S6 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book T. 



individual to one thing, which comprehends many individuals; then 

 to another one thing, which comprehends more things under it ; 

 then to a third thing, which comprehends ftill more; and fo on till 

 we come to vvhat comprehends all things, and is not only fbc ojie in 

 many but the one in all. 



This account I have given of the progrefs of our knowledge, pre- 

 fents to us a fyftem by which many things proceed all from one 

 thing, in the moft regular and orderly way; which one thing does 

 virtually comprehend them all: For the higheft genus that I have 

 mentioned, viz. the category oifubjlaucc^ does virtually comprehend 

 man and every other animal, and is a£iually contained in man and 

 the other things I have mentioned. In the fame manner the Su- 

 preme Being docs virtually comprehend fubjlancc^ and is compre- 

 hended actually in every individual fubftance. And, therefore, I think 

 the do(fl;rine of fpeciefes and genufes, rifmg above one another, is 

 the beft illuflration that can be given of the proceflion of all things 

 from the firft caufe, and explains moft clearly that fundamental prin- 

 ciple of theology which is laid down in our Scripture, " That all 

 " things are in God, and God in all things :" That is, " That all 

 " things are virtually or potentially in God^ and God is actually in 

 " all things^ But when we fay, that God is a&ually in all things, 

 we muft not be underftood to mean that every attribute of the divi- 

 nity, that is the whole divinity, is aBually in every thing, but on- 

 ly that every thing that is eflential to the thing, and conftitutes its 

 nature, is derived from God : So that in this refpedt, and this only, 

 God is in all things. Of this I will give an example in the princi- 

 ple of motion which I have fhown to be in every body. Now, this 

 principle is derived from the Third Perfon of the Trinity, the fource 

 of all life, animation, and confequently of motion. And this fenfe 

 that : nave given of God being adually in all things, perfectly 

 agrees with the illuftratlon of the proceflion of divinity which I 



have 



