Page images
PDF
EPUB

PART I.

the Latin tongue was vulgar. What is the meaning 8. of these words, The first cause does not necessarily Insignificant inflow any thing into the second, by force of the

speech.

essential subordination of the second causes, by which it may help it to work? They are the translation of the title of the sixth chapter of Suarez' first book, Of the concourse, motion, and help of God. When men write whole volumes of such stuff, are they not mad, or intend to make others so? And particularly, in the question of transubstantiation; where after certain words spoken; they that say, the whiteness, roundness, magnitude, quality, corruptibility, all which are incorporeal, &c. go out of the wafer, into the body of our blessed Saviour, do they not make those nesses, tudes, and ties, to be so many spirits possessing his body? For by spirits, they mean always things, that being incorporeal, are nevertheless moveable from one place to another. So that this kind of absurdity, may rightly be numbered amongst the many sorts of madness; and all the time that guided by clear thoughts of their worldly lust, they forbear disputing, or writing thus, but lucid intervals. And thus much of the virtues and defects intellectual.

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE SEVERAL SUBJECTS OF KNOWLEDGE.

PART I. 9.

THERE are of KNOWLEDGE two kinds; whereof one is knowledge of fact: the other knowledge of the consequence of one affirmation to another. The Knowledge. former is nothing else, but sense and memory, and is absolute knowledge; as when we see a fact doing, or remember it done: and this is the knowledge required in a witness. The latter is called science; and is conditional; as when we know, that, if the figure shown be a circle, then any straight line through the centre shall divide it into two equal parts. And this is the knowledge required in a philosopher; that is to say, of him that pretends to reasoning.

The register of knowledge of fact is called history. Whereof there be two sorts: one called natural history; which is the history of such facts, or effects of nature, as have no dependence on man's will; such as are the histories of metals, plants, animals, regions, and the like. The other, is civil history; which is the history of the volun tary actions of men in commonwealths.

The registers of science, are such books as contain the demonstrations of consequences of one affirmation, to another; and are commonly called books of philosophy; whereof the sorts are many, according to the diversity of the matter; and may be divided in such manner as I have divided them in the following table.

[blocks in formation]

Consequences from quantity, and motion indeterminate; which

PHILOSOPHIA

being the principles or first foundation of philosophy, is called PRIMA. Philosophia Prima.

[blocks in formation]

(Consequences from the light of the stars. Out of this, and the

motion of the sun, is made the science of

Consequences from the influences of the stars

[blocks in formation]

Consequences (Consequences from the qualities of minerals, as

from the

parts of the

earth, that

are without

[ocr errors][merged small]

stones, metals, &c.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

CHAPTER X.

OF POWER, WORTH, DIGNITY, HONOUR, AND

WORTHINESS.

THE POWER of a man, to take it universally, is his PART 1. present means; to obtain some future apparent good; and is either original or instrumental.

10.

Power.

Natural power, is the eminence of the faculties of body, or mind: as extraordinary strength, form, prudence, arts, eloquence, liberality, nobility. Instrumental are those powers, which acquired by these, or by fortune, are means and instruments to acquire more as riches, reputation, friends, and the secret working of God, which men call good luck. For the nature of power, is in this point, like to fame, increasing as it proceeds; or like the motion of heavy bodies, which the further they go, make still the more haste.

The greatest of human powers, is that which is compounded of the powers of most men, united by consent, in one person, natural, or civil, that has the use of all their powers depending on his will; such as is the power of a common-wealth or depending on the wills of each particular; such as is the power of a faction or of divers factions leagued. Therefore to have servants, is power; to have friends, is power for they are strengths united.

Also riches joined with liberality, is power; because it procureth friends, and servants: without liberality, not so; because in this case they defend not; but expose men to envy, as a prey.

Reputation of power, is power; because it draweth with it the adherence of those that need protection. So is reputation of love of a man's country, called popularity, for the same reason.

« PreviousContinue »