ESS
[ 347 ]
ESS
ESSENCE, that which conflitutcs, or determines the two former, as to their manner of Life. He aflures us, Nature of a Thing; or which is abfolutely neceffary for its further, that they were yews by Original; from which it being what it is. See Nature. fliould appear, that S. Epipbanius was miftaken, in rank- In Philofophy, the EJJence of a Thing is defined to be ing 'em among the Samaritans. that whereby a Thing is diftinguifhed from every other In Effecf, the EJJeni appear to have been true Pythago- Thing. rian Philofophers, in every Thing that related to their man- The Cartefians hold the EJJence of Matter to confift in ner of Living. For they greatly affected Solitude and Extenfion ; and on that Principle, deny that there is any Retirement, and all Converfation with Women, to devote fuch Thing as Mere Space, or Vacuity : But the Hypo- themfelves more entirely to the contemplative Life. thefts is falfe, as is fliewn under the Articles Matter, The EJJeni feem to have been among the Jews, what Space, Vacuity, Plenum, &c. the moft retired and auftere Monks are, or were, among GaJJendus, and moll of the Corpufcular Philofophers, the Chriftians; which was what gave them their Denomina- hold the EJJence of Matter to confift in Solidity, or Im- tion of uftuxjol ettrjuiToJ, Afcetic Jews. See Ascetic.
penetrability, or Refiftance, or, more adequately, in a folid Impenetrability refitting the Touch; which, it muft be allow 'd, of all the Properties of Matter, feems to have the faireft Title. See Extension, Body, Solidity, Impe- netrability, &c.
The School Philofophers give us two Significations of the Word EJJence; the firfl denotes the whole EJJential Perfection ol a Being, and confequently its Entity, with
Many Catholic Writers have even deduced the Origin of Monks from 'em : Building, principally, on what Philo relates of 'em, who divides 'em into two Branches or Seels : The one who married, and the other who lived in Cceli- bate. See Monk and Celibate.
Jojephns feems likewife to have had an Eye to thefe two Sorts of EJJeni. Serrarms, who has wrote very amply on the Subject, follows Philo, in making two Claffes of
all its intrinfic, or EJJ'ential, and neceffary Attributes taken EJJeni: The firft, are thofe whom he calls 'PraSici, and
together. In which Senfe, EJJence may be defined to be who lived in Community: The fecond, thofe call'd
all that whereby a 'thing is, and is what it is'. In Theoretici, who lived in Solitude, and led a Life of pure
which Cafe, the EJJence of a Thing, is to the Thing it felf, Contemplation. He adds, that Jofephus only makes men-
what Humanity, e. gr. is to Man. tion of the firft; paffing, untouched, over the contempla-
The fecond Signification of EJJence, is that whereby it tive Kind, whom Philo calls Therapeutes, and who were
denotes the principal, and moll intimate of all the Attri- principally found in Egypt. See Therapeutje
butes of a Thing ; or that which agrees to every fuch Thing, and fuch alone, and that always, and in fuch man- ner, as that the Mind, with all its Attention, cannot per- ceive any Thing prior thereto. By which, EJJence is di- ftinguifh'd from the EJJential Attributes, i. e. from fuch as flow from its EJJence, or firft Attribute. Thus, the Abftinent. is v EJJence of the human Mind is commonly fuppofed to con- fift in the Power of Thinking; by reafon all its other Perfect ions feem to pre-fuppofe this ; but this pre-fuppofes none. And thus, the Powers of understanding, doubting, afllnting, willing, tSc. do all flow from the Power of Thinking; and cannot exifl without it, tho' this may without any of them.
It muft be allow'd, however, that the EJJential Proper
Grotius will have the EJJeni the fame with the ancient □ Hon HaJidim, or Hajidtfi, thus call'd, according to 'Philo, from their lingular Piety, Humility, and De- votion. Among thefe, Gale obferves, it was, that the Hebrew Philofophy chiefly flourifh'd. 'Porphyry, ds y prolix in his P
fes of the EJJeni^
&c. He reprefents 'em as Defpifers of Pleafure, Riches, Glory, and Delicacy, &c. and ftrcnuous Retainers to Con- tinency, Auftcrity, Study, &c. They decline Marriage 3 and adopt and educate other Peoples Children in Religion and Philofophy. They are all on a Level, hold every Thing in common, neither buy nor fell, ti>Ci By long Habits, they arrived at fuch a Degree of Patience, that
ties of a Thing do fo clofely cohere, nay, and inhere in <Porphyry aflures us, Flames and Tortures had net the leaft
the EJJence it felf, that 'tis fcarce poffibie to diftinguifli Effecl on 'em. They fcorn'd to intreat their Tortorers ;
the one from the other. Hence, what fome urge, that nor ever fhed a Tear; but would Guile under all their
fetting afide all the Attributes and Properties of a Thing, Agonies, iSc. As to their Learning, 'Philo Judieus, in his
and what remains is its EJJence ; is a mere Chimera. For Treatife, that every good Man is free, tells us,^ that they
iet afide, e. gr. from the Mind, the Powers of underftand- dripifed Logic, as uielefs to the acquiring ot Virtue :
3ng and willing, with the reft of its Attributes : and what ■will there remain to call its EJJence ?
'Tis greatly difputed in the Schools, whether the EJJen- ces of "created Things be Eternal : Or, whether the EJjences, as well as the Exiftences, had their Origin
Phyiics, they" left to the Sophifts and Difputers, as judging it to tranfeend the human Faculties; and apply'd themfelves wholly to Morality. Gale, EJJenor. Char. af. Philof, Gener. p. 29.
Eufebim holds, that the EJJeni, call'd Therapeutic, were
Time > ' The Cartefians hold, that the EJfences of Things rea i chriftians, or yews converted by St. Mark, who depend abfolutely on the free concurring Will of God. na d embraced this Kind of Life. Scaliger, on the con-
Essence, in Medicine and Chymiftry, is the pureft and trary, maintains, that thefe Therapeutte were no Chriftians,
inoft fubtle Part of a Body, extracted from the fame, by means of Fire. See Extract.
Of thefe there are a great Variety, drawn from Flowers, Fruits, &c. ufed on Account of their agreeable Smells, Tafts. iSc. by the Apothecaries, Perfumers, G?c.
The principal are EJJence oj Rofemary: Of Tttrpen tine: Of Anis : Of Cloves: Of Cinnamon ; and Citron.
but 'real EJJeni; who made Profeffion of yudaifm. How- ever he allows the two Kinds of EJJeni abovementioned. But' 'valefius, in his Notes on Eltfebius, abfolutely rejecls any fuch Diftinction : He denies, that the Tberapeut<s were any real EJJeni ; and that, chiefly, on the Authority n ~ of Philo himfelf, who never calls 'em EJJeni, and who °f places the EJJeni in yudtsa and Palefline ; whereas the Therapeutte were fpread throughout Greece, Egypt, and
The EJfences commonly fold by the Perfumers, are only other Countries.
ESSENTIAL, fomething that is neceffary to conilitutd
the Oils "of Ben, and of' bitter Almonds ; to which they give the Smell of certain Flowers, or Spices, as Violets, Taffemin, Cinnamon, £*<;.
The EJjences to be drunk, or mix'd with Liquors, are of a more elaborate Compofition : The moft ufual and bell, is prepared with the Spirit of Wine, Cloves, Cin- namon, Mace, Long Pepper, and Coriander : The whole be- Sne put up in a very clofe Veffel, is expofed to the Sun for fix Weeks, or two Months, during the Day-time, in the Night fet on the Fire,
and
Thing, or that has fuch' a Connexion with the Nature and Reafon of a Thing, that it is found, or fuppofed, wherever the Thing it felf is. See Essence.
Thus, it is effen'tial to God to be juft. Mr. Lock has overturn'd that great Principle of the Cartefians, that Thinking is ejfential to the Soul. See Thinking.
The Heart, Brain, and Spinal Marrow, are Parts ordi-
■ 1 rf / 4-n T 1+0 rtt* ITjif Ki^ll r 117 flli-ll
narily fuppofed EJJential
to Life, or without which Life
cannot be" yet we have Inftances in Natural Hiftory, ot In Winter they ufe the Fire alone : This EJJence being chi]drcns b J foun( ] j an a alive, without almoft any of exceedingly ftrong ; 'tis frequently ufed only to give a thofc p artSi S ? e Brain, c5c. Strength to other weaker Liquors. After the lame manner may the EJjences of Amber, Mufc, 65c. be drawn.
Essential Properties, are fuch as neceffarily depend
"J,'"\,V r~ 1 ' m ' * "' „ „ «™ <J™rll on and are connected with, the Nature and Effence ol any
1 he EJjences of odonferousFWs, to give ^a fine Stag «£. ™* g* cq» g j ° <, from . ( , . r m { m&ion frora
to Litiuors, are drawn by laying Strata, "or Lays of the Thing,
Flowers, and of Sugar, afternatefy, in a proper Veffel, and accidental. See Property
leaving 'em to infufe in a Cellar for 24 Hours; and after Essential Oils, are fuch as are really m a 1 lanr, ana
that as long by the Sun; and laftly, {training or percolat- drawn from it by Diftillation, in an Alembic, wm water,
ing the whole thro' a Sieve, without fqueezlng the in Contra-diftinaion to thofe made by Inloiatiou. oee
ESSENl, or ESSENES, or ESS^EANS, an ancient Sefl Essential Salts, are fuch as will "5^*^ ^/"u"
among the Jews. See Sect. or Infufion of a Plant; in D.ftmaion trom thole mad,, by
yofephus making mention of the feveral Sects among Incineration. See Salt.
his t ountrymen ; diftinguifhes three; viz. the Pharifees, ESSOIN in Law, an Excufe for him that is lummon a
Sadducecs, and EJJeni : Which laft he prefers to the w appear and anfwer to an Aflion real, or to P«fr™
