3. There is a physical or essential Whole, which is usually made to signify and include only the two essential Parts of Man, Body and Soul: But I think the Sense of it may better be alter'd, or at least enlarged, and so include all the essential Modes, Attributes or Properties which are contained in the Comprehension of any Idea. This shall be the Subject of Discourse under the third Rule to direct our Conceptions.

4. There is a logical whole, which is also called an universal ; and the Parts of it are all the

particular Ideas to which this universal Nature extends. So a Genus is a Whole in respect of the several Species which are its Parts.

So the Species is a whole, and all the Individuals are the Parts of it. This shall be treated of in the fourth Rule to guide our Conceptions.

At present we consider an Idea as an integral Whole, and our second Rule directs us to contemplate it in all its Parts : But this can only refer to complex Ideas, for simple Ideas have no Parts.

SECT. VIII.

Of Division, and the Rules of it. S

Ince our Minds are narrow in their Capacity,

and cannot survey the several Parts of any complex Being with one single View, as God sees all Things at once ; therefore we must as it were take it to Pieces, and consider of the Parts separately that we may have a more compleat Conception of the Whole. So if I would learn the Nature of a Watch, the Workman takes it to pieces and shews me the Spring, the Wheels, the Axles, the Pinions, the Balance, the Dial-Plate: the Pointer, the Cafe, &c. and describes each of these Things

to

to me apart, together with their Figures and their Ufes. If I would know what an Animal is, the Anatomist confiders the Head, the Trunk, the Limbs, the Bowels apart from each other, and gives me diftinct Lectures upon each of them. So a Kingdom is divided into its feveral Provinces: A Book into its feveral Chapters; and any Science is divided according to the several Subjects of which it treats.

This is what we properly call the Divifion of an Idea, which is an Explication of the Whole by its feveral Parts, or an Enumeration of the feveral Parts, that go to compose any Whole Idea, and to render it compleat. And I think when Man is divided into Body and Soul, it properly comes under this part of the Doctrine of integral Divifion, as well as when the mere Body is divided into Head, Trunk and Limbs: This Divifion is fometimes called Partition.

When any of the Parts of any Idea are yet farther divided in order to a clear Explication of the Whole, this is called a Subdivifion; as when a Year is divided into Months, each Month into Days, and each Day into Hours, which may also be farther fubdivided into Minutes and Sounds.

It is neceffary in order to the full Explication of any Being to confider each Part, and the Properties of it, distinct by it self, as well as in its Relation to the Whole: for there are many Properties that belong to the several Parts of a Being which cannot properly be afcribed to the Whole, tho' thefe Properties may fit each Part for its proper Station, and as it ftands in that Relation to the whole complex Being: as in a House, the Doors are moveable, the Rooms fquare, the Cielings white, the Windows tranfparent, yet the House is neither moveable, nor fquare, nor white, nor tranfparent.

The

The Special Rules of a good Divifion are these.

1. Rule. Each Part fingly taken must contain less than the whole, but all the Parts taken collectively (or together) must contain neither more nor less than the whole. Therefore if in difcourfing of a Tree you divide it into the Trunk and Leaves it is an imperfect Divifion, because the Root and the Branches are needful to make up the Whole. Logick would be ill divided into Apprehenfion, Judgment and Reasoning; for Method is a confiderable Part of the Art which teaches us to use our Reafon right, and fhould by no Means be amitted.

So

Yet here it must be noted, that fometimes the Subjects of any Treatife, or the Objects of a particular Science may be properly and neceffarily fo divided, that the fecond may include the firft, and the third may include the first and second, without offending against this Rule, becaufe in the fecond or following Parts of the Science or Difcourse, thefe Objects are not confidered in the famé manner as in the firft; as for Inftance, Geometry divides its Objects into Lines, Surfaces and Solids; Now tho' a Line be contained in a Surface or a Solid, yet it is not confider'd in a Surface or rate and alone, or as a mere Line, as it is in the first Part of Geometry which treats of Lines. So Logick is rightly divided into Conception, Judgment, Reasoning and Method; for tho' Ideas or Conceptions are contained in the following Parts of Logick, yet they are not there treated of as feparate Ideas, which are the proper Subject of the first Part.

4. Rule, Let not Subdivifions be too numerous without Neceffity: For it is better many Times to distinguish more Parts at once if the Subject will bear it, than to mince the Difcourfe by exceffive dividing and fubdividing. It is preferable therefore in a Treatife of Geography to fay that in a City we will confider its Walls, its Gates, its Buildings, its Streets, and Lanes, than to divide it formally firft into the encompaffing and the encompassed Parts; the eneompaffing Parts are the Walls and Gates; the encompaffed Part includes the Ways and the Buildings; the Ways are the Streets and the Lanes; Buildings confift of the Foundations and the Superstructure, &c.

Too

Too great a Number of Subdivifions has been affected by fome Perfons in Sermons, Treatifes, Inftructions, &c. under pretence of greater Accuracy: But this fort of Subtilties hath often given great Confufion to the Understanding, and fometimes more Difficulty to the Memory. In these Cafes it is only a good Judgment can determine what Subdivifions are needful.

5. Rule. Divide every Subject according to the Special Defign you have in view. One and the fame Idea or Subject may be divided in very different Manners according to the different Purposes we have in difcourfing of it. So if a Printer were to confider the feveral Parts of a Book, he must divide it into Sheets, the Sheets into Pages, the Pages into Lines, and the Lines into Letters. But a Grammarian divides a Book into Periods, Sentences and Words, or Parts of Speech, as Noun, Pronoun, Verb, &c. A Logician confiders a Book as divided into Chapters, Sections, Arguments, Propofitions, Ideas; and with the Help of Ontology, he divides the Propofitions into Subject, Object, Property, Relation, Action, Paffion, Cause, Effect, &c. But it would be very ridiculous for a Logician to divide a Book into Sheets, Pages and Lines; ' or for a Printer to divide it into Nouns and Pronouns, or into Propofitions, Ideas, Properties or Caufes.

6. Rule. In all your Divifions obferve with greateft Exactness the Nature of Things. And here I am conftrain'd to make a Subdivifion of this Rule into two very neceffary Particulars.

(1.) Let the Parts of your Divifion be fuch as are properly diftinguished in Nature. Do not divide afunder those Parts of the Idea which are in

timately