A General View OF PHILOSOPHY: OR AN INTRODUCTION to the Study of the ARTS and SCIENCES.
The INTRODUCTION.
PHILOSOPHY is the Study of true Wisdom, or the Study of Truth and Right, in order to the attainment of true Happiness. — Or it may be defined. The pursuit of true Happiness in the Knowlege of things as being what they really are, and in acting or practising according to that Knowlege.
True Wisdom consists in discovering the best Ends, and the fittest Means in order to the Attainment of them, and in Vigorously pursuing those best Ends by the fittest Means. — Now the great End [Page 2] that above all things concerns us, is, that we he truly Happy in the whole of our Nature and Duration; — And our true Happiness consists in that Pleasure which attends the Contemplation of all things that come within the Compass of our Knowlege and especially such as concern us, as being what they really are, and the Regulation or Government of all our Actions according thereunto: i. e. according to the Truth of things and the Laws of right Reason founded thereon. — And since this is the great End ultimately pursued through all the Arts and Sciences, they must be considered as the means to our true Happiness.
For in order that we may be compleatly happy, it is necessary that all the Powers of our Souls, our Understandings, Wills and Affections, be united with their proper Objects which are Truth and Good: And in order to this, that they be duly instructed and directed in all their Exertions, — To accomplish this, therefore, is the whole Business of Philosophy, which comprehends the whole System of the Arts and Sciences.
So that in order the better to understand wherein our true Happiness consists, and the means to it, it is necessary to explain what we mean by Truth and Good. — And in order to this, Truth must be distinguished into Natural and Intellectual, and Good, into Natural and Practical.
Natural Truth, which might rather be call'd Real Truth or the Truth of things, is nothing else but the Reality of their Existence, as being what in fact they are, and so situated and related as to constitute One intire Whole or System, as in fact they do. — [Page 3] And Intellectual Truth is the Knowlege of things as being what they really are, their Existence, together with all their Relations, Connexions and Dependencies among themselves and with regard to the Whole.
Natural Good is either of Things or Persons. The Natural Good of Things is their Fitness or Suitableness to answer their several Ends as they constitute one intire System conspiring to the — Order, Harmony, Beauty and Usefulness of the whole, so as to render it, in the best manner, subservient to the Pleasure and Happiness of the Sensitive and Rational Nature.— The Natural Good of persons is their Pleasure or Happiness, and the means, whether Things or Actions necessary to promote it. As on the other hand, Pain or Uneasiness with the means that procure it are Natural Evil.
Now in as much as we consist of a twofold Nature, Sensitive and Rational, each of which have their distinct pleasures and pains, there must be two sorts of Good, viz. Sensible and Rational or Spiritual Good. Those things or Actions which procure and promote the Comfort and Pleasure, or remove the Pain or Uneasiness of the Sensitive or Animal Nature, are it's Sensible Good; and those which procure & promote the Pleasure and Happiness or remove the Pains & Miseries of the Rational or Spiritual Nature are it's Spiritual Good.
And since we are made for a twofold State, Temporal and Eternal; what tends to promote our Well-being and Happiness in this World is a Temporal Good;—And what tends to promote our Future and Everlasting Happiness is an Eternal Good.
[Page 4] Practical Good consists in our chusing & doing what tends to promote our Well being and Happiness.— And this is of two Kinds, correspondent to the foregoing Heads of Sensible & Spiritual Good, viz. Secular and Moral.
By Secular Good, (if I may use such a Term) I mean, that which consists in the Practice of those several Arts and Businesses that tend to promote our outward and sensible Wellbeing in this Life, or the temporal Comfort and Pleasure of our Animal and Sensitive Nature.
And Moral Good consists in our chusing or refusing, and embracing or rejecting either Things or Actions according as they do or do not tend to make our Rational or Moral Nature, in the whole ultimately happy, i. e. in Time and to all Eternity. — And contrary to this is Moral Evil.
And lastly, These several Kinds of Good, are either Private or Public, according as they relate either to one Person singly considered, or considered in relation to the whole System, whether Moral or Political.
From these Distinctions of Truth and Good it appears that our true Happiness consists in both Contemplation and Practice: in the Contemplation of Truth, and in the practice of that which is Good or Right: Or which is the same thing, in Knowlege and Virtue: In the Knowlege of all things that come within the Reach of our Understandings as being what they really are, and in always chusing and doing whatsoever Truth and Right Reason dictate as necessary to be chosen and done in order to our true Happiness, in the whole of o [...] Nature & Duration, i.e. as comprehending both Sensible and Spiritual, and both Private and Public Well being.
[Page 5]He therefore that is furnished with all Kinds of Knowlege and Vertue, both Private & Public is truly a Philosopher, as being not only happy himself; but also at the same time Qualified in the best manner to do good and deserve well of Mankind. For since to know things as being what they really are, is to consider them in all their Relations as constituting one intire System or Whole; it must follow from what has been said, that it is necessary to the Character o [...] Definition of a true Philosopher, That he throughly understands, not only his own Personal Good, but also wherein the Publick Good, or the Good of the Whole consists, (with which his own is indeed in the Nature of things, always connected and coincident,) and that in all his Conduct he firmly and steadily adheres to it, and ever acts with a sincere, Zealous and disinterested View at promoting it.
Now there are two General Heads to which all Beings or Things that come within the Reach of our Powers may be referred, and which constitute the intire Great System of the Universe, viz Bodies & Spirits.
By Bodies we mean the extended, Solid Beings that we perceive by our Senses, and as such, are meerly passive and inert; i. e. utterly destitute even of the least degree of Perception or Activity. Such are all sensible Things, as consisting of certain fixed Combinations of sensible Qualities, such as Extension, Figure, Solidity, Motion or Rest, Colours, Sounds, Tastes, Smells, Heat or Cold, Hardness or Softness, &c. In short, Whatsoever we perceive by our Senses.— And the Whole System of Bodies or Sensible things is what we mean by Universal Nature, and is called the Sensible, the Corporeal or Natural World; the same being Subsisted, acted and adjusted by an Infinitely Wise and Powerful Mind.
[Page 6]And by Spirits are meant such perceiving, intelligent and active Beings as we are conscious we our selves are having the powers of Reflecting, Thinking, Reasoning, Understanding, Willing, Loving, Chusing and Acting, &c. And the whole System of Spirits or Intelligent Beings, as being endowed with Understanding, Counsel, Design and Liberty of Acting, and therefore capable of Moral Agency, and under the Conduct and Moral Government of the DEITY, (the same Infinite Mind, who is the Supreme Father, King and Lord of all,) is called the Intelligent, Spiritual or Moral World. So that the whole of our Knowlege and Activity relates either to the Natural or Moral World, and the one as fitted to the other.—
But though the Order wherein we at first acquire the Knowlege of things in our Childhood, is to begin with the Notices—of Sensible Objects which make the first Impressions upon us, and then by degrees we proceed to reflect, and from what we perceive in Others and are conscious of within our selves, we gain some Notion of spiritual Beings; Yet in order to improve our Selves both in Knowlege and Vertue by the Study of Philosophy; In as much as it is by our Spirits or Minds that we are at all capable of either Contemplation or Practice; and seeing they are liable to Error in Contemplation as well as to irregularity and Viciousness in Practice, (in both which consists our greatest depravity and Misery;) It is therefore necessary that we begin with them: And first learn to know and cultivate our Intellectual or Rational powers, that we may be under the better Advantage to secure our selves from Error and to find out and know the Truth, whether in Theory or Practice, and wherein our true Good consists — And then we shall be well Qualified to proceed with Success and Delight in the Discovery and Contemplation of [Page 7] all the Truths that we are capable of discovering both in the Natural & Moral World, in the Knowlege of which consists one great part of our Happiness. — And the Truths which we discover in the Natural World will lead us to many Arts & Practices greatly conducive to the Conveniency and Comfort of our Lives in this present State:— And lastly, The Truths that relate to the Moral World will direct us to our Chief Good; to hate and avoid Vice and love and practise Vertue; i. e. to chuse and act on all Occasions in such a manner as will render us truly and compleatly Happy both here and for ever: This therefore is the Order wherein Philosophy proceeds.
I. First, then, we begin with our Selves and learn to know and cultivate our Understanding & Reason, with which, (we being made for Society,) our speech is necessarily connected, that in the right use of these Rational powers and Faculties we may, upon every Subject, both in the Natural & Moral World, be enabled the better to discover the Truth and communicate it one to another. — And this may be called Rational philosophy.
II. Secondly, Being thus furnished we go forth & contemplate the Natural World, and learn all the Truths that can be discovered and known by us concerning Sensible and Corporeal Things, in the Knowlege of which consists a great part of our Happiness; especially, since from these we evidently demonstrate the Being, Wisdom, Power and Goodness of GOD who is our chief Good, and in them do most clearly behold Him creating, actuating, providing for, and governing all things: And do moreover learn from them many very useful Arts and Practises greatly conducing to the Comfort of our Lives in this World. And this is called, Natural philosophy.
[Page 8]III. And lastly, We return home again to our selves, and contemplate the Moral World, and learn all the Truths that we can come to the Knowlege of, relating to Spiritual & Intelligent Beings such as are our own Souls, and those about us, and other Created Spirits, and even GOD himself the Original & Father of all; in the Knowlege of which Truths, another and yet greater part of our Happiness consists: especially seeing from these, we happily discover our true and supreme Good, and deduce the most certain and infallible Rules by which we should be always affected, act and conduct our selves, and in conformity to which we shall be truly and compleatly happy, not only in this World, but also for ever in the World to come▪ And this (in a little larger sense of the word than it has been commonly used in,) may be called Moral Philosophy.
These are ‘the three great Provinces of the Intellectual World, toto Caelo different & distinct one from another’ as Mr. Locke justly calls them in his Hum. Und. Cap. ult. And after this manner Plato was wont to divide his Philosophy, as Tully tells us in his Acad. Quaest. l. 1 & Tusc Quaest. l. 5. — So that, from what has been said, it is plain, that the whole of our Happiness, and consequently the whole of Philosophy consists in the Cultivation & Improvement of our Rational powers and Faculties, and in the Contemplation of things as being what they really are, both in the Natural & Moral World: in reducing to Practice whatever we discover to be useful for the Comfort & Conveniency of Life; and especially in behaving our selves as it becomes Reasonable & Immortal Creatures and Moral Agents, so Situated & Related as we are and with a View of being everlastingly happy.
O [...] this business of the partition of the Sciences, may perhaps be more distinctly explained after this manner. [Page 9] — Our true Perfection and Happiness consists in Acting according to Right for the attainment of true Good or what is suitable to our Nature and promotes our Wellbeing in the whole; And in order to this, in Thinking according to Truth, which is that by which our Actions must be regulated that they may be right.
I. First therefore, as a necessary means to that great End, we learn the Rules and Means of cultivating & improving our Rational powers of Thinking & Speaking, that we may find the Truth our selves, & convey it in the best manner to each other. — And this is Rational Philosophy.
II. And then secondly, As that which is the great End to be pursued in all our Inquiries, we learn to exert our Active powers according to Truth & Right for the attainment of true Good & Happiness.— And there are two sorts of Good to be attained in order to our complete Happiness, correspondent to the two great Systems above mentioned, (the Sensible and Moral World, about which our Perceptive and Active Powers are employed,) viz. Sensible and Temporal Good, and Moral or Spiritual and Eternal Good.
I. First. For the Attainment of Sensible and Temporal Good and Happiness, by the practise of those secular Arts that relate to the Sensible or Natural World, the Knowlege of those Truths that relate to the Natural World is necessary: And in this kind of Knowlege and practice consists Natural Philosophy.
II. And, secondly, For the attaining of Moral and Political, and Spiritual and Eternal Good and Happiness, by the practise of those Moral and Political Arts [Page 10] that relate to the Spiritual or Moral World, the Knowlege of the Truths that relate to the Moral World is necessary: and in this kind of Knowlege and Practice consists Moral philosophy.
So that Philosophy comprehends all the Disciplines, (as they are used to be called,) whether Arts or Sciences: For a Discipline in general, is a System of Instructions whereby any Subject upon which we treat is clearly explained, and every thing relating to it is taught in the most instructive manner, whether it be speculative or practical. —
If it be meerly Speculative, the End of which is the Discovery of Truth only, it is called a Science, which has usually been defined, Disciplina Theoretica. — But if it relates directly to practice or something to be done, it is called an Art, which is defined Disciplina practica. — Tho' indeed every System of Instructions, may be called a Science, inasmuch as it consists in the Contemplation and Knowlege of its Subject; and those are properly Arts, which are immediately concerned in the regulation of Practice.
CHAP. I. Of Rational Philosophy. But to be a little particular on each of the abovementioned general Heads.
1. RATIONAL PHILOSOPHY, (as an Introduction to the two other Parts of it,) [Page 11] teaches us by what Rules and Means to cultivate and improve our Rational powers of Thinking and Speaking in Logic, and in Grammar and Rhetoric.
1. LOGIC, or the Art of Thinking, leads us into our own minds and gives us an exact Knowlege of our Intellectual powers with their Objects and the Signs we make use of to enlarge our Knowlege and communicate our Thoughts, and to excite and direct our exertions: and prescribes such general Rules and Means as may be useful to secure us from Error in all our Inquiries, and to lead us to the Knowlege of Truth, whether in searching and discovering it our selves or explaining and proving it to others.—
To the first part of this Science which relates to the simple Apprehension of Objects, I refer Ontology, or the Doctrine of the general Affections common to all Beings, which has been commonly called Metaphysics or Philosophia prima; For, as I take it, this Doctrine is nothing else but the Definition of certain general Terms, with several necessary Distinctions & Axioms or first Principles, all which being necessary in order to think, speak and reason clearly & distinctly upon any particular Subject to which they are applied; it therefore seems properly to belong to the Subject and End of Logic: Whereof the second part treats of Judgments and the various Kinds of Propositions and Degrees of Assent; and the third of Reasoning Syllogism and Method. — This Science has also been somtimes called Dialectic.
2. GRAMMAR, or the Art of Speaking teaches us, according to the peculiar Idiom of each Language, how to express what we Know, and communicate the Sense of our own minds both in Words & Sentences [Page 12] to the Understandings of those with whom we Converse.
3. RHETORIC, or the Art of Perswading, teaches us to adorn and beautifie our Speech — with certain elegant Turns of Expression called Tropes & Figures, and to m [...] use of them in such a manner as may render it the more instructive to the Mind, and strongly affecting to the Imagination and Passions. —
And these general Rules and Ornaments of Speech are common to several kinds of Speaking & Writing, viz. Oratory, History, and Poetry.
(1) ORATORY, (strictly so called,) consists in readily Inventing, aptly Disposing, and decently Uttering, all such arguments of Discourse and means of Insinuation and Perswasion as any Subject or Audience are capable of.
(2) HISTORY is a just, methodical and elegant Narration of true matters of Fa [...]t with their Circumstances of Persons, Time and place, for preserving the Memory of them among Mankind, that they may be Examples for the Benefit of Posterity.
(3) POETRY is a polite lively and beautiful Description of either Persons, Things or Facts, whether real or imaginary, with an Elevation and Dignity of Thought, and a kind of Enthusiasm of the Soul, attended with the Advantages of Numbers and Harmony and every kind of Ornament that Language is capable of: by means of which it Brightens and Enlivens the Imagination, raises and kindles the Passions and possesses and engages the whole Soul, while it fills it with the most profitable Instructions, attended with the most exquisite Pleasure and Delight.
[Page 13]And lastly the Art of Criticism, (which relates to all these,) consists in having a true sense of the meaning and force of Words & Phrases and a just Notion of the genuine Beauties & Excellencies of any Performance, whether in Oratory, History or Poetry; and in being able to make a good Judgment of Authors according to their several Genius's and peculiar Stile & manner of Writing, so as to distinguish what is Natural & Genuine, from what is Counterfeit & Supposititious. —To this belongs Philology & Classical Learning. — And these are the several Heads of Rational Philosophy.
CHAP. II Of Natural Philosophy.
II NATURAL PHILOSOPHY instructs us in the Knowlege of the Natural World, i. e. the great System of Bodies, or extended solid Beings, and explains the Laws of Nature and the established Connexion of Corporeal or Sensible things, which are called the Phaenomena of Nature, and from thence, as I have said, it teaches us many useful Practises, very much conducing to the Benefit and Comfort of our Lives. — So that it is partly speculative & partly practical. — The first teaches us the Knowlege of the Works of Nature, which in Truth are the Works of GOD; and the second instructs us in the Knowlege of the Works of men, who being in some measure acquainted with the Laws of Nature, do from them learn to employ themselves on the Works of GOD, for the attaining of certain beneficial Ends, which contribute [Page 14] to their Sensible and Temporal Good, or the Comfort & Pleasure of their Lives in this World — The Works of Nature or rather of the GOD of Nature are called Natural, which he has designed & fitted to engage [...] employ the Activity of men; and the Works of Art produced by men, (who from the Knowlege of the Laws of Nature, do prescribe Laws to themselves,) are called Artificial, by which they secure themselves from things hurtful, and furnish themselves with many Advantages & Accommodations. — But I shall here only just mention under each Head the chief Arts or Practices founded on the Theory of Nature, not taking Notice of the Mechanical Arts, which most of them, depend also on some part of the Knowlege of Nature.
This part of Philosophy is moreover called Somatology or the Doctrine of Bodies, which alone are the proper Objects of it — It is not therefore the Business of this Science to search after, or treat of Efficient Causes. For Bodies being meerly passive & inert, i. e. utterly destitute of any Principle of Force or Activity within themselves, they therefore cannot produce any Effect at all from any Agency of their own; so that one Body cannot be properly said to be the Cause of Motion or of any other Change in another Body. — It therefore belongs to this part of Philosophy, only by diligent Observations & accurate Experiments, to find out the Truth of Sensible Things as they really & in fact are in the Natural World, and by the Help of Mathematical Reasoning to investigate those fixed and established Laws, according to which they are constantly Connected one with another. — And these being thus found and demonstrated here; The next part of Philosophy, viz Pneumatology will inquire after the true efficient Cause of all these Phaenomena, & [Page 15] evidently demonstrate it to be an Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Infinitely Wise and Benevolent Spirit. Vid. D. [...]er. D [...]. Mot.
In Natural philosophy, first the general Affections of Bodies and their sensible Qualities are treated of in this Order: Quantity, (i. e. Number & Extension,) Figure, Solidity, Density, Rarity & Fluidity, Motion & Rest, Gravity or Attraction & Elasticity; Light and Colours, Sounds, Sapors and Odors, Heat & Cold with the Other Tangible Qualities: And then secondly, all the various particular Combinations of them, both in Heaven & Earth: Hence the parts of it are, Mathematics & Mechanics, and Physics & Astronomy.
1. The more General parts of Natural Philosophy are Mathematics and Mechanics, which treat of Quantity, Bodies & Motion in general, and are to be applied in the Explication of particular phaenomena in Physics & Astronomy.
(1) MATHEMATICS explain the Nature & Properties of Quantity in general, both Discrete & Continued, i e. Number & Magnitude, & therefore comprehends the Arts both of Numbering and Measuring, viz. Arithmetic & Geometry, with the Arts belonging to them, viz Algebra, Trigonometry, Geodasie, Stereometry, and the Doctrine of the Conic Sections and Flu [...]cions, and of the Sphaere & Cylinder.
This Science, as I apprehend, ought to be accounted a part of Natural philosophy; because Extension & Figure are some of the primary & most obvious Affections or Properties of Bodies, and those without the previous Knowlege of which, the rest cannot well be explained Nor can they be explained without conceiving [Page 16] of Extension as consisting of various parts, and consequently without Numbering: They therefore, with Number, seem of right to belong to the Science which treats of the Nature of Bodies, or at least, to be necessary pracognita thereto, and ought by all means to be well understood before we proceed to the other parts of Natural philosophy. For which Reason, Plato is said to have set up this remarkable Admonition over the Door of his Academy, OUDEIS AGEOMETRETOS EISITO. i. e. Let no body that is Unskilled in Geometry enter here. v. Diog. Laert. — It is therefore necessary, as I have said, that Young men be early initiated in the Study of the Mathematics, even while they are at School, at the same time that they are learning the Languages and Classics.
(2) MECHANICS explain the Nature & Properties of Bodies in general, whether at rest or in motion, and investigate and demonstrate the Laws of Nature, according to which any Bodies either rest or are any how moved. — To which purpose this Science treats particularly of a Vacuum, and of the Solidity and Divisibility of Bodies, of the Cohesion of their Parts, of Density and Rarity, of Hardness, Softness, Fluidity and Elasticity: And then it treats of Motion and it's Affections, viz. Space, Time and Velocity, and of it's various Kinds or Directions: And lastly of those Forces, (as they are called, on which the several Quantities and Directions of motion depend; such as, Inertia, Percussion, Attraction, Repulsion, Elasticity, and the Resistance of Fluids; for on these depend the chief phanomena of Nature both Coelestial and Terrestrial. v. Sr. Isaac Newtons Principia, especially in his Preface. — To this Head are referred, Statics, Hydrostatics and pneumatics.
[Page 17]2. The more special parts of Natural Philosophy are Physics and Astronomy, wherein the various Phenomena in Heaven and Earth are more particularly explained and accounted for.
(1) PHYSICS, (as I here understand the word,) relate only to this Earth with it's Furniture; for which reason, this Science might more properly be called Geology, especially since the word Physics is frequently takes to signifie the same with Natural Phylosophy in general. — But however it be called, this Science treats concerning the other sensible Qualities more peculiar to this our Mansion, or as perceived by us, viz. Light, Colours, Sounds, Sapors, Odours, Heat, Cold, Moisture Dryness, Firmness and Liquidity, &c. and then explains the particular phaenomena in all the various Tribes of sensible Beings belonging to this Terraqueous Globe with its Atmosphere: particularly the Elements with all sorts of Bodies belonging to them, whether Inanimate, as Stones, Minerals, Meteors, &c. or Animate, as Plants or Animals. — To this Head therefore belong a great number of particular Sciences and Arts, such as Geography and Navigation, Optics and Music, Lithology, Metallology and Meteorology, Agriculture, Gardening & Botany, Anatomy, Chirurgery, Medicine and Chymistry.
(2) ASTRONOMY (which may also be called Cosmography or Ouranology) is that Science wherein (passing off from this Globe of Earth, into the vast and boundless Aether,) we contemplate the System of the Universe, and describe & account for the various phaenomena of the Heavens and Stars.— In the first or spherical part whereof we consider the Heavens as a great Sphere, and the apparent motions of the great Bodies thereof as the measures of Time; to which [Page 18] therefore belong Chronology & Gnomon [...] or [...]. And the other part is a particular Theory of the true System of the world; of the fixed Stars, and particularly our Sun with his noble and splendid Chorus of Planets, Satellits and Comets. — With regard to all which it determines their Diurnal and Annual Revolutions; their Distances, Magnitudes, Figures & Densities; their Stations, Retrogradations & Eclipses; together with the Laws of their motions, both in the Tides of their Fluids and their annual Revolutions as they roll round the Sun or their Primaries in their Elliptical Orbits and Trajectories. — These are the general Partitions of Natural philosophy, to which all the various parts of it may be referred. And the particular Facts and Observations under each Head are related in Natural History.
CHAP. III. Of Moral Philosophy.
III. MORAL PHILOSOPHY instructs us in the Knowlege of the Moral World, i. e. the great System of Spirits or intelligent active Beings, and teaches all the Truths that can be known by us concerning rational Creatures and moral Agents, such as are our own Souls and other orders of created Spirits, a [...] also concerning GOD the Almighty Creator Father and Lord of all: from which Truths we find wherein consists our true and chief Good, and learn how to be affected towards every Object, and to chuse act and conduct our selves in every Relation in such a manner as will render us in some good measure happy here, and compleatly and forever happy hereafter.
[Page 19]I thus define Moral philosophy in a larger sense than is usual, comprehending under it, not only the Knowlege of Behaviour or moral practice, which Tully defines Rerum fugiendarum expetendarumque Scientia, but also the Doctrine of Spirits which truly belongs to it, and is indeed the Foundation of it: for the Knowlege of our Duty and what we must hate and avoid or chuse and embrace in order to Happiness, is so necessarily connected with the Knowlege of the nature of Spirits, that it cannot be understood or explained without it. v. Woll. Rel. of Nat.
So that there are two parts of Moral philosophy; the one Speculative the other Practical; The first teaches all the Truths that can be known of the moral World; the second from them deduces the Rules of our Duty.
1. The Speculative part of Moral philosophy, which is called PNEUMATOLOGY, teaches all that we can know concerning Spirits, both those that are Created and GOD the Creator of them This has been wont, (tho' improperly,) to be treated of as the second part of Metaphysics. — And
(1) As to Created spirits, we know from our selves, that they are intelligent & active Beings, as having the powers of Perceiving, Imagining & Remembring, of Thinking or Understanding & Willing, and of freely Chusing, Refusing & Acting or Exerting themselves, according as they either love, hate, hope, fear, or are any otherwise affected: For of all there Perceptions and Exertions, Passions or Actions, we are conscious to our selves. — All these Faculties therefore are here particularly explained, and from thence it appears that Spirits only can properly be said to be Efficient Causes, as having alone an internal Principle of [Page 20] Activity or of variously exerting & determining themselves according to Design, Counsel or free Choice, & therefore they also alone are capable of moral Agency and moral Government. — Particularly,
[1] This Science treats of the Nature, Powers and Operations of our Rational Souls, and of their Immortality and Future State of Existence. And this may be called PSICHOLOGY.
[2] It inquires as far as we are able concerning the Existence, Nature, Powers and Operations of other perceptive or Intelligent Active Creatures besides or Superior to us, whether Good or Evil. And this is called DAEMONOLOGY.
(2) This Science proceeds, by Analogy from what Powers & Perfections we find in our selves (removing all Defects and Limitations,) to explain what we are capable of Knowing concerning the Being, Nature, Attributes & Operations of GOD, the Supreme, All wise and Almighty Spirit who hath made, preserves and Governs all things, both in the Natural & Moral World; being here discovered to be the immediate Efficient and Author of all the phaenomena of Nature, in whose Eternal, All comprehending Mind are the Archetypes of our Ideas, and who is the Great Original and Father of our Spirits, and consequently our chief Good; and our Supreme King and Moral Governor, and therefore infinitely Wise, Just & Benevolent in all his Conduct towards us; to whom we must give an Account of all our Actions, and by whom we shall be most righteously and equitably dealt with hereafter, and be either Rewarded or Punished, in exact proportion, according as our Behaviour shall be found to have been good or bad in this Life. And this part of Pneumatology is called THEOLOGY.
[Page 21]2. The Practical part of Moral philosophy, from the Truths discovered concerning GOD & Created Spirits in the Speculative part of it, infers the Rules of our Duty & Behaviour, and teaches us so to live and conduct our selves upon all Occasions as will render us truly Happy both here and for ever. — And here Mankind must be considered in a twofold Capacity; viz either as a Moral System in general, or as subsisting in particular Society's.
(1) That which respects mankind as a Moral System in general, is called ETHICS or Morality, which is defined, The Art of Living happily by the practice of Vertue, which consists in that force and stability of Soul whereby we do firmly persist in chusing & doing whatever Truth & Right Reason dictate as necessary to be chosen & done in order to our true Happiness, in spight of all Temptations to the Contrary.
This I have called Moral Good, which is here to be considered, not only as founded in the Truth and Nature of things, but also as being the Will & Law of GOD concerning us, and consequently what we are Obliged to do in Obedience to his Will and from a sense of Duty to him▪ For we are here to consider our selves as a Moral System acting under the Eye of Almighty GOD & Accountable to Him as our Supreme King & Moral Governour, whose Will and Law it therefore is, that we should thus behave our selves, because he would have us happy. For being perfectly Happy himself and Self sufficient to his own Happiness, He could have (no Selfish Views,) no other View in Creating & Governing the Moral World, than that it might be, in the whole, a happy System: — Since therefore He would have us Happy, it must be his Will [...] Law that we should conform all our Tempers [Page 22] and Behaviour to Truth & Right Reason, because such a Conduct. is, in the Nature of things necessary to our true Happiness.
So that there are two things to be here Considered, viz. The Criterion of Right & Wrong, and the Obligation we are under to practice the One & avoid the Other. — The Criterion of Right & Wrong, is the Truth & Nature of things or their Fitness in the whole to promote our True Happiness. — And the Obligation we are under to practice accordingly is two fold, Internal & Natural or External & Moral. The Internal & Natural Obligation we are under to the practice of Vertue is that great Law of our Nature, whereby we are Obliged to seek our own Preservation and Happiness. — And the External & Moral Obligation is the Consideration that it is the Will & Law of a Superior to whom we are Accountable. —And this is either Political or Religious — The Political Obligation is the Consideration that it is the Public Will, or the Law of the Society to which we belong. — And the Religious Obligation, which is here especially to be regarded, is the Consideration that it is the Will and Law of GOD concerning us, to whom we are Accountable for all our Behaviour.
ETHICS, therefore, or true Morality consists in the Practice of whatsoever is necessary to our Happiness in Obedience to the Will of GOD: And consequently it must prescribe all the Rules of upright and vertuous Behaviour in all the Relations wherein we stand, whether with regard to GOD, our Selves, or our Neighbour.
[1] With regard to our Selves. That we live answerably to the Dignity of our Rational & Immortal Nature, [Page 23] by governing our Reason, and our Appetites & Passions, whether Concupiscible or Irascible, according to the Rules of Prudence, Temperance & Fortitude, &c.
[2] With respect to GOD, our Creator, Preserver and Governour; That we Contemplate & Love Him above all things; Trust in his Infinite Wisdom, Power and Goodness; Resign our Selves intirely to his holy Will & Pleasure; Worship his Adorable Majesty, and Imitate all his Moral Perfections, according to the Precepts of true Religion & Piety. And
[3] With respect to our Neighbours; i. e. Other created Spirits like our selves, all being considered as a System of Rational Creatures, equally related to GOD as our common Father and Lord, and to one another as Brethren and Fellow servants; That we Love them as our selves, and render to every one his Due; That we do no wrong to any one, but that we speak the Truth, and do all that is Just and Right and Faithful, and all that is Friendly, Kind and Merciful to every one, as we have opportunity, according to the Laws of Justice and Charity in all the various Branches of them. — And in all these consists the highest Perfection & Happiness of the Rational Nature considered as a Moral System in general. But,
(2) In as much as Mankind cannot well Subsist in this World, without being United and Compacted into particular Society's, nor such Societies without Government; On this last Head therefore are founded the Arts of Government, which provide for the Well-being & Happiness of Mankind both Temporal & Spiritual, considered as Collected into particular Societies; Such as,
[Page 24][1] Families, which may be called Natural Society's, as being founded in Nature, and they are the Original & Foundation of all other Societies. And this is called OECONOMICS.
[2] Kingdoms or Civil Governments, which are Political Societies as being founded in Compact, respecting things Temporal and Spiritual, and this is called POLITICS, both Civil and Ecclesiastical: Which, being the Arts that provide for the Public Good & Happiness of Mankind in the Whole, with regard both to their Sensible and Temporal, and to their Spiritual & Eternal Interests, do in effect comprehend & sum up the whole of Philosophy, or at least suppose the Knowlege, of all the other parts of it as finally centering in this. — And the particular Examples and Facts in the Moral World under each of these Heads are related in Biography, and Civil and Ecclesiastical History. And thus much for Moral Philosophy. —
BUT lastly, Because this last part of Philosophy, (especially the Doctrine of Spirits and Morality) is of the greatest Importance to us; GOD has therefore of his great Goodness, given us, relating to these, a particular and express Revelation of his Mind and Will, confirmed by undoubted Miracles, and taught us how we who have by our Sins grievously Offended Him, and fallen below the Original Dignity of our Nature, may again be Restored to his Image and Favour, through the Mediation of his Blessed SON JESUS CHRIST, and by the Assistance of his Holy SPIRIT.
To this Head therefore belongs the CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY, (as the ancient Fathers [Page 25] called it †,) which is only Moral philosophy, and particularly Theology and Ethics more clearly Revealed to us, and Improved by the further Discovery of sundry Doctrines and Duties, in a Language accommodated to the low and weak Capacities of the general Rate and Bulk of Mankind, relating to those things that concern the Method of our Recovery and the Terms of our Acceptance wherein our meer natural unassisted Reason did not suffice to Instruct and Ascertain us.
This DIVINE REVELATION therefore being given us, not to gratifie our Curiosity, by filling our Heads with meet Speculative Notions, but to make us practically Wise & Good, and to secure to us GOD's Favour in a Method consistent with the Honour & Authority of his Laws and Government, ought to be most humbly, gladly & gratefully Embraced, and seriously & diligently made use of as such, for our Instruction and Reformation, on all Occasions and to all Purposes, with regard either to Faith or Practice, wherein soever GOD is graciously Pleased to hold forth any Light or Assistance to us, in Order that we may be Qualified for, and Intitled to an Interest in his Favour, both in Time and to all Eternity.
This whole Draught may be beheld in one View in the following Table.