The arte of logick Plainely taught in the English tongue, according to the best approued authors. Very necessary for all students in any profession, how to defend any argument against all subtill sophisters, and cauelling schismatikes, and how to confute their false syllogismes, and captious arguments. By M. Blundevile.

CHAP. VIII.

Of Substance.

WHat is substance? and how many kindes of substan∣ces be there?

Substance is a thing consisting of it selfe, and needeth no helpe to sustaine the being thereof: and yet it is clad with accidents; for otherwise we could not discerne with our outward senses, whether it were a substance, or not: for we cannot see the substance of any thing with our bodily eies, but only with the eies of our minde and vn∣derstanding; but we may see the shape, the quantitie, the colour, and such like accidents cleauing to the substance, without the which those accidents haue no being at all: and therefore in see∣ing such accidents, we may assure our selues that there is a sub∣stance sustaining those accidents, which doth alwaies remaine, though the accidents doe faile or change neuer so often. As for example: Wee see in water, that though it be sometime hot, and sometime cold, now of one colour, and now of another, yet the substance of water doth still remaine, so as we may perceiue those accidents to be one thing, and the substance of water to be ano∣ther. Now as touching the kindes of substance, according to Aristotle, there be two, that is, first and second.

What call you first substances?

First substances be those substances which the Logicians call

Indiuidua, as Iohn, Thomas, this man, or that man, this horse, or that horse, and by reason of their accidents are to bee discerned with outward senses.

Which call you second substances?

Second substances are those which they call speciall kindes, and generall kindes, as man, a sensible body, a liuing body, and such like, which are to be comprehended only by mans reason, and be not subiect to our outward senses, as first substances bee. And these second substances are otherwise called of the Schoole∣men, vniuersall natures.

How many properties doe belong to substance?

These three: First, substance is contained in no subiect, as an accident is: for though the parts of a mans body be contained in the whole, yet euery such part is a peculiar body or substance, and hath his proper being of it selfe so well as the whole, whereas accidents without substance haue no being at all. Secondly, sub∣stances are said to be diuers, but not contrary one to another: for neither is fire, as touching his substance, contrary to water, nor the Wolfe contrary to the Lambe, but onely in respect of their qualitie, whereunto contrarietie doth properly belong. Thirdly, of substances, one cannot be more or lesse then another; for the greatest Giant, as touching substance, is no more a man then the least Dwarfe that is; neither is a man full growne, more a man, then a childe newly borne: for more or lesse appertaineth pro∣perly to quantitie, and not to substance. But if you will vnder∣stand how farre the predicament of substance doth extend, and what it comprehendeth, consider well this Table following, whereby you may learne how to define any kinde of substance, whatsoeuer it be: for there you shall finde all the kindes, both generall and speciall, together with their differences, most plainly set forth.

The Table of Substance.

• Substance is either
• ...
  • without body, as
  • ...
    • An Angell, as Gabriel, Michael, &c.
    • A spirit or soule separate from the body, as the spirit or soule of this or that dead man.
  • Or with body: if it bee with body, it is either
  • ...
    • Simple, if it be sim∣ple, it is either
    • ...
      • Celestiall, as the eleuen heauens, and all the starres and planets.
      • Or elementall, as fire, aire, water, earth.
    • Or com∣pound, if it bee com∣pound, it is either
    • ...
      • liuing, if it be liuing, it is ei∣ther
      • ...
        • Sensible, if it be a sen∣sible body, called in Latine, animal, it is either
        • ...
          • Reason∣able, as man, as
          • ...
            • Socrates,
            • Plato,
            • Virgil,
          • Or vn∣reaso∣nable, as
          • ...
            • A bird or fowle, as a Larke, &c.
            • A 4. footed beast as a horse.
            • A fish, as a salmo a creeping beast as a worme, a snake, a viper.
        • Or vnsen∣sible, as a plāt, which is either
        • ...
          • A tree, as an Oke, an Ap∣ple-tree, &c.
          • A shrubbe, as briers, broome, &c.
          • Or hearbe, as Thyme, Isope, Margerum.
    • or vn∣liuing, if it be vnli∣uing, it is ei∣ther
    • ...
      • Perfect, if it be per∣fect, it is either
      • ...
        • Metall, as gold and sil∣uer, &c.
        • Or stone, which is either
        • ...
          • Naturall, as a precious stone, a flint.
          • Or artificiall, as a tile or bricke.
        • Or liquor, as wine, hony, &c.
      • or vnper∣fect, as
      • ...
        • Firie impressions, as thun∣der, lightning.
        • Or watrie impressions, as raine, ha•…•…le, snow, &c.