The Art of Logic, Book 1 · Part 30
Of Distinction.
Hitherto of the arising Term Consentany; Dissentany followeth, whereby the diversity of things is understood.
And is either
Distinction.
Opposition.
Distinction is the diversity of things without sight.
And it is either
Primarily so called.
Or Secondarily.
Secondary is that which is only in consideration and conceit of mind: As when we distinguish in mind the right side of a Pillar from the left; so in light, though it be a most simple quality, we distinguish the form of warming, and of drying. So in the attributes of God from the Essence, and one from another; as when we distinguish between Gods understanding, Willing, Punishing, Pardoning, &c. Though in the Godhead there is properly no distinction indeed; but onelyonly thus in reason.
Primarily called distinction, is, which is in things immediately without the mind.
And is either
Ordinary.
Extraordinary.
Ordinary is in ordinary things, as in the Creatures.
And is
Formal. a
Real. b
Modal. c
Formal, is of those whereof one is taken in the definitiona of another; as between Genus and Species; Species and Singulars, &c.
The Canons hereof are two.
1 They that are formally distinguisht, are not as thing and thing, nor as two separated things; as substance cannot be separate from man, &c.
2 They that are formally distinct, do yet communicate in the same nature and properties.
Reall distinction, is of them that are as two severed andb distinct things.
The Canons are three.
1 Things that really differ, may be severed one from another, as water from cold.
2 They are never subordinate one to another.
3 They may receive opposition and repugnancie; as, man and beast.
Real distinction is either
Inward.
Outward.
Inward is of them which differ in inward Terms.
And is
Subordinate.
Co-ordinate.
Subordinate, is of them which differ in subordinate or predicamental Terms.
And is either
Generical Distinction.
Specifical Distinction.
Individual Distinction.
Generical, is of them which differ in the general, far off or neer: As, man and vertue; For one is a substance, and the other is a quality.
Specifical, is of them which coming of one general, are separated by essential differences, or put under sundry specials: Thus man and beast differ in species. Also Man, and Lion, Horse, &c.
Individual, is a separation of two or more singulars, which also are said to differ in number: As Peter, Paul, James, &c.
Co-ordinate distinction, is, which is made by co-ordinate Terms:
And is
Causal.
Subjective.
Causal is of them which differ in cause far off or neer: As man and beast differ in form; laughing and weeping differ in the efficient and end.
Subjective, is either of
The Subject.
The Accident.
Distinction of Subject, is when accidents differ in subject; as speaking and bleating, laughing and neighing, &c.
Distinction of accidents, is of subjects that differ in accidents.
And is either
Primary.
Secondary.
Primary, is of them that differ in accidents primarily called.
And it is either, 1 Imparity, 2 Dissimilitude.
1 Imparity is when things differ in greater or lesser quantity; as love excels faith, 1 Cor. 13. The soul excels the body, &c.
2 Dissimilitude is distinction of things after diverse qualities, actions, passions, and the image of all these.
Secondary distinction of accidents, is of them that differ in relations: as when one is a father or a master, another not.
Outward real distinction, is when things are distinguished by outward Terms, as by Objects, Time, Place, Antecedents, Consequents, &c.
Modal distinction, is when not the things so much as thec manners of the things are distinct; either things by their manners, or manners by their things.
And it is either
Simple.
Comparative.
Simple, when manners of things are simply distinguished: so essence and existence differ in a simple modal distinction.
Comparative, is when the same thing or quality is distinguished by more and lesse. As between hot and lukewarm.
1 More and lesse do never vary the species; so weak faith and strong faith; Paul a child and a man, do not differ in specie.
2 Things compared by more and lesse, must not be AEquivocall: As the sharpnesse of voice, and of a sword, may not be compared.
3 Things compared by more or lesse, must be of the same species and nature; so it is not meet to compare a Smiths saw to a Carpenters mallet; nor to ask, which was best learned, of Galen (a Physician) or of Bartolus (a Lawyer.)
Extraordinary distinction, is in things extraordinary.
And it is either between God and the Creatures, or between the essence and persons of the Godhead, or of the persons one from another: God differs from Creatures more than in generall, and agrees onelyonly in Analogy; in the persons there is distinction somewhat like the Modall: For Justin Martyr cals the persons foreign.