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CHAP. VII.
Of Logick.
LOgick succeeds in aid of the foregoing Arts, be∣ing it self also the Mystery of contention and darkness, by which the other Sciences are rendered more obscure and difficult to be understood: and this Logick, forsooth, they call the Art of Reasoning. A most miserable and brutish sort of people surely, that are not able to reason or discourse without the Assistance of this Art. However, Servius Sulpitius ex∣tols this for the greatest of all Sciences, and as it were a Light to those things which are taught by others; as being that which, as Cicero saith, distributes the whole matter into parts, and by definition explains the hid∣den sence of things, explains obscurity, distinguishes between things doubtful, and points out the certain Rule to distinguish Truth from Falshood. Further∣more, the Logicians promise to find-out the Essential definition of every thing, yet are not able to render themselves Masters of their own word, in making things so clear, but that they may be asked why they could not as well call Man a Man, as Animal Rationale, or a Mortal Rational Creature. More of this you shall find in Boetius, whose Works are not esteem∣ed, but are beyond all the Predicaments, Topicks, Ana∣lyticks, and other trifles of Aristotle, whom the Peri∣pateticks
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following, believe that nothing can stand or be known, unless what is prov'd by Syllogism, that very Syllogism which is set forth by Aristotle; who ne∣ver observed in all his Maximes, how all his Arguments are deduced from suppositions, or things granted before: whose rule those other great boasters following, have hi∣therto as yet made out no true or real Demonstrations, not so much as in Naturals, but deduce them all out of the Precepts of Aristotle, or some other that went before him, whose Authority they preserve and make use of for all their Principles of Demonstration. Now Ari∣stotle affirms that for true Demonstration, which Cre∣ates a Science; which is made by Quiddities, as the Logicians call them, and by the proper differences of things to us unknown and hidden. He saith farther, that Demonstration is made by the Causes; which Cau∣ses proceed, either De, per, or secundum quod ipsum. Which parts of Speech, being convertible, and rela∣ting back one to another, yet, saith he, no circular De∣monstration can be granted out of the Causes, for all that. If therefore the Principles of Demonstration are unknown, and that Circulation be not admitted, certainly little or no knowledg can be thence conclu∣ded: For we believe things demonstrated, through certain very weak Principles, to which we assent ei∣ther through the preceding authority of the wise, or else approve by experience of our Sences. And indeed all Knowledge hath its original from the Sences. And it is a certain experiment of the Truth of Speech, as Averroes saith, when the words agree with the things thought. And that is most truly known, to the Know∣ledge of which most Sences concur. Out of sensibles, we are by the knowledge thereof led to all those things that fall within the compass of our Knowledge. But now when all the Sences are subject to be deceived, they can surely produce to us no real experience.
Page 42
Wherefore seeing that the Sences cannot attain to an Intellectual Nature, and that the causes of inferior things, out of which the Natures, Properties, Effects, and Passions of those things ought to be discovered and demonstrated, are by the consent of all Men, al∣together unknown to our Sences; doth it not hence appear, that the way of Truth is wholly shut up, and obscured from our Sences? So that all those deductions and seeming Sciences deeply rooted in the Sences themselves, must of necessity be altohgther erronious, uncertain, and fallacious. Where is then the benefit of Logick? where is the fruit of this Scientifical Demon∣stration from Principles and Experiments? which when we must be forced to consent to, as to known Terms, will not those Principles and Experiments be rather things perfectly known, than demonstrated? But let us consider this Art a little more remotely. Logicians reckon up ten Predicaments, which they call, most ge∣neral Genus's: Those are Substance, Quantity, Quality, Relation, When, Where, Scituation, Habit, Action, Passi∣on. By which they hope to comprehend and under∣stand all things whatever are contain'd within the round circumference of the World. They add more∣over five Predicables, so call'd, because they are pre∣dicated of themselves, and of their parts; that is to say, Genus, Species, Difference, Proper, Accident. Then they assigne four Causes of every thing; the Ma∣terial, Formal, Efficient, and Final; by which they believe themselves able to discover the Truth or Falshood of all things, by a certain infallible Demon∣stration. Now they compound every Syllogism, o• Demonstration, of three Terms: the first is the Sub∣ject of the Question, and is called the Major; the next the Predicate of the Question; the third is the Middle, participating between both: with these terms they form two Propositions, which they call the Pr•∣mises,
Page 43
out of which at length springs the Conclusion. This is that egregious Engine, and these the Terms and Parts thereof, whereby they undertake to joyn, divide, and conclude all things, by the help of certain Axiomes which they dream impossible to be refuted. These are the deep and profound Mysteries of Artificial Logick, invented with so much care by these fallacious Doctors, which being such great and secret Mysteries, are not to be exposed or learnt by any other, than they who are a∣ble to give great rewards for the same, and to be at large expences to purchase Authority among the Schoolmen. These are the Nets, and these are the Hounds with which they hunt the Truth of all things, whether natu∣ral, as in Physicks; or supernatural, as in Metaphysicks: but according to the Proverb of Clodius and Varro, can never overtake, by reason of their bawling and braw∣ling one with another.
Of Logick.
LOgick succeeds in aid of the foregoing Arts, be∣ing it self also the Mystery of contention and darkness, by which the other Sciences are rendered more obscure and difficult to be understood: and this Logick, forsooth, they call the Art of Reasoning. A most miserable and brutish sort of people surely, that are not able to reason or discourse without the Assistance of this Art. However, Servius Sulpitius ex∣tols this for the greatest of all Sciences, and as it were a Light to those things which are taught by others; as being that which, as Cicero saith, distributes the whole matter into parts, and by definition explains the hid∣den sence of things, explains obscurity, distinguishes between things doubtful, and points out the certain Rule to distinguish Truth from Falshood. Further∣more, the Logicians promise to find-out the Essential definition of every thing, yet are not able to render themselves Masters of their own word, in making things so clear, but that they may be asked why they could not as well call Man a Man, as Animal Rationale, or a Mortal Rational Creature. More of this you shall find in Boetius, whose Works are not esteem∣ed, but are beyond all the Predicaments, Topicks, Ana∣lyticks, and other trifles of Aristotle, whom the Peri∣pateticks
Page 41
following, believe that nothing can stand or be known, unless what is prov'd by Syllogism, that very Syllogism which is set forth by Aristotle; who ne∣ver observed in all his Maximes, how all his Arguments are deduced from suppositions, or things granted before: whose rule those other great boasters following, have hi∣therto as yet made out no true or real Demonstrations, not so much as in Naturals, but deduce them all out of the Precepts of Aristotle, or some other that went before him, whose Authority they preserve and make use of for all their Principles of Demonstration. Now Ari∣stotle affirms that for true Demonstration, which Cre∣ates a Science; which is made by Quiddities, as the Logicians call them, and by the proper differences of things to us unknown and hidden. He saith farther, that Demonstration is made by the Causes; which Cau∣ses proceed, either De, per, or secundum quod ipsum. Which parts of Speech, being convertible, and rela∣ting back one to another, yet, saith he, no circular De∣monstration can be granted out of the Causes, for all that. If therefore the Principles of Demonstration are unknown, and that Circulation be not admitted, certainly little or no knowledg can be thence conclu∣ded: For we believe things demonstrated, through certain very weak Principles, to which we assent ei∣ther through the preceding authority of the wise, or else approve by experience of our Sences. And indeed all Knowledge hath its original from the Sences. And it is a certain experiment of the Truth of Speech, as Averroes saith, when the words agree with the things thought. And that is most truly known, to the Know∣ledge of which most Sences concur. Out of sensibles, we are by the knowledge thereof led to all those things that fall within the compass of our Knowledge. But now when all the Sences are subject to be deceived, they can surely produce to us no real experience.
Page 42
Wherefore seeing that the Sences cannot attain to an Intellectual Nature, and that the causes of inferior things, out of which the Natures, Properties, Effects, and Passions of those things ought to be discovered and demonstrated, are by the consent of all Men, al∣together unknown to our Sences; doth it not hence appear, that the way of Truth is wholly shut up, and obscured from our Sences? So that all those deductions and seeming Sciences deeply rooted in the Sences themselves, must of necessity be altohgther erronious, uncertain, and fallacious. Where is then the benefit of Logick? where is the fruit of this Scientifical Demon∣stration from Principles and Experiments? which when we must be forced to consent to, as to known Terms, will not those Principles and Experiments be rather things perfectly known, than demonstrated? But let us consider this Art a little more remotely. Logicians reckon up ten Predicaments, which they call, most ge∣neral Genus's: Those are Substance, Quantity, Quality, Relation, When, Where, Scituation, Habit, Action, Passi∣on. By which they hope to comprehend and under∣stand all things whatever are contain'd within the round circumference of the World. They add more∣over five Predicables, so call'd, because they are pre∣dicated of themselves, and of their parts; that is to say, Genus, Species, Difference, Proper, Accident. Then they assigne four Causes of every thing; the Ma∣terial, Formal, Efficient, and Final; by which they believe themselves able to discover the Truth or Falshood of all things, by a certain infallible Demon∣stration. Now they compound every Syllogism, o• Demonstration, of three Terms: the first is the Sub∣ject of the Question, and is called the Major; the next the Predicate of the Question; the third is the Middle, participating between both: with these terms they form two Propositions, which they call the Pr•∣mises,
Page 43
out of which at length springs the Conclusion. This is that egregious Engine, and these the Terms and Parts thereof, whereby they undertake to joyn, divide, and conclude all things, by the help of certain Axiomes which they dream impossible to be refuted. These are the deep and profound Mysteries of Artificial Logick, invented with so much care by these fallacious Doctors, which being such great and secret Mysteries, are not to be exposed or learnt by any other, than they who are a∣ble to give great rewards for the same, and to be at large expences to purchase Authority among the Schoolmen. These are the Nets, and these are the Hounds with which they hunt the Truth of all things, whether natu∣ral, as in Physicks; or supernatural, as in Metaphysicks: but according to the Proverb of Clodius and Varro, can never overtake, by reason of their bawling and braw∣ling one with another.