tion; we are to think and speak of it as such, or not think or speak of it at all. I here leave the Reader to run over all the other Mysteries of Christianity in his own Mind; as well as every thing in Natural Religion relating to the Nature of God, and the things of another World; and fee whether this is not the True Abstraction? And whether any thing hath been of more fatal Confequence to Religion, than mistaking it for an airy fanciful Pursuit of Abstract Notions, and Purely Intellectual Ideas of things altogether imperceptible and inconceivable as they are In themselves, by the help of even the most exalted Notions we can form? I fhall only give the Hint here, that this true Abstraction, or rather Transferring of the Mind from our Ideas and Notions of things temporal, to those spiritual Things which are thus represented by them; holds not only with refpect to the Understanding, but alfo the Will and Affections of an human Soul; Which are never by any Direct and Immediate Operation employed on Abstract intellectualIdeas of heavenly Things; but are then lifted up from Earth to Heaven when they are exercised on our common and natural Ideas or Notions confidered as Types, which represent answerable inconceivable Antitypes. Thus are our Love, Joy, Fear, Hope, Defire, Gratitude employed, not Immediately upon any direct Ideas of the real Perfections of God or Heavenly Blifs, which are incomprehenfible; but upon the Analogous Conceptions Conceptions we form of the Goodness and Power of God, and of a Future Bliss, from the best Notions of that Goodness, and Power, and Happiness which we experience Here: That is in other words, we employ our Affections on things inconceivable, in their correspondent Substitutes alone; in which cafe the Ideas or Conceptions don't stand for their Proper origi nal Objects, but are us'd as Representations of what is highly exalted above the Reach of all our Faculties. This is the only Method we can arrive to of fanctifying our affections; of removing them from things on Earth, and Setting them on things above; things Not feen, and whereof we can have no Direct or Abstract Ideas at all. WHAT hath been faid hitherto of the Operations of the pure Intellect, relates to Simple Ideas of Senfation only; and therefore it will be convenient to obferve here, That the fame Operations are likewife exercised upon all those Alterations and Compofitions which the Mind raises up to itself out of thofe fimple Ideas ; whether according to Nature, as the Idea of a Wood or an Army; or againft Nature, as the Idea of a Centaur. When the Imagination is impregnated with thofe voluntary Alterations or Combinations of fimple Ideas, the Mind hath the fame full Power over them, which it had over fuch Ideas as were fimple and origial; as that of Intuition or fimple Apprehen fion, and of Judgment in all its Inftances of Comparing, Compounding, Enlarging, Diminishing, and Dividing. The Mind hath likewise the fame arbitrary Dominion and Sway over all the Complex Notions and Conceptions which are formed out of thofe fimple or compound Ideas, confidered in Conjunction with the Operations of the Intellect upon them; fuch as our Notions of Justice or Charity, and all Virtues and Vices. BUT what is more Material to be obferved is, that tho' we have no abftract and purely intellectual Ideas of celeftial and immaterial Beings for the Employment and Exercise of any Operations of the Mind: Yet that which fully compenfates the intire want of fuch fpiritual and intellectual Ideas, and ferves all the ends of Reason and Religion in this Life is, that thefe Operations are employed and exercised upon all our Conceptions and complex Notions, in the Same Manner, when they are Symbols only and Representations of things purely fpiritual; as when they immediately reprefent things merely Human or Temporal. That is, the Mind exercises all its Faculties and Operations upon its Notions and Conceptions, as well and Eafily when the Terms by which they are expreffed are taken in their Analogical Sence and Meaning; as when they are confidered in their First and ftrictly Proper Signification; the Mind is equaly conver fant fant with these Conceptions when they reprefent their Archetypes, as when it thinks of them without any farther Reference or Relation to the things of another World. As for Inftance, the fame Operations of the Intellect are exercised upon Spirit when it fignifies a purely Immaterial Being, as when it is taken in its more original Acceptation for our Soul, which is Matter and Spirit in effential Union; upon Knowledge when it is used to represent a Perfection of God, as when it ftands in the Mind for that which is Human, the only Knowledge we have any direct or or proper Conception of. And so it is in all other Inftances our intellectual and reasoning Faculties have the same full and free Scope and Liberty here, in Apprehending, and Judging, and Inferring, which they could have if there were no fecondary or Analogical Acceptation of our Words and Ideas; as will more fully appear hereafter. СНАР. V. Of Relation. THE fixth Inftance of the Mind's Operation upon its Ideas refer'd to the Head of its Judgments is, that of obferving their mutual Relations and Dependences. This is Comparing indeed, but it is in one particular Inftance Inftance only; not in the Likeness and Unlikenefs of things, which is very different from Relation and Dependency: For there may be a Similitude where there is no Relation, and there may be a Relation or Dependence where there is no Similitude; as that between God and Material Subftance which is referred to him as its Creator. I fhall dwell no longer upon this Operation of the Intellect, than is neceffary to fhew the Method and Procedure of human Understanding in the Attainment of Knowledge. I. FIRST then, when the Mind confiders the mutual Relations and Dependencies between all its Ideas of fenfible Objects as they are in their own Nature, without any respect which they bear to Man as a Rational intelligent Agent; from hence there opens a large and fpacious Field of Knowledge: That of natural Caufes and Effects; of the Manner of material Beings Operating upon, or Suffering from each other; of all their active and paffive Powers, as fome exprefs it; and in fhort of their affecting and influencing one another in innumerable Inftances; and this is called Natural Philofophy. BUT here it is worth obferving, that all the real true Knowledge we have of Nature is intirely Experimental; infomuch that, how strange foever the Affertion feems, we may lay this down |