The rule of reason, conteinyng the arte of logique, set forth in Englishe, by Thomas Vuilson

¶There be foure kyndes of argumentes.

Syllogismus

a perfect argum••

Enthymema,

an vnperfect argum••

Inductio,

an induction.

Exemplum.

an example.

SYllogismus, is an argument wherby the last sentēce, whi∣che we would proue, is confir∣med by other proposiciōs, and sentences, more vniuersall, and better knowen, then the thyng whiche is pro∣ued: conteinyng in themselfes the rea∣son, why the laste sentence is true, and why thei are applied to the same. This kynd of argument, is from the general worde, to the kynde, as thus. If I wil proue theft worthie of punishement, I must first aske the questiō, why? & that thyng that commeth to my mynd, more vniuersall then theft, cōprehēdyng the offēce of theft in it, maie serue to make the argument. As I maie thus reason, that theft should be punished, because it is a vice, or a mischeuous deede, and

then thus I knit vp myne argument.

Euery vice or mischeuous diede is to be punished.

Theft is a vice, or a mischeuous diede.

Therefore thefte is to be puni∣shed.

Here we se thre proposicions, or sen∣tences, whereof the first is called Ma∣ior, that is to saie, the proposicion at large. the seconde is called Minor, that is to saie, the seuerall proposicion. the thirde is called conclusio. that is, the lappyng vp of all. And here we muste note, that like as there be thre Propo∣sitions, euen so there bee thre diuerse endynges, called in Latine, Termini, of the which, thone is called the terme at large, in the first proposicion onely, and afterwarde is referred, to the for∣mer part of the conclusion, called sub∣iectū conclusionis. The second terme is called the seuerall, whiche is in the second proposicion, & this is the worde whereof the question is made, & is spo∣ken of in the conclusion. The thirde is called the double repeate, whiche is

twise rehersed, before the conclusion, and therefore it is twise rehersed, be∣cause it is the knitting together, of the ij. proposicions, and the cause, why the former part of the proposiciō, (wherof a thyng is saied,) and the last rehersed part, (beyng attributed to the part go¦yng before,) are ioyned together in the cōclusion. As to make the thyng plain by the former argument, I will proue this conclusion. Thefte is to be puni∣shed. Thefte is called the former parte whereof this worde (punished) is spo∣ken, and this worde (punished) there∣fore is called the last rehersed part, be¦cause it is spoken of theft, which went before. Now to make my argumēt, and to proue this sentēce true, I must seke a worde, whiche is more generall then that, whiche is proued. And that worde that commeth to my mynd, & is pertei∣nyng to the cause, beyng more vniuer∣sall: (for euery thyng that is proued, is proued by a thyng more knowen) that same worde or reasō, is called the dou∣ble repete. whose propertie is twise to be rehersed in an argument, and that

in the first and seconde proposicion, ne∣uer enteryng into the conclusion, as thus. Euery vice is to bee punished, (vice) is the double repete, which must be rehersed in the seconde proposicion, (for I saied before) it must be twise re∣hersed because it maie be euident, that the former ••art of the conclusion, is in very deede comprehended, vnder the former part of the first proposiciō. And then the argumēt is made as foloweth.

Euery vice is to be punished

Theft is a vice.

Ergo it is to be punished.

Here we se the double repete (whi∣che proueth the matter) is twise reher∣sed in the first, and second proposicion, and entereth not into the conclusion. The terme at large, is in the first pro∣posicion, and the terme seuerall, is in the second proposicion, and enter both into the conclusion. So that we maye se that, whiche proueth the thyng, doth not entre into the conclusion, but is twise rehersed in the two propo••iciōs, and so the conclusion foloweth, by rea∣son that these twoo woordes, vice, and

theft, agree in a third altogether, and whatsoeuer is saied of the one, is saied of the other, and nothyng can be com∣prehended vnder the generall, but all the kyndes haue thesame conteined in in theim, which in this proposicion, are r••ferred to the generall. (Al vice is to be punished, vnto vice, is referred this worde punished) therfore, whatsoeuer is cōprehended vnder this worde, vice, as theft, adultery, wrōg dealyng, mur∣der, this worde punished, is rehersed of theim all: because it agreeth to the ge∣nerall, & is rehersed of thesame. Ther∣fore I reason thus. All vice is to bee punished.

Therfore

• Adultery•• are to be pu∣nished
• Wrong dealyng. are to be pu∣nished
• Murder. are to be pu∣nished

For if that, whiche is general, is to be punished, then the kyndes, or sortes in thinges, are al••o to be punished. Ac∣cordyng to this saiyng. whatsoeuer is truely, and altogether rehersed, of the generall, that same also is rehersed of the kynde, whiche is included in the generall.