U N I 



U N I 



old tenets of the Platonic fchool, and lias even fjone fo far 

 as to follow Plato's example, in connefting; the fpeculation 

 about univerfals, with the {ublimi> queilions of natural 

 theology. His reafonings, he adds, " in proof of the ex- 

 iftence of univtrfals, are the more curious, as he acquiefces 

 in forae of Dr. Reid's conclufions with regard to the ideal 

 theory of perception. That there are in the mind images 

 or refemblances of things external, he grants to be impoi- 

 itble ; but ftill he feems to fuppofe, that in every exertion 

 of tho'.igb.t, there is fomething immediately prefcnt to the 

 mind, which is the objeft of its attention." To this pur- 

 pofe, Dr. Price reafons in the following manner : " The 

 word idea is fometimes ufed to fignify the immediate objeA 

 of the mind in thinking, confidered as fomething in the 

 iiiind, which reprefents the real objeft, but is different from 

 it. This fenfe of an idea is derived from the notion, that 

 when we think of any external exillence, there is fome- 

 thing immediately prefent to the mind, v.'hich it con- 

 templates diilinft from the objefl itfelf, that being at a dif- 

 tance. But what is this ] It is bad language to call it an 

 image in the mind of the objeft. Shall we fay then, that 

 there is indeed no fuch thing ? But would not this be the 

 fame as to fay that, when the mind is employed in viewing 

 and examining any objeft, which is either not prefent to it, 

 or does not exift, it is employed in viewing and examining 

 nothing, and therefore does not then think at all ? When 

 abftratt truth is contemplated, is not the very objeft itfelf 

 prefent to tlie mind i When millions of iritellefts contem- 

 plate the equahty of every angle in a femicircle to a right 

 angle, have they not all the fame objcA in view I Is this 

 objedl nothhig ? Or is it only an image or kind of Ihadow ? 

 — Thefe inquiries carry our thoughts high." 



To the difficulty fuggefted by Dr. Price, our author 

 fays, " I have no anfwer to make, but by repeating the faft 

 which I have already endeavoured to eitablifh ; that there 

 are only two ways in which we can poffibly fpeculate about 

 clafles of objefts ; the one, by means of a word or generic 

 term ; the other, by means of one particular individual of 

 the clafs which we conlider as the reprefentative of the reft ; 

 and that thefe two methods of carrying on our general 

 fpeculations, are at bottom fo much the fame, as to authorife 

 us to lay down as a principle, that, without the ufe offigns, 

 all our thoughts muft have related to individuals. When we 

 reafon, therefore, concerning clalfes or genera, the objefts 

 of our attention are merely ilgns ; or if, in any inftance, the 

 generic word lliould recall fome individual, this circumftance 

 is to be regarded only as the confequence of an accidental 

 alTociation, vv'hich has rather a tendency to difturb, than to 

 allift us in our reafoning." 



For the opinions of a feft that may be regarded as inter- 

 mediate between the Nominalifts and Reahfts, we refer to 

 CoNCEPTiONALiSTS. See Stewart's Elements of the Phi- 

 lofophy of the Human Mind. See alfo Mental Philosophy. 



Universal Caufe, Characters, Confumptwn, Geography, 

 Gravity, Joint, Maps, Palfy, Propofition, Rheumatifm, 

 Ring-dial, Syjlem, and Theorem. See the fubftantives. 



UNIVERSALISTS, in Polemical Divinity, an appel- 

 lation given to fuch as hold an univerfal grace ; in hke man- 

 ner as tlie denomination Particularifts is given to thofe who 

 hold ^particular and efficacious grace. 



The Arminians are particularly denominated Univerfahfts. 



Universalists, Hypothetical, in Eccleftajlical Hijlory, an 

 appellation given to thofe doctors of Saunnir, who attempted 

 to reconcile the doArine of predeftination, as it had been 

 taught at Geneva, and confirmed at Dort, with the fentiments 

 of thofe who reprefent the Deity as offering the difplays of 

 his goodnefs and mercy to all mankind. The firll perfon who 



made this attempt was John Cameron (fee Cameronians), 

 whofe fentiments were fupported, and farther illuftrated, by 

 Mofes Amyraut, a man of uncommon fagacity and erudi- 

 tion. The latter applied himfelf, from 1634, with fuch 

 zeal to this work, that he produced no fmall changes in the 

 doftrine commonly received among the reformed in France. 

 The form of doftrine which he propofed with this view may 

 be fummed up in the following propofitions ; ii/z. that God 

 defires the happinefs of all inen, and that no mortal is ex- 

 cluded, by any divine decree, from the benefits that are 

 procured by the death, fuPtrings, and gofpel of Chrift ; 

 that, however, no one can be made a partaker of the blef- 

 fings of the Gofpel, and of eternal falvation, unlefs he be- 

 lieve in Jefus Chrill ; that fuch is the immente and univerfal 

 goodnefs of tlie Supreme Being, that he refufes to none the 

 power of believing ; though he does not grant unto all his 

 afiiftance and fuccour, that they may wifely improve this 

 power to the attainment of everlafting falvation ; and that, 

 in confequence of this, multitudes perifti through their own 

 fault, and not from any want of goodnefs in God. Thofe 

 who embraced this doftrine were called Univerfahfts, be- 

 caufe they reprefented God as willing to fhew mercy to all 

 mankind ; and hypothetical Univerfahfts, becaufe the condi- 

 tion of faith in Chrift was neceflary to render them objefts 

 of his mercv. Mofh. Eccl. Hift. vol. iv. 8vo. 



UNIVERSALITY, the quality that denominates a 

 thing univerfal. 



The Cathohcs aflert the univerfality of their church, both 

 as to time and perfons ; and maintain this to be a note or 

 mark of the true church, which diftinguifties it from all 

 other focieties that pretend to the name. 



Universality, in the Schools. Logicians made two 

 kinds of univeriality, the one mctaphyjical, the other moral. 



Universality, Metaphyfical, is that which excepts no- 

 thing ; as this propofition, " Every man is mortal." 



Universality, Moral, is that which admits of fome 

 exception ; as, " All old men praife the times paft." In fuch 

 like propofitions, it is enough that the thing be ordinarily 

 fo ; it not b=-uig ftriftly required, that every old man (hould 

 be of that difpofition. See Predicable. 



UNIVERSE, a collective name, fignifying the aflem- 

 blage of heaven and earth, with all things in them, called 

 by the Greeks o to », and by the Latins mundui. 



Th^ ancients, and after them the Cartefians, imagine the 

 univerle to be infinite. The reafon they give is, that it 

 imphes a contradiftion to fuppofe it finite or bounded ; 

 fince it is impoffible not to conceive fpace beyond any limits 

 that can be affigned it ; which fpace, according to the 

 Cartefians, is body, and confequently part of the univerfe. 

 But that the univerfe is fiuit-. appears from the two follow- 

 ing confiderations : I. That /,'hatever confifts of parts can- 

 not be infinite, fince the parts that compofe it muft be finite, 

 either in number or magnitude ; which, if they be, what 

 they compofe muft be fo too : or, 2. They muft be infi- 

 nite, either in number or magnitude ; but an infinite num- 

 ber isacontradiftion; and to fuppofe the parts infinitely big, 

 is to fuppofe feveral infinities, one bigger than another ; 

 which, though it may pafs among mathematicians, who only 

 argue about infinities, in pojfe, or in imagination, will not 

 be allowed in philofophy. 



UNIVERSITY, Uxiversitas, a coUeftive term, ap- 

 plied to an aflemblage of feveral colleges eilablifhed in a 

 city, or town, in which are profeflbrs in the feveral fciences, 

 appointed to teach them to ftudents ; and wiiere degrees, or 

 certificates of ftudy in the divers faculties, are taken up. 



In each univerfity four faculties are ufually taught ; theo- 

 logy, medicine, law, and the arts a.id fciences. 



They 



