Page images
PDF
EPUB

taught there was an intellect that proceeded to ge neration, drawing forth the latent powers into light in the formation of things. Nor was this to be understood of an external world, fubfifting in real abfolute space For it was a doctrine of those antient fages, that foul was the place of forms, as may be feen in the twelfth book of the arcane part of divine wisdom, according to the Ægyptians. This notion was embraced by divers philofophers of Greece, who may be fuppofed to have derived it from the fame fource from whence many of their other opinions were drawn.

270. The doctrine of real abfolute external fpace, induced fome modern philofophers to conclude it was a part or attribute of God, or that God himself was space; inafmuch as incommunicable attributes of the Deity appeared to agree thereto, fuch as infinity, immutability, indivifibility, incorporeity, being uncreated, impaffive, without beginning or ending; not confidering that all these negative properties may belong to nothing. For nothing hath no limits, cannot be moved or changed, or divided, is neither created nor destroyed. A different way of thinking appears in the Hermaic as well as other writings of the ancients. With regard to abfolute space, it is obferved in the Afclepian dialogue, that the word Space or Place hath by it felf no meaning; and again, that it is impoffible to understand what fpace alone or pure fpace is. And Plotinus acknowledgeth no place but foul or mind, exprefly affirming that the foul is not in the world, but the world in the foul. And farther, the place of the foul, faith he, is not body, but foul is in mind, and body in foul. See the third chapter of the fifth book of the fifth Ennead.

271. Concerning abfolute fpace, that phantome of the mechanic and geometrical philofophers (b), it may fuffice to obferve, that it is neither perceived by any fenfe, nor proved by any reafon, and was accordingly treated by the greateft of the ancients as a thing merely vifionary. From the notion of abfolute fpace fprings that of abfolute motion *; and in thefe are ultimately founded the notions of external exiftence, independence, neceffity, and fate. Which fate, the idol of many moderns, was by old philofophers differently underftood, and in fuch a fenfe, as not to deftroy the αὐτεξέσιον of God or man. Parmenides, whọ thought all things to be made by neceffity or fate, understood justice and providence to be the famé with fate; which, how fixed and cogent foever with refpect to man, may yet be voluntary with refpect to God. Empedocles declared fate to be a caufe ufing principles and elements. Heraclitus taught that fate was the general reafon that runs through the whole nature of the univerfe; which nature he fuppofed to be an æthereal body, the feed of the generation of all things. Plato held fate to be the eternal reafon or law of nature. Chryfippus fuppofed that fate was a fpiritual power which difpofed the world in order; that it was the reafon and law of thofe things which are adminiftred by providence.

(b) 250.

Our judgment in thefe matters is not to be over-born by a prefumed evidence of mathematical notions and reafonings, fince it is plain, the mathematicians of this age embrace obscure notions, and uncertain opinions, and are puzzled about them, contradicting each other and difputing like other men: witness their doctrine of fluxions, about which, within these ten years, I have seen published about twenty tracts and differtations, whose authors being utterly at variance, and inconfiftent with each other, inftruct by-flanders what to think of their pretenfions to evidence.

272. All

[ocr errors]

272. All the foregoing notions of fate, as reprefented by Plutarch, plainly fhew that those antient philofophers did not mean by fate a blind, head-long, unintelligent principle, but an orderly fettled course of things conducted by a wife and provident mind. And as for the Ægyptian doctrine, it is indeed afferted in the Pimander, that all things are produced by fate. But Jamblichus, who drew his notions from Egypt, affirms, that the whole of things is not bound up in fate; but that there is a principle of the foul higher than nature, whereby we may be raised to an union with the gods, and exempt ourfelves from fate. And in the Afclepian dialogue it is exprefly faid, that fate follows the decrees of God. And indeed, as all the motions in nature are evidently the product of reafon (c), it should seem there is no room for neceffity, in any other fenfe than that of a fteddy regular courfe.

273. Blind fate and blind chance are at bottom. much the fame thing, and one no more intelligible than the other. Such is the mutual relation, connection, motion, and fympathy of the parts of this world, that they feem as it were animated and held together by one foul and fuch is their harmony, order, and regular course, as fheweth the foul to be governed and directed by a mind. It was an opinion of remote antiquity that the world was an animal (d). If we may truft the Hermaic writings, the Ægyptians thought all things did partake of life. This opinion was alfo fo general and current among the Greeks, that Plutarch afferts all others held the world to be an animal, and govern ed by providence, except Leucippus, Democritus, and Epicurus. And although an animal, contain (d) 153, 172, R 2

(c) 154.

ing

[ocr errors]

ing all bodies within it felf, could not be touched or fenfibly affected from without; yet it is plain they attributed to it an inward fenfe and feeling, as well as appetites and averfions; and that from all the various tones, actions, and paffions of the univerfe, they fuppofed one fymphony, one animal act and life to refult.

274. Jamblichus declares the world to be one animal, in which the parts however diftant each from other, are nevertheless related and connected by one common nature. And he teacheth, what is alfo a received notion of the Pythagoreans and Platonics that there is no chafm in nature, but a chain or scale of beings rifing by gentle uninterrupted gradations from the loweft to the higheft, each nature being informed and perfected by the participation of a higher. As air becomes igneous, fo the pureft fire becomes animal, and the animal foul becomes intellectual, which is to be understood not of the change of one nature into another, but of the connection of different natures, each lower nature being, according to thofe philofophers, as it were a receptable or fubject for the next above it to refide and act in.

275. It is alfo the doctrine of Platonic philofophers, that intellect is the very life of living things, the firft principle and exemplar of all, from whence by different degrees are derived the inferior claffes of life; firft the rational, then the fenfitive, after that the vegetal, but fo as in the rational animal there is ftill fomewhat intellectual, again in the fenfitive there is fomewhat rational, and in the vegetal fomewhat fenfitive, and laftly in mixt bodies, as metals and mineral, fomewhat of vegetation: By which means the whole iš thought to be more perfectly connected. Which

doctrine

doctrine implies that all the faculties, inftincts, and motions of inferior beings, in their feveral refpective fubordinations, are derived from, and depend upon mind and intellect,

276. Both Stoics and Platonics held the world to be alive, though fometimes it be mentioned as a fentient animal, fometimes as a plant or vegetable. But in this, notwithstanding what hath been furmifed by fome learned men, there feems to be no atheifm. For fo long as the world is fuppofed to be quickened by elementary fire or fpirit, which is it felf animated by foul, and directed by underftanding, it follows that all parts thereof originally depend upon, and may be reduced unto, the fame indivifible ftem or principle, to wit, a fupreme mind; which is the concurrent doctrine of Pythagoraans, Platonics, and Stoics.

277. There is according to thofe philofophers a life infufed throughout all things: the wue vosgov, wug TexVIxov, an intellectual and artificial fire (e), an inward principle, animal fpirit, or natural life producing and forming within as art doth without, regulating, moderating and reconciling the various motions, qualities and parts of this mundane system. By virtue of this life the great maffes are held together in their orderly courfes, as well as the minuteft particles governed in their natural motions, according to the feveral laws of attraction, gravity, electricity, magnetifm, and the reft. It is this gives inftincts, teaches the fpider her web, and the bee her honey. This it is that directs the roots of plants to draw forth juices from the earth, and the leaves and cortical veffels to feparate and attract fuch particles, of air, and elementary fire, as fuit their respective natures.

278. Nature feems to be not otherwife diftin(e) 166, 168, 174, 175, &c.

guifhed

« EelmineJätka »