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.

Define what these be, and giue examples.

Fallacia Accidentis, may be diuers wayes: as first, when any* 1.1 thing belonging onely to the substance of some thing, is attri∣buted also to some accident of the said substance, and contra∣riwise, as thus: Whatsoeuer thou hast bought, thou hast eaten, but thou hast bought rawe flesh: Ergo, thou hast eaten rawe flesh: heere the Consequent is to be denied, because the Ma∣ior hath respect to the substance, and the Conclusion to the qualitie. Another example, What I am, thou art not, but I am a man: Ergo, thou art none. Heere in this the Maior hath re∣spect to the qualitie, and the Conclusion to the substance. Se∣condly, when Accidents are not rightly ioyned together, as when the qualities of the bodie are ioyned with the quali∣ties of the minde: as Homer is a Poet, and Homer is blinde: Ergo, Homer is a blinde Poet: heere the Conclusion is to bee denied, because to be blinde, and to be a Poet, are diuers qua∣lities, whereof the one belongeth to the minde, and the other to the bodie, and therefore are not rightly ioyned together. Thirdly, as (Melancthon saith) when an accidentall cause is is made a principall cause, as thus: Elias was an holy Prophet, but Elias was clad with Camels haire: Ergo, I being clad with Camels haire, am a holy Prophet. Heere the Conclusion

is to be denied, because to be clad with Camels haire, was not the cause of Elias holinesse. But me thinkes that this and such like examples doe belong rather to the Fallax of Causa pro non causa (whereof we shall speake hereafter) then to the Fallax of the Accident.

The Fallax A dicto secundum quid ad dictum Simpliciter,* 1.2 chanceth when we goe about to make a thing to seeme abso∣lute, that is spoken in some respect, or to be in all, when it is but in part, as a Moore hath white teeth: Ergo, a Moore is white. Againe, it may be in respect, by reason of time, place, person, comparison, and such like. Of time as thus: I saw Iohn yesterday, but I saw him not to day: Ergo, I did see him, and not see him. Of place thus: It is not good to buy and sell in the Church: Ergo, it is not good to buy and sell. Of person thus: A Magistrate may kill a theefe: Ergo, euery man may kill a theefe. Of comparison, thus: Riches are not good to him that cannot vse them: Ergo, Riches are not good.

Hauing now to speake of the Fallax, called the Ignorance* 1.3 of the Elench: I thinke good to call againe to your remem∣brance the definition of an Elench before briefely set downe, which is a Syllogisme rightly gathering a Conclusion contra∣ry to the assertion of the respondent, which contrarietie con∣sisteth of foure principall points or respects, whereof, if any be wanting, then the contrarietie is not perfect.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Fallacia acci∣dentis.
• * 1.2

  2 Dictum secun∣dum quid.
• * 1.3

  3 Ignoratio Elen∣chi.