Nourishment and Preservation of the Whole 18. Those Living Bodies whose Parts are moreâ—oving-one-another or with more Velocity in order to their Primary The Essences of Animals Operation that is upon the least Excitation from External Causes are therefore a Higher and Perfecter â—ort of Vegetables or something more than meer Vegetables These we call Animal or Sensitive because upon Impressions on those Parts call'd the Senses they proceed to Action 19. The Primary Operation of Animals is to pursue such Food as is Agreeable Their Primary Operation â—o their Natures as is shown § 16. of meer Vegetables and the reason given there holds equally for both 20. Whence that meer Animal is most perfect that moves it self to acquire What Animal is most Perfect in it's Kind such Food as is agreeable to it's Nature that is such as â—akes it's Fancy which is the principal Faculty that sets on Work all the rest Calm or Indifferent By which means it becomes applicable to more Motions Add that â—â—ch Food as is Violent or extremely distant from 〈◊〉 Constitution and therefore is disproportion'd to the pitch of it's Nature does make it's operations deprav'd and to some degree Preterâ—â—tural As we Experience in our selves when â—e Eat any thing too Hot or too Cold for our Constitution which disorders our Temperaâ—ure or as we use to say distempers it or â—akes us Sick Note That we discourse here of what is the Primary Operation of Individual Bodieâ— as to themselves What farther or more Remote Effects they are intended or order'd for by the Governor of the World belongs to another Question and will be treated of towards the End of this Book ADVERTISEMENT These Discourses suppose it prov'd thâ—â— Rare and Dense or more and less Divisible are the First Differences of Bodies as they are in Nâ—ture or as they are the Subjects of Natural Operations which has been already demonstrated here Chap. 2. § 19 20 21. as also in my Method to Science Book I. Lesson 5. § 10 11. and Solid Philosophy Reflexion 17. § 13 14 15. MEDITATION THus we have deduced the First Difference of Bodies from the more and less Divisibility of them consider'd as giviâ—g What has been prov'd hitherto recapitulated the Ground to all Natural Action and Passion and have found thâ—â— they are of two sorts viz. Rare or Dense whence also the several Kinds of those First Bodies can only be taken from their having more or less Degrees I mean such as are very distant and notorious of those two Primary Qualities in which therefore the Form or Act which supposing it's Power or Matter does chiefly give them their Essence consists Moreover we have shown how from ACTUAL DIVISION which is the First Operation in Nature there naturally and necessarily arise other Modes or Accidents viz. the Number Bigness Figure and Situation of the several Parts of those First Bodies the variety of which woven together after a different manner and cohering with some Durableness does compound all Mixt and Demixt Bodies We have seen in common that those Accidents do make them fit to produce their Proper Effects or to perform their Primary Operation which constitutes them Distinct Parts and Agents in Nature and therefore Distinct Things Whence follows That the Complexion of Accidents is â—eally that which we call their Essential or Substantial Form And that by this Doctrine an Intelligible Account is given of those Forms so much talkt of and so little understood that lame account which the Schools give of them making them as Obscure as an Occult Faculty neither giving any grounded Reason by what Connatural Means they come into the Matter how they determine it ultimately for Existence by making it Distinct from all others or This and That Individuum nor lastly how they fit it for some Proper or Primary Operation which Considerations are Requisite and Sufficient to give it the Nature or Notion of an Ens or Thing While we were doing this we have at the same time laid Grounds for the pursuing orderly the Knowledge of Secondary and Sensible Qualities about which the greatest part of Physicks is employ'd and to distinguish the Essences of all Things in the World under what Sort or Kind soever they are rankt Which shows how the Architectonick Science of METAPHYSICKS as becomes her Highest Statiâ—â— and Dignity does Superintend the Inferiour Science of Physicks and The Excellency of Metaphysicks and the Sublime way of discoursing peculiar to it consequently the rest Prescribing them what they are to do by assigning them their Proper Objects as also by Enlightning them and Establishing the Truths they deduce by her most General most Evident and most Certain Maxims which tho' they be Deductions in Metaphysicks are Principles to them For her manner of considering the Objects of all other Sciences is far Exaâ—ted above the Inferiour manners according to which Subordinate Sciences treat of them nor does she regard any Quality Operation Bulk Figure Motion c. otherwise than under that Soveraign Respect as they câ—â—duce to constitute and establish the Essences of Thingâ— by determining the Common Power or Matter to such a Particular Nature as is Different from all others which makes it Capable of Existing or an 〈…〉 We have avoided the Precipices of some very Fundemental Errours highly prejudicial to the Intrinseâ—â— Constirution and Distinction of Essences and consequently to the Knowledge of the Things themselves without settling well the Grounds of which first 't is impossible to have true Science of any Thing whatever or to know what a Thing is All this we have endeavoured and we hope perform'd by an Immediate and Orderly Connexion of 〈…〉 Natural Notions deducing still our Consequences in 〈…〉 Frame so closely compacted that each Foregoing Knowledge setting aside the Corollaries naturally leads 〈…〉 the Following ones A Method Unusual to the Generality of Philosophers and yet so Proper and Effectual to assert and establish Truth that however â—… may not please such Men and their Readers yet it â—â—ght not to deter us from pursuing a Way so evidently of it 's own Nature What sleight ways of Discoursing some others affect Conclusive and Decisive and withall so Proper to Science how lamely soever we travel in it Whereas Dishevell'd Ill-knit and Unprincipled Discourses however Witty and Pleasing to the Dotage of â—â—r Fancy have not the least Semblance of Concluding evidently or Establishing solidly any one Truth In a word having seen in what consists the Essence of meer Animals which is part of our selves we have made way to the Contemplation of our own Nature which is What is our Duty as we are Rational Creatures â—ver and above Rational which therefore ought to challenge from us 〈…〉 most Attentive Reflexion that â—…ng to a Distinct and Clear Knowledge of what iâ— our true Essence or Nature and what the Primary Operation for the performance of which the GOD of Nature intended us we may not deviate from it
of Individuums each of which must be Distinct from all the others there must necessarily be a far Greater Complexion of Accidents to distinguish these by their various Complication from one another than was requisite to distinguish and constitute the Common Natures the Common Kinds of Things being in comparison of them but a very Few 5. That Complexion of Accidents which constitutes Individual Bodies must be the most perfect Act they can Thts Complexion of Accidents is the most Perfect Act next câ— that of Existence have except that of Existence For since 't is the Nature of Power taken in a Physical sense or of Matter to be Common to All it can distinguish no Two of them from one another On the other side it being hence evident that 't is the nature of Act and of It only to Distinguish nor can there be a greater Distinction than to make each Subject to be This and â—â— Other it follows hence that the Complexion of Accidents which constitutes Individuums and which imparts this Formal Effect to each of them is the greatest Distinguisher or which is the same the most Perfect Act Second-Causes can give And that this is a less perfect Act than Existence is Evident because the utmost it can do is to make it's Subject This Thing or This Ens that is to make it Capable of Existing and consequently tho' it be most Actual in the direct Line of Ens yet it has the Nature of â— Power in respect of Existence which is therefore the Ultimate Actuality or most perfect Act Imaginable next to that of a DEITY and most resembling it 6. Corollary II. Hence is evidently demonstrated against the Atheists that 't is above all the Power of Natural Hence 't is demonstrated that to give Existence is above the Power of Natural Causes and Peculiar to GOD. Causes and only Peculiar to GOD to give the last Actuality of Existence For since as appears by our former Discourses all that Natural Causes can do is by Motion to mingle the First Bodies which have more or less of Quantity in them that is which are Rare or Dense from the Diversity of which Action follows their various Size Number Proportion Figure Situation c. and these do make the several Complexions of Accidents which constitute all the Individuums in Nature and in none of those Effects is found the Notion of Existence much less of a New Existence which yet belongs to every Individual when it is first made as will easily be discern'd by any Reflecter who considers the Notion or Essence of those several Modes and compares them to the Notion or Nature of Existence It follows manifestly that the last Actuality of Existence cannot be given by Natural Causes but must come from some Cause above Nature that is from the Author of Nature or from that Supreme Essentially-existing Cause GOD Whence is demonstrated a posteriori thâ—â— There is a GOD. 7. There must be some Instant in which the Individuum becomes another Thing or of another Kind For 〈…〉 There must be some Instant in which the Individual first begins to be 't is a manifest contradiction to say that any thing can for any one Instant much less for any part of Time be at once what it lately was and what it newly is or be at once it's-self and â—… it's self but Another 'T is Demonstrable that there must be some Instant in which it first becomes This Individuum or of this Kind and ceases to be Another or of Another Kind 8. This Complexion of Accidents which Determines the Matter to be This and no Other in the First Instant This Complexion of Accidents is Essential to the New Individuum of it's Being must necessarily â—â— Essential to the Individuum newly made For since meer Accidents do advene to the Thing already made This and therefore do presuppose it according to some Priority or other and there can be no Priority no not even that of Nature or Reason of the â—…ng to that which constitutes it because that which constitutes it as being it 's Formal Cause 〈…〉 Priority of Nature to It as the Cause has to 〈…〉 Effect It follows that That Complexion of Accidents which Determines the Matter to be This 〈…〉 no Other in the First Instant of it's Being â—…st necessarily be Essential to the Things or Individuums newly made 9. Therefore this Complexion of Accidents â—ow spoken of is the Essential Therefore it is the Essential or Substantial FORM of the Individual Compound 〈…〉 Substantial FORM of the newâ—ade Compound or Individuum That it is the Form of it is Evident because the whole Notion 〈…〉 the Form or Act is nothing 〈…〉 but to be the Distinguisher of the Confused or Undistinguisht Potentiality of the Matter or to be the Determiner of it's Indifferency to This or That which in the Schools Language is to Inform it and by doing thus to be the Constituter of the Individuum And that this Complexion of Accidents does these Essects is manifest because it is suppos'd to be Peculiar to the Individuum it constitutes and found in no other Lastly That this Complexion of Accidents or Form is Essential 〈…〉 it's Proper Individuum is shown § 8. 10. For the same Reason whatever Modes or Accidents do accrue to the Ens or Individuum afterwards are Accidental Those Accidents that accrue afterwards are Accidentals to it whether they concern it's Quantity or the Accession or Diminution of the Matter that is it 's Growth and Decay or it's Qualities which perfect it or the Relations it acquires to other Individuums and much more what Denominations soever come to it from any of the last Predicaments because all these do advenâ— or are superadded to the Ens already Essentially constituted and are as it were engrafted on that Stock of Being and do not constitute it 11. All Individuums must have some Degree of Constancy and Permanency iâ— their Notion For since all Natural To be an Individuum some degree of Constancy Permanency or Stability is requir'd Motion is for some End to the attaining which it is a kind of Way or Tendency and the Way or Means is not the End and consequently Motion is not the End of Motion it follows that the End of Motion must be something that has some kind of Rest Fixure and Constancy in its Nature Wherefore since the End of that Natural Motion which Determines the Power or Matter to be This and no other is to produce the Individuum it follows that the Individuum or Ens produc'd by that Motion must not be perpetually-Changing or continually Successive as that Motion was but must have some degree of Permanency in it Add that were not this so we could never say with Truth that any thing is what it is nor indeed that it is nor could we act or discourse about it since ere we could speak act or think the. Thing would be Chang'd and
afterwards are Accidental 11. To be an Individuum some degree of Constancy Permanency or Stability is requir'd 12. Which Existence supervening does establish 13. The Twisting the Results of so many Causes into one Individuum argues the Design of an All-comprehending Providence 14. This Complexion of Accidents can never be eradicated while the Individuum continues 15. And gives the Compound a Different Genius and Natural Propension 16. Existence can with no show of Reason be pretended to be the Principle of Individuation 17. The Distinction between the Notion of a Subsistent Thing or a Suppositum and the Notion of an Individual Ens clearly manifested 18. How and When the Individuality is lost 19. The First Rule how to know this 20. The Second Rule 22. The Third Rule 22. Hence Simple Division of the Matter or Quantity in Living Bodies does not change the Individuum 23. Much less in Man 24. When 't is Chang'd in Simple Bodies 25. When in First-Mixt Bodies 26. When in Demixts 27. When in Homogeneous Mixts 28. When in very Heterogeneous or Organical Bodies 29. Two Contradistinct Natures may compound One Thing 30. The Divine and Humane Natures may siâ—â—sist in the same Suppositum 31. Notwithstanding those Natures and their Properties must remain Unmingled and not Confounded as some Eutvchians imagin'd 32. Yet all the Actions and Padions must be attributed to the Suppositum tho' according to such a Nature contrary to what Nestorius fancy'd 33. Hence Lastly There is no show of Contradiction that GOD should be Three according to the Respect of Person and yet not-Three but One according to the Respect of Nature or Essence 34. A large Explication of some Grounds very Useful to take off all Shadow of Contradiction from divers Chief Mysteries of Christian Faith and to show how Consonant they are to the most Exact Rules of Right Reason MEDITATION How impossible it is for us to know perfectly all that belongs to our own Individuum By what Wonderful and Untraceable ways GOD's Providence has brought about our Individuation and gives us all our Knowledge and other Endowments How little our Best Performances contributed to the Acquisition of them and how little reason the most Knowing and most Virtuous Man living has to be Proud of the most Laudable Actions GOD has done by him That we ought to comply with the Designs of our Creatour by pursuing the End of our Nature and by what Means this may be best accomplisht CHAP. VI. Some Preliminaries fore-lay'd in order to Demonstrate the Immortality of the Soul § 1. WE cannot but have Different Conceptions of the Essence of MAN 2. And consequently of every Operation of his aâ— he is Man 3. We are therefore to examine whether there be any thing in Man according to his Soul which is above Quantity or Matter 4. There are Three Distinct Operations of Man as he is Intellective 5. The Notion of Ens or Thing is Indifferent to Actual Being and not-being 6. Every Form must denominate the Subject in which it is such as the Form it self is 7. A Notion may either be consider'd Subjectively or Objectively 8. Every Object of our Knowledge must either be the Thing it self in the Mind or something that 's Like it 9. NOTIONS understood objectively are the Things themselves as they are in the Mind and not meer Similitudes of them Prov'd unanswerably 10. Prov'd no less unaswerably by the Concession of the Ideists themselves that the Thing it self must thus be in the Mind 11. In what Sense that saying Every Like is not the Same is verify'd 12. Every Inadequate Notion we have of the Thing is of the Whole Thing Confusedly and Materially tho' it be only of one Metaphysical Part or Considerability of it Distinctly and Formally 13. A Third Unanswerable Proof that the Thing must be in the Mind when we know it 14. The Author's Reason why he builds on this Thesis The Reasons why some others are backwards in Assenting to it 15. Notwithstanding the Immortality of the Soul may be demonstrated tho' this Thesis were wav'd CHAP. VII Of the Immateriality and consequently the Immortality of Man's SOUL § 1. FIrst Leading Demonstration Because her Operations and Objects are receiv'd in her after an Indivisible Manner 2. Dem. II. Because her Capacity is Infinite 3. Dem. III. Because she has Other Natures in her without Altering her own 4. Dem. IV. Because they are in her not as Intrinfecal Modes affecting Her but as Distinct from her Contrary to the Nature of Material Subjects 5. Dem. V. Because the Contrary Thesis is Opposite to the Natural Notions of all Mankind 6. Existence is the only Absolute Notion we have and all the rest are Respective 7. Dem. VI. Because she has in her the Notion of Existence which is every way Indivisible 8. Dem. VII Because she has Actual Respects in her 9. This Demonstration enforced 10. Dem. VIII Because she has in her the Notions or Natures of Vast Quantities which are impossible to be there Themselves as they are in Matter nâ—â— yet any Material Similitudes of them 11. Dem. IX Because the Parts of Motion are perfectly Distinct and Determinate in the Soul which are utterly Undistinguisht and Indeterminate as they are in Material Subjects 12. Dem. 10. Because the Soul has Past and Future Parts of Time Present in her at once 13. Dem. XI Because the Soul can tye together as many Singulars as she pleases in the Notion of One Number of which generally the Fancy can have no Material Resemblance 14. Dem. XII Because Sensible Qualities tho' Innumerable and Contrary to one another are in the Soul without Disordering her in the least 15. Dem. XIII Because the said Qualities as in her do not fight and expel one another as they must were their Subject made of Matter 16. Dem. XIV Because Innumerable multitudes of various and large Figures are in the Soul at once 17. Dem. XV. Because the Soul has in her Universal Notions 18. Dem. XVI Because the Thing is in and by the Soul Divided into such Parts as Material Division cannot reach 19. Dem. XVII Because that kind of Composition which the Soul makes afterwards of these thus-Divided Parts is impossible to be perform'd by a Material Agent 20. Hence is seen the reason why Angels do not thus Compound and Divide and consequently they know the Whole Thing Intuitively 21. Dem. XVIII Because what is meant by the Copula is which we use in all our Affirmative Iudgments cannot be so much as shadow'd or represented by a Material Similitude 22. Dem. XIX Because the Connexion of the Conclusion with Right Premisses is above the force of all Nature or Matter and impossible to be Solv'd or Broken 23. Dem. XX. Because all the Notions the Soul has are most concise and exact even to an Indivisible 24. Dem. XXI Because the Soul is a Pure Act and therefore Immaterial 25 Dem. XXII Because the Soul gives a kind of Being to Non-Entities and Chimeraes
in One most Simple Formality 46. Hence even the Names of our Best Virtues are not in every regard properly spoken of GOD. 47. Nor Omnipotent Creatour or such like All our Language having some Tang of Imperfection Annext to it 48. Nor yet Negative Words as Immense Infinite Immaterial c. 49. No Priority or Posteriority either Real or made by our Reason conceiving some Ground for it in the Thing can be attributed to GOD. 50. Notwithstanding all these are with some Impropriety spoken of GOD yet all of them but the Last are Truly said of Him 51. The Solid Ground of Mystick Theology 52. Hence is concluded that all the Names or Words we have whether they be Affirmative or Negative do fall short of reaching the Divine Essence MEDITATION How by considering the Visible Things of this World we have arriv'd at the Knowledge of the Invisible Things of GOD His Essence and Attributes That these have been Demonstratively Deduc'd and this with an Evidence beyond that of the Mathematicks That this will redound to our greater Disadvantage if we live not accordingly This Knowledge of GOD obliges us to the Duties following viz. Of most Profound Adoration and Respectful Attention when we address to him in Prayer Of a Firm Belief of what he has Reveal'd Of Endeavouring to dispose our selves to receive farther Influences of His Grace and to Hope with Full Assurance that He will most certainly give us all we are Capable or Dispos'd to receive Of Trembling at his Iustice if we wilfully break his Commands or carelesly run on sn Sin Of Hoping Unwaveringly we shall obtain his Pardon if we sincerely Repent Of Resignation in all sinister Contingencies to the Infinitely Wise Disposition of His Providence in the Government of His World Especially to Love Him who is our Only Happiness and True Good as we ought both for what He is in Himself and for what He is to Us. Lastly to the Duty of Imitating His Holy Moral Attributes which is the most Effectual Means to perfect us in all sorts of Virtue BOOK IV. Of the several OPERATIONS of Things and of the Manner in common how the First Being administers His World § 1. ALL Action springs Immediately from the Existence of the Cause 2. And the Acting in such a Manner from the Thing 's being of such a Nature 3. Therefore the Power of Operating thus or thus is refunded into the Essence of the Thing 4. Therefore all Causality is the Imparting to the Patient somewhat that was some way or other in the Agent or the Cause 5. Hence Motion only Applies the Natural Agent to the Patient 6. The First Operation among Bodies is DIVISION 7. The Next Operations are IMPULSE and ATTRACTION 8. The Reason of which Operations is not to be fetch'd from Physicks but from Metaphysicks 9. Nor in Metaphysicks from the Matter or Form 10. But from the Essence or Nature of the Common Modification of Body Quantity 11. This Disputable Point fully Clear'd 12. Hence is seen particularly the Reason of Attraction 13. Every Impulse does at first Condense and every Attraction at first does Rarify 14. All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it 15. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature 16. Every Part of Motion is a New Effect 17. And therefore it requires a Continual Influx of some Moving Cause 18. This Moving Cause is some Chief Angel which Rarefies the Matter in the Solar Bodies 19. Angels are Pre-mov'd and Directed by GOD to move Matter in such a manner as is most sutable to His Eternal Decrees 20. The First-mov'd Bodies do Determine and Continue the Motion of the Others 21. Hence Angels and the Bodies which they move do as Second Causes determine the Individuation of all new-made Bodies 22. But 't is evidently beyond their Power to give Existence 23. Which therefore is Peculiar to GOD 24. As 't is also to Conserve them in Being 25. And to give to a Nobler Essence a Nobler Existence 26. For the same reason a Spiritual Form will be given to Matter connaturally Dispos'd for it 27. The same holds in Supernatural Gifts which also abstracting from Miracle are carry'd on by Dispositions 28. Hence GOD is not the Cause of any Defect much less of SIN 29. That all the foremention'd Sorts of Operations do spring from the Respective ESSENCES 30. That GOD does All that 's Good in All and in what Manner and by what Means MEDITATION That God's Ordinary Providence carries on the Course of Nature by Proper Causes still producing Proper Effects Demonstrated And Confirm'd because otherwise Mankind could not possibly have any Science nor know how to behave themselves or what to do in their Practice and ordinary Actions The same Great Truth Demonstrated a posterioriâ—… Hence the Course of GOD's Workmanship the Fabrick of Nature is Close and Indissoluble The Epicurean Tenet that the World is Govern'd by CHANCE shown most Absurd and Senseless What CHANCE truly is How Groundlessly some Christian Philosophers the Ideists do in part violate this Method of GOD's Ordinary Providence Demonstrated The Witty Folly of Stoical FATALITY confuted and exploded The Application of this Doctrine to our own Duties A Rational Explication OF The Mystery of the most Blessed TRINITY Trans-natural Philosophy OR METAPHYSICKS BOOK I. Of the ESSENCES of Compound Entities CHAP. I. Of POWER and ACT. 1. ALL Mankind must necessarily have the Notions of POWER and ACT or know what those Words POWER and ACT are Natural or Common Notions mean For since all Mankind do in their Common Language use to say that such a Thing which was not before can be or exist as also that Fire can be made of Wood that Water can be made Hot and such like and this in innumerable Occasions And 't is Evident that the word can does in those Speeches signifie the Power to Exist be made of Wood be made Hot c. and the other words do signify the Acts which answer to those Powers and by reason of which when they come to have those Acts they are truly said to be Actually such as the words which correspond to those Powers do import Also since all Mankind have in their Minds the Meaning of those Words which themselves do intelligently use and the Meaning of any Word iâ— the same with that which we cali their Notiâ—â— exprest by that Word which Notion we have in our Minds when we use that Word It follows evidently that All Mankind must necessarily have the Notions of POWER and ACT oâ— Know what those Words mean 2. Hence is gathered that there are three Soâ—â—â— of Power and Act For since That there are Three sorts of each we can truly say that such 〈◊〉 Thing newly generated was 〈◊〉 and now is and 't is most Self evident that could not be which had not a Possibility or Power to be 't is manifest that the Thing had a Possibility or Power to be that iâ— had
if Extension be the Essential Constitutive of that Matter of theirs which it not being pretended to be a Spiritual Substance must be some kind of Body then Difference in Extension or more and less of Extension must essentially constitute Distinct Things under the Notion of Body or Distinct Bodies By which Doctrine no Man living nor perhaps any Body in Nature while it continually sends out it's Particles or Effluviums would be the same Body or the same Thing one single moment Which quite destroys the Stability of Things and would alter all or most of the Actions Comportments Duties and even all the Discourse of Mankind since ere they could speak or think of any Thing it would no longer be the same Thing but Another in regard it is perpetually otherwise than it was according to it's Extension which is as they hold it 's Essential Constitutive Nor will it avail the Cartesians to say that this holds in every Simple Body such as are their Three Elements but not in a Mixt Body For no Mixt is according to them any thing but an Aggrâ—…gate of Many and not One Body and so the Subject of our Discourse is alter'd while we speak of One they of a Multitude None of their Mixts being One Thing as is shown Ideae Cartesianae Expensae from Pag. 240. to pag. 248. 9. Corollary II. Hence our Modern Ideists arâ—… equally Faulty while they Nor in Extension and Impenetrability together make the Essence of Body to consist in Extension and Impenetrability which they Nick-name Solidity for they leave out the Matter as not worth considering which as was shown § 6. is part of the Essenâ—… of Body Besides they reflect not thâ—… those Notions which are meerly Quantitative cannot be the Total Form of any Enâ—… nor consequently the Essence of that Enâ— call'd Body To show farther the Essential Distinction of Bodies I advance these following Positions 10. Every Particular Body in the World is essentially a Distinct Part of Nature For since the whole Complex Every Body is essentially a Distinct Part of Nature of Bodies call'd the Universe or the World does essentially consist of a Multitude of Things which are of many Distinct Natures as of it's Parts and their Essence as they are Parts of Nature does consist in their compounding or making up this Aggregate or Whole and all those Parts are such Things as we call Bodies it folâ—â—ws that every Body in the World is essentially such a Thing by it's being a Distinct Part in Nature 11. Wherefore every Body is also essentially ordain'd for some Distinct Proâ—â— and Primary Operation in Nature Wherefore 't is ordain'd for some Proper and Primary Operation in Nature For since the Course of Nature does essentially consist in the Motion of a great Variety of Things which are Agents and Patients in respect of one another and those Things are Bodies which being Distinct in their Individual Essences must consequently every â—hing acting as it is have also some distinct Oâ—â—â—â—tion primarily and properly belonging to them 〈◊〉 proceeding from them that is such as could 〈◊〉 proceed from any other Body It follows that â—â—â—â—y Body is essentially ordain'd for some Distinct Proper and Primary Operation in Nature 12. Wherefore whatever fits the Matter for the Performance of this Primary Operation does essentially constitute Wherefore whatever fits it for this Primary Operation constitutes it such a Thing in Nature or such a Body For since the Course of Nature consists in Moâ—â—â—â— carry'd on with that Reguâ—â—â—â—y and Exact Order that * See B. 4. Med. last every Distinct Thing acting as it is that is after a Distinct but Certain manner Proper Effects should still be produced by Proper Causes were there any Body or Part of Nature which had No Effect at all or which comes to the same no Proper Effect such a Body would be in Vain and Useless or Good for nothing Wherefore since it is impossâ—… that Infinite Wisdom which Created and Goveâ—… the World should make any thing that is in vâ—… and Good for nothing it follows that every Thinâ—… and every Body in Nature is constituted such 〈…〉 Part of it or such a Body by the Aptness it hâ—… to perform its Proper or Primary Operation aâ—… therefore whatever fits the Matter for the Pâ—â—formance of this Primary Operation does essentially constitute such a Thing in Nature or 〈…〉 a Body 13. Corollary III. Hence is seen in what coâ—sists the Metaphysical BONâ—… or GOODNESS of every body In this Fitness to perform its Primary Operation consists it's Metaphysical GOODNESS which is one of the Properties of it as it is an Ens 〈…〉 Thing viz. That it is Useâ—… for some Effect or other tâ—… proceeds from it as 't is such 〈…〉 Ens or for such an Operation as is Propeâ—… and Peculiar to it Whence those Cartesiâ—… who deny Bodies to be Causes of any Effect in Nature no not so much as Instrumentâ—… ones but only to be Occasions which themselves say are No Causes and consequently do put them to have No Operation do by making them Good for Nothing take away their Metaphysical Bonity and BONUM being a Property of ENS by consequence their ENTITY also Moreover 14. Every Body in Nature is essentially an Instrument For since the Definition of an Instrumental Cause is Every Body is essentially an Instrument that it can no otherwise Act than as it is Acted upon or mov'd by Another and no Body can actually move of it 〈…〉 but has only a Power to be mov'd by anoâ—…r because it is far from being a Pure Act â—…ich is essentially in Act according to it's Nature but having Matter in it which is a Power 〈…〉 the Notion of Thing it is a fortiori only Poâ—…ial in order to it's Operation which is Subseâ—…nt to the Notion of Thing Wherefore every â—…dy is only an Instrument put into Motion immediately by Angels or Intelligences which are Pure Acts in such a manner as best conduces to â—â—complish the Intention of the World 's Supreme â—overnour 15. The Essential Difference of Body is chiefly 〈…〉 from the Action it is orâ—…n'd for in Nature and not The Essential Difference of Body is chiefly taken from it's Action 〈…〉 it's Power to be acted on or â—…'d by Another For since â—…t which constitutes any Essence 〈…〉 be the most Formal and as it were the â—…st Noble consideration found in the Thing And Act let it be never so imperfect is far â—ore Formal and more Noble than the Power which corresponds to that Act It follows that the Essential Difference constituting Body must chiefly â—…ring from it's Activeness which belongs to Body 〈…〉 â—t has the nature of Act or Form in it and not â—…om it 's Passiveness or Aptness to be operated upon by others which it has from the Matter 16. Those Accidents or Modes which do make a Body fit for it's Primary Operation in Nature do constirute it
Considering the most Common Notions of 〈◊〉 Thing enlarges the Soul and that tho' those 〈◊〉 Abstract Conceptions be but a very small part a partial and very Inadequate Notion of the whâ—… Individual Thing yet that Shortness is abundantly reâ—â—mpenced by the Largeness of their Extent He that knows distinctly the Notion or Nature of Quantity knows the whole World and each particular Body in it as far as they are Quantitative In like â—…nner he who has the Exact Knowledge of Ens â—…nce Act Power c. knows the whole Creaâ—… and every particular part of it as far as they â—…ve in them what grounds the Notions of Ens Essence Power Act Divisibility Composition c. â—…t what is all this if we add the vast trains of â—lear Consequences enriching our Mind with Innumerable Truths many of which are neer as Universal 〈◊〉 these Notions themselves were Let us permit 〈◊〉 those Men of Fancy to slubber over their Knowâ—… of things by their Confused Methods of Talking 〈◊〉 random and pursue the Way to Science which Right Nature and the Rules of Exact Art have â—…ablisht to our hands CHAP. III. Of the Essences of Mixt Vegetable and Animal Bodies 1. THere are not in Nature as far as we can judge at this time any perfectly Simpâ—… Bodies or Pure Elements For since to perfect the Forming of It can scarce be imagin'd that there are now any Pure Elements farther prov'd the World at first it was requisite that there should be a thoroâ—… Mixture of those Simplest Bodies or Elements which were made in the Beginning And finâ— there are many pregnant Reasons which are very hard to solve that at the Flood or Universal Deluge the whole Body of the Earth and all it's parts were still more confusedly blended together with the other Bodies which were themselves Mixts or rather Demixts before Again since it is hard to conceive the Course of Nature which consists in Motion still continuing how those Simple Bodies should re-gain their Original Purity and not rather mingle still 〈…〉 and more It may I think be concluded hence and from what has been alledged Chap. 2. Cordlary IV. that there are not now in the World anâ— Pure Elements or Unmixt Bodies 2. To pursue the Thread of my Discourse When Two very Minute Bodies of different Natures of which How First-Mixt Bodies may be conceiv'd to be made one is Rare the other Dense do cling together which by being of the smallest size are not easie to be divided or separated from one another by others they being too big to come between their parts and so divide them they may be reasonably conceiv'd to constitute a First-Mixt Body For since by their constant Adhesion they do not Act or Operate as Two but Conjoyntly or as One 〈…〉 follows that they have a peculiar Modify'd Operation of their own distinct from that which other of those Elements had produced in case it had existed alone Wherefore since every Part 〈…〉 Nature is then a Distinct Thing when it has a â—…ct Operation 't is consequent that these were at first or in the beginning Distinct Entities which kind of Things we call Mixt or Compounded and this being the Simplest or Least sort of Mixture First-Mixt Bodies 3. Wherefore the Essential Form of those First-Mixt-Bodies was the Complexion The Essential Form of First-Mixt Bodies of those two Primary Qualities Rarity and Density since 't is evident that the having those Two in it does distinguish them from Simple Bodies or Elements which have but One of them that is at that time distinguisht them from all others 4. Therefore the Essence or Total Form of those First-Mixt And their Essences Bodies consists of Power and Act or in this that they have Matter in them Determin'd by such a Form viz. by the Complexion of those two Accidents 5. The next Sort of Mixt Bodies is That they have Three or All of the Elements in them For all Proper The Second sort of Mixt Bodies and Intrinsecal Differences being nothing but more and less and the Elements having each of them a Distinct Degree of Rarity or Density in them It follows that these are evidently more-Mixt than the others were which had but only Two Elements and their Particular Degrees of Rarity and Density in their Composition Whence 't is easie by what 's discourst here § 4. and 5. to discover in what their Essential or Partial Form and their Essence which is their Total Form consists 6. The Next or Third Sort of Mixt Bodies if it be not in some sort the same is when the Compound possesses The Third sort of Mixts with some Stability and Constancy an incomparably greater Proportion of some one of those Elements above the rest For 't is manifest that there are in Nature many sorts of those Things which we call Fire Air Earth and Water in all which some One of those particular Elements does so much abound that we cannot well discern at first Sight any Mixture of the others tho' 't is Evident to our Reflex Thoughts there is and even to our Sight when Art comes to separate them tho' our Rude and First Impressions make us commonly give them their Name from the exceedingly Predominant Element 7. The Next or Fourth sort of Mixts which perhaps are in proper Speech the First Sort of Demixt or Decompounded The Fourth sort of Mixts Bodias is when they have More or Fewer of the former Sorts of Mixts variously united in them whose 〈…〉 is the Complexion of those Qualities found in those several Mixts And their Essence consists in this that their Matter is Determin'd by the Complexion of those Mixt Accidents which giving them as Constant Agents the power of Operating thus or after a Distinct Manner from the former do by consequence principally concur to make them Distinct Parts of Nature that is Distinct Things or Bodies I say principally for 't is to be observ'd that â—â—st Many other Accidents besides those most Intrinsecal ones of Rarity and Density either Single or Mingled What other Accidents are superadded to make variety of Mixts and Demixts do concur to the Essential Constitution of most Mixts and Demixts For since Mixture is made first by the Division of the Simple and afterwards of First-Mixt-Bodies at and Division makes more of One the parts of those Divided Bodies the ways of Nature's Operation being manifold and various must necessarily be Diverse in Number and consequently each Divided part being Determinate in Bigness Figure and Situation which the Potential parts of the Elements before Division each of them being Homogeneous or Uniform were not Whence follows that most of the Mixt and all of the Demixt bodies besides their Different Degrees of Rarity and Density must also have in them great Variety of the Bulk Figure and Situation of their Parts Which every thing operating as it is must needs make them operate diversely and consequently these are parts of their
Demonstration VIII We come now to Quantity and we discourse thus We Dem. VIII Because she has the Notions or Natures of Vast Quantities in her which 't is impossible they should be there Themselves as they are in Matter or any Material Resemblances of them have clearly a Notion of a Yard or of a Mile c. and have truly in our Mind the Meaning of those Words and the Meaning of them is a Real Yard and a Real Mile and not a Similitude of them only We can also define a Yard and a Mile and therefore since a Definition tells us the Essence of a Thing we have consequently in our Souls the Essence or Nature of those Determinate Quantities whence the Essence or Nature of those Quantities must be in our Minds first otherwise we should define we know not what Wherefore since by Ch. 6 â— 6. the Form denominates and makes a Thing such as it self is when the Nature of a Yard or Mile is in the Soul it must make our Soul a Yard or a Mile Long if this were done after the manner of Things made of Matter Whence oâ—â— Soul would be Extended a vast way out of our Body Nay since she has some kind of Notion of the Immense Expansion of the Heavens and by Reflexion multiplying it as she easily may can also have a Notion of a Million of times more she would stretch her self to a kind of Ubiquity But waving the Thesis of the Thing 's being really in our Minds as an Object when she knows it and allowing or supposing that when we know it there is only a Similitude or Resemblance of it there I would ask what can there be in Matter that can resemble a Yard after the manner we find in Material or Corporeal things unless it self be some way or other a Yard Long. It must be some sort of Quantity that can do this for otherwise it is quite Different from it and so can no way resemble it and if it be some Quantity and yet it self be not a Yard Long it must necessarily be either more than a Yard or less than a Yard And how can that which is more than a Yard or less than a Yard represent this precise and distinct Quantity of a Yard which would not be it self were it never so little either more or less than it is As certain then as it is that A Yard is a Yard or is it self so certain it is that nothing does or can resemble it materially but Another Yard which as is lately seen is in our case most Absurd and Impossible I remember I prest this Demonstration in the year 1658. against a very Civil and Ingenious Gentleman who was a Scholar of Mr. Hobbs's he reply'd that the least Quantity imaginable might represent the greatest instancing in the Scale of Miles in Maps I answer'd that ' ere we can say This very little Quantity shall stand for a very Great one or This Inch shall stand for Five or Ten Miles we must have the exact and full Notions of Inch and Mile in our Minds antecedently otherwise we could never proportion them nor could we even understand what The Scale of Miles meant if we had not in our Understanding what is meant by the word Mile that is a Real Mile for as is here prov'd even the Similitudes of a Mile must be such And so the Question returns and we are but where we were 'T is most Evident then that we cannot possibly have in our Minds either the Nature or the Similitude of a Mile after the manner it is found in Matter Wherefore it is in us quite otherwise that is Immaterially And since it has not this Manner of Being from the Things which are without us for there it is Divisibly or Extendedly it follows necessarily that it has it from it's new Subject the Soul and consequently that the Soul which imparts to the Nature of Quantity such an Indivisible Manner of Being is it self Immaterial 11. Demonstration IX From that kind of Continu'd Quantity now spoken of which is Permanent we come to Dem. IX Because the Parts of Motion are perfectly Distinct and Determinate in the Soul which are utterly Undistinguisht as they are in Material Nature consider that other sort of Continu'd Quantity which is Successive call'd Motion This Succession or Motion tho' it has it's Degrees of Slowness or Velâ—city yet while it endures as it is in Matter or Nature it flows or goes on in one Even Undistinguisht Tenour without any Butts or Bounds terminating it here or there Now for Instance Let 's consider this Regular Motion of the Heavens or of the Sun call'd Time and we shall find that we have Notions of such Parts of it call'd an Hour a Day a Year an Age c. Distinct from any other Quantity of it as much as we have of any two Individual Things which are most perfectly Distinguisht in Nature Wherefore since this Motion call'd Time as it is in Material Nature has no such Actual Distinction of it's Parts plainest Reason assures us that it has another different Manner of Being as it is in the Soul than it has in Matter for in Matter it's Parts were only Potential and utterly Undistinguisht but in the Soul they are all Actual and most exactly Distinguisht Wherefore since the Manner of Being they have in Nature is confessedly Material it follows that that contradistinct Manner of Being they have in the Soul must forcibly be Immaterial and consequently the Soul it 's self which gives them that vastly distinct Manner of Being must necessarily it self be Immaterial also 12. Demonstration X. Divers other Demonstrations might be drawn from the same Head I shall select one Dem. X. Because the Soul has in her Past and Future Parts of Time Present at once No two parts of Time or of any other kind of Motion as it is in re or in Material Nature can be present at once without a manifest Contradiction for it would make some Successive Quantity to be Simultaneous or Unsuccessive But in the Mind many and great Portions of Time are at once Present For we could not work interiously or discourse of a Day v. g. or a Year by Dividing Multiplying or Proportioning their parts if those parts were not all at once in our Minds which since as was shown they could not be as they are in Material Nature they must therefore be there Immaterially and consequently our Mind their Subject is Immaterial Which is enforced by this that both Past and Future Parts of Time exist in the Soul when she has a Notion of them whereas 't is direct Contradiction to say they can actually exist in re or in Matter Add That our Soul comprizes as much of Time as she pleases in one Notion as a Day a Year c. which remains there as steadily and grounds all her Notions about it as firmly as if it were the most Stable Thing in Nature So that the
which this Composition is made is Immaterial Of this Metaphysical Composition and Division see Chap. 1. â— 23. 20. Corollary I. Hence is clearly seen the reason why Angels do not thus Divide and Compound when Hence is seen the Reason why Angels do not thus Compound and Divide they know but all passes in them by Simple and Simultaneous Intuition viz. Because they have no Abstracted Conceptions as having no Senses which receive Different Impressions from Outward Objects as we have and therefore they cannot frame Iudgments as we do by Connecting Notions or Predicating Whence they must either not know at all which is against the nature of an Intelligence or Intellectual Creature which is a Pure Act or else they must know the Whole Thing at once Intuitively 21. Demonstration XVIII But to come nearer that Operation of our Soul call'd Iudging All our Affirmative Demon. XVIII Because what is meant by the Copula it which is us'd in all our Affirmative Judgments cannot possibly be so much as Shadow'd or Represented by any Material Similitude Judgments are as Logick shows made by the Copula is which connects the two Terms But 't is impossible to conceive that what is meant by is should be represented by a Material Resemblance A Painter may delineate Caesar but 't is impossible to Pourtray by Particles of Matter tho' never so artificially laid together that Caesar is or was He may paint him Fighting and putting that Action had ever been it would signifie he was once because What Acts IS But what Pencil or what Colours can ever signifie that that Action ever was This must come from an Intelligent Mind which having the Notion of Existence in it consented it should be signify'd by is or was or else it must ever remain Unknown tho' Apelles had set himself to resemble it The most Delicate Subtilty of Parts can no more avail here than if it had been drawn in those of the largest size Actual Being as we experience abstracts from or is Indifferent to Greatness and Littleness and all the Materials which a Painter uses are Indifferent to Being and Not-being and are equally apt to reâ—â—â—sent things that are as things that are not â—dd that whatever is pourtray'd by Matter must have part after part or one part out of another whereas the Notion of Existence or that which is signify'd by the word IS is every way Indivisible and has no parts at all as is shown Demonstration 6. 22. Demonstration XIX The same is perhaps more forcibly demonstrated from the Third Operation of our Mind Deâ—â—â— XIX Because the Connexion of the â—â—â—clusion with Right Premisses is â—â—â—e the Force of all Nature or â—atter and Imâ—â—â—â—le to bâ— Solv'd â—â— Broken Discourse or Ratiocination For First this consists of Propositions and Judgments and therefore is prov'd Dem. 19. and 21. not to be performâ—ble by Matter Secondly Discourse is the Deducing a Conclusion from the Connexion which the two Extremes in the Premisses have with a Third which kind of Connexion is callâ—d Inference Deduction Pâ—â—ving Argumentation Ratiocination and if the Medium be Proper Demonstration Discourse then being evidently such a Connexion of Propositions I ask In what Soil or Territory in Nature do Propositions grow Not in Material Nature since no Division or Composition of those kind of Metaphysical Parts of which Propositions consist can be made in Matter or performed by a Material Divider or Compounder as has been lately shown Again to what Material Cement or Connecting Virtue conceiveable in Bodies can this Close Coherence which if the Terms be Proper and rightly order'd is absolutely Indissoluble owe it's Origine Nor to Quantity whose Coherence is Continuity for this is by a great force Dissoluble whereas the Connexion we speak of is above all Material Force Nor can all the Strength or Nerves of Natural Causes strain'd to exert their utmost Efforts not that of Canons shattering the Hardest-Walls or of Powder riuing asunder the most impenetrable Rocks be able to solve a Good Argument or tear in pieces the Connexion of it's Terms Nor can their Indissolubleness be owing to some Tenacious or Glutinous Quality Nor are those parts of a Conclusive Discourse hook'd or clung together by means of their Figure as Epicurus pretended of his Atomes Nor any way but by the Reason of the Sequel or Consequence which as has been demonstrated in my Method B. 3. L. 1. § 3. is built on a self-evident or Identical Proposition which First Truth is so Invincibly Strong that sooner may all Material Nature crumble to Dust and be reduced to a Chaos than such a Proposition can be Solv'd or made False Wherefore this Connexion of Notions found in our Judgments which are True is of a Strength above all Matter or Quantity and of a more Stable and consequently of a Superiour Nature to all Material Beings Whence follows that both It and the Subject in which it is the Soul are Immaterial 23. Demonstration XX. The same is evidently deduced hence that all the Notions in the Soul are most determinately Demon. XX. Because all the Notions the Soul has are Concise and Exact even to an Indivisible such to an Indivisible even tho' they be of things which in their own Nature as they stand in Matter are Indeterminate For Example There â—â—â—â— Body in Material Nature which is exactly â—â— Mathematically Square Round or Triangular â—â— reason of the perpetual turmoil of Natural Causes Acting and Re-acting which making Impressions upon one another are perpetually 〈◊〉 their Surfaces or Figures Nay tho' Art â—oes it't utmost to assist Nature by drawing Fiâ—â—â—â—â— with the most Exact Instruments yet a 〈◊〉 Microscope will tell us that there will be 〈◊〉 Extancies Cavities and Irregularities which 〈◊〉 not with the Figures which are in our 〈◊〉 Whence were they not more accurately â—â—â—â—â—ated in our Minds than they can be drawn â—â— Matter all our Mathematical Demonstrations which proceed upon their being such to an â—ndivisible would be render'd Incondusive From whence it comes that we fancy to our selves â—â—â—ts in Lines and Instants in Time which are â—â— Indivisibles Nay 't is Evident That all Noâ—… whatever do admit of no Degrees but are Indivisibly such as we conceive them and are 〈◊〉 to Numbers in which the least Addition â—â— Detraction alters it quite and makes it anoâ—… Which appears hence because every least 〈◊〉 in any of them if known by us is a â—â—w Respect or a New Consideration that is a â—â—w Notion Whence is concluded That the â—â—ject our Soul which gives these Modes an â—â—â—â—visible Being in her self which they had not â—â— Matter is also it self of an Indivisible and Immaterial Nature 24. Demonstration XXI Hence Demon. XXI Because the Soul is a Pure Act and therefore Immaterial is demonstrated that the Soul is of her own Nature a Pure Act it being the Property of the Act to Determine and of the Power or Matter to cause Indetermination
immediately from GOD who is Esâ—…l EXISTENCE it follows that tho' it be such 〈…〉 Imperfect Effect it may yet proceed congruâ—…y enough from an Angel who he being a â—…râ— and as such having no Prerogative in â—…s regard over his Fellow-Creatures has Noâ—… as oâ— Himself or Non-Existence inâ—… in his very Being which fit him in every â—…rd to be the most Proper Immediate Cause of â—…tion Lastly 't is a most senseless opinion to think â—…at GOD as the Cartesians hold gives all Created â—â—â—â—es their Being and endows them with Faculâ—… and Powers to perform such or such Operatiâ—…s and yet will not permit them to perform them â—…t does all the lowest and meanest Effects immediately by Himself which is at once Derogatory 〈…〉 GOD 's Supreme Majesty and makes those â—owâ—rs themselves Useless Frustaneous and â—…d for Nothing which is against the Metaphyâ—…al Bonity or Goodness which is a Property of â—…eir Entity as has been shown B. 1. Ch. 2. 〈…〉 11 12 13. 16. All Motion is a Perpetual Novelty or a â—ontinu'd New Effect For since Every part of Motion is a New Effect â—o Succeeding part of Motion is while the foregoing ones are â—…ssing nor can possibly be any of those parts which went before it follows that each of them is made a-new or is a New Effect 17. Therefore Motion requires a Continual Influx of the Moving Cause For since no part of Motion can be Therefore it requires a Continual Influx of the Moving Cause of it self and every part of it is a Distinct or New Effect also since to move a thing thus far is not to move it farther and the same reason holds all along thorow the whole Course of Motion It must needs require continually either a New Cause or a Continually New Effort of the same Moving Cause to produce its Continuance otherwise it might cease in any part of it's Flux were it not still helpt forward 18. This Continuance of Motion is perform'd by the Operation of some Chief Angel incessantly Rarefying the Matter of the Solar Bodies and consequently darting This Moving Cause is some Chief Angel Rarefying the Matter of the Solar Bodies out it's Rays of Light or Fire to those Bulks of Matter which are within it's Influence For since this Continual Rarefaction forces the preceeding Particles or Rays to fly forwards to make place for the succeeding ones and this with a quickness proportionable to the Penetrativeness or Tenuity of those Particles which is Inconceiveably such and these affecting and piercing by degrees more Solid Bodies do set all their several parts a playing according to their respective Natures from which must necessarily ensue the several Motions of Division Impulse Attraction and consequently of Rarefaction and Condensation which are the Parents of all other more particular Operations from which as even Experience tells us do proceed all the Effects in Nature It follows that this Continual Rarefaction of the Solar Matter is the Cause of the â—…tinuance of all our Motion As Experience 〈…〉 say also teaches us in the Change of the Seaâ—…s of the year whence Common Reason asâ—…res us that should that Angelical Operation â—…se for some considerable time all the Earth â—…ould be nothing but a frozen unactive and unâ—oveable Mass. 19. Angels are Pre-mov'd by the First Being to â—ove the Material World even to the least Atome or Circumstance Angels are Pre-mov'd or Directed by GOD to move Matter as iâ— most sutable to His Eternal Decrees of it in such a Manner as 〈…〉 most Agreeable to his Eternal â—…d Immutable Decrees For â—…ce it belongs to Infinite Wisâ—… to administer the whole â—…eation or the Universality of his Creatures â—…ording to the Wisest and Best Manner and tâ—â— Managery of the Material World is carry'd â—â— by Motion and Motion is effected by Angels â—â— its Immediate Causes and Angels are Intelligent Beings which act by Knowledge â—…d are Premov'd or Determin'd to act by Motives and the Best Motives to make Faithful Servants â—ct is to Know their Master's Will Nor could â—â—ey know his Will or his most hidden and Inâ—…able Decrees by which they were to square â—…ir Actions unless GOD had some way or other â—â—nifested them It follows that these Maniâ—…tions of his Divine Pleasure are the Proper Motives to them to move and order all Material â—ature as He had Decreed Which this Order â—f the World being the Best reaches to the â—ost Minute Parts and Least Circumstances of â—… 20. The First or Chief Bodies thus mov'd by Angels do in their manner Premove that is Determine and Continue The First mov'd Bodies do Determine and Continue the Motion of the rest the Motion given them at first by the Angelical Nature For since an Instrument is Movens Motum or such a thing as being Mov'd by another has a power to produce immediately the Effect it is Design'd for and 't is evident from what 's said above that Bodies have a Power in them to Divide Impel Attract and thence to Rarifie and Condense others as Immediate Agents 'T is manifest that by the First of these Effects the Bulk Figure Situation and consequently the Mixture or Texture of the Component Parts of the other Bodies which they do thus move are made and from the other motions their Intrinsecal Temperament or the Rarity and Density of those Parts proceeds All which being Determinate Effects proceeding from Bodies as their Immediate Movers 'T is Evident that this Determination and Continuance of Motion springs immediately from the Motion of the next precedent Body which by its Motion premoves and determines the Motion of the following ones 21. Hence Angels and the Bodies they move do as Second Causes Immediately Determine the Individuation Hence Angels and the Bodies they Move do as Second Causes determine the Individuation of all New-made Bodies of all Bodies whatever For since the Complexion of Accidents is the Essential Form which by distinguishing it from all others does constitute every Individual Body by making it to be Determinately or Individually This as has has been â—…ov'd B. 1. Ch. 2. and consequently renders 〈…〉 Capable of Existence or an Ens and this â—omplexion of Accidents is chiefly caus'd by the â—utting together Rare and Dense Parts in such a â—roportion and the Bulk Figure and Situation â—f those Parts do concur also and help in their way to form it into such a Constant or Coherent â—…s and to distinguish it from others and all these are immediately produced by the Operations mention'd in the foregoing § which are caus'd by Angels as Moving Bodies and by the Bodies themselves as the Instrument of Intelligences or â—â— Moved by them 'T is evinced that Angels and bodies as Second Causes are the Immediate Determiners of the Individuation of all new-made bodies whatever 22. 'T is beyond the Power of those Second Causes to give Existenâ—e to the least Body in Nature For since But 't is beyond their Power to give
be thus Predicated it is not requir'd that the Predicate be an Accident it self or found in any of the Heads of those Modes which are Contrâ—â—istinguisht from Substance but the Predicate here may it self be a Substante provided it does not per se or essentially and formally belong to the Subject V. g. When we say a Cup is Golden or which is the same Gold a Spoon is Gold a Ring is Gold the Predicate Gold apply'd to the Cup Spoon and Ring is a Substance and in some Sense Common to them all not as a Potential Notion Determin'd by Differences is common to it's Inferiours and Essential to them but because it does not Essentially belong to Gold to be apply'd to such a Figure therefore it is Accidental or not Essential to it and hence it is said to be Predicated of them Accidentally Now in this manner the Common Suppositum GOD is Predicated of Knowing Known and the other Particulars without any show of Imperfection I do not say that Knowing c. are Accidental to GOD as it is to things of the said Figures to be Gold I abstract from the Matter and take only the bare Manner of Predicating which is not to be said or predicated as a Superiour of Inferiours to which it's Potentiality is Determin'd by Differences but as one Substantial Notion determin'd already as to it 's own Nature is Predicated of another which is either according to it's Notion Substantial or formally belonging to Another Head as those Figures are in respect of Gold and the Absolute Notion of the Divine Essence according to the Distinction of our Natural Notions is to that of Relation in Common 22. Or if we invert the Order of those Propositions and say GOD is Known Knowing c. and so make the Notion of GOD the Common Subject in those speeches in which the Relative ones are Predicated then they may be truly said to be Predicated of him according to the Predicable of Proprium Which soever of those ways we take no Imperfection will be refunded upon GOD nor any Potentiality transfer'd to His most Pure Actuality which is the chief danger to be avoided in our Predications concerning the Divine Nature SECT V. That these Particulars are THREE and no more 1. SInce then this Common or Absolute Suppositum call'd GOD is justly held to be Infinite in Being it follows that He has all the Positive Perfections in the Line of Ens or Substance that can be imagin'd and possesses them all Indivisibly in One most Actual Formality of Being whence 't is impossible to apprehend there should be any Distinction or Plurality at all in GOD as he is thus conceiv'd or under that precise Notion of meerly Being since under that Notion He is Indivisibly One which farther appears hence that even our ordinary Notion of Existence is Indivisible much more must it be such when it is Infinite Wherefore it being no less evidently shown Sect. 4. that there are some Particular Notions or some sort of Plurality Truly and Rightly Transferr'd to GOD and Verify'd of Him This must necessarily spring from our Conceiving GOD under some Other Notion or some Notion that belongs to Another Head or Predicament than that of Substance or meer Being and withall from such a one as does not carry along with it when 't is Transferr'd to Him any Imperfection to the Divine Nature 2. Nor need we look far to find what kind of Notion this is We can no sooner consider that GOD Knows and Loves Himself which is the Ground of all our Explication and as it were the Text on which our Reason descants but we must forcibly and immediately discover that this Distinction in GOD must be taken from that Head of our Notions call'd RELATION For the Knower cannot be a Knower of Nothing but of some Thing or some Object which is Known by him Nor can that Thing or Object be actually Known but there must be some Thing which is a Knower of it which shows those Notions are perfectly Relative to one another 3. Wherefore all the Distinction and Operation which as has been shown is Verify'd to be in the Divine Nature and all the Distinction of the Particulars we lately spoke of must be taken from the Relations according to which the Divine Nature is Referr'd to its self and not formally and immediately from GOD ' s Essence which belongs formally to the Line of Substance 4. Nor need we fear to attribute Distinct and some way Opposite Predicates to GOD and consequently affirm that there is some kind of Distinction and Opposition in Him since the Distinction necessarily imply'd in that Natural Notion we transfer to Him does attribute to Him the Highest Perfection of His Nature as 't is Spiritual and is not Apply'd to Him according to the Notion of Ens or Being but according to Another Respect or Notion which is Different from it and as is shown Prel X. and XI does not induce or require any Distinction formally of the Essence it self Nay when as will be shown Sect. VIII § 7. that very Opposition notwithstanding it forces some kind of Plurality does no less necessarily infer a more perfect Unity if possible in the Divine Nature at least an Unity in more respects than could have been Conceiv'd had there not been that kind of Distinction and Opposition Nor yet can any doubt of the Truth of this Thesis which puts Distinct and Opposite Notions in GOD since His Nature verifies those Distinct Notions and Obliges us to Affirm them of Him or Attribute them to Him 5. Since then these Particulars which as is shown §§ 2. and 3 we truly attribute to GOD must entirely be taken from the foresaid Relations 't is consequent that the Number of them also must be taken from the Number of those Relations 6. And 't is clearly Agreeable to Reason that in those of the Former sort there must be Relation on both sides which must consequently constitute or rather Infers Two Particulars For 't is very Evident from § 2. and indeed is obvious to Common Sense that in our case there is a Mutual Relation between the Knower and Thing Known as is exprest by those very Words nor can we Express them otherwise while we must affirm that GOD Knows Himself As will yet better appear Sect. VII § 9. 7. Which is hence confirm'd because as GOD is essentially Infinitely Intellective or rather Intelligent so He must also be Infinitely Intelligible or rather actually Known otherwise there would want an Adequate Object of the Divine Understanding which would also infer He is not Infinitely Intelligent 8. These Relations are grounded materially and â—eally on the Divine Essence it self consider'd according to it 's own Notion or as it is conceiv'd â—o be Absolute since 't is His Essence it self exprest by the word GOD which Knows and is Known conceiv'd as apt to ground those Relations as it evidently is and not His Essence as it is conceiv'd
which can have no Existence in Nature 26 How some do mistake the Nature of the Indivisibility attributed to the Soul 27. The Proper and True Sense in which a Spirit is said to be Indivisible 28. That 't is consonant to the Nature of the Subject that the Soul should contain Corporeal Nature and it 's Modes Indivisibly 29. In what Sense we are to take the word Instantaneous when we say the Operations of Pure Spirits are such 30. Last Demonstration Concluding the Whole Point That our Soul it heing so manifestly and manifoldly Demonstrated to be IMMATERIAL is necessarily IMMORTAL MEDITATION In discoursing of our Soul we must transcend our Senses and Corporeal Phantasms and avail our selves only by Reflexion on those Operations which are Proper to it 'T is to be fear'd the Chief Origin of Atheism is in Men's Wills it being so easie to satisfie their Understandings What Duties are incumbent on Us who know and acknowledge our Soul to be Immortal Our former Demonstrations of that Great and most Concerning Truth summ'd up and Recapitulated Of what vast Importance it is to lay 〈…〉 heart this Preliminary Truth to all Religion BOOK II. Of PURE ACTS CHAP. I. Of the SOUL SEPARATED and ANGELS § 1. THe Soul does at her Separation receive some Change according to the Manner of her Existing and her Suppositality 2. The Means how this is done illustrated 3. Yet the same Individual Nature remains in her 4. All the Knowledges and Unretracted Affections the Soul had here remain still in her 5. Each Soul when Separated knows all Created Truths 6. How this is very Possible 7. Hence every Separated Soul knows all Time and Place 8. Hence her Operations are not measur'd by Time They and their Subject being of a Superiour Nature 9. Hence she will be Eternally Miserable unless she knows the First Cause GOD. 10. Hence also she is naturally Unchangeable 11. Hence too as soon as Separated she knows all the Thoughts and Affections Words and Actions of her past Life 12. Whence follows the Particular Judgment which determines her Lot at the hour of Death 13. Hence is understood how the Book of Conscience will be laid open at the Last Day 14. And how Infants are connaturally sav'd by Baptism 15. Hence Ana-Baptism is Impious and Unnatural 16. The foregoing Principles show how much more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to know our Actions and Necessities 17. The Practical Iudgments or Affections do carry the Soul to the Attainment of the Good she most Lov'd here in case it be Attainable in the Future State 18. The Best Intellectual Good or the Sight of GOD is Attainable in the Next Life if the Soul be Dispos'd for it 19. Therefore to work up our Christian Principles to such Good Dispositions ought to be the whole Employ of our Life here 20. This good Disposition is CHARITY or the Love of GOD above all things 21. Hence all the Means and Motives laid by our B. Saviour tend only to breed and cultivate in our Souls this Predominant Affection for Heaven 22. Hence RELIGION is the Way of breeding up Souls in such a manner as may dispose them fâ—… Eternal Bliss 23. From the same Principles is Demonstrated that To depart hence with a Contrary Disposition 〈…〉 a First Affection for any Creature will torment the Soul when Separated with most Unspeakable Grief and Anguish 24. The State of Separation Elevates the Soul to aâ—… Incomparably higher Perfection of Existence shâ—… being then a Pure Act than she had here 25. Wherefore it does consequently Elevate the Activity of all her Powers and particularly the Acts of her Will her Affections to an Unconceiveable Intenseness and Vehemency above what she had while in the Body 26. Hence the Poena Damni in Wicked Souls foâ—… the Loss of the Sight of GOD and also the Loss of thâ—… Temporal False Good they here doted on is Unspeakable and plunges them in a HELL of Misery Their Sad Condition describ'd 27. Hence 't is evident that GOD damns no Man but that the Sinner while he hugs and cherishes 〈…〉 his Thoughts those Inordinate Affections for Creatures on which by his own Deliberate Choice 〈…〉 had set his First Love does connaturally kindlâ—… and foment all the while Hell-Fire in his own Soul To which GOD contributes no farther but by conserving the Wisest Course of the World that Propeâ—… Causes should have their Effects which he has 〈…〉 reason to alter for their sakes 28. The Knowing then all Truths Speculatively doeâ—… not alter the Predominant Affection for Creatures As the Tree falls so it lies 29. Hence one Enormous Actual Sin unrepented renders a Separated Soul liable to Eternal Damnation 30. That the State of Separation does not alter the First Affection of Souls farther Demonstrated 31. Hence Sin does not formally consist in the Falsity of the Practical Iudgment or Affection but in the Disproportion and Inordinateness of it 32. ' From the former Principles it follows that all those several Kinds of Knowledges we had here will be Elevated to an Unmeasurable Excess in the State of Separation 33. Hence also all the Virtuous Affections which good Souls had here for Friends Relations and Acquaintances will remain in the Next Life and make them ardently wish and pray for their Salvation 34. That each Particular Deduced here is Demonstrable by the Principles laid formerly Shown by repeating those Principles 35. Wherefore there is not the least Thought Word or Action Good or Bad which we ever had or did in this Life but will have it's Consequent and Proper Effect Adjusted and Proportion'd to it in the Next MEDITATION The Admirable Nature of a Soul when separated and become a Pure Spirit Display'd That there is no Comparison between our Soul's Condition here and That in the State of Separation Meer Humane Science when at the Height was too short and Impotent to raise Mankind to those Dispositions that fit him for True Happiness The Necessity of Divine Revelation farther shown That the Christian Life is most Comfortable and the Un-Christian Life most full of Anxiety The Unexpressible Transports of Joy which Holy Souls experience at their first entring into Bliss CHAP. II. Of the Existence Essence Knowledge Distinction and Action of ANGELS § 1. THE Order of the Universe requires that there should be Different Kinds of Beings 2. And much more that there should be Pure Acts or ANGELS 3. Especially since the Angelical Natures are Capable of Existing 4. And that otherwise there could be no Immediate Cause of Motion 5. As is also demonstrated from the Nature of all Causality 6. Every more perfect Ens includes in it the Nature of the less-perfect as it is an Ens. 7. And therefore Pure Acts or Spirits Contain in them the Nature of Body 8. Which since it cannot be done by way of Quantity they must contain them by the way of Knowledge 9. Therefore the very Natures or Essences of Bodies are in
truly One Thing or One Ens and that all these Particulars now enumerated are Nothing but meerly our Different Conceptions Considerations or Notions of it taking those words objectively that is indeed the very same Thing it self as diversly conceiv'd consider'd or apprehended So that the Thing gives us the Ground of Verification and our Understanding the Formal Distinction exprest by the Abstractive or Distinctive Particle as to answer the signification of which word nothing is found in the Thing as it is in re or iâ— Nature 33. From what has been Discourst above concerning Power and Act 't is Demonstrable how many Common How many sorts of Entities are Possible to be Created Sorts or Kinds of Entia can be in the Universe or are Possible to be Created For since nothing is Capable to have Existence given it but what 's Determinate that is This or That and the meer Power to be a Thing call'd Matter is utterly â—â—determinate and Act is the Only Determiner of â—â—tentiality or Power and therefore can also have Determination by Virtue of it's own Nature or rather bears Determination in it's very Notion It follows that there can only be Two Sorts of Things Possible to be Created viz. Those which are Compounded of Power and Act that is of Matter and Form which we call BODIES aâ—… Pure Acts which have no Power or Matter iâ— them which we call ANGELS or SPIRITS 34. Hence 't is inferr'd that EXISTENCE iâ— the most Formal and consequenâ—ly Existence is the Ultimate Act of Ens. the Ultimate Act of all otheâ—… whatever and all others Potâ—â—tial in respect of it For sinâ—â— it has been shown § 3 4 and 5. that the Essences of all Creatures whether they be Pâ—… Acts or Compounded of Act and Power do consist in a Possibility or Power to Exist and much more the Improper Essences of their Accidents â—â— Modes which have of themselves not so much as a Power to exist at all but by means â—â— the Ens or Substance on which both their Essenâ—… and Existence does immediately depend It follows that Existence is the most Formal and Ultimate Act as supervening to all Created Essencâ—… Imaginable and that all other Acts comparâ—… to it are but Potential or as it were Dispositiâ—â— to it Wherefore when Angels are call'd Pâ—… Acts 't is to be understood that they are Pure â—â— Free from that Second sort of Power call'd Matter notwithstanding which the Essences of those Pâ—… Acts are but Potential in respect of that First and Purest Act EXISTENCE 35. Corollary VIII Wherefore Existence â—â— more properly call'd Actualitâ— than Act as having no kiâ—… Wherefore Existence is rather to be call'd Actuality than Act. of Potentiality to any farther Act but is the perfect Quintessence as it were of Act â—â— self without the least Alloy or Mixture oâ— Power as becomes the Immediate Effect of GOD our Creatour who is essentially an Infinite Actuality of Being or which is the same Self-Existent as will be demonstrated hereafter 36. Wherefore since it has been Demonstrated â— 4. That the very Essence of all Created Beings consists in the meer Possibility or Power to have Existence and That there is a GOD. therefore they have not Actual Being from themselves it follows that they must have it from Another to whom consequently Existence is Essential that is from the First Being or from GOD. There is therefore a GOD. But of this in my Third Book ADVERTISEMENT I desire it may be remarkt once for all that by the Words Power Act Matter Form Existence and the same may be said of all the Words I shall use hereafter through this whole Treatise â—â—r those I have publisht formerly I do not mean Idea's or Similitudes or any other Conceits found out or made by my own or any other Man's Wit or Fancy but the very Real Thing it self of which and not of Similitudes we intend â—â— speak conceiv'd by us according to such â—â—spects or Considerations Grounded on it and â—â—ly found in it Without which no Solid Disâ—…rse can possibly be made as is shown in my â—â—THOD B. 1. L. 1. and is demonstrated at large in my SOLID PHILOSOPHY Asserted Preliminary First and Second and in my other Writings MEDITATION On the foregoing Chapter 'T IS time my Soul to turn thy Thoughts upon thy self and to reflect what Advancement of Knowledge thou hast gain'd by those Easiest most Common and most Familiar Notions of POWER and ACT. But first consider How Provident thy Generous Maker has been for thee as soon as then wast deliver'd out of the dark Womb of Nothing and how he has assisted and nourisht thee up in thy helpless Infancy Thy Nature was to be Capable of Knowledge and therefore only Knowledge was the Connatural The Method how GOD's Providence gave us our Elements of Knowledge Food which could give thee Growth and Strength and ripen thee to Perfection How wretched then and miserable hadst thou been had not He like a Loving Father taken care thou shouldst not live perpetually in a Dungeon of Spiritual Darkness and comfortless Ignorance To this end â—e planted thee amongst an Infinite Variety of thy Fellow-Creatures Bodily Substances which play'd continually about thee with such Motions as were agreeable to their several Constitutions These being the Manufacture of an Infinitely Wise Creatour could not but retain in them the manifest Prints of the Wisdom of their Divine Artificer which made â—â—â—m fit Instruments to inform thy Empty Understanding and to instruct thy Rudeness But alas thâ—y could not reach or affect thy Nature which was Spiritual All their Operations were perform'd by Local Motion which being Quantitative and Divisible could not be receiv'd in thy Spiritual and Indivisible Essence This had render'd thee consider'd according to thy peculiar Nature hadst thou been a Distinct Thing from all Bodies whatever Insensible of their smartest Impulses and Incapable of Knowing any thing by their most vigorous Impressions Nor hadst thou as being one of the Lowest Class of Knowing Substances any Right or Title to have Actual Knowledge Infus'd into thee gratis at first as had thy Elder-Brothers by Creation thâ— Angels In this forlorn condition wast thou found in the First Instant thou camest into this Material World viz. only Capable of Knowledge and utterly Unable of thy self to gain any or help thy self in the least For a meer Power which was undetermin'd to all or any Act of Knowledge could not alone enable thee to produce any Particular Act which is necessarily This and Determinate But it belongs to Essential and Infinite Goodness not to leave his poor Indigent Creatures destitute but to take order they should have as far as consists with the best Order of the World all the Perfection their Nature is capable to receive Wherefore His Providence wisely order'd thou shouldst have a Material Compart link'd so intimately to thee as to Compound with thee One Ens or Suppositum and thence partake
The Modes or Accidents that make Bodies thus Fit are it 's Essential Form 〈…〉 Distinct Body or are it 's Essential Form For since nothing is requir'd to make one Body essentially distinct from another but to make 〈…〉 a Distinct Part of the Universe and that which makes it a Distinct Agent in Nature does also make it a Distinct Part of the Universe and that which fits it for a Distinct and Peculiar Operation makes it a Distinct Natural Agent and the Modes or Accidents as will be shown in 〈…〉 several sorts of Bodies make it a Distinct Ageâ—… It follows that those Modes or Aocidents thâ—… make it fit for it's Primary Operation are 〈…〉 Essential Form 17. The Suppositum or Individual Body must retain that Complexion of Accidents with some Constancy or foâ— But the Thing must retain that Complexion of Accidents for some time some time according as it's Constitution requires and not 〈…〉 transitu only or by way of continu'd Motion For otherwise we could never pitch upon any thing in Nature so as to be able to say it is This or That Thing if it's intrinsecal Constitution were perpetually Fleeting Besides a Thing is that which is Capable of Existence and actually has it when it is a Part of Nature and Existence has some Steadiness and Permanency in it's Notion Whereas in case Individual Bodies did possess those Accidents only in a Transitory Succession we could never assign any the least time in which it could be said to be This or That Thing at all nor consequently since nothing can exist which is not either This or That to Be at all Whence follows that Accidents are not Entia or Capable of Existing without any subject Since the Complexion of those Accidents which with the Matter make the Thing fit for it's Primary Operation is the Form that is but one part of the â—hing Besides they are no more but Modes or Manners how the Thing is as all Cartesians hold which is consistent in Sense with the Doctrine of the Aristotelians who make them to be Affections or Determinations of the Matter Now the â—otions of Ens Res Substance or Thing is to be â—…able of Existing wherefore that Definition â—…nnot possibly agree to any other Notion and â—…refore those Modes or Accidents cannot be 〈…〉 themselves Capable of Existence Again how 〈…〉 it conceivable that the Mode or Manner can be â—â—thout that of which it is a Mode especially â—…ce in the Definition of every Mode or Accident the Thing of which it is a Manner is conâ—…ated or included Lastly If Accidents were â—…ble of Existing alone or Entia then since â—…ry Body has Many and some of them Innuâ—…able such Modes in them that Ens which has 〈…〉 could not be said to be Unum nor consequently an Ens which would leave neither any â—nity nor by consequence any Entity in all Nature 18. No Body can exist in Nature if it have â—o other Form in it but meer Divisibility in Common For since Divisibility in Common cannot constitute any Body â—…thing can exist but what is â—…rminately This or That and â—hat is Common to all is Indeâ—…minate to every Individuum and therefore cannot determine it to be This or That in particular It follows that Divisibility in Common cannot fit or determine any Body in Nature to Exist 19. More and Less of Divisibility which 〈…〉 the Immediate and First Diâ—…rences of Divisibility in commoâ— More and Less of Divisibility may determine it's Notion and may consequently taken within somâ— Determinate Degree fit the Matter to receiâ—â— Existence For since all that is requisite to maâ—…a Thing capable of Existence is to determâ—…it and make it distinct from others and mâ—… and less of Divisibility that is Rarity and Deâ—…sity so they be in some particular Degree anâ— belong to their Subjects with some Constancy do make their Subjects thus Distinct from onâ— another It follows that such Rarity and Density may render the Matter capable of Exisâ—ence 20. One or two different Modes or Accideâ—â— which are Intrinsecal to the Suâ—ject so they be determinateâ— One or Two different Accidents may constitute the Simplest Bodies such within such a Degree may suffice to make the First anâ— Simplest Bodies essentially Distinct. For as it has been prov'd and will be more amply shown hereafter that the Complexion of Accidents which make a Body fit for it's Primary Operation is the Essential Form to all Mixt Bodies of which perhapâ— all Nature does now consist So it is Consâ—…nant to Reason that the Simplest and First Bodies which by being such cannot have such a numerous Complexion in them should be constituted by some one or a few Modes or be distinguisht from other Simple Bodies by it and it 's Opposite 21. Wherefore the Essences of the First and 〈…〉 Simple Bodies of all which we call the Four Elements are Wherefore the Elements are constituted by Density and Rarity constituted by the First and most â—â—mple Differences of Divisible 〈…〉 or Body in common viz. 〈…〉 their being to a Certain Degree more and 〈…〉 Divisible that is by their being Rare and â—…se This is evident from the very Terms 〈…〉 these Determine the Indifferency of the Matâ—… and distinguish the Subjects from one anoâ—â—er and withall suffice to render them Capaâ—… of performing the Primary â—…ration Proper to them For * See B. 4. §. 6. 〈…〉 First Operation in Nature is â—…l Motion or Division by which Mixt Bodies 〈…〉 consequently all Nature is made Whereâ—… since Density renders the Dense Body able 〈…〉 divide the Rare one and Rarity make the â—…re one apt to be divided by the Dense they â—â—â— exactly and perfectly fitted each in it's Kind â—o accomplish the Primary Operation in Nature which is also theirs They being as yet consider'd â—t the only Agents and Patients Add that Raâ—ity and Density are Intrinsecal to them as is eviâ—â—nt because their Notions cannot be thought 〈…〉 belong to any of the Six last Predicaments â—hich are all Extrinsecal 22. Corollary IV. Whether those Simplest Bodies do now exist in themselves or as in their own Nature that The Elements were thus constituted at first tho' perhaps there are not any such now is out of the Compounds or no is not easie to be demonstrated What I conceive is That Earth Air and Water which were Created in thâ—… Beginning of the World did really exiâ—… Separate before Motion which caus'd Mixture was set on work Also that the Degree of Rarity and Density they had at Firâ—… was the true Standard of their Nature anâ—… most exactly so proportion'd and fitted wheâ—… that most Active Divider Fire call'd 〈…〉 the Scripture Light was made the first Day as to be mingled variously in such a manner as was perfectly Best for the Forming thâ—… World and for carrying on the Series â—…â—â— it afterwards most connaturally But I cannot be Positive that since Motion and thâ—… Course of Nature was universally
Vanisht Nor would the Notion of Substance consist in an Indivisible nor be Distinct from that of Quantity Nor would the Accidents have any Being there being in that case no Determinate Thing to which they could belong or by means of which they might Bee or which they might modify 12. EXISTENCE supervening to the Notion 〈…〉 Nature of Ens does add also Which Existence supervening does establish 〈…〉 the Ens or Substance some Degree of Stability and Constancy â—or since Motion consider'd â—ormally according to it's precise and abstracted Notion does only import that no Two Parts that is Nothing of it is at once but that some â—arts of it are not now but past others are not â—… but to come it is manifest to any acute conâ—â—derer that Motion according to it 's own precise Notion or taken as Abstracted from it's Subject which is moved and from the other Accidents â—hich are found in It and in the Contiâ—…ous Bodies through which it moves is nothing 〈…〉 but a Continu'd Flux of certain Not Beings â—hich it sows as it were all along through it's â—…hole Progress of which therefore it seems formally to consist Wherefore since Existence in what kind soever is diametrically Opposite to Not being it follows that as Motion gives a fleeting Inconstancy to the Subject it affects so Existence does of it 's own Nature give to the Ens or Substance it 's Proper Subject a certain degree of Stability and Constancy and some degree of Permanency in retaining the same Essence as far as the nature of the Subject and the best Order of the World design'd by it's All-Wise Governour sees fitting The twisting the results of so many various Causes into one Individuum argues the Design of an All-comprehending Providence 13. Corollary III. Hence our steady Reflexion upon what has been hitherto deduced will inform us that this Determination of Matter as to certain Lesser and Greater Degrees which constitute the Superiour and Inferiour Kinds of Things and especially this Ultimate Determination of it by such a Complexion of Accidents as is Incommunicable to any other and constitutes and fixes the Essence of the Individuums as is shown § 9. is absolutely Necessary for all Created Things as rendring them Apt or Fit to exist which is the Main Work of Nature and the only Means to continue the Succession of Creatures Whence it is not carry'd on by a Temerarious or Fortuitous Conduct but is like the Artificial Twisting together of many scatter'd Ends and tying them into one Firm Knot or the summing up the many Scenes and Interludes or the Windings and Turnings of variously-operating Causes in one harmonious Close at the last Act. All which clearly argues a form'd Design and an All comprehending Providence in the Giver of Being sweetly and surely disposing his Creatures to this Ultimate Determination to be This or to a Capacity of receiving Existence 14. Corollary IV. This Complexion of Accidents being Incommunicable to any other Individuum and withal This Complexion of Accidents can never be eradicated while the Individuum continues Essential to it can never be Eradicated while the Compound continues This is in a manner Self-Evident For this Complexion being the ESSENTIAL Form which constitutes the Compound it follows that the Compound must remain Constituted or continue while that which makes it such is in it in the same manner as Rotundity being the Formal Cause why a Thing is Round that thing must continue to be Round while Rotundity is in it 15. Corollary V. This Complexion of Accidents gives each Individuum and sometimes the whole Species And gives the Compound a Different Genius and Natural Propension a Different Genius and Propension Thus every single Man has from his Conception some peculiarity of Temperament Genius Humour or Inclination distinct from that of all others which tho' Art Education Reflexion and Circumstances may alter for the better or the worse yet nothing can so totally efface or extinguish it but the Root of that peculiar Propension will stick fast rivetted in his Selfish Individuality Thus Original Sin is transfus'd from Adam and engrafted in the primigenial Constitution of each of his Descendents In peccatis concepit me mater mea Psal. 50. inclining Men more or less to this or that sort of Sin according as their Individual Temperature determines their Propension And tho' God's All-powerful Grace and careful Christian Discipline may restrain it's promptitude from breaking out into Enormous Outward Actions yet no Man but feels it too deeply rooted in his Nature to be ever extirpated so that even the greatest Saints may with grief cry out Quis me liberabit a corpore mortis hujus Thus every Individual Seed tho' it be of the same Kind has a peculiar Temperament and Complexion of its own which tho' we cannot discern while we view it in little yet in evidently discovers it self in the Individual Shrub or Tree which springs from it when grown up in which we may then observe thousands of Diversities from other Individuums of the same kind tho' they be planted in the same Soyl water'd by the same Rain and equally quicken'd and warm'd by the same Sun A certain Argument that all those Varieties amongst such Vegetables were included intrinsecally in the Primordial and Individual Constitution and Temperament of each of those single Seeds and did spring thence Originally 16. From what 's said above 't is evidently Demonstrated that there can be no show of Reason why Existence Existence can with no shew of Reason be pretended to be the Principle of Individuation should be the Principle of Individuation For since what 's Nothing cannot exist That only which is an Ens or which is the same an Individuum can be capable of Existence Wherefore there must be conceived First in Priority of Nature an Ens Thing or Individuum constituted e're we can conceive there can be any Subject fit to receive Existence and consequently Existence which presupposes the Individuum Constituted cannot be the Principle that Constitutes it Again since nothing that is Common to more Individuals v. g. A Man or Horse is Common cannot exist but only what is Determinately This or That v. g. This Individual Man or this Horse c. 't is most evident that the Matter must be made or Determin'd to be This or That that is it must be constituted such an Individuum ere it can possibly be Capable to exist Wherefore Existence is Subsequent to the Constitution of the Individuum and so cannot be the Principle by which it is constituted Lastly the Power does ex naturâ rei antecede the Act otherwise it would follow that That is which cannot be which is against an Identical Proposition and a manifest Contradiction Whence seeing as was lately shown only Individuums which are This or That in particular can bee or have a Power to bee they must first be suppos'd to be Determin'd by Natural Causes ere Existence which is
fortieri to all Manner of Existence Corporeal or Spiritual in re or in intellectu and therefore it is Capable of either The first Part is Evident from the very Sense of the Word For in the Signification of the Word which expresses any Created Being as Peter Michael a Stone a Man c. we find nothing at all of Being or Not-Being either exprest or imply'd Again we can truly say of any Individuum which is properly a Thing v. g. of Peter that he is newly dead or of Wood that 't is turn'd into Fire which signifies that those Things call'd Peter and Wood were before and now are not which could not with truth be said unless those Things were Indifferent to Being and not-Being or Capable of either 6. Preliminary V. The Form cannot be in the Subject but it must make it Formally of his own Nature V. g. Every Form that is in any Subject must denominate it to be formally such as it self is Rotundity cannot be in any Subject but it must make it Round Nor can any Quantity or Quality v. g. the Quantity of a Yard or Whiteness be in a Thing but they must make it a Yard long and White as the Nature of that Quantity and Colour is This is Self-evident for to be a Yard long or White is to have such a Length or such a Colour in it Nor for the same reason can any particular Nature be in any Thing but it must make that Thing be of such a Nature 7. Preliminary VI. A Notion or Conception may either be consider'd Subjectively as it is an Operation of the Mind A Notion may either be consider'd Subjectively or Objectively Affecting It and Receiv'd in It as in it's Subject or Objectively as that about which the Mind when it has that Notion is employ'd as it 's Object or the thing Known This is a manner Self-evident For an Operation of a Knowing Power cannot be but there must be something Known nor can a Thing be known without an Actual Knowledge of it 8. Preliminary VII Whatever is Known by the Soul or is the Object of our Knowledge must either it self Every Object of our Knowledge must either be the Thing it self aÌ„s in the Mind or something that is like it be in the Soul or else some Similitude or Representation of it This also is in a manner Self-evident For in case neither It self nor any thing Like it be there when we know it 't is Impossible to imagine any reason why our Knowledge should be of It rather than of Another thing Distinct from iâ— which must necessarily confound all our Knowledges whatever Again since the Power of Knowing is of it self Indifferent to the Knowing This or Another 't is Impossible to conceive how this Indifferent Power should be Determin'd to Know This rather than Another unless either This Object be it self in that Knowing Power that is in the Mind or something that Resembles or Represents it 9. Preliminary VIII Notions taken Objectively are the Things themselves existing in our Mind intellectually and That Notions undrrstood Objectively are the Things themselves as in the Mind and not meer Similitudes of them Prov'd unanswerably not the Similitude or Representation of them only This may be presum'd to be an Establisht Maxim having been prov'd by so many Demonstrations in my Second Preliminary in Solid Philosophy Asserted none of which have been hitherto Answer'd by the modern Ideists tho' nothing more nearly concern'd them Notwithstanding I shall add this farther Proof of it Words are meant to express that which is in our Mind that is to express our Conceptions or Notions taken Objectively which therefore thus taken are the Thing meant But that which is meant by the Words is the Thing it self therefore that which is in our Notion or the Object of it is the Thing it self To prove the Minor let us put this Proposition There is a Similitude of the Thing it self in our Mind and then reflect that since we understand what 's meant by all thâ—se words we have a Notion of each of those Words in our Minds Hence I argue Therefore there is in our Notion not only what 's meant by the word Similitude but also what 's meant by the words the thing it self for those words are Parts of the Proposition But what is meant by the words the Thing it self cannot be any other but the very Thing conceived by us therefore the very Thing is in our Notion or Conception when we intelligently speak that Proposition This is farther enforced because in this Proposition what 's meant by the words the Thing it self is Relatively Oppos'd to the Similitude or Representation of the Thing as is evident to every Reflecter Therefore what 's meant by the words the Thing it self cannot possibly be the same that is meant by the word Similitude which is formally Opposite to it Whence those who deny the Thing is in our Minds do at the same time unawares confess it is there since they put what 's meant by Thing it self over and above what 's meant by the word Similitude to be there Nor were these words The Thing it self ever us'd by Mankind especially when they speak Dogmatically to signifie A Similitude of the Thing Lastly If we have only Similitudes of what 's meant by our Words then since as they will have it the Words Thing it self signifie only a Similitude of the Thing by the same reason the Word Similitude which is found also in that Proposition must mean a Similitude of a Similitude of which who can make any Sense 10. But to put this out of all Doubt by Arguâ—… unanswerably from their own Concession Let us abstract any Prov'd Unanswerably by the Concession of the Ideists themselves that the Thing it self must be in thâ— Mind particular Notion of the Thing from the rest and we shall see clearly that every Similitude consists in the Unity or Identity of some Form or Act whether Essential oâ— Accidental which is found in the Things said to be Alike For Example If two Things be Alike in Quantity or Length v. g. each of them a Yard all Mankind will say that the Same Length or the Same Quantity is â—…nd in each of them If two Walls be Alike 〈…〉 Colour or both of them White we truly say they are of the Same Colour If two Sons be Alike â—â— their Relation to one Common Father they â—â— truly said to have the Same Relation or to be 〈…〉 of them Sons If two Things be perfectly 〈…〉 in Figure v. g. both of them Triangular we truly affirm they are of the Same Figure If Alike in Nature v. g. Manhood they are truly said to be of the Same Nature For since we consider them under such a precise Notion and no other and they do not at all differ under that Notion this Discourse is as Self-evident as 't is that a â—â—rd is a Yard that Whiteness is Whiteness a
Quantity takes up some Space or Room of this Finite Container and so still lessens the Capacity of holding as much as it could before Therefore the Soul is of a quite Contrary or rather Contradictory Nature to the Capacities of Quantitative or Material Subjects and by consequence she is evidently Immaterial 3. Demonstration III. That which has innumerable other Natures in her without Altering or Destroying it's Demon. III. Because she has Other Natures in her without Altering her own own Natural Constitution is evidently Immaterial But the Soul has Innumerable other Natures in her by Preliminary 9. and 10. without Altering or Destroying her own Thereâ—â—â—â— the Soul is Immaterial The Major is evident â—ecause many new peculiar Natures or Complexâ—â—ns of Accidents advening to the constitution of the former Material Thing must needs affect it accordingly and give it as many New Modifications and Determinations as there are Accidents iâ— it Since these by Prelim. 5. must each of them impart to the Subject it 's Formal Effect and as much alter it's Nature as Water does Wine or Aloes does Honey much more when Multitudes of these Complexions of Accidents are jumbled together they would scarce leave to that Material Entity any Remnant or Show of it's former self but quite pervert efface and deâ—roy it's proper Temperament or Constitution Again those various Complications of Accidents must make the Soul were she Material to be of so many several Kinds and consequently to be many Corporeal Individuums which would make her the most Monstrous Chimera imaginable and destroy her Unity and Entity both Nay since all those Notions which are taking them objectively those Natures and Modes do â—s will be demonstrated hereafter remain still in the Soul many of which are Contrary and Inâ—â—nsistent and must impart to her were she Material their Formal Effect or make and denominate her such as their several Natures are Whence she would be at once Rare and Dense Hot and Cold and this too in the Highest and also in the Lowest Degree Long and Short and of all different Quantities Black and White and of all Different Colours Moist and Dry Round Square Triangular and of all Figures nay at once Virtuous and Vicious Knowing and Ignorant since she has the Notions or Natures of all these in her The Minor is prov'd by § 9 10 11 where it was demonstrated that by having Notions of the Things according to all these Modes she has these Modes themselves in her which how impossible it is they should be all at once in a Material Subject Common Sense shows every Man 4. Demonstration IV. Hence 't is clearly evinced that None of those Things Natures or Modes which the Soul Demon. IV. From her having Things and Modes in her as others or as not belonging to her own Nature has in her by Knowing them is an Intrinsecal Affection Mode or Determination of the Soul it self as are her Faculties Thoughts Judgments Discourses Affections and such like which do properly belong to her own Nature Whence follows that when they are in the Soul by her Knowing them they are there tanquam aliud As Another or as Distinct from her And therefore that Knowing is the becoming Another Thing as 't is Distinct from the Knower which tho' perhaps few reflect on it is no more in true Sense than what we familiarly say that 't is an Object of the Knowing Power or the Thing Known for the words Object and Thing Known do import a Relative Opposition and consequently Distinction from the Knower as such How this piece of Doctrine may in part conduce to the Explication of the most B. Trinity may appear in due Season by showiag that the Opposition and Distinction according to the Notion of Relation does not hinder but rather in our case induce the Unity of Nature in the Knower and thing Known 5. Demonstration V. That Tenet must necessarily be False which is contrary to the Natural Notions and Language of all Mankind Demon. V. Because the Contrary Thesis is opposite to the Natural Notions of all Mankind not excepting even Atheists themselves who deny Spiritual Beings But such is the Tenet of the Soul's Materiality Therefore that Tenet must necessarily be False The Major is prov'd Because all our Knowledge and all the Truths we have Naturally are built on our Natural Notions as on their Ground The Minor is thus manifested It is Nonsense according to the Natural Sentiments and Language of all Mankind to ask of any particular Knowledge for Example of our Knowledge that Two and Three make Five How Big or of what Quantity or Extension it is v. g. whether it be an Inch or a Yard Long whether it be thus Broad or Thick As also Whether it be Rare or Dense Whether it be as Hard as a Stone or as Soft as Butter What Figure it is of Whether Square Round Cylindrical or Octogone Whether it be White or Black or of some middle Colours Whether it be Diaphanous or Opacous Whether it sends out Effluviums or Particles of it's own Nature or no What kind of Place will fit it Whether the Parts it has do stand Erect or lean Sloping or lie Flat How we are to Act upon it by another Body's smart Impulse shattering it's Parts asunder or Pressing them Close or Tearing them off by little and little c. Now 't is such Nonsense to all Sober Mankind tho' never so Sceptical to ask such Questions that it looks like meer Gibberish or the playing at Cross-purposes and would make the Asker if he do it seriously be held a Mad-Man whereas yet it would not be thought at all Absurd to ask at least many of these concerning any Material Being whatever 'T is given us then and granted by the Free and Ingenuous Acknowledgement of all Mankind guiding themselves by their Nature-taught Notions that this Operation of our Soul call'd Knowledge which is most Natural to her and consequently that her Nature it self is vastly Different from that of Material or Quantitative Beings that is Immaterial 6. Thus far of Knowledge in Common What Light is afforded us to demonstrate the Immateriality of the Existence is the Absolute Notion and all the rest â—re Respective Soul from all her several sorts of Operations mention'd Ch. 6. § 4. will be seen hereafter We proceed now to examine the several Objects of the Soul's First Operation or her several sorts of Notions which are comprehended in those Ten General Heads call'd Ten Predicaments These Notions are adequately Divided into Two General Kinds viz. Absolute and Respective I say Adequately it being impossible for us to have any Conception which is not either the One or the Other Of these the Modes or Accidents which take up the Nine last Predicaments are all of them Respective to the Thing or Substance which they one way or other modifie because we cannot conceive a Mode or Manner which modifies Nothing which is the Literal Sense
very Notion of Succession is in the Soul Permanently or Unsuccessively which is directly contrary to it's Nature as it passes in the Material World 13. Demonstration XI The same may be said of Discrete Quantity or Number There is nothing in Nature but Dem. XI Because the Soul can tye together as many Singulars as she pleases in the Notion of One Number of which the Fancy has no Material Resemblance Individuals each of which is properly an Ens and consequently Unum and therefore if we put a Multitude the Unity they had in Nature is lost since One cannot be Many nor Many One and this is all the Unity we find among Individual Beings as they are in Matter or out of the Soul Now when the Soul takes Many or More of these together she bundles up even those Incommunicable Actual and perfectly Distinct Individuums at her pleasure and tho' they were never so many she pâ—â—ches upon what Quantity of them she lists to take notice of and gives even their Singularitâ—â—s a new sort of Unity in her Notion which Nature never gave them and calls this Notion which comprizes them all Three Ten or a Hundrâ—â— or what she pleasâ—s Which since it depends on her Choice how many she will take of them 't is Evident that this Union was not given them by the Being which they had in Material Nature Or out of the Soul where they were altogether Distinct and one of them has nothing to say to the other And let it be noted that this Union is not made as Universal Notions are by Abstraction or our leaving out the Particular Considerations belonging to the Species or Inferiour Notion and only taking in one Common Consideration found in them all there being a fair Ground in Nature to consider them on that fashion But this Colligation of many into One Number is a kind of Union of those whole Individuums in despite of the multitude of their Singularities and a Reducing those Things which are ultimately Determin'd Distinct and stand aloof from one another as they are in Material Nature to a Close Unity compacted so Indivisibly and Indissolubly that the least part added or detracted that Unity is specifically alter'd and presently becomes another kind of Number Lastly which makes this Point yet more Evident We can have a Material Resemblance in our Fancy of Four Five or some small number of Natural Things and have in our Heads a kind of Picture of them as it were standing all on a Row But 't is impossible for us to have such a Lively and exactly-Just Picture of a Hundred a Thousand a Million c. so as to see clearly there is not one more or less and yet we experience that we can have most Clear Distinct and Exact Notions of These as well as we can have of Two or Three Nor do we look upon those Great Numbers by the Eye of our Understanding as a Confused Heap or Multitude as it happens when we see a great Croud of Men standing together but with a clear and perfect Discernment that they are just so many not one more or less and this as easily as we can know Four or Five Since then in the way of Matter nothing can resemble a Thousand but a Thousand for the Resembler must be some sort of Number otherwise it is not at all Like it and neither One more nor less that it is must it self be a Thousand it follows that the Distinct and Exact Notions we have of very great Numbers is Immaterial and consequently the Soul their Subject is such also 14. Demonstration XII Come we now to these Notions which belong to the Head of Quality which because Dem. XII Because Sensible Qualities tho' Innumerable and contrary to one another are in the Soul without Disordering her in the least they are Innumerable we will instance in Two of them Sensible Qualities and Figure As for the First of these If when we have the Notion of a Sensible Quality v. g. Dry or Moist the Thing or Body thus affected be in our Mind and consequently the Nature of those Qualities we have gain'd our Point and prov'd it is in us Immaterially it being evidently impossible a thing should have two Material Manners of Existing Nor can these Qualities be there by some Material Representation or Resemblance For what can resemble Dryness or Moistness Whatever it be it must be some other Sensible Quality for otherwise it would be utterly Unlike it and the same would happen were it a Sensible Quality belonging to some other Sense than that of the Touch v. g. were it Whiteness or Fragrancy which belong to the Sight and Smell 'T is Evident then that nothing but Dryness it self can represent Dryness materially Wherefore it must either be said that Dryness it self is in the Soul Immaterially or not at all and yet that we have iâ— in us we are satisfi'd in regard we have it in our Notion and can discourse of Dryness it self Again if Dryness Moistness and all other Sensible Qualities be in the Soul materially when she knows them then as they did in Material Nature affect their other Material Subject according to the peculiar Genius of each by Ch. 6. § 6. so they must affect the Soul too after the same Manner and make her materially Dry and Moist And moreover since no Notions are ever blotted out of the Soul she would also be at once Moist and Dry Hot and Cold White Black Blue Green and of all Colours Rough and Smooth Fragrant and Stinking Diaphanous and Opacous and imbâ—'d with a thousand other Contrary Qualities which finee they could not be all of them Agreeable to any Material Nature each of them having a peculiar Constitution of it's own they must needs Disorder Distemper and Corrupt it the Effects of which the Man must necessarily experience if the most Frincipal Part of him the Soul were made of Matter and they would render the Compound affected with many Diseases whereas yet none ever found himself in the least Distemper'd Griev'd or Pain'd by having in his Mind the Notions of all these Opposite Qualities and ill-agreeing Dispositions 15. Demonstration XIII This is farther enforced because were the Soul which is confest to be our Knowing Dem. XIII Because those Sensible Qualities do not fight and expel one another as they must were their Subject made of Matter Power Material all these Opposite Qualities when they are in that Power or Known must be perpetually Fighting Contrasting and Expelling one another out of their Subject at least they would Refract one another's Nature and make it otherwise than it was to some Degree as they do in Material Things or Bodies Whereas we experience that they amiâ—ably cohabit in the Soul and are so far from â—â—pelling one another out of the Knowing Power that they draw their Contraries into it and each â—â—tters one another as an Object and makes it more distinctly Knowable according to that â—â—â—axim
thus The Essence or Nature of Body consisting of Power and Act or Matter and Form has consequently in it's Bowels a Ground of Separability of one from the other or of Dissolution and Destruction of that Compound Ens whenee it is Less Capable of Being as having a constant Capacity of Not-Being woven into it's very Nature Whereas the other Species of Ens Spirit being of it's own peculiar Nature or as 't is contradistinguisht from Body a Pure Act without any Power in it to become another Ens that is without Matter in it has on the contrary no Composition in it nor Power by means of which it might come to lose it's Act or Form and therefore it is of it 's own Nature Indissoluble â—ncorruptible and Immortal The very Terms evincing that what has no Composition in it as to it's Entity is of it's own Nature Incapable of Dissolution as to it 's Entity that is not Mathematically Indivisible as our former Note shew'd but Metaphysically or Entitatively Indivisible and therefore not obnoxious to lose it's Unity or Entity Wherefore the best most Positive and most Proper Notion we can have of a Spiritual Being is that it is a Pure Act which has an Incomparably Greater Capacity of Being than Body has and consequently it is of a Superiour and far more Noble Nature in the Line of Ens. Whence follows that it comprehends eminently in it self the whole Inferiour Nature of Body and being a Pure Act essentially and consequently essentially Active or rather Acting it has a Power or Virtue in it if nothing hinders it's proceeding to Action to order dispose of or alter that Inferiour and meerly Passive Ens Material Nature as it pleases 28. Note III. The Spiritual Nature of the Soul then transcending in it's Essence this That 't is consonant to the Nature of the Subject that the Soul should contain Corporeal Nature and it 's Modes Indivisibly Corporeal World made of the Perishable Rubbish of Base Matter and thence containing in it self after a manner Proper to it's own Nature that is Intellectually or Indivisibly taking this word as explain'd above all the Natures Powers Modes Operations Existence Duration Succession c. that ever did or can belong to Material Nature there can be no wonder that all these as we have shown in our several Demonstrations are compriz'd and can exist in the Soul 's Spiritual Nature as in a Higher Orb of Being comprehending after it's manner all that can be in the Lower and Narrower one of Body Nor can it shock any considerate Man that the Operations proper to the Soul should be Inexplicable according to Physical Principles or transcend the Notions of Bodily Substances and their Modes which we receive by means of the Senses and the Phantasms they imprint which makes them so unsuitable to Fancy and yet I am sure this is all that the Impugners of this Doctrine have to build upon or object For not one Objection drawn from a Metaphysical Medium did they ever produce tho' nothing is more Evident than 't is that only These can have any force against us or do them any service 29. Note IV. As my First and Second Note show how grosly those short-sighted Speculaters do mistake In what Sense we are to take the word Instantaneous when we say the Operations of Pure Spirits are such while they conceit that the Essence of the Soul is Indivisible after the manner of a Mathematical Point so they fall into a parallel Errour by misunderstanding me when I say that all the Operations of a Spiritual Nature are perform'd in an Instant For they imagine that I mean by the word Instant an Indivisible of that Successive Motion call'd Time Whence their Fancy is stunn'd and they are at a strange Wonderment to conceive how so many several Acts following as it were and depending on one another can be begun and ended in one such Instant Whereas tho' I use the Word partly arguing ad hâ—minem because They do so partly because 't is hard to find another Word to signifie the Opposite to Succession yet I mean there by the word Instant such an Indivisible Duration as is directly Contradictory to the whole Nature of Quantitative Succession and corresponds if that improper word which signifies a kind of Commensuration may be here allow'd to all the Successive Motion Bodies ever had or can have nay which eminently comprehends it all under the Notion of Duration as was shown lately as the Essence of a Spirit being of a Superiour Nature does as was shown lately eminently comprehend in it self the Essence of Body under the Notion of Ens or Being Nay it seems to differ from Eternity which is the Duration proper to GOD and which in an Inferiour Degree it resembles only in this that it does not include Impossibility of not-being for it centers in it self â—â— the Differences of Time Past Present and Fuâ—â—â—â— by comprehending them all and therefore is call'd Aeuiternity Wherefore when I say that all the Spiritual Operations of a Spirit are in â—…stant I only mean that they have such a Duration as befits a Pure Act which being devoid â—â— Matter and consequently of Quantity can have no Successiveness in it Whence pursuing â—…sely and keeping strictly to the Reflex Notions I â—ave of Spiritual Nature as contradistinguisht from that which is Material or Corporeal and from the Duration Proper to each of them I must beg leave to recede in this particular from sâ—me Philosophers and Divines of most celebrated â—ame and Greatest Eminency and to declare that I cannot at all conceive what a First and Seâ—…h Instant in the Duration of a Pure Act or a Spirit can signifie For since their Duration has no Parts after Parts as the Successive Duration of Bodies has if it endures or is at all it has it's Whole Duration and so all Second and Third Instants are Insignificant and seem to have their Origin from an Imaginary Correspondence to a Mathematical Instant of Time which Mistake we have lately rectify'd And seeing Succession in what ever Thing or Mode of Thing it is must signifie Part after Part which as both Logick and Metaphysicks demonstrate is the very Notion of Quantity whoever puts Succession or Part after Part in any Modes belonging to a Pure Act or a Spirit does put those Modes and consequently it 's Subject to be Quantitative or Material that is he puts A Pure Act to be no Pure Act which is a Contradiction 30. From the foregoing Demonstrations that the Soul is Immaterial our Grand Conclusion is Demonstratively Last Demonstration Concluding the Whole Point That our Soul it being so manifestly and manifoldly Demonstâ—aâ—ed to be Immaterial is necessarily IMMORTAL evinc'd That Man's Soul is IMMORTAL First Because being Immaterial she is a Pure Act in the Line of Being whence she has no Composition in her under the Notion of Ens only which can render her capable of Dissolution or losing her
of this Great and most Important Trâ—â— How Unreasonable then and Unnatural would it â—â— in us not to bestow our Chief if not Only carâ— â—â— provide for the Eternal Welfare of our Soul which â—â— so Precious in it self and so neerly ally'd to Us tâ—â— 't is a Part and by far the Best Part of this Thing â—â— are call'd Man What will it profit a Man sayâ—â— who is the Eternal Wisdom to gain the Whoâ—â— World and lose his own Soul How Senseless â—â— Foolish must we appear in the Sight of GOD and â—â— Angels â—o prefer the Conveniencies of this Momeâ—tary Life for all Time could we live while it lâ—st is but a Moment to the Endless Duration of a Spirâ—â— before the Mâ—ans to live Eternally Happy in the Oâ—â—â—â— How Vile to enslave our Affections here to Riches â—â—â—â—oâ—eal Pleasures or Airy Honour which are so inâ—â—itely below us being indeed nothing but Shining Clay well figur'd and colour'd Earth and Articulate Air which are perhaps the Basest of all Material Beings What Generous heart if not infatuated even to Madness would so debase his Dignity as to subject himself and all his dearest Concerns to his Underling or Slave and such a Slave as will certainly ruin him by his over-kind Condescendency Knowledge and Virtue are the Only True and the â—â—â—t Perfections of our Soul while she is in the Way to her Last End Whence we may be Certain they â—â—â— Agreeable to her Nature The Increase in these gives her Growth and Strength and consequently must advance her towards the Right End for which Nature ordain'd her Whereas what 's made of this corruptible Trash Matter must needs depress â—er High-born Nature and disgrace her Extraction â—â—deed those Material Creatures may by our Sober â—se of them serve as Drudges to assist our other Compâ—rt the Body with necessary Conveniencies They may also be a means to raise the Soul to the Knowledge of her self and her Great Maker but â—f we affect them farther than as they are subservient to those Laudable Ends we shall put the Order of the Creation out of it's Frame and Irrational Love especially if Excessive being a perfect Slavery we shall invert the Gradual Series of Beings of which the world consists turn the Climax of Causes with the â—eels upwards and make our Soul servilely truckle to those Despicable things which were made to do her Homage Lest our Fancy not much assisting our Memory in things above us we may forget what we lately demonstrated of how Our former Demonstrations for the Immortality of our Soul summ'd up and Recapitulated surpassing an Excellency and how Refin'd a perfection of Being our Soul is above this Dross of Matter of which our Bodies are â—neaded let us review once more the Product of some of our most Attentive and Deliberate Thoughts We have seen it clearly Demonstrated that our Soul's Capacity which is of Knowledge contrary to the Nature of Material Containers is Infinite Whence she is so far from being fill'd by the accession of such Objects as this Material World can afford her that even now while here they serve but to enlarge her said Capacity that is to encrease â—er Thirst of knowing still more From which follows that in her future State when she is all Mind and constantly and most eagerly Attentive and addicted to her only Natural Perfection Knowledge she will being then a Pure Act and operating accordingly strain her incredible Activity to attain the Sight of the First Cause of all things and to know what he is in himself and thence must remain ever in a vehement Longing and Tormenting Dissatisfaction unless she attain that only Soul-satiating Contemplation of Him who is Infinite Truth and the First Cause of all those Created Effects the Knowledge of which transported her with such an Insatiable Desire of seeing him We have seen that as the Purest and most Refined Gold cannot incorporate with Dust the Natures or Qualities of Corporeal Beings when in thy Knowing Power cannot mingle with thy Purer and Nobler Essence nor as Proper and Connatural Affections do use alter it or bring it to their Nature But they stand aloof from it and tho' they be in thee yet they keep their Distance and contrary to the Genius of Corporeal Modes they are there â—s Objects that is as Other Things or as Distinct from thee We have shown that by our Apprehending what Existence or Actual Being is which 't is Evident we do since we know the Meaning of those words thou hast the Nature of Existence in thy Knowledge that is in thy self which is impossible to be shadow'd or represented but only in a Spiritual Mirrour Nay by having what 's meant by the word Existence in thee which Abstracts from all Limited or Particular Manners or Degrees of it thou hast in thee the Nature of Existence in Common or in it's whole Latitude Unconfin'd to this or that Subject which demonstrates that thy Nature is Capable to comprehend the whole Creation and to see clearly even that Soveraign Being it self whose Nature is Unconfin'd or Infinite Existence We have seen by thy framing Respects of one thing to another that thou hast in thee a Power of Ordering them and consequently the Nature of that Order it self whereas there is nothing in the Material World but so many Singulars each of which is ultimately Determin'd by it's Individuating Principles and therefore is Independent and Absolute in it self without the least Reference or Actual Respect to one another We have seen clearly demonstrated that thy Essâ—â—ce is Superiour in the Line of Being to the whole â—â—ture of Continu'd Quantity tho' stretcht out to the vast Expansion of the Heavens and even as far as the World's Surface and that thy Knowing Power is able to fathom it all without straining it's Capacity beyond it's reach We have seen also how it is capacious enough to contain the whole Nature of Discrete Quantity tho' it fills all those Boundless Rooms in the Long Row of Number algebraically repeated All those short Items of particular Times and Places summ'd up into one Total are compriz'd and writ in short hand in thy Indivisible Essence The whole Progress of Motion and Time and it 's Untraceable Antiquity from the First Winding up the Clock of Nature till it's Line is run out at the World's last Period when the sick Tapour of dying Nature and the Eye of the World the Sun shall begin to wink and become bloodshot till 't is darken'd and Extinguisht All this Long Race of Time I say is far too short to be commensurated with thy Essence and Duration The Former sort of Quantity is but as it were a Point the later but an Instant when resum'd after an Indivisible manner in thy Comprehensive Being All the Permanent parts of the one are in Thee without the least Extension or Distance and all the Succeeding Parts of the Other whether Past or Future when vested with thy manner
Give us Grace to sink deep and fix steadily in our Mind this most Solid most Clear and most Important Truth that as to live for ever in a dark Dungeon would be highly Disastrous to our Bodily Sight and the seeing the Chearful Rays of the Day is the only true Perfection Comfort and Satisfaction of our Corporeal Eye So when our Soul now Separate comes to be altogether one Intellectual Eye her falling short for ever of seeing thy Divine Essence her only True Light for which as her Last End she was Created will certainly plunge her in a Dismal Hell of Torment and Misery Since Nothing but the Clear Sight of thy Glorious Being can be able to give her True and Eternal Happiness in whose Face is the Fullness of Joy and at thy right hand Pleafures for evermore Psalm 16. 11. CHAP. II. Of the Existence Knowledge Distinction and Action of ANGELS 1. THE Order of Things requires that there should be Different Kinds of Entitles arising gradually to Higher Perfection under the Notion of The Order of the Universe requires that there should be different Kinds of Beings Ens. For since were all Things of the same pitch of Perfection or all of One Sort the Creation would look like a Confused Multitude or as it were a Heap of Things and quite destitute of Order which by placing them in Due Ranks of Superiority and Inferiority makes up this Harmony which beautifies the World Again since there can be no Distinction nor consequently any Ground of Order under the Notion of Ens but it must be made by Intrinsecal Differences or such as are found within the Precincts of that Line that is as is Demonâ—â—rated in my METHOD to Science B. I. L. 3. â—â— 1. 2. c. by Partaking More and Less of that Common Notion and what has More of it â—ontains what has Less and superadds to it and â—â—â—â—quently is more perfect under that Notion 〈◊〉 the other which several or Distinct Degrees â—f Perfection when they come to be Excessive â—o constitute divers Sorts Kinds or Species of it â—â—s therefore Evident out of the Order of the World which is the Workmanship of the First Being and is also Logically Demonstrated that 't is Requisite there should be Different Kinds of Things arising Gradually to higher Perfection under the Notion of Ens. This is seen almost to our Eye in the Predicamental Scale of Substance where we find the several kinds of Ens gradually Descending in one of the Collateral Lines as to the Extent of their Notion but Increasing or Ascending as to their Degrees of Perfection v. g. Body Mixt Vegetable Sensitive Rational Which Orderly Distinction is not invented by us as are the imaginary Lines in the Heavens put by Astronomers but Copy'd from Nature 2. Hence follows immediately and necessarily without Proof that there ought à fortiori to be Pure Acts or ANGELS And much more that there should be Pure Acts or ANGELS Created unless they be Incapable of Being that is Chimerical or Non-Entia Otherwise the Order of Entities had been Maim'd and Imperfect in its Principal or most Noble Part. 3. The Angelical Essence is Capable of having Existence given it For since the reason why Individual Bodies have Especially since the Angelical Nature is Capable of Existence Title to have Existence given them is because by their peculiar Complexion of Accidents they are become Distinct from all others or Determinate under the Notion of such an Ens oâ— Body and this Distinction or Determination springs from it's Act or Form and consequently the Act which gives Determinations to all others cannot but be Determinate it self a fortiâ—â—â— the Nature or Essence of a Pure Act bears in it's Notion that it is of it 's own Nature or Essentially Determinate in the Line of Ens and more Capable of Existence than any other sort of Ens whatever Again since as was shown Book I. â—â— 1. § 6. the Essence of all Einite Entities consists in their Possibility or Non-Repugnance to Existence and there can be no shadow of Impossibility but much more Reason that the Nature of a Pure Act should exist than that Bodies should that have Matter or Power in them which iâ— of it self the Principle of Indetermination and Confusion in regard this Indetermination makes Bodies less fit for Existence or rather did not the Act determine the Power or Matter utterly Unfit Wherefore seeing it belongs to the First Being to give to his Creatures what they are Capable of especially when it consists with the Best Order of the World as is shown § 1. this does It follows that he has given to that Nature or Essence which is a Pure Act that is to the Angelical Nature to Exist and consequently ANGELS are Which is farther Demonâ—â—rated by the following Medium showing that otherwise there had wanted a Proper or Immediate â—â—â—se of Motion 4. Every Thing acts it is Wherefore Imperfect Agents do produce first that part of the Effect which is Imperfect And that otherwise there could be no Immediate Cause of Motion and thence proceed to what 's 〈◊〉 perfect as we see all Natuâ—â—â— Agents do But Perfect Agents and most especially that Agent which is 〈◊〉 Perfect produces first that Effect which is most Perfect or most Like it self Wherefore the First and Immediate Effect produced by GOD is Existence it being the most perfect of any thing found in Creatures To proceed Since nothing is more Preposterous and contrary to Reason than to order that which is most perfect as a Means to produce that which is Less-perfect it follows that GOD's Wisdom does not order Existence which as being most Actual is most perfect of any thing found in Creatures it does not I say order It as a Means to cause any thing that is less perfect than it self is Wherefore whatever less perfect Effect is produced by GOD as Motion is it must either have been caus'd by him because it is necessarily concomitant to Existence or else necessarily consequent to it But Motion is neither necessarily Concomitant nor Consequent to Existence For let us put diverse Bodies to be Created in Rest as they must be in the First Instant they were Created ere Motion began they would have in that Case all that is requisite to Existence nor would Motion follow meerly upon their being put to Exist Therefore some other Cause is requisite to produce the First Motion of Bodies Which since it can neither be a Body as is granted and indeed in a manner Self-evident nor GOD as was now proved nor a Separated Soul for this presupposes the Motion of Bodies to her Being it must be some other Cause distinct from all these But no other Cause is imaginable or possible to be assign'd but some Creature which is a Pure Act or an Angel Therefore as certain as it is that there is Motion so certain it is that Angels are Nay so impossible it is that Motion can be
Concomitant to the First Existence of Bodies that 't is a Contradiction they should be together in Duration or at once For Existence it having â—â— parts is Indivisible in Duration or without part after part whereas 't is Essential to Motion to be part after part or Successive So that 't is equally Contradictory that Existence should not be all at once as 't is that Motion should be all at once so far is the Later from being Consequent or Concomitant to the Former 5. This is farther Demonstrated from the Nature of Causality by this Argument No Effect can proceed As is also Demonstrated from the Nature of all Causality immediately from a Cause which is of a Nature diametrically Opposite to such an Effect V. g. Not-being cannot produce Being Light cannot produce Darkness not can that which is essentially â—â—â— immediately produce Cold. But Motion which is essentially Successive or which is the same perpetually Changing is diametrically Opposite to the Nature of GOD whose Essence is Unchangeable Existence Therefore Motion cannot be produced by GOD as it's Immediate Cause Wherefore since by our former Discourse the â—â—â— Motion of Bodies could not have been immediately produced either by any meer Body â—oâ— by a Human Soul nor yet by GOD it is 〈◊〉 that it could only be caus'd by a Pure Act â—â— an Angel See Method to Science Pag. 299. â—â—â—â—â—s 4. Ideae Cartesianae P. 44. § 31. and Railâ—â—â— Defeated § 43. where this Demonstration is â—â— large put down and prest home What I â—â—â—tend for here is that the Contrary Tenet â—â—erthrows all Likeness of the Cause and Effect â—â—d all Causality and therefore all Connexion of Proper Causes with their Proper Effects and Vice Versâ that is it quite destroys all Possibility of Science and Demonstration Notwithstanding 't is Granted that GOD is the Mediate Remote or Principal Cause of Motion as giving Second Causes both the Power to move Bodies and Pre-moving or Determining them to move them 6. Every more perfect Ens contains or includes in it the Nature of the less perfect Thus as was said the Every more perfect Ens includes in it the Nature of the less perfect Nature of a Mixt or Compound Body having diverse Elements in it and therefore having more of the Nature of Body than a Simple Body or any one Element has includes in it the Nature or Essence of a Simple Body Thus and for the same reason a Vegetative Mixt has more of the Nature of a Mixt in it than a meerly-Mixt such as are Pebbles Clay Gold or such like Thus Sensitive Things include in them the Nature of a Vegetable and every Rational Animal includes in it the Nature of a meer Sensitive Thing or an Animal All which are Evident because the Perfecter Ens has in it the Notion or Nature of the Imperfecter and superadds something to it So that to deny the force of this Demonstration or the Truth it demonstrates is the same Folly as to deny that what has more in it of any Kind does not contain in it what 's Less of the same Kind or that what 's a Whole in respect of the other is not more than a Part of it or which is the same that a Whole does not contain or include it's Parts And that they include them Essentsally is most Evident to all Logicians and granted by all while they acknowledge those Later or less perfect Notions to be essentially predicated of the former in regard they superadd to them nothing that 's Positive 7. Wherefore for the same Reason Every Pure Act Spirit or Angel includes in it self one way or And therefore Pure Acts contain in them the Nature of Body other the whole Nature of Body For since Ens is adequately divided into Pure Acts or Spirit and into those Entities whose Essences are alloy'd with Power and Potentiality as are Bodies which are compounded of Matter and Form and these two Species are constituted as by it's Intrinsecal Differences by partaking â—â—â—e and less of Ens their Genus and that which is more in any Kind or Respect includes what 's Less in the same respect as a Yard in Quantity contains an Inch which is Less under that Notion or a Lesser Quantity Hence it follows demonstratively that the self-same Discourse must equally hold in the Species of Ens as it does in those of Quantity now mention'd or in the Species of any other Genus and consequently that a Pure Act or Spirit must include some way or other the whole Nature of Body which has less of the Nature of Ens in it than had the other 8. Wherefore the very Essences of all Natural Bodies are really and truly contain'd Which since it cannot be done by the manner of Quantity they must contain them by the way of Knowledge in the Knowledge of an Angel and not their Ideas or Similitudes only For since it is granted that Angels they being Pure Acts are of an Indivisible Nature or void of Quantity the Essences of Bodies which by § 7. are one way or other contain'd or included in an Angel cannot be included in it Quantitatively after the manner a Vessel contains Liquâ—ur or as a Bigger Box contains a Lesser Wherefore it must be said that those Lesser Essences of Body are contain'd in the Superiour Essence of an Angel Indivisibly or after the manner of a Spirit that is Knowingly or as Objects of their Knowing Power which was the Point to be Demonstrated 9. Wherefore he who denies that the very Essences of Bodies are in the Understanding of an Angel or in Therefore the very Essences of Bodies are in a Spiritual Understanding and not Idea's or Similitudes only any Spiritual Nature and affirms that only the Similitudes of them are there may as well say the Essences or Natures of Simple Bodies are not in Mixts or that the Essences of meer Vegetatives are not in Sensitive Things or Animals or that the Essence of an Animal is not really in a Rational Thing or a Man but Likenesses only which is both against the Sentiments of all Logicians in the world who do acknowledge that the Former are Essential Predicates of the Later and not Accidental ones which could not with Truth be said unless the Essences themselves from which the Denomination of Essential is taken were really in them Nay it is moreover against the Definitions of these Later in which those Former are found I add against the Sense of all Mankind too who reflect upon what they say Whence those Ideists who hold the contrary Opinion are desir'd to take notice that our Argument here is drawn from the Notion of the Thing as it is a Thing or â—â—â—tance and from the Nature of the Species of â—â— as such and not from the Qualities or Relations of them from whence their Likeness or Unâ—â—â—ness is taken Which clinches the force of our demonstration drawn from Logick and Metaphysicks and will forestall and
Ens in their whole Extent as do Metaphysicians But with this difference which renders them Unparallel that our Science is employ'd about Abstract Notions of the Thing that is about the Thing consider'd in such an Abstracted or Common Respect without descending to the Under-Kinds or to the Individuums under it whereas the Intuitive Knowledge of an Angel as not being made by way of Abstract or Inadequate Conceptions comprehends in one Act or at once the Individualities of all those Things from which We abstract one Common Notion and all that belongs to them Whence when we said that the Generical Notion common to all Angels is to be Cognoscitive it is to be understood of an Intuitive Cognoscitiveness or such a one as we have describ'd above by which they are distinguisht from the Inferiour or Narrower Degree of Knowingness peculiar to the Soul in this State and even in some respect as she is found in her State of Separation 18. The same is evinced by Reason For since the Object speciâ—ies the Act and the Excellency of the Act Which makes them fit to superintend the Administration of a Larger Province argues a more excellent Faculty or Power and consequently a more Excellent Degree of the Essence or Nature of the Acter and since Bonum I add Verum this being the Best and most Connatural Good of a Knowing Creature quò Communius eò Divinius It follows that the Essence of those Angels are more Excellent and Noble who have a more Comprehensive and Larger Knowledge of more Universal Objects at once or by one Act whence it comes that since Reflexion or Deliberation can have no place in Pure Acts but are contrary to their Nature they are fitted for the Overseeing more-Common Goods or to preside over the Spiritual Good of Provinces Kingdoms or great Nations of People 19. Corollary VII That which gives greater force to this Doctrine is the Consonancy it has to the How Consonant this is to those Passages of the Holy Scripture which speak of such Operations of Angels Sacred Scripture Where Daniel Ch. 10. we read of the Angel of the Kingdom of Persia withstanding that particular Angel in likelihood Gabriel who presided over the Iews till Michael who was Higher in Dignity than the former being Chief Patron and Defender of the Jewish Church then as he is held to be of the Christian Church now over-power'd his Inclination by his more Soveraign Influence Where also we read of the Angel who was Prince or Super-intendent over the Greeks divers of which sort if not all were Archangels Whereas 't is generally held and is Consonant to Reason That the Angel-Guardians of Particular or Individual Persons are of the Lowest and least-Cognoscitive Quire of meer Angels Thus far concerning the Essence and Internall Operations of Angels We proceed now to their External Operation or their Action upon other Things 20. An Angel cannot operate upon another Angel so as to make it otherwise than it was For since that An Angel cannot operate upon another Angel so as to change it Operation must work some new Effect in it and this requires some Passive Principle in the Subject rendring it Mutable which Principle we call Matter And Angels they being Pure Acts have not that sort of Power call'd Matter in them it follows that an Angel cannot thus operate upon another Angel nor for the same reason upon a Soul while 't is Separate 21. Wherefore all such External Operation of an Angel can be only upon Bodies For since an Angel can neither Wherefore all it 's External Operation so as to work a Change in another thing can only be upon Bodies thus operate upon that is alter another Angel nor a Separated Soul because they are Pure Acts much less GOD who is an Infinitely Pure Act and essentially Immutable and there is no other Subject imaginable it follows that the External Operation of Angels must either be exercis'd on Bodies or on Nothing 22. An Angel can operate upon Material Entititles or on Body For since the Being of an Angel is Superiour An Angel can thus operate upon Material Entities or Bodies to the Nature of Body and consequently it 's Faculty or Power of Acting is Superiour to whatever is in Body that can resist it's Activity Also since being a Pure Act it 's Nature is Active Wherefore seeing on the other side Matter is easily or rather essentially Passive and there can want no Application of such an Agent to such a Patient because an Angel has the Natures or Essences nay the Existences of Bodies and all that can belong to them intimately joyn'd to their Understanding by Knowledge of them 'T is Evident that there are all the Requisites imaginable put for their Operating upon Body and producing some Effect in it which was not in it before that is of Changing it Wherefore an Angel has Power to Operate this upon Body or Material Nature Nor is there any Disproportion between the Motion which the Angel works in Bodies and such an Immediate Cause as was shown § 5. is between GOD and such an Effect since as has been shown Method to Science B. I. L. 8. § 2. Motion according to it 's precise Nature or as it superadds to it's Subject is as it were made up of Non-Entities or next to nothing and every Created Being as to what it has of it self is such All the Essential Distinction between Creatures and consequently their Formal Constitution being only such and such Limitations of Being or more and less that is thus much and no more of Entity 23. Advertisement Let it be noted that what 〈…〉 intend to evince here is conâ—…'d That we only intend to evince here the An Est of the Operation of an Angel and not the Manner how it is perform'd to the Question An est or â—…o demonstrate that Angels have Power to move Bodily Nature â—…od not to show How or in what â—…articular Manner they work this effect To clear which Point requires a perfect and penetrative Knowledge of the Angelical Nature which is perhaps Unattainable by us in this State 24. Notwithstanding what 's said no One Angel has an Unlimited Power to move or change all the Bodies Yet no one Angel has an Unlimited Power to operate thus on all Bodies whatevee in the World For since the Natures of Spirit and Body are constituted by their Partaking More and Less of Ens and more and less do manisestly signifie only Degrees of the Nature of Ens in Common from whence their Power over another is taken and on which it is entirely and adequately grounded and what exceeds another only in some Degree does only exceed it Finitely Limitedly and in some Proportion It follows that however the whole Angelical Nature or some considerable Part of it may have Power to work upon or alter the whole Mass of Material Beings yet a Single Angel being but one Individual of it and consequently
own Natures but only a Power to Bee give Actual Being to themselves they must either have it from Another whose Essence is Existence and therefore iâ— Infinite and One or they could not bee â—â— all but be as they really were meer Chimera's And hence it came that they maâ—â— all the Attributes of their imaginary Gods to be Limited and Imperfect they represented them as subject to Squabbles among themselves and liable to a thousand Natural and Moral Defects Which obliged the Wiser sort amongst them asham'd of their Nonsensical and Foppish Superstition that they might in some measure keep up the Repute of their pretended Religion have recourse to our Tenet of One Soveraign Being and to alledge that they meant no more by the rabble of their other Gods but that they were so many Attributes or several Considerations of GOD's Divine Providence overseeing such and such Parts of the World or performing such or such Operations Nor were there Many of them who were Firm in their holding a First Being nor any of them Clear in their apprehension of his Nature and none of them who placed their Eternal Felicity in seeing his Divine Essence nor held this was Attainable by them after this Life nor who erected their Thoughts to the Hope of enjoying that Blissful Sight for want of which Hope they could not raise their Affection to Him above all things which we have shown Book 2. Ch. 1. § 17. § 19. is the only Disposition which could bring them to the True End of their Nature Eternal Happiness Not to speak of those besotted Heathens who made Gods of Senseless Creatures tho' Inferiour to themselves and despicable even to Ridiculousness 25. Coroll II. Hence the Deists if they be not as much besotted as those very Heathens themselves cannot Hence Christian Doctrine is prov'd to be Divine the Dawning of which chas'd away that Universal Darkness notwithstanding all the Opposition Human Power Wit and Learning could make but acknowledge and admire the Wisdom of the Heavenly Doctrine taught us by our Divine Master Iesus Christ which by Calm Reason Good Life joyn'd with Astonishing Miracles without any External Force has chaced and banisht out of the World this Epidemical Phrenzy which had possessed all Mankind but the small Nation of the Iews and will make them see withall how Necessary Divine Revelation was since Human Wit and Learning which was amongst many of those Heathens at the height could neither enable them to rectifie themselves nor make them capable of attaining their Summum Bonum nor cure Mankind of that Universal Dotage of Polytheism nor uphold it self against the Light which Christianity brought into the World but that whereever it dawn'd the shades of Errour concerning the True Deity immediately vanisht and disappear'd Certainly whoever considers what a prodigious Change concerning the Worship of the True GOD Christianity has wrought in a vast part of the World and is still spreading it self and by what Methods it has prevail'd to the utter Extirpation of Idolatry must be wilfully blind if he does not clearly see that Digitus Dei est hic and that it's Doctrine is truly Divine 26. Lem. VI. Existence is the whole Perfection of every Thing that Exists For â—nce whatever is in any thing Existence is the whole Perfection of every thing that Exists besides Existence which is the Lâ—st Actuality in the Line of Being must be Potential in respect of it Again since whatever is Actually a fortiâ—ri can be otherwise it would be a Contradiction a Thing can be while it is whereas 't is a First Principle that A Thing cannot but be while â—â— is It follows evidently that when a Power of Being or which is the same an Ens is Actuated nothing is lost of it but the Privation of Act which Power seems to imply but all that is Positive in it or is that we call Ratio Entis 〈◊〉 remains under a better state whence Power is Eminently included in Existence and as it were swallow'd up in it as in a Greater or Higher Perfection in the Line of Being which involves in it the Lesser or Lower 27. Lem. VII Much more an Existence which is also the Essence of the Thing and â—â— most Actual and withal Infinite Much more when it is Essential and Actually Infinite includes in it Actually and Forâ—ally all the Perfections that can be conceiv'd to belong to Ens in it's whole Latitude This is Evident since 〈◊〉 comprehends in it all that can belong to 〈◊〉 which constitutes Ens in it's largest signification 28. Wherefore the Divine Essence or the DEITY â—â—cludes in it all Perfections imaâ—â—nable Therefore the Divine Existence or the Deity includes or concenters all imaginable Perfections in it's Nature which can any way belong to Ens and this Infinitely â—â—d therefore is Infinitely-perfect For since we call that Perfect in any Kind to which nothing is wanting or which has All in it that can be imagin'd in that kind It follows that the Divine Essence which comprizes in it all the Perfections that can belong to Ens in it's largest Sense and all that can belong to Existence in an Unlimited Signification is infinitely Perfect in All regâ—…s that can belong to Ens or which have Eâ—â—â—â—â— in them 2â— Therefore GOD is Infinitely Perfect in all Intellectual and Moral Attributes that is He is infinitely Therefore 〈◊〉 is Iâ—… in â—â— Intellctual anâ— Moral Attributes Knowing Wise Good Merciful Powerful Veracious Free c. and this in the most perfect manner as becomes a Pure Actuality of Being since all these have something of Perfection in their Notion 30. Therefore he is of a Spiritual Nature as being not only a Pure Act as other Spirits are but a Pure Therefore GOD is a Spirit Actuality of Being which infinitely exceeds their Nature which was Potential in respect of Existence 31. Therefore for the same reason he is not Corporeal For this includes both the First Second and Third Therefore He is not Corporeal sort of Potentiality mention'd at the beginning each of which is diametrically Opposite to the Nature of Pure Actuality 32. Therefore 't is a strange degrading of the Divine Nature Therefore 't is an Indignity to the Divine Nature to apply such Predicates to it as belong to Body to apply to GOD any Corporeal Attributes such as are Place Space Motion c. which are quite Opposite to an Incorporeal Being 33. Therefore the Divine Essence is also Immutable For this implies a Potentiality or Power to be Chang'd Hence also He is Immutable which is inconsistent with a Pure Actuality 34. Therefore GOD is also a Self-Subsistent Being For since his Essence is Actual Being and withall Infinite Anâ— a Self-Subsistent Being in Being which compreâ—ends the whole Nature of Beâ—â—g that which supports it in Being must have no Being 35. Therefore the Divine Essence must be also most Simple or Uncompounded For it can have
no Logical Composition For the same Reason the Divine Essence is most Simple or Uncompounded of Genus and Difference because the Genus is essentially that which has more of it 's Kind under it and there cannot be more where as is demonstrated § 23. there is but One. Nor can it admit any Difference for â—tis the Essence of the Difference to make One Thing differ from Another and in our case there can be no Other where there is but One. Nor can there be in GOD that Logical Composition of Accidents with their Subject For the Subject is Potential in respect of the Accidents or Modes which affect or actuate it Nor can there be in GOD Physical Composition of the Second sort of Power with it's Act call'd Matter and Form because he is Incorporeal and Pure Actuality Nor can this Pure Actuality of Being call'd Self-Existence be compounded Metaphysically for even our low Created Existence is Indivisible and can have no Metaphysical Parts and therefore can have no Metaphysical Divisibility or Composition in it Wherefore all the Distinction of GOD's Essential Attributes does spring wholly from the Shortness and Imperfection of our Understanding which is not able to reach or fathom the Whole Extent of his every-way-Infinitely-Perfect Essence but is forc'd to conceive them by diverse Acts of ours 36. Wherefore GOD's Duration has nothing in it of Preterit and Future but is one Present Indivisible on his And his Duration Eternal part and therefore He is ETERNAL For since it is the highest of Impossibility that Self-existence should not exist his Essence equally includes nay speaks or formally signifies and expresses to have been formerly and to be futurely as it does to be now Wherefore since 't is not possible to imagine any Instant in which GOD has not his whole Essence and this as far as is on his part Indivisibly it follows that in every Instant only which is Present in our Time he has his to-have-been and tobe-hereafter as much as he has to be-at-present But this kind of ever-present ever-standing and unchangeably-Steady Duration includes in it self all the Differences of our Time as was now prov'd and therefore oomprehends all Time even tho' it were Infinite Indivisibly or without Succession of any thing in GOD that is it is one Eâ—er-permanent Present Now Wherefore since this manner of Enduring is infinitely above that of our â—â—â—e which is part after part Fleeting and Divisible and we call that sort of Duration which infinitely exceeds our Time Eternity and GOD has this Duration it follows evidently that GOD is ETERNAL 37. Coroll III. Wherefore 't is highly Derogatory from GOD's Attribute of Eternity to make it consist And therefore not to be Explicated by a Correspondency to our Time in a kind of Correspondency to our Time For this puts his Duration which is Essential to Him to have Parts or a Capacity to be Longer or Shorter Whereas we ought to reflect that there can be no possible Proportion between Being and Moving especially a Being so Actual and Permanent as is the Divine Existenee the one being essentially Divisible the other essentially and in every regard indivisible All Comparison and consequently Proportion can only be conceiv'd between those things which are of the same Kind or have the same Common Notion Whereas Being and Moving do diffet toto Genere the one being the last Formality in the Line of Ens the other only an Accident or Modus Entis and are fo far from being of the same Kind or More and Less of it and therefore capable of bearing any Proportion to one another that the one as was said being most Divisible the other most Indivisible they are Contradictories that is beyond all Degrees only which ground Proportion Opposite to one another 38. Hence also GOD's Essence is IMMENSE or beyond all possibility of being Measurable Which Attribute Hence GOD is also Immense consists in this that His Unlimited and Indivisible Existence comprizes or resumes in it's self and this after an Indivisible manner or in a Way beyond the the Nature of Quantity the whole Nature of Bodily Extension and Space even tho' it were suppos'd Infinite as his Duration which is the same Indivisible Existence comprehends all Corporeal Motion or Time even tho' Time were Infinite Again as Angels are no otherwise in Place but by Operating on Bodies which are in Place so GOD is no otherwise in his Creatures at least Immediately but by Giving and Conserving them in Being which is his peculiar and immediate Operation and every way Indivisible Whence GOD being in each of his Creatures and in the very least of them and this wholly and Indivisibly by giving them this Soveraign Indivisible Effect Being and of his own Nature able to communicate Being to them even in case they could be suppos'd to be Infinite is neither as in Himself nor as in them after a Divisible Quantitative Extended Coextended or Measurable manner and therefore He is absolutely IMMENSE or beyond all Possibility of being subject to be measur'd 39. Whence 't is no less Derogatory from GOD's Attribute of Whence 't is Derogatory to that Attribute to explicate it by Commensuration to an Infinite Space IMMENSITY to explicate it so as to consist in a kind of Commensuration to an Infinite Incomâ—â—bensible Inanc for this makes GOD's Essence Diffus'd and conâ—â—quently of a Quantitative Nature which makes acute Readers apt to suspect that 't is meant to be no better than a more subâ—â—le sort of Body or at least some Act or Form of a Body and therefore but a Compart with it Fancy is but a Bad Adviser even in Ordinary Points of Philosophy but incredibly worse when we are to explicase his Nature and Essential Attributes whose Essence is Self-Existence and most Pure Actuality of Being Existence even amongst us abstracts from all Motion Time Quantity and all other Considerations belonging to Corporeal and even Spiritual Natures and being Indivisible and signifying meer Actuality of Being is Inexplicable by any of them much less GOD's Existence which is infinitely above Ours We will close this Discourse concerning GOD's Attributes by adding one more which I have not observ'd to have been mention'd by Metaâ—hysicians or Divines either 40. From what 's deduced above 't is Demonstrated That the Divine Essence is Infinitely Intelligible or of it 's Lastly The Divine Essence is of it 's own Nature Infinitely Intellible own Nature Easie to be known or seen For since we experience that the Unknowableness or Obscurity of any Object springs from the Nature of Potentiality or some kind of Power in it which it being Indeterminate breeds Confusion and all the Distinct and Clear Knowableness it has arises from it's Act which by Determining the Power renders that Object Distinct from all others and therefore Clearly Perceptible or Intelligible It follows that since the Divine Nature is infinitely more Actual than any thing found in Creatures
the meaning of Unum or One according to Action Place or Habit should have the same Common Notion with One according to Substance Quality Relation or any of the Others These Grounds laid the Question now is What is the Analogical Entity or Unity peculiar and Proper to Quantity as Distinct from the rest What we affirm iâ— that since we see that those Entities which are not actually Divided are only Capable to be Divided and this by reason of their Quantity and not of their Substance Quality or any other Respect therefore the Notion or Essence of Quantity is Divisibility And let it be noted that we speak not here of Quantity according to a Mathematical Consideration but according to a Physical one or as it is the Cause of Natural Action or Passion and affects it's Subject accordingly Now Divisibility or a Capacity to be Divided excludes being Actually Divided already Wherefore since what 's Actually Divided is made more according to it's Quantity or more Quanta what 's only Divisible is eo ipso One in Quantity Wherefore since if any two Bodies in Nature were Discontinu'd they would be Actually Divided according to the Notion of Quantity It follows that the Unity peculiar to Quantity is Continuity Wherefore all the Bodies in the World having Quantity in them must have Divisibility in them which is the Essence of Quantity and consequently they must have Continuity in them which is its Proper Unity Which shows that all Quantitative things having essentially Continuity in them or which is the same Coherence of their Parts It follows that they must as necessarily cohere as it is that what has Coherence of parts in it it's parts must cohere or which is the same What Coheres does Cohere And yet what a puzzle has â—â— cost diverse Great Wits to find out a reason for the Coherence of the parts of Quantity while they sought in Physical Causes where it was not to be found and not in Metaphysicks which discoursing of the Essences of Things demonstrates it ab altissimis Causis and gives it ascertain'd to their Hands For the self-same reason all Vacuum within the World which is evidently Discontinuity of Quantity or a Chasm or Interruption of it is Demonstrated Impossible and Contradictory and amounts to these Propositions when resolv'd into it's Proper Principles viz. Continuity is not Continuity Quantity is not Quantity Quantitative Unity is Quantitative Plurality c. When the Natures or Essences of Things are not attended to and thence become Violated the Genuine Consequences of such Discourses must necessarily be open Contradictions In vain then do Ingenious Men endeavour to torture Nature by Suckers in Pumps and such Inventions to find out a Vacuum The Essences of every Thing and of every Mode of Thing are Establisht by the First Being and sooner may all Nature be torn into Atomes than they can cease to be what they are To proceed 12. Hence is shown the reason also of Attraction and why when one Body is mov'd fromwards Another that Hence is seen particularly the reason of Attraction other must follow otherwise except in the Case to be mention'd § 13. that other would become Discontinu'd which aâ— was said involves a Contradiction And from the same Ground follows the necessity of some Impulse when one is mov'd towards Another For Quantity or Divisibility cannot be in a Subject â—…hout rendring it Divisible Nor could it be â—…isible unless it 's Potential Parts were out of â—…d not within one Another which we call Peâ—…rated that so there might be space enough 〈…〉 the Dividing Body to come between it's parts 〈…〉 which Division formally consists Nor could 〈…〉 be if the parts of Quantity were Penetrated 〈…〉 not-Extended Whence follows that it must 〈…〉 the Motion continues be Impell'd or Driven â—…wards 13. Notwithstanding every Impulse does to 〈…〉 degree Condense the Impell'd Body and â—…ry Attraction does to some deâ—…e Rarifie that which is Attraâ—… Every Impulse does at first Condense and every Attraction Rarefies at least at first For since â—…re can be no Action in Nature â—…hout it 's Proper or Formal â—…ect or can any Agent work â—…on Body but according to such or such a preâ—…se Respect in which 't is Passive and there are manifestly Two Operations or Actions in Nature â—…ll'd Impelling and Attracting and these have their Formal Effects upon Quantity and all Effects upon Quantity must either be upon the Essence of it as has been shown from § 6. to § 13. 〈…〉 else according to its Differences that is on Boâ—… as they are more or less Divisible or as they 〈…〉 Rare or Dense It follows that whenever any â—…pâ—llent or Attracting Body acts upon another 〈…〉 will first Compress and Condense its parts or Diâ—… and Rarifie them till the Motion being â—ommunicated through the Whole it drives forwards or draws after it the whole Intire Body it works upon That the Effect of Impulse and Attraction are Formally on Quantity or on Body as it is Quantitative and not as it is Substance or affected with any other Mode is demonstrated in the Appendix to my Method to Science § 25. 14. All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it For Division or the All these Operations are either perform'd by Local Motion or concomitantly with it Sliding of the parts of the Dividing Body between the parts of the Body Divided which is formally Division is most manifestly Local Motion Also the Impâ—lling another Body before it or Drawing them after it is clearly to make them change Place or move Locally And the same must be said of Rarefaction and Condensation which dilate the Body so as to take up a Greater Place or Shrink it into a Lesser which is in some Degree to changâ—â— Place 15. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature This has been Demonstrated B. 2. Ch. 2. §§ 4 5. All Motion comes at first from the Angelical Nature and Method to Science pag. 299. Thesis IV. Ideae Cartefianae p. 44. § 31. and Raillery Defeated § 43. In which places this Demonstration is maintain'd and enforced And it is further shown agreeable to Reason For since on the one side all Action in Nature abating the formality of connotating or respecting the Agent is the same as Motion and therefore must proceed from some Act or such a Thing as has the Nature of Act in it and Angels are Pure Acts and consequently more able to Act than Bodies are they are therefore in this regard fit Agents to produce Action or Motion especially since as is seen â—… Ch. 2. § 8. they contain all Body and conâ—…ently every Mode or Virtue of Body in them 〈…〉 the other side since Motion in its precise Naâ—… or as distinguisht from its Subject is the 〈…〉 approaching to Non-Entity and Non-Existence 〈…〉 any Notion we have as is shown in my Meâ—… B. 1. Less 8. § 2. and for that Reason â—…ot proceed
Existence by § 2. the Nature or Quality of the Operation follows from the Nature or Quality of the Agent and as will be seen shortly is finally refunded into the Essence of the Cause whence it springs and none of those Things call'd Bodies nor yet Angels which move them have Existence in their Essence but are meerly Capable of Being and as far as is of themselves may not-be it follows that however they may by their Operation impart to the new-made Ens Motion Rarity Density or other such Effects as either were Essential to them or sprung out of their Essence yet they could never communicate to them Existence this being Extrinsecal and Accidental to them and of an Excellency incomparably above or beyond their Essence as much as the Notion of Act or Actual Being is above that of meer Power or Possibility of Being which is beyond all Proportion 23. Therefore it can belong only to GOD the First Cause to give Actual Which therefore is peculiar only to GOD. Being or Existence because only his Nature is Essentially Existent 24. Therefore for the same reason it belongs to Him and to Him only to As also to Conserve things in Being Conserve them in Being For since the reason as far as is on His part why His Goodness gave them Being at first was because they were Determinate Entia or Individua and only Capable of Being and wanted it and they are still for every moment afterwards Entia or Capable of Being and as far as is of themselves may for every moment not-be it follows that for the same reason for which He gave them Being at first it belongs to Him still to conserve it And that none else can support them in Being is hence Evident because all Creatures they being of their own Nature meerly capable to be do want a Support themselves Besides that Actual Being even when Creatures have it is Extrinsecal to their Essences from which only the Nature or Quality of the Effect proceeds by §§ 2 3 4. 25. For the same Reason if the Thing be Nobler that is fit for more or Nobler Operations a Nobler Existence And to give to a Nobler Essence a Nobler Existence must be given it else a Contradiction would follow viz. â—… That Thing would be otherwise than it should be â—…d consequently otherwise than 't is Capable to be which is a Contradiction 26. For the same Reason if Matter rais'd to it's highest pitch come to â—â— so dispos'd that it requires For the same Reason a Spiritual Form will be given to Matter connaturally Disspos'd for it 〈…〉 Form of a higher or Spiritual Nature that Capacity is Supply'd by the First Being according to the Exigency of that Matter and a Form of a Spiritual Nature or a Soul will be in it And because Matter and Form compound an Ens oâ— a Thing Capable of Existence therefore at the same instant an Existence suitable to bâ—th â—â—ose Natures that is Corporeo-Spiritual will by § 25. be given it by GOD's Redundant Goodness and Steady Emanation of Being 27. For the same Reason also even in Spiritual and Supernatural Endowments those who are Dispos'd The same holds also in Supernatural Gifts which are also carried on by Dispositions by an Ardent Desire of them aâ—d apply to the Giver of them by Fervent and Frequent Acts of their Will relying with perâ—â—ct Confidence on his Ungrudging Bounty may be Infallibly sure to receive them Which is the greatest Comfort and Encouragement to Weak and Well-meaning Souls and debars rechless and wicked Sinners from all hope of Excuse since there had needed no more to make them Virtuous Saints than only to have ask'd it with Humility Faith and Perseverance 28. For the same Reason GOD who is Self-Existence and therefore Infinitely Perfect cannot be the Cause Hence GOD is not the Cause of any Defect much less of Sin or not-Being of any Defect whether it be Natural or Moral which we call Sin but such Defects are refunded into the Incapacity of Creatures that were to receive these farther Perfections or into their Defectiveness in Operating Much less can he be the Cause of the Greatest or rather Total Defect Not-being 29. Hence is seen that all the several sorts of Operations that are have been or can be are finally refunded into How all these Sorts of Operations do spring from the Respective Essences the Essences of the Things that operate For the Operation must be such as the Power to operate is nor can be at all without it for otherwise a Thing might do what it has no Power to do that is might do what it cannot do And the Power of Acting is such as the Essence is and among Creatures springs from It as it Root being a Property of it To show this particularly The Operation of Attraction is grounded on the Unity that is the Essence of Quantity which is Continuity The Operation of Impulse springs from the Impenetrability of Quantitative Parts which is either the Nature of Divisibility or Quantity or else next a kin to it as is shown above § 12. The Operations of Rarefaction and Condensation by § 13. clearly arise from the former and therefore from the Essence of the same Cause on which those Former Operations were grounded The First Motion or Action of all Bodies and the Continuance of â—â—â—m is refunded into the Essence of Angels which on the one side being Pure Acts are the â—â—est Agents to be the Origin of Action which â— done by Motion On the other side having noâ—â—â—ng of Actual Being or Existence in their Naâ—â—â—e they can only produce that Inferiour Effect â—â—â—d Motion in such Beings as are below them â—â—stly the Operation of Creating or Giving Actual Being springs peculiarly from the Essence of the First Being which is Self-Existence By which is seen without need of particularizing â—â—w Wisely the FIRST BEING administers His World by Reserving to Himself to be the Immeâ—â—â—e Cause of the Noblest Effect and most resemâ—â—ng Him Existence and appointing his Underlings and Journeymen the Angels to move every part of the Material World according to their respective Natures By which means the well-compacted Frame and Course of Nature hangs together by the Indissoluble Connexion of Proper Causes with their Proper Effects And â—â—ce all the Exact Knowledge or Science we have is built on this His Creative Wisdom does by this Means give Knowledge to those Cognoâ—â—ive Creatures which because they are not â—ure Acts and consequently have not Knowledge due to them by their Creation are to Acâ—â—re it here from Natural Objects affecting their â—oul by means of their Senses and by Reflexion on the Notions they imprint 30. From what has been prov'd hitherto it has been demonstrated how our Great and Wise GOD does all That GOD does all that 's Good in All and in what Manner and by what Means that is Good or has Being in it in all things For
they have their Essences from the Ideas in his Divine Understanding and their Existences by his Peculiar and Immediate Act of Creation He still conserves their Essence in Being by the same Continued Action and at the same time all their Faculties and Powers by which they act on one another He puts them forwards to exercise those several Faculties and actually to produce their Operations on one another according to their Natures by Motion which is given them by his Chief Officers in administring the World Angels and continues their Motions and Operations by their Incessant perpetuating of that Motion So that both their Essences their Actual Being their Power to act their Exercise of that Power and consequently whatever belongs to the Action it self as far as it is Positive or has Entity and Goodness in it and amongst the rest the Determination of our Will to what 's Good and Virtuous do all of them Entirely depend on GOD and are Deriv'd from Him Ipâ—â— Honor Gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen MEDITATION THe Essences of Things which give all Bodies their several Sorts of Operation being estaâ—…t by GOD and Vacuum being own Impossible from the Contiâ—â—ity That GOD's Ordinary Providence carries on the Course of Nature by Proper Causes still producing Proper Effects Demonstrated à priori of Quantity which is it's â—â—d of Unity or Entity It folâ—â—â—s that all the Bodies of the â—aterial World do immediately conâ—â— upon or touch one another â—â— therefore being set on work â—pusht forward by Motion which iâ— given and continu'd to them by the Angelical Nature they must necessarily affect or work upon one another and this according to their respective Essences or as we express it in Philosophical Language Proper Causes must still produce proper Effects And seeing this Reason holds in all Bodies whatever since the Creation was finisht and Natural Causes begun to move in a Regular Order â—â—sequently the whole Course of Nature to show and â—â—plain which is the Work of a Natural Philosopher â—â—sists in the Production of such Effects as are Proper â—d suteable to the Genius of their Causes Thus is the Providence of our Great GOD adâ—inistring the World after the Wisest â—anner Demonstrated a Priori Conâ—irm'd Because otherwise Mankind could not possibly have any Science nor know what to do in their ordinary Actions And that this way of Governing the Material World does most become His Divine Wisdom appears hence that as was lately said all our Acquir'd Wisdom in Natural things or all our Science is entirely grounded on our Knowing this Connexion of such Causes with such Effects insomuch that all Mankind would be a pack of Ignorant Fools if the Consequence of these later from the former were not Certainly establisht since in that case they could never know what things they were to make use of to compass any Effect they intended nor know what to eschew and what to pursue No Proportion of any Means to the End being Possible to be known in case such Determinate Causes were not apt to produce such Determinate and Proper Effects or which is the same if every thing did not Act as it Is but that Any thing might do or not do Any thing Nor is this Connected Tenour of managing the Material World by Proper Causes and Effects less Evident a posteriori The same Great Truth Demonstrated a posteriori For let us pitch our thought upon any one Effect done at present and let it be the Greatest or the most Inconsiderable one as it may seem to us for this alters not the case Plainest Reason will tell us that either it had some Cause or it had none If it had none and yet is it must have been Self-Existent Which is both against Experience for we see it lately produced and against our Reason too because to be Self-Existent is an Incommunicable Attribute of the DEITY If it had a Cause then that Cause was either Indifferent to produce this or any other Effect in which caâ—e it could produce Nothing since Ex indifferenti nihil sequitur Besides every Effect whether it be a Thing or a Mode of Thing is Determinate for whatever is produc'd â—s and whatever is is Determinate since nothing in common can be and an Indeterminate Cause cannot produce an Determinate Effect for in that Supposition it would work contradictorily to it's self It must then be Determinately apt or Proper to produce this kind of Effect and no other This Effect was therefore put because there was such a Determinate or Proper Cause to produce it This seen let us make the same Discourse concerning that which was the Proper Cause as we did now concerning its Effect now mention'd and so of all the Antecedent Causes in the World since Time first started into Motion Each of them Existed or was in it's Season None of them could exist of themselves therefore each of them had a Cause and that by our former Discourse a Determinate or Proper one Nothing therefore is or can be more Demonstrable nor more immediately reducible to Self-Evidence than it is that the whole Course of Nature is carry'd on by Proper Causes and Proper Effects This Consideration made that Great Aristotelian and truly Christian Philosopher Boetius begin his Devout Rapture in Hence the Course of GOD's Work manship the Fabrick of Nature is Close and Indissoluble these Words O qui perpetua Mundum Ratione gubernas The whole Current of our Reason runs upon this Ground and proceeds every step in this beaten Track that every Cause produces such Effects as are Agreeable and Proper to its peculiar Nature and this perpetually or thro' the whole Course of the World For were the Line of Causality interrupted by Chasms and Interstices our Reason would be at an utter Loss This it was also which made that Divine Writer the Author of Ecclesiasticus speaking of the Manner in which the World is Administer'd by the Divine Wisdom deliver his comprehensive Thoughts in these Emphatical Words Attingit a fine in finem fortiter disponit omnia suaviter It reaches from the Beginning to the End or carries it quite thorow Strongly for what stronger than the Infractile Chain of Causality establisht on this Great and Self-Evident Truth that Nothing can make it self or which is the same Nothing that is only Potential or meerly in power to work an Effect can reduce it Self to Act as to that Effect Or what Disposition more Sweet or farther from offering Violence to the Nature of any Cause than 't is to order that it should work connaturally or Act as it is Notwithstanding the Greatest and Clearest Truths can never want Enemies while there is Errour in the World Nor will The Epicurean Tenet of CHANCE Governing the World is most Absurd and Senseless there ever want Errour as long as Men either carelessly or wilfully decline the only Paths that lead to Truth which are to bottom their Discourse at
down and breaks his Neck Now all these are said to be done by Chance But does any of these who say so hold that there was no Cause at all which made the Glass the Tyle or the Man fall No certainly for every Man of Common Sense holds that no Effect can be without a Cause and will deny that a Tyle or a Glass did move themselves Their meaning then is and they tell you they did not fore-see or fore-know that any of these would fall being Attentive to some other Object or Business CHANCE then is an UNADVERTED or Unforeseen Cause for had they foreseen that such Causes taking them all together would have brought those Disasters it had been Willfulness and Design in them to have come in the way of such Misohievous Causes and Design is Opposite to the Notion of Chance In this Sense then Christianity allows us to say the Chance or an Unforeseen Cause wrought these Effect â—â— But since nothing is Unforeseen to GOD who laid and order'd all those Causes What is Chance to Us is Providence if we regard Him nor is there any Thing Distinct from Him call'd Chance which has the least hâ—nd in administring the World but He is the only Adequate Governor of it 'T is not without some loathness I am forced to take notice that some of our Modern Ideists tho' I hope with a good How groundlessly some Christian Philosophers the Ideists do in part violate this Best Method of GOD's Ordinary Providence now Demonstrated Intention do violate this connected course of Causes and Effects in which GOD's Ordinary Providence consists Whoever as do the Cartesians make all Second Causes which have Powers or Faculties given them to work such Effects to be Useless as to those Effects even as Instruments Whoever puts on the Creature 's side only OCCASIONS which they say are No Causes for every Act of Knowledge Mankind has and perhaps for every Effect in Nature Whoever puts Determinate Ideas to be produced by Indeterminate and therefore Improper Causes as the Soul was before she did elicit them as they pretend of her self Whoever puts such Idea's Annext voluntarily to such Motions which were not at all Like them or No Causes of them alledging gratis that GOD Wills it Whoever maintains the Annexing of one Thing or Mode of Thing to another otherwise than by being the Proper Cause of it does fall into the same ill-grounded Errour of interrupting the Course of GOD's Ordinary Providence by Second Causes and destroys the Laws of Causality As has been over and over Demonstrated in my Ideae Cartesianae Indicatio Tertia from § 30. to § 50. and in my Solid Philosophy Asserted Reflexion 4. § 3. and 5. It will run in the Fancies of some less Intelligent Intelligent Readers who take things at the first rebound and pass a The Folly of the Stoical FATALITY confuted and exploded peremptory Iudgment on what they understand but by halves that this Settled Order of Providence I here assert does introduce a kind of Fatality into the World Now if by the word FATUM they mean what is Spoken or Decreed by GOD I must own the Position and stand to it as clearly demonstrated above Which leads me to the Other sort of the Opposers of Providenoe I mean those who maintain a Stoical FATALITY a Tenet widely Different from our Thesis or rather perfectly Contradictory to it For ours proceeds upon a Continued Connexion of Natural Causes with Consequent Effects which are Suteable and Agreeable to their Natures Theirs regards no Influence of any Causes at all but is built on the force of this Contradiction Either such a thing will be or will not be Wherefore say they since it inevitably follows that both of these cannot be True and yet one of them must be True 't is a Folly to endeavour to avoid any Harm or to pursue any Good since out of the force of not-admitting Contradiction what will be will be But this tho' the Wittier of the two is a Pure Folly since as Common Experience tells us and Common Sense assures us nothing is done but by Means of Causes nor not-done but because there wanted Causes able to do it But they fancy to themselves by the Words will be and will not be there is a certain kind of Self-Existence or Non-Self-Existenee in the Futurity of Events Whereas none of them has or can have any Existence or Non-Existence at all but as they stand under Determinate Natural Causes â—r no Causes Whence we who know this to be so are bound in Prudence to endeavour as much as lies in us to put those Causes if we would have the Effect follow They forget too that We our selves are part of the Rank of Causes and that the using our own Reason in chusing and applying those other Causes is the Supreme Superintendent Cause and the very Best of all the rest They reflect not also that since Future Effects are not neither of those Propositions they put and rely on has any Truth in it at all nor has the Futurity of it any Certainty but as it stands under Determinate or Proper Causes which will produce that Effect from which only it has Title to the name of Future So that the Proposition Such a thing will be or is future is an imprudent saying and not be spoke by any Man of Sense unless he sees the Causes will certainly make it be These Discoursers do therefore argue from a Logical Impossibility found only in our Mind considering the Nature of Ens and that it excludes Non-Ens out of it's Notion to a Physical one which is wholly grounded on the Nature of Causes Lastly This Thesis is manifestly convicted of Folly by the Consent of all Mankind and even of themselves too who do all of them lay means for the Effects they aim at Nor could the World continue or subsist if this whimsical Doctrine stands as by applying it to a Harvest next year the using ways for Trade and Traffick or for defending our Country and a thousand such particulars does manifestly appear For either Success will follow or not follow whither we endeavour or not endeavour to lay Means for such Effects which consideration will also help to cure those weak Discoursers who so perplex their thought about Predestination All which depend on the same Principles and can disrellish no Man unless he be offended that GOD is the First Cause and that Good comes to us from Him by Second Causes laid in the Best Order imaginable But in how different a manner does our way of Philosophy discourse of GOD's Ordinary Providence from that of those other Philosophers and particularly from that of the Ideists It puts no blind Suppositions nor Conceits taken from Fancy but is entirely built on Principles and such Principles as are either Self-Evident or so neerely remov'd from them that they are easily reducible thither viz. Every Thing acts as it is and therefore is a Proper Cause
when we apply them to the Divine Nature they must be in some sort Metaphorical or Transferr'd thence to GOD. This is equally Evident as the Former For since their Sense and Meaning which Men impos'd on them at first and in which they Us'd them all along was some Created Being or Perfection 't is manifest that That was their First or Proper Signification and consequently if they Apply'd them to GOD afterwards without which as was shown we could not speak of GOD at all nor know any thing of Him they must necessarily be Transferr'd from Creatures to GOD which is to be Metaphorical 7. Prel VII Yet when Divines apply such Words to GOD whom they hold to be Infinitely Perfect they cannot be thought to Intend to Transfer them to Him together with the Imperfection found in Creatures which is annext to their First Signification and consequently Intention and Meaning being the same Sense they cannot mean to apply them otherwise than as devested of their Imperfections So that the Meaning or Signification of those Words thus Apply'd debars all those Imperfections from being any â—art of our Notion when we thus apply them â—uch are the Imperfections of Corporeity and 〈…〉 Notions which arise from Matter or belong 〈…〉 it As also all Limitedness which tho' Essenâ—ial to Creatures is Repugnant to the Divine Nature 8. Prelim. VIII Hence all such Words thus understood notwithstanding their Metaphoricalness are Truly said of GOD. For since by § 7. we do not Intend to Transfer to GOD what is Imperfect in the Notion or Meaning of these Words but only what signifies some Perfection â—nd All Perfection must be Truly attributed to Him who is Infinitely Perfect it follows that all such words thus understood are Truely Apply'd to the Divine Nature Thus when our Saviour CHRIST â—â— call'd The Lamb of GOD or The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah we do not take or understand those Words under any other Notion signify'd by Lamb or Lion than under those of Meekness and Fortitude Thus when Metaphysicians apply to GOD Mercy Justice Power Wisdom c. which as found in our Understanding are Distinct Formalities of which One is not the other they being well aware that the Divine Nature is One most Simple Formality which includes and verifâ—es all those Attributes do therefore strip them of that Limitation or Imperfection when they apply them to GOD and do not intend to signifie they are thus distinct in GOD as they are in our Understanding but they only mean that such Effects do proceed from GOD as do proceed from a Just Merâ—iful Powerful or Wise Man which is most cerâ—ainly True Which Rule and Reason obtains in all other Metaphorical Expressions or in all our Words whatever us'd by us when we speak of GOD. 9. Prel IX For the same Reason all Words which amongst us connoâ—ate Motion as all Active Verbs and Verbals do must be understood of the Action formally as Terminated or of the Terminus of an Action and must be explicated and understood to mean is For since GOD is a Pure Actuality of Being and his Essence is Self-Existence nothing can be more Opposite to His very Essence than is the Notion of Motion which essentially imports both Potentiality and Change as consequently does our Natural Notion of Action that goes along with it Wherefore all Notions that import that a Thing is in fieri must be remov'd from GOD as far as is possible and only those Notions that signifie it is in facto esse can with any Sense be apply'd to that Sovereign Being Now this Abstraction from Motion can mean nothing but Being one way or other or it cannot be transferr'd to GOD by Prelim. VII Wherefore when we say the Son proceeds from the Father it can only in rigour mean Est a Patre The properest meaning of which word is that GOD is in His Divine Knowledge as His own Object And for the same Reason all Verbs signifying the Time Past or Future are to be remov'd from GOD and only those which signifie the present Time can be apply'd to Him For since whatever is in Divinis or is Intrinsecal to GOD is Eternally such we shall put Past and Future which are Differences of Time in Eternity But above all those words that import or hiâ—t Efficiency are the most Unfit to be Transferr'd to GOD For since Efficiency is impossible to be conceiv'd without an Effect it puts something in GOD which is Effected or Caus'd nor can such a Word 〈…〉 Notion be depur'd from it's most Gross Imperfection as other Notions may Nor will that weak Distinction of Formal and Virtual Efficiency in Diâ—inis serve the turn for this is the same as to say GOD is virtually Imperfect or that some Notion we have of GOD and is verify'd by Him is virtually an Effect that is virtually Not Self Existent and consequently virtually not GOD but a Creature Indeed our homely Language and Low Notions do oblige us to use such words as amongst us do signifie Action but they are all to be understood cum grano salis as is here declar'd Nor ought it to be objected That these Active words cannot signifie a Terminus put or that the thing is done â—â—stantaneously which some may think is against the Notion of Action for Creation is granted to be an Action yet it is never for so much as for one Instant in fieri or a doing being in one Instant in fecto esse or done 10. Prel X. For which Reason that we may avoid all hint of Agency which since whatever Acts must act or do Something which is it's Effect does necessarily induce Efficiency a word or Notion directly Opposite to whatever is in GOD who is Self Existent we shall in our Explication make use of the Inexistency of the Divine Nature Known in it's self as a Knower of it after the manner of a Form as it were which is both peculiar to a Spiritual Nature and has nothing in it of that Gross Imperfection to which our Natural Notion of Action is liable which amongst us is always accompanied with Motion Whereas the Other implies no Imperfection at all either in the Knower or the Thing Known For even amongst us the Object v. g. an Animal loses nothing nor is less Perfect for being Known by us but is in it's self the same Unchang'd Being it was Or rather Intelligibility being one of the Properties of Ens by being Naturally Known or understood it becomes by this means in some Sense Actual whereas before it was only Intelligible that is Potential in that respect Nor are we the worse by Knowing it or having the Object thus in our Knowing Power but evidently Better in regard all Actual Knowledge is our Natural Perfection Add that this way of Inexisting does not necessarily induce any Passiveness in the Subject in which the Object thus Inexists For Angels and Souls Separate have as has been demonstrated all Created Being in them Intellectually and yet
though it may look very Plausible that ought to shock us or make us entertain an ill Opinion of our Principle it self But it must be such a Solid Reason as may be held more Evident than the Principle was on which they and the Body or Community they were in had built their former Faith otherwise it cannot with any Sense be held able to cope or contrast with it much less to overthrow it 4. They ought I say in such a Case to consider that they were formerly in a Christian Community or in some Church and were Actually Members of that Body from which they must separate and so be guilty of a very Criminal Schism if they divide themselves by Apostacy from it which makes it plain to the meanest Capacity that the Reasons which are oppos'd ought to be most Evident and most Cogent This ought to make them cautious and wary in admitting such Objections for true Reasons lest if they hap to be prov'd False they run themselves desperately into such a dangerouâ— Precipice Wherefore they must be Certain those Reasons were indeed most Evident which we call Demonstrative and not only Probable by Resting on which they hazard such a Miâ—chief to their Souls Plainest Reason tells them that no Truth in the World could remain long settled nor any Government continue long on Foot if the Subjects or Inferiours may be allowed upon every Probable Reason to break from the whole Body and Rebel against Superiours and Governours Now not to mention that they can never bring any such Proof as can in the Esteem of a Vulgar Understanding be held Conclusive or Demonstrative it is Evident by the Carriage of the Rabbiâ—s of those Dissenters that they never did even pretend to bring any Demonstrative Proof against the Trinity For did they ever lay any Self-Evident Principles or build on them as those to which those Proofs are finally reducible 'T is unheard of and yet without these 't is impossible there can be any True Evidence or Demonstration For whatever pretends to be Evident must either be Evident of it self or be made Evident by something that is moro Evident than it self is which must either run on Endlesly or terminate at length in something that is Self-Evident A Demonstration if truly such and clearly propos'd obliges all Humane Nature to assent to it if they be Unprejudic'd If they can pretend they have any such Demonstrative Argument that the Doctrine of the Trinity is such Nonsense and so Impious why do they not produce it stand to it show the Principle it is grounded on and the Connexion it has with that Principle One such Argument would decide the Cause and put an end to the Whole Controversie But alas they dare not so much as say I am sure they never did that they have any such kind of Argument They never concern themselves with examining the Qualification of Arguments or what Proofs Conclude what not but content themselves to talk rawly prettily and plausibly 'T is not their Design to convince Men of Learning but to Over-reach and work upon the Weakness of the Ignorant Whence follows that since no Proof can be even pretended competent to break Church-Communion but such as is evidenty Conclusive or Demonstrative and they neither produce nor profess to bring any sueâ— their Reasons ought not to weigh with any Man of Sense so as to make him for their sake hazard the Guilt of Schism 5. They ought to consider next when they have left the Particular Church in which they were and in which there are Church-Governours and a great Body of Christians with whom they do joyn in Faith Prayer Sacraments Discipline and other Spiritual Duties with what Church-Governours and what Body of Men they will joyn in Prayer and such Devout Offices Can a few Men scatter'd here and there who sculk in Corners do not own themselves openly nor barefacedly protest and preach against this Doctrine which if False is so manifestly Idolatrous can I say such a Rope of Sand such an Unconnected Multitude who thus let GOD's Honour go to wrack have the Face or the least show of a Church With whom then will these New Proselytes joyn hemselves in Prayet Sacraments Church-Government and other such Concerns This is so shameful to their pretended Church that though 't is against all Conscience and Sense they are content to joyn in Prayer and other Religious Duties with our Churches though themselves must hold them most abominably Idolatrous rather than make a ridiculous show of their own Party alone Perhaps too Interest and Indemnity are two powerful Motives to induce them to this Brotherly Compliance and Correspondence For such Men do not use to be guilty of such a Zeal for GOD's Honour or for their own Persuasion as to hazard Martyrdom no not the less of any Temporal Advantages for GOD's or Truth 's sake They are cast in a new Mold from that of other good Christians and approach to the Deists as in other Prudent Methods so in this 6. If those Unstable and Dissatisfy'd Men say they are not able to Judge whether the Reasons they bring are Conclusive or no they plainly confess they hanker after them out of the bewitching Humour of Singularity and Novelty since they consent to alter their Former Faith upon such Reasons as they know not whether they be Good or Bad Solid or Aiery fit to be yeilded to or no That is in plain Terms they have an Inclination to that Party but yet they do not well know why If they alledge that their Reasons seem more easie to them than those brought by others I Answer First That Easiness is not a sign of Truth The Highest Truths especially those belonging to Spiritual Natures are the Hardest to conceive and yet not a jot the less True 'T is easier to conceive GOD to be a Body and perform all his Actions by Motion as we do ours and yet it is so far from True that it is a damnable Errour and destroys the Nature of the DEITY Or rather it is a vast Prejudice against all their Arguments and their very Way of Arguing For tho' each single word in which Faith was deliver'd was easie so that the then Believers could have a right Apprehension or Notion of what was taught them yet when the Point comes to be canvast by Disputation and Reasons produc'd Pro and Con and that the Point is of what passes in the Divine Nature which is not only Spiritual but Infinite 't is a certain sign that if the Reasons either Party produces be Easie to Vulgar Fancies 't is I say a most certain sign that they are merely Superficial and do not reach the Nature of so abstruse a Mystery or so High a Subject 7. They may also be made sensible how impossible it is that 318 Bishops of the Eastern and Western Churches should meet together in the First Council of Nice who by their Station must needs know the Sentiment of the then
Essential Form and therefore their Consistency or Constancy of being such suppos'd must constitute them Distinct Agents in Nature of Distinct Bodies 9. Notwithstanding that these last-named Accidents do thus concur yet 't is chiefly their Rarity and Density Yet Rarity and Density are the Principal and most Intrinsecal which gives those Mixts and Demixts that Nature in which consists their most Intrinsecal Temperature and Constitution For since Rarity and Density are those Primary Qualities the partaking of which within some certain Degree did constitute the Simple Bodies and all the Mixt Bodies are essentially compounded of Simple ones those two First Qualities must needs be more Intrinsecal to them than are those others which acâ—ru'd to them by the Division of Matter tho they also concur each in his way to determine the Matter so that the Mixt or Compounds may have Different Operations in Nature and thence become Distinct Things or Distinct Mixt Bodies Conformably to what Aristotle asserts Lib. Physic 8. Cap. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Of all the Affections or Determinations of Matter Density and Rarity are the Principal or the Beginning and Origin of all others 10. Corollary I. Hence all the Followers of Democritus whether Epioureans Cartesians or others who Hence the Corpuscularians can give no account of the Intrinsecal Constitution of any Natural Body put no Parts of their Matter to be distinguisht by Rarity and Density which as is prov'd are most Intrinsecal and affirm that they have only in them these two Accidents Extension and Figure the former of which being Common to them all cannot without wronging clear Reason distinguish them and the Later of them it being only the Termination of Quantity is rather Extrinsecal or belonging to the Surface of the Bodies And is evidently impossible to give the Body which has it it 's Inward Constitution hence they cannot possibly give any account of the most Intrinsecal or Essential Constitution and Distinction of their Mixts and Demixts nor consequently of what it is in which the Essence of any particular Body which must certainly be most Intrinsecal to it does consist 11. Of this last sort of Demixts are all Minerals Gems Coral Clay Marl all the several sorts of Earths Of the several sorts of Demixts and such like Which are Differenced by the Proportion Size and Figures of their Rare and Dense particles and not a little by the Situation or Manner of their Texture Whence they come to be more or less Solid or Compacted Light Heavy Clammy Friable Porous Pellucid Fusible Malleable c. To treat of which particularly and reduce them into their Proper Causes belongs to Physicks or Natural Philosophy Nor is it very hard to do this were true Principles of Nature taken up at First and pursu'd home by Immediate Consequences 12. The same Accidents and particularly the Figure and Situation of Parts give Bodies their different manner The Ground of Sensible Qualities of affecting our Senses For 't is not hard to show that all Colour and it 's several kinds are chiefly produced by These as also the Qualities of Odoriferous Stinking Sweet Sharp Sowr Rough Smooth Bodies Tho' Sound and it's Varieties spring from the Greater or Lesser Tension Thickness or Smart Force of the Instrument that makes the Different Motions of the Air. 13. Corollary II. If the Duration of those Bodies be Transitory and Unconstant in comparison of others that seem Of Imperfect Mixts of the same sort they are call'd in a Common Appellation Imperfect Mixts such as are Winds Snow Hail Smoak Mists Meteors c. and therefore wanting that Constancy an Argument of their not being well united they are less properly Entia or Things than the Perfect Mixts are as is shown Ch. 2. § 17. And perhaps they are no more but Aggregates of more Distinct Bodies lighting together casually or approximated to one another and sticking together by virtue of some Physical Quality for some short time which is not enough to make those Compounds to be Constant and Distinct Agents in Nature or Distinct and Perfect Natural Bodies 14. When the Parts of a Demixt are exexceedingly Different in their several Temperaments and withall Of Living Bodies One of them the Common Causes of the World setting them on work is apt to move Another that Body is said to be LIVING For since the Notion of LIFE is A Principle of Self-Motion and there are no Actual Parts in any Compound whence we say All Actions and Passions are of the Suppositum it follows that the Action or Motion of each of those Parts is the Action or the Motion of the Whole Thing tho' consider'd particularly according to such a Part of it Hence such a Thing one Part of which moves another is truly said to move it self or to be LIVING 15. The Simplest Lowest and Ignoblest sort of Living or Self-moving Things are those which are meer Vegetables Of Vegetables For since all Proper Differences are more and less of the Generical Notion and Life is Self-Motion that is One sort of Motion and to move Swiftly and Slowly is to move more or less it follows that Velâ—city and Tardity are the First Differences of all Motions of which to move it self is one and consequently that to perform their Primary Operation more quickly and more slowly does essentially distinguish Living Things as they are Living Wherefore since Experience shows and it will be more clearly manifested hereafter that Vegetables or Plants do more slowly and more dully go about their Primary Operation than other Self-moving Things v. g. Brutes or Men do it follows that those Bodies we call Vegetables or Plants are the Simplest Lowest and Ignoblest of Self-moving of Living Things 16. The Primary Operation of meer Vegetables is to nourish the Compound For since as any attentive Speculater The Primary Operation of Vegetables may observe every Thing is ordain'd to preserve it's own Unity and Entity as much as it can this preserving it self is most Natural and Intrinsecal to it and therefore not a Secondary but it 's Primary Action Wherefore those Individual Vegetables which have a Power in them to concoct their Proper Juice or Sap and so make it fit Aliment for them which is the Preserving themselves from Withering or Decay must be ordain'd in the first place or primarily to perform this Operation Especially since whatever other or Secondary sorts of Actions they may be Useful for in Nature will be better accomplish'd by their being first nourisht duly and as they ought which by perfecting them in Being does make them more-perfect Agents 17. Wherefore the Form of Vegetables is that Complexion of Accidents as fits the Vegetable for that Operation The Form of Vegetables and it 's Essence consists in this that the Matter of it's Parts has such a Complexion of those Modes or Accidents in it as sits one of them to work upon or move another in order to the