332 PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 



Thus a Universal Science was established, with 

 the authority of a Religious Creed. Its universality 

 rested on erroneous views of the relation of words 

 and truths; its pretensions as a science were ad- 

 mitted by the servile temper of men's intellects ; 

 and its religious authority was assigned it, by 

 making all truth part of religion. And as Religion 

 claimed assent within her own jurisdiction under 

 the most solemn and imperative sanctions, Phi- 

 losophy shared in her imperial power, and dissent 

 from their doctrines was no longer blameless or 

 allowable. Errour became wicked, dissent became 

 heresy; to reject the received human doctrines, was 

 nearly the same as to doubt the Divine declarations. 

 The Scholastic Philosophy claimed the assent of all 

 believers. 



The external form, the details, and the text 

 of this philosophy, were taken,* in a great measure, 

 from Aristotle ; though, in the spirit, the general 

 notions, and the style of interpretation, Plato and 

 the Platonists had no inconsiderable share. Various 

 causes contributed to the elevation of Aristotle to 

 this distinction. His Logic had early been adopted 

 as an instrument of theological disputation; and 

 his spirit of systematization, of subtle distinction, 

 and of analysis of words, as well as his disposition 

 to argumentation, afforded the most natural and 

 grateful employment to the commentating pro- 

 pensities. Those principles which we before noted 

 as the leading points of his physical philosophy, 



