_MADAM,_
An _Accident_, says your _Author_,[1] _is nothing else, but the manner
of our Conception of body, or that Faculty of any body, by which it
works in us a Conception of it self_; To which I willingly consent;
but yet I say, that these qualities cannot be separated from the body,
for as impossible it is that the essence of Nature should be separable
from Nature, as impossible is it that the various modes or alterations,
either of Figures or Motions, should be separable from matter or body;
Wherefore when he goes on, and says,[2] _An accident is not a body,
but in a body, yet not so, as if any thing were contained therein, as
if for example, redness were in blood in the same manner as blood is
in a bloody cloth; but as magnitude is in that which is great, rest in
that which resteth, motion in that which is moved_; I answer, that in
my opinion, not any thing in Nature can be without a body, and that
redness is as well in blood, as blood is in a bloody cloth, or any
other colour in any thing else; for there is no colour without a body,
but every colour hath as well a body as any thing else, and if Colour
be a separable accident, I would fain know, how it can be separated
from a subject, being bodiless, for that which is no body is nothing,
and nothing cannot be taken away from any thing; Wherefore as for
natural Colour it cannot be taken away from any creature, without the
parts of its substance or body; and as for artificial Colours, when
they are taken away, it is a separation of two bodies, which joyned
together; and if Colour, or Hardness, or Softness do change, it is
nothing else but an alteration of motions and not an annihilation, for
all changes and alterations remain in the power of Corporeal motions,
as I have said in other places; for we might as well say, life doth
not remain in nature, when a body turns from an animal to some other
figure, as believe that those, they name accidents, do not remain in
Corporeal Motions; Wherefore I am not of your _Authors_ mind, when
he says,[3] that _when a White thing is made black, the whiteness
perishes_; for it cannot perish, although it is altered from white to
black, being in the power of the same matter, to turn it again from
black to white, so as it may make infinite Repetitions of the same
thing; but by reason nature takes delight in variety, she seldom uses
such repetitions; nevertheless that doth not take away the Power of
self-moving matter, for it doth not, and it cannot, are two several
things, and the latter doth not necessarily follow upon the former;
Wherefore not any, the least thing, can perish in Nature, for if this
were possible, the whole body of nature might perish also, for if so
many Figures and Creatures should be annihilated and perish without
any supply or new Creation, Nature would grow less, and at last become
nothing; besides it is as difficult for Nature to turn something into
nothing, as to Create something out of nothing; Wherefore as there is
no annihilation or perishing in Nature, so there is neither any new
Creation in Nature. But your _Author_ makes a difference between bodies
and accidents, saying, _that bodies are things and not generated,
but accidents are Generated and not things._ Truly, _Madam_, these
accidents seem to me to be like _Van Helmont's_ Lights, Gases, Blazes
and Ideas; and Dr _More's_ Immaterial Substances or Dæmons, onely in
this Dr _More_ hath the better, that his Immaterial Substances, are
beings, which subsist of themselves, whereas accidents do not, but
their existence is in other bodies; But what they call Accidents,
are in my opinion nothing else but Corporeal Motions, and if these
accidents be generated, they must needs be bodies, for how nothing
can be Generated in nature, is not conceivable, and yet your _Author_
denies,[4] that _Accidents are something, namely some part of a natural
thing_; But as for Generations, they are onely various actions of
self-moving matter, or a variety of Corporeal Motions, and so are all
Accidents whatsoever, so that there is not any thing in nature, that
can be made new, or destroyed, for whatsoever was and shall be, is
in nature, though not always in act, yet in power, as in the nature
and power of Corporeal motions, which is self-moving matter, And as
there is no new Generation of Accidents, so there is neither a new
Generation of Motions; wherefore when your _Author_ says,[5] _That,
when the hand, being moved, moveth the pen, the motion doth not go out
of the hand into the pen, for so the writing might be continued, though
the hand stood still, but a new motion is generated in the pen, and
is the pens motion_: I am of his opinion, that the motion doth not
go out of the hand into the pen, and that the motion of the pen, is
the pens own motion; but I deny, that after holding the hand a little
while still, and beginning to write again, a new motion of the pen is
generated; for it is onely a repetition, and not a new generation,
for the Hand, Pen and Ink, repeat but the same motion or action of
writing: Besides, Generation is made by Connexion or Conjunction of
parts, moving by consent to such or such Figures, but the motion of
the Hand or the Pen is always one and the same; wherefore it is but
the variation and repetition in and of the same motion of the Hand,
or Pen, which may be continued in that manner infinitely, just as the
same Corporeal Motions can make infinite variations and repetitions
of one and the same Figure, repeating it as oft as they please, as
also making Copy of Copy; And although I do not deny, but there are
Generations in Nature, yet not annihilations or perishings, for if any
one motion or figure should perish, the matter must perish also; and if
any one part of matter can perish, all the matter in nature may perish
also; and if there can any new thing be made or created in nature,
which hath not been before, there may also be a new Nature, and so by
perishings and new Creations, this World would not have continued an
age; But surely whatsoever is in Nature, hath been existent always.
Wherefore to conclude, it is not the generation and perishing of an
Accident that makes its subject to be changed, but the production and
alteration of the Form, makes it said to be generated or destroyed,
for matter will change its motions and figures without perishing or
annihilating; and whether there were words or not, there would be such
causes and effects; But having not the art of Logick to dispute with
artificial words, nor the art of Geometry to demonstrate my opinions
by Mathematical Figures, I fear they will not be so well received by
the Learned; However, I leave them to any mans unprejudiced Reason and
Judgment, and devote my self to your service, as becomes,
Madam,
_Your Ladiships_
_humble and faithful Servant._
[1] _Elem. of Philos. c._ 8. _art._ 2.
[2] _Art._ 3.
[3] _Art._ 20.
[4] _Art._ 2.
[5] _Art._ 21.