3

and was justly employed by Aristotle in politics, when he begins the consideration of a commonwealth in a family. All things change, but nothing is lost. This is an axiom in physics, and holds in natural theology; for as the sum of matter neither diminishes nor increases, so it is equally the work of omnipotence to create or to annihilate it which even the Scripture testifies: "Didici quod omnia opera, quæ fecit Deus, perseverent in perpetuum: non possumus eis quicquam addere, nec auferre." Things are preserved from destruction, by bringing them back to their principles. This is an axiom in physics, but holds equally in politics; for the preservation of states, as is well observed by Machiavel," depends upon little more than reforming and bringing them back to their ancient customs. A putrid malady is more contagious in its early than in its more matured stages, holds in natural as in moral philosophy; for wicked and desperately impious persons do not corrupt society so much as they who blend with their vices a mixture of virtue. What tends to preserve the effects of the greatest laws of nature, displays the strongest action, is a rule in natural philosophy. For the first and universal motion, that preserves the chain and contexture of nature unbroken, and prevents a vacuum, as they call it, or empty discontinuity in the world, controls the more particular law which draws heavy bodies to the earth, and preserves the region of gross and compacted natures. The same rule is good in politics; for those things which conduce to the conservation of the entire commonwealth, control and modify those made for the welfare of particular members of a government. The same principle may be observed in theology; for, among the virtues of this class, charity is the most communicative, and excels all the rest. The force of an agent is augmented by the antiperistatis of the counteracting body," is a rule in

3 Cf. Plat. Theæt. i. 152.

4 Eccl. iii. 14, and xlii. 21.

5 Discorso sopra la Prima Deca di Tito Livio, libro 3. 6 Aristotle, Meteors, Problem 1, § 11.

civil states as in nature, for all faction is vehemently moved and incensed at the rising of a contrary faction.

A discord ending immediately in a concord sets off the harmony. This is a rule in music that holds also true in morals. A trembling sound in music gives the same pleas ure to the ear, as the coruscation of water or the sparkling of a diamond to the eye

The organs of the senses resemble the organs of reflection, as we see in optics and acoustics, where a concave glass resembles the eye, and a sounding cavity the ear. And of these axioms an infinite number might be collected; and thus the celebrated Persian magic was, in effect, no more than a notation of the correspondence in the structure and fabric of things natural and civil. Nor let any one understand all this of mere similitudes, as they might at first appear, for they really are one and the same footsteps, and impressions of nature, made upon different matters and subjects. And in this light the thing has not hitherto been carefully treated. A few of these axioms may indeed be found in the writings of eminent men, here and there interspersed occasionally; but a collected body of them, which should have a primitive and summary tendency to the sciences, is not hitherto extant, though a thing of so great moment as remarkable to show nature to be one and the same, which is supposed the office of a primary philosophy.

There is another part of this primary philosophy regarding the adventitious or transcendental condition of things; as little, much, like, different, possible, impossible, entity, nonentity, etc. For as these things do not properly come under physics, and as their logical consideration rather ac-` commodates them to argumentation than existence, it is proper that this point be not quite deserted, as being of considerable dignity and use, so as to have some place in

7 Eneid, vii. 9.

the arrangement of the sciences. But this should be done in a manner very different from the common: for example, no writer who has treated of much and little, endeavors to assign the cause why some things in nature are so numerous and large, and others so rare and small; for, doubtless, it is impossible in the nature of things, that there should be as great a quantity of gold as of iron, or roses as plenty as grass, and as great a variety of specific as of imperfect or non-specific nature. So, likewise, nobody that treats of like and different has sufficiently explained, why between particular species there are almost constantly interposed some things that partake of both; as moss between corruption and a plant; motionless fish between a plant and an animal; bats between birds and quadrupeds, etc. Nor has any one hitherto discovered why iron does not attract iron, as the loadstone does; and why gold does not attract gold, as quicksilver does, etc. But of these particulars we find no mention in the discourses of transcendentals; for men have rather pursued the quirks of words than the subtilties of things. And, therefore, we would introduce into primary philosophy a real and solid inquiry into these transcendentals, or adventitious conditions of beings, according to the laws of nature, not of speech.

8 Specific bodies; that is, those which have a certain homogeneous form and regularity in their organization, and which exist in such variety as to urge the mind to form them into species.-Ed.

9 By the aid of the microscope, moss has been discovered to be only a collection of small plants, with parts as distinct and regular in their conformation as the larger plants. The vervain which generally covers the surface of moist bodies long exposed to the air presents similar appearances.-Ed.

14

CHAPTER II

Natural Theology with its Appendix, the Knowledge of Angels and Spirits

HUS having first seated the common parent of the sciences, as Berecynthia rejoicing over her celestial offspring

"Omnes cœlicolas, omnes supera alta tenentes," —

we return to our division of philosophy into divine, natural, and human; for natural theology may be justly called divine philosophy. Divine philosophy is a science, or rather the rudiments of a science, derivable from God by the light of nature, and the contemplation of his creatures; so that with regard to its object, it is truly divine; but with regard to its acquirement, natural. The bounds of this knowledge extend to the confutation of atheism, and the ascertaining the laws of nature, but not to the establishing of religion. And, therefore, God never wrought a miracle to convert an atheist, because the light of nature is sufficient to demonstrate a deity; but miracles were designed for the conversion of the idolatrous and superstitious, who acknowledged a God, but erred in the worship of him—the light of nature being unable to declare the will of God, or assign the just form of worshipping him. For as the power and skill of a workman are seen in his works, but not his person, so the works of God express the wisdom and omnipotence of the Creator, without the least representation of his image. And in this particular, the opinion of the heathens differed from the sacred verity, as supposing the world to be the image of God, and man a little image of the world. The Scripture never gives the world that honor, but calls it the work of his hands; making only man the image of God.' And, therefore, the being

1 Eneid, vi. 787.

Ps. viii. 3, cii. 25, et al.

of a God, that he governs the world, that he is all-powerful, wise, prescient, good, a just rewarder and punisher, and to be adored, may be shown and enforced from his works; and many other wonderful secrets, with regard to his attributes, and much more as to his dispensation and government over the universe, may also be solidly deduced, and made appear from the same. And this subject has been usefully treated by several."

But from the contemplation of nature, and the principles of human reason, to dispute or urge anything with vehemence, as to the mysteries of faith, or over-curiously to examine and sift them, by prying into the manner of the mystery, is no safe thing: "Give unto faith the things that are faith's." And the heathens grant as much in that excellent and divine fable of the golden chain, where "men and gods are represented as unable to draw Jupiter to earth, but Jupiter able to draw them up to heaven."

So that it is a vain attempt to draw down the sublime mysteries of religion to our reason, but we should rather raise our minds. to the adorable throne of heavenly truth. And in this part of natural theology, we find rather an excess than any defect; which we have however turned a little aside to note, on account of the extreme prejudice and danger which both religion and philosophy hence incur, because a mixture of these makes both a heretical religion and a fantastic and superstitious philosophy."

It is otherwise, as to the nature of spirits and angels; this being neither unsearchable nor forbid, but in a great

3 And more particularly since, by Cudworth, in his "Intellectual System of the Universe"; Mr. Boyle, in his "Christian Virtuoso"; Mr. Ray, in his "Wisdom of the Creation"; Dr. Bentley in his "Discourse of the Folly and Unreasonableness of Atheism"; Dr. Clarke, in his "Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God"; and by Derham, in his "Physico Theology." See also Raphson's "De Deo"; Dr. Nieuwentyt's "Religious Philosopher"; Mr. Whiston's "Astronomical Principles of Religion"; Commenius's "Physica ad lumen divinum reformatæ Synopsis"; Paley's "Natural Religion"; the Bridgewater Treatises, and Cardinal Wiseman's "Connection of Science with Revealed Religion."-Ed.

4 Iliad, ix.

5 See above, Prelim, sec. iii. 8, and hereafter of Theology, sec. ult.