plutarch who condemneth Thales for confounding a Principle with an Element and for holding them to be both one Wheras saith he there is great difference Elements are coÌ„pounded Principles are neither compounded nor are any compleat substance truly water air earth fire we term elements but principles we call other natures in this respect that there is nothing precedent â—to them wherof they are engendred For otherwise if they were not the first they would not be Principles but that rather should be so termed whereof they were made Now certaine things there are precedent whereof Earth and water are compounded viz. The first informe matter and the forme it selfe and privation Thales therefore erres affirming Water to be both Element and principle of all things Thus we see by Plutarch that the objection can onely be as to the name not to reason of the name for the distinction of principle and element being not used in that time Thales by principle meant nothing of the efficient cause which is most certaine from Aristotle Thales saith he affirmes water to be the principle wherefore he held the earth to be above the water perhaps hee conceived so because he saw that the nutriment of all things is humid that heat it selfe consists thereof and that every creature lives thereby He held that of which things are made to be the principls of all things for these reasons he was of this opinion as also because the seeds of all things are of a humid nature and water is the principle of things humid Sect. 2. Of God TErtullian saith that Thales to Croesus enquiring concerning the Deity gave no certaine accompt but desired severall times of deliberating to no effect He seemes to reflect upon the same or a like story to that which is reported of Simonides and Hieron But what the opinion of Thales was concerning God may bee gather'd from two Apothegmes cited by Laertius repeated with this glosse by Clemens Alexandrinus And what are not those the sayings of Thales that are derived from hence That God is glorifi'd for ever and ever and he openly confesseth that he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee who knoweth Hearts For Thales being demanded what God was that saith he which hath neither beginning nor end Another asking of a man might doe ill and conceale it from God How saith he when a man that thinkes it cannot Men ought to think sayes Cicero in his name that the Gods see all things He acknowledged God the first of beings and Author of the world asserting according to Laertius that the most antient of all things is God â—or he is not begotten that the fairest is the world for it is his work This is confirmed by Cicero Thales the Mileâ—ian saith he who first enquired into these things said that water was the principle of things but that God was that mind which formed all things of water If Gods may be without sence and mind why did he joyn the mind to waterâ— why water to the mind if the mind can subsist without a body Thus Cicero who understands Thales to intend the materiall principle to be co-eternall with the efficient which Thales himselfe seems not to mean when
others red others white so is it likewise consonant to reason that they who are affected according to nature by reason of the different constitution of senses are not moved alike by the same things but one way the white another way the black another way he whose eyes are blew another way he whose eyes are black whence we impose common names on things having our selves proper and particular affections Sect. 2. Of the End or chief Good TO these assertions continueth Sextus Empericus concerning the Judicatories agreeth what they assert concerning Ends. Of Affections some are pleasant some harsh and troublesome some mean the harsh and troublesome are ill whose end is griefe the pleasant good whose end which cannot be deceived is pleasure The mean are neither good nor ill whose end is neither good nor ill which is an affection between pleasure and griefe Affections therefore are the judges and ends of all things and we live say they observing evidence and liking evidence in the rest of the affections liking in pleasure Laertius saith they assert two passions or affections Griefe and Pleasure pleasure a soft smooth motion griefe a harsh motion One pleasure differeth not from another pleasure nor is one pleasure sweeter then another pleasure this pleasure is coveted by all living creatures the other shunned They assert corporeall pleasure to be our ultimate end as Panaetius saith in his book of Sects not catastematick permanent pleasure which consisteth in privation of griefe and a quiet void of all disturbance which Epicure held The End differeth from Beatitude for the End is some particular pleasure Beatitude is that which consisteth of all particular pleasures wherein are included both the past and future Again particular plâ—asure is expetible in it selfe felicity not in it selfe but for particular pleasures That pleasure is our chiefe end is manifest in that from our first infancy without any instruction of others we naturally aime thereat and having obtain'd it seek nothing else Moreover we avoide not any thing so much as its contrary griefe Pleasure is good though proceeding from the most sordid dishonest thing as Hippobotus in his Book of Sects for although the action be dishonest yet the pleasure thereof is expetible in it selfe and good Indolence which Epâ—cure held they esteem not pleasure nor want of pleasure griefe for both these consist in motion but Indolence and want of pleasure consists not in motion for Indolence is like the state of a sleeping man They hold that some men may not desire pleasure through perversity of minde All spirituall pleasures and pains arise not from corporeall pleasures and pains for from the simple prosperity of our Country or our selfe we are affected with joy But neither the remembrance of past goods nor expectation of future compleat pleasure as Epicure thought for by time and expectation the motion of the soul is dissolved Pleasure according to Aristippus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consisteth only in one part of time the present for the remembrance of past pleasures or expectation of the future is vain and frivolous and nothing appertaineth to beatitude but that only is good which is present With those pleasures which he received heretofore or shall receive hereafter Aristippus said he was nothing at all moved the first being gone the other not yet come and what it will prove when it is come is uncertain Hence he argued that men ought not to be folicitous either about things past or future and that not to be troubled at such things is a signe of a constant clear spirit He also advised to take care only for the present day and in that day only of the present part thereof wherein something was done or thought for he said the present only is in our power not the past or â—uture the one being gone the other uncertain whether ever it will come Neither do pleasures consist meerly in simple sight or hearing for we hear with delight those who counterfeit lamentation and those who lament truely we hear with displeasure This privation of pleasure and griefe they called mean states The pleasures of the body are much better then those of the soule and the pains or griefs thereof much worse for which reason those who offend actually are most grievously punished To grieve is more unnaturall to us to delight more naturall for which reason much more care is requisite for the ordering of one then of the other yet many times we reject things which effect pleasure as being grievous so that the concurrence of pleasures which effecteth beatitude is very difficult Moreover they hold that every wise man doth not live pleasantly nor every wicked man unpleasantly but so for the most part for it is enough that a man be affected and reduced by incidence of one single pleasure They held that Griefe is the greatest ill that griefe is not effected by every ill but by the unexpected and unforeseen that one man is more grieved then another They assert that Riches are efficient causes of pleasure yet not expetible in themselves Sect. 3. Of Vertue ALL good consisteth in Pleasure Vertue it selfe is only laudable as being an efficient cause of pleasure Nothing is just honest or dishonest by Nature but by Law and Custome yet a good man will do nothing that is evill because of the censure or esteem which would fall upon his actions and that such a one is wise Prudence is a good yet not expetible in it selfe but for the sake of those things which proceed from it A friend is to be embraced for the use we may have of him as the body cherisheth every part thereof as long as it remaineth found Of Vertues some are in the unwisâ—e Corporeall exercise conduceth to the acquisition of Vertue A wise man is not subject to Enâ—y Love or Superstition for all these proceed from the vanity of Opinion but he is subject to Griefe or Fear as being Naturall accidents CHAP. V. How he went to Dionysius his Court. ABout this time Dionysius the Sicilian Tyrant flourished to whom resorted many Philosophers amongst the rest Aristippus invited by his sumptuous magnificence Dionysius asked him the reason of his comming he answer'd to give what I have and to receive what I haâ—e not or as others when I wanted wisdome I went to Socrates now I want mony I come to you He soon insinuated into the favour of Dionysius for he could conform himself to every place time and person act any part construe whatsoever happened to the best and thus enjoying present pleasure never troubled himself for the absent as Horace Every condition habit and event with Aristippus suits with all content Of his compliance with Dionysius's humour there are these instances Dionysius at a Feast commanded that all should put on purple robes Plato refused saying I will not with a female robe disgrace My self who am a man of manly race But Aristippus took it and beginning
is twofold the two Venusâ—â— celebrated by Plato Sympos and our Poet Sensible called Vulgar Venus Intellectuall in Ideas which are the object of the Intellect as colour of sight nam'd Celestiall Venus Love also is twofold Vulgar and Celestial for as Plato saith Venus's Sect. VIII VEnus then is Beauty whereof Love is generated properly his Mother because Beauty is the cause of Love not as productive principle of this act to Love but as its object the Soul being the efficient cause of it as of all his acts Beauty the materiall For in Philosophy the efficient is assimilated to the Father the material to the Mother Sect. IX CElestiall Love is an Intellectuall desire of Ideall Beauty Ideas as we said before are the Patterns of things in God as in their Fountain in the Angelick Mind Essentiall in the Soul by Participation which with the Substance partakes of the Ideas and Beauty of the first Mind Hence it follows that Love of Celestial Beauty in the Soul is not Celestiall Love perfectly but the nearest Image of it It s truest being is with the desire of Ideal Beauty in the first Mind which God immediately adorns with Ideas Sect. X. LOve saith Plato was begot on Penia by Porus the Son of Metis in Iupiters Orchard being drunk with Nectar when the Gods met to celebrate Venus Birth Nature in it self inform when it receives form from God is the Angelick Mind this form is Ideas the first Beauty which in this descent from their divine Fountain mixing with a different nature become imperfect The first mind by its opacousness eclipsing their lustre desires that Beauty which they have lost this desire is love begot when Porus the affluence of Ideas mixeth with Penia the indigence of that informe nature we termed Iupiter 1. 8. in whose Garden the Ideas are planted with those the first Mind adorned was by the Antients named Paradise to which contemplative life and eternall felicity Zoroastres inviting us saith seek Seek Paradisâ— our Divines transfer it to the Coelum Empyraeum the seat of the happy Souls whose blessednesse consists in contemplation and perfection of the Intellect according to Plato This Love begot on Venus birth-day that is when the Ideal Beauty though imperfectly is infused into the Angelick Mind Venus yet as a Child not grown to perfection All the Gods assembled at this Feast that is their Ideas as by Saturn we understand both the Planet and his Idea an expression borrowed from Parmenides These Gods then are those Ideas that precede Venus She is the beauty and Grace resulting from their variety Invited to a Banquet of Nectar and Ambrosia those whom God feasts with Nectar and Ambrosia are eternall beings the rest not These Idea's of the Angelick Mind are the first eternals Porus was drunk with Nectar this Ideal affluence fill'd with Eternity other Idea's were not admitted to the Feast nor indued with Immortality Orpheus upon the same grounds saith Love was born before all other Gods in the bosom of Chaos Because Nature full of indistinct imperfect forms the Mind replenished with confused Ideas desires their perfection Sect. XI THe Angelick Mind desires to make these Idea's perfect which can onely be done by means opposite to the causes of their imperfection these are Recession from their Principle and mixtion with a contrary Nature Their Remedy separation from the unlike Nature and return and conjunction as far as possible with God Love the desire of this Beauty excites the Mind to conversion and re-union with him Every thing is more perfect as nearer its Principle This is the first Circle The Angelick Mind proceeding from the Union of God by revolution of intrinsecall knowledge returneth to him Which with the Antients is Venus adulta grown to perfection Every Nature that may have this conversion is a Circle such alone are the Intellectuall and Rationall and therefore only capable of felicity the obtaining their first Principle their ultimate end and highest good This is peculiar to Immortall Substances for the Materiall as both Platonists and Peripateticks grant have not this reflection upon themselves or their Principle These the Angelick Mind and Rationall Soul are the two intelligible Circles answerable to which in the corporeall World are two more the tenth Heaven immoveable image of the first Circle the Celestiall Bodies that are moveable image of the second The first Plato mentions noâ— as wholly different and irrepresentable by corporeall Nature of the second in Timaeo he saith That all the Cirâ—les of this visible Heaven by him distinguished into the fixed sphere and seven Planets represent as many Circles in the Rationall Soul Some attribute the name of Circle to God by the antient Theologists called Coelus being a Sphear which comprehends all as the outmost Heaven includes the World In one respect this agrees with God in another not the property of beginning from a point and returning to it is repugnant to him who hath no beginning but is himself that indivisible point from which all Circles begin and to which they return And in this sence it is likewise inconsistent with materiall things they have a beginning but cannot return to it In many other Properties it agrees with God He is the most perfect of beings this of figures neither admit addition The last Sphear is the place of all bodies God of all Spirits the Soul say Platonists is not in the Body but the body is in the Soul the Soul in the Mind the Mind in God the outmost Place who is therefore named by the Cabalists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. XII THe three Graces are Handmaids to Venus Thalid Euphrosyne Aglaia Viridity Gladnesse Splendour properties attending Ideal Beauty Thalia is the permanence of every thing in its entire being thus is Youth called green Man being then in his perfect state which decaies as his years encrease into his last dissolution Venus is proportion uniting all things Viridity the duration of it In the Ideall World where is the first Venus is also the first Viridity for no Intelligible Nature recedes from its being by growing old It communicates this property to sensible things as far as they are capable of this Venus that is as long as their due proportion continues The two other properties of Ideal Beauty are Illustration of the Intellect Aglaia Repletion of the wil with desire and joy Euphrosyne Of the Graces one is painted looking toward us The continuation of our being is no reflex act The other two with their faces from us seeming to return the operations of the Intellect and Will are reflexive What comes from God to us returnes from us to God Sect. XIII VEnus is said to be born of the Sea Matter the Inform Nature whereof every Creature is compounded is represented by Water continually flowing easily receptable of any form This being first â—n the Angelick Minde Angells are many times exprest by Water as in the Psalms The Waters above the Heavens praise God continually
Sense is true phantasy often false Sense is only of things present phantasy of the absent likewise Phantasy is not Science or Intellect for that is alwaies of things true and reall phantasy often is of things false Phantasy is not opinion for opinion is follow'd by faith phantasy is not Phantasy is a motion in animals from sense in act by which motion they are variously affected and conceive things sometimes true and sometimes false The errour of phantasy ariseth from the errour of the senses Phantasy therefore is of neer affinity with sense for though it be not sense yet it exists not without sense or in things that have no sense It is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from light for sight the most excellent of senses cannot act without light Many things are done by Animals according to phantasie either because they have not Intellect as Beasts or that intellect is obscured in them CHAP. XIX Of Memory and Reminiscence FRom Phantasy proceeds Memory which is of things past as sense is of the present opinion of the future Sense and Intellection are necessarily previous to memory Hence those Animals only which have sense of time remember as horses and dogs yet memory is not without phantasm even not that memory which is of Intelligible things for he that remembreth is sensible that he first saw heard or learn'd what he remembreth Memory therefore is reducible per se to phantasie as being of Phantasmes to intellect only by accident Hence in the same part of the Soul wherein Phantasie exists resideth likewise memory for if it were placed only in the intellectual faculty it would not be competent to Beasts which we see it is Memory is made by impression of some image by the sense upon the Soul Hence they who retain not the image and figure of sense either by continuall motion or excessive humidity as children or drought as old men remember not To memory therefore is required a moderate temperature of the brain yet more inclined to dry Reminiscence is not a resumption or assumption of memory but differs specifically from both these for Beasts have not Reminiscence though they have memory Reminiscence being made by discourse and diligent disquisition collecting one thing from another by a continued series and order untill at last we cal that to mind which we had forgotten CHAP. XX. Of Sleep and Waking TO Sense belongeth Sleep and Waking for those animate things which want sense neither sleep nor wake as Plants Sleep is an immobility and band as it were of sense waking is a solution and remission of sense The chief seat of sleep is the common sense which being bound up by sleep all the exteriour senses whereof this is the common Centre are bound up likewise and restrained for the rest and health of the Animal which is the end of waking also Every impotence of sense is not sleep but only that which is caused by evaporation of the Aliment Hence we are most subject to sleep after meat for then much humid vapour ascends which first maketh the head heavy by consistence there then descends and repells the heat whereby is induced sleep That sleep is made in this manner is evident from all soporiferous things as poppy which causeth heaviness in the head by sending up vapours Labour produceth sleep by dispersing the humours whence produceth vapour Drunken men Children are subject to sleep much melancholy persons little for they are so cold within that the vapour exhaleth not especially they being of a dry constitution Sleep therefore is a recession of the heat inward with a naturall kind of circumobsistence CHAP. XXI Of Dreams DReaming is an affection of the sensory part in as much as it is phantastick A Dream is an apparition or phantasme seen in sleep After the functions of the externall senses there remain their motions and similitudes induced by their objects into their Organs These occurring in sleep cause dreams but not at all times nor at every age for their species show not themselves but upon cessation of the humours Hence Dreams are not immediatly after sleep nor in infants soon after their birth for then there is too great commotion by reason of the alimentary heat As therefore in troubled water no image appeareth or if any much distorted but when it is calm the image is rendred clearly so when there is a tumult and agitation of the humours there are no images presented or those dreadfull such as are the Dreams of melancholly and sick persons but when the blood passeth smoothly and the humours are setled we have pure and pleasing Dreams A Dream therefore is a phantasm caused by motion of sensibles already perceived by sense occurring to Animals in sleep CHAP. XXII Of the Intellective Faculty THe third faculty of the Soul is the Intellective proper to man Intellect is that part of the Soul whereby it knoweth and understandeth It is twofold Patient and Agent Patient Intellect is that by which Intellect becometh all things for Intelâ—ection is like sense Sense is by passion from a sensible object intellect from an intellectuall The properties of patient Intellect are these it is void of corruptive passion it is apt for reception of species it is that species potentially it is not mixt with the body it hath no corporeall Organs it is the place of species That there is also an agent Intellect is manifest for in whatsoever kind there is somthing that is potentially all of that kind there is somthing likewise which is the efficient cause of all in that kind this is the agent Intellect a cognoscitive power which enlightneth phantasms and the patient Intellect The properties thereof are that it is separable from the body immortall and eternall that it is not mixt with the body that it is void of passion that it is ever in act but the patient Intellect is mortall which is the cause of Forgetfulness The action of the Intellect is twofold one Intellection of indivisibles in which is neither truth nor falshood as all simple apprehensions the other complex when we compound and unite notions by affirmation or negation This is alwaies either true or false the other neither The simple is precedent to the complex Intellect in act is either Practick or Theoretick As a sensible object reduceth the sensible faculty from power to act so doth an intellectuall object the intellectuall faculty and as the operation of sense is threefold simple apprehension judgment if it be good or ill and lastly appetition or aversion according to that perception So likewise is the operation of the practick intellect threefold First it is moved by phantaâ—mes as sense is by externall sensibles Secondly it judgeth the object to be good or ill by affirmation or negation Thirdly it moveth the will to pursue or shun it whence it is called practick This practick intellect is moved as well when the sensible object is absent as
for the Stoiâ—ks take away intellectuall substances affirming all things that are to be comprehended by sense onely differences are not subsistent A solid body according to Apollodorus is divisible three waies into length breadth and depth A superficies is the terme of a body or that which hath onely length and breadth but no depth thus Possidonius A line is the terme of a Superficies or a length without breadth that which hath length only A point is the terme of a line or thâ— least mark A body is divisible into infinite yet it consisteth not of infinite bodies CHAP. III. Of Principles THe place concerning bodies is divided into two degrees into those which produce and those which are produced the first Principles the second Elements â—Principles and Elements differ Principles are ingenerate incorruptible Elements shall perish by conflagration Moreover Principles are bodies and void of form Elements have forme There are two principles of all things the Agent and the Patient The Patient is a substance void of quality called Matter the Agent is the reason which is 〈◊〉 the Matter God Matter is sluggish a thing ready for all things but will cease if none move it The Causâ— that is the Reason â—formeth mâ—tter and moldeth it which way he pleaseth out of which he produceth various woâ—ks There must therefore be something out of which a thing is made and also by which it â—s made This is the Cause that Matter The Cause or active Reason is God In the Agent there is power in the Patient a certain matter or capacity and in both both for matter it selfe could not 〈◊〉 if it were not kept together by a power nor that power without some matter for there is nothing which is not compelled to be somewhere Both 〈◊〉 God and the World the Artist and his work they compâ—ehend within this terme Nature as if nature were God mixed through the World Sometimes they call that naturâ— which containeth the World sometimes that which generateth and produceth things upon the earth The Agent is as we said called the Cause A Cause according to Zeno is that by which there is an effect which is not a Cause 30 or as 〈◊〉 the reason of the effect or as Pâ—ssâ—donius the first Author of a thing A Cause is a body a not Cause a Categorem It is impossible that the cause being assigned the effect should not be present which is to be understood thus The Soule is the â—ause through which we live Prudence the Cause by which we are wise It is impossible that he who hath a Soule should not live or he who hath Prudence should not be wise CHAP. IV. Of Matter THe substance of all qualitative beings is first Matter according to Zeno and â—hrysippuâ— in his first of Physicks Matter is that of which every thing is made it hath two names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter Substance is of all things in generall Matter of particulars Universall matter is according to Zeno wholly eternall not admitting as Chrysippus saith encâ—â—ase or deâ—rease Particular matter admitteth augmentation and diminution for it remaineth not alwaies the same but is separated and mixed so that according to Chrysippus its parts perish by separation and exist by mutuall mistion But those who call fire aire water and earth Matter assert not a thing void of forme but of a body Matter is a body and finite Possidonius saith that the substance and matter of the Universe is void of quality and form in as much as it hath not a certain figure and quality in it selfe but it is alwaies seen in some figure and quality But the substantiall nature of the Universe differs from matter intentionally only Matter is passible for if it were immutable things could not be generated of it Hence it followeth that it is divisible into infinite yet it selfe as Chrysippus saith it not infinite for nothing that is divisible is infinite but matter is continuous Through this matter Zeno affirmeth that the reason of the World which some call Fate is diffused as feed CHAP. V. Of the World OF this matter was made the World The World hath severall appellations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—ll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 World is taken three waies First for God himselfe who is properly qualified with all Essence incorruptible and ingenerate who framed the Universe after a certain period of time who resolved all nature into himselfe and again generated it out of himselfe Secondly for the starry Ornament and thirdly that which consists of both The All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one way taken as Apollodorus saith for the World and another way for the System of the World and the vacuity beyond it The World is finito the vâ—â—uity infinite Thus likewise they distinguish betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includeth also an infinite vacuity in which the world is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the world without that vacuity which neither is increased nor diminished but its parts are sometimes extended sometimes contracted It began from the earth as its center for the center is the beginning of a Circle The world is that which is properly qualited with the essence of all things or as Chrysippus and ` Possidonius define it a System of Heaven and Earth and of the natures therein contained or a System of God and Men and of all things that were made for them The world was made by God for if saith Chrysippus there be any thing which produceth such things as Man though indued with reason cannot produce that doubtlesse is greater and stronger and wiser then man But a Man cannot make the Celestiall things therefore that which made them transcendeth man in Art Counsell Prudence and Power and what can that be but God The World was made for those animate â—ssences which have the use of Reason these are the Gods and men then whom nothing is better All things of which it consisteth and which it produceth within it selfe are accommodated to the use of Man The World was made in this manner God in the beginning being alone by himself converted all substance which according to Zeno was fire first into air then into Water And as in the Plant the seed is contained so God who is the prolisick reason of the World left such a â—eed in the humidity as might afford easie and apt matter for the generation of those things that were to be produced Zeno addeth that one part tending downward was condensed into Earth another part remained partly water and partly being exhal'd air of a particle of which air flashed out fire Cleanthes describeth it in this
manner The Univâ—rse being set on fire the midle part thereof first setled downwards then the next parts by little and little were quenched Thus the Universe being wet the extream fire the midle part opposing it sprang upward and began the costitution of the World and the revolution of this constitution shall never end For as the parts of every thing are at certain times produced of Seed so the parts of the Universe amongst which are living Creatures and Plants are produced in their seasons and as some reasons of the parts are mixed together in the seed which being composed are again dissolved so of one are all things made and again of one is all compounded by an equall and perpâ—tuall revolution The World is One of the same corporeall substance and of a Sphaericall figure for this is of all figures most apt for motion Thus Zeno Chrysippus Pâ—ssidonius and others The World is feared in an infinite incorporeall vacuity which is beyond it circumfused about it into which the world shall be dissolved by conflagration The World is finite the vacuity infinite yet Pâ—ssidonius saith it is no more then will suffice for the resolution of the World when it shall pâ—rish By this argument they consute the motion of Atomes downward introduced by Epicure for in that which is infinite there are no locall differences of high or low The world is not heavy because the whole fabrick thereof consisteth of heavy and light Elements and being placed in the midst whither such bodies tend it keepeth its place In the World there is no vacuity but it is compleatly one for that necessitates a conspiration and harmony betwixt Celestialls and Terrestrialls The World only is self-sufficient because it alone hath all in it self whereof it standeth in no need Of it self it is nourished and augmented whereas the parts are transmuted and converted into one another The World is a perfect body the parts of the World are not perfect because they are respective to the whole and not of themselves The Universe is by Nature apt to move it self in all parts to contain preserve and not break dissolve and burn it self the Universe sending and moving the same point and the parts thereof having the same motion from the Nature of the body Like it is that this first motion is naturally proper to all Bodies namely to encline towards the midst of the World considering the World moveth so in regard of it self and the parts likewise in that they are parts of the whole The World is a living Creature rationall animate and intellectuall so Chrysippus Apollodorus and Pâ—ssidonius and hath an animate sensible essence For a living Creature is more excellent then that which is not a living Creature but nothing is more excellent then the World therefore the World is a living Creature That it is animate is manifest from our Soul which is a piece therof taken out of it but Boethius denies that the world is a living Creature The mind or Providence passeth through every part thereof as the Soul doth in us but in some parts more in others lesse through some permeating as a habit as in the bones and Nerves through some as a mind as through the principall Hegemonick part In like manner the whole World is an animate rationall Creature the Hegemonicall part thereof is the Aether as Antipater the Tyrian in his eighth Book of the World But Chrysippus in his first of Providence and Pâ—ssidonius of the Gods affirm that Heaven is the Hegemonick of the World Cleanthes the Sunne But Chrysippus in the same Book differing from what he said before affirmeth it to be the purest part of the Aether which they call the first God sensibly because it passeth through all in the air and through all living Creatures and Plants but through the Earth as a habit The World according to the greater part of Stâ—iâ—ks is corrupâ—ible for it is generated in the same manner as things comprehensible by sense Again if the parts thereof be corruptible the whole is also corruptible but the parts of the World are corruptible for they are dayly changed into one another therefore the whole it selfe is corruptible And again if any thing admit any change into the worse it is corruptible but the World doth for it admitteth exâ—iccation and inundation therefore c. The World shall perish by fire caused by the power of fire which is in all things which after a long time consuming all the moisture shall resolve all things into it self The Moon Stars and Sun saith Cleanthes shall perish but God shall assimilate all things to himself and resolve all into himself This opinion of the generall conflagration of the World was held by the first and most antient of this Sect Zeno Cleanthes and Chrysippus This fire is the Seed of the World after the conflagration it diffuseth it self even into the Vacuity that was beyond the World Afterwards by order of the same reason which made the World it shall withdraw and contract itself towards the generation of a new World yet not be quite extinguished but so as that some portion thereof remain for as much as it is the cause of motion But Boethius Pâ—ssidonius and Panaetius deny this conflagration of the World conceiving rather that the VVorld is eternall to whom likewise Diogenes the Babylonian assents CHAP. VI. Of Elements GOd having converted as we said all matter into moisture and prepared it for the generation of future things in the next place produced the foure Elements Fire VVater Air and Earth Of these discourseth Zeno in his Book of the Universe and Chrysippus in his first of Physicks and Archedemus of Elements Element is that of which generated things are first made and into which they are resolved The foure Elements are matter or substance endued with quality Fire is hot water moist Aire cold Earth dry yet not so but that in Aire tâ—ere is part of the same quality for in the highest it is fire which is called Aether in which is generated the first sphear of Planets next Air then Water the basis of all Earth being placed in the midst of all c Of the four Elements two are light Fire and Air the other two Earth and water heavy which properly tend to the centre but the centre it self is no way heavy CHAP. VII Of Fire THE first Element is that of Fire which as all bodies tend to the middle enclineth as much as the lightnesse of its Nature permits to the centre of the world by a circular motion round about it There are according to Zeno two kinds of fire one artificiall requisite to the use of life which converteth nutriment into it self the other inartificiall so Cicero renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which all things grow and are preserved for whatsoever is nourished and groweth compriseth within it self the