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.

WHat is that cause Efficient, and how is it deuided?

Cause Efficient is that from whence proceedeth the first beginning of any thing that is made or done, and is the maker thereof. As for example, the Carpenter is the Cause Ef∣ficient of the house which he maketh, and so is euery Artificer of his owne worke. Causes Efficient are deuided into two kinds (that is to say) Cause Absolute, and Cause Adiuuant. Cause Absolute worketh by his owne force and vertue, as the fire that burneth. Cause Adiuuant worketh not by himselfe, but is a helper, and such cause is sometime principall, as ver∣tue

is a Principall Cause of blessed life, and sometime not Principal, as the gifts of the body and of fortune be helpers to the happy life: but not Principall Causes thereof. Againe of Causes, some are of Necessitie, without which the thing can∣not be made, as the Instrument or matter, and some are said not to be of Necessitie, as when we say, The speaking of truth causeth hatred, and yet not of Necessitie. Also of Causes Effi∣cient, some be Vniuersall, and some Particular, as the Eclipse or euill Coniunction of certaine Planets is the Vniuersal cause of Pestilence: but the corruption of humours in mans body is the particular cause thereof. Againe, of causes some bee called of the Latins Propinquae (that is to say) nigh vnto the Effect, as the father and mother be the nighest Causes of Generation of Children. And some be called Remotae, (that is to say) re∣moued causes, which be further of, as the Grands•…•…rs, and Gran∣dames of the said children. Moreouer of Causes Efficient some work by a certaine naturall Necessity, as those that lack choise and iudgement, as fire that burneth, and the Sun that shineth, and all other naturall things that doe work by their own force and vertue. Some againe do work by counsell, reason, and free∣will, as men, Angels, and most chiefely God himselfe.