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THere are four kinds of Causes, efficient, material, formal and final; there are se∣veral sub-divisions of them, but these follow∣ing are the most convenient to our purpose: as, 1. Into total, as Gold is the cause of money, the Sun of the day; and partial; as, timber in the cause of a house; nature of learning. 2.
Into a cause actually, as, a builder is the cause ••f an house; and a cause potentially, as, an ••rchitect may build an house. 3. Into a re∣••ote cause, as, a feast may be the cause of ••••ckness; and the next cause, as, crudity in ••he stomach is the cause of sickness. 4. Into 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cause simply and by it self; as, the Sun is ••he cause of light; and a cause by accident, as, ••he Sun of blindness.
The Canons or Rules of this Topick are ••hese.
1. In a remote cause; as, he that drinks wine is not alwaies made drunk. 2. In a cause that is obstructed in its operation; as, heavy things do not alwaies descend, because they may be hindered by some thing that holds them up. 3. In a cause by accident; as, he that diggeth in the earth doth not al∣waies find gold. 4. In a cause not suffici∣ent of it self; as, he is not alwaies learned that is industrious; nor that ground al∣waies fertil, that is well tilled; because to
both these more is required.
The latter part of this Canon hath three limitations. 1. In a cause by accident; as, he that doth not dig into the earth may find a treasure. 2. In a cause that may, but is not; as, a building may stand, though the Architect be dead. 3. As oft as the effect may be produced by diverse causes; as, Socrate•• may die, though he doth not drink poy∣son.
2. The effect being granted, the cause is al∣so granted, and the effect being taken away, the cause is taken away also. The first part of this Canon hath three limitations. 1. In an effect by accident; as, a treasure may be found though the earth be not digged. 2. In an ef∣fect that doth remain after the cause; as, the house may remain, though the builder be dead. 3. In an effect that may be produced by diverse causes; as, a man may die, though not by poyson. The latter part hath also three limitations. 1. In an effect by acci∣dent; as, a man may dig in the earth, and not find a treasure. 2. In an effect which was, but is not; as, a building may be destroy∣ed though the builder be living. 3. In an effect produced by a free agent; as, there may be a Physician although he doth not cure any disease.
3. Such as the cause is, such is the effect, and the contrary; as, if the tree be good, the fruit will be good, and the contrary; both parts of this Canon have two limitations. 1. In aequi∣vocal causes and effects; as, the draught may be beautiful though the painter be deformed. 2. In a material cause, for some thing that is extrinsecal; as ice is not fluid because water is so.
4. That for which any thing is such, is much more such it self; as, the air being hot by reason of fire, doth argue that fire is much hotter than air.
This rule faileth. 1. Where both are not such; as, wine which maketh a man drunk, is not it self more drunk, because drunken∣ness cannot be said to be in wine. 2. Where it doth not receive more and less; as, a fa∣ther is not more a man than a son, although he be the cause why the son is a man; for huma∣nity doth not receive more and less. 3. In a cause not sufficient of it self; as, a Master which maketh his schollar learned, is not alwaies more learned than his schollar; for by his ingenuity and industry it sometimes so comes to pass, that the schollar is more learn∣ed than the master.
5. The cause is in nature before the effect; as, reason before risibility; and this never
faileth; for a final cause in which it only seems to fail, although it be in act and exe∣cution after the effect, yet it is before it in the intention of the agent, for which only rea∣son it is the cause.