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Thus a Piece of Wax is a Subjlance 5 becaufe we can conceive it as fubfifting of itfelf, and or its own Nature, without any Dependance on any other created Nature, or without any particular Mode, Form, Colour, &c. See Mode.
Spifiofa maintains, that there is but one only Subjlance in Nature, whereof all the Creatures are fo many different Modifications 5 and thus he makes the Soul of the fame Subjlance with the Body. The whole Univerfe, according to him, is but one Svbjlance 5 which Subjlance, he holds en- dow'd with an Infinity of Attributes, in the Number of which are Thought and Extenfion. AH Bodies are Mo- difications of this Subjlance, confider'd as extended 5 and all Spirits Modifications of the fame Subjlance, confider'd as Thought. See Body and Thinking.
But Mr. Lock's Philofophy of Subjlances, is much more Orthodox : Our Ideas of Substances, that great Author ob- ferves, are only fuch Combinations of fimple Ideas, as are taken to reprefent diliinct Things, fubfifting by themfelves 5 in which the confuted Idea of Subftance, is always the Chief. Thus the Combination of the Ideas of a certain Figure, with the Powers of Motion, Thought and Reafoning, joined to Subjlance, make the ordinary idea of Man ; and thus the Mind obfcrving feveral fimple Ideas to go conftantly together, which being prefumed to belong to one Thing, are call d, and united in one Subject, by one Name 5 which we are apt, after- ward, to talk of and confider as one fimple Idea. See Idea.
We imagine not thefe fimple Ideas to fubfift by themfelves; but fuppofe fome Subftratum, wherein they fubfift, which we call Subft&nce. See Substratum.
The Idea of pure Subjlance, is nothing but the fuppofed, yet unknown Support of thefe Qualities, which are capable of producing fimple Ideas in us. See Quality.
The Ideas of particular Subftances are compofed out of this obfeure and general Idea of Subitance, together with fuch Combinations of fimple Ideas, as are obferved to exift to. gether, and fuppofed to flow from the internal Conflitution, and unknown Eflenceof that Subjlance.
Thus we come by the Ideas of Man, Horfe, Gold, &c. Thus the fenfible Qualities of Iron, or a Diamond, make the complex Idea of thofe Subjlances, which a Smith, or a Jeweller commonly knows better than a Phi lo fop her. See Definition.
The fame happens concerning the Operations of the Mind, viz. Thinking, Reafoning, £S?c. which we concluding not to fubfift by themfelves, nor apprehending how they can belong to Body, or be produe'd By it; we think them the Actions of fbme other Subjlance, which we call Spirit ; of whole S'tbjtance or Nature we have as clear a Notion, as of that of Body ; the one being but the fuppos'd Subjlratum of the fimple Ideas we have from without j as the other of thofe Operations, which we experiment in ourfelvcs within : So that the Idea cf Corporeal Subjlance in Matter, is as remote from our Conceptions, as that of Spiritual Subjlance.
Hence we may conclude, that he has the perfect Idea of any particular Subjlance, who has collected moft of thofe fimple Ideas which do exift in it 5 among which, we are to reckon its active Powers 2nd paffive Capacities, though not ftrictly fimple Ideas.
Subjlances are generally diftinguifh'd by fecondary Quali- ties ; for our Senfes fail us in the Difcovery of primary ones, as the Bulk, Figure, Texture, &c. of the minute Parts of Bodies, on which their real Conftitutions and Differences depend. See Particle.
But fecondary Qualities are nothing but Powers, with re- lation to our Senfes.
The Ideas that make our Complex ones of Corporeal Subjlances, are of three Sorts : Firlt, the Ideas of primary Qualities of Things, which are difcovered by our Senfes ; fuch as Bulk, Figure, Motion, &c. Secondly, the Senfible fecondary Qualities, which are nothing but Powers to pro- duce feveral Ideas in us, by our Senfes. Thirdly, the Apt- nefs we confider in any Sabflance, to caufe or receive fuch Alterations of primary Qualities, as that the Subjlance fo alterM, fhould produce in us different Ideas from what it did before.
BefTdes the complex Ideas we have of material Sub- fUtnceS, by the fimple Ideas taken from the Operations of our own Minds which we experiment in ourfelves as Think- ing, Underffanding, Willing, Knowing, &c. co-exifting in the fame Subjlance, we are able to frame the complex Idea of a Spirit: And this Idea of an immaterial Subjlance, is as clear, as that we have of a Material.
By joining thefe with Subjlance, of which we have no diftinct Idea, we have the Idea of Spirit: And by put- ting together the Ideas of coherent, fblid Parts, and Power of being mov'd joined with Subjlance, of which likewife we have no pofitive Idea ; we have the Idea of Matter.
Further, there are other Ideas of Subjlances, which may be called CoIleBive, which are made up of any particular Subjlances ; confuted as united into one Idea, as a Troop,
Array, &c. which the Mind does by its Power of Com pofition. Thefe collective Ideas, are but the art'fi • 1 Draughts of the Mind, bringing Things remote and dependant, into one View, the better to contemplate **# difcourfe of them united into one Conception, andfio n ifipj by one Name. For there are no Things fb remote \hi ? the Mind cannot, by this Art of Compofition, bring into Idea 5 as is viiible, i n that fignified by the Mame Un^ verfe. See Composition.
SUBSTANTIAL, or SUBSTANTIAL, in the Schools famething belonging to the Nature of Subjlance. '
'Tis generally difputed, whether or no, there be fuch. Things as fubjlantial Forms, i. e. Forms independant of all Matter; or Forms that are Subjlances themfelves. See Form.
Subjlantial, is alfo ufed in the fame Senfe with JSJJential - in oppofitiou to Accidental; in which relation, it gives room for abundance of Diftinguo's. See Essentia.!,.
SUBSTANTIVE, in Grammar, a Quality afctibed to a Noun or Name, when the Object it deligns, is confider'd fimply, in itfelf, and without any regard to its Qualities! See Noun.
When the Object, is confider'd, as cloath'd with certain Qualities, the Noun is faid to be Adje&ive.
For a more palpable Criterion; All Nouns, to which one cannot add the Word 'thing, are Subjlantives ; and all thofe to which Tiling may be added, ate Adjeftives. See Ad- jective.
F. Suffer obferves, 'tis a common Miflake in Gramma- rians, to define a Noun Subjlantive, to be that which de- notes or expreffes a Subjlance.
The Mittake ariles hence, that finding all Subftances ex- prefs'd by Subjlantives, they have call'd all Kinds of Nouns, Sub/lantiveS. But it does not follow, that all Nouns defign Subftances; witnefs the Nouns Accident, Ligbtnefs, Sfc. which are far from expreffing Subftances, and yet are true Nouns Subjlantives. Perhaps Grammarians mean nothing here by Subjlance, but the Subject fpoke of: If fo, the Defi- nition is laudable.
Nouns Subjlantives fometimes, become Adjectives ; and Nouns Adjectives become Subjlantives. In effect, the Na- ture of the Adjective being to exprefs the Quality of an Ob- ject ; if that Quality be the Object itfelf fpoke of, then, on the Foot of our Definition, it becomes a Subjlantive. If, I fay, a good Trince, the Word good is apparently an Ad- jective, becaule it reprefents the Prince, as cloath'd with the Quality of Goodnefs. But if I fay, The Good ought to be f refer' d to the Sad ; 'tis evident, Good is the Subjefl fpoke of, and, confequently, a Subjlantive.
Indeed, Cuftom does not allow us to ufe all Adjectives in- differently, as Subjlantives ; nor all Subjlantives, as Adjectives. The Laws regarded herein are as follow ;
All Nouns cither fignify an Individual, as Socrates, Alex- ander, £jV. or a Species, as Man, Horfe, Sic. or an effential Quality, as Rational, Material ; or an accidental one, as Black, White, Good, Fair, jefc. or a Dignity, Office, Att, e?i\ as King, Prefident, Philofopher, jtfe.
Thus have we four Kinds of Nouns ; whereof the i° is very rarely taken adjectively; for as they fignify Individuals or particular Beings, they can fcarce be applied to any thing but the Thing they properly fignify : yet we have fbmetimes known the Name of Cato taken Adjectively; as, 'This is to he Cato, indeed. Nor does Malherbe fcmple to fay in French, 'Plus Mars que le Marsde la Thrace.
2° Proper Names are fometimes converted into the Name of Dignities, fie. as Gcfar, Augujlus, lie. In which Cafe, they may be confider'd, in the fame Light, as Nouns of the fourth Kind.
3° Thofe of the fecond Kind, are alfo fometimes taken Adjectively, as, He is much a Man, £Jc. The third Kind are Adjectives themfelves: For the fourth Kind, all Gram- marians rank them among Subjlantives ; excepting F. Huffier, who will have them to be Adjectives ; or, to ufe his own Term, Modificatives. Be this as it will, they are frequently ufed adjectively ; He is more a King, and more a Philofo- pher than any of his PredecefTors.
Now for Adjectives taken fubftantively, \° Participles Paffive, are very rarely thus taken; though we fome- times fay, the Loved are lefs haffy than the Lovers: the taught have the Advantage cf the Untaught : the Sejieged made a Salley, lie. And, 2 Participles Active are taken flill more rarely for Subjlantives. We fcarce ever, e. gr. fay the Loving, the Reading ; but the Lover, the Reader ; yet we ,'ay Student, the Proteftant, the Tenant, the Appel- lant, the Opponent, fie
3° For Nouns Adjectives, thofe applied to Men, are not only ufed Subjlantively, but are even become Subjlantives by Ufe ; whether they be fuch as regard Religion ; as Chriflian, Pagan, Mahometan, lie. Or Opinion; as^Stoic, Peripatetic, Carteftan, Sic. Or Country ; as the EngliJIi, French, Italians: Or the Temperament; as the Melancholic, Phlegmatic, Choleric, Qfr. Under the fame Rule, are likewife compre- hended