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ture is Temperance and Frugality. However, if you can Feaft upon Ideas, which indeed is Angels Food, perhaps You may not rife altogether Empty, unless the Celestial Diet (which is what I fear) be rendered lefs acceptable by the undue Management of the Hand that prepares

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But be it never fo well prepared, I know fuch Ideal Fair is too thin and aery a Repaft for moft Palates, next kin indeed to what they call a Welch Bait, and fome witty Men (as they think them felves) will perhaps affect the recommending and diftinguishing the nicenefs and juftnefs of their Tafte, by difrelishing it. But St. Austin, who had a Tafte as nice as any of theirs, will not stick to tell them, that the Doctrine of Ideas is of fuch importance, that there is not being Wife without it. Tanta vis in Ideis conftituitur, ut nifi his intellectis, fapiens effe nemo poffit. As indeed how is it poffible it fhould be otherwise, fince as Wifdom is founded upon Truth, fo the Foundation

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Foundation of that Truth which Wifdom contemplates, is laid in Ideas, as in this Syftem you will find, if I mistake not, fufficiently fhewn.

As for the more general Prejudice that may lie againft this as a Metaphyfi cal Theory, I am well aware of it, tho' not so much concerned at it, as being well fatisfy'd in my felf of the great Value and high Importance of Metaphyficks, notwithstanding the neglect and difufe, if not contempt of it, among those who should be better Judges of the worth of things. For fure the Stream of Philofophy and Divinity too, must quickly run low, if not fed by a Metaphyfical Spring. And indeed I must needs fay, that unless it be the Mathematical Sciences, I know nothing fo fit to inform, clear, and inlarge the Mind, as true Metaphyficks, which may be called the Key of Knowledge, and is of it felf a kind of univerfal Science, as containing within its pregnant Bofom fuch general Truths as may ferve for Princi

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ples to the particular Sciences. And he deferves not the Name of a Scholar, at least of a Divine or Philofopher, that is not competently inftructed in it. The intereft of Truth demands fo much, tho' perhaps my own may not advife me to urge the Matter fo far, unless the following Account were a better Specimen of what I commend.

But, Sir,fuch as it is,I make bold to put it into Your Hands, and if You find nothing worthy of Your felf in it, yet be pleas'd to accept of the good Will,and wellmeanning Endeavours of one, who by the very Poverty of his Prefent, fhews how ambitious he would be to ferve You, if he had any thing better to offer. But I fear I am troublesome, and fo begging Your Pardon for this Interruption, take leave, being, Sir, with all Philofophick Truth and Reality,

Your very humble

and respectful Servant.

JOHN NORRIS.

THE

PREFACE.

N the Conclufion of the former Part of this Theory, I express'd my felf with Some fufpenfe and irrefolution, or at least with Some uncertainty, whether I should proceed further in it my Self, or deliver up the Grounds which I had laid to be built upon by fome other Hand. And according to the uncertainty of the undertaking, fo was the Delay. After I had finished my first Part (it being fo miferably abused and difguifed by the Errors of the Prefs, I may own it for mine) I did not prefently fet about this, but spent some time in taking a view of my great and formidable Subject, before I advanced to lay a clofe Siege to it, as the Roman General did before the Walls of Jerufalem. At length, finding my self in an indifferent State of Health, and thinking it pity that a System already carried on fo far should remain unfinished, and withal defpairing of its being

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ever compleated by any other, I fet my felf to it, not as a Task to be done out of the way with Riddance and Difpatch (for Systems are not made up Suits of Mourning) but taking time for it I went on with it as with Church-Work, doing it by little and little, as my Health and Leifure would give me leave. And now for want of a better Hand, I do here prefent it to the Reader finished with own, thinking it better so than not at all.

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And now Reader thou hast (fuch a one as it is) a perfect and complete Syftem: Perfect I mean as to the Intireness of it, as having now in thy Hands both the Globes of the Intelligible World. But as for any other Perfection expect it not, for I da not pretend to it: So far from that, that I do not think it comes up to the Idea which I my felf have of it, nor has all the Perfection which I my self could have given it, if the Circumstances of my Condition did more favour the defigns of my Mind. Those who enjoy abundance of Leifure, and are retired from the noife of the World, and have their Time at their own difpofal (as Religious Perfons, Fellows of Colleges, and above all, private Country Gentlemen) and whofe ftrong Admantin Bodies will indure fo much Thought and Meditation as is neceffary to inlighten their Minds, may, if they have any Genius to it, and Capacity for it, do great Things, even what they pleafe. And indeed 'tis from fuch as thefe that the World may justly expect the most confiderable Affiftance towards the dif sovery of Truth, and the improvement of the Sciences. But we that want thefe Advantages, who

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