FOR
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FOR
out (uhftamial Forms, all natural Things would be of the fame Species, Nature, and Effence ; which is iuppos'd an Ablurdity.
2° That every thing has its peculiar Pow'r, Motion, and O- peration; as the Magnet, e. gr. has of attracting Iron - but that this Pow'r'; does not flow from the Matter of the Body, which is only paffive ; nor from the Accidents : And therefore mult arile from a fubftantial Form.
3° That without fubltawial Forms there would be no Ge- neration; ibr a Production of Accidents is only an Altera- tion.
4° That without fuch Form, the Nature of a Man and of a Lyon would not differ.
What contributed much to their Erroi\ was the Circum- ftanccs of Lite and Death ; For, obferving, that as foon as the Soul was" departed out of a Man, all Motion, Refpira- tion, Nutrition, ec. immediately ceas'd ; they concluded that all thofe Functions depended on the Soul ; and confequently that the Soul was the Form of the animal Body, or that which conitituted it fuch : And that the Soul was a Sub- ftance, independent of Matter, no body doubted; whence the Forms of other Bodies were concluded equally fubllan- tial.
But to this it is anfwer'd, that tho' the Soul be that by which a Man is Man$ and confequently is the Form of the human Body, as human ; yet it does not follow, that it is properly the Form of this Fody of ours, as it is a Body ; nor of the feverai Parts thereof, coniider'd as diftinct from each other.
For thofe feverai Parts have their proper Forms Co clofely connected with their Matter, that it remains infeperable therefrom, long after the Soul has quitted the Body: Thus, Flefh has the Form of Flefh. ; Bone, of Bone, &c. after the Soul is remov'd, as well as before.
The Truth is, the Body does not become incapable of performing its accuftom'd Functions, by reafon the Soul has deferted it ; but the Soul takes its leave, by reafon the Body is net in a Condition to perform its Functions.
The antient and modern corpufcular Philofophers there- fore, with the Carte/ians, exclude the Notion of fubftantial Forms ; and ifiew by many Arguments, that the Form is only the Modus, or manner of the Body it is inherent in.
And as there are only three primary Modes of Matter, vfe. Figure, Reft, and Motion; with two others arifing therefrom, viz. Magnitude, and Situation: The Forms of all Bodies they hold to confHt therein -. and fuppofe the Va- riations thefe Modes are capable of, Sufficient to prefent all the Variety obfervable in Bodies. See Mode.
Many Varieties we actually fee refult from changes in thefe Modes; which may very well pafs for Differences of Form : Thus an Awl only differs from a Needle in Magni- tude ; a Globe from a Cube in Figure: Tranfparent Glafs beir.g pulveriz'd, will reflect the Light, and appear white; and yet all the Alteration confifts in the Order and Arrange- ment of the Parrs: When "Wheat is ground into Flower, all the Change eoniltrs in aSeperation of the contiguous Parts; and when the Flower is bak'd into Bread, what is it but the lame Particles affociatcd again, in another manner. By agitating Water, a Froth is form'd ; if the Agitation be in- creas'd, the Particles will exhale, and form Clouds; which be- ing congregated iigain, return in Dew, Snow, Haii, or Rain : And the fame Water, by the Acceffion of Cold, might have been form'd into Jce. So many different Bodies, endued with different Qualities, and which the Peripateticks them- felves allow Ipecifically different, arife from one and the fame Bedy, by mere Motion, and Reft.
The Philofophy of fubllantial Forms, its Rife, Ufe, and Extent, are let in an excellent light by Fa. Mallebranch.
The way of thinking, that firft introdue'd it, is this : Every thing I perceive in tafting, feeing, and handling this Honey, and Salt, is in the Honey, and Salt : But it is cer- tain, that the things I perceive in the Honey, e.gr. the Co- lour, Tafte, &c. differ effcntially from thofe I perceive in the Salt ; conlequently, there is an effential Difference be- tween the two.
Hence it follows, that they are grofly deceiv'd, who take all the Differences between thofe Bodies to confift in the different Configurations of the component Parts ; fince the different Figure is not at all effential to the different Bo- dies : For change the Figure of the Parts of the Honey how you will; and even give them thofe of the Parts of Salt; yet it is Honey flail.
There muft therefore be fome Subftance added to the common Matter of all Bodies, to make them effentially different. And thus arc fubftantial Forms hook'd in ; thofe fertile Subftances, which perform every thin? that we fee in all Nature.
Since then in every natural Body there are two Subftances; the one common to Honey, Salt, and all other Bodies • and the other, that which makes the Honey, Honey; the Salt, Salt; and all other Bodies what they are: It follows that the firft, viz. Matter, having no contrary, but being in-
different to all Forms., muft remain without Force, and Ac- tion; as having no occafion to defend it felf.
But for the others, viz. the fubftantial Forms, there is a Neceflity of their being accompany'd and invefted with Fa- culties and Qualities for their Defence, and Subfiftence. Thefe muft be always on their Guard, for fear of being furpriz'd : They are in poffeffion of a thing, which they are to hold againft numerous Pretenders ; and therefore muft be continually at work, to fortify themfelves, and extend their Dominion over the neighbouring Matters, and pufh their Conquefts as far as they can : Were they to remain unactive, and unprepar'd, other Forms would lay hold of them, and banifh and deftroy them for ever. To guard againft this, they keep conftant watch ; and entertain mortal Enmities and Antipathies againft thofe other Forms, which only wait to deftroy them.
If now it happen, that one Form feize the Matter, or Receptacle of another ; that the Form of a Carcafs, for in- ftance, feize the Body of a Dog; it is not enough, that this new Form annihilate the former ; but its Hatred muft: be further gratify'd with the Destruction of all the Quali- ties, that took its Enemy's part.
The Hair of the Carcafs, then, muft be turn'd white; by a Creation of a new Colour : Its Blood muft become red, but of fuch a red, as is not to be fufpected in the Intereft of the Enemy ; and the whole Body to be invefted with Qualities, trufty to their new Mafter, whom they are to de- fend with all the Power the Qualities of a Carcafs can have ; till fuch time as being overpow'rd, this Form gives way too, in its turn, to the Form of Maggots, Worms, ££r.
But, as nothing can be in perpetual War ; but every thing has its place of Reft ; it follows, that even the Fire mult likewife have its Centre, whither its natural Levity always prompts it, that it may remain at reft, ceafe to burn, and even quit its Heat, which it only maintains here below for its Defence. — —
Thefe may ferve as a Tafte of the Confequences, drawn from that important Principle, Subjlantial Forms ; which is infinitely fertile, and furnifhes every Phitofopher with all forts of Solutions, according to his Ability, Adrefs, Inclina- tion, $$c.
Forms are diftinguifh'd into Effential, and Accidental. Effential Forms. Though the five Modes above-men- tion'd, generally taken, be adventitious; yet, to this, or that Body, e.gr. to Fire, or Water, they are effential: Thus, it is accidental to Iron, to have this, or that Magnitude, Fi- gure, or Situation ; fince it might exift in different ones ; yet, to a Knife, or Hammer, the Figure, Magnitude, and Por- tion of Parts, which conftitute it a Hammer, or Knife, are effential ; and they cannot exift, or be conceiv'd without them.
Hence it is infer'd, that tho' there be no Subflantial y there are Effc?itial Forms, whereby the feverai Species of Bodies become each what they are, and are diftinguifh'd from all others. See Essential.
Accidental Forms are thofe really inherent in Bodies ; but in fuch manner, as that the Body may exift in all its Per- fection, without them.
Such is Whitenefs in a Wall ; Heat in Water ; a Figure of a Man in Wax, &c.
Metaphyjical Form is nothing elfe but fpecific Difference; as mctaphyfical Matter is nothing elfe but Genus. Thus, Ratioiial, is the Metaphyseal ./-fan;; of Man. Syllogistic Form is a juft Difpolition, both of the Terms, in refpect, of Predicate, and Subjeci ; and of the Propor- tions, in refpect of Quantity, and Quality.
By juft Difpofition we mean fuch an one, wherein the Concluilon follows duly and legitimately from the two Pre- miffes ; there being no Form, where there is no Conclusion, See Syllogism.
The Difpofition of the feverai Terms, being, as it were,^ fo many Steps or Degrees of a Syliogijlic Form ; is call'd the Figure of the Syilogifm. See Figure.
The Difpofition of the Premiffes alone, being as it were another Degree, is call'd the Mode of the Syilogifm. See Mode.
Forms, again, are diftinguifh'd into Simple, and Com- I pound.
Simple Forms are thofe of Simple Bodies, /. e. of fuch as have but few Properties.
Compound Forms are thofe of more Compounded Bodies; or fuch, as have more Properties.
Thus, e. gr. If the Form of a bard Sody be compar'd with the Form of Wood; the former may be accounted Simple, and the latter Complex ; inafmuch as a hard Body, confider'd only as bard, has fewer Properties than .Wood. Abfolutely fpeaking, however, Simple Forms are thofe of the Elements; and Compound, of_.mixt Bodies.
Laftly, fome diftinguifli Forms into a Natural, and Ar- tificial '.
Natural
