Chap. XI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 19; 



the univerfe, frft to the Second Perfon, and then from the Second 

 Perfon to 'he Third ; and it is alfo evident, that the Second PerO^n 

 is not only the firft produ6lion, but the onlv immediate produdioa 

 from the Firft Perfon: So that all things in the univerfe mull 

 be produced from the Second and Third Perfons of the Trinity. 

 And the only queftion that remains to be confidered is, Whe- 

 ther all things exifting proceed immediately from thofe two prin- 

 ciples ; or whether there be not an intermediate proceffion and 

 emanation by different fteps and degrees, in the fame manner 

 as thofe two principles proceed from the firft caufe. And I think 

 it is evident, that if this were the cafe, the iyitcm of the uni- 

 verfe would be much m.ore regular and uniform, than u^)cn the 

 contrary fuppofition. Now, as every theift muft believe that the 

 univerfe is a fyftem, and the moft perfed fyftem that can be ima- 

 gined, I think we muft hold that inch is the progrefs of things, from 

 the firft caufe downwards, unlefs the contrary could be proved by 

 the cleareft demonftration ; of which I have hitherto itcw nothino-. 

 not even in the writings of Ariftotle, whofe chief argument agalnft 

 it is, that it multiplies Beings unnejeffarily, and that it does not explain 

 any thing in nature. But I fay it does not multiply Beings unnecef- 

 farily, as it tends to eftablifli the certainty of knowledge, and makes 

 the fyftem of the univerfe more perfed ; and fo far from not ex- 

 plaining the nature of things, it completes the fyftem of nature, by 

 carrying the dodrinc of the Trinity, which contains the firft prin- 

 ciples of things, through the whole of nature, and fo making one 

 fyftem of the univerfe. 



The moft general ideas, fuch as the Categoric^ being produdive 

 of all other ideas, are firft in order after the Perions of the Trinity. 

 In the more general ideas the lefs general and the particular are 

 contained; and while they are fo contained, they are faid to exift 

 virtually in them, as the materials of which they are compofed exift 



B b 2 in 



