Raillery defeated by calm reason, or, The new Cartesian method of arguing and answering expos'd in a letter to all lovers of science, candor and civility / by J.S. Sergeant, John, 1622-1707. 1699 Approx. 321 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 112 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A59240 Wing S2586 ESTC R34236 14153506 ocm 14153506 102124 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59240) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 102124) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1069:12) Raillery defeated by calm reason, or, The new Cartesian method of arguing and answering expos'd in a letter to all lovers of science, candor and civility / by J.S. Sergeant, John, 1622-1707. [8], 211 p. Printed for D. Brown ... and A. Roper ..., London : MDCXCIX [1699] Attributed by Wing to Sergeant. Imperfect: pages stained and with some print show-through. Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Catholic Church -- Apologetic works. 2004-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-05 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-05 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion RAILLERY DEFEATED BY CALM REASON : OR , THE NEW CARTESIAN METHOD OF ARGUING and ANSWERING EXPOS'D . In a Letter to all Lovers of Science , Candour and Civility . By J. S. LONDON , Printed for D. Brown , at the Black Swan and Bible , without Temple-Bar ; and A. Roper , at the Black-Boy , over against St. Dunstan's Church , in Fleet-stteet , MDCXCIX . TO His Adversaries . Gentlemen , ADdresses of this nature did use , hitherto , to be made to Great Persons , for their Protection ; or else , to Special Friends , to shew the Author's Respects : But , your Way of Managing this Controversie , has been so Preposterous , that it has oblig'd me to traverse those Usual Methods , and to present this Defensive of mine to your selves , tho' my Adversaries . And , because I fear that , coming from my Hand , it will not please you , I will endeavour to make it as little Unwelcome as I can . Let me ask you then , What means all this Railing , and Libelling ? Can any Man of Common Sense think , this is the Method to promote Truth ? And , if not ; pray , What was your Aim in taking this Way , so Ungrateful to Sober Men , so Nauseous to the Learned , and so Unchristian in it self ? Does it conduce to prove TRUTH , or confute ERROUR ? Or , rather , Does it not expose you to the Censure of all Lovers of Learning , and Civility ; as Men , whose Reasons are at a Nonplus . I beseech you to consider , that Reason is our True Nature ; and , therefore , whatever subsists by Reason , does naturally claim the Assent and Acceptation of Mankind : Whereas , PASSION , if excessive , is never Wise ; and , especially , in Philosophy , where Evident Arguments ought to be the only Managers , 't is a meer Folly. 'T is Scandalous to Truth , as well as to Modesty , that Brawling should usurp the Place of Demonstrating . Indeed , no Credit being got by Answering Squabbles , you could not have invented any better Way to make me lose mine : And , the best Compurgator I can bring , to keep me fair in the Opinion of the World , for Answering Books that abound in Raillery , but are quite void of Sense , is , that I saw it was a great Good to the Commonwealth of Learning , to lay open , once for all , such Ridiculous and Unfair Methods ; that their Insignificancy being Expos'd , they may , for ever hereafter , he held Unworthy of any other Answer , but that of Scorn , and Neglect . What I most fear , is , that my Reader will think , that , while I am Replying to Mr. Le Grand's CENSURA , I am rather framing an Idea of the Incredible Weakness of Perverted Reason , than giving him a True Account of his Real and Perpetual Failings : But , my Comfort is , his Book is extant , to justifie me . Philosophers use to say , that Nature abhors a Vacuum : I am sure , Rational Nature as much abhors an Emptiness of Sense ; yet , this is all he has allow'd me to work upon , or confute . Now , since to talk Incoherently , is , by all Mankind , held to be Folly ; and , to do this in a High Degree , and Constantly , is that which Men call Distractedness , or Madness ; which is a Total Disabling of our Rational Faculty : 'T is manifest , hence , that REASON , which is our Nature , consists in the Conjoyning our Thoughts rightly ; and , that 't is the Perfection of our Reason , to discourse Coherently , or Connectedly . Wherefore , my only Request to you , is , that , leaving off all those Foppish and Irrational Ways of Raillery , and Buffoonery , you would do your selves the Favour to pursue this Way of CONNEXION ; so Natural to your Souls , so Honourable to your Credits , and so Beneficial to the Learned Part of Mankind . This Method , besides the doing a just Duty to Truth , will , over and above , make all Uncivil Language Impracticable : No such Stuff can find Place , while we are Laying Principles , and Deducing Legitimate Consequences ; which are all a Philosopher has to do : Nor , can Impertinent Babblers find Opportunity to put in a Word , while such Serious Business is in Agitation . You have too much Disoblig'd and Scandaliz'd all Good Men , and no less Mortify'd me , in forcing me from this Solid Method , by your bringing the Controversie from Evidence of Arguing , to the worst sort of Drollery ; since you neither brought against me any one Argument , the Terms of which you would undertake to be Connected ; nor went about to solve the Close Connexion of mine ; but , only huddl'd together a Medly of Rambling Cavils , tending only to blemish my Reputation : Which forced me ( it being expected I should say something , and you giving me no wiser Employment ) to lose Time in laying open your Injuriousness , Weaknesses , and Falshoods ; whereas , I do assure you , I should , with much more Joy and Satisfaction , have commended your Learning , and Civility , if your Carriage would have permitted me to do it with Truth . I beg of you , that you would not ( as Lawless Assassinates and Robbers use ) thus disgrace your selves , by assaulting me with your Vizards on ; but , appear Bare-fac'd . Why should an Honest Man , in an Honest Cause , be asham'd to shew his Face ? Own your true Nature , Reason : State your Cartesian Thesis ; for , our Controversie begun about that ; and , if you flinoh from it , and run to other Subjects , you quit the Field . Then , lay Determinate Principles , and bring Determinate Arguments to prove your Assertions ; and , I will promise you to do the same . But , I beseech you , let not the least Disrespectful Word pass between us , under Penalty of being held to have lost our Cause . If you please to take this Way , so Proper for Settling Truth , I shall Honour and Respect you , and civilly Excuse whatever may hap to be Defective . But , if you resolve still to continue these Untoward Methods , here laid open , I shall not think it worth my while to stand Bartering Angry Repartees with you ; but , will let you Rail on to your selves . Resting confident , that all Learned and Sober Men will both Condemn your Prevaricating Incivility ; and , will also hold me Excus'd , if I let you gratifie your own Genius , and apply my self to better Employments , more becoming a Scholar , and a Christian. Your Sincere , tho' Undeservedly Injur'd , Friend , and Servant , J. S. RAILLERY DEFEATED BY CALM REASON : OR , THE NEW CARTESIAN METHOD OF Arguing and Answering EXPOS'D : In a Letter to all Lovers of Science , Candour and Civility . Gentlemen , 1. WHen Pretenders to Philosophy , instead of producing Arguments of their own , or Answering those that are brought by others , do break in upon all the Rules of Decency and Civility , and betake themselves to Railing and Libelling , 't is the Concern , not only of the Learned , but of all Mankind to declare their Abhorrence of such an Indirect and Senseless Prevarication . Invectives cast such a Shadow upon the clearest Truths , and introduce so pernicious a Precedent into Disputation about Points of Philosophy , and those also of a more Sacred Nature , that , unless this absurd Carriage be discountenanc'd , the best Efforts of Exact Reason will be turn'd into Buffoonery . That nothing but my Opposing Cartesianism , either by Undeniable Matter of Fact , or by my Arguments , did force Mr. Le Grand and his Complice to this Hurry of Passion , and ( as your selves will character it when you see their manner of Writing ) Madness of Malice , will appear manifestly by a plain Stating of the Case ; which is this . 2. Very many of my Learned Friends ( tho' it was my Concern to name but one of them ) had blam'd my Ignobile Otium , and had press'd me to write . To speak candidly , I cannot perfectly remember , that they desir'd me , in express Terms , to write Philosophy ; but I am certain I understood them so , the Circumstances seeming very Improper to publish any thing else . Being thus won , I cast about how I might make my Productions as Universally Beneficial as I was able . At first sight I Diseover'd , and had , ( with many others , who aim'd at True Science , ) in my Thoughts , Bewail'd , that a kind of Sceptitism , or Despair of Certain Knowledge , had insensibly crept into the World ; and I had experienc'd how it had corrupted many excellent Wits , and made them turn Libertines . I saw that this dangerous Distemper of the Mind was grown very Epidemical ; of which , in my Preface to Solid Philosophy Asserted , I so heartily and feelingly complain . I saw that this Sceptical Humour did hinder the Progress of Scientifical Knowledge , and the Improvement of Rational Nature ; nay , that it brought a vast Prejudice to Religion it self : For , those who had only Wit enough to raise Objections against Christian Faith , but wanted Solidity of Judgment , and True Principles , enabling them to settle their Volatil Thoughts , were apt to think that the Mysteries it propos'd were altogether Repugnant to Reason , and Inexplicable . But , particularly , I had observ'd the Increase of Atheism , and ( which is next to it ) of Deism here in England . Which kind of Men , making a Scoff at Scripture , and disregarding Church , Councils , Fathers , and all Authority , could no way be so properly and effectually combated , or confuted , as by REASON ; to which , and which only , they appeal'd . Hereupon , I resolv'd to bend my best Endeavours to advance the Way of Exact Reasoning ; and , thence , pitch'd upon the Writing and Publishing a METHOD to Science . 3. That the Regard I had to Christian Faith was the Chief Motive that prevail'd with me to write Philosophy , or that Treatise , will appear hence : First , Because it is manifest that I took there all Occasions that could come in my way , to apply my Discourses to the Defence of Faith ; and when I had establish'd any Truth by way of Reason , I did , upon the Spot , make use of it to confute some Heresie ; or else some Tenet which seem'd not so well consistent with Faith , but subcontrary to it . For Example ; In my METHOD , p. 6. I argue against the Scepticks . Pag. 7. against the Pre-existence of Souls . Pag. 32. I prove that Man is but One Thing , and not Two , as the Cartesians hold ; of which more hereafter . Pag. 43. I conclude against the Epicurean Hypothesis . I demonstrate , p. 59 , 60. that the World had a Beginning of Motion ; and , consequently , that there is some Spiritual Nature , which , either by its own Virtue , or by Power deriv'd from some Supreme and First Cause of Motion , did move Unactive Matter . I hint , p. 80. the Grounds which shew the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity conformable to Right Reason . I prove , p. 93. that Angels are not properly in Place . I explicate , p. 97 , 98. in what GOD's Attribute of Eternity , and the Aeviternity of Angels , do consist . I take care , p. 105 , 106. that Weak Men do not mis-interpret Scripture , by taking Metaphorical Expressions Literally , and Dogmatically , as Mr. Le Grand does frequently , and very rashly ; from which proceeded the Heresie of the Anthropomorphites , and divers others . I explicate , p. 109 , 110. how , and in what Sense , Religious Honour , or Respect may be given to Creatures , without shocking any well-meaning Christian , or breeding Disunion amongst them . I shew , p. 112. the Incomparableness of GOD's Divine Word , the Holy Scriptnres , from its having or bearing many several sorts of Senses , and yet all of them True. I attempt , p. 137 , 138 , &c. by a Logical Medium , to demonstrate the Existence of a Deity . I shew , p. 153. the Way to perfect Souls in Solid Vertue . I demonstrate , p. 277 , 278 , &c. GOD's Providence in the whole Course of Nature , even to the very least Effect : That he cannot be the Author of Sin : How senseless a Sin Irresignation is : How great our Gratitude to GOD ought to be : And , how Wise the Doctrine of Christianity is . I manifest , p. 286. how Ignorant Atheists are . Pag. 299. That the World had a Beginning ; and , that there are Spiritual Natures . I demonstrate at large , p. 302. that there is a Self-existent Being , or a Deity . I prove , p. 318. against the Origenists , how Rational it is that there should be an Eternal Hell for the Devils , and wicked Souls . I I settle very largely , to the End of that Lesson , the Rational Grounds , previous to Humane and Divine Faith. And , p. 343. I shew , from a Logical Medium , the Unreasonableness of Opinionative Faith , which grounds Light Credulity , and Bigottery . I inform my Reader , p. 360 , 361 , &c. how to arm himself against being surpriz'd by Fallacies brought against Christianity . And , Lastly , p. 373. I demonstrate , that the Practical Judgment of a Sinner , and , consequently , all Sin , is clearly Opposite to Right Reason ; and an Evident Fallacy , according to the Commonest Rules of True Logick . 4. I pursue the same good End in my Solid Philosophy Asserted ; and take all Occasions ( even though not given me sometimes ) to apply my former Grounds to higher Subjects . I will only touch upon some Instances . I explicate , p. 174 , and 199. GOD's Immensity , and set it above those low Conceits fram'd by our Fancy . As likewise , ( p. 202. ) his Self-Existence , and ( p. 211. ) his Absolute Infinity . I shew ( p. 223. ) the Necessity of a Supernatural Doctrine , against the Deists . Pag. 225. How to conquer in our Spiritual Warfare . Pag. 227. That Man , pre-determin'd by GOD , determines himself , or is Free. Pag. 229. Whence Sin springs . I lay open ( p. 271 , 272 , &c. ) the Nature of Solid Vertue . I shew ( p. 303 , and 391. ) the Clear Distinction between Corporeal and Spiritual Natures ; which is of vast Concern , both to Philosophy , Divinity , and Faith it self ; and , is the best Rule of Interpreting Scripture in such Passages as concern Spirits , unless the known Faith of the Catholick Church has already establish'd the Doctrinal Point to our hand . I distinguish ( p. 438 , 439 , ) what is due to Reason , what to Divine Revelation . And , ( p. 441 , 442. ) that Reason is not to be rely'd upon in Things above Reason . Lastly , ( p. 452. ) I give a Certain Rule how we can never come to be mis-led by Authority , &c. 5. Secondly , That I writ Philosophy to maintain the Interest of Christian Faith , and not out of the vain Motive of being held a meer Philosopher , does farther appear hence , That in the Epistle Dedicatory to Solid Philosophy Asserted , I did civilly challenge the Socinians , Deists and Atheists , that some Learned Men of those Sects would please to send me those Reasons which they , or their Leaders , do judge to be of most Weight why they cannot embrace the Doctrine of the Trinity , or Christianity ; which they may send privately , and unnam'd , to the Stationer who publishes this Book : Promising them , that I would give their Arguments their full Weight , and publish an Answer to them . Which manifestly shews , that my Design was , to apply my Books of Philosophy to the Explication and Defence of Reveal'd Faith. From some of those Sects I might have expected a Rude Opposition ; tho' I do not think any of them would have thought it Prudent , or Creditable to themselves , or their Cause , to leave my Arguments and my Books Unanswer'd , and let fly at me with Personal Reflexions ; but , that those who bear the Name of Christians , should , instead of Answering my Reasons , fall to Decry , Traduce and Libel those very Books , and their Author , in the most Vile and Scurrilous manner , I could not have expected . This plainly convinces all sober Men , that these angry Gentlemen esteem nothing so Sacred as the Satisfaction of their private Pique . But , nothing is so Fiery , and Furious , as Men too fond of Empty Fame , when they fore-see their Ignorance is in danger to be baffl'd . I dare presume , that whoever considers the several Particulars lately mention'd , to demonstrate which , in those Treatises , I have laid Grounds ; ( not to speak of many others I have omitted , ) will acknowledge they are of no small Weight ; and therefore , that the Writer who advances Positions which are so useful and serviceable to Christianity , ought ( were it but out of respect to that Best Cause ) to be civilly treated , even tho' he had erred . Nor could my Adversaries have shewn a greater Kindness to those Sects above-mentioned , than to bend their whole Endeavours to revile and blacken an Author , who , as they already saw , had enter'd the Lists against those Men ; so to fore-stall ( as far as they were able ) the Efficacy of all his future Labours to defend Christian Faith ! Poor Men ! What Service has either of them done for Christianity ! They have spent their whole Life , or the greatest part of it , in contemplating Groundless Fancies , coin'd by their own Brain ; or , ( as they call it , ) in Eliciting , or Producing Ideas ; and in talking Voluntaries while they explicate them , without either Principles or Connexion ; and that 's the utmost of their empty Performances . And then , when they should defend their Cause by Arguments , if we will not allow their Explications for good Proof , they fall to Railing and Libelling . But Envy is of so froward an Humour , that it will neither do Good it self , nor let it be done by others . 6. I might add , as a Third Argument , to prove , that my chief Aim in my Writings , was , to do my Duty to Faith , that I have oppos'd all the Whole Way of Ideas ; because I saw them very Unfit to Explicate or Defend it . Far be it from me to cast in a Suspicion , that the Authors who follow that Way are Unsound in Faith. What I affirm , is , That I can neither conceive how the Ideas of the Cartesians can well sute with some Points of Faith , ( of which more hereafter ; ) nor that those of Mr. Locke , tho' his Simple Ideas being taken from the Things in Nature , his Doctrine is in comparably better grounded than that of Cartesius , do so clearly serve to explicate Faith , but that they are obnoxious to some Exceptions . I should be better satisfy'd with both those Hypotheses , could I once see a Body of Speculative Divinity ; or even an Explication of two or three Points of Reveal'd Faith , manifesting the Agreement of Faith with the Principles of Right Reason ; so that we may see how the Superstructure of that Divine Doctrine does accord with those Grounds ; as it must with True Science . For , I cannot but judge , that since [ Verum vero non contradicit , ] Philosophical Truths , which are Inferiour ones , and lie level to our Reason , and therefore are Clearer to our Understanding than are those Sublime Mysteries , and are more maniable by it , ought to lend their Assistance to our weak Capacities in Explicating and Defending them from being Contradictory to True Reason : Whence , I cannot think Tha● Philosophy to be True , which , like an Officious Hand-maid , is not thus Subservient to her Mistress , Faith. And , if any Writer , or Sustainer of those Sects above mention'd , shall think fit to attack any Article of Reveal'd Faith , as contrary to True Science , I doubt not but to make it evidently appear by the Doctrine I have settl'd in my METHOD , how far short their Arguments are from any Shew of Concluding . 7. Lastly , It was not in me any Fondness of advancing Paradoxes , but my Zeal of pursuing the same Good End , which made me attempt to demonstrate in my Method divers Points which shock the Fancy of the Vulgar , and , perhaps , of some Learned Readers , till they well weigh their Grounds ; viz. those of the Immutability of a Pure Spirit , and the Impossibility of Annihilation by GOD's Ordinary Power . I had observ'd , that the perfect Distinction between Body and Spirit was Ill understood by most , and their Natures Confounded by divers Ingenious Writers . Also , that very few did penetrate thorowly the Nature of their State , their kind of Duration , or their manner of Operating ; but conceited them to have a kind of Commensuration to Body , Time and Corporeal Operation . Which put , it was impossible to devest them totally of Corporeal Predicates ; or to evince clearly against Atheists , that there were any Beings of a Nature truly and properly Spiritual , or Indivisible , unless we could prove they were Contradictorily Different from Body , and all that belong'd to it , excepting only as to their Genus , or Common Notion , Ens , or Thing . Wherefore , reflecting of what Importance it was to clear this main Point , both for Philosophy , the Adequate Object of which these two Natures are ; neither of which could be clearly understood , unless they be thus perfectly , that is , contradictorily Distinguish'd : As also , for Theology , which treats mostly of Spiritual Things , and Spiritual Natures : And , Lastly , for Faith ; because , otherwise , Atheists , who deny all Spirituality , might take a Conceit , that we meant nothing by a [ Spirit , ] but only some more refin'd sort of Matter ; and , thence , might come to deny also the Immortality of the Soul , ( which is one of the main Grounds of all Religion , ) if we ascrib'd to Spirits any Mode , or Manner of Operating , which appertains to Body ; nay , would thence be apt to conclude , that there is nothing above meer Matter : Hence , I saw it fit to demonstrate the former of these Theses , viz. their Immutability , as the Best , and most Convincing Proof of their Immortality ; and , at the same time , quite defeat Origenism , and the Denial of an Eternal Hell , which ( tho' it be a known Point of Christian Faith ) is now creeping again into Fashion in England . And , it was for the same good Reason , that I went about to demonstrate that Point of the Impossibility of Annihilation ; because our Modern Socinians explicate the Spiritual Perdition of the Soul , by Annihilation . And , that the Reason why I advanc'd and demonstrated those Theses , was out of my Respect to Faith , appears yet more manifestly , because I apply them still to the Confutation of those Sects . 8. Hitherto , then , it is not visible to the Eye of any sober Christian , how I , or those Books of mine , could fall into the high Displeasure of Mr. Le Grand to that degree , as to revile my self , and degrade them to the lowest degree of Contempt . If he had dis-lik'd my Reasons which establish'd these Particulars in my Method , he might , in behalf of Truth , have confuted them ; and he should not , in the least , have disoblig'd me ; nor had it broke any Friendship between us . But , now comes my Crime : It was my necessary Duty , while I was writing my Method to Science , to confute those Methods advanced by others , which I judg'd to be False ones : Whence , I took notice of that of Malbranche , who pretends that all Science comes by Divine Revelation ; and of that of Cartesius , who , ( as the Writer of his Life tells us , ) by endeavouring to bring himself to question all the Certainty he had receiv'd from his Senses , fell into Fits of Enthusiasm . I thought it a Duty I ow'd to Mankind , and to the Subject I was writing of , to forewarn Studious Men of following such Methods as might prejudice their Wits ; and , withall , lead them into Errour ; and to declare , that I could not think that God ever intended That for the only Means ( as they pretend ) for Men to get Knowledge , which might make them lose their Wits in looking after it . This highly offended those Cartesians , and transported them into most Tragical Exclamations . But with what Reason ? It lay directly in the Road I had taken ; and , What Obligation had I to either of those Authors , that I should dissemblingly favour them , against the Duty I ow'd to my Readers , and the Regard I had for Truth ? It could not proceed from any private Pique against their Persons , for they had never injur'd me . Again ; Had I wrong'd either of them , it had been easie to confure me , by shewing that I either falsify'd the Words I cited , or suppress'd their own Interpretation of them . But , both these being impossible , and Confutation by way of Reason not being their Talent , another Way ( tho' nothing to the purpose ) was thought fit ; which was , to rail at me aloud , and bespatter my Person . 9. I had brought also some Arguments against divers Positions of the Cartesian Doctrine , advanc'd by Mr. Le Grand ; but I had not one unhandsom Word against his Person , but spoke respectfully of him : Which , from a Scholar , and a Well-bred Man , might have merited the like Return . If the Arguments against Cartesianism gave him too much Trouble to answer , it was too good a Fault to be sorry for it . It seems , there was no other Crime in them , nor me ; for , could they have been Answer'd by Calm Reason , there had been no need to have Recourse to Passion and Invective , which abounded in his Reply . A hundred Cavils , which were foreign to the Matter in hand , were hal'd in by head and shoulders ; and fitted up by sinister Constructions , and false Representations , to lay an Odium upon me . Not one of those Questions were stated , or fully treated of , to benefit the Reader , by letting him see what was True , what not : But a few Words were snatch'd out of my Books , here and there ; and then distorted , and perverted , to make them fit to be descanted upon with Raillery . My Conclusions , against all Laws of Disputation , were stoutly Deny'd : The Proofs , by which they subsisted , were stifled in Silence ; at least , the Force of my Arguments were scarce ever taken notice of : Whereas , the most puny Logician knows that a Conclusion , for which a Proof is brought , is to stand firm , and be allow'd , till the Proof for it be Invalidated . Do they think I would have taken it ill from any Man , if he shew'd me the Weakness of my Argument ? I do assure them , I am so far from that Humour , that I should take it for a great Favour : For , by this means , they would either satisfie me , by convincing me of my Errour ; or else , by Attempting to answer my Reasons , and not performing it , Truth would become more Victorious ; which is all an honest Man ought to aim at . On the contrary , How civilly did I invite Mr. Le Grand , to take the Manly Way of Arguing becoming a Scholar , and to prove what he says ? Ending with these Words , Id. Cartes . p. 12 , 13. Nec peto à Te , &c. Nor do I require of you to Perform this ; at least , Endeavour it , and you shall see with what Honour I will treat you , tho' you do sometimes , nay , often , fail . But I was not so Fortunate , as to meet with such a Candid Adversary . The Way of Invective was resolv'd on , as more favourable to their Cause ; and all Overtures that were handsome , and becoming Learned Men , were rejected . 10. Now , Gentlemen , since I have , in my Reply , shewn this Carriage of theirs Evident by Matter of Fact , judge how strangely Imprudent ( not to say , worse ) these Men are , who can persuade themselves , that this manner of Writing , never taken by any sober Man since the World stood when he is to answer another Man's Arguments , or to establish his own Thesis , does not perfectly convince every Intelligent Person , that they are at an end of their Reason when they fall into such a high Salivation of Passion ; and this without any other Provocation , than what my Arguments gave them ? Can their pelting their Adversary with such abominable Slanders , ( even supposing him guilty of them all , ) either Answer his Proofs for his Doctrine , or avail in the least to prove their own ? Were the Person they impugn a Profess'd Atheist , it could not justifie a Writer who is to defend Truth , to run away from the Question , and fall to Impertinent Brabbling , and bring in twenty Foreign Exceptions , and Personal Defamations , which are nothing at all to the Point . Nay , it would , in that Case , be far more requisite to take care to confute him with Pregnant and Solid Reasons ; lest prudent Readers , who are sagacious enough to see that Ill Language , Bawling Exclamations , and Personal Reflexions , are certain Symptoms of Non-pluss'd Reason , should be inveigl'd by those Passionate Prevarications , and by such a wild Management , to think that he has Truth on his side , and so come to embrace his Errours . But , will it not look like a Jest , that he who was formerly , by all that know him , held a good Christian , and had writ many Books for Christianity , should immediately , upon his opposing the Cartesians , be guilty of so many Impieties , Blasphemies and Heresies , and become as Black as the Devil ; and his Books , which found such an Universal Acceptation among Learned Men , ( except two or three Maligners , ) should , all on a sudden , become stark naught ? Is it not prodigious , that Men who are at Age to have Common Sense in them , should so foolishly and childishly hood-wink themselves , and then think none sees them ? The World , whatever they think , is wiser , than to judge that any Credit is to be given to them who , by their Carriage , confess themselves to be piqu'd , and exasperated , even to an Extasie of Fury . Their Transport of Passion too visibly discovers , that their Souls are not acted by the Spirit of Sober Reason , Charity , and Candid Love of Truth ; but agitated by a violent Whirlwind of Fury , Envy , and Resolute Uncharitableness . Their Demeanour being such , that , even tho' they had Truth on their side , they would disgrace their Cause by their Hot-headed Managery of it . 11. These unoccasion'd Contumelies being the most Disgraceful that could be laid upon one of my Quality , and Rank , did a little transport me in my Ideae Cartesianae , where I was to reply to them ; and , made me use , now and then , some smart Expressions , more than were precisely necessary for my Defence ; for which I ask Mr. Le Grand's , and my Reader 's Pardon ; tho' they were no more than such as every Prudent Man may discern that himself , as a Writer , had given himself . But I carefully avoided all Imputations of Irreligion , either in his Intentions , or his Writings . And , if I saw that , in any Circumstance , my Words might occasion such a Misconstruction , I charitably and carefully defended his Credit in such Points , and declar'd him innocent . All the Reflexions I us'd , were on his Manner of Writing ; which it was impossible to avoid , if I would do a Just Right to my self . But he liberally requited me , in his Censura ; and gave me Pounds for my Pence : For , he tells me , in the Close of his Epistle to the Reader , that Non quicquam per integrum Responsum suum sine mendacio dixit ; that I have not spoken any thing ( that is , not one Word ) throughout my whole Answer , without a Lye. So that my Answer , which consists of two hundred seventy two Pages , is nothing but one continu'd Lye. Upon my word , this was shrewd , and home ; and , if this Libel of his , which usher'd in , and made way for the following one , be but capable of Immortality , my Name will be Eterniz'd for a Lyar , to the World's End. Certainly , these Men are the oddest sort of Writers , that ever were guilty of Ink-shed . Other Men , when they write , do entertain some Hope they shall be believ'd ; but these Men never think on , nor regard that Obvious Consideration . They press on furiously , to attain their Beloved End ; which is , to disgrace that abominable J. S. And this so totally possesses and fills their whole Fancy , that not the least Prudential Consideration can peep up there , to make them wisely pursue their own Design . What Man in his Wits , do they think , will believe that a Man of known Credit , who never in his Life was noted , or thought , to be a Lyar , should , in the Twinkling of a Bed-staff , ( as their Noble Jack Pudding , in his Dialogue , p. 13. stiles it , ) tell a Lye in every Line , for Two Hundred Seventy two Pages together . Logicians say , that an Argument that proves too much is naught , and proves Nothing at all . Such will be the Fate of their Ranting Fits of Passion ; they so overstrain all Belief , that no Credit will be given to any one thing they say ; nor did I ever know that Maxim of Machiavell , [ Calumniare fortiter , &c. ] more untowardly and aukwardly apply'd . Yet , I must say this in their Commendation , that they are Men of a most Magnanimous Courage and Confidence . Should I talk at this swaggering Rate , I should fear it would spoil my whole ensuing Book ; and so utterly lose my Credit , that not a Word I said would be believ'd . 12. Being heartily weary of this brawling Way of theirs , so contrary to my Genius , which , all who read my Books may see , does aim at Close and Solid Reasoning ; I publish'd a small Treatise , settling the First Truth , or First Principle , fundamentally on the Ideas in God's Creative Intellect ; for which Reason , I intitl'd it Non Ultra , it being impossible to go higher . Where also I demonstrated the Shallowness of the First Principlè of the Cartesians . In it I begg'd of them but meerly to name , or put down Categorically , any one Principle of the Cartesian Doctrine , which they judge to be the strongest , or most Evident ; and I would undertake to Demonstrate , that , either it is no Principle , or else , that it has no Influence at all upon their Hypothesis . I declar'd , that I did this , to put an End to this Controversie , and to settle Peace . I propos'd there , p. 121. that we should confine our selves to Half a Sheet of Paper ; and , that all should be transacted by pure Dint of Reason ; and , that he who shall use the least Uncivil VVord to his Adversary , and falls into Passion , shall be held to have lost his Cause , and to be reduc'd to a Non-plus . Could any Proposal , or any Overture , be more Civil , Equal , or Welcome to Men who love Truth and Ingenuity ; or be more Efficacious to Decide the Question , and stop the Way to all Possibility of VVrangling . But that 's the Fault of it ; They have a great Talent in Brabbling , but they are not at all gifted for Arguing conclusively , Demonstrating , or Laying Principles . More than this , I offer'd , that , If they can shew their Cause has any Principles to support it , ( without which , by the way , none ought to hold it True , ) that I would make them Satisfaction , by acknowledging publickly , that I had foolishly over-ween'd ; and take the Shame to my self , for my Rash Presumption . By which candid and frank Offer , I put my self upon the greatest Disadvantage imaginable ; and gave them a greater Advantage against me , than they could ever hope to gain any other Way . Lastly , I did all this needlesly , without either being Forc'd , or Desir'd , to do it ; but meerly out of my own Voluntary Motion , and out of my sincere Desire that Truth should be made appear . 13. But , what Return , do you think , was made me , for this Fair and Candid Proposal ? While I was expecting this Half-sheet of Paper , that was to consist of nothing but Calm Reason , and was likely to decide the whole Controversie ; out comes a Dialogue , in English , under the Name of Mr. Merry-man , A-la-mode of our Bartholomew Fair Jack-Pudding ; stuffed with Ignorance , Impudence , Falsification , Foul-mouth'd Railing , Scornful Jeers , and other Scurrilous Language : Which , for any thing I see yet , are all the Cartesian Principles I am to expect . The Reader will see how shrewdly he confutes me ; For , he tells me over and over , I am an Ass , a Rare Fellow , and as Proud as Lucifer : That my Writings smell rank of the Fumes of an Intoxicated Brain : That I am a kind of Devil Incarnate ; for , he says , he begins to suspect I have a Cloven Foot ; and , that no body , but the Devil , set me on VVriting : That I run down Piety , Religion , and GOD himself ; and forty such Good Morrows . Certainly , by this Description , I must have ten Legions in me at least : Yet , the Jest is this ; this silly Fop , who would pretend great Zeal for Faith , and GOD's Honour , dares not appear bare-fac'd , to write against such a Monster of Wickedness ; but keeps a Vizard on , and masks his Name under that of Merry-man ; which we must suppose he does , either because he is ashamed , and should blush if good Christians knew he took GOD's Part against Lucifer and his Imps , which is an odd piece of Modesty ; or else , because under that Disguize , he may lye , forge , and say or do any thing , and yet none challenge him with it , or call him to Account . He falsifies the Places where he does not quote my Books ; and when he does , he picks out a few Words , and concealing the Tenour of the Discourse , travesties them to any Sense he pleases . He is so impudent , that , against Matter of Fact , known openly to great Multitudes , particularly , to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Madaura , he objects very confidently , that some of my Pieces of Divinity were damn'd ( that Word pleases him , and his Friend mightily ) by the Sorbon Doctors ; of which , more anon . He has a fling at the Bishops , for Negligence in their Duty ; or at me , for printing my Books without their Approbation : I beseech him to shew us , in in his Huge Wisdom , that 't is an Episcopal Duty to approve all Philosophical Books ; or for Philosophy-Writers to have Episcopal Approbations , ere they print them ! Had Le Grand , had Cartesius any such ? Or , did this Libeller ask any such Approbation for his Libel , which , by the Antient Canons of the Church , renders him liable to Excomunication ; nay , ( by Conc. Arelat . 2. Canon . 24. ) he is forbidden to Communicate till his Death : And , lest he should think a Provincial Council's Decree does not debar him from the Sacrament , it is added there immediately ; Sicut Magna Synodus , ( that is , a General Council ) did formerly decree . His Ignorance is so profound , that he understands not one of the Questions he touches upon , and defiles . As , when I affirm that GOD is not the Immediate Cause of Motion , he runs to Creation , which is not perform'd by way of Motion , but Instantaneously : Whence , since Motion being Successive Quantity , and so Proportionate Parts may be taken of it , ( for example , Half of it , ) and Creation gives Being , by this Learned Doctrine of his , a Thing may half-be , half-not-be ; and so his Miraculous Stupidity has found out a Medium between the two Contradictions , Est , and Non-est . 14. Who the Author of this Libel is , tho' he thinks he walks in a Mist , is well enough known . He was formerly convicted of slandering a Pious and Virtuous Ecclesiastick : And now , it seems , having the Ambition to take the Highest Degree in that Infamous Art of Calumny he took this Occasion to Commence Doctor-Libeller . But , too much of a Pamphlet so silly and ridiculous , that 't is below Contempt . 15. And now , Gentlemen , is not this mighty Learned ? Are not these most Profound Principles ? Does not every Man , who has but half an Eye , see plainly that Mr. Le Grand , and his Party , distrusting the Way of Laying Principles , so unfriendly to their Cause , which has none , are forc'd to have Recourse to Railing ; and endeavour all they can to bring our Philosophical Contest from the Way of Connected Reason , to Farce and Drollery ? I discern , by his desire it should be told me what he says , he thinks I should set my self to answer his Libel : But he is mistaken . 'T is too much Honour to him , that I take notice of it at all . Nor does it spring from any Desert of his , that I do even so much ; but out of regard to some weak Persons , amongst whom , I am inform'd , they spread it in hugger-mugger ; and , to meet with the private Cavils of the Triumvirate : For , I hear , they have hook'd in a Third Man , to strengthen their thin Party . 16. Notwithstanding , I must confess , I owe Satisfaction to every Reader of my Books , if in any place I speak obscurely ; and to themselves too , if their resolute Malice would render them capable to receive it : For , I look upon Them too as my Brethren ; tho' , at present , being piqu'd , they are much out of Humour ; taking it to be my Duty to use all the Effectual Ways I can , Lucrari Fratres meos . I must confess , it is not Fit that such High and Abstruse Points should be treated in English , in regard they transcend the Fancies of the Vulgar ; who are Incompetent Readers , much less Judges , of such Speculations ; but , since they have thus forc'd me to it , let the Imprudence lie at their Doors , if I treat somewhat largely , in our Vulgar Language ; of the main Points which they strive to render so Odious . 17. 'T is to be noted , then , That the Perfect Distinction between Corporeal and Spiritual Natures was formerly unknown to many , even of the Antient Fathers ; the Doctrine of Faith , ( only which was their Concern , as Fathers , ) abstracting from such particular Questions , which belong to Philosophical Speculations : Insomuch that Joannes Thessalonicensis , in the Second Nicene Council , said , that the Angels were , indeed , Intelligibles , ( he means , Intellectuales ; ) Sed non omninò Corporis expertes , verùm tenui corpore praediti , & aereo , sive igneo : That Angels were not without a Body , but had a Thin Body of Air or Fire . Nay , this Opinion of his was approv'd of by the Council . And , which is yet more , he says , that Catholica Ecclesia sic sentit ; that is , 'T is the Sentiment of the Catholick Church : Which shews , that this Opinion was very Universal . Though it ought here to be observ'd , that he says not that the Catholick Church holds this as a Doctrine of Faith , or descended from Christ and his Apostles ; but only , that the Church sic sentit ; that is , thinks or opines so . For , no wise Man can doubt that the Fathers , in Council , being not only Witnesses of the Faith deliver'd from the fore-going Church , which they propagate , and transmit to the Following Age , ( which gives them , properly , and formally , the Denomination of Fathers ; ) but , being also Philosophers , and Divines ; they do hence , sometimes , deliver themselves , ( tho' not in their Decrees of Faith ) as Men endow'd with these later Qualifications . 18. The Reason which made so many Holy Men fall into that great Errour , contradicted now by most of the Divines of the Christian Church , was , because , the World not having yet arriv'd to that Maturity of Science as to get above Fancy , and therefore not distinguishing perfectly those two sorts of Substances , hence they were apt to take Metaphorical Texts of Scripture , ( such as those generally are , where it speaks of Spiritual Natures , and their Operations , ) to be meant Dogmatically , and Literally : Nor , consequently , could they conceive otherwise , but that Pure Spirits were Passive ; and therefore , of their own Nature , Mutable , by Impressions on them , as Bodies are ; and , consequently , Matter being the only Potential or Passive Principle , to have some Materiality , or Corporeity , in their Natures . Yet were not all the Antient Fathers thus weakly grounded : For , one of the Antientest , Tertullian , was more Solid , and ( Lib. de Animâ , cap. 2. ) lays this for a kind of Principle : [ Incorporalitas nihil patitur , non habens per quod pati possit ; aut sihabet , hoc est Corpus : In quantum enim omne Corporale passibile est , in tantum omne quod passibile est , Corporale est : An Incorporeal ( that is , a Spiritual ) Thing cannot suffer ( from another Agent , ) having nothing in it , by means of which it can suffer ; ( that is , having no Matter in it , through which only those Things , call'd Bodies , are Passive : ) Or , if it have any such , it is a Body ; since , for what Reason every Bodily Thing is Passive , for the same Reason every thing that is Passive , is Corporeal . ] Which Principle , so perfectly consonant to the Aristotelian Doctrine , was , I believe , the Reason why , speaking of those in the Intermediate State , he says , Non dimittetur nisi modico quoque delicto morâ Resurrection is expenso : He shall not be pardon'd , till every little Sin be paid for by the Delay of the Resurrection . Nor is it hard to alledge many other Antient Fathers , of the same Sentiment , whose Works were never cenfured for it , nor their Opinion condemn'd , but by such insignificant Triflers as Mer●y-man , and his Fellow-Banterer . 19. In process of time the Christian Schools embracing the Categories of Aristotle , which contain all our Natural Notions , reduc'd into Heads ; which they also Divided with more Exactness than formerly ; Men's Thoughts grew to be more Distinct , and Clear , which , if well pursu'd , and held to , dispos'd their Reason for Demonstration . I dare affirm , the former Words of Tertullian do contain in them a Metaphysical Demonstration ; and I can as little doubt , but that ( their Principles obliging them to it ) many others had held the same ; but that Impressions from Bodily Substances , with which we perpetually converse , had so possess'd their Fancies , that , tho' they might see it follow'd from their Principles , yet they were startl'd at the Conclusion ; and were afraid of the Consequences which they fore-saw would ensue from such a Position . As for my self , I shall content my self at present with producing one fingle Demonstration , ( omitting many others ; ) which I the rather pitch upon , because I pretended it Unanswerable ; and Mr. Le Grand has undertaken to Answer it . 'T is this : 20. All Created Things are either Divisible , or Indivisible ; which two Notions , as Differences , divide the Genus , or Common Head of Ens , or Thing , and constitute those two Sorts or Species of Things , call'd Body and Spirit . Therefore , these two Kinds or Species of Things can agree only in the Genus , or Common Notion of Thing , and differ in every Consideration else , and this Contradictorily ; Divisible and Indivisible , which are their Differences , being clearly Contradictory to one another . Wherefore , whatever is truly and properly Affirm'd of the One , must be Deny'd of the Other : But , of that Divisible Thing , or Substance , call'd Body , it is truly Affirm'd , that it is Successive in its Operations ; Therefore , of an Indivisible Thing , or a Pure Spirit , ( such as an Angel is , ) it must be Deny'd that it is Successive in its Operations ; that is , it must be Affirm'd of it , that it is Unsuccessive , or Instantaneous , in its Operations ; and , consequently , all it can operate , is in an Instant . Whence follows , demonstratively , that it is Immutable : For , since to be Mutable , is , to have something in it , after another ; that is , to have Part of what it is to have , after Part ; and this belongs most manifestly to Body ; the Contradictory , or , to have all it is to have at once , must properly belong to a Pure Spirit , or an Angel. Again ; Since an Instant is an Indivisible , and one Indivisible added to another , cannot possibly make any greater Quantity , Length , or ( as we may say ) Exporrection of Duration ; or , ( which is the same , ) any Duration corresponding to any least part of our Time ; 't is manifest that Angels can act as much in One Instant , as , in Two , or more ; their being more , not affording them longer Leisure to Consider , or Resolve ; whence , they are never the worse accommodated to act thus in one Instant , than in More . 21. The Reason for this seemingly strange Position is grounded ( as was now shewn ) on the Essential Differences of Body and Spirit ; and no less on the Duration peculiar to Angels , which Divines call Aeviternity ; which , being of a Superiour Nature to that of Time , does comprehend and concentre in it self all the several Differences of our Fleeting Time , and , after an Eminent Manner , includes , and is Equivalent to them all : Not by way of Commensuration , ( which can onely be found among Quantitative Things , ) but by the Excellency it has above them . So that , as when an Angel operates upon any Body of a vast Extent , it is not Diffus'd , or Extended , according to the Extent of the Body it works upon ; but , by its own Indivisible Nature , produces that Divisible Effect : so neither are its Indivisible Operations , tho' they be Equivalent to Innumerable ones , which are done Successively by us , perform'd by them Successively , or One after Another ; but , according as the Nature of an Angel requires , Indivisibly , or Instantaneously : Yet , that Instant , being equivalent to all our Time here , contains in it Thousands of Priorities of Nature ; nay , more , perhaps , than we can imagin ; by which , one of them may be conceiv'd by our Reason to be Originiz'd from another . For Example ; We can truly conceive them to be , or to have their Essence and Existence ; and , consequently , to be naturally Good , as they came from GOD's Immediate Hand , ere their own deprav'd Will made them Morally Bad ; because , according to Priority of Nature or Reason , Being must antecede their Operating , or making a wrong Choice . Also , for the same Reason , we conceive them to know themselves , their own Dignity , and Man's Inferiority ; That one of these Men was to be set above them , be their Head , and Ador'd by them ; That they took thence , out of their Selfish Pride , an Aeversion against GOD , as the Orderer of it ; and Envy against Mankind , as their Compepetitor ; and against our Blessed Saviour's Humanity , as an Usurper over them : That , hence , they inspir'd other Angels to rebel ; That they contested with St. Michael , and were foil'd by him , &c. as is explain'd more largely in my METHOD to SCIENCE , p. 319 , 320 , 321 , &c. where I conclude thus : [ All these may be conceiv'd to have Certain Priorities of Nature , as those Causes have to their Effects , which are in the same Instant . So that this single Instant of theirs , is , tho' not Formally , yet Virtually , and , in order to the many Indivisible Effects producible in it , as good as a long Series of our Time ; not by way of Quantitative Commensuration of one to the other , but by the Eminency of the Angelical Duration , or their Aeviternity , which is of a Superiour Nature to Body , and , consequently , to Bodily Motion , or Time ; and comprehends it all Indivisibly , or Instantaneously . ] 22. They who dislike this Discourse of mine , ought , if they would confute me , to shew that I do not , in it , hold Firmly to the Nature of the Thing , or Subject , in Dispute , and thence draw my Argument ; but deviate from it : And , withall , they are to make it Evident to the Reader , that themselves do this , while they oppose me . But , I have the Misfortune to have to do with such Adversaries , who never in their Lives dreamt of any such Consideration ; or so much as thought of any such Solid Ground : They never attend to the Nature of the Subject we are discoursing of , nor heed the Force of my Arguments , or my Premisses ; but Manfully deny the Conclusions ; deform them all they can ; and then , most learnedly oppose them with Jests , Jeers , and fulsome Railing . But to return to the Matter in hand : 23. Lest any should think it impossible , so many several Effects should be perform'd by an Angel in one Instant , and suspect it is some Whimsie of my own head , I desire them to reflect on what St. Thomas of Aquin ( Prima , Q. 62. a. 4. ) positively asserts , or rather lays for a Ground , viz. That the Angels , by one Act , and in the first Instant , did merit . Perhaps , I might here alledge , That , if in the first Instant they could merit , or chuse GOD for their True Last End , they might also , in the same Instant , chuse a wrong Last End , or Demerit , and so be damn'd . But I need not press it so far here : I only desire we may consider how many distinct Acts would pass in us , successively , ere we could be dispos'd for Heaven ; which , in the Old Language of the Church , is call'd Meriting . Several Objects are propos'd to us , to chuse out of : Then we consider , or compare them ; then we yield that this is more Agreeable to us , ( thus affected , and circumstanc'd , ) than the other ; then we make choice of the one , and reject the other ; then we resolve to pursue it ; and , lastly , we set our selves to lay Means to compass it , Now , all these are , according to this great Divine , perform'd by an Angel , in one Instant ; tho' there be evidently Priority of Nature or Reason of the fore-going Acts ; to the following ones : and , therefore , that the Angels must necessarily , in the same Instant , ( it being suppos'd by us the First , ) know their own Nature , their Existence , what is Agreeable to that Nature , and all the Train of Motives that conduce to the Determination of their Wills ; without which , there can be no Merit . By which , Mr. Le Grand ( who understands no more of those hard Points , than a Child does Algebra ) may see they may have that which we call Deliberation and Determination in in the first Instant , without needing Succession of Time to it , as he seems to imagine . Nay , the same Learned Doctor affirms , that Angels are happy by one only Operation ; which includes , virtually , Millions , nay , Innumerable , of our Knowledges . These are strange Paradoxes to Mr. Le Grand's Merry man , and such Men of Fancy ; yet , we see this Great and Profound Speculater asserts them for Truths . 24. I know the same Holy Man holds the contrary Opinion to that which , in this Point , I think most reasonable ; nay , which , I see , follows out of the Grounds lately mention'd , which himself had laid . For , if they may have so many Operations in the First Instant , ( subsequent to one another , in the Order of Nature , ) why not more ? What can stint them to such a precise Number ? But , 't is to be noted , First , That in the place cited , ( Q. 63. Art. 5. corp . ) he affirms , with St. Austin , that this Opinion I follow does not induce the Manichaean Heresie , because it makes them not Bad by their Nature , but by the Depravity of their own Free-Will : Which evinces , there is nothing against Faith in it ; nor would he have pass'd it over so unconcernedly , had it been so . Next , speaking of the Opinion I maintain , he says , Quidam posuerunt , &c. Some Divines maintain'd , &c. Which shews , that there have been divers Learned Men of that Opinion formerly . Thirdly , He confutes those who gave this for their Reason why it was impossible , because two Operations could not be terminated in the same Instant ; and tells them , That this Reason holds only in those Agents which work by Local Motion ; but , that it may well be thus in Operations which are Instantaneous ; and , that in these , there may be , in one Instant , the Terminus of the First and Second Operations . Lastly , The Reason for which only that Great Man dissents from those who held our Opinion , is grounded on that Maxim of Aristotle , That the Generans , or he that gives Being , gives also the First Operation ; which , in the Devils being Sinful , cannot therefore be in the First Instant ; lest it should make GOD the Author of Sin. Which Reason does not convince me , or seem to conclude . For , First , However this may hold in Natural Agents , for which only Aristotle did certainly intend it as a Maxim ; yet , I see not how the Parity holds in those Agents which have Free-Will ; for , the Operations of such Agents are not purely refunded into GOD , but partly into themselves , who are the Producers of them ; nay , wholly , as far as they are Defective . Secondly , The First Natural Operation of an Intellectual Creature , is , to know her own Essence , at least ( in Souls ) their own Existence ; and , by them , all other Things which may be known by it , according as its Nature and Circumstances require ; and this is given her by the First Cause , who gave them their Natures . But , there are many other Operations , subsequent to one another in Posteriority of Nature , ( as is explain'd above , ) which may be all perform'd in the First Instant , as St. Thomas himself , above-cited , has declar'd ; and , among them , the Choice made by their Free-Will : Nor does any Reason appear , why all these thus subsequent Operations should be ingenerated in them , by the Giver of their Being ; much less , why those Defective Operations , which have a Natural Dependence on others , should be refunded into GOD. 25. Let us pass on now to Souls separated , which die with some Venial Impurity in them , or ( as St. James calls it ) with Sins not unto Death , and therefore need Purging ; nor can be sav'd , but by Fire . Mr. Le Grand puts it upon me , that I hold them Immutable in their Intermediate State , as Angels are . I would ask him , how he knows I hold that Opinion , since I have never declar'd in my Writings that I hold it . Wherefore , the putting it upon me , who no where assert it , is Unfair , Uncivil , Captious , and Invidious . I have shewn , indeed , ( Id. Cart. p. 58. ) that his Arguments against it , do not conclude . So did St. Thomas , in the place now cited , oppose the Inconclusiveness of the Reason brought against his own Opinion ; and , yet , himself held that Opinion of his notwithstanding . He will say , the same Argument concludes equally for Angels and Them : But he will be hard put to it , to prove it . The Soul had its Being , by reason of the Dispositions in the Embryo , requiring such a Form as Nature could not give . It is the Form of the Body , and naturally requires , to act with it . It had its Education ( as we may say ) in the Body ; for it receiv'd its Spiritual Growth in Knowledge , by means of Bodily Impressions on the Senses . It is Unactive when the Body is out of Order . It has naturally a dear Love for it ; procures its Good , grieves when it is hurt , and has a kind of Horrour to part with it . Nay , it retains a Hankering after it , after it has parted with it ; insomuch , that even the Greatest Saints have not the perfect Consummation of their Bliss , till they get their Bodies again at the Resurrection ; and , magis est Anima ubi amat quàm ubi animat . Lastly , Those Imperfect Souls carry some Bodily Affections along with them . Hence , F. Seraphinus Caponi , in his Elucidationes Formales , Q 76. Art. 1. says , the Soul is always united to the Body , vel actu , vel inclinatione naturali ; either Actually , or by its Natural Inclination : And he gives for his Reason , Aut ergo aptitudine saltem unitur tali materiae , aut non est Anima ; sed semper est Anima , ergo , &c. Either the Soul then is , by her Aptitude at least , united to the Body , or it is not a Soul : But it remains always a Soul , &c. The contrary to all which Particulars is found in an Angel. Now , what Connatural Dispositions to Mutability these Considerations may give to a Soul , rather than to an Angel , I have not speculated so deep upon that Point , as to determine ; which made me pitch upon an Angel , rather than a Soul , when I advanc'd that Demonstration . And , had I spoke of a Soul expresly , own'd its Immutability as my Tenet , and gone about to defend it , I do not doubt but so to explain my Sentiment in that Point , as will give no Offence to any sober Man , nor any who is not resolved to remain unsatisfy'd . 26. The next pretended Bug-bear , is , the Impossibility of Annihilation ; which I prove thus : 27. 1. Every Cause acts according as it is , or according to its Nature ; at least , it cannot act contradictorily to its own Essence . But Annihilation is the putting of Nothing , or Not-being ; which is Diametrically Opposite to GOD's Nature , which is Pure Existence : Therefore Annihilation cannot be caus'd by GOD. 28. 2. Every Active Power , ( as Omnipotence is , ) even tho' Infinite , is for some Action : But Annihilation is no Action ; therefore it cannot proceed from GOD's Omnipotence . That Annihilation is no Action , I prove thus : That which is no Species , or no Sort of Action , is no Action : But Annihilation is no Kind , or Sort , of Action ; for , every Scholar knows that every Action is of such a determinate Kind , because its Terminus , or Effect , is such or such ; whereas , Nothing is no Effect at all , much less a Determinate one ; but , in every imaginable Respect , a Defect , and Indeterminate . Therefore , Annihilation is no Action ; nor , consequently , can it be perform'd by an Active Power , as Omnipotence is ; and , therefore , it argues no Power at all ; and , which follows , 't is rather an Impotency , or Want of Active Power , than Omnipotence ; because that Active Power which can have no such Action proceeding from it ; or , ( which is the same , ) an Active Power which cannot VVork or Act , is so far Impotent ; which cannot be said of GOD's Omnipotence . 29. 3. To be Creator of all Things , or Giver of Being , is ( as our Creed teaches ) one of GOD's Attributes : But it is unheard of , that to be Uncreator , or Destroyer , of Things , was ever attributed to GOD ; or , that Contradictory Attributes could be peculiarly Appropriated to him ; as my Adversaries hold there can , while they deny both Creating , and Uncreating , or Annihilating , to be Possible to any , but to GOD ; that is , Peculiar to him . 30. It will be said , that Annihilation is perform'd by Suspension of GOD's Positive Action of Creating , or Giving Being . But this seems more Unconsonant than the former : For , 31. 4. Suspension ( if it have any Sense ) means , the Action of Suspending ; especially , being put by them to be only performable by GOD's Omnipotence , which is an Active Power ; and this Action must have its Effect upon that which is Suspended , making it , of Not-suspended , to become Suspended ; that is , Chang'd . But , that which is here Suspended , is GOD's Power of giving Being . Wherefore , this Tenet of Suspension puts a kind of Passive Power in GOD , receiving this Action , or Effect of Suspension ; which makes Him , who is Essentially Immutable , to be Mutable ; Neither of which themselves will say . 32. 5. That Actuality is not Infinite , which is not actually Exercis'd , or produces not actually the Effect peculiar to it , when the Subject is Dispos'd to receive its Influence , and it self is intimately Apply'd to it . But the Ens , or Thing , suppos'd to be Annihilated , was equally Dispos'd , or Capable to be , in the Instant it is suppos'd to be Annihilated , as it was before ; and the Cause , by GOD's Omnipresence , was intimately Apply'd , and yet the Effect , or Being , was not put ; therefore the Cause it self was not Infinitely Actual , as it was before ; which is impossible to be thought . Note , that to an Infinite Actuality , it is requisite , and necessary , that it be ( all other Requisites being put ) actually Exercis'd ; For , Actual Exercise being the most Formal Notion of Pure Actuality , it follows , that it is not Infinite if it be stinted , or fails precisely on its Part , of being Exercis'd , when all other Requisites are put . 33. 6. The same may be deduc'd from GOD's . Infinite Goodness ; which consists in his being ( as far as is of it self ) Communicative of Goodness and Being when the Subject is capable , and his Wisdom sees it best ; by which only it is stinted . This is so certain a Truth , that , in such Cases , ( as Divines shew , ) even in Supernaturals , 't is the Incapacity of Wicked Souls , putting an Obstacle to the ever-ready Influence of Heavenly Grace , that suspends it from working in such Corrupt and Indispos'd Hearts : Whence , as soon as , by their sincere Repentance , that Obstacle is taken off , they receive again the Supernatural Influence of the Holy Ghost , and the Gift of Divine Love. And this is so constant a Doctrine of the Church , that never did the most Sceptical Divine question or fancy that it could become GOD's Goodness to Suspend the Influence of Grace to such Penitents ; but rather , they oft-times receive it in a greater Measure , according to that Saying of our Saviour , ( Luke 7. 47. ) Cui minus dimittitur , minùs diligit : He to whom less is forgiven , loves less . Whence also , upon their hearty Repentance , ( which includes a Will to do what GOD and his Church enjoin , ) the Officers of the Church are bound to Absolve them , or admit them to the Participation of the Sacrament of Love ; by which they are spiritually restor'd to the Communion of Christ's true Members , Vertuous Souls . Hence I argue : The Creature suppos'd to be Annihilated , was equally capable to receive Being at the Instant in which 't is suppos'd to be Annihilated , as before ; and GOD's Exuberant and Infinite Goodness cannot but be Equally ready to communicate Goodness , or Being , to his poor , Indigent Creatures , as it was formerly ; therefore , the same Effect , or Continuation of Being , must follow ; and , consequently , there can be no Annihilation . 34. The same is deduc'd from that Supreamly wise Saying , grounded on GOD's Infinite Actuality , and Goodness , [ Dona Dei sunt absque paenitentia : The Gifts of GOD are without Repentance . ] Which signifies , that , Let not the Creature change , and GOD is still immutably the same ; and so , the same Effect must still follow . Nay , the Diversity of the Divine Attributes that respect us , is wholly grounded on the various Disposition of the Creatures . So that the same Ill Accidents are Mercies to good Souls , and serve to try , purifie , and improve them in Vertue , and thence , increase their Reward in Heaven ; which , to obstinately Wicked Souls , who are not Dispos'd to make good Use of them , is truly call'd an Effect of his Justice ; vexing them here by Comfortless Irresignation , and Sinful Repining at GOD's Chastisement ; and , so , tending to increase their Torments in the next World. Wherefore , as was said , by Parity , the Disposition of the Creature being the same , and GOD being Unchangeably the same also , the same Effect will follow : Nor can it be , that any Creature should be Annihilated . 35. The same is evinc'd from GOD's Attribute of VVisdom , or Knowledge , by which he made the World. To understand the following Discourse , we are to reflect upon that admirably profound Saying of St. Austin , ( Conf. cap. ult . ) Nos itaque quae fecisti videmus , quia sunt ; Tu autem quia vides ea , sunt : VVe see ( or know ) Creatures , because they are ; But thy Seeing ( or Knowing ) them , is the Cause , or Reason , that they are . Which amounts to this , That GOD gains not his Knowledge of Creatures from their Being so as he sees them to be , as we do ; but his Seeing , or Knowing , them to be fit for the Best Order of the World , which his Infinite Wisdom had Determin'd , gives , or makes , them to be . By which Metaphysical , or rather Divine Maxim of this Learned and Holy Father , it follows , that GOD leaves off to know a Creature at the Instant it is Annihilated : And , consequently , since this Knowledge of his is not taken from the Existence of the Creature , ( which is Extrinsecal to him , ) nor depends on it , but on himself ; it should follow , that GOD , by Annihilating a Creature , becomes Intrinsecally Chang'd ; which is impossible . 36. The same is prov'd from GOD's Attribute of Justice . For , if any One Creature can be Annihilated , All of them may ; since 't is granted by both Parties , that they do , all of them , Entirely and Equally depend on the Divine Goodness , for their Existence . Let us put then two Souls to be Annihilated ; the one of which , by loving GOD heartily , is , at the Hour of Death , perfectly Dispos'd for its Glorious Reward in Heaven : The other dies obstinately , and Devilishly Wicked : It is manifest , that neither that Holy Soul will ever be Rewarded , nor the VVicked one Punish'd , in case they be Annihilated . But , this is against GOD's Justice ; Therefore it cannot be done . 37. In a Word ; Let them explicate Suspension as they will , and assign it for the Cause of Annihilation , it makes GOD the Cause of no Effect ; that is , to be no Cause , which destroys their own Position : Nay , it makes him the Cause of the worst Defect imaginable ; or rather , of Pure Defect ; for , Nothing , or Not-being , is such ; to put which upon GOD , who is Pure Actuality , and , therefore , a Cause ( as far as concerns himself ) ever Actually Working , is ( to speak with the least ) a strange Tenet . If they mean only to say , that Creatures depend every Moment on GOD , for their Being ; or , that , if , per impossibile , he should suspend his Acting , they would no longer be , I do heartily agree with them ; for this is Agreeable both to the Self-Existence of GOD , and the Nothingness of Creatures , of themselves : But , if they contend it is an Act of his Power , or Omnipotence , ( the Notion of which is manifestly relative to its Effects , that is Active , or Effective of Something , ) actually to execute this , or , that it consists with his Divine Attributes ; they must bring very strong Arguments to prove it , ere I shall think fit to yield it ; whereas , hitherto they have brought none at all , but Merry-man's silly Explication of a Glass falling down , and breaking , if he takes away his Hand ; which the weak Fop thinks is a rare Argument : Whereas , it is demonstrable in Physicks , that the Glass would stand for Eternity where his Hand left it , if there were no Positive Action of a Cause impelling it downwards , viz. ( the Descent of the Atmosphere ; ) which kind of Positive Action is here wanting . 38. They will object , that GOD is a Free Agent , and so may chuse whether he will sustain Creatures in Being , or no. But those weak Divines take the Notion of Freedom from the Folly of Creatures ; which is this , that we can , out of Humour , do , and undo Things at our pleasure , whether it agrees with True Reason , which is our Nature , or no. Whereas , True Freedom does not consist in a foolish Humoursomeness , or in the doing and undoing Things , as the Toy takes us ; but in this , that , Unforc'd , and Unconstrain'd , by any thing which is without us , we determin our selves according to the Inclination of our true Nature , Reason ; and , when we do otherwise , we are less Free ; or Slaves to some Passion which impels us , and makes us deviate from the Propensions we have by our True Nature , to do what is Rational . Wherefore , GOD's Freedom consists in this , that he is Essentially Self-determin'd to act according to his own Nature , and to his own Attributes , which are Essential to his Nature . Since , then , it has been shewn , that to Give Being is Agreeable to GOD's Essence , which is Self-Existence , and to his Attributes , he is more Free for his being thus Self determin'd to give Being to such Creatures as his Wisdom sees fittest for the best Order of his World ; and , that , to do otherwise , or to Annihilate , is to be less Free , because it is less according to his Essence , and Attributes ; which is , not to be every way Perfect , and Infinitely such . 39. I must confess , it seems very Indecent , and Shocking , to Pious Ears , to say that GOD cannot do this , or cannot do the other : But the School-men , in their Disputes , first brought that Expression into Custom ; and , tho' , following them , I have sometimes us'd it , yet I have endeavour'd to soften and explicate it so , as it may not breed any Offence . Hence , in my METHOD , pag. 363. I have these Words , [ It is generally more Safe , more Edifying , and more Proper , to say , in such Cases , [ It cannot be that GOD should will such a thing . ] than bluntly to say [ GOD cannot do it : ] For , This flatly limits Omnipotence ; That only restrains its Acting hîc & nunc , because of some Attribute of the Divine Nature , to which it is Disagreeable . ] Hence , also , I affirm , ( Id. Cartes . p. 61. ) That it sounds the same among Philosophers , to say , [ GOD cannot do it , ] as to say , [ The Thing is a Contradiction , or Impossible : ] Possibility being the Object of all Power , even tho' Infinite . ] And , to render it still the more Inoffensive , and to prevent all Cavil against my Doctrine , I added ; [ When Philosophers affirm any thing is Possible , or Impossible , they regard only the present State of the World , and the Order of Second Causes . ] So that this Phrase , according to my Doctrine , amounts to no more but this ; That it is beyond the Power of Second Causes , as carry'd on by GOD's Ordinary Providence , to effect it ; as I have also explain'd my self , in my METHOD , long ago , in the place lately cited . Which Innocent and Common Doctrine my Maligners do character to be , the Running down all Piety , Religion , and GOD himself : Which shews , their Dregs of Common Sense run very low , though their Malice flies the highest Pitch of Slander , and Calumny . To finish this Discourse , let them bring Solid Arguments to prove Annihilation Agreeable to GOD's Self-Existence , his Pure Actuality , and the rest of his Attributes ; and they shall see how readily I will embrace their otherwise-Groundless Opinion . But , alas poor Triflers ! they never set themselves to bring any Demonstrative or Conclusive Argument , either pro , or con , in their Lives . They talk Big , and , perhaps , sprinkle their Assertion with some Slight , Insignificant Explication , or Untoward Parallels ; and supply the Defect of Reasoning , with Jeering , and Railing against what either their Short Capacities do not reach to understand , or their Resolute Insincerity will not let them acknowledge , tho' they know it . 40. But , now comes an Objection of weight : Spondanus tells us , ( he says , ) that It was one of Wickleff 's Errours , Condemn'd in the General Council of Constance , by a perpetual Decree , That GOD could not Annihilate . This looks Great , and Mighty . But , why does he not relate this Perpetual Decree of the Council , in its own Words , if there be any such ? Is not the Council it self extant ? Or , is Spondanus's Relating it more Authentick than the Words of the Council it self ? Why does he not tell us then , out of the Acts of the Council , in what Sense , and under what Terms , Wickleff propos'd it : In what Words , and in what Sense , that Council condemn'd it ? Or , whether it were more express than that of Joannes Thessalonicensis , in the Second Council of Nice , That 't is the Sentiment of the Church , ( that is , the General Opinion , ) that Angels have thin Bodies of Air , or Fire ? The contrary to which , for all that , the best Catholick Divines do now publickly teach . Lastly , If this be a Point of Faith , ( as they would have it thought , ) why is not this press'd home against me ? This would knock me down at one Blow ; and there would need no paltry Jeers , Flouts , or Falsifications , to do that Job , which is their only Aim . The Reader may be sure they are conscious there is some great Flaw in this Objection , that they are so favourable to me , in thus barely and crudely Alledging it . But , what is all this to me ? It is a common Doctrine , taught openly in the Schools , That this is not performable by GOD's Ordinary Power ; and , I have already shewn , out of express Words , both in my METHOD ; and in my later Books , that I speak of no other Power . So that , either I am no Wickleffist for maintaining it ; or , I have enow of very honest Brother-Hereticks ; who maintain publickly the same , and , yet , are not ill look'd upon for it by the Church : Which being manifestly so , it would be worth our Consideration to find the Reason , why our Libelling Merry-man , whose Ironies are Sarcasms ; and , who pretends Mirth , to cloak his Uneasie Malice , does let all those Divines alone who hold the same that I do , and fall upon me only . But those Men had not challeng'd the Cartesians to produce Principles for their New-fangl'd Doctrine ; in which consists my peculiar Heresie , which blows their Zeal for Faith into such a Flame . 41. I wish the Cartesians , who make the Soul and Body two Things , because they are two distinct Natures , could as well clear themselves of speaking inconsequently in Matters belonging to Faith , as I have done : For , by making them two Things , and , consequently , Individual Things , each of those Things must have its peculiar Determinations , Modes , or Complexion of Accidents , constituting it an Individual Thing , which are sustained by those Things , as their Subject ; which is the very Notion of a Suppositum . There are therefore , and must be , Two Supposita in Christ , as long as those two Natures remain in his Humanity ; that is , for ever . To which , add the Divine Suppositum , it must follow , that there are Three Supposita in Christ ; which shocks Christian Faith. To those , Mr. Le Grand has given no Satisfactory Answer ; nor can , unless he distinguishes the Nature from the Suppositum ; which , if he does , then the Suppositum of every Man may have Two Natures in it ; and so , the Soul and Body may compound One Ens , or One Thing : And , then , since 't is impossible , and contradictory , they can be One and Two in the same Respect , or under the same Notion , it will follow , that Man need be no more than One Thing . They will , perhaps , say , they are One Compound Thing ; but Two Simple Ones , or Two Parts of that Compound : But I have taken off , and shewn , the Weakness of that Distinction , Id. Cart. from p. 241. to p. 248. and shewn , that an Ens , or Thing , is , That which is capable of Existing : Wherefore , each of those we call Parts , if they be Things , are capable of Existing alone , when separated ; which cannot be be True of the Body , which is a Distinct Thing when Separated , ( viz. a Dead Carcass , ) and not the same Thing , with the same Nature , much less the same Existence it had : Nay , a Compleat Thing too ; because , That is compleatly a Thing , which wants nothing to make it Capable of Existing ; and , if it wants that , it is not a Thing at all . But , what enforces farther , this Objection is , That 't is defin'd in the Council of Vienna , under Pope Clement V. that the Rational or Intellectual Soul is the Form of the Body . The Words are these ; [ Doctrinam omnem seu positionem , temerè asserentem autvertentem in dubium quòd Substantia Animae Rationalis seu Intellectualis verè ac perfectè Humani Corporis non sit Forma , velut Erroneam , ac veritati Christianae Fidei inimicam , hoc Sacro approbante Consilio , reprobamus . Definientes , ut cunctis not a sit sincerae Fidei Veritas , quòd quisquam deinceps asserere , defendere aut tenere pertinaciter praesumpserit , quòd Anima Rationalis seu Intellectiva non sit Forma Corporis Humani per se & essentialiter , tanquam Haeretious sit censendus . Here we see all those condemn'd for Hereticks , who say , or hold , that the Intellectual Soul is not the Form of the Body ; and , that the Opinion it self is stigmatiz'd with the Brand of being an Enemy ( that is , Destructive , or Pernicious ) to the Truth of Christian Faith. Now , if the Soul be the Form of the Body , then the Body is the Matter of that Form ; And then , let all the Divines in GOD's Church judge , whether the Matter and Form can be Two Things , since they all hold , that the Matter and Form make up One Thing . Did ever any Solid Man hold , that the Matter or Form either , singly consider'd , are Things , or any thing else than Parts of a Thing ? Or , can we think that those Definers meant by the Ward [ Form. ] the same that is meant by the Word [ Thing ? ] Whenas , all the Learned World , before Cartesius's Time , held , that the Form was no more but that Actuating or Determining Part which , by informing the Matter , constituted the Thing . The Cartesians will tell us , that it informs the Matter , according to the Notion of Action : But the Council has fore-stall'd that Evasion , as if it had fore-seen it , by the Word [ Essentialiter ; ] by which signal and cautious Expression , it declares it to be Heresie , to say , it does not Essentially inform the Body , or according to the Notion of Ens , or Thing , ( and not Activè , or Co-activè , only ; ) that is , it makes the Matter become Humanum Corpus , and Homo to be One Ens , or Thing , ( to use St. Athanasius's Words ) Ex Animâ Rationali & Humanâ carne subsistens . I do not here accuse the Intention of the Cartesians ; but I see plainly , that their New Notions , or Ideas , will never agree with the Explications which former Divines make of Christian Faith ; much less , help them with better ; or , indeed , with any . But , to return to our Subject : 42. Let us sum up this Tenet of theirs , concerning Annihilation , and see what Work they have made of it , according to the Lights Nature and Art , working upon our Natural Notions , have given us . First , They make it belong to GOD's Omnipotency , for which Attribute alone they seem zealous ; for , I do not see that , in discoursing this Point , they even think of , or regard , his Self-Existence , which is his Essence , or his Goodness , his Justice , or any other Attribute of his ; or pretend , in the least , it is Agreeable to them . Now , Omnipotency is a Power of doing all things ; and they would make it a Power of Not-doing , or of doing Nothing , as to the Things Annihilated , to which only it relates . 2. Omnipotency is an Infinite Power , and withall , an Active Power , ( for , I do not think they will put a Passive Power in GOD : ) And , every Active Power is essentially such , because it can have such an Action . Yet , Mr. Le Grand , in his Preface , p. 36. seems to grant , that Annihilation is not the Action of any Power ; nor , indeed , such a Power ; they being , as I alledg'd , specify'd by their Objects : To which he answers , Rectissimè ! So that here we have an Active Power working , without an Action answering to it ; or an Omnipotent Power , ( to which they ascribe that Effect , ) which may be Deny'd to be such a Power ; or , ( which is the same , ) he makes that a Power , which is no Power . 3. They say , 't is done by Suspension : Well then ; this belonging , as they say , to GOD's Omnipotency , which is an Active Power , this Suspension must , for the Reason given , be an Action . No , say they ; 't is no Action , but a Cessation from Action . Now , that not Acting should belong to Omnipotency ; or , that the Action of Suspending his Power , should be an Action of that Power , gives us a Second Bull of the largest Size . 4. Suspension must either have some Effect , or no Effect : If none , 't is to no purpose ; If any , it must be in GOD ; for , 't is his Power that Acted before , and is now Suspended : But , this puts a Passive Power in GOD ; which is a higher Strain of Nonsense , than either of the former . No , say they ; the Effect is upon the Creature Annihilated ; But this is as nonsensical as the former ; for , Common Sense tells us , that Suspension has its proper Effect upon that which is Suspended , which is GOD's Conservative Action : Nor is the Existence of the Creature , in good Sense , Suspended ; for , that which is only Suspended , remains still , tho' in Suspense ; whereas , the Creature remains not at all , being Annihilated . Yet , grant the Existence of the Creature could be said to be Suspended ; still , GOD's Conservative Action , which made it be , must , in Priority of Nature , be suspended it self , ere its Existence could be suspended , or it self cease to be . But , waving this , let us see where this Effect is , which terminates this Action of Suspension . In the Creature , say they : And , what can we conceive to be in the Creature when it is Annihilated , which is the Effect of this Action , and terminates it ? Why , to become Nothing . Now , Nothing , or Not-being , is a pure Defect ; nay , infinitely , or in every imaginable Regard , Defective ; and so can be no Effect , for this has something Positive in its Notion . The last thing , therefore , they can possibly alledge , is , That Suspension is no Action . For Answer to which , we must turn them over to School Boys , who can tell them , that Suspendo is a Verb Active , has a Transitive Signification , and must have an Accusative Case after it . The Question , then , is , What is this Accusative Case ? Or ( which is the same , ) What is this Thing which is Suspended ? Which we have already shewn , can with no Sense either be GOD , or the Creature ; that is , Nothing is suspended ; and , therefore , this Suspension is no Suspension . So that , which way soever they turn and wind themselves , their own Contradictions still meet them in the Face , and confound them . And so much of this Point , which is only therefore scandalous , because 't is unsutable to Fancy ; that Faculty , which , if solely attended to , leads all its Followers into Folly and Nonsense . 43. Another Impiety of mine against GOD , is , That I will not allow that Thesis of Cartesius , ( for , we are to suppose , that all his Conceits , tho' never so Groundless , are Gospel with these Men , ) that GOD is the Immediate Cause of Motion ; the Denial of which does ravel the Scheme of that Hypothesis . Hence Mr. Le Grand infers , that I deny GOD to be the First Mover : Whereas , ( so short is his Reasoning Faculty , ) the direct contrary follows : For , he who only denies that GOD is the Immediate Cause of Motion , does , even by doing this , imply that he is the Mediate , Remote and Principal Cause of it ; as giving Angels , his Ministring Spirits , both the Power to move Matter ; and , withal , moving them to move it , by Spiritual Motives , or Manifestations , of the Wise Decrees of his Divine Providence , how he would have it done . Thus , all Instrumental Causes are the Immediate Causes of every Effect in Nature . Will he say , that this is Impiety against GOD ; or , that it debars Him from being the Principal Cause ! Does not Fire immediately burn us ? Water wet us ? Or , Will any but a Mad-man say , that GOD is the Immediate Cause of that Burning , or Wetting ? Or , that this hinders Him from being the Principal Cause of all the Effects in Nature , who gives them Power to produce those Effects , and Premoves or Applies them to produce them ? Does not the Denial of this make all Second Causes Useless ? How shallow , then , is this ridiculous Objection ! Wherefore , let them either shew that Angels , which are of a Superiour Nature to Matter , and are Pure Acts , have not Power to act upon it , or move it ; or , that it becomes the Sublimeness of the Divine Majesty , to put his Immediate Hand to such mean and low Effects that his Servants have a Power to produce them ; or , that this Power was given them by Him , to remain Useless , and Unemploy'd about its Proper Objects : or , let them grant that Angels , or ( which is the same ) GOD , by his Angels , gives Motion to Matter . Again , to omit many other Arguments ; That which GOD does Immediately by Second Causes , is according to Nature ; but , what he does immediately by Himself , is Miraculous , and Instantaneous , as coming from an Activity , whose Infinite Power no Indisposition on the Creature 's side can check , and retard . Did GOD move Matter , when ( as they hold ) he divided it into greater Lumps at first , Instantaneously ; whenas , it is not Motion , unless it have part after part ; or , unless it be Successive ? Would these Men but please to leave guiding their Thoughts by the hasty Sallies of their Fancy , and regard deliberately the Natures of the Things we are discoursing of , that is , the Nature of GOD , who is Pure Self-Existence ; the Nature of an Angel , and the Nature of Matter , and build their Discourses from those Grounds , we might hope , in time , for some Sense from them : But that is too Solid for them ; it will not give their Fancy Leave to range , and take Vagaries in the Air , but holds them in too strictly ; and , therefore , 't is not their way . Yet , something must be said ; and , therefore , Ill Language must supply the place of Sense and Solidity . 44. But , Gentlemen , to what end were all these Objections huddl'd together , in their Preface , and Dialogue ? These Theses are ( except this last ) altogether Foreign to what I oppos'd , and prov'd against Cartesius and Mr. Le Grand . What is Annihilation to Cartesius's Method to find out First Principles , by denying the Certainty of all his Senses ? Or , What is the Immutability of a Pure Spirit , to the Unaccountable Constitution of Cartesius's First Matter , which grounds all his Physicks ; which they put neither to be Dense , nor Rare ; Hard , nor Soft ; Rough , nor Smooth ; Solid , nor Fluid ; Moist , nor Dry ? &c. Again ; If they would needs be meddling with Impertinent Questions , why were the Reasons for them Suppress'd , the Conclusions themselves most Learnedly Deny'd ; and , this done , a Black Mark set upon them , at the pleasure of the Painter ? Who sees not that this odd Prevarication , and untoward Management of it , does evidently bewray a Distrust of their Cause , and a perfect Despair of maintaining it ? Who sees not , that , by their flinching thus from the Question , and haling in impertinent Points , which were odd to Vulgar Fancies , and were deny'd by other Divines , they hop'd ( to save their own Bacon ) to get those Men on their side , to make use of their Arguments , and of their ( miscalled ) Authority , to decry me , because they wanted Arguments of their own , to uphold the Cartesian Doctrine ? Lastly , What is their Scurrilous Dialogue , to their producing , or so much as Naming , any one Principle of theirs ; to do which , I had challeng'd them ? Or , Why should this exasperate them to a Raving Extasie of Railing ? Let them take their own New Method , unheard of amongst Learned Men , hitherto : Who can hinder them ? But , if their Passion have but left them one single Grain of Prudence , they cannot but see that all Civil Men will hate their Abusiveness ; all Good Men , their Malice ; and all Learned Men , their Folly and Ignorance . 45. But , to take off the Edge , and blunt the Teeth of all their reproachful Calumnies , I have shewn , above § . 39. that what they object to me , if they will but truly represent my Doctrine , can dissatisfie no sober Man , even of their own Party ; since , in the three first Points , which their Confus'd and Undistinguishing Anger strives to render so Invidious , I speak of GOD's Ordinary Power , or , of the Course of Causes , and the Nature of Things , as they come to our Knowledge by Natural Means , and are carry'd on by GOD's Ordinary Providence . What Philosopher , but a Mad-man , will say , he can fathom and comprehend all the Supernatural Methods and Ways which GOD's Infinite Wisdom can contrive , or his Almighty Power execute , when he shall please to work miraculously ? He who is the Original Cause of those Natures , cannot he order them as he pleases , when His Wisdom , for Reasons inscrutable to the Greatest of his Creatures , sees it fit , to bring about those Hidden Ends design'd by his Divine Decrees ? Who can say , that , tho' Angels have no Means to acquire New Knowledges , and so ought , by their Nature , to have all the Knowledge they are capable of , infus'd into them at first ; yet , that GOD , acting miraculously , cannot detain some Light from an Angel , and communicate it to him ( as we conceive ) afterwards ? Who can say that GOD , if he pleases to alter the Course and Nature of Things , or to order the Circumstances of the next World , by Ways unknowable by us , cannot , by his Miraculous Power , effect , that Imperfect Souls may be releas'd from the Chains of their Captive State , and be reciev'd into Heaven before the Last Day ? Or , Who dares contend , that his Divine Goodness , that oft-times does Stupendious Miracles for the Prayers of one single Saint on Earth , will not do Miracles , and this frequently , for the Prayers of his Spouse , the Church ! Once more I do earnestly beg of Mr. Le Grand , it may be consider'd , that all our Science is built on the Nature of Things , as they are in themselves , and govern'd by GOD's Ordinary Power : 'T is beyond the Skill and Sphere of Philosophy , even to guess at how many Miracles may be wrought upon the very least Thing in Nature : Nor did any Man , I know of , ever pretend to determine any such Point ; and I cannot but think it some kind of Neglect in them , not to declare as much . Miracle is beyond all Humane Science ; Ecce , DEVS vincens Scientiam nostram ! ( Job , ch . 36. 28. ) Which being my present Sentiment , and having ever been so ; and , that Philosophers have nothing at all to do with the Subjects they treat of , as standing under GOD's Power working Supernaturally , and Miraculously ; 't is manifest , that all the Expressions I have any where , do still relate to his Ordinary Power only ; nor can they be meant , or wrested by Malice it self , to be meant , of any other : And , tho' I may seem , in some extravagant Case , to doubt , because a Power that never Acted , seem'd Useless , and , so , was not an Attribute befitting GOD ; yet , I no where assert that Annihilation is Impossible to GOD's Miraculous Power . Indeed , in case it be really against GOD's Attributes , I should not stick at all to say , it is beyond Miracle ; yet , I no where maintain , that Infinite Wisdom may not miraculously contrive it so , if it sees it fitting to be done , that it may not be against his Attributes ; tho' Things being left in their Natural Condition , it may truly be concluded to be opposite to GOD's Attributes administring the World after the Ordinary Methods of Providence : Which being so ; and , that I , as a Philosopher , speak of GOD's Ordinary Power only ; what is become of all their Calumnies , of which they are so lavish ? Why is my Foot Cloven ? Why did none but his Devil set me on writing ? Why do I run down all Piety , Religion , and GOD himself ; as Merry-Andrew , their Buffoon , in his Hurry of Calumny , would assure his Reader , if any regarded him ? 46. Convicted thus of rallying me so severely , and without the least Occasion , or Ground , since I say no more than other Divines in the Schools do , without any Control , maintain publickly ; perhaps they may , for their Excuse , pretend very charitably , that they are heartily glad they have prevail'd with me , at length , to be a good Christian ; and exult , ( as their Fellow-Libeller , Lominus , did , ) that they have brought me , with much ado , to retract my Unwarrantable Opinions . But , I am their humble Servant , and beg their Pardon ; I have not seen one Argument of theirs , as yet , that could bring a Man , endow'd with Common Reason , to retract ; no , nor hold any thing ; but to be a Sceptick , and apprehend there is no Certainty in the World , seeing Men , who , as appears by their Carriage , are mighty Ambitious to be held Men of Knowledge , produce neither Principles to ground their Discourse , nor Connexion , to make the Parts of it hang together . What my Sentiment was formerly , as to this Point , I have told them often , ere this , ( in my 1d . Cartes . p. 61. ) where I say , First , Idem sonat apud Philosophos , &c. It signifies the same among Philosophers , ( especially Scholasticks , ) to say , [ GOD cannot do such a thing ; ] as to say , [ It is impossible to be done . ] Next , That , when Philosophers pronounce any thing to be Possible , or Impossible , they have respect only to the present State of the World , and the Order of Second Causes . Thirdly , That , therefore , a Thing may be Contradictory , and Impossible , according to the Ordinary Course of the World , or to the Natures of Things , by which GOD , according to his Ordinary Providence , governs the World ; which , yet , according to his Supernatural and Miraculous Power , by which he subdues all things to himself , are Possible . Of which , I there brought divers Instances . 47. Perhaps too , they will say , that , by this Doctrine I abandon and give up all my Demonstrations ; and leave them to shift for themselves , or confess them to be False . I answer ; Not one jot : For , all Science regards its Objects only as they stand in Nature , and not under GOD's Miraculous Power , which orders or alters the Natures of Things as he sees fit . Thus , One perfectly Skilful in the Science of Physicks , might demonstrate , that it was impossible a Virgin should Conceive ; or , that Clay , temper'd with Spittle , should cure Blindness ; yet , by GOD's Miraculous Power , both were done : Thus , a Speculative and Learned Metaphysician , before the Incarnation was Reveal'd to the World , might have brought most clear Demonstrations from his Altissimae Causae , and the Nature of GOD , that it was Impossible GOD should be Chang'd , Suffer , or Die ; ( which , amongst other things , made the Greeks esteem Christianity Foolishness ; ) yet , GOD's Infinite and Miraculous Wisdom and Goodness could contrive a Way , how all those Propositions might be Verify'd . Which will make it less wonderful to us , that he can , if he sees fit , find Ways enow , which surmount our Guess , or Imagination , how a Pure Spirit may Change ; Souls in the Intermediate State be deliver'd , or a Creature Annihilated , if his Incomprehensible Wisdom sees it fit . Whoever reflects seriously on those Powerful and Emphatical Words , [ Ecce , Nova facio omnia , Apoc. 21. 5. ] spoken by the Great Restorer of the World , and Promoter of all Creatures , and , amongst the rest , Glorify'd Bodies , to their Utmost Perfection , in their Future and Eternal State , will find in them Matter enough of Contemplation ; and easily apprehend that their Condition will be so alter'd for the Best , that , to our Low Conceits and Notions we have of them now , it would seem impossible for them to be such as we shall find them then . Indeed , I have not expresly put this Distinction formerly , because it was not necessary , nothing of that kind being then objected to me ; yet , I had done this Equivalently , and in other Terms , by telling Mr. Le Grand , ( Id. Cartes . p. 61. ) that , When Philosophers affirm any thing to be Possible , or Impossible , they regard the present State of the World , and the Order of Second Causes . And , he is aware of it ; for , in his Censure , p. 63. he would wave that Distinction , and seems willing to deny it ; yet , is forc'd to admit it , by his Recurring to Potentia Obedientialis in Creatures ; which is the same I express'd by Quâ naturas Rerum sibi subdit . But , to fix his Cavil upon me , he tells us , that the Question is not , Quid Philosophi pronuntiant ; sed , Quid ille statuit : And , I do statuere , it cannot be done by GOD's Ordinary Power ; and , that all the Notions we have of GOD , and his Attributes , by Natural Means , and Acquir'd Learning , ( or Philosophy , ) seem Opposit to it : But , I hold , notwithstanding , that , if GOD's Wisdom sees fit it should be done , the same Wisdom can contrive Ways how it may be done Unknowable , nay , not possible to be gues'd at , by our Unelevated , and Infinitely Short Natural Reason inform'd by the Lights we have of him from Creatures ; and that , what his Infinite VVisdom sees fit , and his VVill ordains , his Power can execute . Which is what ( applying my Words to this Particular ) I call Potentia Miraculosa , or Extraordinaria . Nor do I any where say , that GOD's Wisdom , if he sees it Fit , cannot bring it about that it may be done , and yet , not be Prejudicial , or Contrary to any of those Attributes , from which , as far as known to us by Ordinary Means , I , as a Philosopher , ought to argue . And , it would be a Madness in either of us , to maintain , that GOD's Power is not beyond our foolish Philosophy , or the Reach of Knowledge , which Ordinary Means can afford us . 48. I do not doubt , but it will be deny'd by my Adversaries , that they have been so wanting to their Cause , as to maintain it only by Bantering , and Railing : They will say , ( for , what will they not say , if Saying would do their Business ? ) that they have produc'd Arguments to prove their Doctrine , and have invalidated all mine . But , I deny that Mr. Le Grand has , in his Censura , even so much as given an Answer to any one of my Demonstrations ; unlese he thinks it is Answer sufficient to call them ( as he does in his Epistle to the Reader ) Cavils ; and to tell him , according tò his Way of saying any thing , that he has , satis abundè , reply'd to them . I must , I say , absolutely contest against him , that he has not produc'd any one Conclusive Proof for any one Tenet of his own , nor given any one Solution to any one Argument of mine , where I pretend to Demonstrate , as I do frequently . I know he mentions some Words pick'd out of them , and reflects on them with Jeers , or Jests ; but , when he should come seriously to a Close Discourse with them , and either admit or confute the Connexion in which the Force of them consists , he is in a Hurry , and Hast , to be gone to another Business ; ( for , his whole Method here , is a VVild and Distracted Leaping from one thing to another ; ) and so , he fairly takes a short Leave of them , and away he is vanish'd . So that the Frame of his Discourse seems to be made up of little else but Transitions . And , as for his Proofs , he thinks it is enough to say a thing ; and , 't is a Favòur to the Reader , now , if he bestows so much as a slight Explication of any Point ; of which , formerly , he was more free . He sometimes cites my Words at large , even a whole Page together ; so that one would verily think he meant fully to confute me ; but the Reader may easily see , it was only to make a Shew , and swell his small Performances to the just Size of a Treatise : For , if we set aside the Sarcasms , Ironies , sought Phrases , quaint Expressions , pretty Curiosities and Observations , ( to shew how profound a Man he is at Note-Book-Learning ; ) if we set aside these , with his Angry Words , and what he transcribes out of me , and others ; and his Medly of little indifferent Nothings , which do not signifie any thing , either pro , or con ; and , look for what only should be expected from a Philosopher . viz. Connected Sense , grounded on Principles ; and then go about to cast up the Account of them , the Total Summ would amount to nothing but a long Row of Ciphers . Mediums fit for Demonstration , or any thing that , even , savours of true Logick , are such Strangers to his Loose Talk , that the Solid Sense in it might be compriz'd in a Nut-shell ; as will more amply appear hereafter . 49. To give farther Satisfaction , and , perhaps , some Benefit to the Reader , I will instance in one Demonstration of mine ; and shew how empty Mr. Le Grand's Pretence is , that he has ( as he phrases it , ) abundè satis , answer'd my Arguments ; and , how frivolous it would be in me , to lay open his Incredible Weakness in the rest of his Imaginary Solutions of my other Demonstrations : For , since I challeng'd him , and the Cartesians , to give an Answer to this Argument , we may be sure he will exert his utmost to perform it punctually , and satisfactorily . Whence we may conclude , that if he most miserably falls flat in doing Right to himself , and his Cause , in this ; it cannot be expected , but he will much more fail in all the rest ; which is the only Reason why I pitch'd upon this in particular , as a Decisive Index of all his Atchievments of this kind . 'T is mention'd above , § . 20. and I will repeat it in distinct Propositions ; fetching it ( perhaps , something needlesly ) from Remotest Grounds ; and , then , reducing each piece of it to Self-Evidence , both that the Force of it may the better appear to be Irresistible ; as also , that Mr. Le Grand may consider which of the Identical Propositions he will , in his great Learning , think fit to deny . But , first ; to avoid the Old Cavil , let it be remember'd , that we speak here , as Philosophers ought always to do , of the Nature of an Angel , as in it self , and not as it may be wrought upon by GOD's Miraculous Power , by which he disposes of all his Creatures , as he sees to be Wisest and Best for Supernatural Reasons ; which , as they are beyond the Science of Philosophers to Know , or even to Guess at ; so , 't is evidently beyond their Province to meddle with them . THESIS : An Angel , or Pure Spirit , is naturally Immutable . Prop. 1. BOdy and Spirit , which are suppos'd , by the Question , to be the Species , or Kinds , of Ens or Thing , do agree , ( or do not differ , ) precisely , in the Common Notion of Thing . This is as self-evident , as that [ Every Thing is a Thing . ] Which is an Identical . Prop. 2. Therefore , they only Disagree , or Differ , by those Notions , call'd , their Differences : For , since , to have a Difference in it from another , is the Formal Reason , why one is Different , or Differs , from another ; as , Whiteness in a Thing , is the Formal Reason which makes a Thing be white ; it follows , that [ to have Differences in them , is , to Differ , ] is as Self-evident , as 't is , that [ to Differ , is , to Differ . ] Which is an Identical . Prop. 3. Therefore , those Things which have Greater ( or more Opposite ) Differences in them , do more differ ; and those which have the Greatest ( or most Opposite ) Differences in them , do most differ : For , since , to have a Difference from another , is the same as to Differ from it , by Prop. 2. this Proposition is as Evident , as it is , that [ These which do more Differ , do more Differ ; ] or , [ Those which do most Differ , do most Differ . ] Which are Identicals . Prop. 4. Divisible and Indivisible do Adequately Divide the Common Notion of Thing , as its Differences . For , since [ Divisible ] means [ Not-Divisible , ] which is Contradictory , that is , most Opposite to , or most Different from the other ; and , between Contradictories , ( or , is , or is not , ) there can be no Third , or Middle Notion ; this Proposition is as Self-evident , ( by Prop. 3. ) as 't is , that ( Those which do most Differ , do most Differ . ] Which is an Identical . Prop. 5. Therefore , Body being evidently Divisible ; Spirit , which differs from it , must be necessarily Indivisible : For , since Body and Spirit Differ ; and they are formally made to differ by their Differences , by Prop. 2. and those Differences are most Opposite , or do most differ , by Prop. 4. and every thing is what it is Constituted , or made to be ; this Proposition is as Self-evident , as , that [ A Thing is what it is ; ] or , that [ What is Divisible , is Divisible ; and , What is Indivisible , is Indivisible . ] Which are , all of them , Identicals . Prop. 6. Therefore , whatever is Affirm'd of Body , except the Generical , or Common Notion of Thing , must be Deny'd of Spirit : For , since all Predicates ( except that of the Common Notion ) must be taken from the Difference ; and the Difference is that which makes one of the Species different , or distinct , from all others ; that is , constitutes , or makes it to be no other ; and , consequently , ( since it must be something , ) makes it to be it self only ; it follows , that Body and Spirit are so , or , in such a manner , Distinct , as those Differences make them , by Prop. 3. that is , are most Different , or most Oppos'd ; that is , Contradictorily Distinct ; or , are of Contradictory . Natures to one another , by Prop. 4. & 5. Wherefore , that whatever ( besides the Common Notion of Thing ) is Affirm'd of the One , must be Deny'd of the Other , is as Self-evident , as , that [ Contradiction ( or , saying contradictorily , by is , and is not , ) is Contradiction . ] Which is Identical . Prop. 7. Wherefore , since we do truly and properly Affirm of BODY , that it is Successive , or Part after Part , in its Operations ; the Contradictory , viz. that 't is Unsuccessive , Simultaneous , or Instantaneous , in its Operations , must , by Prop. 6. be Affirm'd of SPIRIT . Therefore , this Proposition is as Self-evident , as it is , that [ What is not part after part , is not part after part ; but all at once . ] Which is evidently Identical . Prop. 8. Whatever is Mutable , is otherwise afterwards , than it was before ; and , consequently , 't is Successive : For , if it has all it had before , ( neither more , nor less , ) 't is manifestly the Same , or Unchang'd ; and , where there is no Successiveness , there can be no possible Ground for Before , or After : Wherefore , this is as Self-evident , as it is , that [ VVhat must remain the same , or can receive no Change , is Unchangeable . ] Which is Identical . Prop. 9. Wherefore , an Angel ( being , by Prop. 6. & 7. Unsuccessive ) is naturally Unchangeable . 50. Ere I come to examine Mr. Le Grand's Solution of this Demonstration , I desire all Ingenuous Readers to reflect what Advantage it would bring to True Knowledge , or SCIENCE , were this Connected Way of Discoursing from Clear Grounds brought into Fashion , and candidly pursu'd . It would quickly make Truth appear ; and discover , what Productions are the Genuine Effects of Right Reason , and what is only Loose Talk. It would put an End to all Controversies , and avoid all Occasions of Men's Catching at , and availing themselves , by those insignificant Methods of Wrangling , Ill Language , and Prevarication ; to which Obstinate Opposers of Truth are forc'd to have recourse . Whence , I must sincerely declare that ( as far as I am conscious to my self of my own Intentions ) it was not any Arrogancy , or Vanity of preferring my Labours , and Thoughtful Productions , before those of some Writers , who took not this Way of Connexion but seem'd wholly to dis regard it ; but , that which caus'd me to take that Way of expressing my self with that Assuredness , was , an Earnest Desire to invite , and ( as far as I could possibly ) incite others , and breed an Emulation in them to follow such a Method , as might set Truth in a Clear Light , advance Science , and difcountenance and beat down Scepticism , and all its Inconclusive Ways of Talking ; which , in Philosophy , where Solid and VVell-grounded Truth is aim'd at , ( let it be never so Pretty , and Witty , ) amounts to no more , nor deserves any better Name , but that of Idle Tittle-Tattle . Nay , I express'd my self , in my Preface to Solid Philosophy Asserted , that I was aware this would be objected to me ; and , therefore , I did there ( from § . 8. to § . 14. ) alledge many Reasons , to shew that this Carriage was necessary for a Writer who resolv'd , without Fear or Favour of any , to pursue those Good Ends ; and to put it to the Test , what Doctrine , or Method , was True ; what Sophisticate , and False . Which Reasons , till they answer , themselves must confess , that their Objecting Arrogancy can only be built on their seeing my Heart , and penetrating my Inward and Invisible Intentions . The plain Truth is , Mr. Le Grand would have had me speak well of his Books , ( and other Writers of the same Strain and Pitch ; ) for which Reason he complains of me sadly , in his Preface to his former Treatise , that I had not so much as read his Books , sive Latinè , sive Gallicè scriptos ; ( there is a Quod not a benè for you , now ! ) My Reasons why I neglected that Expected Duty were these : First , Because ( except his Volume which is a Collection out of Descartes his Placita ) they were so very Famous , and universally taken notice of , that I never so much as heard of them . Next , I did not apprehend I had any such great Obligation to read them . Thirdly , I read as much of them as I had occasion to speak to ; which did not so hugely please me , as to think it worth my while to look after any more of them . Lastly , Those I had read were like Whipp'd Cream ; being so empty of Solid Sense and Frothy , so void of Principles or Connexion , that is , without either Head or Tail , that I was weary of them . And , as for his last Books , he has so doubly disfigur'd them with Ill Language , that the Ground-work of them is Insipid and Unconnected Talk ; and the Embroidery of them is Raillery : Which are no such great Philters , to make me in love with their Brethren ; nor could any Flattery be so fulsom from me , as to deck them with Encomiums . But , Words from an Adversary are of no VVeight ; Let us , then , come to examine how pertinently and punctually he has Answer'd this Demonstration , which was so highly incumbent upon him . I earnestly beg of the Reader , to take the pains to go along with me for this once , so that we may get a full View of the Solution of it ; which , if he does , I am confident he will confess , that never did a weaker Writer appear in Print ; and , that he will both grant that my farther Confuting him is Needless ; and , withall , will admire I have had the Patience to lose my Time so long upon such an Insignificant Trifler . 51. He recites my Demonstration in his Censura , p. 44. and sets himself to answer it , p. 45. First , He says , This Demonstration is none of those he brought formerly ; but , that this is the first time he has produc'd it . What is this to purpose ? Let it be where it will , whose it will , or whensoever first produc'd , here it is ; and I have challeng'd him , and his Cartesians , to Answer it ; and therefore , we are to expect their Performance . Yet , he is much out , even when he talks frivolously ; for , I produc'd it formerly , at large , ( tho' not in the self-same manner , ) in my Method to Science , p. 316. as any one that can read , may see . Next , He says , I durst not repeat here my former Argument , drawn from the Immutability of GOD. He says very right ; for , I dare not commit such a Folly , as to repeat an Argument which was brought to evince Another Point , to prove This Thesis , which is so widely Different from it . The Immutability of GOD was my Medium , to prove , that GOD could not be the Immediate Cause of that which is Essentially Mutable , as Motion is ; his Nature being Contradictory to it . Why must this Argument be repeated here , where we are speaking of the Manner of Operating peculiar to Angels ? Tho' this be nothing to purpose , and sillily Ridiculous ; yet , the Words , [ He durst not bring it here , ] look Great ; and would persuade his Readers , if they were Fools , that he has frighted me from my Argument ; which , tho' he sets a good Face on it , and looks and talks Big , I dare say , poor Man ! himself is far from hoping . Thirdly , He talks Ironically of its Formidable and Invincible Strength . Whether it be Invincible , will be best seen by his Answer to it : But , it seems , 't is Formidable to him ; for he is loath to come up to it , but makes his Approaches very backwardly ' , and cautiously . Fourthly , He calls it Garrulity , and ( afterwards ) Verbosity . What Reader will not smile at his Humour of saying any thing , tho' never so manifestly False ? Whoever reviews my Argument , put down by himself , in the fore going Page , and in my very Words , will see there is not one superfluous Word in it , but barely as many as suffic'd to shew the Connexion of my Discourse : And , of all the things in the World , Verbosity and Garrulity in a Demonstration is the only way to blunt and spoil the Force of the Argument ; since this Loosness of much Talk , bIinds the Considerer from seeing the Close Coherence of its Terms . But this acquaints us perfectly with his Genius : The very Grain of his Thoughts is laid so cross to all kind of Connexion , that he thinks all Connected Discourse is nothing : but Idle Babbling ; and , that only Loose and Rambling Talk is True Demonstration . 52. But , these Avant-Guards of his , are only VVhifflers before the Show , to make way : Now comes the Answer it self . First , He excepts against the Common Notion of Ens , or Thing ; which I had said , consisted in this , that It had a Power to be , or could be . Upon which , he thus descants ; Quasi verò Essentia omnis Entis . Finiti , tam Creati quàm Creandi , non sit quid Positivum , sed nihil aliud quàm Potentia Essendi , seu id quod Quo possit Esse . More Folly , and Shifting Tricks , could not have been well crouded into five Lines ! Where did I speak in the Abstract of Essentia , Potentia essendi , or Quo potest esse ? Does not he see , in my Words , put down lately by himself , that I speak of Ens , or the Concrete ; and , that , in my Id. Cartes . p. 244. where I demonstrate to him , what the Notion of Ens Creatum must be , ( of which he takes no notice here , but only talks against , that is , denies , my Conclusion , ) I express'd what was meant by such an Ens , p. 245. l. 2 , 3 , viz. Illud quod potest existere ; and , all along , I name Ens , Corpus , Spiritus , which are all Concretes . And , surely , he will not say that the Essence of Created Things includes Actual Existence ; for , if he does , he makes them so many GODS ; for , 't is the Prerogative of the Deity only , Essentially to Exist . Let him take any Individual , Created Things , ( those being most properly Things ; ) For Example ; Michael , Peter , a Horse , a Stone , &c. and then examine his Thoughts , whether he finds either Actual Being , or Not-being , in their Notions ; and , if he cannot , but finds ( as he must ) they Abstract from both , that all that can be said of Ens , as to what it has of it self , or its own Nature and Essence , in order to Being , is , that it can be , or can receive Existence , if the First Cause pleases to give it . This being so , let us abstract the Notion of Ens from all Individuals ; and we shall see that the Notion of Ens , or Thing , in Common , is That which is Capable of Being , and can be no other . 33. Having thus chang'd my Words , let us see what Advantage he makes of this slippery Dealing . He objects , that this would make the Notion of Ens not to be Positive . What means he ? Does he think that the Notion of Quo est Res , or the Form , or quo potest esse Res , ( suppose I had said so , ) is not Positive ; whereas , 't is Impossible a Negative Nature can exist , or render a Thing Capable of Existing ? Indeed , Aristotle's First Matter is defin'd Negatively , as having no kind of Form at all in its Notion , neither Substantial , nor Accidental ; but , that the Form which is part of the Essence , and constitutes the Thing , should be Negative too , would make the whole Thing to be made up of Negatives ; which is such a strange Blunder in Philosophy , as admits no Parallel . The Form determines the Potentiality , or Indifferency of the Matter , and makes it become This , or an Individual Thing , and so fits it for Existence ; because a Thing in Common , or that which is Indeterminats , is not Capable of Existing . Now , that the Essence that makes an Individual Thing , which is the most Positive Notion we have , ( or rather , no Notion is perfectly Positive , but it , ) should not be Positive it self , or be less Positive , because it makes the Matter capable of a farther , and best Perfection , to wit , the last Actuality of Existence , is a Paradox unheard of in Metaphysicks . So that Mr. Le Grand has alter'd my Words , and yet gets no Advantage by it , but blunders himself , while he went to blunder the Demonstration . For , What is all this to the Argument ? If he do but grant that Body and Spirit are Species of Thing in Common , or ( which is the same ) that they are both of them Things , ( which 't is a Madness to deny , ) the Demonstration , which consists in the Connexion or Agreement of the Notions , will go on , and proceed , whether he will or no. And , this he fore-sees very well ; and therefore , by throwing these Flim-flams , as Rubs in the way , he endeavours to keep it off , and hinder it from going on . 54. Next , He tells us , that De Corpore & Spiritu , rebus finitis actu existentibus , nunc sermo instituitur : This Discourse treats of Body and Spirit , actually existent . I beseech him , who stated the Question on this fashion , or pretended we spoke of This Body , or This Spirit , which only do actually exist ? He knows , that , when he put my Demonstration , I acknowledg'd , that I spoke of Body and Spirit , which were the Species of Ens , in Common ; and therefore , are themselves the most common Notions next to it ; and , not Particulars , which only do exist actually . Yet , he tells us , Nunc Sermo instituitur : The Speech now , is , of Things actually existing . I beseech him , VVhose Speech ? His , or Mine ? Not Mine , as is now shewn : It must mean , then , that 't is His Speech . And , by what Rule must I needs speak as he would have me ? Certainly , I have Right to put my own Demonstration as I please my self . It lies before him ; and , he is to answer it as it lies . What wriggling is here to pervert the Sense of it , instead of representing it in my own VVords , and Solving it ! Again , this is a Sign he knows little what belongs to Science ; for this treats of the Abstracted Notions and Natures of the Subjects we handle ; which , as distinctly such , exist in our Understanding , and no where else ; for , there they are concise , and exact , even to an Indivisible ; whereas , if we treat of them as they actually exist in Matter , or in re , they are jumbl'd confusedly with innumerable other Modes ; so that there cannot possibly be any Science , nor Demonstration of them at all . I wish him to reflect upon all the particular Sciences in the Mathematicks , whether they are of Circles , Quadrates , Triangles , &c. and he will see they do all of them treat of those Formal Notions , or Natures , abstractedly , from their Actual Existence in re ; where , perhaps , no Figures Mathematically so exact as our Mind frames of them , are to be found . The same is to be said , when we treat of the Common Notions of Ens , Corpus , Spiritus , &c. which can no where exist , but in the Understanding : Nay , 't is evident , I speak of Ens Formally , as its Notion is taken Generically , or of Ens in Common ; and , sure , he will not say , the Thing formally , as in Common , can any where actually exist , but in our Mind . 56. He proceeds after his old rate , and tells his Reader , that all my Verbosity , hoc solum vult , means only this , that Body has Parts , and Spirit has none ; and , that therefore , Body is Successive , and thence Mutable ; and Spirit Immutable . He puts my Reason , after a fashion , indeed ; yet , only slightly , and slubberingly : He would have more oblig'd me to have us'd my own VVords , which were more Ample , and Full , viz. That the Differences which constitute them being Contradictory , it follows , that whatever we say of the One , ( except what belongs to the Common Notion of Thing , ) the Contradictory to it must be said of the Other ; and , therefore , if Body have Succession in its Operations , Spirit must have none , but must have all its Operations in an Instant ; and , consequently , be Immutable . However , I thank him he has put the Substance of my Demonstration on any fashion , tho' not forcibly , but rawly . Here 't is the Argument presses ; now let us expect his Solution . First , He says the Answer is Easie ; and , 't is true ; for , in his Way one may easily , without any Trouble , Answer all Euclid : 't is but altering his Words , and saying something , or raising some extravagant Scruple against his Conclusions , and the Deed is done . Next , He grants they may know some Things at one View , but not all . This is said ; but , still the Question is , Why not All at once , if Some ? His Reason ? Does the Knowledge of those Some burthen or fill the Angel's Intellect , so , that it can hold no more ? No , surely ; for , we experience , even in our Souls here , that are very much Inferiour to the Intelligences , which are Pure Acts , that the having some Knowledge , increases our Capacity to take in more ; whence 't is demonstrable , that nothing can fill or satisfie them , but the Sight of an Infinite Truth , or the Beatifical Vision of GOD. Do Angels require some Time to have more Knowledge , because slowly-moving Corporeal Phantasms , must bring things leisurely into their Understanding ; or , Impressions on their Nerves occasion the producing Ideas ? Neither of these can be said . What hinders , then , their having at once all they naturally can have ? Are not all Truths , the Objects of these Knowledges , Connected ; but some of them stand at variance with one another ? This would disgrace GOD's Workmanship , the Product of his Wisdom , if we make Truths Incoherent , Contradictory and Chimorical . None of these Rubs , then , being possible , which only could hinder or retard an Angel from having all his Intellectual Operations in an Instant , it had been but a piece of Civility in Mr. Le Grand to have bestow'd upon us some Reason for his dissenting from us in this Point ; and , not to have popt us off with a bare voluntary Denial of the Conclusion , which is the only thing in question . 57. For , we have much more Right to expect his Reason , because ( as was now said ) this Denial of his , instead of Answering the Argument , is a plain Denying the Immediate Conclusion which follow'd from that Demonstration . Yet , I must say , that ( however those foolish Fellows , the Logicians , would laugh at him , for such an Unpardonable Errour in Disputation , yet ) he behaves himself here like a Civil Gentleman ; for , he compounds with us , and grants very kindly , that they do at once know some Things , but denies they have all the Operations belonging to them at once , or know all they ought to know in an Instant . Now , this being evidently the Conclusion of my Argument , ( as far as I there press'd it , ) 't is a double Injury ; first , only to hint the Argument , and then slide away from speaking to it , and deny our Conclusion ; and , yet , give us no kind of Reason why . Yet , he pretends to give us something that he would have thought a Reason , tho' 't is so slight , that he is shy to call it so : Which we will hearken to ; only , let it be first remember'd , that he is Arguing against the Conclusion , which he had most learnedly Deny'd ; and , not Answering my Argument , or shewing that the Terms of it do not cohere ; or , that the Conclusion does not follow out of my Premisses . His Reason ( if it be one ) is grounded on an Explication of his own Doctrine , that GOD moves Matter Immediately ; which , unless he first establishes , ( as he never did , nor can , ) his Foundation shakes . However , that fuppos'd , he demonstrates it after his usual sort , by bringing a Parallel . His Discourse runs thus : Bodies are Stupid Things ; nor could they stir at all , if GOD did not give and conserve their Motion , and all the Modes of it : And , in like manner , GOD gives and conserves Cogitation , and the Modes of Cogitation , to Angels . Wherefore , as a Body does not therefore lose its Essence by Moving more or less , so an Angel does not lose his Essence by Thinking more or less . Where are we now ? I am sure we are rambl'd quite out of the Purlue of our Question . My Conclusion only says , and my Argument only aims to prove , that if the Ordinary Laws of an Angel's Operating be observ'd , it would know all it is naturally to know at once , and not successively ; but , that it would , otherwise , lose its Essence , I never said , nor thought ; nor that GOD , acting Supernaturally , cannot devest them of some Property they have , tho' naturally ally'd to its Essence . So that , he first Denies my Conclusion , instead of Answering my Argument : Next , brings a Parallel for an Argument ; and when he has brought it , he shoots it at Rovers , and levels it at a wrong Mark : So far he is from knowing what belongs to any one Rule belonging to Disputation . Add that his pretended Parallel is the most Unparallel of any he could have invented ; Divisible and Indivisible are the Essential , or Intrinsecal Differences of Ens nor can there be any Ens , but it must be either the One , or the Other of them . Are Moving more , or Moving less , Essential Differences of Body ? Or , cannot Body be , without being either of them ? Could not GOD's Omnipotence have kept their First Matter from Moving , when he had first Created it ? Or , are [ Moving more , and Moving less , ] Contradictories ; as are the Differences I put , and argue from them ? Or , could an Angel , which is a Pure Act , have been Created without Knowing at all , as a Body could without Moving at all ? What a Lame Similitude then , or Parallel , is this , which has never a Leg to run on ! And , yet , he will needs make it run on a Sleevless Errand , and applies it to a Point which is Foreign to our Question . Add , farther , that our Question is not here of an Angel's Simultaneous Knowledge omnium rerum , of all things , as he puts it : 'T is not the Quantity or Extension of the Angelical Knowledges , which I do here strive to evince ; but the Unsuccessiveness of them ; or , that it has them all at once , ( whether they are many or fewer , large or narrow ; ) from whence is deduc'd immediately , that 't is naturally Immutable . 58. Yet , of this Aukward Answer he is so fond , that he Crows over my Demonstration most Triumphantly , in these Words , p. 45. [ Quâ simplice solutione , &c. By which Simple Solution , all the Herculean Strength of his Demonstration , as Sampson 's did of old , by meerly cutting off his Hairs , falls to the Ground , to his great Disgrace . ] And , I must confess , 't is ( as he says ) a Simple Solution indeed . Were he but half as Powerful in his Arguments and Solutions , as he is in his Confident Braggadochio Talk , he would be Invincible . Poor Man ! He thinks the Tinkling a few fine Latin Phrases is far beyond all the strongest Reasons in the World : And , can any Man think I have nothing else to do , but to stand laying open the Nonsense of such a perpetual Trifler ? 59. This may serve for a Sample of his Solutions of my Arguments , by which ( since this concerns him more than all the others ) we may judge of all the rest : For , I am forc'd to take the Method of proceeding by Instances , in regard it would require a Volume to lay open all his Follies of each kind . In the next place , I will produce an Instance or two , of his Great Talent of Aggravating and Perverting my Words to a Sinister and Invidious . Sense ; which is an Essential Part of this New Cartesian Method , and takes up near a quarter of his Book ; and , withall , gives it a Thousand times à greater Shew of being Victorious , than all his Arguments . An Honourable and Worthy Gentleman hapt to say , that the Parts of the Cartesian Doctrine did cum quodam lepôre sibi consentire , agree to one another with a certain Grace , or Prettiness ; than which , I know no Expression more proper . I reply'd to Mr. Le Grand , who seem'd fond of this Commendation , in my Id. Cart. p. 10. and granted , it was not only Lepida , Graceful , or Pretty ; but also , Witty. Which says the same that Noble Person said ; and I added a farther Commendation to it . Upon this , Mr. Le Grand tells his Reader , that , Nobilissimum illum Virum spiculis suis venenatis petit ; that I assault , or set upon that Noble Person with my Poyson'd Darts . His Fancy is , certainly , very fearfuly Hypochondriack : Every thing is a Spiculum , or Dart , that he dis-likes . Thus a silly Asterisk * , casually left in the Context , in my METHOD , was interpreted as a Design , transfigere ipsum quinque radiis tanquam tot Spiculis ; to strike him thorow with those Five Points , as with so many Darts . Nay , he tells me , moreover , in that Preface , § . 31. that I have petulans ingenium ac Judicium pravum , for attempting to do him that Mischief with those five Darts of that Asterisk ; and is so afraid of being transfix'd , or run thorow by them , that he complains of it sadly to the Reader ( it being , as we are to conceive , a Matter of much Weight ) a second time there , in § . 44. Of which , see Id. Cartes . p. 30. & 72. Another Instance of his Ranting , and shameful Exaggeration , shall be this : He had quoted Bellarmin , to say , that a piece of Wood was turn'd into Stone . I reply'd , That it did not appear , but Stony Particles might be interwoven with the Wooden ones , Id. Cartes . p. 45. for which I gave my Reason . What Harm , what Incivility is in this Reply ? None . Yet , let Mr. Le Grand come to represent it , ( who , as Icterical Men see all things Yellow , dyes every Word , tho' never so Innocent , into the Colour of his own furious Choler , and renders it Hideous , ) it amounts to this , in his Language , ( Cens. pag. 112. ) Bellarmine Rationis expers es , mentiris : Bellarmin , thou hast no Sense ( or Reason ) in thee ; Thou Lyest . Hundreds of such Ingenuous Representations of my Words garnish his Censure ; to which , what Credit is to be given , these few Instances may inform us : And the Reader may observe , that whenever he is most Transported and Furious in Amplifying , he may be sure there is always the least Reason . And , so much for this Exaggerating Method , so Useful and Proper to our New Cartesians . 60. Another Method of theirs , is , to impose upon me False Tenets , to make me look like a Monster of Folly and Impiety . These are great Sticklers in his , and his Friend Merry-man's Pamphlets ; and give the briskest Vigour to their Invectives . For example ; He tells the Reader , ( p. 42. ) that I say , It is infinitely more Impossible that GOD should change an Angel , ( if it were Changeable at all , ) after the First Instant , than that it self , or another Angel , should do it . Now , What Man , reading these Words , thus industriousty singl'd out , would not verily think I made GOD infinitely less Powerful than an Angel , or any other Creature ; and admire at my Folly , and Impiety , both ? But , read the whole Discourse there , and it is evidently quite contrary ; nor could any Man more highly magnifie GOD's Attributes , than I do in that very place . My Discourse is this : An Indivisible Effect must be put in an Instant ; therefore , it will be put in the first Instant , if all that is requisite to produce that Effect be put : Those Requisites are , Power in the Cause , and Disposition to exercise that Power , and Application of the Agent to the Patient ; and , that , in case the Agent be not yet Dispos'd to act , it must be Chang'd , so to be made Dispos'd . Wherefore , since 't is Infinitely more Impossible GOD should not have Power to do it in the First Instant , being All-powerful , than that another Spirit should not have such a Power ; or , not be Dispos'd of himself to act , he being Pure and Infinite Actuality ; or , that he can be Chang'd , thus to be made Dispos'd , he being Unchangeable ; or , not be Apply'd , he being Omnipresent ; than it is , that an Angel should not have Power to do this Effect ; or , be chang'd , so to be fitted to act : Or , not be Apply'd most intimately to the Patient ; therefore , 't is infinitely more Impossible GOD should not do it in the First Instant , ( that is , not after the First Instant , ) if the Effest were feisible , than that an Angel , which falls infinitely short in every regard , should not do it in the First Instant ; or , ( which is the same , ) should do it after the First Instant . See my Demonstration , in my METHOD ; from p. 307. to p. 314. particularly , p. 313. Now , 't is evident , that , in this Discourse , I bear up to GOD's Attributes , there mentioned ; and maintain them to be infinitely above those of the best Created Beings in every regard . What do these Men ? They pick out a few Words , and purposely conceal the whole Tenour of my Discourse ; and , by this False Dealing , endeavour to impose upon me so Wicked an Impiety , as neither any Christian , nor any Heathen , who holds a First Being , did ever assert . How he deforms this Argument , by singling out a few other Words , may be seen in his Censure , p. 49. Judge then , Reader , whether those poor spiteful Men have not renounc'd all Shame and Conscience , who dare thus wilfully defame their Neighbour , and fraudulently abuse their Reader . Would not a Lawyer that us'd such a Dishonest Trick , in Altering the Words which concern'd the Title of an Estate , be turn'd over the Bar , and hated by all Honest Men ? Something worse than this as containing the same Malice , and in far worse Circumstances , is this Other Instance . He had , in the Preface of his former Book , § . 40. made me to say , it was Vile opus & Laboriosum , for GOD to be the Immediate Cause of Motion . He put it directly upon me , as my very Words ; by introducing it with Pergit , statimque addit ; and , by printing the Word [ Laboriosum ] in Italick Letter , and the same with the other Words , which were truly mine . This makes me Impious against GOD , with a Witness ; for , it represents my Opinion to be , That GOD makes use of the Ministery of Angels , to ease himself ( forsooth ! ) of the Fatigue and Weariness , which , otherwise , he would have felt , had he mov'd the First Matter Himself . Hereupon , I challeng'd him to have flatly falsify'd my Words , and , to have added [ Laboriosum , ] to put upon me such an absurd Doctrine , as never came into the Head of any Man acquainted with Christianity , or Common Sense . I had happ'd to express it to be a Drudgery mis-becoming GOD's Essence , who is Unchangeable , to be the Immediate Cause of Motion , or Change. Where , 't is manifest , I put it upon the Mis-becomingness , or Unsutableness to GOD's Nature , which is Pure Actuality of Existence , to cause Change immediately ; because , Being only was the Proper Effect of Him , whose Nature was Self-Existence . Yet , in despite of all the Concomitant Words , and the whole Tenour of the Discourse , instead of Retracting , or Excusing his Fault , he stands to it stoutly , p. 44. And , why ? Because Drudges do use to toyl and moyl , and sweat and labour , and lead ( as we say ) a weary Life : As if there were not Meanness in Drudgery , and Indignity for the Master of the Family to perform , it being below his Function ; and , as if the Concomitant Word , [ Mis-becoming , ] and [ Vile . ] join'd with it , did not restrain it manifestly to this Sense , that it was Indignum DEO ; and , not such a Toilsom Business to move Matter , which every Angel can do . Could it be possibly thought by any Man in his Wits , that he who holds that GOD Created Heaven and Earth , of Nothing , in an Instant , should think he had not Power to give Motion to Bodies , without over-straining himself ? Who , but a Mad man , could hold two such Inconsistent Tenets ? Or , What Man , well in his Wits , could hope to obtain Belief that I held such a piece of Extravagant Nonsense ? But , what cannot Impotent Passion feign , and pretend , when Reason is Nonpluss'd ? Something was to be said when he was at a Plunge ; and any thing is taken up , in that Exigence , to serve a turn ; and , the more Extravagant it is , the better it pleases his Humour ; which never lets him consider whether it be Credible , or no : It serves to bespatter , and vent his Uneasie Anger , which is still boiling in his Breast ; and , that is enough for his purpose . 61. Another piece of this New Cartesian Method , is , To cry aloud against me , and call me Proud , Self-conceited , and Arrogant , if I will not allow such Writers as himself to be most Excellent Philosophers : Or , if I hap to dissent from other Learned Men , in some Opinions , ( as , Who does not ? ) then , presently , he complains pathetically , that I damn , contemn , and trample upon those Authors : Or , if I do but say , I Demonstrate such a Point ; or , that others do not demonstrate ; then , presently , I am as Proud as Lucifer ; and , the Lord knows what . How sincere he is in alledging this , will appear by the examining three most signal Places he makes Choice of ; where he objects it , ( § . 40. ) In which he makes me say , [ Providentiam Divinam , ex Aliis omnibus , me , ad Rationem Dominio suo restituendam selegisse : ] that Divine Providence had chosen out Me , from All Others , to restore Reason to her Dominion , or Soveraignty , over Fancy . This , certainly , thus worded , sounds proudly . But , may we not fear , after so many Trials , that Mr. Le Grand has falsify'd my Words , tho' he puts them all for mine : and , that too , in a Distinct Character ? To say , I would attempt or endeavour this , is but to express , that my Zeal for Truth had put me upon such a bold Undertaking , and , withall , to give an Encouragement to the Reader to weigh my Argument : Or , to say , that I apprehended GOD's Providence had enabi'd me to perform this , was no more than to say , I had writ a Method to Science , which the Title-Page had profess'd openly ; for which too , I gave GOD the Glory . But , to say GOD had chosen me , out of All others , can become no body but a Proud and Imprudent Boaster . How proves he this ? that is , How shews he these Words , thus put together , in my Books ? Why , he cites the very places ; which , if True , must shame me ; if False , must disgrace him , as a Falsifyer . The First of the Places he cites , is found in the Preface to my METHOD , p. 27. where I find , in the Beginning of that § , these Words ; I have not enumerated these Particulars , to boast my Performances ; but , to be-speak my Reader 's Pardon , if , travelling in an Unbeaten Road , I happen now and then to stumble . Which have not the least Shew of Arrogancy , but the quite Contrary . Indeed , I say , p. 27. that It is Impossible for any Wit of Man to invent any other VVay than what I have propos'd ; that is , Solid and Evident : Which , I say there , is , to build on the Nature of the Thing , and frame my Discourses by Connexion of Terms . But , do I pretend , that what I propos'd was my own Invention , or that I am the Author of it ; as the Wondrously Modest Cartesius did ; who oppos'd all the present and past World , to set up his New-fangl'd Doctrine ? Do not all Aristotelians pretend to it , as well as I ? And , Did not all the Learned World follow it , till Cartesius's Time ? With what Ingenuity , then , does he tell his Reader , in the Margin , that this is Arrogantia J. S. non aliàs audita ; the Unheard of Arrogance of J. S. to propose in his Books , ( in Opposition to the Ideists , ) what Ten Thousand had propos'd before him ? The Second Place he cites , is , from the Epistle Dedicatory to Solid Philosophy Asserted , § . 8. where I have these Words , [ I must own , I have a high Opinion of my Principles , and of my Method , which Nature , and GOD's Good Providence , have laid , and establish'd . ] Is it Arrogance to have a high Opinion of what GOD , and Nature ( the Work of his Divine Wisdom ) have done ? For , it is plain , that I do not pretend I have any hand in establishing either of them . My Non Ultra has told them why I have a high Opinion of my Principles , because they are built on the Metaphysical Verity of Things , establish'd by the Ideas in the Divine Understanding : And of my Method , or Way of Discourse ; because Nature , or ( which is the same ) GOD , as Author of Nature , has made our Soul such an Inferiour sort of Spirit , that it works by Abstract or Inadequate Notions , which we compound or connect into Propositions , ( in which all Truth formally consists ; ) and then connect those Propositions into Coherent Discourses . These , then , being by me ascrib'd to GOD and Nature , I assume nothing to my self , but my Conclusions ; and , of these I deliver'd my self thus , in the Words immediately following : [ But , as for my Conclusions , and my Deductions , as I will not justifie them with the same Firmness as I did the others , so I should not think I ought to propose them to Learned Men , unless I judg'd them Demonstrative . ] And , now , where is all this Unheard of Arrogancy ? Where is my Bragging that GOD had Selected me so particularly , from All Others , which he most expresly puts upon me ; and pretends to shew them , [ tribus ex locis , ] from three Places ; of which , these are Two , where not a Word is found savouring of Arrogancy , or any thing like it ; but , rather , the direct Contrary ? Would it be Uncivil , on this Occasion , to ask of Mr. Le Grand , whether he has not forsworn all Sincerity , and Common Honesty ? To stander is too great a Crime for a good Christian to be Guilty of ; but , to falsisie his Adversary's Words , and Slander him too ; or rather , to pretend falsly he says thus , or thus , in such Determinate Places , ( which Particularizing makes it look Credible , ) on purpose that he may slander him , is so voluntary and wilful a Complicated Crime , that the Tenderest , and most Indulgent Charity is at a loss to invent an Excuse for it . 62. The Third Place to which he refers his Reader , is taken out of the Dedicatory to Solid Philosophy Asserted ; where there are , indeed , some of those Words , but not one of those haughty ones he here expresly and distinctly fixes upon me . My Discourse in the two fore-going Pages , was , concerning the Way of Ideas made use of by Cartesius , and others ; which , I made account , did delude their good Reason ; and , by making them disregard the Nature of the Thing , led them into Fancies , and Imaginary Conceits : I gave there for the Reason why I writ Philosophy , That I apprehended GOD's Providence had fitted and enabl'd me to redress such great Mischiefs , ( viz. that Fancies should beat down Reason and Truth ; ) and therefore , I thought it became me to Re-instate Reason in her Sovereignty over Fancy ; and , to assert to her the Rightful Dominion Nature had given her , over all our Judgments . ] Which amounts to this , That I thought my self able to confute his Way of Ideas , and to shew it to be Opposite to True Reason . Is it such a piece of Arrogancy to pretend to be able to confute a piece of Novelry , so Opposite to the Way of all the former World , ( especially , ascribing , as I did , that Ability to GOD ? ) Or rather , ( if there be any Arrogancy at all on either side , ) Is it not more like Arrogancy in them , to blame the Methods of so many Thousands of Learned Men , who writ before them ; and , by introducing New Ways of Philosophizing , to accuse , by Consequence , all the former VVorld of Ignorance ? Is it not rather Arrogance in him , to be so haughtily and rudely Stiff in maintaining Ideas ( as he says ) Elicited , or produc'd by Himself , without even attempting to bring any one Demonstration , or Conclusive Proof for them ? Can there be any Self-Conceit more Enormous , than to be thus Ravingly Earnest to maintain that he has this Invisible Gift of Producing Ideas out of his own Head , or ex se , ( as he expresses it ; ) which he holds to be the only Ground of all True Knowledge , without bringing any one Argument that is able to evince it ; and , then , because we will not believe him without Proof , to foam thus at the Mouth with the foulest Language the most Transported Rage could dictate ? See his Words at the End of this § . [ Quis a Luciferi lapsu , superbiùs unquam de Seipso senserit ! VVhat Man , since the Fall of Lucifer , had ever such a Proud Conceit of himself ! ] Then follows my never-heard-of Arrogance , my Intolerable Arrogance , my Nequissima , most VVicked Arrogance . Poor Impotent Railer ! Whose Passion will neither let him reflect how he dishonours his Place , disgraces his Friends , scandalizes Good Christians , or wrongs his own Conscience . But , in the Name of Wonder ! How comes it that no body but himself ever thought me thus damnably Arrogant ! I do confess , I write briskly , and smartly , when I think it Evident I write for Truth . It is my Duty : And , I have given my Reasons for it in my Preface to Solid Philosophy ; which he , instead of Answering , tells us here only , he cannot read them without Horrour : No , nor my Arguments neither ; for , he answers them both just alike . In what , then , consists this Arrogancy of mine ? The plain Truth is this ; and , his Carriage confesses it : I had challeng'd him to bring one Principle , or one Conclusive Proof , for his New VVay of Philosophy : He has none ; and , therefore , I must be Intolerably Arrogant , because he is Obstinate in his Errours , and pitifully Ignorant ; as also , because I follow the Way , which builds Truth on the Nature of Things , and on the Connexion of Terms ; which all the Learned Men in the VVorld had so long embrac'd , and Unperverted Nature teaches every Man. 63. But , we have lost our Third Citation . I beseech my Reader to re-view it , and then to consider whether there be one Word there , that GOD had Selected me from All Others ; which he here , § . 40. puts upon me , as my Express Words ; and prints in a distinct Character , as mine . That I have truly represented the Three Places he relates to , will appear by the Preface to his former Book , § . 26. where he puts them down at large . This , then , being evident to Eye-sight , I charge him with Three Wilful Falsifications here , in citing Three Places in my Books for these haughty Words ; viz. that I said , I was selected from All Others , &c. whereas , I only said , that I apprehended my self Able to confute his Ideas . I demand of him , either to shew me the Words in my Books , or , to acknowledge his Errour . But , I do not expect from him the Candour to retract any of his Slanders , whatsoever he professes here , pag. 2. For , this would oblige him to make Satisfaction ; against which , as I have sufficiently experienc'd , he is ( I know not by what Case of Conscience ) Church-Canon-Proof . This , then , is Another Branch of the New Cartesian Method of Arguing , and Answering ; viz. to falsifie , and impose on his Adversary , whatever VVords he pleases : And , he is very Constant , and Diligent , in pursuing that Useful Method . 64. Another Branch of this New Method , is , Without so much as one VVord to abet his Saying ; nay , in despite of many VVords , and , even , Avow'd Demonstrations to the contrary ; to impose upon me False , Invidious , Incredible , and Unchristian Tenets . Thus , p. 78 , 79. he makes me deny that the Soul exists when it is separated from the Body : Nay , he is afraid I deny it is Created , but is ex Traduce ; and , that it is Extinguish'd with the Body , and Rais'd again at the Last Day . Nor is this all ; but , ( that we may see how his Suspicions contradict one another , ) he calls into Doubt , p. 78. whether I acknowledge a Resurrection . I see , it is a great Favour he will let me hold some few of the Articles of my Creed ; for , he has debarr'd me from holding most of them . His Reasons , ( such as they are , ) as well as I can collect them , or make them look like Aiming at any Sense , are these . First , I made her incapable of Pre-existing before the Body , of which she is the Form ; ( of which Opinion he seems here an Earnest Asserter : ) Whence he concludes , I deny she can exist when Separate from the Body afterwards : And , yet , p. 78. l. 4. himself uses my Words ; which affirm , that , after she is separated , ex se existere apta est , she is able to exist of her self . Next ; What says he to my Discourse : Ens is only that which is capable of Existing : But , as the Council of Vienna has told him , the Soul is Forma hominis ; and , therefore , she cannot , of her self , exist here ; but the Totum only , of which , she is a Part. Again , I argue thus ; That which is Indeterminate in any kind , cannot exist ; but the Soul , before she had Knowledge in the Body , was a meer Potentia Cognoscendi , or ( as some express it ) Rasa Tabula : Therefore , she could not exist before the Body . The Major is Evident . The Minor must be granted by Mr. Le Grand himself ; for , the Soul can have no Actual Knowledge , without Ideas ; and , he denies she has any Innate Ideas , but only an Innate Power of producing them ; that is , she has , according to him , none at all before she had elicited them out of her self : Therefore , she was , according to some Priority , before she did elicit them , or , before she had any Knowledge ; and , consequently , she was , of her self , only a Power to have them ; or , a meer Power to have Knowledge ; which is , to be utterly Indeterminate , in Ratione Cognoscitivi : But , what is Indeterminate in any kind , is neither This , nor That ; nor , consequently , can exist : Therefore , there can be no Pre-Existence of Souls . What answers he to these Arguments ? We must excuse him ; 'T is not his Custom to do such trifling Work , as to answer any Argument at all : 'T is enough for him to stand stiff to his Cartesian Tenet , that the Soul and Body are Two Things ; I , that they are , let Arguments say what they will. However , he will do better than Answering Arguments : And , How is that ? Why , he 'll make them all Bad Christians , and Hereticks , that speak against Cartesius ; which no sooner said , but , in his wise Opinion , down they go to the Pit of Hell , like so many Imps of Lucifer , as they are : They deny the Immortality of the Soul , and the Resurrection ; and there is an end of them . And , Is not this Confutation enough in all Conscience ! 65. His Follies here were tedious to Enumerate . He yields , with much ado , what the Council of Vienna told him 't was Heresie to deny ; but he yields it very faintly , in these Words ; Anima ( says he ) Hominis Forma aliquando dici potest : The Soul may sometimes be call'd a Form of Man. The Council is much bound to him for his Civil Complement ; and Cartesius is their most humble Servant , but not so Obedient to its Decrees of Faith as he ought . But , What kind of Form is the Soul then ? The Council said , it was such , verè & essentialiter ; and , if it were Truly such , why may not a Truth , that belongs to Faith , be spoke at all times ? Why , only , [ dici potest , It may be said ; ] as if it were some Improper and Unusual Phrase , and not Proper Language , in which Declarations of Faith use to be worded ? Why aliquando only ? May not Truth be spoke Always , as oft as there is Occasion ? Well , but , all this while , what kind of Form is it ? He tells us here , p. 78. l. 18 , 19 , 20. Is it neither an Assistant , or Extrinsecal Form ; nor an Informing , or Intrinsecal one ? Now , Intrinsecal means Not-Extrinsecal : We should be glad , then , to see this Monster of a Form , that is neither Extrinsecal , nor Not-Extrinsecal . What is this Midling Form then ? He gives us no Account of it , but that 't is alterius Generis , Of another Kind ; quo fit , ut Hominis Formam Humanitatem esse strictiùs asseramus ; By which it comes to pass , that we more strictly call the Form of Man Humanity . What Gibberish is this ? Is the Soul a Form at all , or no ? If not , then he must say the Council errs : If it be , what is the Matter to this Form ? Or , Is it neither Intrinsecal , nor Not-Intrinsecal to it ? A Form that is not Intrinsecal to the Matter , or Informs it , is a strange kind of Form. Again ; What Sense is it , that Humanity is , by the Soul , more strictly made the Form of . Man ! One would think , that this being the Abstract Notion of Man , its Concrete , and that which expresses his Total Essence , should be so more strictly ally'd to it , by the very Notion of it , ( as Whiteness is to that which is White , ) that nothing could make a Man more strictly call'd a Man , than Manhood , or Humanity , can do of it self . So that , Insignificant Words and Contradictions are obtruded upon us , instead of Solid Reasons ; and we must be content with them , when no better can be had . 66. As for his pretending I hold , the Soul is ex traduce , and not Created , he goes against the Light of his own Conscience : For , whoever reads my Fourth Preliminary to Solid Philosophy , § § . 8 , 9. ( as 't is evident he has , since he cavils at that Book , ) will see , I make the Soul come immediately from GOD , and Created ; tho , indeed , the whole Man not being properly Created , but , in part ( viz. according to its Body ) Generated , the Infusion of the Soul is call'd by the Schools , not simply Creation , but Concreation ; meaning , that the Soul is then Created , when , by Generation , the Bodily Part is brought to that Perfection , as to be fit , in some degree , to work with it . This , then , is another piece of their New Cartesian Method ; and would serve for Arguing and Answering both , and do mighty Execution in Running down their Adversary , if they happen to meet with Ignorant and Credulous Readers , who are so weak , as not to consider that Imputations of the Largest Size may as well proceed from Confident Calumny , as from Honest Ingenuity . 67. Another New Method of my Cartesian Adversary , is , to cite Scripture , then interpret it by his own Fancy , without giving us any Rule of interpreting it ; or , of distinguishing Metaphorical Speeches , from Literal ones ; but , taking every Word that serves his purpose , or seems to chime to the Cartesian Novelty , in a Dogmatical Rigour ; ( which Method , follow'd home , would make mad Work with Philosophy , and Divinity too ; ) and then , if we will not allow his Private and Untoward Interpretations , presently to exclaim aloud , and tell the Reader very sadly , that I oppose not only Cartesius , but Moses , St. John , and St. Paul ; nay , GOD himself , and ( which is a worse Fault , it seems , than to oppose GOD ) the Holy Ghost too ; and , p. 47. St. Jude also . Certainly , this Self conceited Man makes account his Private Interpretation of Scripture is the Infallible Rule of all our Faith ; and , therefore , all Mankind must be Bad Christians , and Hereticks , that contradict such a Supernaturally-Gifted Interpreter . What a clutter does he keep with the Word [ stetisse ? ] And , that 't is against all Arts and Sciences , and Common Sense too , to say a Thing did not stand before it fell ; as we both hold of the Angels , That there was some Terminus à quo , or some kind of State , whence they fell , is certain , and undeniable . The Question is , VVhat this State was ? I took him to mean it was to see God ; ( and so did the Learned Merry-man too ; ) for , to say they were in Heaven , is the same , in Christian Language , as to say they enjoy'd the Beatifical Vision . Nor do I think any Man living will deny , but that our Saviour's Words , In the House of my Father are many Mansions , ( one of which Mansions he assign here , p. 47. l. 25. as a Celestial Habitation to the Devils , before their Fall , ) was meant of the Stations , or Degrees , of Essential Happiness , in the Sight of GOD ; for , no Man will deny , but that 't is there he told his Disciples , he went to prepare a Place for them . Now , since Mr. Le Grand calls the House which our Saviour calls here his Father's , [ Heavenly , ] what I want to know , is , what he means by this House , if it be not the Heaven of the Blessed Saints , who enjoy GOD. He makes it another thing ; and says , that they are thence promoted , and admitted more fully to the Beatifical Vision . What means [ promoted , and admitted more fully to see GOD , ] but , that they saw him before , tho' not so fully ? If so , and , that this was really his Tenet formerly , as I suspected , then my Argument proceeds against it thus : If they saw GOD , they were Happy ; If Happy , they had all they could wish ; If they had all they could wish , they could wish no more , nor love any Created Good inordinately ; nor , consequently , Sin , nor be Damn'd : Therefore , they did not absolutely stare ; that is , they were not absolutely in Termino , or in Heaven . I am half afraid , that , from the Words Mansion , Domicilium , and such like , which they left , he conceits there are certain kinds of Upper-Rooms , and Lower-Rooms , in Heaven ; and , that Lucifer , and his Adherents , dwelt in some of the Lowest ; and were there besieg'd , and driven thence by St. Michael and his Angels . Some may think this is too much strain'd , and looks as if I spoke in Jest : But I am very Serious ; and , can see no Reason in the World that is Solid , or taken out of the Nature of our Subject , Angels ; why he , who assigns to them , [ Before and After , ] which are the Proper Differences of Time , should not assign to them Local Habitations , and Places too : And , I should be much oblig'd to that Man , who would shew me , out of the Nature of the Thing , why Angels , which are Pure Acts , should not have the One , as well as the Other ; or , why they should not be Contain'd in , or Commensurate to Place , which is Permanent Quantity ; as well as their Operations , by being one after another , should be Commensurate to Time , which is Successive Quantity ; both of them being equally Opposite , nay , Contradictory to the Nature of Indivisible Beings . 68. To clear this Point , which is much blunder'd by Metaphorical Words , which are Equivocal ; First , It is Certain there was some Condition , State , or Terminus à quo , from which they fell . Secondly , That Words which signifie Place , when apply'd to Spirits , are , and can only be meant , of States , or Conditions ; that is , of Exalted Knowledge ; Ignorance of what they longingly wish to know ; of Extreamly Tormenting Griefs , Blissful Joys , or Suspended Hope , which is also very Penal . Thirdly , That Aquinas ( Pr. Q. 62. a. 1. ) maintains , that Angels were Created by GOD Happy , Beatitudine naturali ; or , in that Happiness which they could have by the Force of their Nature , ( which is , in some sort , call'd Happiness , or Felicity ; ) in which Sense , Aristotle said , that the Utmost Happiness of Man was , to contemplate the Optimum Intelligibile , GOD. This Beatitude ( says he ) Angels have by their Creation , because they cannot acquire it by Discourse , but 't is given them for the Dignity of their Nature . But there is another Beatitude plac'd in the seeing GOD's Essence , which is not within the Limits of Nature , but is the End of Nature ; which , therefore , they had not by their Creation .. Besides , 't is probable they had some Grace , and some Gratuitous Knowledge , beyond what their meer Nature gave them ; which Grace they resisted . These Gifts made them Candidates for Heaven ; in which , the First Act of their Will would have invested them . This was their State , or Condition , from which they fell : This Hope and fair Possibility , and ( as it were ) Title to Heaven , they lost by their First wicked Choice : And , This , according to this Learned Saint , is all that is meant by the Domicilium , ( which so much puzzles Mr. Le Grand , ) which they forfeited by their Deprav'd VVill , and Unhappy Wilfulness . 69. But , does Mr. Le Grand imagine there goes no more to the Interpretation of Scripture , than a hasty Fancy of our own ? I know he is resolv'd to like nothing that comes from me : However , I will acquaint the Readers with my Thoughts , hoping it make some of them more Charitable , than to Censure highly , and Condemn one another , because they interpret Scripture otherwise than themselves do . I conceive then , that in Passages belonging to Faith , Scripture is to be interpreted , as Mr. Thorndike ( Just VVeights and Measures , p. 37. ) also holds , by what the Church , from the Beginning , has receiv'd by their ( the Pastors ) Hands . In Matters that belong to Natural Subjects , True Science is the best Means to interpret it ; because , VVords ( in a Book intended only for Faith and Good Works , and not for Natural Speculation ) may be Ambiguous ; but a Demonstration , if truly such , cannot deceive us . Thus , when 't is said , that GOD made Two Great Lights , the Words would make us think that the Moon is the Greatest , next to the Sun , in the Firmament ; but the Science of Astronomy corrects that Thought , and assures us , it is the Least within our Ken. Particularly , True Science of the Natures of Things enlightens us to know when Words that relate to them are to be taken in a Literal , when in a Metaphorical Sense ; but , most especially , when the Speech is of Spiritual Natures ; which , if we should understand Literally , it would make us entertain a thousand Frantick Conceits , unworthy GOD Almighty , or Angels either ; as every one knows . This determin'd , and that 't is once known the Words are meant Literally , then Criticism , which acquaints us in what Sense they us'd to be understood by those who liv'd about the same Time and Place , will give us great Light. If Metaphorically , then Logick will assist us to know in what Regard , and for what Reason , the Word is transferr'd from one thing to another ; and , to gather by the Tenour or Consequence of the Discourse , the Sense of the whole Passage . Nor is Grammar useless in what concerns the Congruity of the Words which compound the Sentence and Context . This , and such other Considerations , if Mr. Le Grand would please to lay to heart , he would not immediately pronounce , and conclude , that every Interpretation that sutes not with his Fancy , or with the Ideas of Cartesius , ( the Agreeableness or Disagreeableness to which seem to be his Rule of Interpreting Scripture , ) to be such heinous Sins ( as he does , p. 15. ) against Moses , St. John , St. Paul , St. Jude , nay , against GOD himself , and ( which is an odd Addition ) against the Holy Ghost too . ( Had I said so , he would have objected , that 't is a Clear Case I do not hold the Holy Ghost to be GOD. ) By which Method , he assumes to himself a Prerogative to make more Decrees of Eaith in a Moment , than all the General Councils , since the Christian Church stood , have made in Sixteen Hundred Years , with all their Disquisitio Magna . But , I doubt , he will find few that will subscribe to his New Symbolum Fidei , or his New Articles of Faith , no better grounded ; nor believe ( however their Science , according to Malbranche , comes by Divine Revelation ) that their New Faith hath such a Supernatural and Sacred Original . 70. I had forgotten a very smart Confutation of his , put down largely , p. 125. which is the more Victorious , because my own Words are brought to tell me to my Face , that I eat them . The Point was this : A Syllogism being the most Exact of Discourses , out of which some Determinate Conclusion follows , from the placing of the Terms ; hence , in my METHOD , B. 3. L. 1. where I treated of the Figure of a Syllogism , which consists in the Placing the Two Extremes with the Middle , so that some Determinate Conclusion might ensue thence , I advanc'd this Proposition , that therefore the two last Figures were Unnatural , and Illogical . My Reason given there , § § . 10 , 11 , 12. was , because the Place of the Predicate being that which belongs to Superiour Notions , and the Place of the Subject ( as the Word imports ) being that which sutes best with Inferiour ones ; and , it being Natural , that that which conjoins Two , should be placed in the Middle , between them ; it was most Unnatural , that the Middle-Term should be plac'd so as to be Predicated , or Above them both , as 't is in the Second Figure , where 't is twice Predicated ; or Below them both , as in the Third , where 't is twice the Subject : whence , the Middle-Term is , in neither of those Figures , in the Middle . Hence , in my § . 15. I advance this farther Consequence ; [ Hence , no Determinate Conclusion can follow in either of the last Figures , from the Disposal of the Parts in the Syllogism : ] Which I repeat again , and farther explicate , in the next Page ; concluding thus , ( The Indeterminate Conclusion follows not from the Artificial Form of the Syllogism , but meerly from the Material Identity of all the Terms ; or from this , that their Notions were found in the same Ens. ] And , in Conformity to this Doctrine , I put Two Propositions only in each of those Figures , ( which I did no where else when I came to make Syllogisms , ) because no Determinate Conclusion follows thence ; as I declare my self , expresly , in the last Line of that Page . By which , any Man of Common Sense may see clearly , that the State of the Question is this , Whether any Determinate Conclusion follows in the two last Figures ; and this , from the Disposal of the Parts in the Syllogism . Whence , ( Id. Cart. p. 27. ) I challeng'd him , and all his Cartesians , ( as I do now again , ) Ut ostendant , &c. That they would shew , out of the Nature of the Subject we are treating of , ( as they ought ; ) that is , out os the Artificial Frame of a Syllogism ; which would not be such as it ought to be , ( that is , Artificial , ) unless all the three Terms had a Determinate Place in it ; but , chiefly , out of the Placing of the Middle-Term , and the Laws of Predicating ; why One of the Extremes ought , in the Conclusion , to be Subject or Predicate , rather than the Other : Or , ( which is the same , ) why any Determinate Conclusion follows from such a Placing of the Terms . This is the Point truly stated from my Words , over and over repeated : This , then , he is to answer to , and to shew , that out of such a Placing of , the Middle-Term , any Determinate Conclusion , that is , One of them rather than the Other , does follow . Now , let us see his Answer , and reflect upon his Method . 71. 'T is found in his Censura , p. 125 , 126. Where we may observe , First , That there is not one VVord of either a Determinate Conclusion following thence , nor of following out of the Placing the Extremes with the Middle-Term in the Premisses ; concerning which only the whole Question proceeds , as I over and over repeated . Whence follows that he has not spoke one VVord to the purpose , in his whole Answer . 2. He says , Turpiter lapsus est , He has fallen into a filthy Errour . That is to be try'd , and determin'd , by the Solidity of his Answer . In the mean time , if my Position was an Errour , he has never so much as touch'd it , much less confuted it ; since , 't is evident , he has prevaricated from the whole Question . 3. He says , I do calcare Aristotelem , trample upon Aristotle . Poor spiteful Trifler ! Cannot I dissent from Aristotle , or any other Author , in any one thing , but I must presently calcare , spernere contemnere , damnare those very Authors themselves ? Did Cartesius calcare , damnare , spernere , &c. all the former World , when he introduc'd this New Doctrine of his , so Different , and , in most things , so Opposite to them all ? 4. He says , I do calcare Porphyrium , trample upon Porphyrius ; he means , in putting a Sixth Predicable , or Manner of Predicating : And , in case we allow Identical Propositions , without doing which , we must ( as Non Ultra has demonstrated ) renounce First Principles , it is Evident , that the Predicating the VVhole , formally and expresly , of the VVhole , is another Sort or Manner of Predicating , from his Five . Let him know then , once for all , that I am so far from standing Corrected , as to my Luciferian Pride and Arrogancy , notwithstanding his Casvigations , ( as he calls them , ) that I value not a Pin what either Aristotle , Porphyrius , or any other Philosopher says , when I see an Evident Reason to the contrary ; Since , 't is only the Goodness of their Reasons that gave them all their Credit and Authority . 5. I had alledg'd I had produced no Syllogisms there at all ; since a Syllogism consists of Three Propositions , whereas , I had manifestly put but Two ; because no Determinate Conclusion follow'd ; and , I challeng'd him that himself had added a Third . What says he to this ? Does not Eye-sight , and my express Words in that place , put this out of all Doubt , or Cavil ? He reflects on it thus , Quae haec hominis Impudentis Confidentia , &c. VVhat a strange Confidence is this of this Impudent Man , whose Mouth can by no other means be stopp'd , but by citing his own VVords in English ! And , immediately he puts down my very Words , in which are only Two Propositions , and not Three ; without which last , there can be no Syllogism . His Railing I pass over , and only desire the Reader to find a Word ( if he can ) to express fully the Humour of this Mad-man , who strives thus to cut-face Men's Eyes ; and puts down my very Words here , which evidently confute himself . 6. He cites my Words in his Censure , p. 126. that the Conclusion may either be This , or the Other ; and , as far as I can guess , ( for I am loath to fix upon him absolutely such a prodigious piece of Nonsense ) he thinks that , by these Words , I signifie , some Determinate Conclusion follows . Can any Man be so weak , as not to know that [ Either the One , or the Other , ] means , [ Neither the One , nor the other , Determinatery ? ] I see a thing a far off , and I say , 'T is either a Man , or a Horse : Do I , in saying so , signifie that it is determinately a Man , or determinately a Horse ; when as my Words expresly speak Indifferency , or Indetermination , to either ? Every Conclusion that is deduc'd , is some One ; and , what is One , is Determinate ; and , if it be not Determinate , or One , 't is None ; for , None signifies No One : Whence , I told him , ( Id. Cart. p. 26. ) [ Consultò abstinui ab ullâ Conclusione inferendâ , eò quòd nullam Determinatam ( seu quod tantundem est Nullam ) inde deduci aut sequi tum ostendi , tum disertè professus sum . ] What replies he to this , in which the Force of my Answer consists ? Not one VVord , nor so much as mentions it ; but rambles on , after his own fashion ; that is , Concealing all that is to purpose , or else Perverting it ; and , then , making a wide Mouth over it , and Railing against it . Lastly , He will needs do Feats , and put the Syllogisms , [ clariùs & distinctiùs , ] more clearly and distinctly than I did : Which is Ridiculous Bragging , and Nonsense to boot ; for , ( as Eye sight attests , ) I put no no Syllogisms at all ; neither Clearly , nor Obscurely ; neither Distinctly , nor Confusedly . I know he will still be doing twenty things he should not do , to avoid the doing what he should do . If he will be doing . let him shew that any One or Determinate Conclusion follows out of Terms no better placed in the Premisses ; and this , from the Disposal of the Parts of the Syllogism ; which are my very Words , § . 15. But this he has not done , nor Attempted to do , nor so much as mention'd , or taken Notice of it , tho' it be the only Point ; and , therefore , he has done nothing at all but prevaricate , fool and rail , and given no kind of Answer . To make this clearer ; Let the three Terms be A B and C ; of which , A is the Majus Extremum ; B , the Middle Term ; and C , the Minus Extremum . If A be predicated of B , that is , be Above it ; and B be predicated of , or Above C ; then it follows , à fortieri , out of the very Placing the Terms , that A , being the Supreme Notion , must be above C , or the Predicate in the Conclusion ; and , so , a Determinate Conclusion follows , out of the Situation of the Terms : But , if A and C stand on the same Level , and be both of them either Above B , or both of them Below it ; neither has any Title , by virtue of their Place , to be above , or below ; that is , to be Predicate , or Subject , in the Conclusion ; and , therefore , the Conclusion remains Indeterminate , or No One ; that is , None . The rest is Empty Vapouring , [ turpissimè lapsus est , ] and such like stuff ; his constant Assistant , when he is at a Nonplus . If any one have a Mind to have a List of his Swaggering and Ranting Vapour upon this Occasion , he may read them in my Ideae Cartesiauae , p. 27 , 28. in these modest Terms , deliver'd in his own Words ; [ Attend , you University men ; for , he would be your Master too — This Inventor of this New Logick , or Method to Science — See here his Syllogism — ( whereas , Eye-sight tells every Man , I put no Syllogism at all : ) — He makes himself Ridiculous — He errs against the most known Rules of Syllogisms — His Judgment , or Opinion , is Foolish — He contemns every Man ; nay , he blots out of the Catalogue of Philosophers , and makes a Mockery of the most Noble Sir Kenelm Digby , and Albius : ( Which is most openly and ridiculously False , and Groundless ; since the Former never writ any Logick , and the Later maintain'd the same Doctrine in this Particular . ) — His Syllogisms ( he means , his own ; for , I brought none at all ) are Erroneous in more Respects than one — These Rules , not only Sophisters , but almost Fresh-men are well acquainted with — He errs filthily — He is a Cobler , beyond his Slipper — He is an Ass , playing upon a Harp — He bewrays his own Ignorance — He is , in Logick , more blind than a Mole — He deserves to be hiss'd at — He will be Eternally famous for a Trifler . ] Now , would any Man imagin , that this Vapourer is , all this while , so utterly out , that ( as has been now shewn ) he has not so much as spoke one Syllable to the true Question ; which is , Whether a Determinate Conclusion follows in the Second and Third Figures , out of the Placing of the Middle Terms with the Extremes . By the way , observe , Gentlemen , with what meek and humble Spirits these Men are endow'd : They think , there is not the least Shew of Immodesty , or Incivility , in their Words ; not , tho' they call me Impudent here , for saying what the very Words they cite shew to the Eye of every Reader . This Errour ( forsooth ! ) was shewn me long ago , by his Friend , and Tutor , Mr. Bisset , after my Book was printed ; who , out of his own wondrous Kindness to me , told me , he was sorry I had so strangely mistaken ; and , as I am inform'd , he has objected it since , to some of my Friends ; as a great Lapse : To rectifie whom , I have been something larger , in case he be not past Rectifying . But , of him , and all that has pass'd between us , more hereafter , as Occasion presents . 72. I cannot omit another Method of Solving my Demonstrations , 't is so very pleasant . I had demonstrated in my METHOD , that all Intrinsecal Differences were nothing but more or less of the Generical Notion ; for , if they be Intrinsecal , or keep within the Precincts of that Common Notion ; that is , if they be not fetch'd from another Head , ( which is , to be Extrinsecal , ) then , in case they did equally partake the Genus , the One of the Species ( they being , both of them , constituted by their Differences ) would have in it nothing particular to it self ; or , have nothing in it , but just the same the Other had ; and , so , they could not differ Intrinsecally from one another : Whence follows , that the Intrinsecal Differences , by which they formally differ , can be no other but an Unequal Participation of the Common Notion ; that is , more and less of it . What says he to this Clear Demonstration ? Not a Word . 'T is his Prerogative , never to regard the Argument . He denies my Conclusion , as he does almost always , quite thorow his whole Answer ; and , he never fails of having something or other to say against That : And , to let the Reader see here it cannot stand , he brings no less Artillery than Omnipotence against it : VVhat ! ( says he , ) Is it Impossible , then , for GOD , whose Power he is not VVilling to Obey , ( that Unchristian Slander must come in of Course , ) to make two Species , or Individuums , that Equally participate their Superiour Notion ? Is it Impossible for GOD to cause two Things , or Modes , or two Eggs , not to be Essentially unequal , since they all depend on GOD. Now , there is not one Word in my Argument , that relates , in the least , to GOD's Omnipotence , more than there is in any of Euclid's Demonstrations , or any other Argument whatsoever , brought by any other Philosopher : So that , this Answer is equally applicable to them , as to this of mine . And , is not this a most Formidable Method , and , withall , very Expedite , to Answer all the Arguments in the World ! viz. If they who alledge them , offer to say they conclude , he tells them , in short , that they deny GOD's Omnipotence , that they are not willing to obey his Power — on which all things depend ; and , therefore , are Impious against GOD , if they will not grant , their Argument may , possibly , not Conclude , or be Good for Nothing ! What Man living dares deal with such an Adversary , who has Omnipotence , in all Exigencies , still at hand , to befriend him ? This is their constant Topick ; and , tho' he uses it never so oft , it will never be worn thread-bare . Certainly , that Sacred Attribute was never so Prophan'd , as by these Men , who make it perpetually an Excuse for their Ignorance , and a Cloak for their Malice . Cartesius could dare Omnipotence to do his worst , to deceive him , Med. 2. Nunquam ( says he ) efficiet Deceptor ille summè Potens ut nihil sim , quamdiù me aliquid esse cogitabo ; and , yet , is Applauded for it : But others cannot bring a Plain Demonstration , but we are presently bobbed in the Mouth with denying Omnipotence . But , the Question is not , whether Omnipotence can solve it ; but , whether Mr. Le Grand can . In the mean time , What Answer does he himself give to my Argument , which , in short , is this , If the Species do not partake the Generical Notion Unequally , One has nothing in it under that Genus , but what the Other has : If it has nothing in it , as under that Genus , but what the Other has , it does not differ from it , as under that Genus : If it do not differ from it under that Genus , then 't is One and the same with it under that Consideration , and not Two ; v. g. Two Yards being Equal under the Notion of Quantity , they do not Differ , that is , they are the Self-same under the Notion of Quantity , precisely : Which is as certain as this Identical , into which it is refunded , viz. A Yard is a Yard . Now , would I give something to be present when Mr. Le Grand puts on his Considering . Cap , and bethinks him what to say to this Demonstration : I expect he will laugh at it , as meer Gibberish ; ( that we may be sure of , ) for , he has a perfect Antipathy against all Connected Discourse ; and , if the Connexion be Close , he falls into a Paroxysm of Railing ; but , if the Evidence of it be driven to Identical Propositions , then his Reason falls into a Swoon , and is perfectly Entranc'd ; nor can any thing cure him , or furnish him with any kind of Answer , but to have recourse to the Divine Omnipotence , for Relief ; and then he is Enchanted , and Proof against all the Demonstrations in the World ; and , will either pretend an Identical Proposition may be False ; or tell his Adversary , that GOD's Omnipotence can make his Argument not conclude ; and , that he is Unwilling to acknowledge and obey GOD's Power , if he will needs stand to his Argument , Was ever Man so Nonpluss'd , and Baffl'd . 73. Another most remarkable Instance of his Exactness in Solving my Demonstrations , ( and 't is a very Compendious and Admirable one , ) shall be , his Skipping over Multitudes of them , very Nimbly , at one Leap. In my Appendix , which confuted his false Pretence of holding Formal Mutation , ( without which , all Physicks and Metaphysicks are meer Nonsense , ) I had shewn how he spoke Contradictions in every Step he took ; v. g. How he made [ Intrinsecal ] to be [ Extrinsecal ; ] [ Substantial , ] or [ Esseutial , ] to be the same as [ Accidental ; ] The Producing a new Substance , or Ens , call'd [ Generation , ] to be meerly [ Location , ] or [ Situation ] of many things orderly together , which belong to another Head , or Predicament ; and , consequently , is no Generation . How he makes [ Unum , or One , ] to be [ Non-Unum , or Multa ; ] that is , Not-One , but Many ; and Ens , or Thing , to be Entia , or Things . How he so abus'd the Notions of [ Simplex ] and [ Compositum , ] that he made them to be the Same , under the same Notion . How he made Completum , and Incompletum , to be the self-fame . How he confounds the Commonest Notions of Actus and Potentia , and destroys both their Natures ; which contradicts all Learned , and , even , all Common Discourse . How he makes what is ] Divisible , ] to be no way Divisible , or , [ not-Divisible . ] How he puts that to be Physical , ( which belongs to a Distinct Science from the Mathematicks , ) to be Mathematical ; that is , Not-Physical . How he makes [ meer Matter , ] which , as such , is contradistinguish'd to Form , ( as the Principle of Potentiality and Indetermination is to that Principle which is Actuating , or Determinative , ) to be [ Inform'd ; ] and that too Essentially . How he makes [ Suppositions ] ( on which Cartesius proceeds ) to be [ Principles , ] and relies on them as such ; which are not only No Principles , but Contradictorily Opposite to the whole Nature and Essence of Principles . All which , and much more , I objected , and prov'd , against him , ( at least , all but this last ) by Mediums , fetch'd from Metaphysicks , which are next to Self-evident , and border upon the very First Principles of all ; or , on Identical Propositions , to which also I did , by the way , reduce some of them . What Answers he to this large Discourse , consisting of thirty five Pages , which demonstrates how he had stumbl'd into Flat Nonsense , every Step he took ? Read , Gentlemen ; and admire the profound Learning of my Adversary , and his Dexterity in Solving my Arguments . He answers all those Demonstrations ( O wonderful ! ) in less than a Page and a half . But , How ? Does he shew they proceed upon Unevident Principles , or False and Unprov'd Suppositions ; or , that the Terms I use in my Discourse , are Unconnected ? No , no ; all these are meer Fooleries with him : This is none of his Methods . How , then , does he Answer them ? Why , First , ( Censura , p. 128. ) he prefaces confidently , ( which is no small Part of his Method of Answering , ) and says , Expectandum erat , ut Vires suas omnes in eâ ( he means his Appendix ) confutanda eliceret : It was to be expected he would have exerted his whole Force , in Answering my Appendix . Well! But , does he reply to my Answer , tho' never so negligently and carelesly written ? that is to be yet examin'd . Secondly . He proceeds , At proh hominis Ignavi Imperitium ! hic , certè , si usquam , nugatur egregiè : Oh , the Unskilfulness of this Slothful Man ! Here , if e-ever , he trifles egregiously . These are , hitherto , but Bold Sayings . What is his Answer ? Why , he says , that I bring a Physical Discourse to the Ten Predicaments ; to Genus and Species ; to Ens and Unum , Abstractions , and Logical Trifles . Indeed , in one Page , ( 235. ) where I am stating the Question , I make a small Logical Discourse , to shew under what a precise Consideration we speak of our Subject ; thus to beget a Clear and Distinct Conception , what Forms or Modes are Intrinsecal , what Extrinsecal : But , my Reader will see , that all my Mediums are either taken from Physicks , or from Metaphysicks . And , 't is to these Mediums , we would have an Answer . Does he shew that I deviate from the Nature of the Thing in hand ? Do I not hold to the Notions of Ens , Unum , Matter , Form ? &c. Alas ! he never minds such frivolous Considerations . Thirdly , He says , I tell my Reader , my Peripatetical Assertions are not suppos'd gratis , but Demonstrated . Does he go about to prove the Contrary ? He not so much as attempts it . To what end , then , does he bring such Stuff ? Oh! 't is a necessary Ingredient of his Method , to tell us at large what I say ; for , that makes a Shew , as if he were about to confute me ; and , when he has done , he lets it all alone , and slides away to another thing ; which is his General Trick , all over . He is true to one part of his Title , which is , Censura ; for , he Censures very Notably : But , he never promis'd he would give a Reason , Why ; and , he will not go beyond his Promise , or his Bargain . Fourthly , He says , I would have the Readers believe that the Words [ Divisibility , Physical , Matter , &c. ] are Abus'd by him . He mistakes ; I would not have any Readers of mine believe any Tittle , upon my Word ; but , see with the Eye of their own Reason , that my Arguments prove what I pretend , to be True. But , were it so ; Does he even attempt to shew that my Arguments do not conclude ; and , by doing so , to preserve my Readers from the Mischief of Assenting to my Impious Doctrine ? Methinks , his Charity to his Neighbour should oblige him to Endeavour this , at least : But , he begs their Excuse ; he must not run to New and Troublesome Methods , and leave his own , which never yet fail'd him , and is , withall , so Easie. By which , every one will see , that his Policy is much greater than his Charity . After this , he surceases his Impugnation of my Arguments ; and ends with calling them Cavils , which , he says , he has satisfy'd formerly ; but he neither tells his Reader , nor can tell him , Time , nor Place , when or where , he thus satisfy'd the Debt he ow'd him ; and , therefore , the Obligation remains yet in Force . Then he says , I neglect his Observations , ( the worthy Transcriptions of his profound Note-Book-Learning , ) which may sometimes ( if they be Pertinent , and Authentick ) be brought against a Conclusion ; but can , with no Sense , be pretended fit to solve Arguments , or shew the Terms Unconnected . Besides , I have laid open , how Insignificant the Way of Observations or Experiments are , ( when we are laying Grounds of Philosophy , ) at the End of my Preface to my METHOD . He brings up all , with sounding his Noble Triumph over my Demonstrations , and then concludes it with a little Pedantick Foolery , which are great Embelishments through his whole Books ; and , tells his Reader , like a right Solid Philosopher , as he is , that the Mountains Brought forth , and were Deliver'd of a Ridiculus Mus. Yet , tho' he has , with a wonderful Agility , skipp'd over all those Demonstrations against his Appendix , at once , without either touching or mentioning any one of them ; yet , he tells us , for all that , ( p. 20. ) very briskly , and confidently , Appendicem meam , ab omnibus ejus ictibus sartam tectam , tuebor : I will defend my Appendix , safe and sound , against all his Assaults . And , in one Sense , he says very true ; for , certainly , never did Man , in the World , make such a Defence against so many Demonstrations : One would think that , to avoid them all , and run away from them all , is a strange Way of Defending them all . But , these Cartesian Methods of theirs can do more than Miracle . This Prevarication of his from performing one jot of what he had so largely promis'd , would be enough to make any Writer , but himself , lose his Credit utterly ; and so it would his too , but that he is Proof against it , having none to lose : For , he has us'd us to it so often , that none now expects it . By the same Nimble Method , he leaps over my whole 4th Indication , without replying one Word to those most Important Objections : See his Censura , p. 36. where he gives them their Quick Dispatch , in Ten Lines , by virtue of the same Method ; which deserves to be call'd , The New Cartesian Method of EXPEDITION . 74. In the self-same Method he answers my Demonstration , ( Id. Cart. p. 127 , &c. ) which prov'd , the Cartesians had no Principles of Knowing ; my Five Demonstrations , which shew'd their First Principle of Knowing ( consisting in this , That the Soul had a Power to Elicit Ideas out of her self ) was Contradictory to the First Principles of our Understanding ; and Three more against the Insignificancy of the Occasional Impression upon the Nerve , whence , as they say , those Ideas come to be Elicited ; and yet Three more , against the Pretence of Annexing such and such Ideas to such Motions made upon the Nerve , by GOD's meer Will , as they pretended , but never yet prov'd . Now , this Expedite Way of Answering serves them as well for These , as it did for the Former ; and is equally fit to solve all the Demonstrations in the whole World : 'T is but calling them Trifles , Cavils , and Ridiculous Mice ; and , immediately , all the Connexion of Terms in them , and all the Consequences deduc'd from them , tho' never so Strict , and Close , will fly quite asunder , and they are all shatter'd into Loose , Incoherent Talk , by the Miraculous Virtue of this All-answering , All-confuting Method . Yet , he tells his Reader , in his Ad Lectorem , that Omnibus Adversarii Objectionibus satis abundè factum inveniet ; that he will find all the Objections of his Adversary sufficiently and abundantly Answer'd . Whereas , whoever reads my Ideae Cartesianae , will discern , that he has not so much as mention'd the Tenth part of what he ought to have Reply'd to , and Confuted . He tells him also , that Nihil intactum reliquit , which was not Futile ac Ridiculum nimis ; He has left nothing Untouched , but that which is very Babbling , and Ridiculous . And , this is another Answer to all my Demonstrations ; for , these are the Things he has most carefully , and most exactly left Untouch'd , ( tho' he handles Wrangling Trifles very largely : ) Or , if , by Accident , he happ'd to Touch them , he first defiles and perverts them , as he thinks fit ; and then he musters , and brings up his little Army of his New Methods , to Attack them . 75. But , What is become of these Categorical Propositions , all this while , into which I had reduc'd his Loose Ramble , as into the Principles which , I saw , lay at the bottom of his Respective Discourses , and grounded the several parts of them . I had collected them with much Exactness , and referr'd to the Places where it would appear , that they were the Foundations on which he built all his Incoherent and Inartificial Superstructures . I did this , to oblige him to aim his Random-Talk at some Certain and Determinate Mark ; and , that , by seeing what he was to prove , he might , at length , be forc'd to bring some Determinate Arguments , to make them good . I was so far from Imposing them , that ( Id. Cartes . pag. 111 , 112. ) I left it at his Choice , either to Grant or Deny them : If he Granted them , then he was to maintain them ; If he Deny'd them to be his Sense , then I undertook to shew that he would , by doing so , overthrow all his own Doctrine which was Grounded on them : But , he will not so much as take Notice of any one of them ; only , he tells his Reader , they are Theses Fictitiae , and Fidelitate nullâ collectae : Fictitious Positions , and Unfaithfully Collected . If so , I had given him the greatest Advantage against me , he could ever hope to gain . However , if none of his , and , that therefore he could not Grant them , he might have Deny'd them : But he fore-saw the Consequence , and , that I could easily fix them upon him ; and , that those Positions he had made use of for his Principles , were such Shameful Nonsense , that nothing could be more Opprobrious to him , than to be Convicted to have built all his Doctrine upon such Chimerical Grounds . He fore-saw too , that these scurvy Categorical Propositions use to have some kind of Coherence in them , and so might hap to bring our Dispute into that abominable Way of Connexion ; and , thence , might oblige him to bring Arguments to prove them ; which would require much more Trouble , and Pains , than meer Saying would do ; and , withall , would put him quite out of all his Friendly Methods , which had supported him hitherto , and were still his only Refuge : And , therefore , he very fairly and and prudently let them all alone ; only , he tells us they are Fictitious , and Unfaithfully Collected ; and there 's an end of them . For , he thinks , Good Man ! that whatever he Says , is Prov'd , as if he though he could Create and Uncreate Arguments , ( and Answers too , ) with only saying they were Naught . And , 't is Unconscionable to expect more from a Man , who has no more to give us . 76. In the next Rank of his New Methods , march his Follies ; and , first , for Dignity sake , come forward his Learned Ones , as those that should aim at having some Speculative Truth in them ; viz. Pag. 74. he puts upon me to hold , that Creation is Essential to God ; a Tenet I ever abhorr'd , and have laid Grounds to confute such a Senseless Opinion in my METHOD , B. 1. L. 7. § . 12. And , for what Reason does he impose it upon me , to hold such an Impious Tenet ? Because I say there are no Different Points in Eternity , or before the World was made ; by the Distances from which , we may frame to our selves any Notion of Sooner , or Later ; alledging , that these were Differences of Time , which could not be , till Time it self was ; nor could Time be , till the World was . Which Thesis has no more Connexion with Creation's being Essential to GOD , than the Tenet of the Extension of Body is to the First Chapter in Genesis ; or , that of the Four Elements is to Algebra . Whence , all his Discourse , pag. 77. by which he would seem to oppose me , is wrong levelled . Again ; Since all Common Notions have their Original from our observing many Individuals agreeing in the same Nature ; which , when All agree in it , we call it a Summum Genus ; if very many only , then a Species ; and so we descend to Inferiour Kinds , or Species ; which Species are Intrinsecally Constituted by partaking Unequally the Superiour , or Common Notion ; as I have Demonstrated , and shewn by Instances , in my METHOD , B. 1. L. 3. to § . 11. Again ; Since it is not every Indeterminate , or very small Degree of magis and minus , or of Unequal Participation of the Genus , which constitutes or makes divers sorts of Mankind , or denominates it to be another Kind ; but , the Distance between them must be Conspicuous , and very Notorious ; and , under the Species of Man , there are found great Multitudes that do partake the Notion of Rational , ( which is Essential to Man , ) both in their Intellectuals , and Morals , and this from their Natural Constitution , or Genius , above others ; so that they seem , in a manner , Angelical , in respect of them ; and the other , Comparatively , in a manner , Brutal . Hence , I advanc'd this Paradox , That there may be such Degrees of more and less Rational found in Mankind , so that some of them may seem to be another Species , Sort , or Kind of Men ( for those three Words are Equivalent ) from the other : Nay , the Nature-taught Vulgar , following their Genuin Thoughts , use to call them so too : As , when they say , [ He is another Kind of Man than you imagine ; ] meaning thereby , more Rational , or ( which is the same ) a Man of better Judgment , or more Vertuous . What does Mr. Le Grand ? Instead of Confuting my Principle , or Examining my Reason , he falls to to talk of Lunar-men , or Men in the Moon , and the other Stars ; and tells me , lest ( as he says ) I should be ignorant of it , ( How infinitely am I bound to him for Enlightning me ! ) what Authors have thought there were Men there . Then he talks also of Planetary-men , and tells us fine things of them too . Which done , he says , If I am too dull to understand these Astronomical Observations , ( that is , which he had not made himself , but pick'd them out of Books , which he thinks to be a Work of Great Learning , ) he desires I would shew my self a Divine , and answer to his Question , Whether I hold that there are any Pre-Adamites , or no ? Why , this is pure Bedlam ! What have I to do with the Men in the Moon , the Planetary Gentlemen , or the Pre-Adamites ? Not a Word to this purpose is found in any of my Books . I spoke only of our honest Neighbours here , in our Earth ; where there are many , ex ipsâ naturâ , as Dull as Beetles ; and , naturally , as Immoral as Brutes : Others , vel ex ipsa Origine , ( that is , Essentially , ) of a high pitch of Knowledge , and inclin'd to Vertue ; and both naturally dispos'd to see Truth clearly , and to pursue it in their Practice sincerely : Whereas , Others can scarce see ●s far as their Nose ; and have such weak Eyes , that they are blear'd , and be darken'd , if any Evident or Connected Truth is propos'd to them ; which is the greatest Depravation of Rational Nature , ( as far as 't is Intellectual , ) that can be imagin'd , in regard all Truth consists in Connexion of our Notions : Which Men do therefore seem to be another Species , or ( as we say ) another Kind of Men , as to their Rationality , than Others are . You will say , These are only divers Qualities in those Men , which do not infer divers Species . I reply , That , if they do concern their very Power of Reasoning , or their Rationality , which is their Essence ; and , that they have this from their Primordial Constitution , in the very Instant they are made Individually such ; ( which is always Essential , because it distinguishes them from other Individuals . ) Also , if Nobilitas Animarum sequitur ex Nobilitate Corporum ; The Nobility ( or Excellency ) of Souls follows out of the Nobility ( or Excellency ) of the Body , ( as St. Thomas of Aquin says , Prim. Q. 83. q. 7. ) then this Difference between such two Men is not only a Diversity in some Quality , but Essential ; and , therefore , in case there be many of each Sort , and so visibly Different , that we can abstract a Notion from those of each Sort , which is Common to all those under it , 't will be a Sub-Species , or an Inferiour Kind of Man. But , could he have more discover'd his own Ignorance , than to call the Knowledge of Men in the Moon , and Planetary-Men , Astronomical Observations ? What Astronomy treats of , is , the Motion of Celestial Bodies , their Bigness , Distance , the Times of their Appearances , their Influences , and the Respects they have to one another : But , that any Astronomer did ever observe , ( as he says , ) Men in the Moon , or in the other Planets , I confess my self too Dull to conceive , or to apprehend ; nor , how any Man , not better-half Craz'd , could imagine they should . 77. Well , But the Question is , Whether there can be abstracted a Common Notion of a very notable Rationality from some Sort , or Kind of Men , which agrees to all them , and does not to another Sort , which are not , by their very Intrinsecal or Essential Constitution , near so Rational ! If so , is not this all that is requisite to make a Sub-species ? This being so , What says Mr. Le Grand to the Reason of it ? Not a Word . Yet , he is never out , in his Way : For , as in the Preface to his former Book , he did , upon this Occasion , instead of replying to the Argument , give us a most Learned Discourse of all sorts of Dogs ; of Generous Dogs , Clownish Dogs , Degenerate Dogs , Hunting Dogs , Hawking Dogs ; which he says , ( contrary to the Notion of all Mankind , ) that they differ only in some Qualities , and not in Kind ; So , he tells us here , of Lunar Men , Planetary Men , and Men before Adam . For which he had two Reasons ; One is , to talk something , lest Men should think he is Nonplus'd , tho' it be not one tittle to the purpose , or , in the least concerns my Argument . The other is , Because he had laid up in Lavender those Pretty Collections in his Note-Book ; and it was a thousand pities the World should die in Ignorance of them , or himself lose the Credit due to the great Sweat of his Brain , and most profound Learning , in Reading and Transcribing them . 78. But , this premis'd , Who can do less than admire at Mr. Le Grand's Assertion , p. 130 ? Three Propositions were exibited to two Sorbon Doctors ; and so perverted , and untowardly propos'd , that they seem'd plainly to say , that we must see the Connexion of Terms in those Propositions which express'd the Articles of Christian Faith ; that is , that we must see the very Mysteries themselves Demonstrated , ere we ought to believe them ; and , in this Sense they condemn'd them , as they clearly signify'd in their Censure . Now comes Mr. Le Grand , and tells us , p. 130. Error ab Authore isto dicitur quicquid non exhibuit damnata illa olim Parisiis Terminorum Connexio : J. S. calls every thing an Errour , whatever that Connexion of Terms condemn'd formerly at Paris , does not exhibit . Is not this Pleasant ? They condemn'd not the Connexion of Terms , even in the Mysteries ; for , then they must condemn the Truth of all the Mysteries of Christian Faith : What they condemn'd , was , most expresly , the Necessity of our seeing this Connexion of the Terms in the Mysteries themselves , ere we ought to believe them ; for , this excludes , or evacuates , the Divine Authority , in which only , and by relying on which , we see such Propositions to be True , or , their Terms to be Connected . Again ; Does he think there is no Connexion of Terms in other things , but only in these ? Does not all the Truth in all the Sciences in the World ; nay , all the Truth , even , in all our Discourses , consist in this , that the Terms of the Propositions do cohere in Sense , or are Connected ? Does he think that I account all these to be Errours ? Which if I do , I must deny all my own Arguments , and all my Thoughts , which are True. No , no ; that 's not the Business . This would be a most prodigious piece of Ignorance . But , his cruel Feud against All Connexion , and , particularly , that in my Demonstrations , is so Deadly , and Implacable , that he would persuade the Reader that those Sorbon Doctors did condemn All Connexion of Terms whatsoever ; nay , the very Way of Discoursing Connectedly ; that is , all the Deduced Truths , writ by all Scientifical Men in the whole World. This , I must confess , would be ( tho' Shameful to them , yet ) of vast Advantage to himself ; for , then he need not stand Solving my Demonstrations , for , in that Case , they would be solv'd to his hand ; or rather , they were never Ty'd , Knit , or Connected . And , it would be a Second Advantage to him , that , in that happy Case , his Fancy might ramble at random , without any Control , or without being fetter'd and shackl'd by this cruel Tyrant Connexion , and by the severe Laws of Logick ; which improve , and , by virtue of First Principles , shew this Connexion to be really such , and reducible to Self-Evidence . By which we see the Reason why his Friend Merry-man and himself are so uneasie , and Piqu't at my METHOD to Science , which advances and builds all along upon this Enemy to all these Cartesian Methods , this most abominable Proud and Arrogant Usurper over his Ideas , CONNEXION . 79. It were endless to reckon up all his Loarned Follies of this kind . My Notes , which gather all his Performances into several Heads , reckon them to be about two and forty : All which spring from his Abhorrence of Connexion ; which neithe permits him ( or rather , render it Impossible for him ) to bring any Arguments of his own , or to Answer mine . Whereas , I am so Arrogant , and Proud , that I am ●o heartily contented , unless I see Self-evidens Connexion of the Terms in my Principles , and the Terms of my Conclusion to be Connected , because the Two Extremes are clearly Connected with the Middle Term , or Medium , in the Premisses . And , now we see too what is the Reason why he does still slide over the Premisses , and never looks my Argument in the Face , but comes cowardly behind it ; and first denies , and then ( after his fashion , or by some of his aukward Methods ) sets upon their Rear , my Conclusions . 80. After his Learned Follies , march , in a long Row , his Plain Fooleries : Tho' Those may not seem worthy to be rank'd among his New Methods , yet we are mistaken ; for , they serve to set off the others , and to stop Gaps when his Reason is at a Loss : And , first , come his Profound Criticisms . For example , p. 68. he takes much pains to tell us what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or Impossible , means ; and spends above a whole Page in declaring at large no less than Four several Senses , in which Lawyers take that Word . As if Philosophers could not understand the Meaning of the Words themselves Use , without having recourse to Lawyers . However , this helps to shew he is an Universal Scholar , and informs the Reader , he has peep'd into Law-Books too ; at least , into their Indexes ; and , that he has glean'd thence some few Notes , to enrich his Common-place-book ; to do which , he thinks a high Point of Knowledge . Which puts me in mind of the Saying of a certain Poet , concerning such Collectors : — Lord ! how they 'd look , Should they but chance to lose their Table-book ! 81. The next shall be that of sentire ; and of Hearing also , both in primo gradu , and secundo gradu : The Summ of which is , that the Word is Equivocal ; which is no wonder , most Words being such : By which Method , he might make Reflexions on ten Parts of twelve of the whole Dictionary . Now , in our Way of Doctrine , how easily are all these Speeches reconcil'd ? For , Man being One Thing , all his Operations are Corporeo-Spiritual ; whence , our Direct Knowledge of Things coming in by our Senses , it is natural to say when we hear , that we know ; since both are done at the same time , and by the same Compound Operation . Thus , when we see a thing , we say , we know it ; all Mankind , till Cartesius's Time , holding firmly , that we ought to trust our Eye-sight , and the other Senses , when the Power is not disabl'd from perceiving , and the Object and the Medium are well propos'd , convenient , and well circumstanc'd . He has a worse Criticism upon the Word [ Conceptus , ] Conception ; and this , for two Reasons ; One , because we rather Apprehend , than Comprehend ; as if we did not hold our Conceptions to be Inadequate ; and , by doing so , declare , that we do never , by any one Conception , comprehend the whole Thing . The other Reason is , because a Conception in the Womb is , Touch'd and Comprehended by it : Whence , he says , Visio sutes better with our Knowing a Thing , than Conceptio . I wish he would reflect on that Known Maxim , that the Common Use of Words gives them their Signification , whatever their Radix , or Derivation , Grammatically imports ; and , that to be Conceiv'd by our Understanding , is the same as to be seen by it : So that Visio and Conceptio fall into the self-same Notion . What a Coil does he keep with his Incoherent Criticism upon Lepidus and Lepor . Now , it signifies , Elegancy of Speech ; then , Liberal Arts ; then , Trifling and Ridiculous Sports ; then , Scurrility . Then he wonders I do not take it for Lepus , a Hare , and make the second Syllable short . And , why so ? That he might bring in his Jest of corripuit Fluvium , objected to an old Poet , when he us'd the Word Euphrates so . Certainly , this bewrays such an Emptiness of Sense , and such a Nitty Pedantick Levity , that it is below Ridiculousness . But , what is all this to me ? What is all this to Philosophy ? Lastly , What is all this to the Duty incumbent on him , and owing to his Readers , who desire to see Truth ? Does he think it becomes him to trifle away his Time , in running thus a Wooll-gathering after petty School-Boy Criticisms , and hunting after Butter-flies ; and let so many Demonstrations , which , if not solv'd , overthrow all Cartesianism from the very Foundation , lie Unanswer'd , and Untouch'd ? 82. The last Criticism of which ( omitting others ) I shall take notice , is found in his Censura , p. 130. which is such a famous one , that it deserves to be a Pattern to all future Generations , and to entitle him King of Criticks . I had us'd the Word [ Directus , ] as a Particle of the Verb [ Dirigo , ] in the plain obvious Sense for [ Directed ; ] as we use it , when we say , We direct our Prayers to GOD , or a Letter to a Friend : But , Mr. Le Grand , who is so little acquainted with any kind of Principles , that he reflects not that the First Principle , that governs the Sense and Meaning of all Words , is the Common and Obvious Use of them , which stamps the Signification of them , and makes it Current and Proper , finds strange Mysteries in this ordinary Word ; and , as he formerly fear'd a silly Asterisk , or Star , left casually in the Context , was a Plot of mine , to run him thorow with those five Darts ; so , now he apprehends I have some Stratagem upon him , for taking [ Directus ] in that plain Sense : Whereupon , he tells the Reader here , that I am Vir subdolus , a Crafty , or Subtile Man ; and have some pernicious Meaning ; but , let him alone , he will , in the end , turn it upon my self . Now comes his most Noble Criticism : First , he brings in the Phrase of Plautus , the Comedian ; Abi directe ; Go your Ways , straight . Thence , he carries it on still farther , I know not how , to [ Dierectè ; ] which Adverb comes not from Dirigo , but from an odd Obsolete Word , [ Dierectus , ] which his Brother-Criticks will tell him , comes from sub Dio erectus ; that is , set up in the open Air , or Gibbeted . Where are we now ? for , we are quite got out of the Signification of the Word [ Directus , ] which signifies [ Directed . ] But our Critick is not got half way to his Journey 's end : For , from [ Dierectus , ] he carries it on to the Adverb [ Dierectà ; ] which signifies , in English , [ With a Mischief : ] And , [ Ito dierectà , ] is an old Expression for [ Go , and be hang'd . ] Having brought it to Dierectus , the next thing he does , is , to bring Dierectus , by the Alteration of a Letter , and putting in Another , to [ Diarrectus : ] whereas , no such Word is to be heard of in our Common Dictionaries , nor in the Lexicon Latino-Barbarum : Yet , he had a Learned End in it , we may be sure ; and 't is this ; He remember'd there was a Greek Word [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ] which signifies [ Disruptus ; ] that is , Burst , or Broken asunder ; and , this bringing it to [ Diarrectus , ] gives him Occasion to take a Leap from Italy , into Greece , that he might make the Word [ Directed , ] signifie [ Broken in pieces , ] as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does . Yet , this comes not fully home to his purpose ; and , therefore , he makes [ Directus , ] I know not how , to signifie , amongst Criticks , ( he means himself , ) [ Disrumpi dignus , Worthy to be broken in pieces . ] And , now the whole Plot is come to Light : For , when once he had , by often scruing the Word , and shifting the Signification of it , from one Country , to another , got the plain Word , [ Directus , ] whither he would have it ; that is , to signifie , [ Worthy to be broken in pieces ; [ immediately he applies his Formidable Engine he had been preparing , and down goes my Preface , and my Epilogue , Directed to such and such ; they , all of them , deserve to be broken , or torn in pieces . Then he brings [ Broken in pieces , ] to Perishing ; and , then , my poor self ( he says ) perishes with them too ; and , lastly , by virtue of a Greek Poet's saying , [ If I do perish , let the Earth and Fire be mingl'd ; ] Let ( says he ) [ Universus Terrarum Orbis , ] the whole World perish too . Who could have imagin'd that such a Dite and Universal Catastrophe should befall the Whole World , from my using the Word Directus , when I expressed my self to design , send , intend or dedicate my Books , or any piece of them , to such and such Persons . Gentlemen ; What can any sober Men think of such a kind of Writer ? This is neither Levity , Folly , or Childishness ; but , plain Downright . Madness : This is something beyond Prince Butler himself . If any one can think this Censure too harsh , let him but parallel such a Distracted Way of Writing in any other Author extant , who is well in his Wits and , I promise him , I will re-call my Censure . For my part , I can liken such a Rambling Career of Criticism , to nothing but that of a merry Sophister in Cambridge-Schools , who , Jokingly ( as the Fashion was then , at some certain times , ) would needs prove his Adversary , whose Name was Cooper , to have been Lineally Descended from King Pepin , by the like Gradation of Criticisms ; alledging , that he was call'd [ Cooper , quasi Hooper ; Hooper , quasi Haper ; Haper , quasi Naper ; Naper , quasi Diaper ; Diaper , quasi Napkin ; Napkin , quasi Pipkin ; Pipkin , quasi King Pepin . This , I say , is its only Parallel ; only , this Youth did not ramble from one Language to another ; nor did this , but only when Mirth and Wit were expected : But , that a Grave Man ( as he would be thought ) should , in a Treatise where Philosophy and Solidity were expected , let so many pretended Demonstrations lie at his Door , demanding , and calling-out to him for an Answer ; and spend a considerable part of his Reply so unseasonably , in such Fooleries ; and , which is worse , ( as appears by his Carriage , ) think himself very Learned in Criticism all the while , ( which shews he does it seriously , ) makes him not reachable by that Sophister , or by any ; but , to be a Phoenix , and only Self parallell'd . By this worthy Criticism , the Reader will easily see what a rare Interpreter of Scripture this Man would make , with his Acute Art of Criticizing , which can wire-draw quidlibet è quodlibet . 83. So far concerning his Criticisms : His other Fooleries , which , I believe , take up the fourth part of his Book , are Innumerable : The best of them are so ridiculous , that it is a kind of Foolery in me to take notice of them . However , since I am to lay open all the New Cartesian Methods , I am oblig'd to give my Reader some few Instances of them , by which he may guess at the rest . A Friend of his told him , a Terrible Answer was coming out against him : This slight Occasion serves him for an Ironical Expression all over his Book ; and , Terribilis Author , Terribile Responsum , Terribiles Falsificationes , Terribile Argumentum , comes over and over , I believe , at least , a hundred times , in his Censura : Which I can liken to nothing so well as to some little , apish , wanton School-boy , blowing a Feather up and down in the Air , to make himself Sport. Yet , this does him more Service than all his Answers . But , give me leave to tell him , that the Way of shewing it not Terrible , is , boldly to come close up to my Demonstrations , and solve them : But , he is so far from shewing any such honest Courage , that whoever reflects how he avoids them all , or over-leaps them , will see , that , tho' my Ideae Cartesianae was not so terrible as to fright him quite out of his Wits , yet , it has put him quite beside them ; and , has made him skip aside into twenty Bogs and Quagmires , and Hiding-holes , to escape meeting with them . Should a Gentleman , Challeng'd to the Field , instead of Meeting and Grappling with his Adversary , run about , into all Companies , flouting at him for a Terrible Fighter , a Terrible Hector , a Terrible Swash-buckler ; I fear , every Man would conclude , he was really , and indeed , Terrible to him , however he call'd him so in Mockery ; and , that this Flouting him , without giving him the Satisfaction due , and expected , would scarce serve his Honour , or save him from the Imputation of a Coward . Then , every Errour in the Printing is charg'd upon me , as if I knew not how to write true Latin. Upon which , I am told , I break Priscian's Head , am an Ignoramus , and many such Civil Complements . Did I think such Toys worth noting , I could requite him with enow of such Observations , in his late Scabrous , and ( in some places ) Unintelligible Piece . Then comes in Horace , to prove all my Writings are but Ridiculous Mice . Then , Artotrogus , an Idle Fellow in Plautus , the Merry Comedian , is cited , to prove me Perjur'd ; [ Perjuriorem hoc homine , &c. If ever any one saw a more perjur'd Man than this , or more full of Vanity , let him take me to him , and I will be his Bond slave if ever I eat a Sallad with him , tho' I were like to starve . ] And , to clinch this Undeniable Testimony that I am perjur'd ; and , lest the Reader should not believe it was Artotrogus , who thus testity'd this Unchristian Immorality of mine , he assures him of it , by telling him , [ Sunt IPSISSIMA Artotrogi verba apud Plautum : ] They are the VERY and EXPRESS VVords of Artotrogus , in Plautus . What an Emphatical Word is that same [ IPSISSIMA ; ] and , how Necessary to be particularly remark'd ! Then comes in Canis Aesopicus , the Dog in Aesop , and admonishes him , by his Example , not to follow my Shadow : And , he is so heartily ready to follow the Example Aesop's Dog had set him , that he not only not catches at my Shadow , but he le ts pass what is most Substantial too , by not replying to any of my Demonstrations . Then , he talks of a Cos Gyratilis , a VVhirling VVhet-stone , to put to my Nose : Which is a Mystical Jeer , taken from some of his Pedantick Observations . Then comes in Miles Gloriosus , and his Machaera quoe gestit fartum facere ex hostibus ; his Sword that longs to make a Pudding of his Enemy : I beseech the Reader to view the 2d and 3d Pages , and then tell me , if ever he read a Man more vainly proud of big VVords , than this Empty Man is . After that , he brings in his Friend 's Pyrgopolynices in campis Gurgustidoniis is ubi Bombomachides Cluninstaridysarchides erat Imperator summus , N●ptuni filius . What Stuff is this ? Can this Man do himself a greater Disparagement , than to tell his Reader how fond he is of such Trash ? Yet , to talk idly when he has nothing else to do , is more excusable for an Aery , Light-headed Man ; but , to talk at this rate , when he has such serious Business lies upon his Hands , as Vindicating his Cartesian Doctrine from so many Arguments ; and , then , instead of Answering any one of them , to stand Cutting Capers in the Air , and Vapouring with such High-sounding Bombast , tells every Man he is at a scurvy Loss ; and , too plainly detects , how Insignificant he is in any thing belonging to Sense and Solidity . 84. Yet , upon Second Thoughts , however Mr. Le Grand makes me a Lyar , and Perjur'd ; yet , I will be so civil to him , as to declare he has not , for any thing I can say , told one single Lye in any of his Books ; perhaps , never since he follow'd Cartesius's Doctrine ; no , nor Falsify'd neither . To understand which thorowly , and , that the Reader may see I neither flatter him , nor injure my self , upon whom he has laid so many false Aspersions ; I am to give him Information of one main Point of Cartesius's Doctrine ; which is , That ( no Credit being to be given to our Senses , but only to the Ideas which the Soul frames in her self ) our Judgment is not therefore True , because 't is conformable to the Things without us ; but , the Things are then to be judg'd True , or to be really thus or thus , when they are conformable to our Ideas : Whereas , the Aristotelians say , That we then judge True , when the Things are such as we judge them to be ; and , that our Senses , except in some odd Circumstances , do not deceive us . Wherefore , since to Lye , is not barely to say a Falshood ; for , a Man may do so very innocently , and yet , since he spoke to the best of his Judgment , be an Innocent and Good Man : but , to Lye , is to go against his own Thoughts , or Judgment : This being so , hence Mr. Le Grand may think , and say , ( as he does in his Preface to his Reader , ) that I spoke false when I objected that he had said I was in DEUM impius , Impious against GOD ; for , his Ideas might inform him so : Whereas , I , neglecting his Way of Ideas , and relying on this Fallacious Sense of mine , Eye-sight , seem'd to read those Words very plain in his former Preface , p. 38. l. 4. Thus he might read in my Books , by the Light of his Ideas , that I deny'd GOD was Primaria Causa , or the First Cause of Motion ; whereas , I believing these false Senses of mine do find that I only deny'd he is the Immediate Cause of it ; and , that he must therefore be the Primary Cause , because he moves Matter by Second Causes , the Angels . Thus my Ears informing my Common Reason , of the Language amongst Charitable and Good People , told me , that to call one Asinus ad Lyram , Talpa Caecior , Blasphemus , delirus , facie non satis honesta ; and , that I spit at Heaven , and twenty such like Contumelies , were Virulent Expressions ; notwithstanding which , his Ideas might , for all that , tell him that they were ( as he calls them here ) Modest. So , my Eyes inform me , that I only put two Propositions in that place lately cited , and said expresly , No Determinate Conclusion could follow , out of them , from the Disposal of the Terms in a Syllogism : But , his Ideas might tell him , I put three Propositions in both places , and , that there are no such Words as those now mention'd , which directly told him the true State of the Question ; and , that therefore he had no reason to take notice of them . Lastly , By the same means it may come about , that his Ideas might tell him that I had said those very Words , [ Providentia Divina me , ex Aliis omnibus , selegit . ] And , the like may be said of all the other Falsifications I had Charg'd on him , and Multitudes of others , which ( proceeding only by Instances ) I had omitted ; whereas , these False and Fallacious Eyes of mine told me , there were no such Words in the places he cited for them , but quite contrary . So that , he and I might both of us mean to speak Truth ; but , either my Senses , or his Ideas , might delude , and deceive us : Which we ought to believe , is left to the Reader 's Judgment to determin . Besides , perhaps , he might think , as is Malbranche's Method , ( whom he so zealously defends , ) that he saw all these things I object , in the Ideas which he sees in GOD , or fancies that he has a Divine Revelation of it ; and therefore , it had been Impious against GOD , not to believe , and do , as he did . Whence results this Corollary , That 't is hard to fix any Ill Intention upon any High-flown , Seraphick Cartesian , lest we judge rashly of what he thinks he is assur'd of by Divine Inspiration . 85. But , leaving him to make out the Certainty of his Ideas , and passing over his most Useful New Method of Saying any thing , tho' never so Extravagant , and Incredible , provided it but tends to Disgrace or Jeer his Adversary ; now comes their Last Method of Arguing and Answering , which flies a higher pitch , and aims at Blemishing all my Endeavours , by an Objection , which , tho' it be an Extrinsecal one , and taken from the Authority of Learned Men , of great Repute , ( as the Sorbonists are ; ) yet , he is well aware it will do greater Execution , than any Intrinsecal Arguments they can hope to bring against me . Their Design ( as their Managery of this Contest shews ) is not to instruct the Reader , or Confute me ; but , meerly to Despite , and Disgrace me : And , a Censure of my Doctrine by the Sorbon-Doctors , especially , back'd with Authority of the Chief Ecclesiastical Governors in that place , will , ( as they hope ) lay such a Load upon a Single Man's Credit , that it must necessarily sink under it . And , tho' the pretended Censure were in a Matter quite different from that of Cartesianism , ( which was at first , and still ought to have been , the only Question , ) and therefore , is nothing at all to the Right purpose ; it is , for all that , very much to their purpose ; which is , to defame me ; which blessed Project atchiev'd , they hope , by this Means , to raise such a Hubbub , and Noise , that the Quiet Force of my Intrinsecal Arguments will never be heard , or regarded ; but , put to Silence , and Shame , by their Clamorous Out-cry . Besides ; They judg'd , nothing could make their Calumny more Authentick , than to relate it confidently , as Plain Matter of Fact ; and , to represent it as such a Matter of Fact , as already transiit in rem judicatam : Nor are they much concern'd whether it be True , or False ; that is Indifferent to such Resolute Men ; so long as it serves a turn to beat down my Credit , all is as well as may be . He tells the Reader then , pag. 7. that I did audacter asserere tam Fidem quàm Scientiam non nisi per hoc Principium , ( viz. Terminorum Connexionem , ) acquiri posse . Also , ( ibid. ) Authoritate publicâ duas Propositiones , ( which he names there , ) anathematizare adactus est , neanon subscribere Censurae diconti ; Illas in sensu Catholico non posse explicari ; that is , that I boldly affirm'd , that neither Faith nor Science could be attain'd , but by this Principle , viz. Seeing the Connexion of the Terms , or seeing Faith , or , at least , the Way to it , Demonstrated : The First of which excludes All ; the Later , Almost all the Christians in the World , from the Means to Salvation . Also , That I was fore'd , by Publick Authority , to Anathematize two Propositions of mine ; and also , to subscribe to the Censure , That they could not be explicated in a Catholick Sense . The Sum of which is , that the Sorbon-Doctors Censur'd some Doctrines of mine ; and Publick Authority forced me to retract , or ( as his hot Phrase runs ) to Anathematize them , and subscribe to the Censure that said , they could not be explicated in a Catholick Sense . And , pag. 8. he adds farther , That it is Printed , or Recorded , for Eternity , by an Egregious Author , in a Verissima Historia ; ( meaning Lominus his Libel : ) And , Lastly , That this puts me into a Panick Fear of the Roman Inquisition . And , hence , he tells his Reader , p. 11. that I am abundè satis notus ; he means , abominably well known , both in France , Germany , Italy , nay , to the Pope himself ; which , if not True , is a Lye at large as all England , Scotland , France and Ireland . What will become of poor me ! Or , where shall I hide my Head ! I am , it seems , like Old Cain , Vagus & Profugus in terrâ : Mr. Le Grand has , for my Sins against Cartesius , Excommunicated me , and all-to-be Heretick'd me , here in England : And , his Lashing Friend ( according to his Obliging Temper ) says , my Book against the Cartesians deserves to be burnt by the Hand of the Hang-man . So that here is no staying for me here , after such a Disgrace : And , it will be hard to find any other Country , where I can hope for Shelter ; or , where my Crying Sins will not pursue , and proclaim me . And , which is worse , should I be put to death , or burnt , as such a complicated Lump of all Heresies deserves , I must never hope for the Honour of a Christian Burial : And , what a lamentable Case am 1 in then ? 86. But , to be serious : If what Mr. Le Grand says , in this Long-winded Calumny , be True , I am Eternally Disgrac'd : But , if I manifest , by Undeniable Testimony , that all this Rabble of Matters of Fact he charges upon me be an Arrant Falshood , and Calumny ; and , that I make it appear , that not one tittle of my Doctrine was ever Condemn'd by any Sorbon Doctor ; and , that I never retracted one tittle of it , nor was forc'd by Publick Authority to do so , much less to Anathematize it . Also , if I prove here , that I never held , nor said , ( what he here , in express Terms , imposes upon me , viz. [ Tam Fidem quàm Scientiam non nisi per Terminorum Connexionem acquiri posse ; ] but ever held the contrary Doctrine , both as to that Proposition , as also to the Ill Sense put by Tricks upon some Words taken out of my Books , which Ill and Falsly-impos'd Sense was the only Sense that was Condemn'd ; then Mr. Le Grand must consult with his own Conscience , whether he has not incurr'd the Penalty of Excommunication , for Publishing in Print such notoriously False Slanders against his Fellow-Christian ; or , by what Case he will excuse , or how he will acquit himself , when it comes to be prov'd upon him , that by his thus Calumniating his Neighbour so grievously , falsly and openly , he has render'd himself thus Criminal , and Obnoxious : Especially , when the Circumstances that highly aggravate this Crime of his , shall come to be charg'd upon him . 87. To understand more fully how this Business pass'd , we are to premise , that nothing is easier than to extract Words out of any Book , writ by a Christian ; and then disguizing them , ( by concealing the Scope and Tendency of the whole Book , the State of the Question , and the Immediate Antecedents and Consequents in those very places , ) to make those Words , thus Extracted , and Exhibited , to speak perfect Heresie , or worse . Take an Example : If , out of that Verse in the Psalmist , [ The Fool hath said in his Heart , There is no GOD , ] any one should extract those Words , [ There is no GOD , ] and propose them in a Paper , thus singl'd out , to any Learned Man , for his Judgment , not telling him they were found in a Book , where the Concomitant Words , or the Circumstances , might , perhaps , give them quite another Sense ; but , that it was in Theses , where every single Proposition stands alone , unassisted by its Fellows , as to the declaring its Sense : Would any Christian , thus surpriz'd , stick to declare , that such a Proposition was flat Atheism , and could not be explicated in a Christian Sense ? This was my very Case . A certain Great Ecclesiastick , who was of good Parts , but ( as we are not all of us of the same Temper ) of a High Spirit , Turbulent , ( for which Reason , 't is thought , he had been dismiss'd out of his Order , ) and , withall , a Great Pretender to Policy , hapt to be at Paris , when I was also there . He pretended great Friendship to me , and extoll'd my Books highly ; ( as another Gentleman , now my greatest Adversary , has also done formerly , ) and this in Print . But , it unfortunately happen'd , that a certain Great Person , on whose Esteem he had set a high Value , did , very imprudently , to his Face , prefer my Writings before his ; with some Undeserv'd Aggravations of the One , and Reflexions on the Other . This , tho' without my being Accessary , in the least , to that Affront , quite Alienated his Friendship from me ; and , he would needs make all those Books of mine , tho' of late so highly prais'd by himself , to be Heretical . At which time , some certain Gentlemen , who love to fish in Troubl'd Waters , and were not over-friendly to me , ( one of whom , as I am told , had a Hand in Penning Merry-man's Libel , ) struck in with him ; knowing , that a more fitting Instrument to make Bustles could hardly be found . To carry on this Project then , Three Propositions were pick'd out of my Books ; and so politickly contriv'd , that , partly by stifling the Knowledge that they were in any Book at all , partly by Adding to , and Altering , my Words , they plainly signify'd , that None was to believe , unless they saw the Connexion of Terms , or ( which is the same ) had a Demonstration , or Science , of the Mysteries of Faith themselves : And , in this Sense , two Sorbon Doctors , thus cheated , condemn'd them ; as my self , had I been thus over-reach'd , should have done ; that Sense being both manifestly Heretical , and point-blank contrary to my constantly avow'd Doctrine ; as I shew'd manifestly , out of many signal and most express places , cited in my Vindiciae . This Censure being , by Stratagem , obtain'd , he flew about the Town , shewing the Censure , and amplifying mightily upon my Imaginary Heresies : But , no Sollicitation could obtain of him a Copy of the Censure it self ; lest it might come to my hands , and so enable me to defend my self , and detect the Falsity ; so , being incapacitated to say any thing in my own Vindication , I never troubl'd my self at that which I could not help . About ten Days after , during which time his Envy took its full Swing , the two very Reverend Persons , Dr. Godden , and Mr. Barklay , Principal , or President , of the Scotch College , came to my Chamber , and thus , with some Resentment , accosted me : Sir , What do you mean ? Are you stupid , that you sit studying here , Unconcern'd , when you are proclaim'd a Heretick all over the Town ? I reply'd , When I can get the Censure , and know what is Objected , I am sure I can defend my self : In the mean time , 't is Defence enough to let People know I cannot obtain the Equity of him to know my Fault . They reply'd , Tho' you dis-regard your Credit , we , that are known to be your Friends , resolve to be more careful of ours . So Mr. Barklay , taking Monsieur St. Amour , a Sorbon Doctor , with him , to make his Quality known , went to the Chamber of Monsieur de S. Beuve , the Chief of the Censurers , and thus accosted him ; Sir , you have condemn'd Three Propositions in the Books of Mr. S. which may make as great Stirs in England , as the Five Propositions have done in France . He , all amaz'd , reply'd , That he had Censur'd no Proposition in any Book , nor could in Prudence , or Honesty , unless he had perus'd the Book it self ; to be satisfy'd , by comparing it with the Scope of the Discourse , and the adjoining VVords , what Sense it must clearly and necessarily have . In the Nick comes in my Adversary , with the Censure in his Pocket : VVell met , Mr. Barklay , says he ; now your great Friend , Mr. S. is condemn'd of Heresie , by this Learned Man. My Lord , replies Mr. de St. Beuve , I neither Censur'd his Person , nor any Proposition of his , unless he maintain'd those Propositions thus singl'd out , and exhibited , as you propos'd them in your Paper . Then Mr. Barklay begg'd he might have a Sight of the Censure ; which was something unwillingly granted ; yet , it could not be deny'd in such a Presence . Having perus'd it ; Now , my Lord , says Mr. Barclay , to let you see , I am neither a Heretick , nor a Favourer of them , I will subscribe this Censure : More than that , I dare swear , Mr. S. will , at first sight , subscribe it too : For , the Sense here condemn'd , is quite Different from the whole Scope of his Books ; which treat only of Demonstrating Praevia ad Fidem , and not at all of Demonstrating the Mysteries , or Points of Faith ; nay , 't is directly Opposite to his Doctrine , to say , they can be Demonstrated . At these Words , Monsieur de St. Beuve grew warmer with him ; telling him roundly , Domine , callidè & artifieiosè mecum egisti , adeò ut suspicer ●●●um hoc ex ●ivore profectum : You have dealt craftily with me , and with Artifiee ; so that I suspect that all this Business springs from Pique . Mr. Barclay astipulated , and told him , Domine , rem acu tetigisti : Sir , you are in the very right on 't . Whereupon , my Adversary rising up in a great Heat , with a Face engrain'd in Anger , thunder'd out ; Mentiris , Barclaie ; mentiris impudentissime . Ego novi quis sis ; nempe , Haereticus ipse , & Fautor Haereticorum : Ego tibi has vices rependam . You lye , Barclay ; you lye most impudently . I know what you are ; that is , a Heretick , and a Favourer of Hereticks : But , I shall be even with you . The grave Sorbon Doctors were astonish'd at this furious Transport ; but , Mr. Barclay being a Man of great Prudence , and never in Passion , Nay , my Lord , says he , I do not love to hear my self abus'd . So he takes a short Leave , and brings away the Original of the Censure with him ; while the other , being in a high Passion , had forgot to re-demand it : Yet , he lingerd , unseen , not far off , till he saw my Adversary gone by ; and return'd to the Doctor . and told him , he had got the Original of the Censure ; desiring him to go to the Archbishop of 〈◊〉 from me , and request of him , that I might keep the Censure , and write my 〈◊〉 . He was heartily glad it was got from him , promising to go thither immediately , and to do me all the Right I could desire ; and , affiaring him , the Censure should never come into his hands again . So my Request was granted , and I set to write my Vindiciae . In the mean time , we sent divers to my Adversary ; desiring to see the Censure ; telling him , they would not believe such a sinister Report concerning me , unless they saw it with their own Eyes . Which put him ( loath to say , his Passion had made him lose it ) to a great Nonplus how to answer , and gave us much Divertisement . He apply'd to the Archbishop , and complain'd to him , that Mr. Barklay had stole the Censure from him . But his Answer was , That he had order'd I should have it , to make my Defence . Which mortify'd him exceedingly . 88. My Vindiciae , which were now finish'd , being in Latin , and my Books in English , eight Divines of the greatest Quality and Worth , ( who understood English , ) were deputed to examine the Sincerity of my Vindiciae ; and all of them , except one , admitted by my Adversary himself ; viz. Mr. Thomas Godden , Doctor of Divinity , Ex-President of Lisbo-College , Preacher to Her Majesty , and Treasurer of her Chapel : Mr. Francis Gage , Doctor of the Faculty of Paris , afterwards President of the College of Doway : Mr. Robert Barclay , Principal , or President , of the Scotch College at Paris : Mr. John Betham , and Mr. Bonaventure Gifford , then Batchelors of Divinity in the Sorbon ; afterwards , Parisian Doctors ; and the latter of them now . Bishop of Madaura : Mr. Edward Cary , and Mr. George Kempe , Canons : And Mr. Edward Lutton , Confessor to the English Religious : Who did , first , each of them apart ; afterwards , met in a Body , or Conference , give their Unanimous Attestation , subscrib'd by their Names , in these Words , viz. First , That All the places , out of my Books , alledg'd by me , were faithfully turn'd into Latin. Secondly , That From the whole Context and Scope of the Author , in those placos brought by him , to prove that he does not maintain the Sense condemn'd , it is manifest , that he does not require Knowledge of the Mysteries , in themselves , by Evident Reason ; but , professedly maintains , that they are Incomprehensible , and above the reach of Humane Reason . Thirdly , That the Sense assign'd by him , to the three abovesaid Propositions , is Conformable to the Scope and Tenour of his Discourse in those very places whence they are extracted ; and therefore , we judge this to be his True and Genuine Sense . Also , we cannot but confess , that those Omissions , and Additions , which were the Reasons why the Propositions seem'd to bear another Sense , were justly charg'd by him . ] After this , my Adversary would needs give them some Objections , ( which , we may be sure , were the best he could make , ) by way of Instruction to their Second Thoughts , how they might make a right Judgment of my Doctrine . They met all again , consider'd them maturely , and made a Second Subscription , That they found nothing in them , which could , in the least , make them judge otherwise than they did witness formerly . This done , the Archbishop of Paris told me , that if I would subscribe to the Censure , he would order the Censurers to make me Satisfaction under their Hands , by declaring , no part of my Doctrine was Censur'd ; alledging , that , as they were ready to clear my Credit , so it was but fitting I should clear them ; and acknowledge , those Propositions , as they were exhibited to them , were justly Condemnable ; as may be seen in my Clypeus Septemplex , pag. 96. I , at first , begg'd his Pardon ; alledging , that my Adversary was of that Humour , that he would thence take Occasion to Vapour , he had made me Retract . Subscribe then , says he , in what Form you will. Hereupon , I gave in my Subscription , in these very Words ; Non Doctrinam meam Retractans ; sed in eadem , utpōtè â Censurâ immuni , atque ab Illustrissimo Olivero Plunketto totius Hiberniae Primate , atque à Superioribus meis approbatâ , Persistens , contrariumque ubicunque repertum fuerit condemnans . This done , the Censurers were commanded to make me Satisfaction under their Hands ; which they did , in a Formal Instrument , declaring , That they did not , vel minimam notam inurere , blemish with the least Note , or Censure , either me , or my Books : Adding , That If any should pretend it , they did , from their Hearts , profess , that they made a sininister Interpretation of their Censure . And , there was an End of that Politick Jigg ; the Issue of which was very Honourable to me , and most Shameful to my Enemies . 89. By this Relation , every Tittle of which I can justifie by sufficient Testimony , and Authentick Records , which I have now in my hands ; as also , by my Vindiciae , and Clypeus Septemplex , publish'd immediately after the Contest , where all these Particulars , ( and many others , ) to my farther Clearing , are printed ; which I durst not have publish'd , unless they had been True to a tittle , before the Face of all those Honourable and Learned Persons yet alive , who would have hated me for printing Falshoods of them ; and my Chief Adversary himself , and his Complices , yet living , who would have desir'd no more , but to have found me tripping in the least part of my Narrative . These Things , I say , being so , Judge , I beseech you , Gentlemen , what a prodigious Folly , as well as Malice , it is in Mr. Le Grand , and his Libeller , to pretend that any one tittle of my Doctrine was Condemn'd by Sorbon Doctors ; that I was cited before any Tribunal ; that I was forc'd to Anathematize any part of my Doctrine , and subscribe to the Censure of it , &c. Whereas , it is manifestly attested , I only subscrib'd to my own ever-avow'd Doctrine . Nor was I forc'd : No Tribunal meddl'd with me , or concern'd themselves about me ; and , if I would have wav'd my own Satisfaction from the Censurers , none oblig'd me to subscribe at all . Lastly , How Base and False a Calumny is it , to say , that by Subscribing , I Retracted ; when I expresly subscrib'd , as Not-retracting my Doctrine ; or , that I was forc'd to Anathematize it , whenas I subscrib'd it as Persisting in it ! Nor are any of those Propositions , thus exhibited , and extracted , in reality , mine , ( Nam malè dum recitat , incipit esse sua , ) any more than [ Non est Deus , ] thus singl'd out , is the Scriptures : I have no Propositions , but in Books ; where many Circumstances are found , determining the Sense : And , he that pretends this , may , by the same Reason , accuse the Scripture of Atheism . How rash a Slander , then , is it in Mr. Le Grand , to lay these things to my Charge ! And , how lying a Fellow is his Libelling Assistant , whose Calumnies are so notorious , and some of them so Criminal , that , were he known , he would be liable to lose his Ears . 90. The next Stratagem of our Politicians , ( for , we expected new ones every Day , ) was , to pick out of my Books no less than 37 Propositions , ( with the same Honesty , we may be sure , as they did the former , ) which they carry'd to the then . Nuncio at Paris , now Cardinal Spada ; pretending the same Zeal for Faith , as Mr. Le Grand does ; and , as those two Idle Knaves did , who are said to have laid their Heads together , to pen this Libel : And therefore , pressing to have them sent to the highest Tribunal , to be Condemn'd with all speed , because my Heresie ( forsooth ! ) spread far and near in England , and infected the whole Country . The Nuncio took them ; but , being a Man of Wisdom , apply'd to my Lord Abbot Montague the next Morning , to know what strange Heresie this was , which , like a Cancer , spread so fast in England . Who , smiling , acquainted him at large with the Undeserved Feud of my Adversary , and my Innocency . The Nuncio sends for me the next Day , receiv'd me very kindly ; told me , he understood how I was persecuted by some Adversaries of mine , and deliver'd me their Objections ; desiring me to write an Answer , and he would do m the Equity to send up both together . Both which are printed in the Second Part of my Vindiciae . So this Second Plot was defeated ; and my Maligners came off as shamefully as they did in the former : For , they could never gain the least Advantage upon me , if they did not surprize Great Men with False Pretences , and prevent my Answering for my self . 91. But , Envy is a Restless Vice. Their Third Main Plot , ( omitting many petty ones , ) was , to print a Libel against me , under the Name of Lominus , ( which , some say , N. N. and T. W. have Copy'd , and imitated , exactly ; ) making me guilty of near forty Herefies . But , this Book having neither Author , Printer , nor Approvet's Name put to it , ( which made it highly punishable by the Laws of the Kingdom , if any did spread it , ) it was glad to sneak in hugger-mugger : Which concurring Blemishes so disgrac'd it , that none regarded it ; For , What Man of Common Sense will believe , that a Writer for Faith , against such a manifold Heretick , should be afraid to own his Name , if his Accusations were not Calumnies ? Besides , the Writer of it had counterfeited the Subscriptions against me of two Parisian Doctors , by name , of Mr. Peter Nugent , and Mr. Thaddaeus ô Brien ; who , in their Letters to the Cardinal of Norfolk , ( Authentick Copies of which I have in my hands , ) complain'd of such Impostures , and requested they might not pass Unpunished . So that , from many Heads , it was convicted , and held to be a plain Libet . Lastly , I complain'd of it to the Sacra Congregatie ; laid it open , and confuted it , in my Querimonia to Superiour Powers , and my Antidoti ; as it is to be seen in my Clypeus Septemplex , and the large Preface to my Vindiciae . And , so , the Third Plot of my Adversary , and of the Gentlemen behind the Curtain , his Assistants , went out in a Snuff , and lest an ill Scent behind it . And , so much for Mr. Le Grand's Egregius Author , and Verissima Historia , which does Aeternitati pingere ( as he says ) my Errours . Which none regarded , but those who help'd to pen it ; with one of whom Mr. Le Grand and his Friend ( as I am informed ) have struck a Holy League , to carry on their Sensless and already Baffl'd Slanders and Calumnies against me . 92. But , the Fourth Plot was so finely laid , they hop'd it would be prosperous , and make amends for all ; and , that , being so well levell'd , it could not but hit the Mark. They sent up all my Books to Cardinal Barberin ; and , with them , one of my Lord Chancellor Hyde's , writ against Mr. Cressy , ( the Title of which they had torn out ; ) pretending to him , they were all writ by one and the same Author , my self . Their Friends there press'd the Condemnation of them with such a hurry , as if the whole Church had totter'd if it were not done quickly . To expedite the Business , they earnestly sollicited him , that only that one Book ( viz. Chancellor Hyde's ) should be read ; and then , to determin whether all the Books writ by such a pernicious Author , ought not to be condemn'd . The Cardinal , without naming me , delivers them to a worthy Divine , who understood English ; bidding him Keep the rest , till call'd for , and read only this one ; ( pointing to that of the Chancellors , which they had signally particulariz'd to him , ) and give him an Account of it as speedily as was possible ; for , by that one , they could judge of the rest . What Remedy now ? Would not any Man swear now that all was Cock-sure ? But , there is no Policy against God's Providence ; which directed thither an English Divine , who had lately come out of England , and attended the now Earl of Derwent-water , and his Brother , in their Travels . He being of Acquaintance with this Divine , came to visit him in the very nick of Opportunity , and finding him very busie in reading that Decretory-Book , went to his Table , and took up some Books that he saw lie there together : Finding , to his Astonishment , they were mine , he ask'd him how they came by all Mr. S's Books ? The other told him , he was much mistaken ; and said , they could not be mine ; telling him , they had a far other Character of me ; whereas , the Book he was reading , which was ( said he ) writ by the same Author ; could not possibly be writ by a Man of Mr. S's Principles . Mr. Midford ( for , that was my Friend's Name ) knew the Book , and avow'd it was writ by another Author , whom he nam'd to him . At which , the Roman Divine held held up his Hands with Admiration , at such a Knavish Contrivance . So , they agreed that Mr. Midford should go with him the next Morning , to Cardinal Barberin , to inform him what a Cheat was put upon him , to hasten him to judge of all my Books , by the Book of another , who was of another Judgment , and went upon different Principles . This was so Shameful , and Horrid , that , after this , not an Enemy of mine durst appear . Besides my Clypeus Septemplex , and Vindiciae , I had sent divers Apologeticks thither , explaining my Doctrine ; which the Roman Divines examining , desir'd Mr. Midford to know of me , if my Occasions would let me come thither , to teach the same Doctrine there , I had printed in England . If I would , they would petition for a good Pension to maintain me . But , I was a greater Lover of my Studies in my Privacy , than I was of Courts . However , Mr. Le Grand , and my then Opposers , may see by this , how I am Notus in Gallia , and in Italia . The Malice of my Enemies ( as GOD had order'd it ) having done me more Kindness , and gain'd me more Honour , than all my Friends could ever have done . All this was writ by Mr. Midford , to my Friends , and my self , then at Paris ; divers of whom are yet alive , to witness it . 63. I am heartily sorry to lay open such Fraudulent and Unconscionable Carriages in any Christians much more in those of my own Persuasion it being so perfectly contrary to Common Honesty , than a Turk would blush at it , and a good Moral Heathen detest it . But , when my Christian Credit is thus assaulted , I am oblig'd in Conscience to vindicate my self : Nor , can any Man blame me , for doing that Just and Necessary Duty to my own Reputation . Perhaps , to revive this Quarrel , which the Chief Church Governors have Examined , Determin'd , and Compos'd , Mr. ● . Grand exerts himself in this Consure of his , to gratifie the Contrivers of it then , hoping it would oblige them to put them in a Capacity to play a Book-Game . And , for the same Reason , he goes about to gratifie some Protestants too , by hazarding his Credit , to do them a Kindness . But , as I believe , the former are too prudent to begin Squabbles with one , who meddles not with them ; so , I am very confident , the Later have too much Honour and Candour in them , to be offended at a Man who writes for his Conscience ; and in such a Cause , as is the Settling Christian Faith upon such Grounds as are Absolutely Certain ; which is the Interest of all Christians : And , that they will never be favourable to a Writer , that wrongs the Common Cause , and , consequently , his own Conscience , to please his Passion ; much less , to such a Man , who , in his Censura , as appears by the Words , [ ut sint , ] calls the Protestants In England , INFIDELS . 94. That the World may know of how different a Temper I was , from that of Mr. Le Grand , ( whether Natural to him , or Inspir'd by another , I wave at present , ) after his Censura Injustissima came out , notwithstanding his Unoccasion'd Provocations at first , which was the Origin of all his Warmth of Opposition , so little Edifying to Sober Christians , or Beneficial to Learned Readers ; tho' I saw also , there was a Pound of Gall in that Book , for a Grain of Reason ; yet , I did charitably resolve to try if I could calm his Passion , and sweeten his Bitter Humour . To compass this , I put my self upon some great Disadvantages ; and blam'd my self as much as I could with any Degree of Truth ; that so I might invite him , by my Example , to some Civil Acknowledgment of his Peevish Errours , I had resolv'd to pass over all his Unsavouly Taunts , his Railing , Falsifications , and Untrue Imputations , under the Name of Mistakes ; nor to take notice of his manifold Omissions ; but , to put down barely , and clearly , my yet Unanswer'd Arguments ; tho' it was tedious to me , without any Occasion , to repeat them . Nay , I fully purpos'd to give his Pretended Answers a fairer Character than they could deserve ; and , while I rectify'd his Errours , to excuse , as well as I could , what was Amiss , or Defective . I had fram'd my Thoughts to pen my Book in a Gay , Familiar Style , to put him in a good Humour . And , in a Word , I was resolv'd to omit nothing that could become a Kind Friend , and a Charitable Christian. Whence , I had begun my Reply on this manner ; by which , the Reader may make an Estimate , how Condescending and Obliging the Whole had been , had they let it go forward . VERITAS & PAX . REsponsio mollis frangit Iram , Sermo Durus suscitat Furorem , inquit Sapiens , ( Prov. 15. v. 1. ) Hortatur etiam Propheta , Dei nomine loquens , ( Zach. 8. v. 9. ) ut , Veritatem ac Pacem diligamus . Utrumque hoc dictum , Vir Eximie , nobismetipsis applicare debemus ; saltem , Ego utrumque mihimet applico . Quare iterum ad Te redeo , iterum te adorior : Non animo infenso , sed verè Amico : non , prae Famae meae tuendae studio , forsan ultra modum effervescens ; sed , ad Amicitiam Charitatémque ( heu nimis laesas ! ) redintegrandas paratissimus . Perculit me , fateor , ( idque non immeritó , ) quòd nunquam à me laesus , sed uti existimabam , mihi Amicus , Cartesianae tamen Doctrinae , quam impugnabam , Zelantior , & , forsan , suasionibus Aliorum eodem zelo nimis flagrantium , obsequentior , in Contumelias contra Personam ac Famam meam , effusiùs quam par erat , Scripto Publico , proruperis . Venit mihi in mentem Davidicum illud ( Ps. 55. 13 , 14 , 15. ) Si Inimicus meus maledixisset mihi , sustinuissem utique — Tu verò homo unanimus & notus meus — in domo Dei ambulavimus eum consensu , &c. Hinc , commotior factus , ad Defensionem me accinxi . Atque utinam intra justae Defensionis fines me continuissem . Perdifficile siquidem est , ut quisquam , acerbè , idque ( quantum sibi conscius erat ) sine causâ tractatus , modum ubique servet . Reposuisti tu , & altioribus adhuc Convitiis fraena laxâsti . Quid hîc faciendum ? Num in Jurgiis ac Rixis , sine fine reciprocatis , ac nemini profuturis , prodigendum Tempus , conspurcanda Charta ? Ridiculum ! Tandem , sapiamus , & redeamus ad cor . Scilicet Homines uterque sumus , originali labe infecti , indéque lapsu faciles ; at supernâ ( uti spero ) praemuniti gratiâ , quò minùs malevolentiae venenum in Animae viscera se effundat . Nec rideant nos Lectores nostri . Eâdem pice inquinati sunt & ipfi , eâdémque farinâ subacti . Et , forsan , pauci sunt , qui hoc idem non factitâssent , si in iisdem circumstantiis fuissent constituti , atque easdem cogitationes eosdémque affectus habuissent . Solus , idque meritò , ridebit nos Humani Generis Hostis ( & quos habet sequaces ; ) qui Homines invicem committere , rixas serere , ac seminatas usque fovere gestit . Quin rideamus & nos , vice nostrà , Incendiarium illum ; & delusum se sentiat qui foveam aliis struxit . Quicquid crepat Metaphysica de Primù suis Principiis atque Altissimis Causis , certè Nos à Certioribus longè Principiis & Causis Altioribus , Divina Lege sancitis ac commendatis , edocti sumus Charitatem Fraternam Dissertationibus Philosophicis , & Magistri ( quisquis ille fuerit ) Placitis longè anteferendam . Homines , inquam , sumus ; indéque nonnihil Humani passi ; At videant omnes , nos tales nihilominus esse Homines , qui nôrunt corrigere in sese quodcunque denum illud fuerit , quò minùs Homines , seu minùs Rationis compotes sumus . Vides , mi Amice multùm colende , quòd etiam dum de Pace loquor , Impugnationem aggrediar ac Contentionem tecum denuò instaurem ? Quare , cave s● tibi ; nam Novum Bellum Tibi indîco , Provocationem Novam ad Te mitto . Spiculis non umbratilibus , sed verè Igneis ( Cl●ritatis scilicet ) te adoriri decretum mihi est ; in quo profectò praeliandi genere usque ad mortem terum decertabo . Quicquid nonnulli ex Amicis tuis de East● meo existiment , audacter jact●●●● quòd Priores mihi partes , Tibi Posteriores in hâc Lite Christianâ cessurae sint . Quod amplius est , palam pronuntio me Lauream in isthoc certamine reportaturum ; imò aliqualiter ( quantum mihi liquet ) jam reportâsse . Praeripui siquidem Tibi Honoris ( non Aer●i , sed Solidi ) Florem , dum Prior ad Concordiam gradum promoveo . Nisi forsan & Tu●e hoc idem fecisses , nisi quòd existimâris me , ( obsirmato utique , ut opinatus es , ad bellum animo , ) Pacem de●rectaturum , Id si prositearis , tunc enimverò fatendum est quod inter otramque partem — dubiis volitet Victoria pennis . Aliter , totum atque integrum Triumplum jure optimo mihi vendicabo . Si rationem exposeas , habeto Notissimum atque Sapientissimum Estatum illud , — Fortior est qui se , qu●m qui fortissima vincit M●ni● — In quo quidem sensu , vel à Te , vel à quovisalio , P●●gopolynices vocari non recus●bo , im● Honori mihi ducam . ] &c. TRUTH and PEACE . A soft Answer breaks Anger ; Harsh Speech stirs up Fury , says the Wise-Man . The Prophet also , speaking in GOD's Name , exhorts us to love TRUTH and PEACE . Both these Sayings , Honoured Sir , we ought to apply to our selves ; at least , I account it my Duty to do so . Again , then , I return to you ; again , I set upon you ; not with a Mind full of Resentments , but , of real Friendship : Not out of an earnest Desire , and , perhaps , too sensible a Concern , to defend my own Fame ; but , most ready to renew and repair Charity and Friendship a-fresh , already ( alas ! ) too much violated . I must confess , it struck me , and shock'd me exceedingly , ( and , no wonder , ) that you should , without the least Offence done to your Person , who ( as I thought ) was still my Friend ; but , out of a too fervent Zeal for the Cartesian Doctrine , which I impugn'd , and , perhaps , too easily persuaded by others transported with the same Zeal , break out , in Print , into Contumelious Words , more than was Decent , against my Person , and my Christian Reputation . That Saying of King David , ( Psal. 55. ) came into my Mind ; [ If my Enemy had revil'd me , I could have born it — But , thou , my Friend and Acquaintance — who didst walk with me unanimously , in the House of GOD. ] Thus , causlesly provok'd , I set to write my Defence : And , I wish I had contain'd my self within the Bounds of a meer Defence , or Vindication : For , 't is very hard for any Man who is roughly handl'd , and ( as far as he was conscious to himself ) without Cause , to keep himself within an Exact Mean. You reply'd ; and , in your CENSURA , out-did your former Self , in Affrontive Language . What is now to be done ? Must we still throw away our precious Time , and blur Paper with Angry Repartees , reciprocated endlesly ? 'T were most Ridiculous ! At length , then , let us grow wiser , and return to our Right Temper . We are , both of us , Men ; that is , Frail , and tainted with Original Sin ; but , yet , ( as I hope , ) so pre-establish'd by Christian Principles that the Poyson will be thrown out before it infects the Vitals of our Soul. Nor , let our Readers laugh at us ; Themselves too have some of the same Pitch sticking to them , and are made up of the same Mass of Corruption . And , perhaps , there are Few , who had not done the same we did , had they been in the same Circumstances , and had had the same Thoughts and Affections . None but the Enemy of Mankind ( and his Imps ) can have just Occasion to laugh at us ; who hates Peace , and delights to sow and foment Dissension . Let us , in our turn , laugh too at that Wicked Incendiary ; that he who digg'd a Pit for for others , may fall into it himself . Whatever Metaphysicians talk of their First Principles , and Highest Causes or Reasons , I am sure we are taught by far more Certain Principles , and Higher Reasons , establish'd , and commended to us by the Divine Law , that Brotherly Charity is infinitely to be preferr'd before Philosophical Contests , or the Tenets of any Master , let him be who he will. We are Men , I say ; and , thence , have suffer'd some Humane Imperfection : But we will let the World see , that we are such Men , as can correct in themselves whatever makes them less Men , or less Governable by Reason . You see then , my much-Honoured Friend , that even while I speak of Peace , I impugn you a-fresh , and renew my Contest with you . Wherefore , look to your self ; for , I denounce a New War to you , and send you a New Challenge ; in which I will never yield the Victory . I am fully resolv'd to Attack you , not with Imaginary Darts , but with Fiery ones ; to wit , with those of Charity ; with which I will maintain the Combat , to my last Breath : Whatever your Friends talk of my Pride and Arrogancy , I boldly proclaim , and boast , that I will have the Advantage in this Christian Contention . Nay , I do openly brag , that ( as far as yet appears to me ) I have already won the Victory ; by getting the Start of you in this War , ( the Guerdon of which is a Crown , not of Aiery , but of Solid Honour , ) by making thus the first Step to a Reconciliation : Unless , perhaps , your self also had intended the same , had you not thought me to be Refractory . If you profess you had the same Thoughts , then I must , indeed , confess , the Victory hovers doubtfully between us : But , if not , the Whole and Entire Triumph will be justly due to me . If you ask me the Reason of this forward Condescension ; take for Answer , that most Famous , and most Wise Saying , [ 'T is a greater Victory to conquer one's self , than to subdue the strongest Forts . ] In which Sense , I shall not be asham'd ; but , shall think it a High Honour to be call'd by your self , or any other , a Pyrgopolynices . ] 95. I do not believe there is any Man in the World , who reads this Charitable Overture of mine , and considers all the Circumstances , but will both commend , and admire at , such an Unexpected , and Extravagant Condescension , and Moderation , on my part . Mr. Le Grand had been the Unprovok'd Aggressor ; for , I had not given him one Unhandsome Word , but only oppos'd some Cartesian Tenets , by way of Argument ; when he , in requital of my Civility , fell upon me with the the most Virulent Language that ever was heard given by ( I will not say any Christian , but ) even by any one Heathen , to another Tho' my Defence was Smart , yet I confin'd my Resentments , to oppose him only as an Injurious and Weak Writer ; without imitating him , by blackening him as Impious against God , or Unsound in Faith ; but still excus'd him in such Occasions . He had printed Infamous Slanders against my Books , writ for the Absolute Certainty of Faith ; making my Doctrine in them Condemn'd by Scrbonists , Retracted and Anathematiz'd by my self ; and , what not ? He abetted a Known Libel , as a most True History ; which makes me guilty of Twenty Heresies at least . Lastly , He had given me more Advantages against him , as a Scholar , in his Censura , than even my self could have wish'd . Yet , I was willing to pass by all these Highest Provocations , and lose all these Advantages , and ( Unconstrain'd ) to make the First Charitable Step to a Friendly Accommodation ; Requiring only , that he would make some Publick Satisfaction , not for any Reviling Words , or Slanders , against my Particular Person , ( all which I was ready to pardon ; ) but , to wipe off the False Aspersions he had laid upon my Books writ for Faith , which reflected upon the Common Cause of Religion ; to do which is the precise Duty of every Good Man : To promise which , notwithstanding , ( by the way , ) I could never learn he was Willing , or Inclin'd ; Nor could I ever get any certain Light what he would do , or how far he would comply on his part . I had now finish'd about a Third Part of this Healing Reply , and had communicated this Exordium of it to some Friends of his ; who , I dare say , had acquainted him with my Peaceful and Friendly Intentions ; when , as if done on purpose to prevent it , out comes Merry-man's LIBEL , contriv'd and fram'd by some Achitophel , ( I leave it to the Reader to guess whom , ) to render all Reconciliation Impossible ; and , Tim'd so , as to be Publish'd just in the Nick , when I was expecting that Half-Sheet , which ( as I had requested in my Non ULTRA ) was to decide the whole Controversie , by way of PRINCIPLES . This made me see , that my Charity was requited with such a Rude Affront , that all the Malice in the World , put together , could scarce have invented any thing more Rancorous ; and , that I was to content my self with my own good Intentions , and prepare for a Vigorous Defence . Which , also , was the reason why ( putting a Stop to my Latin Treatise ) I became oblig'd to reply in English , into which their Slanders were now brought ; that so my Answer might be as Universally Read , and Understood , as Order had been taken their Calumnies should be : And , indeed , both Mr. Le Grand , and the Libeller , very Brotherly conspire to slander my Doctrine , as Condemn'd ; or , which is the Word they do both of them affect , [ Damn'd ; ] Whence , I saw plainly , that this Writing in English was Absolutely Necessary , and most proper to spread my Vindication , and make it more taken notice of . 96. I am to expect , that Mr. Le Grand , and his Inspirer , will stoutly deny that they are Accessary to this Libel , or knew of it : 'T is their Interest , as well as their Credit , to do so . That they did not pen it , I am apt to believe : Nor , is it Prudence to charge them positively with their Knowing it , Liking it , or ( in their Way ) Abetting it ; unless I had Positive Testimony for it . But , yet , I must beg the Favour of them , to leave Thought Free : 'T is best , in such Cases , to give my Reasons , and remit the Decision to the Judgment of Prudent Readers : For , First , I could never learn , that any one Man in England spoke the least Word against those two Books of mine , till Mr. Le Grand and his Governor did so ; and , this Libel visibly abets them , and carries on the same Cause , viz. the Defaming of me : And , 't is very hard to conceive , that one who assists another , should not let him know what Kindness he is doing him ; or , that the Assisted Person should not contribute to his Power , and help those who were so kindly helping him ; or , that a Journey-man should go to work without the Knowledge of his Principal ; especially , when he uses his Tools all the while , as Merry-man does Mr. Le Grand's Censura ; out of which , the whole Libel is Extracted . Secondly , I was inform'd , ere the Libel came out , by a worthy Gentleman ( Mr. F. H. ) that Mr. Le Grand had struck in with a certain Ecclesiastick , who would joyn with him , in opposing me ; which , all things consider'd , especially , their sympathizing in their being , both of them , of a Light , Inconsiderate Genius , and , in their Aversion against me ; makes it very Wonderful , and Unheard of , that Confederates should not communicate their Designs , or confer their Notes , how to carry on their Common Cause . Thirdly , That Ecclesiastick spoke of , as siding with Mr. Le Grand , is the very Person who is universally said to be , at least , the Parcel-Author ( if not the only one ) of that Libel . Now , that a Concurrence in Affections ( that is , in Disaffection to the same Person ) should not produce a Concurrence in Action , when that Person is upon the Anvil , when they are both striking at him , and when the Resolution to run him down is already evidently , Taken by both ; let any Man believe that can . Fourthly , 'T is evident , that they do Mutuas operas tradere , or friendly assist one another . Mr. Le Grand ( I fear , in this , made Foot-of-Whelp ) hazards his Credit , in defaming my Books , as Condemn'd ; and crying up Lominus's Libel ; so , to retrieve the Credit which was lost by a former Defeat : And , the Libeller , by taking his Matter out of his Censura , and ecchoing aloud all those Slanders in English , manifestly abets him , and requites his Kindness ; and yet , we must believe ( to the Forfeiture of Common Sense ) that all this lights by Chance , and not by Design , or Agreement . Sure , they think all Men are Fools , but themselves ; or else , they Childishly imagin , that while they hood-wink themselves , none can see them . Fifthly , The Opposing Cartesius would not bear the weight of an Accusation in the High Court ; whereas , the Magnifying Albius , who had given Disgust to them above , would easily , as they hop'd , if well improv'd , and manag'd , be made Criminal , if they could but catch me in that Snare : But , it light unluckily to their Project , that ( resolving to live quietly with my Neighbours , if I could ; and , to carry on Truth , without giving Offence to any ) I had not , so much as once , nam'd Mr. White in either of those two Books the Libeller is is so angry at ; nor have I any Position there , peculiar to him alone ; as I can easily shew , when put to it . Wherefore , it was plotted to bring me , by Stratagem , to name Mr. White , with some handsome Character . To this End , Mr. Le-Grand , in his Railing Preface , p. 39. ( by which we may see 't is an Old Project , ) challeng'd me , that I did [ eradere Albium-ex albo Philosophorum , & in ludibria vertere ; ] that is , that I did blot Mr. White out of the Roll of Philosophers , and make a Mockery of him : And , I was blam'd by them , as proudly dis-regarding all others , and assuming all to my self . I might have smelt a Design in it , it being such Nonsense , that I should make a Mockery of a Man I had not so much as spoke of : But , I was too Candid , to give easie way to Suspicions . Upon which , hating to be held Guilty of such an Ungentileness , I made mention of him in my following Books , tho' under no other Character , but only that of a Great Philosopher , which his worst Enemies cannot refuse him . No sooner had I done so , and that he had drawn me into the Noose , but the Cloak was immediately pull'd off ; and , the same Man who had lately seem'd so zealous for the Honour of Albius , presently profess'd himself his greatest Enemy : He sets up , and abets Lominu's Libel , which makes him Guilty of half the Heresies that have pester'd the World , from the Beginning of the Church ; and , a Mark is set on every Man who has any Esteem for him , as a Scholar : And , I was told by a Right Reverend Bishop , that I had done my self a greater Injury , by speaking well of Albius , than I could imagin ; as fore-seeing the Malicious Use they intended to make of this Fraudulent Trappan . All which , laid together , shews the Intimate Correspondence between Mr. Le Grand , and the Libeller ; and , to think that his Old Friend , who began all this Stir , would not joyn with him in this , and gather a few Twigs to help to lash me , were , to break the Sacred Bond of Friendship between them , and disoblige them both . Add , that Mr. Le Grand , according to his small Politicks , to gratifie his New Friend , picks Quarrels with me , in his behalf , by making me say of Bellarmin , ( an Author he much esteems , ) Bellarmine , Rationis experis , mentiris . Which , and divers such Passages , are too plain Evidences of their strict Confederacy ; and , consequently , that he could not be ignorant of this Prop of his Cause , this Libel . His Hopes were , that the Libeller would bring in divers . Friends of his , to increase the Cry , and assist him with their Interest : But , I will not think them to have so little Charity , or so little Regard to Religion ; or , to be so Imprudent , as to oppose a Veteran Writer for Faith , who meddles not with them ; against whom they have nothing to say , Justly ; and , who has already given good Proof , that , in case he be attack'd Unjustly , he is able to defend himself ; nay , who is before-hand with them too , should they attempt it . 97. Against all these strong Proofs of their being Conscious of , and ( in what they could ) Abetting to this Libel , what can they bring for themselves ? Oh! they Deny it : As if , either Affirming , or Denying , were such most Valid Arguments for Persons speaking in their own Cause ! Or , as if I ( who was the Person concern'd ) ought , in Prudence , to give any Credit to to the Words of those Men ; one of which smil'd in my Face , and pretended great Friendship , when he was doing me all the Mischief he could : The Other so falsifies my Words , and publishes such False and and Scandalous Slanders against my Doctrine . Whence , that Objection is Groundless , which ( for want of something else to say ) is lately given about , that Things were about Composing , and I , upon Occasion unjustly taken at this Libel , flew off ; and , so continu'd the Difference , when it might have been heal'd . These Gentlemen are either Ill-inform'd , or very Partial ; For , 1. He never offer'd Peace at all : 2. I offer'd it ( as a Judicious Friend , meeting with my Thoughts , had advis'd me ) on these Terms ; viz. Heartily to pardon and pass over all his Causless Revilings against my Particular ; only desiring , that the Injury done to the Common Cause should be Repair'd ; to which I could never hear he would yield . Some cry [ Pax , Pax ; ubi non est Pax. ] I had never observ'd the least Ingenuity on their side ; and , I had been false to my self , to print my Condescending Treatise , and be laughed at for my Foolish Charity ; and , Advantages be made of it , against my self . Nay , I ever reply'd , to those Good Men who desir'd it of me , that I would do any thing that could be thought reasonable ; but , that I much fear'd , all our Charity would be lost , thro' Mr. Le Grand's being ty'd up by this New Engagement , and govern'd by a Man who was an Enemy to all Moderation . 98. I expect , Gentlemen , you will complain you have lost your Time in Reading this Treatise ; and ask , What Benefit accrues to the Reader , by seeing the Faults of others laid open ? But , I must beg your Pardon ; and maintain , that this Procedure , tho' most Unpleasant to me , is , notwithstanding , most Beneficial to the World. [ Virtus est Vitium fugare , & Sapientia Prima Stultitià caruisse — ] And , these Idle Methods of Railing , Flouting , Prevaricating , Bantering , Fooling , Slandering , Falsifying and Libelling , ( to which Nonplus'd Writers are forc'd to have recourse , ) being thus Expos'd ; and , by your declaring against them , Disgrac'd ; they must either be driven to take the Way of Discoursing Connectedly , or leave of Writing at all . To return then to my Adversaries : I Request , or ( it being my Right ) Demand of them , that they would make choice of some one Principle for the Cartesian Doctrine , which they will maintain to be such ; or , some one Argument of theirs , which they will undertake to be Demonstrative ; or , pitch upon some one Solution of theirs , to any one Argument of mine , where I pretend to Demonstrate ; and , that Principle shall be Examin'd , by looking into the Self-Conexion of its Terms , or the Reducibleness of them to Self-Connexion , or Self-Evidence ; that Argument shall be try'd by the Necessary Connexion of its Terms , with the Medium ; and , lastly , that Solution shall be judg'd of , by putting my Argument home , shewing on what the Connexion of the Two Terms with a Third , was built ; and , then , considering upon what Grounds it it is pretended they are Unconnected , the Consequence of it Slack , and the Reason of it Solv'd . And , let him who uses the least Disrespectful Word to his Adversary , be held Nonplus'd , and to deserve no Answer . By this means , in a Reply or two , Truth will be made appear , much precious Time sav'd , all Wrangling avoided , the Rules of Decency and Civility preserv'd Inviolate , and the Controversie decided . 99. Only , this Condition I would request , That if any Principle , Axiom , Postulatum , or Argument , be produc'd , which has been solidly Refuted already ; that , then , to save Unnecessary Labour , it may be sufficient to relate to it , unless it has been Reply'd to formerly : Which I desire , because I have very lately seen and perus'd a Book , written by a Professor of Philosophy in Paris , and Dedicated to the Dean and Faculty of Sorbon ; in which , many of the Principal Positions of the Cartesians are solidly Confuted . It bears for Title , [ De Existentiâ Dei , & Humanae Mentis Immortalitate , secundum Cartesii & Aristotelis Doctrinam , Disputatio . ] This Acute and Learned Author is thorowly versed in Cartesius ; and has so perfectly digested Aristotle ; that he seems to have turned him in Succum & Sanguinem . He tells us , Cartesius attempted to Demonstrate these two Points , because he was ( I believe , Unjustly ) suspected to hold neither of them . He refutes his Definitions of [ Cogitatio , Idea , Sustantia , & Mens : ] As also , his Notion of [ Corpus , Materia , Extensio , Physica , &c. ] He shews his Definition of GOD , to be Faulty ; and , his Notion of Real Distinction , to be Groundless . He sifts all his Seven Postulatums , his Ten Axioms , and all his pretended Demonstrations of those Two most Important Theses ; and , shews them to be Shallow , and Spurious . Lastly , In his Second Part , he Domonstrates those main Points , by the Principles of Aristotle . Tho' a School-man , ( indeed , the Best of our Modern ones , I have seen , ) and , for being such , ought to have some Grains of Allowance granted him ; yet , he avoids School-Terms as much as is possible . His Style is Concise , and yet Clear. His Oppositions and Solutions ( generally ) Forcible , and Full. He lights , frequently , into the same Arguments I do ; and , very often falls into my Abominable Sin , ( which so mads my two Cartesians , ) of telling his Reader , and shewing , that the Cartesian Doctrine is strangely FANATICAL . I thought fit to acquaint our Country-men with the Just Character of that Learned Book ; than which , I know none more Proper for those of our Universities , after they have pass'd their First Studies ; as well for the Excellency of the two Noble Truths it demonstrates , as for giving them great Light to look into the Nature of True Demonstration , and and into the Right Understanding of Aristotle's Genuin Doctrine ; so much mistaken by most of our Unskilful Modern Commentators . 100. I hear , my Adversaries contend , that ( Id. Cart. p. 64. ) I deny Annihilation to be Possible , even to GOD's Extraordinary or Miraculous Power . I answer , 1. That I speak there , ( § . 43. ) not of Annihilation it self , but of a particular Way I was inventing , how it might be done ; which Way , whether it holds , or no , I neither know , nor care . 2. I did not seem to deny even This , but upon Supposition that it would put an Attribute in GOD , which was unworthy of Him. 3. That , in my whole Discourse there , 't is most Evident that I only spoke tentativè , not assertivè . I will not recount how many Authors have held the same , as to this Point , which my self ( if truly represented ) have done : One will suffice , ad hominem , against my Cartesian Adversaries ; viz. Du Hamel ; the Best Philosopher of the Cartesian School , tho' he be none of the Fierce , or Furious ones ; who , in Tom 5. p. 8. says , Substantiae Annibilatio aliquid Inconstantiae in ipso rei Conditore testari videtur : The Annibilation of a Substance ( or Thing ) seems to testifie some Inconstancy in the Maker of the Thing , Himself : Which , certainly , is a Dishonour , and Imperfection ; and , cannot be attributed to GOD. The Sense of that Position , as far as concerns the Generality of Christians , who are no Speculators , is , that Creatures should not be held , to subsist of themselves ; but , to depend entirely , every Moment , on GOD , for their Being . Now , let us consider how I had exceeded all other Writers , in Asserting that Substantial Truth . Others use to say , that the Nature of Creatures is Indifferont to Being , and Not-Being : Whereas , ( Method to Science , p. 304. ) I maintain , that , [ Were there any Inclination in Creatures , rather to One , than the Other , it seems to be , rather to Not-Being , than to Being ; ] And , that [ the Nothingness of Creatures is so radicated in their Natures , and sticks to them , that it inclines them to Not-Being , even while they are . ] . Whether this Doctrine of mine be more for the Honour of our Great Creator , and for our Continual Dependence on Him ; or Mr. Le Grand's , in his Censura , p. 71. who denies that Creatures would , out of their own Defectiveness , or Indigent Condition , fall to Nothing , or be Annihilated ; and says , that every thing , as far as is of it self , would remain in the same State ; let Indifferent Divines judge . Nay , he says this , in Opposition to me , when I affirm , that all Creatures depend on GOD , for their Continuance in Being . Certainly , there needs many Grains of Salt , to make such Doctrine as this sound well to a Christian's Ear : For , this destroys the Doctrine of Suspension's being the Cause of Annihilation ; in regard he makes the Creature still , of its own Nature , able to Exist alone , after it is once put to be ; which , I am sure , takes away its Continual Dependence on GOD , for its Being ; which is both against the Language and Sense of Christianity . Yet , I doubt not , but his Intention is very Orthodox , whatever his Ideas are . By this time , Gentlemen , I fear I have over-weary'd you ; I am sure I have my self , with Replying , by Snatches , to Unconnected Talk. I hope , my next Present will be more worthy of your Perusal . In the mean time , I am , with all Respect , Your most Humble Servant , J. S. FINIS .