felves. The character of a creator agrees to God, and worship agrees to a creator, therefore worship agrees to God.

The foundation of all negative convulfions is this, that where one of the two proposed ideas agrees with a third idea, and the other difagrees with it, they must needs difagree fo far alfo with one another; as, if no finners are happy, and if angels are happy, then angels are not finners.

Thus it appears what is the ftrict and just notion of a fyllogifm: it is a sentence or argument made up of three propofitions fo difpofed, as that the laft is neceffarily inferred from those which go before, as in the inftances which have been just mentioned.

In the constitution of a fyllogifm two things may be confidered, (viz.) the matter and the form of it.

The matter of which a fyllogifm is made up, is three propofitions; and these three propofitions are made up of three ideas, or terms varioufly joined. The three terms are called the remote matter of a fyllogifm; and the three propofitions the proxime or immediate matter of it.

The three terms are named the major, the minor, and the middle.

The predicate of the conclufion is called the major term, because it is generally of a larger extenfion than the minor term, or the fubject. The major and minor terms are called the extremes.

The middle term is the third idea invented and difpofed in two propofitions in such a manner as to fhew the connection between the major and minor term in the conclufion; for which reafon the middle term itself is fometimes called the argument.

The propofition which contains the predicate of the conclufion, connected with the middle term, is usually called the major propofition, whereas the minor propɔfition connects the middle term with the fubject of the conclufion, and is fometimes called the aflumption.

Note, This exact diftinction of the feveral parts of a fyllogifm, and of the major and minor terms connected with the middle term, in the major and minor propofitions, does chiefly belong to fimple or categorical fyllo

gifms, of which we fhall fpeak in the next chapter, though, all fyllogifms, whatfoever have fomething analogical to it.

Note farther, that the major propofition is generally placed firft, and the minor fecond, and the conclufion in the laft place, where the fyllogifm is regularly compofed and represented.

The form of a fyllogifm is the framing and difpofing of the premises according to art, or juft principles of reafoning, and the regular inference of the conclufion from them.

The art of reafoning, or inferring one thing from another, is generally expreffed and known by the particle therefore, when the argument is formed according to the rules of art; though in common discourse or writing, fuch cafual particles as for, becaufe, manifeft the act of reasoning, as well as the illative particles then and therefore: and wherefoever any of these words are used, there is a perfect fyllogifm expreffed or implied, though perhaps the three propofitions do not appear, or are not placed in regular forms.

CHAP. II.

OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF SYLLOGISMS, WITH PARTIL CULAR RULES RELATING TO THEM.

YLLOGISMS are divided into various kinds either according to the question which is proved by them, according to the nature and compofition of them, or according to the middle term, which is used to prove the question.

SECT. I.

Of univerfal and particular Syllogifms, both negative and

A

affirmative.

CCORDING to the question which is to be proved, fo fyllogifms are divided into univerfal

X

affirmitive, univerfal negative, particular affirmative, and particular negative. This is often called a division of fyllogifms drawn from the conclufions; for so many forts of conclufions there may be which are marked with the letter A, E, I, O.

In an univerfal affirmative fyllogifm, one idea is proved univerfally to agree with another, and may be univerfally affirmed of it, as every fin deferves death, every unlawful with is a fin; therefore every unlawful with deferves death.

In an univerfal negative fyllogifm, one idea is proved to difagree with another idea univerfally, and may be thus denied of it, as, no injuftice can be pleafing to God; all perfecution for the fake of confcience is injuftice; therefore no perfecution for confcience fake can be pleafing to God.

Particular affirmitive, and particular negative fyllogifms may be easily understood by what is faid of univerfals, and there will be fufficient examples given of all thefe in the next fection.

The general principle upon which these univerfal and particular fyllogifms are founded is this; whatsoever is affirmed or denied univerfally of any idea, may be affirmed or denied of all the particular kinds of beings which are contained in the extenfion of that univerfal idea. So the defert of death is affirmed univerfally of fin, and an unlawful wifh is one particular kind of fin, which is contained in the universal idea of fin; therefore the defert of death may be affirmed concerning an unlawful wifh: and fo of the rest.

Note, In the doctrine of fyllogifms, a fingular and an indefinite propofition are ranked among universals, as was before obferved in the doctrine of propofitions.

SECT. II.

Of plain, fimple Syllogifms and their rules.

THE
Tcompound. This is drawn from the nature and

HE next divifion of fyllogifms is into fingle and

compofition of them.

Single fyllogifms are made up of three propofitions: compound fyllogifms contain more than three propofitions, and may be formed into two or more fyllogifms., Single fyllogifms, for diftinction's fake, may be divided into * fimple, complex and conjunctive.

Thofe are properly called fimple or categorical fyllogifms, which are made up of three plain, fingle, or categorical propofitions, wherein the middle term is evidently and regularly joined with one part of the question in the major propofition, and with the other in the minor, whence there follows a plain single conclufion; as, every human virtue is to be fought with diligence; prudence is a human virtue; therefore prudence is to be fought diligently.

Note, Though the terms of propofitions may be complex; yet where the compofition of the whole ar-gument is thus plain, fimple, and regular, it is properly called a fimple fyllogifm, fince the complection does not belong to the fyllogiftic form of it.

Simple fyllogifms have feveral rules belonging tơ them, which being obferved, will generally fecure us from false inferences: but these rules being founded on four general axioms, it is neceffary to mention these axioms before-hand, for the use of those who will enter into the fpeculative reafon of all these rules.

Axiom 1. Particular propofitions are contained in univerfals, and may be inferred from them; but univerfals are not contained in particulars, nor can be in-ferred from them.

Axiom 2 In all univerfal propofitions, the fubject is univerfal in all particular propofitions, the fubject is. particular.

Axiom 3. In all affirmative propofitions, the predicate has no greater extenfion than the fubject; for its extenfion is reftrained by the subject, and therefore it is always to be esteemed as a particular idea. It is by mere accident, if it ever be taken univerfally, and cannot happen but in such universal or fingular propofitions as are reciprocal.

* As ideas and propofitions are divided into fingle and compound, and fingle are fubdivided into simple and complex; fo there are the fame divisions and fub-divisions applied to fyllogifms.

Axiom. 4. The predicate of a negative propofition is always taken univerfally, for in its whole extenfion it is denied of the fubject. If we fay no ftone is vegetable, we deny all forts of vegetation concerning ftones.

The rules of fimple, regular fyllogifms are these.

Rule I. The middle term must not be taken twice particularly, but once at least univerfally. For if the middle term be taken for two different parts or kinds of the fame univerfal idea, then the subject of the conclusion is compared with one of these parts, and the predicate with another part, and this will never fhew whether that fubject and predicate agree or disagree: there will then be four diftinct terms in the fyllogifm, and the two parts of the question will not be compared with the fame third idea; as if I fay, fome men are pious, and fome men are robbers, I can never infer that fome robbers are pious, for the middle term, men, being taken twice particularly, it is not the fame men who are fpoken of in the major and minor propofitions.

Rule II. The terms in the conclufion must never be talen more univerfally than they are in the premijes. The reafon is derived from the first axiom, that generals can never be inferred from particulars.

Rule III. A negative conclufion cannot be proved by two affirmative premises. For when the two terms of the conclufions are united or agree to the middle term, it does not follow by any means that they difagree with one another.

Rule IV. If one of the premifes be negative, the conclu fion must be negative. For if the middle term be denied of either part of the conclufion, it may fhew that the terms of the conclufion disagree, but it can never shew that they agree.

Rule V. If either of the premises be particular, the conclufion must be particular. This may be proved for the most part from the firft axiom.

Thefe two laft rules are fometimes united in this fingle fentence. The conclufion always follows the weaker part of the premifes. Now negatives and particulars are counted inferior to affirmatives and univerfals.