6& ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



intelleft which perceives that it is a man or a horfe, by applying to 

 the figure prefented by the fight the idea of a man or horfe. So 

 that when we have formed ideas, we proceed, as fuperior intelli- 

 gences do from generals to particulars: And fo we do in all the de- 

 monftrations of fcience; though in forming our ideas, as I have faid, 

 the progrefs is quite the contrary. 



Another thing, by which the human intelled Is remarkably dif- 

 tinguiOied from the Divine, is, that in the mind of the Deity are 

 contained the ideas of every thing that exills or which can exift, 

 that is, does not imply a contradidlion, or is not Inconfiftent with 

 the nature of things, or with the attributes of Divinity, which I 

 hold to be an effential part of the nature of things; And, therefore, 

 Arifiotle is in the right, when he fays that every thing exifts which 

 is poffible to exift ; for if it exift in the Divine Mind, it muft have 

 a real exiftence in the nature of things, as I fhall prefently fliow. 

 How different the cafe of the human mind is, I need not obferve. 



But farther, I fay that the Deity has not only the idea of every 

 thing that exifts, but that every idea of his mind is realized, and has 

 an a£lual exiftence: For there are not in his mind any 6-«//<7 ratlomsy 

 as we call them, fuch as are in ours, that is ideas of things that neither 

 do exift, nor ever did exift, nor perhaps ever will exift. I therefore 

 hold it to be excellent philofophy what Gregory Nazianzen has 

 maintained, that all the ideas of the Divine Mind are realized, and 

 have an adual exiftence in the nature of things *. 



Another eftential difference betwixt our minds and the Divine, is 

 that all the ideas of the Deity are continually prefent to him, fo that 

 there is no need of any one idea in his mind exciting another, as in 

 ours. There is not, therefore, in the Divinity that vorifftg y^iTufSccTtKn, 



of 



* Of the doftrine of Gregory Nazianzen fee vol. V. p. 186. alfo p. 58. of this vol. 



