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
to the Effect it produces Distinct Essences have Distinct Powers and those Powers when pusht forwards by Motion must actually work on their Immediate Patients and this according to the Nature of their several Essences Every Thing except the First Cause is an Effect and as no Effect can be without Something to effect it so no Determinate or such an Effect can be without a Determinate or Proper Cause Thus is the Course of GOD's Providence in administring the World shown to be aâ— becomes the All-wise Contriver of it Orderly Steady Coherent and all of a piece From these Footsteps of the Divine Wisdom imprinted on Creatures we gain all our Science either proceeding a priori from Proper Causes to their Proper Effects or a posteriori from Proper Effects to their Proper Causes only which ways of Discoursing can beget True Science Whence the Cartesians who decline that Method and contrary to all Logick and Common Sense which oblige us to argue from what 's better known to what 's Unknown or less known instead of proving their Theses from the Nature of Things do introduce Arbitrary and Voluntary Reasons for Effects and to palliate their Ignorance pretend that GOD Wills such or such an Effect should follow which Will of his they neither prove nor can prove nor go about to prove And when their Arguments are Destitute of Connexion they put GOD to Annex one thing to another as their Necessity when they are at a Non-plus requires such Men I say who affect this way frequently and advance many Wild and Unprov'd Suppositions at their pleasure gratis are hence convicted to be no Philosophers but to obstruct the Common Road to Science and seem to bid Defiance to all Principles Connexion and Common Logick sham all Philosophy and Science too and set up in their stead a Gentile Farce of Witty Groundless and Unconnected Talk But to leave them and return to our own Doctrine and the consequences of it Hence with an easie Reflexion may be gather'd how all Truths are necessarily in one another as links in the same Chain of Causes and therefore may all be seen at once by the Soul when she comes to enjoy the Priviledge of a Pure Act is above Time and no longer ty'd to the slow Motion of Corporeal Phantasms in performing â—er Operations Having thus laid open the Deviations of other Mistaking Speculaters let us my Soul recommended to our Self and to our The Application of this Doctrine to ouâ— own Duties Readers to take heed lest we run counter in our Practice to the Truth we which have Evinced and Establisht Since then all Nature and Evident Reason consent to tell us that every Essence has such an Operation as is Peculiar and Propâ—r to it 's Nature and our Essence is Rationality let not us be guilty of that worst Singularity to act contrary to our Essence and degenerate from our Nature by acting Irrationally and this in the Highest Degrce The Chief Powers of our Rational Being are our Understanding and our Will The Primary Operation of the First is to see or know TRUTH and that of the later is to pursue GOOD And Metaphysicks has Demonstrated to us clearly that nothing but the Knowledge of an Infinite Truth can satisfie the One and the Possession of an Infinite Good satiate the other as also that neither of these can possibly be had save only in the Unveiled Sight of the First-Being the Glorious and Glorifying DEITY Let it then be our not only Principal but in Comparison Only care to cultivate those Dispositions of our Will which we have Demonstrated to be the only Steps by which we may ascend to Eternal Happiness and to râ—â—t out thâ—se Inordinate Affections for Creatures which indispose us for Heaven and consequently after they have turmoil'd and vext us here must render us after this short life Eternally most miserable To this end let us make that use of our Understanding as by due consideration to advance these Speculative Knowledges we â—…ve gain'd here into conformable Practical Iudgments or Virtuous Affections Which as it was the Chief Intention of the Author so it shall be â—â—s Prayer it may work that Best Effect upon his Readers A Rational Explication OF THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY The PREFACE 1. HAVING as I hop't settled the Way of Exact Reasoning in my METHOD to Science and reduced the Notions of which we make use in more Sublime Subjects to a Distinctness in my METAPHYSICKS I cast about to find out some Particular Point to which as a Proper Instance I might apply my Speculative Productions and thence manifest that they were not high-flown Fancies as some incompetent Readers may imagine but Solid and Useful Truths Nor could there need any Long Enquiry to make my Thoughts come to a Determination I had to my great trouble observ'd how rudely the Mystery of the most B. Trinity had been attackt of late by some Witty and Fanciful Gentlemen and had received Information also that the Boasts of their wonderful Performances by the way of Reason had given great Advantages to Deists and Atheists who siding with them did thence take occasion to ridicule Christianity whose prime Fundamental was as they pretended a piece of Pure Nonsense I saw very clearly that all their Objections proceeded upon most gross Mistakes and which I am loath to say from Unskillfulness in Logick or the Rules of Right Reasoning and from perfect Ignorance in Metaphysicks The former of which by Distinguishing exactly our several Notions or Respects is to give us Light to know what is truly a Contradiction what not and the other instructs us how we are to discourse of the First Being and his Attributes The Principles and Deductions in which Sciences being in so high a Degree Evident I could not but discover clearly and therefore the weight of the Circumstance requiring it I dare confidently declare and offer to maintain that all their Objections against that Mystery are not only perfectly Groundless but when they come to be sifted and examin'd by those Tests of True Reason extreamly Weak even to Childishness 2. And indeed they deliver those Objections of theirs in so sleight a Manner as if themselves made account they writ to none but half-witted Readers who stand ready to give up their Assent upon every Pretty and Plausible Saying that surprizes their Ignorance or pleases their Fancy â—or not so much as One Principle do they lay â—or observe any steady Tenour in Deducing any Determinate Conclusion Nay they do not so much as Distinguish exactly those Notions which belong to the Subject in Dispute much less Define them nor state the Question liquidly and clearly but fall to work hastily propose the Point crudely and descant upon it superficially confusedly and â—amblingly only they take care to use some little Wit in the Expression As if they presum'd that either there are no Praecognoscenda requisite to explicate or Determine such a Sublime Point or else that
Transnatural Philosophy OR METAPHYSICKS Demonstrating the Essences and Operations of all BEINGS whatever which gives the Principles to all other Sciences AND Shewing the Perfect Conformity of Christian Faith to Right Reason and the Unreasonableness of Atheists Deists Anti-trinitarians and other Sectaries With an Appendix Giving a Rational Explication of the Mystery of the most B. TRINITY By I. S. LONDON Printed by the Author Sold by D. Brown at the Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar Abel Roper at the Black Boy Fleet street and Tho. Metcalf in Drury-Lane 1700. To the Right Honourable JAMES Lord Drummond MY LORD DID I think that the Present I here make Your Lordship needed any Man's Patronage to set it off I should instead of doing You an Honour disparage Your good Judgment by such an Address TRUTH is of Another Kind of Mettal than that Rich Oar which Avaricious Worldlings dig out of the Bowels of the Earth Her Worth is wholly Intrinsick nor can she owe any part of Her Valuableness to the Face of a Heroe or a Caesar stampt upon her to make her more Current and Authentick and it would argue she wanted Worth should she beg it 'T is her Prerogative never to go out of her self Nor does this Restrain or Imprison but Enlarge her The whole Vast Extent of BEING is her Ordinary Purlew and within the Precincts of her far-stretcht Jurisdiction Tho' her Steps are Steady and Wary yet she ranges over All Nature Her Unconsined Progress takes it's Rise and starts from Principles Sciences are her Stages whence she makes Excursions into Endless and Numberless Conclusions Nor does she content her self much less affect to walk on even Ground The Paths she treads are all up-hill and she knows no Resting-place in her long Ascending Journey till she settles her self in the Clear Contemplation of the FIRST BEING These Considerations will make it seem very Improper for a Man who professes to regard nothing but the Promoting of TRUTH to Preface his Book with a Dedicatory which in the Common Opinion of the World makes a Show of courting a Patronage I do once more assure Your Lordship this was not my Aim For no Man can patronize Errour and Truth needs no Man's good Word or Authority to abet her Not all the Power of Alexanders or Caesars can make a Bad Proof conclude nor hinder the Consequence of a True Demonstration Arguments grounded on Evident Principles are of such a Stiff and Sullen Nature that they can neither how out of Respect nor fawn out of Complement nor shake out of Awe or Fear Since then Applications of this Nature can no Ways advantage my Cause what Excuse can I make to the World why I am so Inconsistent with my Profession or why I would needs do such a needless thing as to Particularize to Your self what I had intended for the Common Good of all my Learned Readers 'T is Natural my Lord for us all when we apprehend some sinister Imputation to lay the Blame on others and 't is Honest too when those Others are really the Cause or Occasion of our incurring that Censure Pardon me then my Lord if to save my self Harmless I lay the Good Fault at Your door and openly declare that 't is none but Your self who has made me Guilty of this odd Singularity Had there been nothing in Your Lordship above the Common the Common should have taken my Book among them without any Restriction Had there been no Particular Qualification in Your Lordship which Distinguisht and Signaliz'd You my Indifferency had yet remain'd Undetermin'd This Specialty in Your Lordship if I can with Truth make out and prove to the World and under Favour to Your own face too and that 't is of such a Nature as became Me to take Notice of it my Credit is acquitted and Your Lordship must answer for it I believe Your Lordship is not aware Your self what this Distinctive Mark is which could oblige a Man in my Station to single You out thus from Your Peers I will take leave then to make my Approaches to the telling the World what it is by acquainting them first what it is not Were my Talent Heraldry I would then blazon in the best colours the Antiquity of Your Noble Family how it came first into Scotland with St. Margaret the then Queen I would lay open the Royal Alliances of it by the Marriage of the Lady Annabel Drummond with Robert the Third King of Scots how from Her by the Mother's Side descended the Family of the STUARTS who in a long Succession Raign'd in Scotland and afterwards in England too By which means some of the Royal Blood of those Great Monarchs was deriv'd from that of the DRUMMONDS and by consequence is Ally'd to that which circulates now in Your Lordship's Veins Were I skill'd in such matters I could with Truth declare how far your Lordship outstript all your Equalls in those Exercises in which Noble Gentlemen use to be train'd up to that Degree of Skill and Vigour that whereas You came thither as a Learner You arriv'd in a short time to the pitch of a Master I could add were my Profession Souldiery what Bravoure Your Lordship shew'd in War even in the Bud of your Youth and how You durst even then look Danger in the Face with an Undaunted Courage I could recount your Travells thro' the most polite Nations of Europe culling out of each all that 's Commendable and conduces to accomplish a Personage of your Rank and leaving behind you whatever was Unworthy and Misbecoming I could out of a fair Experience dilate upon your Noble and Civil Deportment which claims at once a High Respect and wins the Love of all that Converse with you Know You How the native Sweetness of your Genius secures you from having any Enemies and the Greatness of your Mind from fearing them Lastly how your Friendly Affability and Unpretended Courtesy is neither deprest by mean Condescensions nor rais'd above its just Level by the least Disrespectful Height Which make up a Mixture so Charming that 't is impossible to know you and not pay you the double Duties of Esteem and Love All these are very great Embellishments to your High Extraction and make a great Esclat in the Eye of the Generality of well-bred Persons But what are all these to Mee whose sole Addiction is to pursue Truth and to bend the whole Intention of my Mind to promote that Best and in comparison only valuable End Tho' the Lustre of these do burnish Honour and is so Conspicuous and Bright in you that it casts a shadow on others of your Quality and Age yet these were not my Chief Motive why I give this Book a particular Reference to your Lordship No my Ld. there is another piece of your Character left yet untoucht which in my Esteem excells all these which is that you are a Hearty and Sincere Lover of Truth 'T is This 't is This my Ld. which gives you
a just Title and Appropriation to this Present of mine 'T is This that can best satisfy the World as it does mee that your Thoughts are Truly Great and not detain'd in Insignificant Trifles as too many of your Rank are nor consequently are your Affections plac'd on Low and Contemptible Objects 'T is This that double-guilds Your other Heroical Qualities and sets you on the Highest Pinnacle of Honour There is nothing which more shocks a true-bred Gentleman than a Ly tho' it be but in puntilio's of ordinary Conversation But how exceedingly does a Hearty Lover of Truth refine upon this Common Genius of a Man of Honour Such a Person bids Defiance to the whole Tribe of Errours which are Lies in their several wayes A Falshood in Natural Philosophy gives the Ly to Nature A Falshood or Paralogism in Logick gives the Ly to Human Reason which is the true Nature of all Mankind A Falshood in Metaphysicks gives the Ly to the whole Nature of Being that is to the whole Creation and to the First Being who by his Flat Establisht those Natures You have not yet my Ld. taken the Full Dimensions of the Grandeur to which this High Title A Lover of Truth has rais'd you You may please to reflect that this Mistress whom You affect and court is very neerly Ally'd to Heaven by the Father's side and if You espouse her for You may be sure of her chast Consent if You sincerely affect her You dignity and ennoble your Extraction by a Relation transcendently above what Sublunary Marriages could have given it 'T is then to one of those Greatest of Men or rather one of those Paragons of Mankind that is to a Sincere Lover of TRUTH I dedicate my Book I doubt not but I might have found diverse of those whom the Populace of Scribblers call Patrons or Mecoenasses who out of a vain Consideration â—f being Prais'd in Print would have gratefully accepted it had I been willing out of a Mercenary Humour to prostitute TRUTH to Unqualify'd Persons But how would it have sham'd my Choice and brought my Prudence and Sincerity into Question to make a Present of Pearls to those whose Thoughts are digging in the Dunghil of Worldly Riches and value the Barly-corns of their Opulent Estates above the best Ornament of their Mind Knowledge Such Gifts to those Little-Great Men had been as Improper as to present an Atheist with a Prayer-book who would out of Exteriour Civility or some other Respect seem to accept it kindly but afterward burn the Book and laugh at the Writer Yet all this while I do not pretend to lay any Obligation at all on your Lordship by this Dedication for had this Book been publish'd without it You would presently have made it your own by Perusing it To do which intelligently both your own Natural Genius and your running thorow the Course of your Studies in Learned Company with such Applause has more effectually enabled You than it would some of our old School term-Doctors Such Maturity of Judgment in such Youthful and Green Years would easily enable your Vigorous Understanding to take in and digest the most Elevated Conceptions You see then my Lord I only give you what I could not keep from you and Forced Kindnesses deserve no Thanks tho' I have some Title to your Pardon because it was Your own Worth that layd this Force upon me I had I say just reason to apprehend Your Lordship would have made this Book your own when you had once got it into your hands seeing how sedulously You made a strict Search for every Trifle I had written and never desisted till you had found them â—ll and Purchast them at a dear rate To do which nothing but the Love of Truth could move You since there was neither in them any Affectation of Rhetorick nor Melodious Gingle of Words nor the Diverting Conceits of Romances with which those Gentlemen who dwell in the Middle-story do so contentedly entertain and please their Fancies And if Your Lordship was so intently inquisitive after those Pieces of mine which were less Valuable I had all the reason in the World to think You would not let my Metaphysicks scape your Perusal Which if I may be allow'd to be a Competent Judge of my own Productions is worth them all But I do not altogether blame Your Lordship for your Over-value of my poor Labours because You have it partly Ex Traduce 'T is Hereditary to Your Lordship to have too good an Opinion of my Writings Your Lordship 's Noble Father who is justly accounted the most Universal Scholler of your Nation did formerly tho' perfectly unknown to me give so High and Undeserved a Character of them as would make a Man tho' but indifferently Modest Blush and tempt me to admit some thoughts of vain Self complaisance had I not been provided before hand with an Antidote which is a most clear Demonstration in the Cloze of my Metaphysicks that all the Good we have even to the least tittle does entirely spring from the Inexhausted Bounty of the World 's Great Governour who works every thing in us and by us And why may not this be a second Excuse to the World for making your Lordship this Present upon the Score of Gratitude since the Greatest Honour I can by this Address confer on your Lordship is but a poor Requital of what your Lordships Noble Father was pleas'd to bestow on me I shall add one word more which tho' it may be some Comfort and an especial Honour to Your Lordship yet it is a very great Trouble to me Which is that those High and most Due Encomiums I give Your Lordship as a Zealous Unprecedented Lover of Truth tho this be in reality one of the Highest Commendations Rational Nature is Capable of will not yet draw upon you the least Envy from any No my Lord never fear it let your Pretensions to that Title be never so High You will have but Few Rivals and Competitours This Darling of Heaven TRUTH tho' the most Generous Universal Benefactress to Mankind is in such Disreputâ— with the Generality of our Great Ones except some Few whom I do as highly Honour for their True Worth and Rarity as I contomn the rest that they fancy they should stoop themselves below their Dignity if they maliâ— Her the least part of their Concern And Knowledge tho' imploy'd in Defence of the most Fundamental Article of Christianity is so Unpalatable to their Depraved Tast that it becomes Nauseous To talk to such Men of Establishing any Truth or Explicating Faith by Rational Principles sounds to them like Gibberish They look upon Manly Reason as a kind of Madness as least as Foppish and so strangely are their Brains turn'd that they judge those Discourses which are Solid and go to the bottom to be Aiery Superficial Not considering how this slight Opinion they have taken of TRUTH leaves them wholly to the Conduct of Fancy makes
that Archimedes himself esteem'd all his Inventions of Engines but Vile Beggerly and Dross in comparison of the Speculative Productions and Demonstrations in that Science So much were those Great Souls tho' Heathens enamour'd with the naked Beauty of TRUTH for it 's own Sake So much did they value the Interiour Natural Perfection of their Mind above the Prospect or Intuitus of any External Use of it or Profit accruing by it which yet is so Unpalatable to our Sceptical Age I could wish those Noble and Learned Gentlemen our Modern Virtuoso's would seriously consider this Temper of those Heroes of Learning in the former World and think it worthy their Imitation What excellent Speculative Productions to the vast Advancement and Progress of True Science would so many Great wits make in a short time did they please to think fit to emply their Thoughts in following and carrying on the way of Demonstration To do which nothing can more powerfully invite them than to reflect that in so many Years Applying themselves to the way of Induction they have not been able to establish so much as One Universal Principle in Natural Philosophy or to gain the Knowledge of any one Scientifical Conclusion The Impossibility of which by the way of Experiments has been shewn more at large towards the End of the Preface to my Method to Science XII Having thus Defended Metaphysicks against the Calumnies thrown upon her it remains to inform my Reader of my Conduct hitherto in pursuing the Advancement of TRUTH the only End I aym'd at After I had publish't my METHOD to Science I discover'd that the Chief Remora which had kept back Learned Men in our last Century from attaining True Science was the Doctrine or Way of Ideas which some very Ingenious Men had taken great pains to set up and improve I observ'd that That Way had two Especial Patrons Cartesius in France and Mr. John Locke here in England Both of them were Men of Excellent Parts so that it seemd hard to determin which of them had the Advantage in Wit But as for their Productions in Philosophy if I may be allow'd to judge between them Mr. Locke did in very many particulars make far greater Advancements towards Science and in many things arriv'd at it Whereas the whole Fabrick of the Cartesian Hypothesis is Aiery and Fantastick yet so dextrously Propos'd and so prettily Compacted within it self for I cannot at all Commend it for having any Connexion with Principles that it decoyes his Readers who do not reflect that nothing is to be held True which Evident Principles do not warrant into a kind of Complaisant Assent to his Doctrine Much after the same manner as our Judgment is lull'd and our Passions are carry'd along with Reading a Romance so that we become at unawares highly Concern'd 'till our Reason Awaking out of that Pleasing Dream of our Fancy our Deliberate Iudgment recovers it self and we come to reflect that it is not a True History but a meer Fiction contriv'd to amuze our Imagination XIII These two Ingenious Gentlemen did in proposing to us their Ideas take several ways in giving us Account of them That of Mr. Locke is the more Candid while he calls them Pictures Similitudes Pourtraitures and such like which plainly acknowledges they are not the Things themselves Whereas the Followers of Carâ—sius who should best know his Mind shuffle â—etween the two sides of the Contradiction and â—eem resolv'd not to be understood For sometimes they directly avow they are the very Things themselves Conceiv'd by us or exsting in our Understanding after a Spiritual Manner and sometimes again they banter â—nd ridicule what Themselves had Granted â—f which more hereafter XIV Wherefore I saw that my very Design did â—navoidably oblige me to offer my Reasons against both those Authors as Persons who â—id not only oppose many Particular Truths â—ut even obstructed and damm'd up the Way â—o arrive at any Truth at all while they set â—p and introduc'd this New Way of Ideas â—s the Only Method by which any Truth in Philoâ—â—hy could be attain'd This I had done formerâ—â— in part and briefly by laying Grounds to â—â—nfute them in my METHOD where I â—rofessedly declare against the Way of Spiriâ—ual Ideas in our Mind for as for Corpoâ—eal Ideas in our Fancy which we call Phanâ—â—sms none ever deny'd there were such nor â—â—n without calling in Question our Constant â—xperience Mr. Locke was pleas'd to object to â—e occasionally my own Thesis or Conclusiâ—n viz. that I put the Things themselves to â—e in our Understanding as if it were so self-evidently Absurd that meerly to name it were enough to confute it I request I may be represented as not having barely said so but that I attempted to prove it by many pretended Demonstrations none of which have yet been Answer'd this being the true Case I beg also that my Tenet may be exhibited not rawly or to the half part but fully viz. That I hold that the Things are in our Mind Spiritually or after the manner of her Objects In which Sense I believe Mr. Locke's Discerning Iudgment would agree with me if he would please to wean it a while from his Customary Addiction to his own Way and bring it to an Indifferency For I cannot depart from thinking that the plainest Signification of Words gives it that if no Thing be any way in our Knowledge that is if it be not at all there 't is self-evident that We know Nothing Besides I think under favour that if his Leasure Health and other more pressing Occasions had permitted some Answer should have been given to my many Arguments produced there in my second Preliminary which I have enforced here in the 6th Chapter of my Metaphysicks and moreover shown the Reason of that Position B. 2. Ch. 2. Sect. 7 8 9. And indeed without farther Examination of the Validity of those Arguments it will at first Sight seem Prodigious that so many Pretended Demonstrations for they are near Twenty in number should be offer'd for any Point that is False and that tho' my whole Discourse nay all my Philosophical Works are professedly built on that Thesis yet not one of them had it been so Absurd and False should have receiv'd an Answer from such Acute Adversaries XV. Wherefore setting aside the Silence of my Opposers which diverse Circumstances might possibly have occasion'd I still insist upon it and do farther alledge that 't is Absolutely Impossible so many Demonstrations for a Falshood should be Pretended and yet the Confident Asserter of them should not be Expos'd to Open Shame Did the Producer of them cloak his Rambling Discourses in Rhetorical Language Plausible Expressions or Tricks of Wit perhaps he might in such a Case â—ave scaped for some time from being utterly Confuted but when he solely relies on Rigid and Blunt Reason or on the Close Connexion of Terms nothing can be Easier or â—hich more Provokes others to overthrow him There
what Assured Hopes of Success in our Quest of Science so we ground our Discourses on the Natures of the Things made and establisht by GOD's Creative Wisdom CHAP. II. Of the ESSENCES of Bodies in in Common and of the First or Simple Bodies in particular § 1. ALl Concrete Notions do include some Form which constitutes them such 2. The Form of Ens is Essence 5. The Essences of Pure Acts consists in Actual Knowledge 4. Yet they are Potential to the Act of Existence 5. The Essence of Body is chiefly taken from it's Form 6 Yet not only but from the Matter also 7. Quantitative and not Quantitative are not the Proper Differences that constitute Body and Spirit 8. The Essence of the FIRST MATTER of the Cartesians cannot consist in only Extension 9. Nor as Mr. Locke speculates in Extension and Impenetrability together 10. Every Body is essentially a Distinct Part of Nature 11. Wherefore 't is essentially ordain'd for some Proper and Primary Operation in Nature 12. Wherefore what sits it for this Primary Operation does Constitute it 13. In this Fitness to perform this Primary Operation consists it's Metaphysical Bonity or GOODNESS 14. Every Body is also Essentially an Instrument 15. The Essential Difference of Body is chiefly taken from it's Action 16. The Modes or Accidents which make Bodies thus Fit are their ESSENTIAL or SUBSTANTIAL FORM. 17. But the Thing must retain that Complexion of Accidents for some time 18. Divisibility in common cannot constitute any Body 19. More and Less of Divisibility may 20. One or Two different Accidents may constitute the Simplest Bodies 21. Wherefore the Elements may be constituted by Rarity or Density 22. That is they were thus Constituted at first tho' perhaps there are not any such now 23. Hence the Cartesian First Matter which they put neither to be Rare nor Dense is a Chimera MEDITATION What we have gain'd by our Speculation hitherto What Dull Unactive Instruments Bodies are Yet none of them is Useless but in it's Degree Good The Reason why we discourse of such Abstract Notions and of the many Vast Advantages that Way yields CHAP. III. Of the Essences of Mixt Vegetable and Animal Bodies § 1. 'T Is scarce conceiveable there should be now any Pure Elements 2. How First-Mixt Bodies may be conceiv'd to have been made 3. The Essential Form of First-Mixt Bodies 4. And their Essence or Total Form 5. The Second Sort of Mixt Bodies 6. The Third Sort of Mixts 7. The Fourth Sort. 8. What other Accidents are added to make Variety of Mixts and Demixts 9. Yet Rarity and Density are the Principal and most Intrinsecal 10. Hence the Corpuscularians can give no account of the Intrinsecal Constitution of any Natural Body 11. Of the several Sorts of Demixts 12. The Ground of Sensible Qualities 13. Of Imperfect Mixts 14 Of Living Bodies 15. Of Vegetables 16 The Primary Operation of Vegetables 17. The Form of Vegetables 18. The Essence of Animals 19. The Primary Operation of Animals 20. What Animal is most Perfect in it's Kind 21. In what Sense we speak here of the Primary Operation of meer Animals MEDITATION What has been prov'd here Recapitulated The Excellency of Metaphysicks and the Sublime Way of Discoursing peculiar to that Science What sleight ways of Discoursing are affected by some Great Pretenders to Science Of our Duty as we are Rational Creatures CHAP. IV. Of the Essence of MAN § 1. MAN is One Thing made up of Soul and Body 2. Therefore the Soul and Body are here only Potential Parts of Man 3. Therefore neither Part can Operate Alone 4. According to that Excellent Maxim Actiones Passiones sunt Suppositorum 5. Hence the Christian Tenet of the Incarnation is Agreeable to Right Reason 6. Of the Act or Form of Man as he is MAN 7. That Both Parts concur to every Operation of Man as he is Man 8. Hence every Notion has a Phantasm accompanying it 9. Of the Total Form of Man 10. What chiefly in both those Parts distinguishes Man from all Other Things 11. Hence all pretence of GOD's Voluntary Annexing one thing to another is Groundless and Unphilosophical 12. Hence the Mens is not the Man as Cartesius fancy'd 13. The Soul's Manner of Existing and Operating here is in part Corporeal 14. The Primary Operation of Man is Reasoning 15. The Attainment of Truth is the Perfection of Man's Understanding 16. The Knowledge of Truth which thus perfects Man must be Evident 17. Hence Probability perfects no Man 18. Nor the Improvements of Memory or Fancy 19. Hence the Promoting Evident Truth is the Noblest Action of Man as he is Intellectual 20. Hence ERROUR is the Greatest Depravation of Man's Nature as he is Cognoscitive 21. The Essence of Man is RATIONALITY 22. And Distinguishes him from Angels and Brutes 23. Hence Animal Rationale is his True Definition 24. In Rationality are included the Powers of Apprehending and Judging as also of Receiving Impressions from the Senses 25. The Power of Reflecting is also an Essential Property of Man 26. The Soul acquires Knowledge by Impressions from Outward Objects on the Senses 27. First Proof 28. Second Proof 29. Third Proof 30. Fourth Proof 31. Fifth Proof 32. Sixth Proof 33 Seventh Proof 34. Eighth Proof 35. That the Soul cannot Elicit Ideas out of her self Prov'd from many heads 36. That the Position which makes the Soul and Body Two Things hinders the Right Explication of Christian Faith 37. And moreover makes every Man to be a Monstrous Chimera 38. That the Pre existence of Souls is a Senseless Conceit and Impossible 39. So is the Pythagorean Transmigration 40. That 't is a Folly to ask how the Soul and Body which they fancy Two Things come to be United MEDITATION What Immediate Steps we have taken in our Rational Progress hitherto Why it was Fitting such a Creature as Man should be made By what Connatural Means GOD's Infinite Wisdom contriv'd that Soul and Body should make up One Thing The Condition of our Soul here laid open What Incredible Inconveniencies and Absurdities arise from putting the Soul and Body to be Two Things CHAP. V. Of the Constitution and Dissolution of Individual Bodies § 1. THat only Individuals are properly THINGS 2. And therefore only Individual Essences are properly ESSENCES 3. Yet we can discourse more clearly of the Common Essences than we can of the Individual ones 4. There go more Accidents to constitute the Individuum than there go to constitute the Common Essences 5. The Individual Complexion of Accidents is the most Perfect Act next to that of Existence 6. Hence 't is Demonstrated that to give Existence is above the Power of Natural Causes and only Peculiar to GOD. 7. There must be some Instant in which the Individual Thing first begins to Bee 8. This Complexion of Accidents is Essential to the new-made Individuum 9. Therefore it is the Essential or Substantial FORM of the Individual Compound 10. Those Accidents that accrue
of the Actions and Sufferings of one another By which means Impressions made by Outward Objects scattering about their minutest particles upon some very sensible Part of thy Body with which Part thou wast immediately united as the Form with it's proper Matter might at the same time affâ—… thee also according to thy peculiar Nature that iâ— Knowingly and imbue thy yet-Ignorant-Understanding Power with Tinctures of their several Nâ—tures These First Rough-Draughts of Knowledge werâ— indeed very Rude Scanty and Lâ—mited And ripen'd our Knowledge afterwards being as it were an Imperfect View of the Things on one side only and rather Glances thâ—â— a Full Sight of them for they gave thee no more Light at one time than of some one of those mâ—ny Respects or Notions the Thing was able to iâ—-part to thee and withall being the Immediatâ— Effects of Objects made of Matter the Parent oâ— all Undistinctness or Confusion they were far froâ— Exact To supply which Defect and make amenâ— for this Disadvantage thy Creatour endow'd thâ—â— with a Faculty of Reflecting which enabled thâ—â— to refine separate and range into Distinction and Order those Raw and Tumultuary Impressions and moreover furâ—isht thee with a Comparing Power which by Iudging and Discoursing could Connect and Compound those Narrow Abstracted Notions with one another and by Degrees give thee a Broader Prospect of the Thing and in time improve thy Knowledge to that pitch which is suteable to thy condition here The Entire Comprehension of all things being reserv'd to thy Future State when thou shalt be got out of thy Non-Age and thy Eagle-sight be no longer blinded with the Screen of thy Body Do not repine that thou canst not at first readily and fully comprehend any thing but arâ— forced to gain a Distant and Shy Acquaintancâ— with them by those Conceptions of them in part only which our Dull Senses afforded thee Not â—he least of them but if well husbanded and imâ—â—â—v'd will lead thee to far-distant Truths and veâ—y Large and Strange Discoveries Thy Reasoning Power had been Useless and in vain and thou hadst wanted all the while thou livest here that Employâ—â—nt which most properly belongs to a Man thy Reasoning or Discoursing had not the World's Governour thus parcell'd out to thy Low Understanding the Book of Creatures He gives thee at thy Entrance into Nature's School the First Rudiments â—â— Elements thy Ordinary Notions which are â—s it were the Letters or Alphabet of all our Knowledge with which like little Children of the Lowest Form we are first to get Acquaintance Apply thy self to these at first Endeavour to learn their Distinct Characters and what their Force is erâ— tâ—â—â— comest to Spell them into Syllables by Comâ—â—â—nding them into Judgments or to put those Syllables together to make up Entire Words by â—â—â—ming Discourses concerning them Not doubting but that by this Methodical and Industrious Applicâ—tion of thy Faculties thou wilt come at length to read this Book of Creatures currently at least as â—uch of it as can concern thee to know in thy Condition here Think not that even the least of those Elements of Knowledge thy Vulgar and What Encouragement our present Acquests have given us Nature-taught Notions is Barren â—â—d Fruitless Consider how by â—â—â—eriencing that Bodies work on â—â—â— Compound or Suppositum thou â—â—â—est to know that they actually are and therefore that they had a POWER to be as likewise that they had a Power to be Chang'd into others and to be affected after various Modes or Manners and then reflect how much Light thou hast gain'â— hitherto by Viewing Attentively and Discoursing consequently of those most Ordinary and most Obvious Notions POWER and ACT which seem'd at first Sight so Steril Insipid and Insignificant These Two joyn'd with a few others already known without Speculation and fully as Evidâ—â—â— as themselves have demonstrated to thee How and What and Where our Essence was ere it haâ— Existence given it What are the Essential Partâ— of all Bodies in Common Which are the First Principles that fix and rivet all Inferiour Truthâ— in thy Understanding and how theâ— Descend from the Father of Lights GOD's Essential Wisdom They instruct thee by looking into their Natures â—â— Notions from whence it is that all Change aâ—â— Mutability proceeds a Principle which draws mâ—ny Great and Important Truths after it They shâ—â— thee clearly what and how many several sorts of Things could possibly have been Created They inform thee what kind of Division is made by thy Acute Understanding which the Subtillest Agents in Nature tho' assisted by the most Exact Chymical Art could never have reacht and how thou compoundest again those thus-Divided Parts to framâ— Iudgments and Discourses They have given thâ—â— Evident Knowledge that There are no Actual Parts in any Ens whatever A Truth most Useful to the Attainment of very many of thy Future Knowledges They have preserv'd thee from falling into the Precipices of divers Fâ—ndamental Errors by embracing which Great Wits have miscarry'd They have moreover taught thee how Absolutely Pure that Act call'd EXISTENCE is and that it is above the Power of any Created Cause to confer that Soveraign Gift on Themselves or Others Which leads thee a fair Step towards the Knowledge of the FIRST BEING to know whom perfectly is thy Eternal Happiness And are all these Acquisitions worth nothing Add that thou know'st not yet what Multitudes of High and most Important Truths do hitherto lie hid involv'd in these Few now mention'd and in some others here omitted All which spring originally from the bare Notions of POWER and ACT joyn'd with some others Ally'd to them and Connected with them Awake then my Soul from thy Desponding Lethâ—rgy and exert thy Industry by What assured Hopes we have of Success in our Quest of Science if we ground our Discourse on the Natures of the Things made by the First Being the well-assured Hopes of gaining â—â—mense Degrees of Knowledge by Studying and Improving the Vast â—â—ock of thy other Notions that is indeed the Things diversly Conceiv'd by thee and therefore in thee It will comfort thy Labour to find so much Good and to have reapt such Benefit by Two of them only and those two as it may seem none of the Fruitfullest Such Beginnings are Hopeful and give thee Earnest of a Successful Progress Only be sure thou â—â—st not relinquish the Works made by the Hand of thy All-wise Creatour in which he has stampt all Natural and Acquir'd Truths nor strivest foolishly to Create to thy Self New Things and New Worlds by thy own Shallow Wit and to ground Truth on the Mock-Creatures made by thy own Fantastick â—magination That Faculty was intended to be a Servant to thee to reach thee the Materials thou â—â—st need of Take heed then that her Brisk and Gay Genius do not make her presume to domineer over her Mistress or inveigle her to follow her desultory Vagaries Expect Substantial and Real Truth
her and therefore cannot nourish or improve her but tend to pervert and destroy her Spiritually 16. This Knowledge must also be Evident or beyond Probability For otherwise The Knowledge of Truth which thus perfâ—cts Man must be Evident 't is not properly Knowledge Nor can we be truly said to â—…now a thing to bee if we see it may not bee it being against a First Principle and a Proof which is no more than Probable cannot make us see that the Thing may not bee or necessarily is for an Evident Proof can do no more 17. Corollary VII Whence what has but a Probable Proof cannot sink into or cling to her Knowing Probability perfects no Man Nature or improve and nourish it nor so much as be receiv'd in it at all as 't is Knowing but as 't is Unknowing or Ignorant either of True Principles or of Right Deduction 18. Corollary VIII Hence also what only affects and dilates the Memory or Nor the improving his Memory or Fancy Fancy or serves to excite the Passions as Skill in Languages Eloquence Wit and such like is not properly Connatural Food for the Knowing Nature of the Soul tho' they may be very Useful to express her Knowledge or be a Means to gain Knowledge from those Authors who writ in other Languages Or lastly For her Recreation which is not properly the Food of the Soul but a kind of Sauce to that Food 19. Corollary IX Hence to endeavour the Promoting the Evident Knowledge of Truths especially of those The promoting Evident Truth is the Noblest Action of Man which are of the Highest Concern is the most Manly most Noble and most Universally Beneficial Action that can possibly be perform'd by Manâ— as having for it's Object the most General Good of MANKIND that can be imagin'd And which if it be of Sacred or Revealed Truths has a Direct Tendency to bring him to his Last End and dispose him for Eternal Happiness 20. Corollary X. Hence all Errour it being when reduced to it's True and Hence Errour is the greatest Depravation of Man's Nature Proper Original a Contradiction is a Deprauation of the Soul and if it be such an Errour as is Opposite to those Truths which guide her towards her True Last End it tends of it's own nature to ruin and destroy her Spiritually And would Actually do so if the Poison of it were not rebated and render'd Ineffectual by the Antidote of a Sincere and Good Intention that is such a one as springs from some Truth of a High Nature which well imprinted cultivated and become Practical in that well-meaning Soul directs and strongly addicts her to the Pursuit of that which is her Chief Good Eternal Happiness 21. From what has been Demonstrated § 14 it is Evident That the Essence of Man is RATIONALITY or the The Essence of Man is Rationality Power of Reasoning For as was prov'd above Ch. 2. § 9. 10. and is evident of it self That is the Essence of every thing from which immediately proceeds the Power to perform it's Primary Operation for which it was ordain'd and made But the Act of Reasoning which by § 14 is his Primary Operation proceeds immediately from the Power of Reasoning therefore the Power of Reasoning or Rationality â—â— the Essence of Man 22. Moreover Rationality does perfectly distinguish Man from all other Sorts And distinguishes him from Angels and Brutes of Things whether they be Boâ—…s or Spirits For Matter tho' 〈…〉 parts be never so artificially â—…d together can never make Knowledge and therefore no meer Body can know or Reason And it distinguishes him also from all other Sorts of Spiritual Natures that is from Pure Spirits or Angels in regard that These having no Matter or Quantity in them their Operations â—re therefore Unsuccessive or Instantaneous because there cannot be Part after Part which is the Notion of Succession in that which has no Parts at all Whereas in the Act of Reasoning the Whole Suppositum which has in it both Soul and Body being that which operates hence every such Act it being accompany'd with the Act of the Fancy which is Corporeal is thence necessitated to be Successive both because no Corporeal Motion can be in an Instant as also because no two Parts of such a Motion can possibly be together for this would make it Unsuccessive 32. Corollary XI Hence is demonstrated That Animal Rationale is a True and Proper Definition of Man Hence Animal Rationale is his true Definition Because it both explains or gives us his True Essence and also Distinguishes Mankind from all other Kinds or Sorts of Things 24. In this Essence of Man Rationality are included the Power of Simply Apprehending or Conceiving and In Rationality are included the Powers of Apprehending and Judging the Power of Iudging especially the Power of Seeing the First Principles to be True and Self evident For since in that Compleat Act of Reasoning which is Formally oâ— Equivalently a Syllogism there are necessarily included Iudgments because we cannot hold a Conclusion Inferr'd by our Reason to be True unless we first Iudge the Premisses to be such nor that it follows from those Premisses unless we Iudge that Identical Proposition on which is Grounded the Force of the Consequence to be both True and Self-evident Again since in every Iudgment are Included those Notions or Simple Apprehensions call'd the Subject Copula and Predicate which are the Immediate Parts of the Proposition we Judge of and the Remote Materials of all our Discoursings or Reasonings It follows that tho' the Powers of Apprehending and Iudging be not Formally the Power of Reasoning yet they are Included in it as Integral Parts constituting it or Presuppos'd to it 24. For the same Reason the Power of Reâ—…ing the Particles or Effluviâ—… emitted from outward Objects As also the Power of receiving Simple Apprehensions by Impressions from Objects transmitted them to the Brain and Transmitting them at â—â—rst to the Brain or the Seat of Knowledge is a Necessary Requisite or Previous Disposition to Rationality For since we cannot Discourse without Iudging nor Iudge without Propositions which are the Objects of Judging nor have Propositions in us without having Simple Apprehensions or Notions â—hich are the Parts of a Proposition of which it â—…sists Nor lastly can we as will be prov'd â—…ortly have Notions but by Receiving Impressions on the Senses from Outward Objects and â—…nce on the Brain or Seat of Knowledge by affecting which they do consequently or after it's manner affect the Soul which immediately inâ—…ms that Part and is identify'd with it and thence imbues her with those Notions It follows that the Power of Receiving those Particles by the Senses and transmitting them to the Seat of Knowledge is a Necessary Prerequisite to Rationality and an Essential Property of Man 25. The Power of REFLECTING on our Notions had at first by means of the Senses is also an Essential Property
Paâ—…el A Quantitative Thing v. g. The Manner how this is done Illustrated Stone has many Potential Parts in it some of one Colour or Figure some of another Now none of those Parts taken singly can Exist or â—ubâ—â—st while they were Parts but only the whole Thing call'd a Stone for only that was a Distinct Individual Thing which only is capable of Existing But because this whole Thing had a Power to be Divided or had Potential Parts in it â—â—â— so was apt to be made more Actual Wholes or 〈…〉 ings hence each Part when thus Divided â—…ade a Distinct whole Ens has immediately its â—â—â—â—icular Existence given it by GOD. And beâ—…se some of those Parts while in the Whole 〈◊〉 some different Modifications in it which another Part had not whence it was independent on any other Part as to the sustaining such Accidents and consequently it has a Power to â—â—â—â—ain them when it should come to be made a Whole therefore it has given it to Subsist independently on the former Whole or any other Part of it and to be a Suppositum to sustain those Accidents Much more are those Perfections of Being â—â—turally due to the Soul which is of an Immortal Nature 3. Notwitstanding each Soul when separated continues the same Individual Yet the same Individual Nature remains in her Soul which it was in the Body First Because in the Body she was the chief Essential Part of the Man And Essence abstract from Existence and consequently from Subsistence and Suppositality So that her being chang'd according to Suppositality or in some manner according to Existence does not alter her particular Essence or Nature Secondly She had her Individuality from the Individual Dispositions in the Embryo which determine the Matter so as to require that such an individual Form or Soul and no other should be infus'd Thirdly She had her Determinate or Individual Pitch of Spirituality or Cognoscitiveness given her at the Instant in which she was first infus'd nor could it be taken away by the succeeding Accidents of Knowledge afterwards both because they superven'd to her Individual Nature or Degree of Cognoscitiveness as also because they were not contrary but agreeable to such a Nature Again were this true Reason wav'd yet since in this Mortal State the Soul gains Notions or Knowledge by means of her Senses from every Circumstance the Man is in and 't is impossible any two Men should be all their Lives in the self-same Circumstances 't is impossible abatiâ—â— their Constitutions individually different that my Soul should have the self-same Complexion of Spiritual Modes of Knowledge and consequent Affections in this World which another Soul has which sufficiently distinguishes her from every other Particular Soul or which is the same Individuatâ— her as she is a Soul Wherefore this Change of the Soul at her â—…ration amounts to no more but to take from 〈◊〉 the Imperfection of being a Part and to â—…fer upon her the Priviledge of a Whole Ens which is given to every new Individuum in Nature that is made such by Division or meer Separation 4. Nothing which was once in the Soul in this â—…e excepting False Judgeâ—…nts All the Modes or Accidenti v. g. all the Knowledges and Affections she had while here do remain still in her is blotted out of her in 〈◊〉 State of Separation For 〈◊〉 whatever is naturally exâ—…d out of any Subject is driven â—â—â—ce by it's Contrary and Conâ—â—â—es by Ch. 7. § 15. do not â—…l one another out of the â—…d but fix one another better there 't is eviâ—â—nt that from this Head or from the Objects which are in the Soul nothing whatever that 〈◊〉 once in the Soul is Effaced out of her but â—…ains there for ever Again since the pecuâ—… Nature of the Soul is not Material or Divisiâ—… but when she is separated she is a Pure Act â—…re can be no Ground from the Subject's side â—â—at Notions or Knowledges should be worn out 〈◊〉 decay by reason of the Alterableness or Fading Genius of the Subject or her Incapacity to retain â—…m still Whatever Knowledge therefore was 〈◊〉 in the Soul will be ever there And the â—…son why in this State they come not into â—â—â—y when we would use them but seem forgotten is because the Phantasms without which the Soul cannot operate being the smallest particles of Matter are either perisht or else lost in a wilderness of innumerable others so that they are not still ready at hand to re-excite our Knowledge of them or make us remember them 5. Every Separated Soul which had any one Notion in her while here does know all Created Truths as soon Each Soul when Separated knows all Created Truths as she is out of the Body For since * B. 1. Ch. 5. §. 2. as has been demonstrated the knowing of a Great Number of Finite Truths do not to any Degree tend to fill the Capacity of the Soul but enlarge and enable it to know still much more there can be no difficulty on the Subjects side why she should not know all Created Truths they being Finite both in their Nature and in their Number On the other side since our Notions are the Ground of Truth and All Truths tho' they be never so many are connected and this by the Identifying particle is which shows they are after some manner iâ— one another Nay which alone suffices since it has been fully demonstrated Method to Science Book 3. Ch. 4. § 14. beginning at § 8. That Every Soul Separate that knows any one Natural Truth does know all Nature at once in the First Instant of her Separation it is evinced that there can be as little difficulty on the part of the Objects to be known as there was on the Subjects side Whence follows that every Soul Separated which had here any one Notion in her especially as she must of her own or the Man's Existence does know all Truths as soon as she is out of the Body 6. To satisfie those who led by Fancy and customary Impressions from Material Objects do make them the How this is very Possible Rule and Measure to judge of Spiritual Natures and thence are very backward to assent to a Truth which seems so Paradoxical and Impossible I take leave to recommend to their serious consideration a far stranger Point which yet all Christians hold viz. That a Holy Soul when separate is capable of seeing clearly the Divine Essence it self in comparison of which all Created Beings are but a sâ—ifâ—e or rather a meer Nothing 7. Hence follows That every Separated Soul comprehends all Time and Place â—â—r since those innumerable Natural Hence every Separated Soul comprehends All Time and Place Objects which â—he then knows are in Distinct Times and Places nay are the very Things whose Extension and Succession do make all Place and Time it is Impossible but that having those Things in her Knowledge she must
IV. Hence we may discover how Unnatural as well as Impious a Heresy Ana-Baptism is in debarring Hence Ana-Baptism is Impious and Unnatural their Infants from the most Certain Means in the Course of GOD's Supernatural Providence to bring them to Heaven in case they Die before they come to use their deliberate Reason in chusing their Last End But I am here only to lay Certain and Evident Grounds to Confute Errors and not to Pursue them 16. Corollary V. Lastly hence is seen how far more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to hear The foregoing Principles show how much more easie it is for the Saints and Angels in Heaven to know our Actions and Necessities our Petitions either put up to our common Lord or desiring the Assistance of their Prayen â— as also to know our Necessities our Amendment the Repeâ—tance of a Sinner for which as our Saviour says they have a particulâ—… Ioy tho' such happy Spirits know thâ—… Things after a far Clearer and Nobler Manner than Natural Knowers do viz. not iâ— ignoble Effects but in the best Manner à Prâ—ori or in the First Cause by seeing his Dâ—vine Essence in whom we do all Live Mâ—… and have our Being 17. The Practical Iudgment or Affection of the Soul as Experience teaches does more sway the Operations of it The Practical Iudgments or Affections to carry the Soul to the Attainment of the Good she most Lov'd here in case it be Attainable in the Future State and carry it towards the Attainment of what it wishes than the Greatest Speculative Knowledge of any Good whatever For since we have two Operative Faculties of the Soul Understanding and Will and the Understanding as contradistinguisht from the Will has for it's Proper Act or Effect only a Speculative Knowledge or Iudgment of the Truth of the Thing abstracting from this consideration whether it be our Good or no and goes no farther but when our Consideration by a Close and frequent Converse with the Object and a more thorow-Penetration of it's Agreeableness or how Good it is to us lays this Agreeableness to â—…art and Conceits it to be our Interest to have â—… there are immediately produced in us Affections or which is the same Practical Iudgments â—…pelling us to Act for it or pursue it which are â—…cts of the Will Hence 't is only these Practical Judgments and not Speculative ones which move us to the pursuit and Attainment of any â—…ood whether that Object be our True Good 〈…〉 no. 18. Intellectual Goods tho' Infinite or the seeing Him who is Infinite Truth The Best Intellectual Good or the Sight of GOD is Attainable in the Nâ—xt Life if the Soul be Dispos'd for it are immediately attain'd by the Soul when Separated if she be dispos'd with a Perfect Affection or Love for it For since the Soul is of an Intellectual Nature and such that she is not Capable to be satiated or fill'd with Finite Truths how Great or Many soever they be and therefore she is by her Nature ordain'd to see an Infinit Truth nor can her Speculative Knowledge of all Created Truths breed any Hindrance but by giving her more Light of the Excellency of that Divine Object is rather if no sinister Affection detain her ordain'd to beget in her a high Affection for it nor in the Case here put does any sinister Practical Judgment or any such Affection detain her from it in regard it is here suppos'd that she has an Affection for it so that not only the whole Bent of her unperverted Nature but also the whole Propension of her Voluntary Affections gain'd here by frequent and most Deliberate Acts have addicted her to know or see that Blissful Object Wherefore all imaginable Dispositions being put on her part to see this Infinit Truth it will be seen and known by the Soul in case it be of its own nature Intelligible which 't is most evident it is For since all Unintelligibleness or Obscurity of any Object springs from the Confusedness and Indetermination found in it which arises from the Power or Matter and all Distinctness and by consequence greater Intelligibility from the Act and GOD or Infinit Truth is an Infinitely Pure and most simple Actuality or Purus Candor Aeternae Lucis and therefore of his own Nature infinitely Intelligible and consequently will be actually known so there be no Indisposition Blemish or Impurity in the Spiritual Eye of the Understanding which is to know it or which is the same some Inordinate Affection for some Created or False Good makinâ— it addict its squinting Eye towards It. It followâ— hence that since Extrinsecal Application has no place here or rather this Perfect Affection being the very and only Application of one Spirit to another all imaginable Causes are put for such an Effect or for such a Soul 's seeing God and consequently the Effect it self or the Beatifical Vision must follow 19. Coroll VII Hence the whole Employ of our Lives here ought to be this viz. to take care we do not Therefore to work up our Christian Principles to such Good Dispositions ought to be the whole Employ of our Life here set our Affections inordinately on Temporal or False Goods which being Fleeting do perish and leave us Empty in our Future never-dying State but wisely to wean our selves from affecting them excessively and withal to gain Predominant Practical Judgments or Affections for Eternal Goods which will never leave us and withall will fill and satisfy our Boundless Wishes in the other World or which is the same make us Eternally Happy 20. Cor. VIII Hence is shown that only Love of God above all things can dispose us for Heaven or which This good Disposition is Charity or the Love of GOD above all things is the same make us held worthy or deserve such an Infinit Reward which is Promist us by God's Goodness upon our putting that good Disposition 21. Coroll IX Hence all the Law and the Prophets all the whole Body of Hâ—nce all the Means and Motives lay'd by our B Saviour â—â—nd only to breed and promote in us this Predominant Aâ—fâ—â—ction for Heaven Christian Doctrin all Christ's Instructive Words Exemplary Actions and Affective Sufferings all Church-Government Sacraments Teaching Preaching Mortification Reading Holy Books perusing the Lives of the B. Saints and Martyrs nay all our Keeping Festivals and all Ceremonious Actions of what kind soever if righâ—ly understood and made use of are of no worth or Efficacy towards our Salvation farther than they may â—end Immediately or Remotely to breed and advance in Souls this Ultimate and Effectual Disposition to Bliss Perfect Charity or the Love of GOD above all things whence will follow of course the Love of our Neighbour as our selves and Eternal Happiness as the Reward of both 22. Corollary X. Hence RELIGION is the Art of breeding up Souls in such a manner as may dispose them The
or Actual Being was His Essence or Nature and consequently he was Existence it self nor he being the First Ens could there be any Thing that could limit this Existence it follows that this Essence of His His Existence was absolutely Unlimited or Infinite and consequently that it did contain in it after an Eminent manner as became a Pure Actuality of Being all that could be comprehended in the Spacious Extent of Being it self Whence he has all the Perfections â—â— Him that have Entity or Being in them Defects such as are Sin and other Privations are not such and this in an Infinite manner and so He is Infinitely Perfect Whence followâ— That His Essence includes all those Divine Attributes of Infinitely Wise Good Iust Merciful Veracious Powerful c. and this in such a manner that they are all Concenter'd Indivisibly in this one Simplest Formality of his Purest Actuality of Being His SELF-EXISTENCE All these and divers other most important Truths have been Demonstrated here to the Honour of our Maker and the And this with an Evidence beyond that of the Mathematicks Confusion of the Impugners of a Deity be it spoken with an Evidence as far beyond that of the Mathematicks as the Notions of Power and Act which are Transcendents and therefore most Clear of which we have made use and on which our whole Discourse is grounded are more Evident than is the Nature of Quantity the Object of the Mathematicks which an ordinary Reflexion will show us is to a very Excessive Degree For what frequent Disputes have there been and still continue undecided amongst Bad Speculaters who will needs frame Notions out of their Fancy and Wit which Nature never gave them about the Nature of Quantity Whereas on the other side Who ever did or could raise any Dispute concerning the Notion of the word is or can be which express the Act and Power we speak of Besides Mathematicians give us Definitions or at least Explications of their Lines Figures Angles c. Which confesses that such Notions may be made Clearer whereas not all the Wit of Mankind can give us either Definitions or Explications of is or can be or make them Clearer than they are of themselves And whoever attempts it will see that instead of Clearing them by Defining or Explicating them he wil blunder them and make them more obscure by being forced to use such words to explain them as are far more Obscure than what he went about to explain Which amounts to this that the Notions of Power and Act cannot possibly be made more Evident and therefore that they are Self-Evident which cannot be said of any one Notion the Mathematicians use since the Knowledge of them all depends â—â— the Knowledge of the Nature of Quantity and this as we experience is liable to dispute which it could not be were it Self-Evident as are those others â—â— make use of To be employ'd about such Self-Evident Notions is the Prerogative of the Noblest Science of METAPHYSICKS These and some â—â—her such are the Altissimae Causae from which she draws her most Evident Demonstrations To these Self-Evident Notions and to her First Principles â—â—de up of such she reduces the Evidence and Truth of her Sublime Discourses which none of the other Sciences her Underlings can ever pretend to withâ—â—â— using her Assistance And lastly from such Notions and such Principles her Proper Object being â—â—s as such and those Notions as do properly apperâ—â—â—â— to Being she Demonstrates a First Being and 〈◊〉 his Infinite Attributes This proceeding upon her Principles and assisted by Right Logick we have perform'd to some Degree Weakly indeed but yet sufficiently to convince Atheists if laying aside their â—â—ving Fancies they will but use their Common Reason I hope also this will give hint to future Philosophers of better parts and more Leasurely and Quiet Circumstances how they may carry on successfully what â—â— have sleightly begun But what are we my Soul or others who read 〈◊〉 the better for these Clear Informations of our Understanding if That this Evident Knowledge of GOD will redound to our Disadvantage if we live not accordingly they make no Impression on our Wills â—â—â— improve us in Virtue and Christian Life Or rather are â—â— not much worse for our Speculative Knowledge if it remains in 〈◊〉 still Fruitless and buds not forth into conformable Actions Certainly that Man is far worse than a Sceptical Atheist who is Assur'd there is a GOD and lives as if there were none Wherefore since we are ascertain'd of these most concerning Truths by as Great an Evidence as Humane Nature is Capable of Let us next consider what Affections it ought deservedly to excite in our Will and what Duties it enjoyns us in our Practice To To which end let us ask our selves these Few Questions What Profound Adoration do we owe to so Soveraign a Majesty before whom the Angels tremble and with lowest That this Knowledge obliges us to the Duties of most profound Adoration and Attention when we appear before Him in Prayer Prostrations acknowledge themselves Impure and as Nothing in his Sight With what Reverence and Purity of Heart ought we to approach his Divine Presence and appear before him when we put up oâ—r Petitions to him in Prayer Or who can be so wickedly unmannerly as to admit Voluntary Distractions when he is fixing his Eye upon such â— Glorious Object What short-sighted Mortal dares presume so upon his own Shallow Wit as to question To a Firm Belief of what he has Reveal'd the Truth of those High Mysteries and refuse assent to them tho' he has Means to assure him that GOD who is essentially VERACIOUS â—as Reveal'd them meerly because they sute and colour not with his Dull and Low Fancies Is not this in effect to give Truth it self the Lye And how can they expect such an Affront will not be resented by an Infinite Majesty What an Encouragement is it to well-meaning Christians to make them endeavour to dispose themselves by frequenting To endeavour to dispose our selves to receive farther Influences of His Grace and to an unwavering Hope that he will most certainly give us all we are Capabls of or Dispos'd for Holy Thoughts and Pious Exâ—…ises and also to raise and comâ—… their Hope that they shall 〈…〉 such Means assuredly attain to â—…ver-ending Happiness What can mâ—re cheer our Drooping Thoughts thâ—n to know that GOD is overâ—…ingly Bountiful and GOOD 〈…〉 Essentially Self-determin'd to give to every Creâ—tâ—re all the Good they are Capable of or Dispos'd 〈…〉 receive Not the least Good Thought we think 〈…〉 the least Good Wish of our Will not the least Good Intention we mean nor the least Good Action we perform but it works in us thro' the Blessing of the same Goodness a farther Degree of Sanctity and has it 's Proportionable Reward laid 〈…〉 in Heaven How careful then and sollicitous ought we to be lest by our
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
every ordinary Reader knows them by â—nstinct already Now what Man of Sense can they hope to satisfie by such a shallow way of Discoursing much less the Learned Divines of the Universities to whom they take the Boldness to address their Pamphlets Certainly when the Thesis is of so Soveraign a Nature we ought if ever proceed with all the Accuracy Imaginable Nor does only the Intrinsick Merit and Weight of the Subject in hand demand this of them but also the care of their own Reputation obliges them to it 3. For the Point it self is of that Vast Concern that either it must in case it be True render the Deniers of it most Ungrateful Impious and Blasphemous in Degrading our Infinite GOD Blessed for evermore who to save Mankind so mercifully condescended to take our Nature upon Him into the Abject condition of a meer Creature made of Nothing and therefore Next to Nothing or else if it be as they pretend False it must lay the Horrible Blemish of being Idolatrous in the Highest Degree upon the Christian Church for so many Ages Nay farther it must Unchurch her absolutely and make her no better than a Synagogue of Sathan since she builds the main Body of all her Faith on the Profession of Christ's Divinity whom she adores daily and most Devoutly and this not with a Relative but a Terminative Divine Worship nay makes Him the Alpha and Omega the First Beginning and Last End of all things Whence follows that the most Loose Latiâ—ndinarian cannot with any show of Sense clap both these two Parties Ours and Theirs iâ—to one Compound Christian Church 'T is true we do both of us acknowledge the Word CHRIST but the Thing we mean by that Word or the Sense of it as it is taken by us both respectively is as Infinitely Distant as is the Meaning of those words GOD and a meer Man or those of a Creatour and a Creature and certainly Faith signifying our Teneâ—s is not a meer Sound but Sense I say not this to widen any Breaches which I have been ever ready and zealous to close and heal but to let the Anti-Trinitarians see how vast a Division they have made in the Christian Church or rather how absolutely they have by Schism and Heresie cut off themselves from it And no Balm of Charity or Surgery of Discipline are able to cure such wide Wounds or re-unite such Members to the Body which are not only Separated from a Vital Communication with it but Mortify'd by Obstinacy For the True Church of Christ acknowledges no Other Means nor any other Name under Heaven by which she hopes for Salvation but that of Iesus Christ GOD and-Man which these Men do utterly reâ—â—unce and abominate 4. I am not to doubt but divers of those Gentlemen who impugn this Article of Christian Faith â—â—ant well nothing being more contrary to my Genius than to pass Judgment upon Men's Intentions when I see not their Hearts Wherefore I am to hope that since they have appeal'd to the Way of Reason they will submit the Tryal and Decision of their Cause to the Umpire Themselves have chosen Which if they please to do I dare assure my Readers it will be impossible the Controversie should hover or be long Depending I have set them a Sample what Method they may take if they sincerely and impartially aim at Truth To this end I lay my Principles which I will vouch and maintain to be Evident and far from Gratuitous Suppositions I state the Question I clear the words of which we are to make use from Ambiguity and by this means I make a Clear Stage for both Parties Let them do the same and it will be impossible that Endless Wrangle should defeat the Expectation of our Readers or the Victory of Truth hang long in Suspense 5. If any blame me for being too Exact First I am not asham'd to declare that it was my Full Intention to bend my utmost endeavours to settle this Point so Unanswerably as far as it depends on the Way of Reason that the Opposition against it may never rise again to pester and divide the Church nor prejudice the Eternal Salvation of Mankind Next I must own that it is Uneasie to me when I am to maintain any Truth not to lay my Principles first and take care they be Evident And unless I do this I am still dissatisfied with my self and afraid lest some Plausible Fancy should lead me astray from the Truth and make me stumble into some Errour The greatest Wits and most Learned Scholars living are liable to fall if they want these Supports which and only which can enable our Reason to take Firm Steps and keep it on it's Leggs Upright Whence if be a Fault I hope it is a good one At least I have been since my riper years so enur'd to it that I must confess I cannot help it nor would I if I could 5. Indeed were there none that Impugn'd Reveal'd Faith it would be Needless in that case to be at the Expence of so much Time and Pains to Defend it It would argue a Quarrelsome and Vapouring humour in any Man to begin a Polemical Contest when none oppos'd him and in a Bravado to arm himself Cap-a-pee and bid Defiance to all the World when he has never an Enemy In such a Happy State of the Church Christian Faith would descend peaceably and undisturbedly there being none who oppos'd it and all Disputes about it would be superseded or rather prevented But when as is our Unhappy Condition Witty and Acute Men do exert their utmost Efforts and employ all the Skill Art and Learning they are Masters of to overthrow the most Fundamental Articles of Christian Faith and Others make use of their Errours and Objections to subvert the Whole Body of Reveal'd Religion and pretend to maintain that the most Sacred Truths which GOD Himself has told us are Perfect Nonsense Lies and Contradictions 't is a most necessary Duty in us to make use of the Maxims of Right Reason to confute their Paralogisms and to apply the most Solid and Deep Principles of True â—…rning to baffle the Attempts of that Vain and â—…allow Philosophy which they make us of to â—…ack those Divine Oracles None can show â—â—â—t Faith is not Contradictory to Reason which is â—hat's objected but by using those Knowledges which show it is Conformable to it And since Faith cannot explicate Faith it must either be Explicated that is in our case Defended by the Clear Principles of Reflecting Reason or by True Philosophy or it cannot by the way of Reason be Defended at all 6. Each single word in which Faith was deliver'd must indeed have been Clearly Intelligible to the Faithful and enable them to know what it is they are to believe But a Believer and an Explicater are very Distinct Things The former has no more to do but to submit to an Authority which he either knows or judges will not deceive
Relatively For a Relation cannot be the immediate Reason or Ground of Another Relation otherwise there might be processiâ—s in infinitum But the main Reason why this cannot be is because it is not the Relation it self which is Referr'd but the Thing and Relation must necessarily be in thâ—se things which are Related 9. Wherefore however the Divine Lover when GOD Loves himself cannot but have a Relation to the Thing Loved because Love proceeds from the Goodness of the Object and it's Agreeableness to it 's that is to GOD's Nature yet there is no Mutual Relation from the Thing Loved to the Lover or to the Love of it For the Greatest Good and Perfection of an Intelligent or Knowing Nature is Truth and Truth does formally consist in this that the Object is so in the Understanding as it is in it's self which is in our case that the Divine Object Known is in the Divine Knowledge or truly conceiv'd by it Whence Love proceeds formally properly and immediately from both according to their Relative Notions by which they are Distinguisht and not from the Absolute Notion which is Common to them both Wherefore since by § 9. no Relation can be grounded on another Relation and in case there were a Mutual Relation to the Lover it must proceed or be grounded on the Relations of Knower and Known it follows that there can only be Three Relations and consequently by §§ 4. and 5. as will be shown but Three Particulars in the Deity nor can any more be attributed to it according to our best Reason directed by True Principles and proceeding upon our Natural Notions That the Common Suppositum does not infer a Fourth Particular will be seen Sect. VI. § 10. Corollary Since Divine Love proceeds from this that the Object is so in the Knower as it is in it self which is the Formal Notion of TRUTH Hence 't is seen how much our Love ought to be set on Truth which is the Natural Perfection of our Mind how Like GOD those Noble Souls are whose Chief Affection is addicted to Truth especially Divine Truths On the other side how Ignoble and Unlike GOD those Mean and Depraved Souls are who disregard TRUTH and think the care of Promoting it is below their Empty Temporary Greatness SECT VI. That these Three Particulars are most fitly called PERSONS 1. THE next Question is What Natural Notion of ours does most properly fit those Three Particulars which we have been obliged to put in the Divine Nature and what Word of ours does most fitly and in the Common Usage of it express that Notion For since we have granted in our Fifth Preliminary that Christian Faith was Deliver'd at first in such Language as exprest our Natural Notions that is in such as was Usual in those Times and Places and Intelligible by the Generality in their respective Circumstances it cannot be deny'd but that we stand engag'd to show that our Explication must likewise observe the same Rule as to those Words which we pretend do signifie the Point of Faith it self as exprest in our Catechisms and Creeds 2. To perform this as we ought we will consider first of what Notion or Nature those Particulars must be conceiv'd to be and because we have no Natural Notion but either of Substance or it 's Modes it follows that those Three Particulars we speak of must either be Particular according to the first sort of Notion Substance or else according to some of the Later Wherefore to clear this Point and determine under which of these Notions they are Particulariz'd we are to consider what it is that is thus Particulariz'd and our former Discourse shows that it is the Common Suppositum or that which is that Absolute Notion we call GOD which is here Particulariz'd or has these Particulars in it And indeed there needs no more but these words God Knows and Loves Himself to evince this For it is hence as Evident as plain Words can make any thing that 't is GOD who is the Knower Thing Known and Lover which Notions give us or rather are those very Particulars we speak of Now since the word GOD cannot be thought to belong to or be with any Sense referr'd to any other of those Heads then that of Substance or Being whence as consider'd in an Absolute and not in a Relative Sense he is call'd the First Being hence 't is GOD conceiv'd under the Notion of Being or Substance which is Particulariz'd And though GOD be not particulariz'd Substantially or according to the Manner Substances are particulariz'd amongst us which is that the Common Abstracted Indeterminate or Potential Notions of the Genus or Species be Divided and Determin'd under the Notion of Ens by means of Essential or Intrinsecal Differences and so make more Entia for this as was said lately cannot be said of the Pure Actuality and Unity of the Divine Nature Yet he may be particulariz'd by reason of the Relative Conceptions verify'd of Him which we have shown do not induce any Imperfection at all Yet as it is only the Common Suppositum or GOD taking that word in an Absolute Sense which is Related so it is only what 's signify'd by GOD or the Primum Ens which is the Thing Particulariz'd This being then manifest and Particulars under the Notion of Substance being most necessarily held to be Particular Supposita and if they be Intelligent PERSONS it follows that these Three Particulars or Suppositums in GOD are fitly and properly to be call'd Three Divine PERSONS And he who will deny any part of this Discourse stands obliged to show either that there are not Three Particulars in the Divine Nature or that it is not the Divine Nature under the Notion of Substance which is the Thing Related and thence Particulariz'd or that Particulars under the Notion of Substance are not to be call'd in true Speech Suppositums and if they be Intelligent in a vulgar word PERSONS He must also assign some other Notion under which we are to conceive them and invent some other Name suteing with our Natural Notions by which we may call them And lastly he stands bound to answer the Reasons I have brought in my foregoing Explication for each of those Points None of which if he pleases to go to work like a Scholler and not Act a Banterer and Droll he can I am sure ever be able to perform 3. This being so plain I am sorry I must declare that I am much dissatisfy'd that any Christian Writer speaking of the B. Trinity should assert that the word PERSON is now become a Term of Art Whereas we have no word more Proper or more Usual to express a Particular Subsistent Being that is withall Intelligent than the word Person is For let us ask all Mankind and even the rudest Vulgar how many Persons there are in such a Place They will candidly reckon up to us only the Men and Women and not the Stools Chairs or Irrational
to be Spiritually Unitive of the Lover to the Thing Loved Our Common Unstudy'd Thoughts and Language gives this to be True If two Friends Love one another dearly all Mankind uses to say They are all One and our B. Saviour prays to His Heavenly Father that He and His Disciples may be One as Himself and his Father are One that is by Mutual Love it being impossible those Words can there bear any other Signification 13. We have seen above That Divine Love which is the Third Person proceeds from the Goodness of the Divine Object or from the Divine Essence Known that is the Father in His own Divine Knowledge in which consists Essential Truth that this Truth is therefore GOD's Greatest Good because this Infinite Truth is the Best Perfection of His Nature as it is Intelligent or Spiritual That because it does thus proceed from the Divine Object in the Divine Knowledge this Third Person does therefore proceed from the Father and the Son immediately and formally according to their Distinct Personalities or Relations and that therefore because no Relation can be grounded on Another Relation but can only Refer what 's Absolute there can be no Reciprocal Opposite or Distinct Relation of the Divine Object-Known to the Lover nor consequently any occasion of conceiving a Fourth Person It remains now to show that since Love by § 12. imports a Spiritual Union or Conjunction of the Lover with that which it Loves therefore from the very Notion of the word Conjoyn'd there must be some Distinction between those which are thus Ioyn'd-together Since what 's in Every Respect One and the Same cannot without Injury to Common Sense be said to be Conjoyn'd with it self in Any Respect that is Conjoyn'd at all But in what manner does this Third Person proceed from the other Two Not according to Likeness or Identity of Nature as did the Son but it presupposes this Likeness Conformity Agreeableness or Identity of Nature in the Object as Known and in the Knower as Knowing it for in this consists that Greatest Good call'd Truth which is the Object of Love and 't is against all our Natural Notions to conceive Actual Love of a thing not Suppos'd to bee Wherefore this Similitude of Nature is not the Formal Motive nor the Manner by which Divine Love proceeds but only this that the other two Persons according to their Distinction of Knower and Known in which consists Divine Truth do integrate as it were that Bonum Dei or Good which is the Adequate Object of the Divine Will The Son therefore proceeds from His Father by having Communicated to Him the same Form as it were or the Divine Nature as an Object which formally constitutes Him a Knower of it and thence a Son The B. Spirit proceeds from the two other Persons as they are a Good to the Divine Nature which it Affects Spiritually clings to or embraces and so becomes or is Actually United or One with it The Former according to our weak manner of Conceiving proceeds as coming from the Object Communicating it self to it the Later by it's being drawn as it were by the Object and â—…oving it self forwards to or rather in reality haâ—ing actually an Union with it The Former by â—ay of Informing or being in the Divine Underâ—â—anding The Later by enamouring the Divine Will to pursue what is conceiv'd to be out of the Lover as such or rather in our case to enjoy it actually Which expression tho' most beseeming a Pure Actuality of Being yet it debars not the Distinction between the Good Enjoy'd and the Enjoyer of it but obliges us to conceive them as thus Distinct. 14. Having thus declar'd the Particularity or Distinction of the Three Divine Persons in order to one another it is seasonable to manifest in the â—ext place what Names and what Effects are peculiarly to be Attributed to each of them as they relate to us Whence it may appear that as our Explication is Agreeable to Right Reason so it is no less Consonant to Holy Scripture and to the Sense and Language of the Christian Church To mention a few Chief ones will hint to us the â—est 15. Since then Being is the First in Order of all our Natural Notions so that we cannot conceive any thing to be Communicated or to deserve Love unless it is Hence the Notion of the Divine Being is justly conceiv'd to be Appropriated to the First Person who is the Beginning and Origin of the rest and communicates it to the Son whence proceeds as was now said the B. Spirit who is Divine Love Hence also since Every thing Acts as it Is He is said to be Author and Cause of all Created Being or the Creatour of all things Hence also He is said to be the Father of all his Creatures in a Natural but less Proper Sense because He gives us our Being and in a more especial manner since His Only Son by taking our Nature upon Him made Himself in some sort our Brother As also in a Civil Sense because it belongs to Fathers to provide for their Children as His Heavenly Providence does for all His Creatures Not to speak how He is a Father in a Spiritual Sense as we are Re-generated by His Grace given us freely for the Merits and by the Means of His Eternal Son whom he sent amongst us to that end 16. What peculiar Attributes are appropriated to the Son is declard above § 10. I only remark here that when he is call'd Verbum the WORD by a Metaphor taken from our Verbum Mentis that is our Conception or Notion of an Object in our Knowing Power we must take heed we do not understand by those words that Imperfect Form of speaking Truth interiourly which is found in Mental Propositions which Affirm or Deny for even in Angels and Separated Souls as has been demonstrated Knowledge is above all Composition of several Notions of which Propositions are made but it must be meant that the Divine Object in which is Essentially all the Metaphysical Verity both of GOD and of all Creatures is most Expressly in Him as He is the Knower of it that is indeed in the very Divine Essence in which the most Actual that is the most Bright and most Universal Truth is Communicated to Him from the Father and is most exactly in Him We must take heed also that when He is call'd Imago Patris and such like some Cartesian or other Ideist catching at the word do not make â—im a meer Picture or Similitude of His Father â—…d that He has not therefore the very Divine created Essence or the Divine Nature in Him â—…t only some Created Similitude of it I must â—…nfess this sutes well enough with the Doctrine Ideas in our Mind which are Spiritual Pourâ—…itures or Resemblances of the Things we know â—…d not the Things themselves But that it sutes â—…ither with Reason or Faith they can never show â—…s for how can meer Fancies agree