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CHAP. III.

Of PRINCIPLES in general.

HAT all TRUTH of which the

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MIND is capable, to whatever Faculty it may relate, is derived from certain PRINCIPLES or first and fundamental

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* Πᾶσα διδασκαλία καὶ πᾶσα μάθησις διανοητική, ἐκ προϋπαραχέσης γίνεται γνώσεως. Φανερὸν δὲ τᾶτο θεωρᾶσιν ἐπὶ πασῶν. αἵ τε γὰρ μαθηματικαὶ τῶν ἐπισημῶν, διὰ τέτε τε τρέπε παραγίνονται, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑκάση τέχνων. Ariftot. Analyt. Poft. lib. i. cap. I.

Οὐκ ἴσμεν δὲ τὸ ἀληθες ἄνευ τῆς αἰτίας. ἕκασον δὲ μάλιςα αὐτὸ τῶν ἄλλων, καθ ̓ ὃ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπάρχει τὸ συνώνυμον. οἷον τὸ πῦρ θερμότατον. καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις τὸ αἴτιον τᾶτο τῆς θερμότητος. ὥσε καὶ ἀληθέςατον τὸ τοῖς ὑσέροις αἴτιον τὸ ἀληθέσιν εἶναι. διὸ τὰς τῶν ἀεὶ ὄντων ἀρχὰς, ἀναγκαῖον ἀεὶ εἶναι ἀληθεςάτας. οὐ γάρ ποτε ἀληθεῖς, ἐδ ̓ ἐκείναις αἴτιόν τι ἐςὶ τῇ εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ

truths, which are the caufes why other things are true, is a maxim older than the days of Aristotle, in which all found philofophers have neceffarily concurred; fince, by the contrary fuppofition, there could be no fuch thing as Truth at all: For, as all the productions of the material creation owe their existence to Seeds of one kind or other; so every true production in the intellectual fyftem owes its existence to fome fort of PRINCIPLES analogous to SEEDS.

But though all philofophers, who are in any respect entitled to that name, are unanimously agreed in the existence of such PRINCIPLES, as the only foundation of found learning; it is amazing to reflect how widely they differ from each other in determining what they are. Almost every one, who has embarked in the fearch of knowledge, has exhibited a string of his own as the grounds of his future reasoning; and

ναι τοῖς ἄλλοις. ὥστ ̓ ἕκασον ὡς ἔχει τὰ εἶναι, οὕτω καὶ Tus dλndéias. Ariftot. Metaph. lib. ii. cap. I.

See the 4th Chapter of the 4th Book of Ariftotle's Metaph,

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others refusing to admit them, have, upon equal authority, fubftituted different ones in their room. Ariftotle himself, after refu

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ting those of all his predeceffors was the prolific father of various Principles; and, collected from one or other, their number, their variety, and their inconfiftency are almost infinite.

PRINCIPLES as well as Seeds are, doubtlefs, of many and various kinds, and to canvass and examine them, to reduce them to fimplicity and order, to arrange them into claffes, and to determine them with precifion, is the first and most effential office of found logic.

As they are indifpenfible to all Truth, What are PRINCIPLES? is a previous quef

See Ariftot. Metaph. B. ii, chap. 3, 4, 5, 6, in which the Peripatetic delivers the different opinions of the ancient philofophers, Hefiod, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Leucippus, Democritus, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Xenophon, Meliffus and Plato.

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See Ariftot. Metaph. lib. i. cap. 7.

Μάλισα δὲ ἐπιζητὰ τὰ πρῶτα καὶ τὰ αἴτια. διὰ γὰρ ταῦτα, καὶ ἐκ τέτων τἄλλα γνωρίζεται, ἀλλ ̓ ἐ ταῦτα διὰ TÜV ÚTOKEIμévwv. Ariftot. Metaph. lib. i. cap. 2.

See Ariftot. Metaph. lib. ii. cap. 2.

ciples,) are mentioned by the fame living author to be the EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL SENSE; the EVIDENCE OF INTERNAL SENSE or CONSCIOUSNESS; the EVIDENCE OF MEMORY, and fome

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This general divifion of PRINCIPLES into PRIMARY and SECONDARY, ORIGINAL and DERIVED, EVIDENCES and Ax1OMS, let the diftinction be made in what terms you will, however novel it may found, is, I hope, philofophically made and, f fo, it will be found of great importance in the search of Truth in general, as it will divide our REASONING, which fhould always be governed by the Principles, into two direct kinds or methods.

Beattie's Effay on Truth, p. 43.

Thefe original Evidences are acknowledged by Ariftotle in b. ii. chap. 19. of the Post. Analyt. as the genuine foundation from which all Axioms are derived and though he chooses to referve an equal honour to the latter, he allows the former to be necessary to their exiftence. Ανάγκη ἄρα ἔχειν μὲν τίνα δύναμιν, μὴ τοιαύτην δ ̓ ἔχειν, ἢ ἐςι τέτων τιμιωτέρα κατ' ακρίβειαν— δυναμιν σύμφυτον κριτικὴν, ἣν καλᾶσιν ΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΝ &c.

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

Of REASONG in general.

LL TRUTH, to whatever Province

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or department of MIND it bears a reference, is deduced from PRINCIPLES, by an act of REASON, the faculty which is common to them all, and which is diftinguishing prerogative of human nature.

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It is obferved by the excellent Lord Bacon in his Advancement of Learning, that foundness of Direction in the application of the means takes away error and confufion, and is the principal of those general expedients, by which every work is to be fuccefsfully conducted. a

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• Merito primas tenet, Confilii prudentia et fanitas; hoc eft, monftratio et delineatio via recta et proclivis ad

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