[1] Elem. of Philos. c. 7. a. 1 2.
[2] P. 1. c. 8.
[XVI.]
MADAM,
An Accident, says your Author,[1] is nothing else, but the manner of our Conception of body, or that Faculty of any body, by which it works in us a Conception of it self; To which I willingly consent; but yet I say, that these qualities cannot be separated from the body, for as impossible it is that the essence of Nature should be separable from Nature, as impossible is it that the various modes or alterations, either of Figures or Motions, should be separable from matter or body; Wherefore when he goes on, and says,[2] An accident is not a body, but in a body, yet not so, as if any thing were contained therein, as if for example, redness were in blood in the same manner as blood is in a bloody cloth; but as magnitude is in that which is great, rest in that which resteth, motion in that which is moved; I answer, that in my opinion, not any thing in Nature can be without a body, and that redness is as well in blood, as blood is in a bloody cloth, or any other colour in any thing else; for there is no colour without a body, but every colour hath as well a body as any thing else, and if Colour be a separable accident, I would fain know, how it can be separated from a subject, being bodiless, for that which is no body is nothing, and nothing cannot be taken away from any thing; Wherefore as for natural Colour it cannot be taken away from any creature, without the parts of its substance or body; and as for artificial Colours, when they are taken away, it is a separation of two bodies, which joyned together; and if Colour, or Hardness, or Softness do change, it is nothing else but an alteration of motions and not an annihilation, for all changes and alterations remain in the power of Corporeal motions, as I have said in other places; for we might as well say, life doth not remain in nature, when a body turns from an animal to some other figure, as believe that those, they name accidents, do not remain in Corporeal Motions; Wherefore I am not of your Authors mind, when he says,[3] that when a White thing is made black, the whiteness perishes; for it cannot perish, although it is altered from white to black, being in the power of the same matter, to turn it again from black to white, so as it may make infinite Repetitions of the same thing; but by reason nature takes delight in variety, she seldom uses such repetitions; nevertheless that doth not take away the Power of self-moving matter, for it doth not, and it cannot, are two several things, and the latter doth not necessarily follow upon the former; Wherefore not any, the least thing, can perish in Nature, for if this were possible, the whole body of nature might perish also, for if so many Figures and Creatures should be annihilated and perish without any supply or new Creation, Nature would grow less, and at last become nothing; besides it is as difficult for Nature to turn something into nothing, as to Create something out of nothing; Wherefore as there is no annihilation or perishing in Nature, so there is neither any new Creation in Nature. But your Author makes a difference between bodies and accidents, saying, that bodies are things and not generated, but accidents are Generated and not things. Truly, Madam, these accidents seem to me to be like Van Helmont's Lights, Gases, Blazes and Ideas; and Dr More's Immaterial Substances or Dæmons, onely in this Dr More hath the better, that his Immaterial Substances, are beings, which subsist of themselves, whereas accidents do not, but their existence is in other bodies; But what they call Accidents, are in my opinion nothing else but Corporeal Motions, and if these accidents be generated, they must needs be bodies, for how nothing can be Generated in nature, is not conceivable, and yet your Author denies,[4] that Accidents are something, namely some part of a natural thing; But as for Generations, they are onely various actions of self-moving matter, or a variety of Corporeal Motions, and so are all Accidents whatsoever, so that there is not any thing in nature, that can be made new, or destroyed, for whatsoever was and shall be, is in nature, though not always in act, yet in power, as in the nature and power of Corporeal motions, which is self-moving matter, And as there is no new Generation of Accidents, so there is neither a new Generation of Motions; wherefore when your Author says,[5] That, when the hand, being moved, moveth the pen, the motion doth not go out of the hand into the pen, for so the writing might be continued, though the hand stood still, but a new motion is generated in the pen, and is the pens motion: I am of his opinion, that the motion doth not go out of the hand into the pen, and that the motion of the pen, is the pens own motion; but I deny, that after holding the hand a little while still, and beginning to write again, a new motion of the pen is generated; for it is onely a repetition, and not a new generation, for the Hand, Pen and Ink, repeat but the same motion or action of writing: Besides, Generation is made by Connexion or Conjunction of parts, moving by consent to such or such Figures, but the motion of the Hand or the Pen is always one and the same; wherefore it is but the variation and repetition in and of the same motion of the Hand, or Pen, which may be continued in that manner infinitely, just as the same Corporeal Motions can make infinite variations and repetitions of one and the same Figure, repeating it as oft as they please, as also making Copy of Copy; And although I do not deny, but there are Generations in Nature, yet not annihilations or perishings, for if any one motion or figure should perish, the matter must perish also; and if any one part of matter can perish, all the matter in nature may perish also; and if there can any new thing be made or created in nature, which hath not been before, there may also be a new Nature, and so by perishings and new Creations, this World would not have continued an age; But surely whatsoever is in Nature, hath been existent always. Wherefore to conclude, it is not the generation and perishing of an Accident that makes its subject to be changed, but the production and alteration of the Form, makes it said to be generated or destroyed, for matter will change its motions and figures without perishing or annihilating; and whether there were words or not, there would be such causes and effects; But having not the art of Logick to dispute with artificial words, nor the art of Geometry to demonstrate my opinions by Mathematical Figures, I fear they will not be so well received by the Learned; However, I leave them to any mans unprejudiced Reason and Judgment, and devote my self to your service, as becomes,
Madam,
Your Ladiships
humble and faithful Servant.
[1] Elem. of Philos. c. 8. art. 2.