C A U 
nature, they mean by the caufe a lawof nature of which that 
phenomenon is a neceffary confequence. The whole ob¬ 
ject of natural philofophy, as Newton exprefsly teaches, is 
reducible to thefe two heads: firft, by juft induttion front 
experiment and oblervation, to difcover the laws of na¬ 
ture; and then to apply thole laws to the folution of the 
phenomena of nature. This was all that this great philo¬ 
sopher attempted, and all that he thought attainable. And 
this, indeed, he attained in a great meafure, with regard 
to the motions of our planetary f> Item, and with regard to 
the rays of light. But fuppofing that all the phenomena 
which fall within the reach of our fenfes-were accounted 
for from general laws of nature juftly deduced from ex¬ 
perience; that is, fuppofing natural philofophy brought 
to its utmoft perfection; yet it does not difcover the im¬ 
mediate efficient caufe of any one phenomenon in nature. 
The laws of nature are the rules- according to which 
the effects are produced ; but there mu ft be a caufe which- 
operates according to thefe rules. The rules of naviga¬ 
tion never navigated a (hip. The rules of architecture 
never built a lioufe. Natural philofophers, by great at¬ 
tention to the courfe of nature, have difcovered many of 
lier laws,.and have very happily applied them to account 
for many phenomena : but they have never difcovered the 
efficient caufe of any one phenomenon; nor do thofe who 
have diftinCt notions of the principles of the fcience nuke 
any fuch pretence. Upon the theatre of nature we fee in¬ 
numerable effedfs which require an agent endowed with 
aCtive powers; but the agent is behind the fcene. Whe¬ 
ther it be the Supreme Caufe alone, or a fubordinate caufe 
or cattles ; and, if fubordinate cattfes be employed by tlie 
Almighty, what their nature, their number, and their dif¬ 
ferent offices, may be, are things hid, for wife reafons with¬ 
out doubt, from the human eye. 
Concerning this doCtrine of caufe and cjfcPl, many opi¬ 
nions have been hazarded by different writers, all of which 
tend finally to nearly the fame refults. That every event 
is, and muff be, brought about by Joint caufe , is held to be 
a-felf-evident truth which no man can deny who under- 
ffands the terms in which it is. exprelfed ; but what or 
where the agency of the caufe is, we can very feldom, if 
ever, know, except when we refer to our own voluntary 
a-Ctions. When a change is obferved, we cannot doubt of 
its being produced by fomething : either the thing changed 
is animated, and has produced the change by its own agen¬ 
cy, juft as we move our heads or hands by an act of voli¬ 
tion ; or, if it be inanimated, or of itfelf incapable of agen¬ 
cy, the change muft be produced by fome adequate ope¬ 
ration, denominated a caufe. See Metaphysics,Natu-- 
kai. Philosophy, Ph ysics,.&g. 
CAU'SELESS-, adj. Having no caufe; wanting juft 
ground or motive: 
Alas ! my fears are caufelefs and ungrounded, 
Fantaftic.di earns, and melancholy fumes. Denham. 
CAU'SELESSLY,. adv. Without caufe; without rea- 
fon.—Human laws are not to be broken with fcandal, nor 
at all without reafon ; for he that does it caufetefsly is a 
defpifer of the law, and undervalues its authority. Taylor. 
CAU'SER, /. He that cattles ; the agent by which an 
eJTeft is produced.—Abftinence, the apoftle determines; is 
of no other real value in religion, than as a. minifterial 
caufer of moral effefts.. Rogers . 
CAU'SEY, or Causeway., f. fkauffee, Fr. This, 
word, by a falfe notion of its etymology, has been lately 
written caufe way. Johnfon.~\ A way railed and paved; a 
way raifed above the reft of the ground.—To Shuppim 
the lot came forth vveftward by the caufey. i Chron. xxvi. 
Whofe caifeway parts-.the vale with ffiady rows; 
Whole feats the-weary traveller repofe. Pope. 
CAUSSA'DE, a town of France, in the department of 
the Lot, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrict of Mon— 
'eauban: twelve miles porth-eaftof Montauban. 
CAUSSIN' (Nicholas), furnamed the Juft, a French 
j-efuit, born-at Troyes in-,Champagne, in 1580; and en¬ 
tered into the Jefnits’ order when he was twenty-fix years 
of age. He taught rhetoric in feveral of their colleges, 
and afterwards began to preach, by w hich he gained great 
reputation. He tncreafed this reputation by publifhing 
books, and in time was preferred to be confeftbr to the 
king. He died in the Jeluits’ convent at Paris, in 1651. 
None of his works did him more honour than that enti¬ 
tled La Cour Sainte. It has been printed a great many 
times; and tranflated into Latin, Italian, Spaniih, Portu- 
guefe, German, and Engliffi. He publilhed feveral other 
books both in Latin and French. 
CAU'STIC, or Caustical, adj. Epithets of medi¬ 
caments which deftroy the texture of the part to which 
they are applied, and eat it away, or burn it into an ef- 
char, which they do by extreme minutenefs, afperity, 
and quantity of motion, that, like thofe of fire itfelf, de- 
ftroy the texture of the folids, and change what they 
are applied to into a fnbftance like burnt fleffi; which, 
in a little time, with a detergent drefiing, falls quite oft, 
and leaves a vacuity in the part. Quincy. —If extirpa¬ 
tion be fafe, the beft way will be by caujtical medicines, or 
efcarotics. IVifman. 
CAU'STIC, /. [from xa.iu, Gr. to burn.] A burning 
application.—It was tendernefs to mankind that introduced 
corrofives and caujlics, which are indeed but artificial 
fires. Temple. —Cauftics are denominated common or lunar. 
The common cauftic is a fixed alkali, deprived of aerial 
acid, and raoft of its water. If the lixivium at the foap- 
boilers be evaporated to drynefs in a lilver or copper vef- 
fel, then fufed in a crucible, poured out into a bafon, and, 
when folid, cut into final] pieces, it forms the common 
cauftic. This muft be kept in a clofed bottle, to prevent 
its deliquefeing. When a piece of this alkali is applied to- 
the (kin for the fpace of three quarters ot an hour, it cor¬ 
rodes it by forming a faponaceous compound with its fat 
parts-. It wasfir.ft ufed in making ililies before that prac¬ 
tice was laid afide. The lunar cauftic is called lapis inferna • 
lis, though improperly. It confifts of the cryltals of lil- 
-ver, obta ned by folution in nitrous acid, and afterwards 
fufed in a crucible. To make this preparation, very pure 
lilver muft be diffolved to faturation in nitrous acid, anil 
the cryftals feparated by evaporation and cooling. Thefe 
are to be fufed in an earthen crucible, (efficiently large to 
admit of the frothing and fwelling that happen at the com¬ 
mencement of the fulion. The heat muft be gentle, be- 
caufe the cryftals are very fufible, and the acid eafily de- 
compofed and driven off’. It requires, however, to be. 
Ibmewhat raifed after the ebullition lias ceafed. As foon 
’as the matter is in quiet fulion, it is to be poured into a. 
mould, confiding of five or fix final 1 cylindrical cavities, by 
which it acquires the form of 1 mall pencils, and may con¬ 
veniently be held in a cafe, inftCad of touching it with the 
fingers. Lunae cauftic is black, which feemsto a rife from, 
part of the acid being driven off, and a portion of the (li¬ 
ver revived. Its caufticity, or action on animal fubftan- - 
ces, appears to depend on the ftrong difpofition of the fil- 
ver to recover its metallic ftate, and confcquently is a true 
combuftion. 
CAUS'TIC CURVE, f in the higher geometry, a 
curve formed by the concourfe or coincidence ot the rays 
of light reflected from fome other curve. 
CAUST l'CITY, J. "I he quality of being cauftic. All 
fubftances which have lo ftrong a tendency to combine, 
with the principles of organized fubftances as to deftroy 
their texture, are faid to be cauftic. The chief of thefe. 
are the concentrated acids, pure alkalis, and the metallic, 
l’alts. 
C AU'TEL, f. [cautela , Lat.] Caution ;. fcruple : a word, 
now mjfed: 
Perhaps he loves you now ; 
And now no foil of cautel doth befmirch' 
The virtue of his will. Shahefpcare. 
CAU'TELOUS, adj. [caute/eux, Fr.] Cautious; wary;. 
provident; not in life. —Palladio doth wiffi, like a cauleltms- 
ar.iifaEj,-., 
