506 A BRIEF 3CItaint OF ONTOLOGY. reason ; or external as objects, hooka. Both these are either natural, as sense, tensible things or supernatural, as visions, inspirations. Again, Principles of knowledge are more simple, as ideas, or words, or letters ; or they are more complex, as pro- positions, and particularly such as are self-evident, as axioms, or such as contain the chief truths or rules of any doctrine, art or science. III. Principles of operation may sometimes include the be- ings themselves, which operate as writers, warriors, &c. as well as their natural powers, viz. hands, strength, skill, &c. and their moral powers, viz. law, authority, &c. And supernatural prin- ciples, viz. revelation and divine influences. Almost all principles, except the constituent and continent, may be reduced to some or other of the kinds of causes. A cause in general is a principle distinct from the thing itself, and hath some real and proper influence on the existence of that thing. An effect is that which is produced, done or ob- tained by the influence of some other being, which is called the cause. L Note, No being can properly be the cause of itself : Yet a fountain may be the cause of a river, though the water in both may be the same materially, but not formally; for a fountain springs out of the earth, a river runsalong on the earth, between a length of banks. 2. Every being, besides the first being, wants a cause : God the first being, is self- existent or independent, and has no Cause: lle exists from a necessity of nature and self-sufficience, yet not properly as the cause of his own being ; but all other real beings are derived from him as from their cause. 3. The same thing in different respects may be both a'cause and an effect. Clouds and vapours are the effects of the sun, but the cause of rain. 4. A cause is in order of naturebefore its effect, but not always in time. For a fire gives heat, and a star gives light as soon as they exist. Causes in general may be divided many ways. 1. Into universal and particular : 'l'he .sun, ,earth, rain, are all universal causes of plants, herbs and flowers; for by the same sort of influences each of them produce various and different effects : But the particular seeds are the :particular causes of each different herb and flower. Common and proper causes are very near a-kin to the former distinction. 2. Causes may be divided into remote and proxime ; as an infectious air or east wind may be the remote cause of thedeath of men ; but the several diseases arising thence are the proxime causes. A father is the proxime cause of his son, a grandfather the remote cause.
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