A diftributive univerfal will allow the word all to be changed into every, or into one, and by this means is diftinguished from a collective.

Inftances of a diftributive univerfal are the most common on every occasion; as, all men are mortal; every man is a sinner, &c. But in this fort of universal there is a diftribution to be made, which follows in the next remark.

Note 3. When an univerfal term is taken diftributively, fometimes it includes all the individuals contained in its inferior fpecies; as when I fay every sickness has a tendency to death; I mean every individual sicknefs, as well as every kind. But fometimes it includes no more than merely each fpecies or kind; as when the evangelift fays Chrift healed every difeafe, or every difeafe was heated by Chrift; that is, every kind of dif eafe. The firft of thefe, logicians, call the diftribution of an univerfal in fingula generum; the laft is a distribution in genera fingulorum, But either of them joined to the fubject render a proposition univerfal.

Note 4. The univerfality of a fubject is often reftrained by a part of the predicate; as when we fay allmen learn wifdom by experience; the univerfal subject,, all men is limited to signify only, all thofe men who learn wisdom. The fcripture alfo ufes this fort of language, when it fpeaks of all men being juftified by the righteoufnefs of one, Rom. v. 18. that is, all me who are justified obtain it this way.

Obferve here, that not only a metaphysical or natural, but a moral univerfality alfo is oftentimes to be reftrained by a part of the predicate; as when we fay, all the Dutch are good feamen: all the Italians are fubtile politicians; that is, thofe among the Dutch that arefeamen are good feamen; and thofe among the Italians who are politicians are fubtle politicians, that is, they are generally fo.

Note 5. The univerfality of a term is many times. reftrained by the particular time, place, circumftance,.

c. or the design of the fpeaker; as if we are in the city of London, and fay, all the weavers went to prefent their petition; we mean only all the weavers who dwell

in the city. So when it is faid in the gofpel, all men did marvel, Mark v. 20. it reaches only to all those men who heard of the miracles of our Saviour.

Here alfo it should be observed, that a moral univerfality is reftrained by time, place, and other circum. tances, as well as a natural; fo that by thefe means the word all fometimes does not extend to a tenth part of those who at firit might feem to be included in that word..

One occafion of thefe difficulties and ambiguities, that belong to univerfal propofitions, is the common humour and temper of mankind, who generally have an inclination to magnify their ideas, and to talk. roundly and univerfally concerning any thing they fpeak of; which has introduced univerfal terms of fpeech into custom and habit, in all nations and all: languages, more than nature or reafon would dictate ; yet when this custom is introduced, it is not at all improper to use this fort of language in folemn and sacred. writings, as well as in familiar discourse..

II. Remarks concerning indefinite propofitions.

Note 1. Propofitions carrying in them univerfal forms of expreffion may fonetimes drop the note of univerfality, and become indefinite, and yet retain the fame giverfal fenfe, whether metaphysical, natural or: moralswhether collective or diftributive.

We may give instances of each of these.

Metaphyfical; as, a circle has a center and circum-ference. Natural; as, beasts have four feet. Morals as, negroes are ftupid creatures. Collective; as, the apples will fill a bufhel. Diftributive; as, men are mortal.

Note 2. There are many cafes wherein a collective idea is expreffed in a propofition by an indefinite term, and that where it defcribes the nature or quality of the fubject, as well as when it declares fome paft matters of fact; as, fir-trees fet in good order will give a charming profpect; this must fignify a collection of fir-trees, for one makes no profpect. In matters of fact this is more evident and frequent; as the Romans overcame the Gauls; the robbers furrounded the coach:

the wild geefe flew over the Thames in the form of a wedge. All thefe are collective fubjects..

Note 3. In indefinite propofitions the fubject is often reftrained by the predicate, or by the fpecial time, place, or circumftances, as well as in propofitions which are exprefly univerfal; as the Chinefes are ingenious. filk-weavers, that is, thofe Chinefes, which are filkweavers, are ingenious at their work. The ftars appear to us when the twilight is gone. This can figni fy no more than the ftars which are above our horizon.. ·Note 4, All these restrictions tend to reduce fome indefinite propofitions almoft into particular, as will appear under the next remarks.

III. Remarks concerning particular propofitions.

Note 1. A particular propolition may fometimes be: 'expreffed indefinitely without any note of particularity prefixed to the subject : as, in times of confufion laws are not executed: men of virtue are difgraced, and murderers efcape, that is, fome laws, fome men of vir tue, fome murderers: unless we fhould call this language a moral univerfality, though I think it can hardly extend fo far.

Note 2. The words fome, a few, &c. though they generally denote a proper particularity, yet fometimes they exprefs a collective idea; as fome of the enemies belet the general around. A few Greeks would beat a thousand Indians.

I conclude this fection with a few general remarkson this fubject, (viz.);

Gen. Rem. I. Since univerfal, indefinite, and particu lar terms in the plural number, may either be taken in a collective or diftributive fenfe, there is one fhort and eafy way to find when they are collective and when diftributive, (viz.) If the plural number may be changed into the fingular, that is, if the predicate will agree to one fingle fubject, it is a diftributive idea; if not, it is collective.

Gen. Rem. II. Universal and particular terms in the plural number, such as, all, fome, few, many, &c. when

they are taken in their diftributive fenfe, repréfent feveral fingle ideas; and when they are thus affixed to the fubject of a propofition, render that propofition univertal or particular, according to the univerfality or particularity of the terms affixed..

Gen. Rem. III Univerfal and particular terms in the plural number, taken in their collective fenfe, repreient generally one collective idea..

If this one collective idea be thus reprefented (whether by univerfal or particular terms) as the tubject of a propofition which defcribes the nature of a thing, it properly makes either a singular or an indefinite proposition; for the words, all, fome, a few, &c. do not then denote the quantity of the proposition, but are efteemed merely as terms which connect the individuals together in order to compose one collective idea. Obferve these instances, all the fycamores in the garden would make a large grove; that is, this one collection of fycamores, which is a singular idea. Some of the fycamores in the garden would make a fine grove. Sy'camores would make a noble grove: in thefe laft the fubject is rather indefinite than singular. But it is very evident, that in each of thefe propositions the predicate can only belong to a collective idea, and therefore the fubject must be efteemed a collective.

If this collective idea (whether reprefented by univerfal or particular terms) be ufed in defcribing paft matters of fact, then it is generally to be efteemed a singular idea, and renders the proposition singular; as, all the foldiers of Alexander made but a little army: a few Macedonians vanquished the large army of Darius ; fome grenadiers in the camp plundered all the neighbouring towns. ༣༣་

Now we have fhewn before, that if a proposition defcribing the nature of things, has an indefinite fubject, it is generally to be efteemed univerfal in its propositional fenfe; and if it has a singular fubject, in its propositional fenfe it is always ranked with univerfals.

After all we must be forced to confefs, that the language of mankind, and the idioms of fpeech are fo ex'ceeding various, that it is hard to reduce them to a few

rules; and if we would gain a juft and precife idea of every univerfal, particular and indefinite expreffion, we must not only consider the particular idiom of the language, but the time, the place, the occasion, the cir cumftances of the matter fpoken of, and thus penetrate as far as poflible into the design of the fpeaker or writer.

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SECT. II...

Of affirmative and negative Propofitions.

HEN a proposition is considered with regard! to its copula, it may be divided into affirmative and negative; for it is a copula joins or disjoins the two ideas. Others call this a division of proposition according to their quality,

An affirmative propofition is when the idea of the predicate is fuppofed to agree to the idea of the subject,, and is joined to it by the word is, or are, which are the copula; as, all men are sinners. But when the predi cate is not fuppofed to agree with the fubject, and is disjoined from it by the particles is not, are not, &c. the proposition is negative: as, man is not innocent; or, no man is innocent. In an affirmative proposition we affert one thing to belong to another, and as it were, unite them in thought and word; in negative propositions we feparate one thing f.om another, and deny their agreement.

It may become fomething odd, that two ideas or terms are faid to be disjoined as well as joined by a copula: but if we can but fuppofe the negative parti cles do really belong to the copula of negative proposi tions, it takes away the harshness of the expreflion; and to make it yet fofter, we may consider that the predicate and subject may be properly faid to be joined in a form of words as a proposition, by connective particles in grammar or logic, though they are disjoined in their fenfe and signification. Every youth who has