9^ 



A N T I £ N T METAPHYSICS. Book IL 



enemy, that 1 neither expeded nor wi'lied to fee ; though this happen 

 heftdcs or contrary to my intention, it is according to the intention of 

 the perfon 1 meet, who comes to the market-phice for fome purpofc 

 or other. Again, in the cafe of a man digging and finding a trea- 

 fure, tho' the treafure was found hejules the intention of the digger, 

 it was put there according to the intention of the perfon who hid it. 

 Further, in the cafe of a paiTenger being cruihed by the fall of a wall, 

 though this event was bejides the deftination of Nature, it was accor- 

 ding to the intention of the perfon crulhed, not that he intended to be 

 crufhed, but that it was by intention he walked along the fide of the- 

 wall. 



And here we may perceive fomething In this matter that feems to 

 have efcaped even Ariilotle. And it is this, that, whenever any thing 

 happens by accident, there muft neceflarily be aconcourfe of two cau- 

 fes to produce the effect ; either both from nature* as in the cafe of the 

 monflrous birth, or both from man, as in the cafe of finding the trea- 

 fure, or meeting accidentally with a friend ; or, one from Nature, and 

 the other from man, as in the cafe of the paffenger opprefled by the 

 fall of the wall. The chance, therefore, i& in the concourfe of the 

 two caufes, not in any one of them taken feparately ; for, in that way, 

 they operate each of them in a natural and ordinary way. And it is 

 in this way, that chance and necejjity^ which, in their nature, appear 

 to be diametrically oppofite, are to be reconciled ; for all the opera- 

 tions of Nature, taken feparately, are neceflary : But, when they con- 

 cur to produce an event which otherwife could not have happened, 

 that event is what is called chance. In like manner, what proceeds from 

 will and intention, is alfo neceflary in a certain fenfe, as a perfon cannot' 

 zQi otherwife than according to the laft determination of his will ; But 

 it is a neceflity ot a quite different kind from^ material or natural nc- 

 ceflity, as fliall, in the next chapter, be more particularly explain- 

 ed. 



