THE EXCELLENCY OF THEOLOGY, COMPAR'D WITH NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, (as both are Objects of Men's Study.)

Discours'd of In a LETTER to a Friend.

By T. H. R. B. E. Fellow of the Royal Society.

To which are annex'd Some Occasional Thoughts about the EXCELLENCY and GROUNDS Of the MECHANICAL HYPOTHESIS.

By the same Author.

Felicitatem Philosophi quaerunt; Theologi inveniunt; soli Religiosi possi [...]ent.

LONDON, Printed by T. N. for Henry Herringman, at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange. 1674.

The PUBLISHER's Adve …

The PUBLISHER's Ad­vertisement to the Reader.

WHen I shall have told the Reader, that the following Discourse was written in the year 1665, while the Authour, to avoid the great Plague that then rag'd in London, was reduc'd with many others to go into the Countrey, and fre­quently to pass from place to place, unaccompanied with most of his Books; it will not, I presume, be thought strange, that in the mention of some things taken from other Wri­ters, [Page] as his memory suggested them, he did not annex in the Margent the precise places that are referr'd to. And, upon the same score, it ought not to seem strange, that he has not men­tion'd some late Discoveries and Books that might have been pertinently taken notice of, and would well have accom­modated some parts of his Dis­course; since things that may thus seem to have been omit­ted, are of too recent a Date to have been known to him when He writ. But if it be de­manded, why then a Discourse finished so long ago, did not come abroad much sooner? I must acquaint the Reader, That 'twas chiefly his real Concern for the welfare of the Study he seems to depreciate, that kept [Page] these Papers so long by him. For he resisted for several years the desires of Persons that have much power with him, and sup­press'd the following Discourse, whilst he fear'd it might be mis­apply'd by some Enemies to Ex­perimental Philosophy, that then made a noise against it, without suffering these Papers to come abroad, till the Ad­dresses and Encomiums of ma­ny eminent Forreign Virtuosi, and their desire to be admitted into the Royal Society, had suf­ficiently manifested, how little its Reputation was prejudic'd, or like to be endanger'd, by the attempts of some envious or misinform'd Persons. And to this Reason must be added the Authors backwardness to ven­ture abroad a Discourse of an [Page] unusual Nature, on which ac­count, among others, he de­clin'd to have his Name pre­fix'd to it; though, now the Book is Printed, he finds cause to fear, that 'twill not be long conceal'd; since he meets with some Marginal References to other Tracts of His, which (these Papers having long lain by him) he forgot to have been set down for private use, and which should not have been ex­pos'd to publick view.

ERRATA.

IN the Author's Preface, p. 13. l. 7, 8. for some­what, r. much. In the Introduction, p. 2. l. 18. point thus, else; our. In the Book, p. 51. l. 17. for Corpuscularium, r. Corpuscularian. p, 75. l. 2. for he, r. we. p. 114. l. 3. r. Theology for Philo­sophy. p. 133. l. 10. r. yet many of. ibid. l. 19. r. else do but. p. 171. l. ult. for of. r. or. p. 172. l. 28. for indeed, r. 'twill perhaps he said that. p. 201. l. 12. point thus; Predecessors, did unani­mously teach.

The Author's PREFACE.

I Am not so little ac­quainted with the Temper of this Age, and of the Persons that are likeliest to be Perusers of the following Tract, as not to foresee it to be probable enough, that Some will ask, For what Reason a Discourse of this Nature was written at all; and that Others will be displeas'd that it has been written by Me.

Those that would know, by what Inducements my Pen was engag'd on this Sub­ject, may be in great part in­form'd [Page] by the Epistle it self, in divers places whereof, as especially about the Begin­ning, and at the Close, the Motives that invited me to put Pen to Paper are suffi­ciently express'd. And though several of those Things are peculiarly apply'd, and (if I may so speak) appropriated to the Person the Letter is address'd to; yet that Under­valuation, I would disswade Him from, of the Study of Things Sacred, is not His fault alone, but is grown so rise among many (otherwise Ingenious) Persons, especi­ally Studiers of Physicks, that I wish the ensuing Discourse were much less seasonable than I fear it is.

But I doubt, that some Readers, who would not [Page] think a Discourse of this Na­ture Needless or Useless, may yet not be pleased at its being written by One, whom they imagine the Acceptance his Endeavours have met with, ought to oblige to spend his whole Time in Cultivating that Natural Philosophy, which in this Letter he would perswade to quit the Prece­dency, they think it may well challenge, before all other sorts of Learning.

I am not unsensible of the favourable Reception that the Philosophical Papers I have hitherto ventured Abroad, have had the Happiness to receive from the Curious: But I hope, they will not be displeas'd, if I represent, that I am no Lecturer or Profes­sor of Physicks, nor have ever [Page] engag'd my self by any Pro­mise made to the Publick, to confine my self, never to write of any other Subject; nor is it Reasonable, that what I did or may write, to gratifie other mens Curiosity, should deprive me of mine own Li­berty, and Confine me to One Subject; especially since there are divers Persons, for whom I have a great Esteem and Kindness, who think they have as much Right to so­licit me for Composures of the Nature of this, that They will now have to go abroad, as the Virtuosi have to exact of me Physiological Pieces. And though I be not igno­rant, that (in particular) the following Discourse, which seems to depreciate the Stu­dy of Nature, may at first [Page] sight appear somewhat im­proper for a Person, that has purposely written to show the Excellence and Useful­ness of it; yet I confess, that, upon a more Attentive Con­sideration of the Matter, I can­not Reject, no, nor Resist, Their Reasons, who are of a quite differing Judgment.

And 1. My Condition, and my being a Secular Per­son (as they speak) are look'd upon as Circumstances that may advantage an Author that is to write upon such a Subject as I have handled. I need not tell you, that as to Religious Books in general, it has been observ'd, that those penn'd by Lay-men, and especially Gentlemen, have ( caeteris paribus) been better entertain'd, and more effe­ctual [Page] than those of Ecclesi­asticks: And indeed 'tis no great wonder, that Exhorta­tions to Piety, and Disswa­sions from Vice, and from the Lusts and Vanities of the World, should be the more prevalent for being press'd by Those, who have, and yet de­cline, the Opportunities to enjoy plentifully Themselves the pleasures They disswade Others from. And (to come yet closer to our present pur­pose) though I will not ven­ture to say with an excellent Divine, That what ever comes out of the Pulpit, does with many pass but for the foolishness of Preaching; yet it cannot well be deni'd, but that if all other Circumstances be equal, He is the fittest to commend Divinity, whose [Page] Profession It is not; and That it will somewhat add to the Reputation of almost any Study, and consequently to that of things Divine, That 'tis prais'd and preferr'd by Those, whose Condition and Course of Life exem­pting them from being of any particular Calling in the Common-wealth of Learn­ing, frees Them from the usual Temptations to Partia­lity to this or that sort of Stu­dy, which Others may be engag'd to magnifie, because 'tis their Trade or their Inter­est, or because 'tis Expected from them; whereas these Gentlemen are oblig'd to commend it, onely because they really Love and Value it.

But there is another thing [Page] that seems to make it yet more fit, that a Treatise on such a Subject should be Penn'd by the Authour of This: For profess'd Divines are suppos'd to be busied about Studies, that even by their being of an Higher, are confess'd to be of Another, Nature, than those that treat of things Corporeal. And since it may be observ'd, that there is scarce any sort of Learned men, that is more apt to undervalue those that are vers'd onely in other parts of Knowledge, than many of our Modern Naturalists, (who are conscious of the Excel­lency of the Science they Cultivate,) 'tis much to be fear'd, that what would be said of the Preeminences of Divinity above Physiology [Page] by Preachers (in whom the Study of the Latter is thought either but a Preparatory thing, or an Excursion) would be look'd upon as the Decision of an Incompetent, as well as Interressed, Judge; and their undervaluations of the Advantages of the study of the Creatures, would be (as their depreciating the En­joyment of the Creatures too often is,) thought, to proceed but from their not having had sufficient opportunities to relish the pleasures of them. But these Prejudices will not lie against a Person, who has made the Indagation of Na­ture somewhat more than a Parergon, and having by a not-lazie nor short Enquiry manifested, how much He loves and can relish the De­light [Page] It affords, has had the good Fortune to make some Discoveries in it, and the Honour to have them Pub­lickly, and but too Comple­mentally, taken notice of by the Virtuosi. And it may be not Impertinent to add, that those who make Natural Phi­losophy their Mistris, will probably be the less offend­ed to find her in this Tract represented, if not as an Handmaid to Divinity, yet as a Lady of a lower Rank; because the Inferiority of the Study of Nature is maintain'd by a Person, who, even whilst he asserts it, continues (if not a Passionate) an Assidu­ous Courter of Nature: So that, as far as his Example can reach, it may show, that as on the one side a man need not [Page] be acquainted with, or un­fit to relish, the Lessons taught us in the Book of the Creatures, to think them less Excellent than those, that may be learned in the Book of the Scriptures; so on the other side, the Preference of this last Book is very consi­stent with an high Esteem and an Assiduous Study of the first.

And if any should here object, that there are some Passages, (which I hope are but very few) that seem a little too unfavourable to the Study of Natural things; I might alledge for my excuse the great difficulty that there must be in comparing two sorts of Studies, both of which a man much esteems, so [Page] to behave ones self, as to split a hair between them, and never offend either of them: But I will rather represent, that in such kind of Dis­courses as the ensuing, it may justly be hop'd, that equita­ble Readers will consider, not onely what is said, but on what occasion, and with what design 'tis delivered. Now 'tis plain by the Series of the following Discourse, that the Physeophilus, whom it most relates to, was by me look'd upon as a Person, both very partial to the stu­dy of Nature, and somewhat prejudic'd against that of the Scripture; so that I was not always to treat with him, as with an indifferent man, but, according to the Advice, gi­ven [Page] in such cases by the Wise, I was (to use Aristotle's ex­pression) to bend the crook­ed stick the contrary way, in order to the bringing it to be straight, and to depreciate the study of Nature some­what beneath its true value, to reduce a great Over va­luer to a just Estimate of it. And to gain the more upon Him, I allow'd my self now and then to make use of the contempt he had of the Pe­ripatetick and Vulgar Philo­sophy, and in some passages to speak of them more sligh­tingly, than my usual Tem­per permits, and than I would be forward to do on another occasion; that, by such a Complaisance for his Opini­nions, I might have Rises to [Page] Argue with him from them.

But to return to the Mo­tives that were alledg'd to induce me to the Publication of these Papers, though I have not nam'd them all, yet all of them together would scarce have prov'd effectual, if they had not been made more prevalent by the just In­dignation I conceived, to see even Inquisitive Men depre­ciate that kind of Knowledge, which does the most Ele­vate, as well as the most Bless, Mankind, and look upon the Noblest and Wisest Employ­ments of the Understanding, as Signs of weakness in it.

'Tis not that I expect, that whatever can be said, and much less what I have had oc­casion to say Here, will make [Page] Proselytes of those that are resolved against the being made so, and had rather de­ny themselves the Excellen­test kinds of Knowledge, than allow that there can be any more Excellent, than what they think themselves Masters of: But I despair not, that what is here represented, may serve to fortifie in a high Esteem of Divine Truths those that have already a just Veneration for them, and pre­serve Others from being se­duc'd by Injurious, though sometimes Witty, Insinuati­ons, to undervalue that kind of Knowledge, that is as well the most Excellent in it self, as the most Conducive to Man's Happiness. And for this Reason I am the less dis­pleas'd [Page] to see, that the fol­lowing Letter is swell'd to a Bulk far greater than its be­ing but a Letter promises, and then I first intended. For I confess, that when the Occa­sion hapned that made me put Pen to Paper, as I chanc'd to be in a very unsetled Con­dition (which I fear has had too much influence on what I have written,) so I did not design the insisting near so long upon my Subject as I have done; but new things springing up (if I may so speak) under my Pen, I was content to allow them room in my Paper, because writ­ing as well for my own satis­faction, as for that of my Friend, I thought it would not be useless to lay before [Page] my own Eyes, as well as His, those Considerations that seem'd proper to justifie to My self as well as to Him, the Preference I gave Divine Truths (before Physiologi­cal ones) and to confirm my self in the Esteem I had for them. And though I freely confess, that the following Discourse doth not consist of nothing but Ratiocinations, and consequently is not al­together of an Uniform Con­texture; yet that will, I hope, be thought no more than was fit in a Discourse, design'd not onely to Con­vince, but to Perswade: Which if it prove so happy as to do, as I hope the Per­user will have no cause to [Page] regret the trouble of Read­ing it, so I shall not repent that of Writing it.

THE INTRODUCTION.

SIR,

I Hop'd you had known me better, than to doubt in good earnest, how I relish'd the Discourse your Learned Friend entertain'd us with yester-night. And I am the more troubled at your Question, because your way of inquiring, how much your Friends Discourse obtain'd of my Ap­probation, gives me cause to fear, that you vouchsafe it more of yours then I could wish it. But before I can safely offer you my sense of the Discourses, about which you desire to know it, I must put you in mind, that they were not all upon one Subject, nor of the same Nature: And I am enough his Servant to acknow­ledge, without the least reluctancy, that he is wont to shew a great deal of wit, when he speaks like a Naturalist, onely of things purely Physical; and [Page] when he is in the right, seldom wrongs a good cause by his way of managing it. But as for those passages, wherein he gave himself the liberty of disparaging the learned Dr. N. onely because that Doctor cultivates Theological as well as Physical Studies and does both often­times read Books of Devotion▪ and some­times write them; I am not so much a Courtier, as to pretend that I liked them. 'Tis true, he did not deny the Doctor to be a learned and a witty Man, as indeed the wise providence of God has so or­dered it, That to stop the bold mouthes of some, who would be easily tempted to ima­gine, and more easily to give out, that none are Philosophers, but such as, like themselves, desire to be nothing else. Our Nation is happy in several men, who are as eminent for Humane, as stu­dious of Divine Learning; and as great a veneration as they pay to Moses and St. Paul, are as well vers'd in the Do­ctrine of Aristotle, and of Euclid; nay, of Epicurus and Des Cartes too, as those that care not to study any thing else. But though for this reason Mr. N. had not the confidence to despise the Doctor, and some of his Resemblers, whom he took occasion to mention; yet he too [Page] plainly disclos'd himself to be one of those, who though they will not deny, but that some, who own a value for Theology, are men of parts; yet they talk, as if such persons were so, in spight of their being Religiously given; That being, in their opinion, such a blemish, that a man must have very great Abilities otherwise, to make amends for the disad­vantage of valuing Sacred Studies, and surmount the disparagement it procures him. Wherefore since this disdainful hu­mour begins to spread much more than I could wish it did among differing sorts of men, among whom I should be glad not to find any Naturalists; and since the Question you ask'd me, and the esteem you have for your Friend, makes me fear you may look on it with very favourable eyes: I shall not decline the Opportunity you put into my hands of giving you, together with a profession of my dislike of this practice, some of my Reasons for that dislike; and the rather, because I may do it without too much exceeding the limits of an Epistle, or those which the haste, wherewith I must write this, does prescribe to me. For your Friend does not oppose, but onely un­dervalue Theology; and professing to [Page] believe the Scriptures (which I so far credit, as to think he believes himself when he says so) we agree upon the prin­ciples: So that I am not to dispute with him as against an Atheist, that denies the Authour of Nature, but onely against a Naturalist, that over-values the study of it. And the Truths of Theology are things, which I need not bring Argu­ments for, but am allowed to draw Argu­ments from them.

But though, as I just now intimated, I design brevity; yet for fear the fruit­fulness and importance of my Subject should suggest things enough to me to make some little method, requisite to keep them from appearing confused; I shall divide the following Epistle into two distinct parts. In the former of which I shall offer you the chief posi­tive Considerations, by which I would represent to you the study of Divinity, as preferable to that of Physicks: And in the second part I shall consider the Allegations, that I foresee your Friend may interpose: in favour of Natural Philosophy. From which distribution you will easily gather, that the Motives on the one hand, and the Objections on the other will challenge to them­selves [Page] distinct Sections in the re­spective parts whereto they belong. So that of the Order of the particulars you will meet with, I shall not need to trouble you with any further Ac­count.

THE EXCELLENCY OF THEOLOGY: OR, The Preeminence of the Study of Divinity, above that of Na­tural Philosophy. THE FIRST PART.

TO address my self then, without any farther Circumstance or Pre­amble, to the things themselves, that I mainly intend in this Discourse, I consider in the General, That as there are scarce any Motives accounted fitter to engage a Rational man in a study, than That the Sub­ject [Page 2] is Noble, That 'tis his Duty to apply himself to it, and That his Pro­ficiency in it will bring him great Advantages; So there is not any of these three Inducements, that does not concur in a very plentiful mea­sure to recommend to us the Study of Theological Truths.

THE FIRST SECTION.

ANd first, The Excellency and Sublimity of the Object we are invited to contemplate, is such, that none that does truly acknow­ledge a Deity can deny, but that there is no Speculation, whose Object is comparable in point of Nobleness, to the Nature and Attributes of God. The Souls of inquisitive men are com­monly so curious, to learn the Nature and Condition of Spirits, as that the over-greedy desire to discover so much as That there are other Spiritual Substances besides the Souls of Men, has prevail'd with too many to try forbidden ways of attaining satisfa­ction; and many have chosen rather to venture the putting themselves [Page 3] within the power of Daemons, than remain ignorant whether or no there are any such Beings: As I have learn­ed by the private acknowledgments made me of such unhappy (though not unsuccessful) Attempts, by di­vers learned men (both of other Pro­fessions, and that of Physick,) who themselves made them in differing places, and were persons neither Ti­merous nor Superstitious: (But this onely upon the By.) And certainly that man must have as Wrong as Mean a Notion of the Deity, and must but very little consider the Nature and Attributes of that infinitely per­fect Being, and as little the Nature and infirmities of Man, who can imagine the Divine Perfections to be Sub­jects, whose investigation a man may (inculpably) despise, or be so much as fully sufficient for. Not onely the Scripture tells us, Ps. 145. That his Greatness is incomprehensible, Ps. 147.5. Ps. 113.6. and his wisdom is inscrutable; That he humbles himself to look into (or upon) the Heavens and the Earth; and, That not onely this or that man, Isa. 40.15. but all the Nations of the World are, in comparison of him, but like the small Drop of a Bucket, or the [Page 4] smaller Dust of a Ballance: But even the Heathen Philosopher, who wrote that eloquent Book De Mundo, ascrib'd to Aristotle in his riper years, speaks of the Power, and Wisdom, and Amiableness of God, in terms little less lofty, though necessarily inferiour to so infinitely Sublime a Subject; which they that think they can, especially without Revelation, sufficiently un­derstand, do very little understand themselves.

But perhaps your Friend will ob­ject, That to the knowledge of God there needs no other then Natural Theology; and I readily confess, be­ing warranted by an Apostle, that the [...], Rom. j.19. was not unknown to the Heathen Philosophers; and that so much knowledge of God is attain­able by the light of Nature, duly employ'd, as to encourage men to exercise themselves more than most of them do in that noblest of Studies, and render their being no Proficients in it, injurious to themselves as well as to their Maker. But notwithstanding this, as God knows Himself infinitely better then purblind Man knows Him, so the Informations He is [Page 5] pleased to vouchsafe us, touching His own Nature and Attributes, are ex­ceedingly preferable to any ac­count, that we can give our selves of Him, without Him. And methinks, the differing Prospects we may have of Heaven, may not ill adumbrate to us the differing Discoveries that may be made of the Attributes of its Maker. For as, though a man may with his naked eye see Heaven to be a very glorious Object, enobled with radi­ant Stars of several sorts; yet when his eye is assisted with a good Tele­scope, he can not onely discover a number of Stars (Fix'd and Wan­dring) which his naked eye would ne­ver have shown him; but those Pla­nets which he could see before, will appear to him much bigger, and more distinct: So, although bare Rea­son well improv'd will suffice to make a man behold many glorious Attributes in the Deity; yet the same Reason, when assisted by Reve­lation, may enable a man to discover far more Excellencies in God, and perceive them, he contemplated be­fore, far greater and more distinctly. And to shew how much a dim Eye, [Page 6] illuminated by the Scriptures, is able to discover of the Divine Perfections, and how unobvious they are to the most piercing Philosophical Eyes, that enjoy but the dim light of Na­ture; we need but consider, how much more suitable Conceptions and Expressions concerning God are to be met with in the Writings of those Fishermen and others, that penn'd the New Testament, and those illiterate Christians that received it, than amongst the most Civiliz'd Nations of the World (such as anciently the Greeks and Romans, and now the Chi­neses and East-Indians) and among the eminentest of the Wise-men and Philosophers themselves, (as Aristotle, Homer, Hesiod, Epicurus, and others.)

Besides that the Book of Scripture discloses to us much more of the At­tributes of God, than the Book of Nature; there is another Object of our Study, for which we must be en­tirely beholding to Theology: For though we may know something of the Nature of God by the Light of Reason, yet we must owe the know­ledge of His Will, or Positive Laws, to His own Revelation. And we may [Page 7] ghess, how curious great Princes and wise Men have been to inform them­selves of the Constitutions esta­blished by wise and eminent Legisla­tors; partly by the frequent Travels of the Ancient Sages and Philoso­phers into Forreign Countries, to ob­serve their Laws and Government, as well as bring home their Learning; and partly by those Royal and Sum­ptuous Expences, at which that Great and Learned Monarch Ptolomeus Phi­ladelphus stuck not to procure an Authentick Copy of the Law of Mo­ses, whom he considered but as an eminent Legislator. But certainly That, and other Laws recorded in the Bible, cannot but appear more noble and worthy Objects of Curiosity to us Christians, who know them to pro­ceed from an Omniscient Deity, who being the Authour of Mankind, as well as of the rest of the Universe, cannot but have a far perfecter knowledge of the Nature of Man, than any other of the Law-givers, or all of them put together can be conceived to have had.

But there is a farther Discovery of Divine Matters, wherewith we are [Page 8] also gratified by Theology: For be­sides what the Scripture teaches us of the Nature and the Will of God, it contains divers Historical Accounts (if I may so call them) of His Thoughts and Actions. The Great Alexander thought himself nobly employ'd, when he read of the Grecian Actions in Homer's Verses; and, To know the Sentiments of great and wise Per­sons, upon particular occasions, is a curiosity so laudable, and so worthy of▪ an Inquisitive Soul, that the Southern Queen has been more prais'd than admir'd, for coming from the re­moter parts of the Earth, to hear the Wisdom of Solomon. Now the Scri­pture does in many places give our Curiosity a nobler Employment, and thereby a higher Satisfaction, than the King of Macedon, or the Queen of Sheba could enjoy; for in many places it does, with great clearness and in­genuity, give us accounts of what God Himself hath declar'd of His own Thoughts, of divers particular Persons and Things, and relates, what He that knows and commands all things, was pleas'd to say & do upon particular Oc­casions. Of this sort of Passages are the [Page 9] things recorded to have been said by God to Noah, Genes. vj. about the sinful Worlds ruine, and that Just Man's preserva­tion; Numb. xxvij.7. and to Moses in the case of the Daughters of Zelophehad. And of this sort are the Conferences, menti­oned to have pass'd betwixt God and Abimelech, Genes. xx. concerning Abraham's Wife; betwixt God and Abraham touching the destruction of Sodom; Genes. xviij. 1 Kings iij. Jonah iv. betwixt God and Solomon, about that Kings happy choice; betwixt God and Jonah, about the Fate of the greatest City of the World: And above all these, those two strange and matchless Passages, the one in the first Book of Kings, 1 Kings▪ xxij. from ver. 19. to ver. 24. touching the seducing Spirit that undertook to se­duce Ahab's Prophets; and the other, that yet more wonderful Relation of what pas'd betwixt God and Satan, Job j.6, 7, &c. Job ij.3. wherein the Deity vouchsafes not onely to Praise, but (if I may so speak with reverence) to Glory in a Mortal. And the being admitted to the knowledge of these Transactions of another World (if I may so call them) wherein God has been pleased to disclose himself so very much, is an advantage afforded us by the Scri­pture, [Page 10] of so noble a Nature, and so unattainable by the utmost improve­ment we our selves can make of our own Reason, that, did the Scripture contain nothing else that were very Considerable, yet that Book would highly deserve our Curiosity and Gra­titude.

And on this occasion, I must by no means leave unobserv'd another Advantage that we have from some Discourses made us in the Bible; since it too highly concerns us, not to be a very Great one; and it is, That the Scripture declares to us the Judgment, that God is pleas'd to make of some particular Men, upon the Estimate of their Life and De­portment. For though Reason alone, and the Grounds of Religion in ge­neral, may satisfie us in some mea­sure, that God is Good and Merciful, and therefore 'tis likely he may Pardon the sins and frailties of Men, and ac­cept of their Imperfect Services; yet, besides that we do not know, whe­ther He will Pardon, unless we have His Promise of it; besides this (I say) though by vertue of general Revela­tion, such as is pretended to in divers [Page 11] Religions, we may be assured, that God will accept, forgive, and reward those that sincerely obey him, See Heb. v.9. Psal. ciij.17, 18. and per­form the Conditions of the Covenant, whether it be Express, or Implicite, that he vouchsafes to make with them; yet since 'tis He that is the Judge of the Performance of the Con­ditions, and of the sincerity of the Person; and since He is Omniscient, and a [...], Acts j.21. and so may know more Ill of us, than even we know of our selves; a concerned Con­science may rationally doubt, 1 Joh. iij.20. whether in Gods Estimate any particular man was so sincere as to be accepted. But when He Himself is pleas'd to give Elogiums (if I may with due respect so style them) to David, Job, Noah, Daniel, &c. whilst they were alive, and to others after they were dead, (and consequently having finished their Course, were pass'd into an Ir­reversible state) we may learn with Comfort, both that the Performance of such an Obedience as God will ac­cept, is a thing really Practicable by Men; and that even great sins and misdemeanors are not (if seasonably repented of) certain evidences, that a [Page 12] man shall never be Happy in the fu­ture Life. And it seems to be for such an use of consolation to Frail men (but not at all to encourage Licenti­ous ones) that the Lapses of holy Per­sons are so frequently recorded in the Scriptures. And bating those Divine Writings, I know no Books in the world, nor all of them put together, that can give a considering Christi­an, who has due apprehensions of the Inexpressible Happiness or Misery of an Immortal state in Heaven or in Hell, so great and well grounded a Consolation, as may be deriv'd from three or four lines in St. John's Apo­calypse, Revel. vij.9. where he says, That he saw in Heaven a great multitude, not to be num­bred, of all Nations, and Tribes, and Peo­ple, and Tongues, standing before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white Robes, with Palms (the Ensigns of Victory) in their hands; and the Praises of God and of the Lamb in their mouthes. For from thence we may learn, that Heaven is not reserv'd onely for Prophets, and Apostles, and Martyrs, and such extraordinary Per­sons, whose Sanctity the Church ad­mires, but that through Gods good­ness, [Page 13] multitudes of his more Imper­fect Servants have access thither.

Though the Infinite Perfections and Prerogatives of the Deity be such, that Theology it self can no more than Philosophy afford us an­other Object for our Studies, any thing near so Sublime and Excellent, as what it discloses to us of God; yet Di­vinity favours us with some other Discoveries, namely, about Angels, the Universe, and our own Souls, which though they must needs be in­feriour to the knowledge of God Himself, are, for the nobleness of their Objects, or for their Importance, highly preferable to any that Natu­ral Philosophy has been able to af­ford its Votaries.

But before I proceed to name any more particulars, disclos'd to us by Revelation, 'twill be requisite, for the prevention or removal of a Prejudice, to mind you, that we should not make our Estimates of the worth of the things we owe to Revelation, by the Impressions they are wont now to make upon Us Christians, who learned divers of them in our Catechisms, and perhaps have several times met [Page 14] with most of the Rest in Sermons, or Theological Books. For 'tis not to be admir'd, that we should not be strongly affected at the mention of those Truths, which (how valuable soever in themselves) were for the most part taught us when we were either Children, or too Youthful to discern and prize their Excellency and Importance. So that though after­wards they were presented to our ri­per understanding, yet their being by that time become familiar, and our not remembring that we ignor'd them, kept them from making any vigo­rous Impressions on Us. Whereas if the same things had been (with Cir­cumstances evincing their Truth) discover'd to some Heathen Philoso­pher, or other vertuous and inquisitive Man, who valu'd important Truths, and had nothing but his own Reason to attain them with, he would questi­onless have receiv'd them with won­der and joy. Which to induce us to suppose we have sundry Instances, both in the Records of the Primitive Times, and in the recent Relations of the Conversion of men to Christia­nity among the People of China, Ja­pan, [Page 15] and other Literate Nations. For though bare Reason cannot discover these Truths, yet when Revelation has once sufficiently propos'd them to Her, she can readily embrace, and highly value divers of them; which being here intimated once for all, I now advance to name some of the Re­velations themselves.

And first, as for Angels, I will not now question, whether bare Reason can arrive at so much as to assure us, That there are such Beings in Rerum Naturâ. For though Reason may as­sure, that their Existence is not Im­possible, and perhaps too not impro­bable; yet I doubt, whether 'twere to meer Ratiocination, or clear Experi­ence, or any thing else but Revela­tion, convey'd to them by imperfect Tradition, that those Heathen Philo­sophers, who believ'd that there were separate Spirits other than Humane, ow'd that perswasion. And particu­larly as to Good Angels, I doubt, whe­ther those Antient Sages had any co­gent Reasons, or any convincing Hi­storical Proofs, or, in short, any one unquestionable Evidence of any kind, to satisfie a wary person so much as of [Page 16] the being (much less to give a farther account) of those Excellent Spirits. Matth. xxvj. 53. Dan. vij.10. Joh. j.3. Heb. j.7. Luke xx.35, 36. Col. j.16. Matth. xxiv.36. Mark xiij.32. Matth. xviij.10. Isa. vj.2, 3 Matth. vj.10. 2 Sam. xiv.20. Mark xiij.32. 2 King. xix.35. 1 Thess. iv.16. Jude ix. Dan. x.13, 21. Col. j.16. Revel. xij.7. Acts xij.7, 8, 9, 10. Dan. x.13. Acts xij.11. 2 Kings vj.17. Luke xxiv.4. Whereas Theology is enabled by the Scripture to inform us, that not onely there are such Spirits, but a vast mul­titude of them; That they were made by God and Christ, and are Immortal, and propagate not their Species; and that these Spirits have their chief Re­sidence in Heaven, and enjoy the Vi­sion of God, whom they constantly praise, and punctually obey, without having sinn'd against him; That also these Good Angels are very Intelli­gent Beings, and of so great power, that One of them was able in a night to destroy a vast Army; That they have Degrees among themselves, are Enemies to the Devils, and fight against them; That they can assume Bodies shap'd like ours, and yet dis­appear in a trice; That they are some­times employ'd about Humane affairs, and that not onely for the welfare of Empires and Kingdomes, but to pro­tect and rescue single Good men. And though they are wont to appear in a dazling Splendor, and an asto­nishing Majesty, yet they are All of them ministring Spirits, employ'd for [Page 17] the good of the designed Heirs of Sal­vation. Judg. xiij.6. Heb. j.14. Revel. xix.10. Revel. xxij.9. And they do not onely refuse mens Adoration, and admonish them to pay it unto God; but, as they are in a sense made by Jesus Christ, who was true Man as well as God; so they do not onely worship him, Matth. xxviij.6. Revel. xix.10. and call him simply, as his own Followers were were wont to do, The Lord, but stile themselves Fellow servants to his Disciples.

And as for the other Angels, though the Gentiles, as well Philo­sophers as others, were commonly so far mistaken about them, as to adore them for true Gods, Joh. j.3 Coloss. j.16. Matth. viij.7. Luke iv.33. Joh. viij, 34. 1 Pet. v.8. 2 Cor. xj.3. Revel. xij.9. Revel. xij.7. Matth. xxv.41. 1 Joh. iij.8. and yet many of them to doubt whether they were immortal; the Scripture informs us, that they are not Self-originated, but created Beings; That however a great part of Mankind worships them, they are wicked and impure Spirits, Enemies to Mankind, and Seducers of our first Parents to their Ruine; That though they beget and promote con­fusion among men, yet they have some Order among themselves, as having one Chief, or Leader; That they are evil Spirits, not by Nature, but Apostacy; That their power is [Page 18] very limited, Jude 6. Mark v.9, 10, 13. insomuch that a Legion of them cannot invade so contempti­ble a thing as a Herd of Swine, with­out particular leave from God; Jam. iv.7. 1 Pet. v.9. That not onely Good Angels, but Good Men, may, by resisting them, put them to flight, and the sincere Chri­stians that worsted them here, will be among those that shall judge them hereafter; 1 Cor. vj.3. Matth. xxv.41. Jam. ij.19. That their being immortal, will make their misery so too; That they do themselves believe and trem­ble at those Truths, they would per­swade men to reject; and That they are so far from being able to confer that Happiness, which their Wor­shippers expect from them, that them­selves are wretched creatures, 2 Pet. ij.4. Jude 6, 13. Matth. xxv.41. re­serv'd in chains of darkness to the judg­ment of the great Day; at which they shall be doom'd to suffer everlasting torments, in the company of those wicked men that they shall have pre­vail'd on.

We may farther consider, That as to things Corporeal themselves, which the Naturalist challenges as his peculiar Theme, we may name par­ticulars, and those of the most com­prehensive nature, and greatest Im­portance, [Page 19] whose knowledge the Na­turalist must owe to Theology. Of which Truths I shall content my self to give a few instances in the World it self, or the universal Aggregate of things Corporeal; that being look'd upon as the noblest and chiefest Ob­ject, that the Physicks afford us to contemplate.

And first, Those that admit the Truths reveal'd by Theology, do generally allow, that God is not onely the Author, but Creator of the World. I am not ignorant of what Anaxagoras taught, of what he call'd [...] — (and Tully mentions) in the production of the World; and that what many other Grecians afterwards taught of the Worlds Aeternity, is peculiarly due to Aristotle, who does little less then brag, that all the Philosophers that preceded him were of another mind. Nor will I here examine (which I else-where do) whether, and how far by Arguments meerly Physi­cal, the Creation of the World may be evinc'd. But whether or no meer Natural Reason can reach so sublime a Truth; yet it seems not that it did actually, where it was not excited by [Page 20] Revelation-Discovery. For though many of the antient Philosophers be­liev'd the World to have had a Begin­ning, yet they all took it for granted, that Matter had none; nor does any of them, that I know of, seem to have so much as imagin'd, that any Substance could be produced out of Nothing. Those that ascribe much more to God than Aristotle, make Him to have given Form onely, not Matter, to the World, and to have but contriv'd the pre-existent Matter into this orderly Systeme we call the Uni­verse.

Next, whereas very many of the Philosophers that succeeded Aristotle, suppose the World to have been Aeternal; and those that believ'd it to have been produc'd, had not the confidence to pretend to the know­ing how old it was; unless it were some extravagant ambitious People, such as those fabulous Chaldaeans, whose fond account reach'd up to 40000 or 50000 years: Theology teaches us, that the World is very far from being so old by 30 or 40 thousand years as they, and by very many Ages, as divers others have pre­sum'd; [Page 21] and does, from the Scripture, give us such an account of the age of the World, that it has set us certain Limits, within which so long a Du­ration may be bounded, without mi­staking in our Reckoning. Whereas Philosophy leaves us to the vastness of Indeterminate Duration, without any certain Limits at all.

The Time likewise, and the Order, and divers other Circumstances of the Manner, wherein the Fabrick of the World was compleated, we owe to Revelation; bare Reason being evi­dently unable to inform us of Parti­culars that preceded the Origine of the first Man; and though I do not think Religion so much concern'd, as many do, in their Opinion and Pra­ctise, that would deduce particular Theorems of Natural Philosophy from this or that Expression of a Book, that seems rather design'd to instruct us about Spiritual than Cor­poreal things. I see no just reason to embrace their Opinion, that would so turn the two first Chapters of Genesis into an Allegory, as to overthrow the Literal and Historical sense of them. And though I take the Scripture to [Page 22] be mainly design'd to teach us nobler and better Truths, than those of Phi­losophy; yet I am not forward to con­demn those, who think the begin­ning of Genesis contains divers parti­culars, in reference to the Origine of things, which though not unwarily, or alone to be urg'd in Physicks, may yet afford very considerable Hints to an attentive and inquisitive Peruser.

And as for the Duration of the World, which was by the old Phi­losophers held to be Interminable, and of which the Stoicks Opinion, that the World shall be destroyed by fire (which they held from the Jews) was Physically precarious; Theology teaches us expresly from Divine Re­velation, [...]. Jam. iij.6. that the present course of Nature shall not last always, but that one Day this world (or at least this Vortex of ours) shall either be Abolished by Annihilation, or (which seems far more probable) be Innovated, and, as it were, Transfi­gur'd, 2 Pet. iij. [...], 10, 13. and that by the Intervention of that Fire, which shall dissolve and destroy the present frame of Nature: So that either way, the present state of things (as well Naturall as Politi­cal) [Page 23] shall have an end.

And as Theology affords us these Informations about the Creatures in general; so touching the chiefest and noblest of the visible ones, Men, Re­velation discovers very plainly divers very important things, where Reason must needs be in the dark.

And first, touching the Body of Man; The Epicureans attributed its Original, as that of all things else, to the Casual Concourse of Atoms; and the Stoicks absurdly and injuriously enough (but much more pardonably than their follower herein, Mr. Hobbs) would have Men to spring up like Mushrooms out of the ground; and whereas other Philosophers maintain conceits about it, too wild to be here recited; the Book of Genesis assures us, Gen. ij.7. that the Body of Man was first form'd by God in a peculiar manner, of a Ter­restrial Matter; and 'tis there de­scribed, as having been perfected be­fore the Soul was united to it. And as Theology thus teaches us, how the Body of Man had its first beginning; so it likewise assures us, what shall be­come of the Body after death, Acts xxiv.15. though bare Natural Reason will scarce be [Page 24] pretended to reach to so abstruse and difficult an Article as that of a Resur­rection; which, when propos'd by St. Paul, Acts xvij.20, 32. produc'd among the Atheni­an Philosophers nothing else but won­der or laughter.

Not to mention, that Theology teaches us divers other things about the Origine and Condition of Mens Bodies; Gen. ij. Acts xvij.26. as, That all Mankind is the Off-spring of One Man and one Wo­man; That the first Woman was not made of the same Matter, nor after the same Manner as the first Man, but was afterwards taken from his side; That both Adam and Eve were not, Gen. ij.21, 22. as many Epicureans and other Philoso­phers fanci'd that the first men were, first Infants; whence they did, as we do, grow by degrees to be mature and compleat Humane Persons, but were made so all at once; Acts xxv.15. Luke xx.35, 36. and, That here­after, as all mens Bodies shall rise again, so they shall all (or at least all those of the just) be kept from ever dying a second time.

And as for the Humane Soul, though I willingly grant, that much may be deduc'd from the Light of Reason onely, touching its Existence, [Page 25] Properties, and Duration; yet Di­vine Revelation teaches it us with more clearness, and with greater Au­thority; as, sure, he that made our Souls, and upholds them, can best know what they are, and how long he will have them last. And as the Scri­pture expresly teaches us, that the Ra­tional Soul is distinct from the Body, Matth. x.28. as not being to be destroy'd by those very Enemies that kill the Body; so about the Origine of this Immortal Soul (about which Philosophers can give us but wide and precarious con­jectures) Theology assures us, that the Soul of man had not such an Origina­tion, as those of other Animals, Gen. ij 7. Zek. xij.1. but was Gods own immediate Workman­ship, and was united to the Body al­ready form'd: And yet not so united, Luke xx.35, 36. Matt. xxv.46. but that upon their Divorce, she will survive, and pass into a state, in which Death shall have no power over her.

I expect you will here object, that for the knowledge of the Perpetual Duration of separate Souls, we need not be beholding to the Scripture, since the Immortality of the Soul may be sufficiently prov'd by the sole Light [Page 26] of Nature, and particularly has been demonstrated by your great Des Car­tes. But you must give me leave to tell you, that, besides that a matter of that weight and concernment cannot be too well prov'd, and consequently ought to procure a welcome for all good Mediums of Probation; besides this, I say, I doubt many Cartesians do, as well as others, mistake, both the difficulty under consideration, and the scope of Des Cartes's Discourse. For I grant, that by Natural Philosophy alone, the Immortality of the Soul may be prov'd against its usual Ene­mies, Atheists and Epicureans. For the ground, upon which these men think it mortal, being, That 'tis not a true substance, but onely a modification of Body, which consequently must pe­rish, when the frame or structure of the Body, whereto it belongs, is dissolv'd: Their ground being this, I say, if we can prove by some Intellectual Ope­rations of the Rational Soul, which Matter, however modifi'd, cannot reach, That it is a Substance distinct from the Humane Body, there is no rea­son, why the Dissolution of the Latter should infer the Destruction of the [Page 27] Former, which is a simple Substance, and as real a Substance as Matter it self, which yet the Adversaries affirm to be Indestructible. But though by the Mental Operations of the Rational Soul, and perhaps by other Medi­ums it may, against the Epicureans, and other meer Naturalists, who will not allow God to have any thing to do in the case, be prov'd to be Immor­tal in the sense newly propos'd; yet the same Proofs will not evince, that absolutely it shall never cease to be ▪ if we dispute with Philosophers, who admit, as the Cartesians and many others do, that God is the sole Crea­tor and Preserver of all things. For how are we sure but that God may have so ordain'd, That, though the Soul of Man, by the continuance of his ordinary and upholding Concourse, may survive the Body, yet, as 'tis ge­nerally believ'd, not to be created till it be just to be infus'd into the Body; so it shall be annihilated when it parts with the Body, God withdrawing at death that supporting influence, which alone kept it from relapsing to its first Nothing. Whence it may appear, that notwithstanding the Physical [Page 28] proofs of the Spirituality and separa­bleness of the Humane Soul, we are yet much beholding to Divine Reve­lation for assuring us, that its Duration shall be endless. And now to make good what I was intimating above, concerning the Cartesians, and the scope of Des Cartes's Demonstration, I shall appeal to no other than his own Expressions to evince, that he con­sider'd this matter for the main as we have done, and pretended to de­monstrate, that the Soul is a Distinct Substance from the Body; but not that absolutely speaking it is Immor­tal. Cur (answers that excellent Au­thor) de immortalitate Animae nihil scripserim, D [...]s Car­tes Re­sponsione ad Obje­ctiones secundas, pag. m. 95. jam dixi in Synopsi mearum Meditationum. Quod ejus ab omni cor­pore distinctionem satis probaverim, supra ostendi. Quod vero additis, Ex distinctione Animae á corpore non sequi ejus Immortalitatem, quia nihilominus dici potest, illam à Deo talis naturae fa­ctam esse, ut ejus Duratio simul cum Duratione vitae corporeae finiatur, fateor á me refelli non posse. Neque enim tan­tum mihi assumo ut quicquam de iis quae à libera Dei voluntate dependent, hu­manae rationis vi determinare aggrediar. [Page 29] Docet Naturalis cognitio, &c. Sed si de absoluta Dei potestate quaeratur, an forte decreverit, ut humanae animae iis­dem Temporibus esse desinant, quibus Corpora quae illis adjunxit; solius Dei est, respondere. And if he would not assume to demonstrate by Natural Reason, so much as the Existence of the Soul after death, unless upon a supposition; we may well presume, that he would less take upon him to determine, what shall be the condition of that Soul after it leaves the Body. And that you may not doubt of this, I will give you for it his own confes­sion, as he freely writ it in a private Letter to that Admirable Lady, the Princess Elizabeth, first Daughter to Frederick King of Bohemia, who seems to have desir'd his Opinion on that important Question, about which he sends her this Answer, Pour ce qui, &c. i. e. As to the State of the Soul after this Life, my knowledge of it is far inferiour to that of Monsieur (he means Sir Kenelm) Digby. For, setting aside that which Religion teaches us of it, I confess, that by mee [...] Natural Reason we may indeed make many conjectures to our own advantage, and [Page 30] have fair Hopes, but not any Assurance: And accordingly in the next clause he gives the imprudence, of quitting what is certain for an uncertainty, as the cause why, according to Natural Reason, we are never to seek Death.

Nor do I wonder he should be of that mind. For all that meer Reason can demonstrate, may be reduced to these two things; One, that the Ra­tional Soul, being an Incorporeal Sub­stance, there is no necessity that it should perish with the Body; so that, if God have not otherwise appointed, the Soul may survive the Body, and last for ever: The other, that the Na­ture of the Soul, according to Des Cartes, consisting in its being a Sub­stance that thinks, we may conclude, that, though it be by death separate from the Body, it will nevertheless retain the power of thinking. But now, whether either of these two things, or both, be sufficient to endear the state of separation after death, to a considering man, I think may be justly question'd. For, Immortality or Perseverance in Duration, simply con­sider'd, is rather a thing presuppos'd to, or a requisite of, Felicity, than a part [Page 31] of it; and being in it self an adiapho­rous thing, assumes the nature of the state or condition to which 'tis joyn'd, and does not make that state happy or miserable, but makes the possessors of it more happy or more miserable than otherwise they would be. And though some School-men, upon Aery Metaphysical Notions, would have men think it is more eligible to be wretched, than not to be at all; yet we may oppose to their speculative su­btilties the sentiments of Mankind, and the far more considerable Testi­mony of the Saviour of Mankind▪ who speaking of the Disciple that be­tray'd him, says, Mark xiv.21. That it had been good for that man if he had never been born. And Eternity is generally con­ceived to aggravate no less the mise­ries of Hell, than it heightens the joys of Heaven. And here we may consider, first, That meer Reason can­not so much as assure us absolutely, that the Soul shall survive the Body: For the Truth of which we have not onely Cartesius's Confession, lately recited, but a probable Argument, drawn from the nature of the thing, since, as the Body and Soul were [Page 32] brought together, not by any meer Physical Agents, and since their As­sociation and Union whilst they con­tinued together, was made upon Con­ditions that depended solely upon Gods free and arbitrary Institution; so, for ought Reason can secure us of, one of the Conditions of that Asso­ciation may be, That the Body and Soul should not survive each other. Secondly, supposing that the Soul be permitted to outlive the Body, meer Reason cannot inform us what will be­come of her in her separate state, whe­ther she will be vitally united to any other kind of Body or Vehicle; and if to some, of what kind that will be, and upon what terms the Union will be made. For possibly she may be united to an unorganiz'd, or very im­perfectly organiz'd, Body, wherein she cannot exercise the same Functions she did in her Humane Body. As we see, that even in this Life the Souls of Natural Fools are united to Bodies, wherein they cannot discourse, or at least cannot Philosophize. And 'tis plain, that some Souls are introduc'd into Bodies, which, by reason of Pa­ralytical and other Diseases, they are [Page 33] unable to move, though that does not always hinder them from being obnoxious to feel pain. So that, for ought we naturally know, a Humane Soul, separated from the Body, may be united to such a portion of Matter, that she may neither have the power to move it, nor the advantage of re­ceiving any agreeable Informations by its interventions, having upon the ac­count of that Union no other sense than that of pain. But let us now con­sider what will follow, if I should grant that the Soul will not be made miserable, by being thus wretchedly matched. Suppose we then, that she be left free to enjoy what belongs to her own nature: That being onely the Power of always thinking, it may well be doubted, whether th'exercise of that Power wil suffice to make her hap­py. You will perchance easily believe, that I love as well as another to enter­tain my self with my own thoughts, and to enjoy them undisturbed by visits, and other avocations; I would, onely accompanied by a Servant and a Book, go to dine at an Inn upon a Road, to enjoy my thoughts the more freely for that day. But yet, I think, the [Page 34] most contemplative men would, at least in time, grow weary of think­ing, if they received no supply of Ob­jects from without, by Reading, See­ing, or Conversing; and if they also wanted the opportunity of executing their thoughts, by moving the Mem­bers of their Bodies, or of imparting them, either by Discoursing, or Writ­ing of Books, or by making of Expe­riments. On this occasion I remem­ber, that I knew a Gentleman, who was, in Spain, for a State-crime, which yet he thought an Heroick action, kept close prisoner for a year in a place, where though he had allowed him a Diet not unfit for a Person of Note, as he was; yet he was not per­mitted the benefit of any Light, either of the Day or Candles, and was not accosted by any humane creature, save at certain times by the Jaylor, that brought him meat and drink, but was strictly forbidden to converse with him. Now though this Gentleman by his discourse appear'd to be a man of a lively humour, yet being ask'd by me, how he could do to pass the time in that sad solitude, he confessed to me, that, though he had the liberty [Page 35] of walking too and fro in his Prison, and though by often recalling into his mind all the adventures and other pas­sages of his former life, and by several ways combining and diversifying his Thoughts, he endeavoured to give his mind as much variety of employ­ment as he was able; yet that would not serve his turn, but he was of­ten reduc'd, by drinking large draughts of Wine, and then casting himself upon his bed, to endeavour to drown that Melancholly, which the want of new objects cast him into. And I can easily admit, he found a great deal of difference between the sense he had of thinking when he was at liberty, and that which he had when he was confin'd to that employ­ment, whose delightfulness, like fire, cannot last long, when it is, as his was, denied both fuel and vent. And, in a word, though I most readily grant, that Thinking interwoven with Con­versation and Action, may be a very pleasant way of passing ones Time, yet Man being by nature a sociable crea­ture, I fear, that alone would be a dry and wearisome Imployment to spend Eternity in.

[Page 36]Before I proceed to the next Se­ction, I must not omit to take notice, That though the brevity I propos'd to my self, keeps me from discoursing of any Theological Subjects, save what I have touch'd upon about the Divine Attributes, and the things I have mention'd about the Universe in general, and the Humane Soul; yet there are divers other things, know­able by the help of Revelation, and not without it, that are of so noble and sublime a Nature, that the greatest Wits may find their best Abilities both fully exercis'd, and highly gra­tifi'd by making Enquiries into them. I shall not name for proof of this the Adorable Mystery of the Trinity, wherein 'tis acknowledg'd, that the most soaring Speculators are wont to be pos'd, or to loose themselves: But I shall rather mention the Redemption of Mankind, and the Decrees of God concerning Men. For though these seem to be less out of the Ken of our Natural Faculties; yet 'tis into some things that belong to the former of them, that the Scripture tells us, The Angels desire to pry; 1 Pet. j.12. and 'twas the consideration of the latter of them, [Page 37] that made one that had been caught up into the Mansion of the Angels, Rom. xj.33. amazedly cry out, [...], &c.

Not are these the onely things that the Scripture it self terms Mysteries, though, for brevities sake, instead of specifying any of them, I shall con­tent my self to represent to you in general; that, since Gods wisdom is boundless, it may, sure, have more ways than one to display it self. And though the material World be full of the Productions of his Wisdom; yet that hinders not but that the Scripture may be enobled with many excellent Im­presses, and, as it were, Signatures of the same Attribute. For, as I was be­ginning to say, it cannot but be high­ly injurious to the Deity, in whom all other True Perfections, as well as Om­niscience, are both united and tran­scendent, to think, that he can con­trive no ways to disclose his Perfe­ctions, besides the ordering of Matter and Motion, and cannot otherwise de­serve to be the Object of Mens stu­dies, and their Admiration, than in the capacity of a Creator.

And I think, I might safely add, that besides these Grand and Myste­rious [Page 38] Points I came from mentioning, there are many other noble and im­portant things, wherein unassisted Reason leaves us in the dark; which though not so clearly reveal'd in the Scripture, are yet in an inviting measure discover'd there, and conse­quently deserve the indagation of a Curious and Philosophical Soul. Shall we not think it worth enquiring, whether the Satisfaction of Christ was necessary to appease the Justice of God, and purchase Redemption for Mankind? Or whether God, as Absolute and Supreme Governour of the World, might have freely re­mitted the Penalties of sin? Shall we not think it worth the inquiring, up­on what Account, and upon what Terms, the Justification of Men [...] wards God is transacted, especially considering how much it imports us to know, and how perplexedly a Do­ctrine, not in it self abstruse, is wont to be delivered? Shall not we inquire, whether or no the Souls of Men, be­fore they were united to their Bodies, pre-existed in a happier state, as many of the Ancient and Modern Jews and Platonists, and (besides Origen) some [Page 39] Learned Men of our times do believe▪ And shall not we be curious to know, whether, when the Soul leaves the Bo­dy, it do immediately pass to Heaven or Hell (as 'tis commonly believed,) or for want of Organs be laid, as it were, asleep in an insensible and un­active state, till it recover the Body at the Resurrection? (as many Socinians and others maintain:) Or whether it be conveyed into secret Recesses, where, though it be in a good or bad condi­tion, according to what it did in the Body, 'tis yet repriev'd from the flames of Hell, and restrain'd from the Beatifick Vision till the Day of Judgment? (which seems to have been the opinion of many, if not most of the Primitive Fathers and Christi­ans.) Shall not we be curious to know, whether at that great Decretory Day, this vast Fabrick of the World, which all confess must have its frame quite shatter'd, shall be suffer'd to relapse into its first Nothing, (as several Di­vines assert;) or shall be, after its Disso­lution, renew'd to a better state, and, as it were, Transfigur'd? And shall not we inquire, whether or no in that fu­ture state of things, which shall ne­ver [Page 40] have an end, Gen. ij.21, 22, 23. we shall know one another? (as Adam, when he awak'd out of his profound sleep, knew Eve whom he never saw before;) and whe­ther those Personal Friendships and Affections, we had for one another here, and the pathetick Consideration of the Relations (as of Father and Son, Husband and Wife, Chaste Mistris and Virtuous Lover, Prince and Sub­ject,) on which many of them were grounded, shall continue? Or whe­ther all those things, as antiquated and slight, shall be obliterated, and, as it were, swallowed up? (as the former Relation of a Cousin a great way off, is scarce at all consider'd, when the Persons come so to change their state, as to be united by the strict Bonds of Marriage.)

But 'twere tedious to propose all the other Points, whereof the Divine takes cognizance, that highly merit an inquisitive mans curiosity; and about which, all the Writings of the old Greek and other Heathen Philo­sophers put together, will give us far less information, than the single Vo­lume of Canonical Scripture. I foresee indeed, that it may nevertheless be [Page 41] objected, that in some of these Inqui­ries, Revelation incumbers Reason, by delivering things, which Reason is obliged to make its Hypothesis con­sistent with. But, besides that this can­not be so much as pretended of all; if you consider how much unassisted Reason leaves us in the dark about these matters, wherein she has not been able to frame so much as proba­ble determinations, especially in com­parison of those probabilities that Reason can deduce from what it finds one way or other delivered in the Scri­pture: If you consider this, I say, you will, I presume, allow me to say, That the revealed Truths, which Reason is obliged to comply with, if they be burdens to it, are but such Burdens as Feathers are to a Hawk, which instead of hindring his flight by their weight, enable him to soar to­ward Heaven, and take a larger pro­spect of things, than, if he had not fea­thers, he could possibly do.

And on this occasion, Sir, the grea­ter Reverence I owe to the Scripture it self, than to its Expositors, prevails upon me to tell you freely, that you will not do right, either to Theology, [Page 42] or (the greatest Repository of its Truths) the Bible; if you imagine that there are no considerable Addi­tions to be made to the Theological Discoveries we have already, nor no clearer Expositions of many Texts of Scripture, or better Reflections on that matchless Book, than are to be met with in the generality of Com­mentators, or of Preachers, without excepting the Antient Fathers them­selves. For, there being in my opini­on two things requisite, to qualifie a Commentator to do right to his Theme, a competency of Critical Knowledge, and a Concern for the Honour and Interest of Christianity in general, assisted by a good Judgment to discern and select those things that may most conduce to it; I doubt, there are not many Expositors, as they are call'd, of the Scripture, that are not deficient in the former or the latter of these particulars, and I wish there be not too many that are defective in both.

That the knowledge of at least Greek and Hebrew is requisite to him, that takes upon him to expound Wri­tings penn'd Originally in those Lan­guages, [Page 43] if the nature of the thing did not manifest it, you might easily be perswaded to believe, by considering with what gross mistakes the Igno­rance of Languages has oftentimes blemish'd not onely the Interpreta­tions of the School-men and others, but even those of the Venerable Fa­thers of the Church. For though ge­nerally they were worthy men, and highly to be regarded, as the grand Witnesses of the Doctrines and Go­vernment of the antient Churches; most of them very pious, many of them very eloquent, and some of them (especially the two Criticks, Origen and Jerom) very Learned; yet so few of the Greek Fathers were skill'd in Hebrew, and so few of the Latin Fa­thers either in Hebrew or Greek, that many of their Homilies, and even Comments, leave hard Texts as ob­scure as they found them; and, some­times misled by bad Translations, they give them senses exceeding wide of the True: So that many times in their Writings they appear to be far better Divines then Commentators, and in an excellent Discourse upon a Text, you shall find but a very poor [Page 44] Exposition of it. Many of their Elo­quent and devout Sermons being much better Encomiasts of the Di­vine Mysteries they treat of, than Unvailers. And though some Modern Translations deserve the Praise of be­ing very useful, and less unaccurate than those which the Latine Fathers us'd; yet when I read the Scriptures (especially some Books of the Old Testament) in their Originals, I con­fess I cannot but sometimes wonder, what came into the mind of some, even of our Modern Translators, that they should so much Mistake, and sometimes Injure certain Texts as they do; and I am prone to think, that there is scarce a Chapter in the Bible (especially that part of it which is written in Hebrew) that may not be better Translated, and Consequently more to the Credit of the Book it self.

This Credit it misses of, not onely by mens want of sufficient Skill in Critical Learning, but (to come to the second Member of our late Division) for want of their having Judgment enough to observe, and Concern enough to propose those things in the Scri­pture, [Page 45] and in Theology, that tend to the Reputation of either. For I fear there are too many, both Commenta­tors and other Divines, that (though otherwise perhaps pious men) having espous'd a Church or Party, and an Aversion from all Dissenters, are so­licitous when they peruse the Scri­pture, to take notice chiefly, if not onely (I mean in points Speculative) of those things, that may either sug­gest Arguments against their Adver­saries, or Answers to their Objecti­ons. But I meet with much fewer than I could wish, [...]. Joh. v.39. who make it their Business to search the Scriptures for those things (such as unheeded Pro­phecies, over-look'd Mysteries, and strange Harmonies) which being clear­ly and judiciously proposed, may make that Book appear worthy of the high extraction it challenges (and conse­quently of the veneration of Consi­dering men) and who are sollicitous to Discern and Make out, in the way of Governing and of Saving Men, re­veal'd by God, so excellent an Oeco­nomy, and such deep Contrivances, and wise Dispensations, as may bring credit to Religion, not so much as [Page 46] 'tis Roman, or Protestant, or Socinian, but as 'tis Christian. But (as I intima­ted before) these good affections for the repute of Religion in general, are to be assisted by a deep Judgment. For men that want either That, or a good Stock of Critical Learning, may easily over-see the best Observations (which usually are not Obvious) or propose as Mysteries, things that are either not Grounded, or not Weigh­ty enough; and so (notwithstanding their good meaning) may bring a Dis­paragement upon what they desire to Recommend. And I am willing to grant, that 'tis rather for want of good Skill and good Judgment, than good Will, that there are so few that have been careful to do right to the Reputation of the Scripture, as well as to its Sense. And indeed when I con­sider, how much more to the Advan­tage of those Sacred Writings, and of Christian Theology in general, divers Texts have been explain'd and dis­cours'd of by the Excellent Grotius, by Episcopius, Masius, Mr. Mede, and Sir Francis Bacon, and some other Late great Wits (to name now no Living ones) in their several kinds; than the [Page 47] same places have been handled by vulgar Expositors, and other Divines: And when I remember too, that none of these newly named Worthies was at once a great Philosopher, and a great Critick; (the three first being not so well vers'd in Philosophical Learning, and the last being unacquainted with the Eastern Tongues:) I cannot but hope, that when it shall please God to stir up persons of a Philosophical Ge­nius, well furnish'd with Critical Learning, and the Principles of true Philosophy, and shall give them a hearty Concern for the Advancement of his Truths; these men, by exer­cising upon Theological matters, that Inquisitiveness and Sagacity that has made in our Age such a happy Progress in Philosophical ones, will make Ex­plications and Discoveries, that will justifie more than I have said in praise of the study of our Religion and the Divine Books that contain the Arti­cles of it. For these want not Excel­lencies, but onely skilful Unvailers. And if I do not tell you, that you should no more measure the Wisdom of God couch'd in the Bible, by the Glosses or Systems of common Expo­sitors [Page 48] and Preachers, than Estimate the Wisdome he has express'd in the contrivance of the World by Magi­rus's or Eustachius's Physicks; yet I shall not scruple to say, That you should as little think, that there are no more Mysteries in the Books of Scri­pture, besides those that the School-Divines and Vulgar Commentators have taken notice of, and unfolded; as that there are no other Mysteries in the Book of Nature, than those which the same School-men (who have taken upon them to interpret Aristotle and Nature too) have ob­serv'd and explain'd. All the fine things, that Poets, Orators, and even Lovers have Hyperbolically said in praise of the Beauty of Eyes, will no­thing near so much recommend them to a Philosophers esteem, as the sight of one Eye skilfully dissected, or the unadorn'd Account given of its Stru­cture, and the admirable uses of its several parts, in Scheiner's Oculus, and Des-Cartes's Excellent Dioptricks. And though I do not think my self bound to acquiesce in, and admire eve­ry thing that is propos'd as Mysterious and Rare by many Interpreters and [Page 49] Preachers; yet I think, I may safely compare several things in the Books we call the Scripture, to several others in that of Nature, in (at least) one re­gard. For, though I do not believe all the Wonders, that Pliny, Aelian, Por­ta, and other Writers of that stamp, relate of the Generation of Animals; yet by perusing such faithful and accu­rate accounts, as sometimes Galen, De usu Partium, sometimes Vesalius, some­times our Harvey (de Ovo) and our later Anatomists, and sometimes other true Naturalists, give of the Genera­tion of Animals, and of the admirable Structure of their Bodies, especially those of Men, and such other parts of Zoology, as Pliny, and the other Writers I nam'd with him, could make nothing considerable of; by perusing these (I say) I receive more pleasure and sa­tisfaction, and am induc'd more to ad­mire the works of Nature, than by all their Romantic and Superficial Nar­ratives. And thus (to apply this to our present Subject) a close and critical account of the more vail'd and preg­nant parts of Scripture, and Theologi­cal Matters, with such Reflections on them, as their Nature and Collation [Page 50] would suggest to a Philosophical, as well as Critical, Speculator, would far better please a Rational Considerer, and give him a higher, as well as a better grounded, Veneration for the things explain'd, than a great many of those sleighter or ill-founded Re­marks, wherewith the Expositions and Discourses of Superficial Writers, though never so florid or witty, gain the applause of the less discerning sort of men.

And here, on this occasion, I shall venture to add, that I despair not, but that a further use may be made of the Scripture, than either our Divines or Philosophers seem to have thought on. Some few Theologues indeed have got the name of Supralapsarians, for venturing to look back beyond the Fall of Adam for God's Decrees of Election and Reprobation. But, besides that their boldness has been dislik'd by the generality of Divines, as well as other Christians, the Object of their Speculation is much too narrow to be any thing near and adequate to such an Hypothesis as I mean. For me-thinks, that the Encyclopedia's and Pansophia's, that even men of an ele­vated [Page 51] Genius have aimed at, are not diffus'd enough to comprehend all that the Reason of a Man, improv'd by Philosophy, and elevated by the Revelations already extant in the Scri­pture, may, by the help of free Rati­ocination, and the hints contain'd in those pregnant. Writings (with those assistances of God's Spirit, which he is still ready to vouchsafe to them that duly seek them,) attain unto in this life. The Gospel com­prises indeed, and unfolds the whole Mystery of Man's Redemption, Acts xx.27. as far forth as 'tis necessary to be known for our Salvation: And the Corpuscula­riùm or Mechanical Philosophy, strives to deduce all the Phoenomena of Nature from Adiaphorous Matter, and Local Motion. But neither the Fundamental Doctrine of Christia­nity, nor that of the Powers and Ef­fects of Matter and Motion, seems to be more than an Epicycle (if I may so call it) of the Great and Universal System of God's Contrivances, and makes but a part of the more general Theory of things, knowable by the Light of Nature, improv'd by the In­formation of the Scriptures: So that [Page 52] both these Doctrines, though very general, in respect of the subordinate parts of Theology and Philosophy, seem to be but members of the Uni­versal Hypothesis, whose Objects, I conceive, to be the Nature, Counsels, and Works of God, as far as they are discoverable by us (for I say not to us) in this Life.

For those, to whom God has vouchsafed the priviledge of mature Reason, seem not to enlarge their thoughts enough, if they think, that the Omniscient and Almighty God has bounded the Operations of his Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness, to the Exercise that may be given them for some Ages, by the Produ­ction and Government of Matter and Motion, and of the Inhabitants of the Terrestrial Globe, which we know to be but a Physical Point in comparison of that Portion of Universal Matter, which we have already discover'd.

For I account, that there are four grand Communities of Creatures, whereof things meerly Corporeal make but one; the other three, differing from these, are distinct also from one another. Of the first sort are the Race [Page 53] of Mankind, where Intellectual Beings are vitally associated with Gross and Organical Bodies. The second are Daemons, or evil Angels; and the third, good Angels; (whether in each of those two kinds of Spirits, the Rational Beings be perfectly free from all uni­on with Matter, though never so fine and subtile; or whether they be united to Vehicles, not Gross, but Spirituous, and ordinarily invisible to Us.)

Nor may we think, because An­gels and Devils are two names quick­ly utter'd, and those Spirits are sel­dome or never seen by us, there are therefore but few of them, and the Speculation of them is not conside­rable. For, as their Excellency is great, (as we shall by and by shew) so for their number, they are represented in Scripture as an Heavenly Host, standing on the right and left hand of the Throne of God. Matth. xxvj.53. And of the good Angels, our Saviour Speaks of having more than twelve Legions of them at his command. Nay, the Prophet Da­niel saith, that to the Antient of days, Dan. vij.10. no less than millions ministred unto him, and hundreds of millions stood before him. And of the evil Angels [Page 54] the Gospel informs us, that enough to call them a Legion (which you know is usually reckon'd, Mark v.9. Luke viij.30. at a moderate rate▪ to consist of betwixt six and seven thousand) possess'd one single man. For my part, when I consider, that matter, how vastly extended, and how curiously shap'd soever, is but a brute thing, that is onely capable of Local motion and its effects and consequents on other Bodies, or the Brain of man, without being capable of any True, or at least any Intellectual, Perception, or true Love or Hatred; and when I consider the Rational Soul as an im­material and immortal Being, that bears the Image of its Divine Maker, being indow'd with a capacious Intel­lect, and a Will that no Creature can force: I am by these Considerations dispos'd to think the Soul of Man a nobler and more valuable Being, than the whole Corporeal World; which though I readily acknowledge it to be admirably contriv'd, and worthy of the Almighty and Omniscient Au­thor, yet it consists but of an Ag­gregate of Portions of brute Matter, variously shap'd and connected by Local Motion (as Dow, and Roles, [Page 55] and Loves, and Cakes, and Vermicel­li, Wafers, and Pie-crust, are all of them diversified Meal;) but without any knowledge either of their own Nature, or of that of their Author, or of that of their Fellow-creatures. And as the Rational Soul is somewhat more noble and wonderful, than any thing meerly Corporeal, how vast soever it can be, and is of a more excellent Nature, than the curiousest piece of Mechanism in the world, the Humane Body; so to enquire what shall become of it, and what Fates it is like to un­dergo hereafter, does better deserve a man's Curiosity, than to know what shall befall the Corporeal Universe, and might justly have been to Nebu­chadnezzar a more desirable part of knowledge, than that he was so trou­bled for want of, Dan. ij.31, 32, &c. when it was adum­brated to him in the mysterious Dream, that contain'd the Characters and Fates of the four Great Monar­chies of the World. And as man is intrusted with a Will of his own, whereas all material things move onely as they are mov'd, and have no self-determining power, on whose account they can resist the Will of God; and [Page 56] as also of Angels, at least some Or­ders of them, are of a higher Quality (if I may so speak) than Humane Souls; so 'tis very probable, that in the Government of Angels, whether good or bad, that are Intellectual Vo­luntary Agents, there is requir'd and employ'd far greater displays of Gods Wisdom, Power, and Goodness, than in the guidance of Adiaphorous Mat­ter; and the method of God's Con­duct in the Government of these, is a far nobler Object for men's Contem­plation, than the Laws, according to which the parts of Matter hit against, and justle, one another, and the effects or results of such Motions.

And accordingly we find in Scri­pture, that, whereas about the produ­ction of the material World, and the setting of the frame of Nature, God employ'd onely a few commanding Words, which speedily had their full effects; to govern the Race of Mankind, even in order to their own Happiness, he employ'd not onely Laws and Commands, but Revelations, Mira­cles, Promises, Threats, Exhortations, Mercies, Judgments, and divers other Methods and Means; and yet often­times, [Page 57] when he might well say, Isa. v.4. as he did once by his Prophet, What could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done it? he had just cause to expostulate as he did in the same place, Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? and to complain of men, as by that very Prophet he did even of Israel, Isa. lxv.2. I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people. But not to wander too far in this di­gression; what we have said of Men, may render it probable, that the grand Attributes of God are more sig­nally exercis'd, and made more con­spicuous in the making and govern­ing of each of the three Intellectual Communities, than in the framing and upholding the Community of meer bodily things. And since all Immate­rial Substances are for that reason na­turally Immortal, and the Universal Matter is believ'd so too, possibly those Revolutions, that will happen after the Day of Judgment, wherein though probably not the Matter, yet that state and constitution of it, on whose account it is This World, will be destroyed, and make way for quite [Page 58] new Frames and Sets of things corpo­real, and the Beings that compose each of these Intellectual Communi­ties, will, in those numberless Ages they shall last, travel through I know not how many successive changes and adventures; perhaps, I say, these things will no less display, and bring glory, to the Divine Attributes, than the Contrivance of the world, and the Oeconomy of Man's Salvation, though these be (and that worthily) the Objects of the Naturalists and the Divines Contemplation. And there are some passages in the Prophetical part of the Scripture, and especially in the Book of the Apocalypse, which, as they seem to intimate, that as God will perform great and noble things, which Mechanical Philosophy never reach'd to, and which the generality of Divines seem not to have thought of; so divers of those great things may be, in some measure, discover'd by an attentive Searcher into the Scriptures, and that so much to the advantage of the devout Indagator, that St. John, near the beginning of his Revelations, pronounces them hap­py, that read the matters contain'd in [Page 59] this Prophecy, and *Rev. j.3. To render the Original word ( observe, or) watch, rather than keep, seems more congruous to the sense of the Text, and is a Criticism suggested to me by an emi­nent Mathematician as well as Divine, who took notice, that the word [...] is us'd by the Greeks as a term of Art, to express the Astrono­mical Observation of Ecli­pses, Planetary Conjuncti­ons, Oppositions, and other Celestial Phaenomena. ob­serve the things writ­ten therein. Which im­plies, that by heedful comparing together the Indications couched in those Prophetick Writ­ings, with Events and Occurrences in the Af­fairs of the World, and the Church, we may discover much of the admirable Oeconomy of Providence in the Governing of both: And I am prone to think, the early discoveries of such great and im­portant things, to be in Gods account no mean vouchsafements, not onely because of the title of Happy is here given to him that attains them, but because the two persons, to whom the great discoveries of this kind were made, I mean, the Prophet Daniel and St. John, the first is by the Angel said to be, on that account, a person highly favour'd; and the other is in the Gospel represented as our Saviour's beloved Disciple. And you will the more easily think the fore­knowledge of the Divine Dispensa­tions [Page 60] gatherable from Scripture to be highly valuable, if you consider, that, according to St. Paul, those very An­gels that are call'd Principalities and Powers in heavenly places, [...]. Ephis. iij.10▪ learnt by the Church some abstruse points of the ma­nifold wisdom of God. But I must no longer indulge Speculations, that would carry my Curiosity beyond the bounds of time it self, and therefore beyond those that ought to be plac'd to this occasional excursion.

And yet, as on the one side, I shall not allow my self the presumption of framing conjectures about those re­mote Dispensations, which will not, most of them, have a beginning be­fore this world shall have an end; so on the other side I would not discou­rage you, or any pious Inquirer, from endeavouring to advance in the know­ledge of those Attributes of God, that may successfully be studied, with­out prying into the Secrets of the fu­ture.

And here, Sir, let me freely confess to you, that I am apt to think, that, if men were not wanting to Gods glo­ry, and their own satisfaction, there would be far more Discoveries made, [Page 61] than are yet attain'd to, of the Divine Attributes. When we consider the most simple or uncompounded Essence of God, we may easily be perswaded, that what belongs to Any of His At­tributes (some of which thinking men generally admire) must be an Object of Enquiry exceeding Noble, and worthy of our knowledge. And yet the abstruseness of this knowledge is not in All particulars so invincible, but that I strongly hope, a Philosophi­cal Eye, illustrated by the Revelations extant in the Scripture, may pierce a great deal farther than has yet been done, into those mysterious Subjects, which are too often (perhaps out of a mistaken Reverence) so poorly hand­led by Divines and Schoolmen, that not onely what they have taught, is not worthy of God (for that's a ne­cessary, and therefore excusable, defi­ciency) but too frequently it is not worthy of Men, I mean, of Rational Creatures, that take upon them to treat of such high Points, and instruct others about them. And I question not but your Friend will the less scru­ple at this, if he call to mind those new and handsome Notions about [Page 62] some of the Attributes of God, that his Master Cartesius, though but mo­derately vers'd in the Scriptures, has presented us with. Nor do I doubt but that a much greater progress might be made in the Discovery of Subjects, where, though we can never know all, we may still know farther, if Spe­culative Genius's would propose to themselves particular Doubts and En­quiries about particular Attributes, and frame and examine Hypotheses, establish Theorems, draw Corollaries; and (in short) apply to this study the same sagacity, affiduity, and atten­tion of mind, which they often im­ploy about Inquiries of a very much inferiour nature; insomuch as Des-Cartes (how profound a Geometrician soever he were) confesses in one of his Epistles, that he employ'd no less then six weeks to find the solution of a Pro­blem or question of Pappus. And Pythagoras was so addicted to, and con­cern'd for Geometrical Speculations, that when he had found that famous Proposition, which makes the 47 th. in Euclid's I. Book, he is recorded to have offer'd a Hecatomb, to express his joy and gratitude for the Discovery: [Page 63] which yet was but of one Property of one sort of Right-lin'd Triangles. And certainly if Christian Philoso­phers did rightly estimate, how noble and fertile Subjects the Divine Attri­butes are, they would find in them wherewithall to Exercise their best parts, as well as to Recompence the Imployment of them. But because what I would disswade, does not per­haps proceed onely from Laziness, but from a Mistake; as if there were little to be known of so Incomprehensible an Object as God, save that in General all his Attributes are like himself, In­finite, and consequently not to be ful­ly Known by Humane Understand­ings, because They are Finite; I shall add, that though it be true, that by Reason of God's Infinity, we cannot Comprehend him, that is, have a full and adequate knowledge of him; yet we may not onely know very many things concerning him, but, which is more, may make an Endless Progress in that Knowledge. As, no doubt, Pythagoras (newly mention'd) knew very well what a Triangle was, and was acquainted with divers of its Proper­ties and Affections before he disco­ver'd [Page 64] that famous One. And though since him, Euclid, Archimedes, and other Geometricians have demon­strated, I know not how many other Affections of the same Figure, yet they have not to this day Exhau­sted the Subject: And possibly, I, (who pretend not to be a Mathema­tician) may now and then in managing certain Aequations I had occasion for, have lighted upon some Theorems about Triangles, that occurr'd not to any of them. The Divine Attributes are such fruitful Themes, and so wor­thy of our Admiration, that the whole Fabrick of the Universe, and all the Phenomena exhibited in it, are but Im­perfect Expressions of Gods Wisdom, and some few of his other Attributes. And I do not much marvel, that the Angels themselves are represented in Scripture as imploy'd in Adoring God, Isa. vj.2, 3. Luke ij.13, 14. Revel. v.11, 12. and Admiring his Perfections. For even they being but Finite, can frame but inadequate Conceptions of Him; and consequently must En­deavour by many of them to make amends for the Incompleatness of eve­ry one of them; which yet they can never but Imperfectly do. And yet [Page 65] Gods Infinity can but very impro­perly be made a Discouragement of our Enquiries into his Nature and At­tributes. For (not now to examine whether Infinity, though express'd by a Negative word, be not a Positive thing in God) we may, notwithstand­ing his Infinity, discover as much of him as our Nature is capable of know­ing: And what harm is it to him that is drinking in a River, that he cannot drink up all the water, if he have li­berty fully to quench his thirst, and take in as much Liquor as his stomack can contain. Infinity therefore should not hinder us from a Generous Am­bition to learn as much as we can of an Object, whose being Infinite does but make our knowledge of it the more noble and desirable, which in­deed it is in such a degree, that we need not wonder that the Angels are represented as never weary of their Employment of contemplating and praising God. For, as I lately intima­ted, that they can have but inadequate Idea's of those boundless Perfections, and by no number of those Idea's can arrive to make amends for the In­compleatness of them; so it need not [Page 66] seem strange that in fresh Discoveries of new Parts (if I may so call them) of the same Object, it being such a one, they should find nobler and hap­pier Entertainments than any where else variety could afford them.

The second Section.

HAving thus taken notice of some Particulars of those many which may be employ'd to shew, how Noble the Objects are, that Theolo­gy proposes to be contemplated; I now proceed to some Considerations that may make us sensible how great an Obligation there lies on us, to addict our selves to the study of them.

Yet of the Particulars whereon this Obligation may be grounded, I shall now name but two, they being indeed comprehensive ones, Obedience, and Gratitude.

And first let me represent, that it needs not, I suppose, be solicitously proved, That 'tis the Will and Com­mand of God, that men should learn those Truths that he has been pleased [Page 67] to teach, whether concerning his Na­ture or Attributes, or the way where­in he will be Served and Worshipped by Man. For if we had not Injuncti­ons of Scripture to that purpose, yet your Friend is too Rational a Man to believe, that God would so solemnly cause his Truths to be published to Mankind, both by Preaching and Writing, without Intention to Oblige, those (at least) that have the capacity and opportunity to en­quire into some of them; and if it ap­pear to be His will, that a person so qualified, should search after the most important Truths that he hath re­veal'd, it cannot but be their duty to do so. For though the nature of the thing it self did not lay any Obli­gation on us, yet the Authority of Him that Commands it, would: since being the Supreme and Absolute Lord of all His Creatures, he has as well a full right to make what Laws he thinks fit, and enjoyn what service he thinks fit, as a power to punish those that either violate the one, or deny the other; and accordingly 'tis very observable, that before Adam fell, and had forfeited his happy state by [Page 68] his own transgression, he not onely had a Law Impos'd upon him, but such a Law, Gen. ij.16, 17. as, being about a matter it self Indifferent (for so it was to eat or not to eat of the Tree of Life as well as of any other,) derived its whole power of obliging from the meer will and pleasure of the Law-giver. Whence we may learn, that Man is subject to the Laws of God, not as he is Ob­noxious to him, but as he is a Rational Creature, and that the thing that is not a duty in its own nature, may be­come an indispensible one barely by its being commanded. And indeed, if our first Parent in the state of Innocency and Happiness, wherein he tasted of Gods Bounty, without, as yet, stand­ing in need of his Mercy, was most strictly obliged out of meer Obedience to conform to a Law, the matter of which was indifferent in it self; sure we, in our laps'd condition, must be un­der a high Obligation to obey the de­clared will of God, whereby we are enjoyned to study his Truths, and per­form that which has so much of in­trinsick Goodness in it, that it would be a duty, though it were not com­manded; and has such Recompences [Page 69] proposed to it, that it is not more a Duty, then it will be an Advan­tage.

But it is not onely Obedience and Interest that should engage us to the study of Divine things, but Gratitude, and that exacted by so many impor­tant Motives, that he who said, In­gratum si dixeris, omnia dixeris, could not think Ingratitude so much worse than ordinary Vices, as a contempt of the Duty I am pressing, would be worse than an ordinary Ingratitude.

It were not difficult on this occasion to manifest, that we are extremely great Debtors unto God, both as he is the Authour and the Preserver of our very Beings; and as he (immedi­ately or mediately) fills up the mea­sure of those continual Benefits with all the Prerogatives and other Favours we do receive from him as Men; and the higher Blessings, which (if we are not wanting to our selves) we may receive from him as Christians.

But to shew, in how many Particu­lars, and to how high a Degree, God is our Benefactor, were to lanch out into too Immense a Subject; which 'twere the less proper for me to do, [Page 70] because I have in other Papers dis­cours'd of those matters already. Seraph. Love. I will therefore single out a Motive of Gratitude, which will be peculiarly pertinent to our present purpose. For whereas your Friend does so highly value himself upon the Study of Na­tural Philosophy, and despises not onely Divines, but States-men, and even the Learned'st Men in other parts of Philosophy and Knowledge, be­cause they are not vers'd in Physicks; he ows to God that very Skill, among many other Vouchsafements. For it is God who made Man unlike the Horse and the Mule, Psal. xxxij.9. who have no understand­ing, and endow'd him with that noble power of Reason, by the exercise of which he attains to whatever know­ledge he has of Natural things above the Beasts that perish. For, that may justly be applied to our other Acqui­sitions, which Moses, by Gods ap­pointment, told the Israelites con­cerning the Acquists of Riches; where he bids the people beware, That when their Herds, and their Flocks, and other Treasures were multipli'd, their heart be not lifted up, Deut. viij.10, 11, 12, and prompt them to say, My power, and the might [Page 71] of my hand hath gotten me this wealth. But, (subjoyns that excellent Person, 13, 14, as well as Matchless Law-giver) Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. 18, But to make Men Rational Creatures, is not all God has done towards the making them Philosophers. For, to the knowledge of particular things, Objects are as well requisite as Facul­ties; and if we admit the probable Opinion of Divines, who teach us, that the Angels were created before the Material World, as being meant by those Sons of God, Job xxxviij.5, 6, 7. and Morning Stars, that with glad Songs and Ac­clamations celebrated the Foundati­ons of the Earth; we must allow, that there were many creatures endowed with at least as much Reason as your Friend, who yet were unacquainted with the Mysteries of Nature, since She her self had not yet receiv'd a Be­ing. Wherefore God having as well made the World, as given Man the Faculties whereby he is enabled to contemplate it; Naturalists are as much obliged to God for their Know­ledge, as we are for our Intelligence to those that write us Secrets in Cy­phers, [Page 72] and teach us the skill of de­cyphering things so written; or to those who write what would fill a Page in the compass of a single Peny, and present us to boot a Microscope to en­able us to read it. And as the Natura­list hath peculiar Inducements to Gra­titude for the Endowment of Know­ledge; so Ingenuity lays this peculiar Obligation on him to express his Gra­titude in the way I have been recom­mending, That 'tis one of the ac­ceptablest ways it can be express'd in; especially since by this way, Philoso­phers may not onely exercise their own gratitude towards God, but procure him that of others. How pleasing mens hearty Praises are to God, may appear among other things, by what is said and done by that Royal Poet, whom God was pleased to declare a man after his own heart; for he intro­duces God pronouncing, Psa. L.23. Whoso offereth Praise, glorifieth me; where the word our Interpreters render offereth, in the Hebrew signifies to Sacrifice; with which agrees, that else-where those that pay God their Praises, are said to Sacrifice to him the calves of their lips. Hos. xiv.2. And that excellent Person, to whom [Page 73] God vouchsafed so particular a Te­stimony, was so assiduous in this Exer­cise, that the Book which we, follow­ing the Greek, call Psalms, is, in the Original, from the things it most abounds with, called Sepher Tehillim, i. e. The Book of Praises. And to let you see, that many of his Praises were such, as the Naturalist may best give, he exclaims in one place, Psal. civ.24. How manifold are thy works, O Lord? how wisely hast thou made them, (as Junius and Tre­mellius render it, and the Hebrew will bear) and else-where, Psal. xix.1. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firma­ment sheweth his handy-work, &c. Again, in another place, Psal. cxxxix.14. I will praise thee, because I am fearfully and won­derfully made. Marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. And not content with many of the like Expressions, he does several times in a devout Transport, and Poetical strain, invite the Heavens, and the Stars, and the Earth, and the Seas, and all the other Inanimate Creatures, to joyn with him in the celebration of their common Maker. Which though it seem to be meerly a Poetical Scheme, yet in some sort it might be­come [Page 74] a Naturalist, who by making out the Power, Wisdom, and Good­ness of the Creator, and by reflecting thence on those Particulars wherein those Attributes shine, may, by such a devout Consideration of the Crea­tures, make them, in a sense, joyn with him in glorifying their Author.

In any other case, I dare say, your Friend is not so ill natur'd, but that he would think it an unkind piece of In­gratitude, if some great and excellent Prince, having freely and transcen­dently obliged him, he should not con­cern himself to know what manner of Man his Benefactor is; and should not be solicitous to inform himself of those particulars, relating to the Per­son and Affairs of that obliging Mo­narch, which were not onely in them­selves worthy of any mans Curiosity, but about which the Prince had so­lemnly declar'd he was very desirous to have men Inquisitive. And sure 'tis very disingenious, to undervalue or neglect the knowledge of God Him­self for a Knowledge which we can­not attain without him, and by which he design'd to bring us to that study we neglect for it: which is not onely [Page 75] not to use him as a Benefactor, but as if he meant to punish him (if I may so speak) for having oblieged us, since we so abuse some of his Favours, as to make them Inducements to our Un­thankful Disregard of his Intentions in the rest. And this Ingratitude is the more culpable, because the Laws of Ingenuity, and of Justice it self, charge us to Glorifie the Maker of all things visible, not onely upon our own account, but upon that of all his other works. For by Gods endowing of none but Man here below with a Reasonable Soul, not onely he is the sole visible Being that can return Thanks and Praises in the World, and thereby is oblieged to do so, both for himself, and for the rest of the Crea­tion; but 'tis for Mans advantage, that God has left no other visible Beings in the World, by which he can be studied and celebrated. For, Reason is such a Ray of Divinity, that, if God had vouchsafed it to other parts of the Universe besides Man, the absolute Empire of Man over the rest of the World must have been shar'd, or abridg'd. So that he, to whom it was equally easie to make Creatures Su­perior [Page 76] to Man (as the Scripture tells us of Legions, and Myriads of An­gels) as to make them Inferiour to him, dealt so obligingly with Man­kind, as rather to Trust (if I may so speak) our Ingenuity, whether he shall reap any Celebrations from the Crea­tures we converse with, than Lessen our Empire over them, or our Prero­gatives above them.

But I fear, that, notwithstanding all the Excellency of reveal'd Truths, and consequently of that onely Au­thentic Repository of them, the Scri­pture, you, as well as I, have met with some (for I hope there are not many) Virtuosi, that think to excuse the neglect of the study of it, by al­ledging, that to them who are Lay­men, not Ecclesiasticks, there is re­quir'd to Salvation the Explicit knowledge but of very few Points, which are so plainly summ'd up in the Apostles Creed, and are so often and conspicuously set down in the Scri­pture, that one needs not much search or study it to find them there.

In answer to this Allegation, I rea­dily grant, 1 Tim. ij.4. that through the great goodness of God, who is willing to [Page 77] have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth, that is necessa­ry to be so, there are much fewer Ar­ticles absolutely necessary to be by all men distinctly believed, than may be met with in divers long Confessions of Faith, some of which have, I fear, less promoted Knowledge than im­pair'd Charity. But then it may be also consider'd, 1. That 'tis not so easie for a Rational Man, that will trouble himself to enquire no farther than the Apostles Creed, to satisfie himself upon good grounds, that all the Fun­damental Articles of Christianity are contain'd in it. 2. That the Creed pro­poses onely the Credenda, Joh. xiij.7. Heb. v.9. not the Agenda of Religion; whereas the Scri­ptures were designed, not onely to teach us what Truths we are to be­lieve, but by what Rules we are to live; the obedience to the Laws of Christianity being as necessary to Sal­vation, as the belief of its Mysteries. 3. That besides the things which are absolutely necessary, there are several that are highly useful, to make us more clearly understand, and more ra­tionally and firmly believe, and more steadily practise, the points that are [Page 78] necessary. 4. And since, whether or no those words of our Saviour to the Jews, [...], Joh. v.39. Search, or, You search the Scri­ptures. Coloss. iij.16. be to be rendred in the Imperative or the Indicative Mode; St. Paul would have the word of Christ to dwell richly in us, (by which, whether he mean the holy Scriptures then extant, or the Do­ctrine of Christ, is not here material;) thereby teaching us, that searching in­to the matters of Religion may be­come necessary as a Duty, though it were not otherwise necessary as a Means of attaining Salvation. And in­deed 'tis far more pardonable to want or miss the knowledge of Truths, than to despise or neglect it. And the goodness of God to illiterate or mi­staken persons, is to be suppos'd meant in pity to our Frailties, not to encourage our Laziness; nor is it ne­cessary, that he that pardons those Seekers of his Truths that miss them, should excuse those Despisers that will not seek them.

But whether or no by this design'd neglect of Theology the persons, I deal with, do sufficiently consult their own safety, I doubt they will not much recommend their Ingenuity. [Page 79] For to have received from God a great­er measure of Intellectual Abilities than the generality of Christians, and yet willingly to come short of very many of them, in the knowledge of the Mysteries and other Truths of Christianity, which he often invites us, if not expresly commands, to search after, is a course that will not relish of over-much gratitude. Is it a piece of That, and of Ingenuity, to receive ones Understanding and ones Hopes of Eternal Felicity from the Goodness of God, without being sollicitous of what may be known of his Nature and Purposes by so excellent a way as his own Revelation of them? To dis­pute anxiously about the Properties of an Atome, and be careless about the Inquiry into the Attributes of the great God, who formed all things; Prov. xxvj.10. to investigate the spontaneous genera­tion of such vile Creatures as Insects, than the Mysterious Generation of the Adorable Son of God; and, in a word, to be more concern'd to know every thing that makes a Corporeal part of the World, than the Divine and In­corporeal Authour of the whole?

And then, is it not, think you, a [Page 80] great piece of respect, that these men pay to those Truths, which God thought fit to send sometimes Pro­phets and Apostles, sometimes An­gels, and sometimes his onely Son himself to reveal, that such Truths are so little valued by them, that ra­ther than take the pains to study them, they will implicitly, and at ad­ventures believe, what that Society of Christians, they chance to be born and bred in, have (truly or falsly) de­livered concerning them? And does it argue a due regard to points of Reli­gion, that those, who would not believe a Proposition in Staticks, perhaps about a meer Point, the Centre of Gravity, or in Geometry, about the Properties of some nameless curve Line, or some such other things, (which to ignore, is usually not a ble­mish, and about which, to be mista­ken, is more usually without danger,) should yet take up the Articles of Faith, concerning matters of great and everlasting Consequence, upon the Authority of Men, Fallible as them­selves, when satisfaction may be had without them from the Infallible Word of God? In this very unlike [Page 81] those Bereans, Acts xvij.11. whom the Evangelist honours with the Title of Noble, that when the Doctrines of the Gospel were proposed to them, they searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Again, if a man should refuse to learn to read any more, than just as much as may serve his turn, by inti­tuling him to the benefit of the Cler­gy, to save him from hanging, would these men think so small a measure of Literature, as he had acquir'd on such an account, could prove that man to be a Lover of Learning; and yet a neglecter of the study of all not ab­solutely necessary-Divine Truths, during ones life, because the belief of the Articles of the Creed may make a shift to keep him from being doom'd to Hell for Ignorance after his death, will not by (what in a Learned man must be) so pitiful a degree of know­ledge be much better intitled to that Ingenuous Love of God and his Truths, that becomes a Rational Crea­ture and a Christian.

The antient Prophets, though ho­nour'd by God with direct Illumina­tions, 1 Pe [...]. j.10, 11. were yet very solicitous to find [Page 82] out and learn the very Circumstances of the Evangelical Dispensations, which yet they did not know. And some of the Gospel Mysteries are of so noble and excellent a nature, that the Angels themselves desire to look in­to them. 1 Pet. j. [...]2. And though all the Evan­gelical Truths are not precisely neces­sary to be known, it may be both a Duty not to despise the study of them, and a Happiness to employ our selves about it. It was the earnest Prayer of a great King, Psal. cxix.18. and no less a Prophet, that his eyes might be opened to behold (not the obvious and necessary Truths, but) the wondrous things of Gods Law. He is pronounced Happy in the begin­ning of the Apocalypse, Revel. j. that reads and observes the things contain'd in that dark and obscure part of Scripture. And 'tis not onely those Truths that make Articles of the Creed, but di­vers other Doctrines of the Gospel, that Christ himself judged worthy to be concluded with this Epiphonema, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; on which the excellent Grotius makes this just Paraphrase, Matth. xj.15. Mark iv. [...], 23. Luke viij.8. Intellectus nobis à Deo potissimum datus est, ut eum in­tendamus documentis ad pietatem perti­nentibus

The third Section.

I Come now to our third and last In­ducement to the study of Divine things, which consists in, and compri­ses the Advantages of that study, which do as much surpass those of all other Contemplations, as Divine things transcend all other Objects. And indeed, the utility of this study is so pregnant a Motive, and contains in it so many Invitations, that your Friend must have as little sense of Interest as of Gratitude, if he can neglect such powerful and such ingaging Invita­tions.

For, in the first place, Theological studies ought to be highly endeared to us by the Delightfulness of consider­ing such noble and worthy Objects as are therein propos'd.

The famous Answer given by an excellent Philosopher, who being ask'd what he was born for, repli'd, To contemplate the Sun, may justly re­commend their choice, who spend their time in contemplating the Ma­ker [Page 84] of the Sun, to whom that glorious Planet it self is but a shadow. And perhaps that Philosopher failed more in the Instance than in the Notion: For his Answer implies, That Man's End and Happiness consists in the ex­ercise of his noblest Faculties on the noblest Objects. And surely the seat of Formal Happiness being the Soul, and that Happiness consequently con­sisting in the Operations of her Facul­ties; as the Supreme Faculty of the Mind is the Understanding, so the highest Pleasures may be expected from the due Exercise of it upon the sublimest and worthiest Objects. And therefore I wonder not, that though some of the School-men would assign the Will a larger share in Mans Feli­city, than they will allow the Intel­lect; yet the generality of them are quite of another mind, and ascribe the Preheminence in point of Felicity to the Superiour Faculty of the Soul. But, whether or no this Opinion be true in all Cases, it may at least be ad­mitted in ours: For, the chief Ob­jects of a Christian Philosophers Con­templation, being as well the Infinite Goodness, as the other boundless Per­fections [Page 85] of God, they are naturally fitted to excite in his mind an ardent love of that adorable Being, and those other joyous Affections and virtuous Dispositions, that have made some men think Happiness chiefly seated in the Will. But having intimated thus much by the way, I pass on to add, That the contentment afforded by the assiduous discovery of God and Di­vine Mysteries, has so much of affi­nity with the Pleasures, that shall make up mens Blessedness in Heaven it self, that they seem rather to differ in Degree than in Kind. For, the happy state even of Angels is by our Saviour represented by this Imployment, that they continually see the face of his Fa­ther who is in Heaven. And the same infallible Teacher, intending else­where to express the Celestial Joys that are reserv'd for those, who for Their sake deny'd themselves sensual Pleasures, imploys the Vision of God as an Emphatical Periphrase of Felici­ty, Blessed, said he, are the pure in heart, Matth. v.8. for they shall see God. And as Aristotle teaches, that the Soul doth after a sort become that which it Speculates, St. Paul and St. John assure us, that [Page 86] God is a transforming Object, and that in Heaven we shall be like him, 1 Joh. iij.2. [...] for (or, because) we shall see him as he is. And though I readily admit, that this Beatisick Vision of God, wherein the Understanding is the proper Instru­ment, includes divers other things which will concur to the compleat Felicity of the future Life; yet I think, we may be allowed to argue, that that ravishing Contemplation of Divine Objects, will make no small part of that happy Estate, which in these Texts take its Denomination from it.

I have above intimated, that the Scripture attributes to the Angels themselves Transports of Wonder and Joy upon the Contemplation of God, and the Exercises they consider of his Wisdom, Justice, or some other of his Attributes. But least in referring you to the Angels, you should say, that I do in this Discourse lay aside the Person of a Naturalist, in favour of Divines; I will refer you to Des Cartes himself, whom I am sure your Friend will allow to have been a rigid Phi­losopher, if ever there were any. Thus then speaks he in that Treatise, where [Page 87] he thinks he imploys a more than Ma­thematical Rigor; and where he was obliged to utter those (I had almost said Passionate) words, I am going to cite from him, onely by the Impres­sions made on him by the transcen­dent Excellency of the Ob [...] he Contemplated; Medit. tertia sub finem. Sed priusquam (says he) hoc diligentius examinem, simulque in alias veritates quae inde colligi possunt, inquiram, placet hic aliquandiu in ipsius Dei contemplatione immorari, ejus at­tributa apud me expendere, & immensi hujus Luminis pulchritudinem, quan­tum caligantis Ingenii mei acies ferre poterit, intueri, admirari, adorare. Ut enim in hac sola Divinae Majestatis Contemplatione summam alterius vitae felicitatem ex consistere fide credimus; ita etiam jam ex eadem, licet multo minus perfecta, maximam, cujus in hac vita capaces simus, voluptatem, percipi posse experimur.

But as high a satisfaction as the stu­dy of Divine things affords by the Nobleness of its Object, the Con­tentment is not much Inferiour that accrues from the same study upon the score of the Sense of a mans having in it performed his Duty. To make [Page 88] actions of this nature satisfactory to us, there is no need, that the things we are employ'd about, should in them­selves be Excellent or Delightful; the inward gratulations of Conscience for having done our Duties is able to [...]d the bitterest Pills, and, like the Wood that grew by the Waters of Marah, Exod. xv.25. to correct and sweeten that Liquor, which before was the most distastful. Those antient Pagan He­roes, whose Vertues may make us blush, being guided but by natural Reason, and innate Principles of Mo­ral Virtues, could find the most diffi­cult and most troublesome Duties, upon the bare account of their being Duties, not onely Tolerable but Plea­sant. And though to deny some Lusts be, in our Saviours esteem, no less uneasie, then for a man to pluck out his right eye, Matth. v.29, 30. or cut off his right hand; yet even Ladies have with satisfaction chosen, not onely to deny themselves the greatest Pleasures of the Senses, but to Sacrifice the Seat of them, the Body it self, to preserve the Satisfa­ction of being Chaste. Nor are they onely the Dictates of Obedience that we comply with in this study, but [Page 89] those of Gratitude; and that is a Vertue that has so powerful an Ascen­dant upon Ingenuous Minds, that those, whose Principles and Aims were not elevated by Religion, have, in acknowledgment to their Parents and their Countrey, courted the great­est Hardships, and Hazards, and Suf­ferings, as if they were as great De­lights and Advantages. And a grate­full Person spends no part of his Life to his greater satisfaction, than that which he ventures or imploys for those to whom he is oblieged for it; and oftentimes finds a greater Content­ment even in the difficultest Acknow­ledgments of a favour, than he did in Receiving of it.

Another Advantage, and that no mean one, that may accrue from the Contemplation of Theological Truths, is, the Improvement of the Contemplator himself in point of Pie­ty and Virtue. For, as the Gospel is styl'd, The mystery of godliness; 1 Tim. iij.16. and St. Paul elsewhere calls what it teaches, The truth which is according to godliness, that is, Tit. j.1. a Doctrine fram'd and fitted to promote the Interest of Piety and Virtue in the World: so [Page 90] this Character and Encomium be­longs (though perhaps not equally) to the more Retir'd Truths disco­ver'd by Speculation, as well as to those more Obvious ones, that are familiarly taught in Catechisms and Confessions of Faith. I would by no means lessen the Excellency and Pre­rogatives of Fundamentals; but, since the grand and noblest Engagements to Piety and Virtue, are a high Ve­neration for God and his Christ, and an ardent Love of them; I cannot but think, that those particular In­quiries, that tend to make greater Dis­coveries of the Attributes of God, of the Nature, and Offices, and Life of our Saviour, and of the Wisdom and Goodness they have display'd in the Contrivance and Effecting of Man's Redemption; do likewise tend to Increase our Admiration, and In­flame our Love, for the Possessors of such Divine Excellencies, and the Authors of such invaluable Benefits. And as the Brazen Serpent, Numb. xxj.9. that was but a Type of one of the Gospel My­steries, brought Recovery to those that look'd up to it; so the Myste­ries themselves, being duly consider'd, [Page 91] have had a very Sanative Influence on many that contemplated Them. Nor is it likely, that he that discerns more of the depth of Gods Wisdom and Goodness, should not, caeteris pa­ribus, be more disposed than others to Admire him, to Love him, to Trust him, and so to resign up himself to be Governed by him: Which frame of mind both is it self a great Part of the Worship of God, and doth directly tend to the Production and Increase of those Vertues, without the practise of which, the Scripture plainly tells us, that we can neither Obey God, nor express our Love to him. And from this Bettering of the mind by the study of Theology, will flow (to add that upon the by) an­other Benefit, namely, that by giving us a higher value for God and his Truths, it will endear Heaven to us, and so not onely assist us to come Thither, but heighten our Felicity There.

I know it may be said, that the Me­lioration of the mind is but a Moral Advantage. But give me leave to Answer, that, besides that 'tis such a [Page 92] Moral Advantage as supposes an In­tellectual Improvement whose fruit it is, a Moral Benefit may be great enough, even in the Judgment of a meer Philosopher, and an Epicurean, to deserve as much study as Natural Philosophy it self. And that you may not think that I speak this onely, because I write in this Epistle as a Friend to Divines, I will tell you, that Epicurus himself, who has now adays so numerous a Sect of Naturalists to follow him, studied Physicks, and writ so many Treatises about them for this End, that by knowing the Natural Causes of Thunder, Lightning, and other dreadful Phaenomena, the Mind might be freed from the disquieting Apprehensions Men commonly had, that such strange and formidable things proceeded from some incensed Deity, and so might trouble the Mind, as well as the Air. This account I have been giving of Epicurus his Design, is but what seems plainly enough intimated by his own words, preserved us by Laertius, near the end of his Physiological Epistle to Herodotus, where recommending to [Page 93] him the consideration of what he had delivered about Physical Principles in general, and Meteors in particular, he subjoyns, Si enim ab istis non discesseri­mus, tum id unde oritur perturbatio, Diogenis Laertii libr. 10. quodque metum ingerit, recta cum ra­tione edisseremus, nosque ab ipsis exi­memus. And to this in the close of his Meteorological Epistle to Pytho­cles, his best Interpreter, Gassendus, makes him speak consonantly, in these words, Maxime veró dede teipsum spe­culationi Principiorum, ex quibus con­stant omnia, & Infinitatis Naturae, alio­rumque his cohaerentium Insuper veró & Criteriorum, affectuumque animi, & scopum illius in quem ista edisserentes col­lineavimus, attende, Tranquillitatem in­telligo statum (que) mentis imperturbatum. But this is not all the Testimony I can give you from Epicurus himself to the same purpose, for among his Ra­tae Sententiae, preserved us by Laer­tius, (himself reputed an Epicurean) I find one that goes further; Si nihil (says he) conturbaret nos quod suspica­mur, veremu que ex rebus sublimibus, neque item quod ex ipsa morte, ne quan­do nimirum ad nos pertine at aliquid, ac [Page 94] nosse praeterea possemus, qui Germani fines dolorum atque cupiditatum sint ( [...]) nihil Physiologiâ indigeremus. Thus far the testimony of Epicurus, of whose mind though I am not at all, as to what he would intimate, That Physiology is either proper to free the Mind from the Belief of a Provident Deity, and the Souls Immortality, or fit for no other considerable purposes; yet this use we may well make of these Declarations, that, in Epicurus's opinion, a Moral Advantage that re­lates to the Government of the Affe­ctions, may deserve the pains of ma­king Inquiries into Nature. And since it hence appears, that a meer Philosopher, who admitted no Pro­vidence, may think it worth his pains, to search into the abstrusest parts of Physicks, and the difficultest Phaeno­mena of Nature, onely to ease him­self of one troublesome Affection, Fear; it need not be thought Unphi­losophical, to prosecute a Study, that will not onely Restrain One undue Passion, but Advance All Vertues, and free us from all Servile Fears of [Page 95] the Deity; and tend to give us a strong and well-grounded Hope in Him; and make us look upon Gods greatest Power, not with Terrour, but with Joy.

There is yet another Advantage belonging to the study of Divine Truths, which is too great to be here pretermitted. For whereas there is scarce any thing more incident to us whilst we inhabit our ( Batté Chómer) Cottages of Clay, Iob iv.19. and dwell in this vale of tears, than Afflictions; it ought not a little to endear to us the newly mention'd Study, that it may be easily made to afford us very power­ful Consolations in that otherwise un­easie state.

I know it may be said, that the Speculations about which the Natu­ralist is busied, are as well pleasing Diversions, as noble Imployments of the Mind. And I deny not that they are often so, when the Mind is not hinder'd from applying it self atten­tively to them; so that Afflictions slight and short may well be weather'd out by these Philosophical Avoca­tions; but the Greater and Sharper [Page 96] sort of Afflictions, and the approaches of Death, require more powerful Re­medies, than these Diversions can afford us. For in such cases, the Mind is wont to be too much dis­compos'd, to apply the attention re­quisite to the finding a pleasure in Physical Speculations; and in Sick­nesses, the Soul is oftentimes as in­dispos'd to relish the Pleasures of meerly Humane Studies, as the lan­guishing Body is to relish those Meats, which at other times were delightful: And there are but few that can take any great pleasure to study the World, when they apprehend themselves to be upon the point of being driven out of it, and in danger of losing all their share in the Objects of their Contemplation. It will not much qualifie our Sense of the burning heat of a Feaver, or the painful gripes of the Cholick, to know, That the three Angles of a Triangle are equal to two Right ones; or that Heat is not a real Quality (as the Schools would have it,) but a Modification of the Motion of the Insensible parts of Matter; and Pain not a Distinct, In­herent [Page 97] Quality in the things that produce it, but an Affection of the Sentiment. The Naturalists Specu­lations afford him no Consolations that are extraordinary in, or peculiar to, the state of Affliction; and the Avocations they present him with, do rather Amuse the mind from an Attention to lesser Evils, than bring it any Advantages to Remove or Compensate them▪ and so work rather in the nature of Opiates, than of true Cordials.

But now, if such a Person as Dr. N. falls into Adversity, the case is much otherwise; for we must consider, that when the study of Divine things is such as it ought to be, though, That in it self, or in the Nature of the Im­ployment, be an act or exercise of Reason; yet being apply'd to, out of Obedience, and Gratitude, and Love to God, it is upon the account of its Motives, and its Aim, an act of Re­ligion; and as it proceeds from Obe­dience, and Thankfulness, and Love to God, so it is most acceptable to him; and upon the account of his own Appointment, as well as Good­ness, [Page 98] is a most proper and effectual means of obtaining his Favour; and then I presume, it will easily be grant­ed, that he who is so happy as to en­joy That, can scarce be made mi­serable by Affliction. For not now to enter upon the Common-place of the Benefits of Afflictions to them that love God, and to them that are lov'd by him, it may suffice, that he who (as the Scripture speaks) knows our frame, Psal. ciij.14. and has promised those that are his, 1 Cor. 10.13. that they shall not be Over-burden'd, is dispos'd and wont to give his afflicted Servants, both extraordinary Comforts in Afflicti­ons, and Comforts appropriated to that state. For though Natural Phi­losophy be like its brightest Object, the Stars, which, however the Astro­nomer can with pleasure Contem­plate them, are unable, being meer Natural Agents, to afford him a kinder Influence than usual, in case he be cast upon his Bed of Languishing, or into Prison; yet the Almighty and Compassionate Maker of the Stars, being not onely a Voluntary, but the most Free, Agent, can suit [Page 99] and proportion his Reliefs to our Ne­cessities, and alleviate our heaviest Afflictions by such supporting Con­solations, that not onely they can ne­ver surmount our Patience, but are oftentimes unable so much as to hin­der our Joy; and when Death, that King of Terrours, presents it self, Job xviij.14. whereas the meer Naturalist sadly ex­pects to be depriv'd of the pleasure of his knowledge by losing those Senses and that World, which are the Instru­ments and the Objects of it; and per­haps (discovering beyond the Grave nothing but either a state of Eternal Destruction, or of Eternal Misery,) fears either to be Confin'd for ever to the Sepulchre, or expos'd to Tor­ments that will make even such a Condition desirable; the pious Stu­dent of Divine Truths, is not onely freed from the wracking Apprehen­sions of having his Soul reduc'd to a state of Annihilation, or cast into Hell, but enjoys a comfortable ex­pectation of finding far greater Sa­tisfaction than ever in the Study he now rejoyces to have pursu'd; since the change, that is so justly formidable [Page 100] to others, will but bring him much nearer to the Divine O [...]jects of his devout Curiosity, and strangely Ele­vate and Inlarge his Faculties to ap­prehend them.

And this leads me to the mention of the last Advantage belonging to the study I would perswade you to; and indeed, the highest Advantage that can recommend Any Study, or invite Men to any Undertaking; for this is no less than the Everlasting fruition of the Divine Objects of our Studies hereafter, and the comfortable Expe­ctation of it here. For the employing of ones time and parts, to admire the Nature and Providence of God, and contemplate the Divine Mysteries of Religion, as it is one of the chief of those Homages and Services, whereby we Venerate and Obey God; so it is one of those, to which he hath been pleased to apportion no less a Re­compence, Dan. ix.21, 22. Luke j.11, 26. Acts x.4, 5, 6. 1 Pet. j.12. than (that which can have no greater) the Enjoyment of Himself. The Saints and Angels in Heaven have divers of them been employ'd to convey the Truths of Theology, and are sollicitous to look into those Sacred [Page 101] Mysteries; and God hath been pleased to appoint, that those men who study the same Lessons that they do here, shall study them in their company here­after. And doubtless, though Heaven abound with unexpressible Joys, yet it will be none of the least that shall make up the Happiness even of that Place, that the Knowledge of Divine things, that was here so zealously Pur­su'd, shall there be compleatly At­tain'd. For those things that do here most excite our Desires, and quicken the Curiosity and Industry of our Searches, will not onely there Conti­nue, but be Improv'd to a far greater measure of Attractiveness and Influ­ence. For all those Interests, and Pas­sions, and Lusts, that here below ei­ther hinder us from clearly Discern­ing, or keep us from sufficiently Va­luing, or divert us from attentively enough Considering, the Beauty and Harmony of Divine Truths, will there be either abolish'd, or transfigur'd: And as the Object will be Unveil'd; so our Eye will be Enlighten'd, that is, as God will there disclose those worthy Objects of the Angels Curiosity, so [Page 102] he will Inlarge our Faculties, to en­able us to gaze without being dazl'd upon those sublime and radiant Truths, whose Harmony as well as Splendor we shall be then qualifi'd to Discover, and consequently with Transports to Admire. And this Enlargement and Elevation of our Faculties, will, pro­portionably to its own measure, In­crease our Satisfaction at the Disco­veries it will enable us to make. For Theology is like a Heaven, which wants not more Stars than appear in it, but we want Eyes, quick-sighted and piercing enough to reach them. And as the Milky Way, and other Whiter parts of the Firmament, have been full of Immortal Lights from the beginning, and our new Telescopes have not plac'd, but found them, there; so, when our Saviour, after his glorious Resurrection, instructed his Apostles to teach the Gospel, 'tis not said that he alter'd any thing in the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets, but onely open'd and enlarg'd their Intellects, Luke xxiv.45. Psal. cxix.18. that they might understand the Scriptures: And the Royal Prophet makes it his Prayer, That God would be pleased to [Page 103] open his eyes, that he might see wonder­ful things out of the Law; being (as was above intimated) so well satisfi'd, that the Word of God wanted not Ad­mirable things, that he is onely solli­citous for the Improvement of his own Eyes, that they might be quali­fi'd to discern them.

I had almost forgotten one particu­lar, about the Advantages of Theolo­gical Studies, that is too considerable to be left unmention'd: For as great as I have represented the Benefits ac­cruing from the Knowledge of Di­vine Truths; yet to endear them to us, it may be safely added, that, to procure us these Benefits, the actual Attainment of that Knowledge is not always absolutely Necessary, but a hearty Endeavour after it may suffice to entitle Us to them. The patient Chymist, that consumes himself and his Estate in seeking after the Philo­sophers Stone, if he miss of his Idoliz'd Elixir, had as good, nay better, have never sought it, and remains as poor in Effect, as he was rich in Expectation. The Husbandman that employs his Seed and Time, to obtain from the [Page 104] Ground a plentiful Harvest, if, after all, an unkind Season happen, must see his toil made fruitless; ‘—longique perit labor irritus Anni.’

Too many Patients, that have pun­ctually done and suffer'd for Recove­ry all that Physicians could prescribe, meet at last with Death in stead of Health. You know what entertain­ment has been given by skilful Geo­metricians to the laborious endea­vours, even of such famous Writers as Scaliger, Longomontanus, and other Tetragonists; and that their Succes­sor Mr. Hobbs, after all the ways he has taken, and those he has propos'd, to Square the Circle, and Double the Cube, by missing of his end, has, af­ter his various attempts, come off, not onely with Disappointment, but with Disgrace. And (to give an In­stance even in things Celestial) how much pains has been taken to find out Longitudes, and make Astrological Precictions with some certainty, which for want of coming up to what they aimed at, have been useless, if not [Page 105] prejudicial to the Attempters.

But God (to speak with St. Paul on another occasion) that made the world, Acts xvij.24, 25. and all things therein, and is Lord of heaven and earth, seeks not our Ser­vices, as though He needed any thing, seeing he giveth Life, and Breath, and all things: His Self-sufficiency and Bounty are such, that He seeks in our Obedience the Occasions of rewarding it, and prescribes us Services, because the Practise of them is not onely suta­ble to our Rational Nature, but such as will prevail with his Justice, to let His Goodness make our Persons hap­py. Agreeably to this Doctrine we find in the Scripture, that Abraham is said to have been justified by faith, Jam. ij.21. when he offered his son Isaac upon the Altar, (though he did not Actually sacrifice him) because he endeavour'd to do so; although, God graciously accepting the Will for the Deed, ac­cepted also of the bloud of a Ram in­stead of Isaac's. And thus we know, that 'twas not David, but Solomon that built the Temple of Hierusalem, and yet God says to the former of those Kings (as we are told by the latter) [Page 106] For asmuch as it was in thine heart to build an House for my name thou didst well in that it was in thine heart; 2 Chron. vj.8, 9. not­withstanding thou shalt not build the House, &c. And if we look to the other Circumstances of this Story, as they are delivered in the Second Book of Samuel, 2 Sam. vij. we shall find, that upon David's declaration of a design to build God an house, God himself vouchsafes to honour him, as he once did Moses, with the peculiar Title of His Servant; ver. 5. and commands the Pro­phet to say to him, ver. 11. Also the Lord tells thee, that He will make Thee an House: To which is added one of the graci­ousest Messages that God ever sent to any particular man. By which we may learn, that God approves and accepts even those Endeavours (of his Ser­vants) if they be real and sincere, that never come to be actually accom­plished: Good Designs and Endea­vours are our part, but the events of those, as of all other things, are in the All-disposing hand of God, who, if we be not wanting to what lies in us, will not suffer us to be Losers by the de­feating Dispositions of his Providence▪ [Page 107] but crown our endeavours either with Success, or with some other Recom­pence, that will keep us from being Losers by missing of that. And in­deed, if we consider the great Elogies that the Scripture, as well frequently as justly, gives God's Goodness (which it represents as Over, or as Above, Hab. j.13. all his Works) and that his purer eyes Punish, as well as See, the Murder and Adultery of the heart, when those Intentional sins are hinder'd from ad­vancing into Actual ones; we can scarce doubt but He, whose Justice punishes sinful Aims, will allow his In­finite Goodness to recompense pious Attempts: And therefore our Saviour pronounces them blessed, Matth. v.6. that hunger and thirst after righteousness, assuring Them that they shall be satisfi'd, and thereby sufficiently intimating to us, That an earnest Desire after a Spiritu­al Grace (and such is the knowledge of Divine things) may entitle a man to the complete Possession of it, if not in This life, yet in the Next, 2 Cor. v.7. where we shall not any more walk by Faith, but by Sight, and obtain as well a Knowledge as other Endowments, [Page 108] befitting that Glorious state, wherein the Purchaser of it for Us, Luke xx.36. assures us, that we shall be [ [...]] equal, or like to the Angels.

The Considerations, Sir, I have hi­therto laid before you, to recommend the Study of Divine Truths, have, I hope, perswaded you, That 'tis on many accounts both noble and eligible in it self; and therefore I shall here conclude the First Part of this Dis­course. And in regard that the Under­valuation Physiophilus expresses for that excellent Imployment, seems to flow (chiefly at least) from his fondness and partiality for Natural Philosophy; it will next concern us to compare the study of Theology with that of Phy­sicks, and show, that the Advantages which your Friend alledges in favour of the Latter, are partly much lessen'd by disadvantageous Circumstances, and partly much out-weigh'd by the Transcendent Excellencies of Theo­logical Contemplations: The study whereof will thereby appear to be not onely Eligible in it self, but Preferri­ble to its Rival. And I must give you warning to expect to find the Second [Page 109] Part, which the making this Compa­rison challenges to it self, a good deal more Prolix than the First; not onely because it often requires more trou­ble, and more words to detect and dis­prove an Errour, than to make out a Truth; but also because that divers things tending to the Credit of Divi­nity, and which consequently might have been brought into the First Part of this Discourse, were thought more fit to be interwoven with other things, in the Answers made to the Objecti­ons examin'd in the Second.

THE EXCELLENCY OF THEOLOGY: OR, The Preeminence of the Study of Divinity, above that of Na­tural Philosophy. THE SECOND PART.

I Shall, without Pre­amble, begin this Discourse, by considering the Delightfulness of Physicks, as the main thing that inveigles your Friend, and divers other Virtuosi, from relishing, as they ought, and other­wise [Page 112] would, the pleasantness of Theo­logical Discoveries. And to deal in­genuously with you, I shall not scruple to acknowledge, that though the Ad­dress I have made to Nature has lasted several years, and has been toil­some enough, and not unexpensive; yet I have been pleas'd enough with the favours, such as they are, that she has from time to time accorded me, not to complain of having been unplea­santly imploy'd. But though I readily allow the attainments of Naturalists to be able to give Philosophical Souls sincerer Pleasures, than those that the more undiscerning part of Mankind is so fond of; yet I must not therefore allow them to surpass, or even equal, the Contentment, that may accrue to a Soul qualified by Religion, to relish the best things most from some kind of Theological Contemplations.

This, I presume, will sufficiently appear, if I shew you, that the Study of Physiology is not unattended with considerable Inconveniencies, and that the pleasantness of it may be, by a Person studious of Divinity, enjoy'd with endearing Circumstances.

But before I name any of the par­ticular [Page 113] Reasons that I am to represent, I fear it may be requisite to inter­pose a few words, to obviate a mi­stake, which, if not prevented, may have an ill aspect, not onely upon the first Section, but upon a great part of the following Discourse. For I know that it may be said, that whereas I alledge divers things, to lessen the lately mentioned delightfulness of the study of Physic, and to depreciate some other advantages, by which the following Sections would recommend it, some of the same things may be objected against the delightfulness of the study of Divinity. But this Ob­jection will not, I presume, much move you, if you consider the argu­ment and scope of the two parts of this Letter. For in the former I have shewn by positive Proofs, that the study of Theology is attended with divers advantages, which belong to it, either onely as some of them do, or principally as others. And now in the second part I come to consider, whe­ther what is alledged in behalf of the study of Philosophy, deserve to coun­ter-ballance those Prerogatives or Advantages; and therefore it neither [Page 114] need be, nor is my design, to com­pare, for instance, the delightfulness of the two studies, Philosophy and Physicks, but by shewing the Incon­veniences that allay the latter, to weaken the Argument that is drawn from that delightfulness, to conclude it preferrable to the study of Theo­logy. So that my work, in this and the following Sections, is, not so much to institute Comparisons, as to obviate or answer Allegations. For since I have in the past Discourse grounded the Excellency of the study of Divinity, chiefly upon those great advantages that are peculiar to it; my Reasonings would not be frustrated, though it should appear, that in point of Delightfulness, Certainty, &c. that Study should, in many cases, be liable to the same Objections with the Study of Nature, since 'tis not mainly for these Qualities, but, as I was say­ing, for other and peculiar Excellen­cies that I recommended Divinity, And therefore, supposing the Delight­fulness, &c. of that and of Physicks, to be allayed by the same, or equal Inconveniences or Imperfections; that Supposition would not hinder the [Page 115] Scales to be swayed in favour of Di­vinity, upon the score of those Ad­vantages that are unquestion'd, and peculiarly belong to it. I know not whether I need add, that, notwith­standing this, you are not to expect, that I should give Philosophy the wounds of an Enemy. For my design being not to discourage you, nor any Ingenious man, from courting Her at all, nor from courting Her much, but from courting her too much, and despising Divinity for her, I employ against her not a Sword to wound her, but a Ballance, to shew, that her Ex­cellencies, though solid and weighty, are less so, than the preponderating ones of Theology. And this temper and purpose of mine renders my Task difficult enough to have, perhaps, some right to your pardon▪ as well as some need of it, if I do not every where steer so exactly, as equally to avoid injuring the Cause I am to plead for, and disparaging a Study, which I would so little depreciate, that I allow it a great part of my Inclinations, and not a little share of my Time. And having said this, to keep the Design of this Discourse from being misun­derstood, [Page 116] I hope we may now proceed to the particulars, whose scope we have been declaring.

Returning then to what I was about to say before this long, but needful, Advertisement interrupted me, I shall resume my Discourse of the De­lightfulness of the Study of Physicks, about which I was going in the first place to tell you, that I know you and your Friend will freely grant me, that the knowledge of the empty and bar­ren Physiology, that is taught in the Schools, as it exacts not much pains to be acquir'd, so it affords but little satisfaction when attain'd. And as I know you will give me leave to say this; so, being warranted by no slight experience of my own, I shall take leave to say also, that the study of that Experimental Philosophy, which is that whereof your Friend is so much enamour'd, is, if it be duly prosecuted, a very troublesome and laborious Imployment. For, (to men­tion at present but This) that great variety of Objects the Naturalist is not onely by His Curiosity, but by Their secret dependances upon one another, engag'd to consider, and [Page 117] several ways to handle, will put him upon needing, and consequently upon applying himself to such a Variety of Mechanick People, (as Distillers, Drugsters, Smiths, Turners, &c.) that a great part of his time, and perhaps all his Patience, shall be spent in waiting upon Trades-men, and re­pairing the losses he sustains by Their disappointments, which is a Drudgery greater than any, who has not try'd it, will imagine, and which yet being as inevitable as unwelcome, does very much counter-ballance and allay the Delightfulness of the Study we are treating of. In which so great a part of a mans care and time must be laid out in providing the Apparatus'es ne­cessary for the trying of Experi­ments.

But this is not all. For when you have brought an Experiment to an Issue, though the Event may often prove such as you will be pleas'd with; yet it will seldome prove such as you can acquiesce in. For it fares not with an Inquisitive mind in studying the Book of Nature, as in reading of Aesop's Fables, or some other collecti­on of Apologues of differing sorts, and [Page 118] independant one upon another; where when you have read over as many at one time as you think fit, you may leave off when you please, and go away with the pleasure of understand­ing those you have perus'd, without being sollicited by any troublesome Itch of Curiosity to look after the rest, as those which are needful to the bet­ter understanding of those you have already gone over, or that will be ex­plicated by them, and scarce without them. But in the Book of Nature, as in a well contriv'd Romance, the parts have such a connection and relation to one another, and the things we would discover are so darkly or in­compleatly knowable by those that precede them, that the mind is never satisfied till it comes to the end of the Book; till when all that is discover'd in the progress, is unable to keep the mind from being molested with Im­patience to find that yet conceal'd, which will not be known till one does at least make a further progress. And yet the full discovery of Natures My­steries, is so unlikely to fall to any mans share in this Life, that the case of the Pursuers of them is at best like [Page 119] theirs, that light upon some excellent Romance, of which they shall never see the latter parts. For indeed (to speak now without a Simile) there is such a Relation betwixt Natural Bo­dies, and they may in so many ways (and divers of them unobserv'd) work upon, or suffer from, one another, that he who makes a new Experiment, or discovers a new Phaenomenon, must not presently think, that he has dis­cover'd a new Truth, or detected an old Error. For, (at least if he be a con­sidering man) he will oftentimes find reason to doubt, whether the Expe­riment or Observation have been so skilfully and warily made in all cir­cumstances, as to afford him such an Account of the matter of fact, as a severe Naturalist would desire. And then, supposing the Historical part no way defective, there are far more Cases than are taken notice of, where­in so many differing Agents may pro­duce the exhibited Phaenomenon, or have a great Influence upon the Ex­periment or Observation, that he must be less jealous than becomes a Phi­losopher, to whom Experiments doe not oftentimes as well suggest new [Page 120] doubts, as present new Phaenomena.

And even those Trials, that end in real Discoveries, do, by reason of the connection of Physical Truths, and the relations that Natural Bodies have to one another, give such hopes and such desires of improving the Ac­quists we have already made, to the explicating of other Difficulties, or the making of further Discoveries, that an Inquisitive Naturalist finds his work to increase daily upon his hands, and the event of his past Toils, whe­ther it be good or bad, does but en­gage him into new ones, either to free himself from his scruples, or improve his successes. So that, though the plea­sure of making Physical Discoveries, is, in it self consider'd, very great; yet this does not a little impair it, that the same attempts which afford that delight, do so frequently beget both anxious Doubts, and a disquieting Cu­riosity. So that, if knowledge be, as some Philosophers have styl'd it, the Aliment of the Rational Soul, I fear I may too truly say, that the Natura­list is usually fain to live upon Sallads and Sauces, which though they yield some nourishment, excite more appe­tite [Page 121] than they satisfie, and give us in­deed the pleasure of eating with a good stomach, but then reduce us to an unwelcome necessity of always rising hungry from the Table.

Of divers things, that lessen the Delightfulness of Physiological Stu­dies, I do so amply discourse in other Papers, that I might well remit you thither; but indeed it is not necessary that I should insist on this Argument any further. 'Tis true, that such a Re­ference might be very proper, if the Mysteries of Theology and Physick were like those of Theology and Ne­cromancy, or some other part of un­lawful Magick, whereof the former could not be well relish'd without an abhorrence of the latter. But as the two great Books, of Nature and of Scripture, have the same Authour; so the study of the latter does not at all hinder an Inquisitive man's de­light in the study of the former. The Doctor I am pleading for, may as much relish a Physical Discovery, as Phy­siophilus; nay, by being addicted to Theology and Religion, he is so far from being uncapable of the content­ments accruing from the study of [Page 122] Nature, that beside those things that recommend it to others, there are se­veral things that peculiarly endear it to Him.

For I. he has the contentment to look upon the wonders of Nature, not onely as the Productions of an ad­mirably wise Author of things, but of such an one as he intirely honours and loves, and to whom he is related. He that reads an excellent Book, or sees some rare Engine, will be otherwise affected with the sight or the perusal, if he knows it to have been made by a Friend, or a Parent, than if he consi­ders it but as made by a stranger, whom he has no particular reason to be concern'd for. And if Rehoboam did not as well degenerate from the sen­timents of Mankind, as from his Fa­mily, he could not but look upon that Magnificent Temple of Solomon with another Eye, than did the throngs of Strangers that came onely to gaze at it, as an admirable piece of Ar­chitecture, whilst he consider'd that 'twas his Father that built it. And if (as we see) the same Heroick Actions, which we read in History, of some great Monarch, that strangers barely [Page 123] and unconcernedly admire, the Na­tives of his Countrey do not onely venerate, but affectionately interest themselves therein, because they are his Countrey-men, and their Ance­stors were his Subjects: How much may we suppose the same Actions would affect them, if they had the honour to be that Prince's Children? We may well therefore presume, that 'tis not without a singular satisfaction, that the Contemplator, we are speak­ing of, does in all the Wonders of Na­ture discover, how wise, and potent, and bountiful that Author of Nature is, in whom he has a great Interest, and that so great an one, as both to be admitted into the number of his Friends, and adopted into the number of his Sons, and is thereby in some measure concern'd in all the Admira­tions and Praises, that are paid either by himself or others, to those Adorable Attributes that God has displayed in that great Master-piece of Power and Wisdom, the World. And when he makes greater discoveries in these Expresses and Adumbrations of the Divine Perfections, the delightfulness of his Contemplation is proportio­nably [Page 124] increas'd upon such an Account, as that, which indears to the passio­nate Lover of some charming Beauty an Excellent, above an Ordinary, Pi­cture of her; because that the same things that make him, as it does other Gazers, look upon it as a finer piece, make Him look upon it as the more like his Mistress, and thereby entertain him with the sublimer Idea's of the belov'd Original; to whose transcendent Excellencies he supposes that the Noblest Representations must be the most resembling.

And there is a farther Reason, why our Contemplator should find a great deal of contentment in these Disco­veries. For we have in our nature so much of Imperfection, and withall so much of Inclination to self-love, that we do too confidently proportion our Idea's of what God can do for us, to what we have already the knowledge or the possession of. And though, when we make it our business, we are able with much ado somewhat to en­large our apprehensions, and raise our expectations beyond their wonted pitch; yet still they will be but scant­ly promoted and heightned, if those [Page 125] things themselves be but mean and ordinary, which we think we have done enough if we make them surpass. A Countrey Villager, born and bred in a homely Cottage, cannot have any suitable apprehensions of the Pleasures and Magnificence of a great Monarchs Court. And if he should be bid to scrue up his Imagination to frame Idea's of them, they would be borrow'd from the best Tiled House he had seen in the Market-towns where he had sold his Turnips or Corn, and the Wedding-feast of some neighbouring Farmers Daughter. And though a Child in the Mother's womb had the perfect use of Reason, yet could it not in that dark Cell have any Idea's of the Sun or Moon, or Beauties or Banquets, or Algebra or Chymistry, and many other things, which his Elder Brothers, that breath fresh Air, and freely behold the Light, and are in a more mature Estate, are capable of knowing and enjoying. Now among Thinking men, whose thoughts run much upon that future state which they must shortly enter into, but shall never pass out of; there will frequently and naturally arise a [Page 126] distrust, which though seldome own'd, proves oftentimes disquieting enough! For such men are apt to question, how the future condition which the Gospel promises, can afford them so much happiness as it pretends to; since they shall in Heaven but Con­template the Works of God, and praise him, and converse with him, all which they think may, though not immediately, be done by men here below, without being happy: But he that by Telescopes and Microscopes, dexterous Dissections, and well im­ploy'd Furnaces, &c. discovers, the wondrous power and skill of him that contriv'd so vast and immense a Mass of Matter, into so curious a piece of Workmanship as this World, will pleasingly be convinc'd of the bound­less power and goodness of the great Architect. And when he sees how ad­mirably every Animal is furnish'd with parts requisite to his respective nature; and that there is particular care taken, that the same Animal, as for example, Man, should have differing provisions made for him according to his differ­ing states within the womb, and out of it, (a humane Egg, and an Embrio, [Page 127] being much otherwise nourished and fitted for action, than is a (compleat) Man;) He, I say, who considers this, and observes the stupendious Provi­dence, and excellent Contrivances, that the curious Priers into Nature (and none but they) can discover, will be as well enabled as invited to reason thus within himself: That sure God, who has with such admirable Ar­tifice fram'd Silk-worms, Butterflies, and other meaner Insects, and with such wonderful providence taken care, that the nobler Animals should as little want any of all the things re­quisite to the compleating of their respective Natures; and who, when he pleases, can furnish some things with Qualifications, quite differing from those which the knowledge of his other works could have made us ima­gine, (as is evident in the Load-stone and in Quick-silver among Minerals, and the Sensitive Plant among Vege­tables, the Camelion among Animals, &c.) This God, I say, must needs be fully able to furnish those he delights to honour▪ with Objects suitable to their improv'd. Faculties, and with all that is requisite to the Happiness he [Page 128] intends them in their glorifi'd state; and is able to bring this to pass by such amazing contrivances, as perhaps will be quite differing from any, that the things we have yet seen suggest to us any Idea's of. And sure he, that has in so immense, so curious, and so magnificent a Fabrick, made such provision for Men, who are either desperately wicked, or but very im­perfectly good, and in a state where they are not to Enjoy happiness, but by Obedience and Sufferings to Fit themselves for it, may safely be trust­ed with finding them in Heaven Im­ployments and Delights becoming the Felicity he designs them There; as we see that here below, he pro­vides as well for the soaring Eagle, as for the creeping Caterpillar, (and is able to keep the Ocean as fully sup­ply'd with Rivers, as Lakes or Ponds are with Springs and Brooks.) And as a state of Celestial happiness is so great a Blessing, that those things that afford us either greater assurances, or greater foretastes of it, are of the number of the greatest Contentments and Advantages, that short of It we can enjoy; so 'tis hard for any Divine [Page 129] to receive so much of this kind of sa­tisfaction, as he who by skilfully looking into the Wonders of Nature, has his apprehensions of God's power and manifold wisdom (as an Apostle calls it) elevated and enlarg'd. Ephes. iij.10. As when the Queen of Sheba had parti­cularly survey'd the astonishing Pru­dence that Solomon display'd in the or­dering of his Magnificent Court; she transportedly concluded those Ser­vants of his to be happy enough to deserve a Monarchs Envy, that were allowed the Honour and Priviledge of a constant and immediate Attendance on him.

The second Section.

I Doubt not but you have too good an Opinion of your Friend, not to think that you may alledge in his fa­vour, that the chief thing which makes him prefer Physiology to all other kind of knowledge, is, That it enables those who are Proficients in it to do a great deal of good, both by im­proving of Trades, and by promoting [Page 130] of Physick it self. And I am too mindful of what I writ to Pyrophilus, to deny, either that it can assist a man to advance Physick and Trades, or that, by so doing, he may highly ad­vantage Mankind. And this, I, (who would not lessen your Friends Esteem for Physicks, but onely his Partiality) willingly acknowledge to be so al­lowable an Endearment of Experi­mental Philosophy, that I do not know any thing, that to men of a Hu­mane, as well as Ingenious Disposi­tion, ought more to recommend the study of Nature; except the oppor­tunity it affords men to be Just and Grateful to the Author both of Na­ture and of Man. I do not then deny, that the true Naturalist may very much benefit Mankind; but I affirm, that, if men be not wanting to them­selves, the Divine may benefit them much more. It were not perchance either unseasonable, or impertinent to tell you on this occasion, that he who effectually teaches men to subdue their Lusts and Passions, does as much as the Physician contribute to the pre­servation of their Bodies, by exem­pting them from those Vices, whose [Page 131] no less usual than destructive Effects are Wars, and Duels, and Rapines, and Desolations, and the Pox, and Surfets, and all the train of other Diseases that attend Gluttony and Drunken­ness, Idleness and Lust; which are not Enemies to Mans Life and Health barely upon a Physical account, but upon a Moral one, as they provoke God to punish them with Temporal as well as Spiritual Judgments; such as Plagues, Wars, Famines, and other publick Calamities, that sweep away a great part of Mankind; besides those personal afflictions of Bodily Sickness, and disquiets of Conscience, that do both Shorten mens Lives, and Imbitter them. Whereas Piety hav­ing (as the Scripture assures us) Pro­mises both of this Life, and of that which is to come, those Teachers that make men Virtuous and Religious, by making them Temperate, and Chaste, and Inoffensive, and Calm, and Contented, do not onely procure them great and excellent Dispositions to those Blessings, both of the Right hand and of the Left, which God's Goodness makes him forward to be­stow on those, who by Grace and [Page 132] Virtue are made fit to receive them; but do help them to those Qualifica­tions, that by preserving the Mind in a calm and cheerful temper, as well as by affording the Body all that Tempe­rance can confer, do both Lengthen their Lives, and Sweeten them. These things, I say, 'twere not im­pertinent to insist on, but I will rather chuse to represent to you, That the Benefits which men may receive from the Divine, surpass those which they receive from the Naturalist, both in the Nobleness of the Advantages, and in the Duration of them.

Be it granted then, that the Natu­ralist may much improve both Phy­sick and Trades; yet since these them­selves were devised for the service of the Body, (the one to preserve or re­store his Health, and the other to fur­nish it with Accommodations or De­lights;) the boasted use of Natural Philosophy, by its advancing Trades and Physick, will still be to serve the Body; which is but the Lodging and Instrument of the Soul, and which, I presume, your Friend, and which I am sure your self, will be far from thinking the noblest part of Man. I know it [Page 133] may be said, nor do I deny it, that di­vers Mechanical Arts are highly Be­neficial, not onely to the Inventors, but to those Places, and perhaps those States, where such Improvements are found out and cherish'd. But though I most willingly grant, that this Consi­deration ought to recommend Expe­rimental Philosophy, as well to States as to private Persons; yet, besides that many of these Improvements do ra­ther Transfer than Increase Mankind's goods, and prejudice one sort of Men as much as they Advantage another, (as in the case of the Eastern Spices, of whose Trade the Portugals and Dutch by their later Navigations, did, by appropriating it to themselves, de­prive the Venetians) or else does but increase that, which, though very Be­neficial to the Producers, is not really so to Mankind in general: Of which we have an Example in the Invention of Extracting Gold and Silver out of the Oar, with Mercury. For though it have vastly enrich'd the Spaniards in the West Indies, yet 'tis not of any so­lid advantage to the World; no more than the Discovery of the Peruvian and other American Mines; by which, [Page 134] (especially reckoning the multitudes of unhappy men that are made mise­rable, and destroyed in working them,) Mankind is not put into a better con­dition than it was before. And if the Philosopher's Stone it self, (supposing there be such a thing) were not an In­comparable Medicine, but were onely capable of transmuting other Metalls into Gold, I should perhaps doubt, whether the Discoverer of it would much advantage Mankind; there be­ing already Gold and Silver enough to maintain Trade and Commerce among men; and for all other purposes, I know not, why a plenty of Iron, and Brass, and Quick-silver, which are far more useful Metalls, should not be more desirable. But not to urge this; we may consider, that these Advance­ments of inriching Trades do still bring Advantages but to the outward man, and those many Arts and Inven­tions that aim at the heightning the pleasures of the Senses, See Ex­amples of this in my Notes about Sensation and Sen­sible Quali­ties. belong but to the Body; and even in point of gra­tifying That, are not so requisite and important, as many suppose: Edu­cation, Custome, &c. having a grea­ter Interest than most imagine in the [Page 135] rellish men have even of Sensitive pleasures. And as for Physick, not to mind you, that it has been Lowdly (how Justly, I here examine not,) com­plain'd of, that the new Philosophy has made it far greater promises than have yet been perform'd; I shall onely take notice, that since all that Physick is wont to pretend to, is, to preserve health, or restore it, there are multi­tudes in the world that have no need of the assistance the Naturalist would give the Physician; and a healthy man, as such, is already in a better con­dition, than the Philosopher can hope to place him in, and is no more ad­vantag'd by the Naturalist's contri­bution to Physick, than a sound man that sleeps in a whole skin, is by all the fine Tools of a Chirurgeons Case of Instruments, and the various Com­positions of his Chest.

And as the Benefits that may be derived from Theology, much surpass those that accrue from Physicks, in the Nobleness of the Subject they re­late to; so have they a great advan­tage in point of Duration. For all the service that Medicines, and Engines, and Improvements can do a man, as [Page 136] they relate but to this Life, so they determine with it. Physick indeed and Chymistry do, the one more faintly, and the other more boldly, pretend sometimes not onely to the Cure of Diseases, but the Prolongation of Life: But since none will suspect, but that the Masters of those parts of knowledge would employ their utmost skill to protract their own Lives, those that remember, that Solomon and Hel­mont liv'd no longer, than millions that were strangers to Philosophy; and that even Paracelsus himself, for all his boasted Arcana, is by Helmont and other Chymists confessed to have died some years short of 50; we may very justly fear, that Nature will not be so kind to her greatest Votaries, as to give them much more time than other men, for the payment of the last Debt all men owe her. And if a few years respite could by a scrupulous and troublesome use of Diet and Re­medies be obtain'd; yet that, in comparison of the Eternity that is to follow, is not at all considerable. But, whereas within no great number of years, (a little sooner, or a little later) all the Remedies, and Reliefs, and [Page 137] Pleasures, and Accommodations, that Philosophical Improvements can af­ford a man, will not keep him from the Grave, (which within very few days will make the body of the great­est Virtuoso as hideous and as loath­some a Carcase as that of any ordinary man;) the Benefits that may accrue to us by Divinity, as they relate Chiefly, though not Onely, to the other World; so they will follow us out of this, and prove then incompa­rably greater than ever, when they alone shall be capable of being enjoy'd. So that Philosophy, in the capacity we here consider it, does but as it were provide us some little Conveniences for our passage (like some Accommo­dations for a Cabbin, which out-lasts not the Voyage,) but Religion pro­vides us a vast and durable Estate, or, as the Scripture styles it, an un­shaken Kingdom, when we are arriv'd at our Journeys end. And therefore the Benefits accruing from Religion, may well be concluded preferible to their Competitors, since they not onely reach to the Mind of Man, but reach beyond the End of Time it self; whereas all the variety of Inventions [Page 138] that Philosophy so much boasts of, as whilst they were in season they were devis'd for the service of the Bo­dy, so they make us busie, and pride our selves about things, that within a short time will not (so much as upon Its score) at all concern us.

The third Section.

I Expect you should here urge on your Friends behalf, That the stu­dy of Physicks has one Prerogative, (above that of Divinity,) which, as it is otherwise a great Excellency, so does much add to the Delightfulness of it. I mean, the Certainty, and Clear­ness, and the thence resulting Satis­factoriness of our Knowledge of Phy­sical, in comparison of any we can have of Theological matters, whose being Dark and Uncertain, the Na­ture of the things themselves, and the numerous Controversies of differing Sects about them, sufficiently ma­nifest.

But upon this Subject, divers things are to be consider'd.

[Page 139]For first, as to the Fundamental and Necessary Articles of Religion, I do not admit the Allegation, but take those Articles to be both Evi­dent, and capable of a Moral Demon­stration. And if there be any Articles of Religion, for which a Rational and Cogent Proof cannot be brought, I shall for that very reason conclude, that such Articles are not absolutely Necessary to be believ'd; since it seems no way reasonable to imagine, that God having been pleased to send not onely his Prophets and his Apo­stles, but his onely Son into the World, to promulgate to Mankind the Christian Religion, and both to cause it to be consign'd to writing, that it may be known, and to alter the course of Nature by numerous Miracles, that it might be believ'd; it seems not reasonable, I say, to ima­gine, that he should not propose those Truths, which he in so wonderful and so solemn a manner recommended, with at least so much Clearness, as that studious and well-dispos'd Readers may certainly understand such as are neces­sary for them to believe.

2. Though I will not here engage [Page 140] my self in a Disquisition of the several kinds, or, if you please, Degrees, of Demonstration, (which yet is a Sub­ject that I judge far more considera­ble than cultivated,) yet I must tell you, that as a Moral certainty (such as we may attain about the Fundamen­tals of Religion) is enough in many cases for a wise man, and even a Philo­pher to acquiesce in; so that Physi­cal Certainty, which is pretended for the Truths demonstrated by Natura­lists, is, even where 'tis rightfully claim'd, but an inferiour kind or degree of certainty, as Moral certainty also is. For even Physical Demonstrations can beget but a Physical Certainty, (that is, a Certainty upon supposition that the Principles of Physick be true,) not a Metaphysical Certainty, (wherein 'tis absolutely impossible, that the thing believ'd should be other than true.) For instance, All the Phy­sical Demonstrations of the Antients about the causes of particular Phaeno­mena of Bodies, suppose, that ex nihilo nihil fit; and this may readily be ad­mitted in a Physical sense, because ac­cording to the course of Nature, no Body can be produc'd out of Nothing, [Page 141] but speaking universally it may be false, as Christians generally, and even the Cartesian Naturalists, asserting the Creation of the World, must believe, that, de facto, it is. And so whereas Epicurus does, I remember, prove, that a Body once dead cannot be made alive again, by reason of the dissipa­tion and dispersion of the Atoms, 'twas, when alive, compos'd of; though all men will allow this assertion to be Physically demonstrable, yet the con­trary may be true, if God's Omnipo­tence intervenes, as all the Philoso­phers that acknowledge the Authority of the New Testament, where Laza­rus and others are recorded to have been raised from the dead, must be­lieve, that it actually did appear, and even all unprejudic'd Reasoners must allow it to be Possible, there being no Contradiction impli'd in the Nature of the thing. But now to affirm, that such things as are indeed Contradicto­ries cannot be both true, or, that fa­ctum infectum reddi non potest, are Metaphysical Truths, which cannot possibly be other than true, and con­sequently beget a Metaphysical and absolute Certainty. And your Master [Page 142] Cartesius was so sensible of a depen­dance of Physical Demonstrations up­on Metaphysical Truths, that he would not allow any certainty not onely to them, but even to Geometri­cal Demonstrations, till he had evinc'd, that there is a God, and that he cannot deceive men that make use of their Faculties aright.

To which I may add, that even in many things that are look'd upon as Physical Demonstrations, there is really but a Moral Certainty. For when, for instance, Des-Cartes and other Modern Philosophers, take up­on them to demonstrate, That there are divers Comets that are not Mete­ors, because they have a Parallax lesser than that of the Moon, and are of such a bigness, and some of them move in such a Line, &c. 'tis plain, that divers of these Learned men had never the opportunity to observe a Comet in their Lives, but take these Circum­stances upon the credit of those Astro­nomers that had such Opportunities. And though the Inferences, as such, may have a Demonstrable Certainty; yet the Premisses they are drawn from having but an Historical one, the [Page 143] presumed Physico-Mathematical De­monstration can produce in a wary mind but a Moral Certainty, and not the greatest neither of that kind that is possible to be attain'd; as he will not scruple to acknowledge, that knows by experience, how much more difficult it is, than most men imagine, to make Observations about such nice Subjects, with the exactness that is requisite for the building of an un­doubted Theory upon them. And there are I know not how many things in Physicks, that men presume they believe upon Physical and Cogent Arguments, wherein they really have but a Moral assurance; which is a Truth heeded by so few, that I have been invited to take the more parti­cular notice of them in other Papers, written purposely to show the doubt­fulness and incompleatness of Natural Philosophy; of which Discourse, since you may command a sight, I shall not scruple to refer you thither for the Reasons of my affirming here, that the most even of the modern Virtuosi are wont to fancy more of Clearness and Certainty in their Physical Theories, than a Critical Examiner will find. [Page 144] Onely that you may not look upon this as a put off, rather than a refe­rence, I will here touch upon a couple of Subjects, which men are wont to believe to be, and which indeed ought to be, the most throughly understood; I mean the Nature of Body in general, and the Nature of Sensation.

And for the first of these, since we can turn our selves no way, but we are every where environ'd, and incessantly touch'd by Corporeal Substances, one would think that so familiar an Ob­ject, that does so assiduously, and so many ways affect our Senses, and for the knowledge of which we need not inquire into the distinct Nature of particular Bodies, nor the properties of any one of them, should be very perfectly known unto us. And yet the Notion of Body in general, or what it is that makes a thing to be a Corporeal Substance, and discriminates it from all other things, has been very hotly disputed of, even among the modern Philosophers, & adhuc sub judice lis est. And though your Favou­rite Des-Cartes, in making the nature of a Body to consist in Extension eve­ry way, has a notion of it, which 'tis [Page 145] more easie to find fault with, than to substitute a better; yet I fear, 'twill appear to be attended, not onely with this Inconvenience, That God cannot, within the compass of this World, wherein if any Body vanish into No­thing, the place or space left behind it must have the three Dimensions, and so be a true Body, annihilate the least particle of Matter, at least with­out, at the same instant and place, creating as much, (which agrees very ill with that necessary and continual dependance, which he asserts Matter it self to have on God for its very Be­ing;) but with such other inconveni­ences, that some Friends of yours, otherwise very inclinable to the Car­tesian Philosophy, know not how to acquiesce in it: and yet I need not tell you, how Fundamental a Notion the deviser of it asserts it to be. Nei­ther do I see, how this Notion of a Corporeal Substance will any more, than any of the formerly received De­finitions of it, extricate us out of the Difficulties of that no less perplexed, than famous Controversie, de Com­positione Continui. And though some ingenious men, who perhaps perceive [Page 146] better than others, how intricate it is, have of late endeavoured to shew, that men need not be sollicitous to determine this Controversie, it not being rightly propos'd by the School­men that have started it; and though I perhaps think, that Natural Phi­losophy may be daily advanc'd with­out the decision of it, because there is a multitude of considerable things to be discover'd and perform'd in Nature, without so much as dreaming of this Controversie; yet still, as I would propose the Question, the Diffi­culties, till removed, will spread a thick night over the Notion of Body in general. For, either a Corporeal and extended Substance is (either really or mentally) divisible into parts en­dow'd with Extension, and each of these parts is divisible also into other Corporeal parts, lesser and lesser, in infinitum; or else this subdivision must stop somewhere, (for there is no mean between the two members of the Di­stinction;) and in either case the Opi­nion pitch'd upon will be liable to those Inconveniences, not to say Ab­surdities, that are rationally urg'd against it by the maintainers of the [Page 147] Opposite; the Objections on both sides being so strong, that some of the more Candid, even of the Modern Metaphysicians, after having tir'd themselves and their Readers with ar­guing Pro and Con, have confess'd the Objections on both sides to be inso­luble.

But though we do not clearly un­derstand the Nature of Body in ge­neral; yet sure we cannot but be per­fectly acquainted with what passes within our selves in reference to the particular Bodies we daily See, and Hear, and Smell, and Taste, and Touch. But alas, though we know but little, save by the Informations of our senses; yet we know very little of the manner by which our Senses in­forms us. And to avoid prolixity, I will at present suppose with you, that the Ingenious Des Cartes and his fol­lowers have given the fairest account of Sensation, that is yet extant. Now according to him, a Man's Body being but a well organiz'd Statue, that which is truly called Sensation is not per­form'd by the Organ, but by the Mind, which perceives the motion produc'd in the Organ; (for which reason he [Page 148] will not allow Brutes to have Sense properly so call'd;) so that if you ask a Cartesian, how it comes to pass that the Soul of Man, which he justly asserts to be an immaterial Substance, comes to be wrought upon, and that in such various manners, by those external Bodies that are the objects of our Senses, he will tell you, that by their Impressions on the Sensories, they variously move the Fibres or Threds of the Nerves, wherewith those parts are endow'd, and by which the Mo­tion is propagated to that little Kernel in the Brain, call'd by many Writers the Conarion, where these differing mo­tions being perceiv'd by the there residing Soul, become Sensations, be­cause of the intimate union, and, as it were, Permistion (as Cartesius him­self expresses it) of the Soul with the Body.

But now, Sir, give me leave to take notice, that this Union of an Incor­poreal with a Corporeal Substance, (and that without a Medium) is a thing so unexampled in Nature, and so difficult to comprehend, that I somewhat question, whether the pro­found Secrets of Theology, not to [Page 149] say the adorable Mystery it self of the Incarnation, be more abstruse than this. For how can I conceive, that a Substance purely immaterial, should be united without a Physical Medium, (for in this case there can be none,) with the Body, which cannot possibly lay hold on It, and which It can per­vade and flie away from at pleasure, as Des-Cartes must confess the Soul actually does in Death. And 'tis al­most as difficult to conceive, how any part of the Body, without excepting the Animal Spirits, or the Conarion, (for these are as truly Corporeal as other parts of the Humane Statue,) can make Impressions upon a Sub­stance perfectly Incorporeal, and which is not immediately affected by the motions of any other parts, besides the Genus Nervosum. Nor is it a small difficulty to a meer Naturalist (who, as such, does not in Physical matters take notice of Revelations about An­gels,) to conceive how a finite Spirit can either move, or, which is much the same thing, regulate and deter­mine the motion of a Body. But that which I would on this occasion invite you to consider, is, that supposing the [Page 150] Soul does in the Brain perceive the differing motions communica­ted to the outward Senses; yet this, however it may give some ac­count of Sensation in general, will not at all show us a satisfactory Reason of particular and distinct Sensations. For if I demand, why, for Instance, when I look upon a Bell that is ringing, such a motion or impression in the Cona­rion produces in the mind that peculiar sort of perception, Seeing, and not Hearing; and another motion, though coming from the same Bell at the same time, produces that quite differ­ing sort of perception that we call Sound, but not Vision; what can be answered, but that it was the good pleasure of the Author of Humane Nature to have it so? And if the que­stion be ask'd about the differing Ob­jects of any one particular Sense; as, Why the great plenty of unperturbed Light that is reflected from Snow, Milk, &c, does produce a Sensation of whiteness, rather than redness or yellowness? Or why the smell of Ca­stor, or Assa foetida, produces in most persons that which they call a Stink, rather than a Perfume? (especially [Page 151] since we know some Hysterical Wo­men, that think it not onely a whole­some, but a pleasing smell.) And if also you further ask, why Melody and sweet things do generally delight us? and discords and bitter things do generally displease us? Nay, why a little more than enough of some Ob­jects that produce pleasure, will pro­duce pain? (as may be exemplifi'd in a cold hand, as it happens to be held out at a just, or at too near a distance from the fire:) If, I say, these, and a thousand other questions of the like kind, be ask'd, the Answer will be but the general one, that is already given, that such is the nature of Man. For to say, that moderate Motions are agreeable to the nature of the Senso­ry they are excited in, but violent and disorderly ones, (as j [...]ring Sounds, and scorching Heat) do put it into too violent a motion for its Texture; will by no means satisfie. For, besides that this Answer gives no account of the variety of Sensations of the same kind, as of differing Colours, Tastes, &c. but reaches onely to Plea­sure and Pain; even as to these, it will reach but a very little way; unless the [Page 152] Givers of it can show, how an Imma­terial Substance should be more harm'd by the brisker motion of a Body, than by the more languid.

And as you and your Friend think, you may justly smile at the Aristoteli­ans, for imagining that they have given a tolerable account of the Qua­lities of Bodies, when they have told us, that they spring from certain sub­stantial Forms, though when they are ask'd particular Questions about these Incomprehensible Forms, they do in effect but tell us in general, that they have such and such Faculties, or Effects, because Nature, or the Author of Na­ture, endow'd them therewith; so I hope you will give me leave to think, that it may keep us from boasting of the Clearness and Certainty of our knowledge about the Operations of sensible Objects, whilst, as the Aristo­telians cannot particularly show, how their Qualities are produc'd, so we cannot particularly explicate, how they are perceiv'd; the principal thing that we can say, being, in substance, this, that our Sensations depend upon such an union or permistion of the Soul and Body, as we can give no Example of [Page 153] in all Nature, nor no more distinct ac­count of, than that it pleased God so to couple them together. But I beg your pardon for having detain'd you so long upon one Subject, though per­haps it will not prove time mis-spent, if it have made you take notice, that in spight of the clearness and certainty, for which your Friend so much pre­fers Physicks before Theology, we are Yet to seek, (I say Yet, because I know not what Time may Hereafter discover) both for the Definition of a Corporeal Substance, and a satisfactory account of the manner of Sensation: though without the true Notion of a Body we cannot understand that Ob­ject of Physicks in general, and with­out knowing the Nature of Sensation, we cannot know That, from whence we derive almost all that we know of any Body in particular.

If after all this your Friend shall say, That Des-Cartes's account of Bo­dy, and other things in Physicks, be­ing the best that men can give, if they be not satisfactory, it must be imputed to Humane Nature not to the Cartesi­an Doctrine, I shall not stay to dis­pute how far the allegation is true; [Page 154] especially since, though it be admitted, it will not prejudice my Discourse. For, whatsoever the Cause of the im­perfection of our Knowledge about Physical matters be, that there is an Imperfection in that Knowledge is manifest; and that ought to be enough to keep us from being puffed up by such an imperfect Knowledge, and from undervaluing upon its account the study of those mysteries of Divi­nity, which, by reason of the Noble­ness and Remoteness of the Objects, may much better than the Nature of Corporeal things, (which we see, and feel, and continually converse with,) have their obscurity attributed to the weakness of our humane Understand­ings. And if it be a necessary Imper­fection of Humane Nature, that, whilst we remain in this mortal condition, the Soul being confin'd to the dark prison of the Body, is capable (as even Aristotle somewhere confesses) but of a dim knowledge; so much the greater value we ought to have for Christian Religion, since by its means (and by no other without it) we may attain a condition, wherein, as our Nature will otherwise be highly blessed and [Page 155] advanced; so our Faculties will be Elevated and Enlarged, and probably made thereby capable of attaining degrees and kinds of knowledge, to which we are here but strangers. In favour of which I will not urge the received Opinion of Divines, that be­fore the Fall (which yet is a less noble condition than is reserved for us in Heaven,) Adam's knowledge was such, that he was able at first sight of them to give each of the Beasts a name expressive of its Nature; because that in spight of some skill (which my Curiosity for Divinity, not Philoso­phy, gave me) in the holy Tongue, I could never find, that the Hebrew names of Animals, mention'd in the be­ginning of Genesis, argued a (much) clearer insight into their Natures, than did the names of the same or some other Animals in Greek, or other Languages; wherefore, (as I said) I will not urge Adam's knowledge in Paradise for that of the Saints in Hea­ven, though the notice he took of Eve at his first seeing of her, (if it were not convey'd to him by secret Reve­lation) may be far more probably urg'd, than his naming of the Beasts: [Page 156] But I will rather mind you, that the Proto-martyr's sight was strengthened so, Acts vij.56. as to see the heavens open'd, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and when the Prophet had pray'd, 2 Kings vj.17. that his Servant's Eyes might be open'd, he immediately saw the Mountain, where they were, all co­ver'd with Chariots and Horsemen, which, though mention'd to be of Fire, were altogether invisible to him be­fore. To which, as a higher Argument, I shall onely add a couple of passages of Scripture, which seem to allow us even vast Expectations as to the knowledge our glorifi'd Nature may be advanc'd to. The one is that which St. Paul says to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xiij.12. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And the other, where Christ's Favourite-Disciple tells Believers, Beloved, 1 Joh. iij.2. now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall ap­pear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is.

What has hitherto been discours'd, contains the first Consideration, that [Page 157] I told you might be propos'd about the Certainty ascrib'd to the know­ledge we are said to have of Natural things; but this is not all I have to represent to you on this Subject. For I consider further, that 'tis not onely by the Certainty we have of them, that the knowledge of things is en­dear'd to us, but also by the Worthi­ness of the Object, the Number of those that are unacquainted with it, the Remoteness of it from common Apprehensions, the Difficulty of ac­quiring it without peculiar Advan­tages, the Usefulness of it when at­tain'd, and other particulars, which 'tis not here necessary to enumerate. I presume, you doubt not but your Friend does very much prefer the knowledge he has of the Mysteries of Nature (at many of which we have as yet but Ingenious Conjectures) to the knowledge of one that understands the Elements of Arithmetick, though He be Demonstratively sure of the Truth of most of his Rules and Ope­rations. And questionless Copernicus received a much higher satisfaction in his Notion about the Stability of the Sun, and the Motion of the Earth, [Page 158] though it were not so clear but that Tycho, Ricciolus, and other eminent Astronomers have rejected it, than in the knowledge of divers of the Theo­rems about the Sphere, that have been demonstrated by Euclid, Theodosius, and other Geometricians. Our disco­vering that some Comets are not, as the Schools would have them, Sublu­nary Meteors, but Celestial Bodies, and the Conjectural Theory, which is all that hitherto we have been able to attain of them, do much better please both your Friend, and you, and me, than the more certain knowledge we have of the time of the Rising and Setting of the Fixed Stars. And the Estimates we can make, by the help of Parallaxes, of the Heights of those Comets, and of some of the Planets, though they are uncertain enough, (as may appear by the vastly different distances that are assigned to those Bo­dies by eminent Astronomers;) yet these uncertain measures of such Ele­vated and Celestial Lights do far more please us, than that we can by the help of a Geometrical Quadrant, or some such Instrument, take with far greater Certainty the height of a Tower or [Page 159] a Steeple. And so a Mathematician, when he probably conjectures at the compass of the Ter [...]estrial Globe, and divides, though but unaccurately, its Surface, first, into proportions of Sea and Land, and then into Regions of such Extents and Bounds, and, in a word, skilfully plays the Cosmogra­pher; thinks himself much more no­bly and pleasantly imploy'd, than when, being reduc'd to play the Sur­veyor, he does with far more certain­ty measure how many Acres a Field contains, and set out with what Hedges and Ditches it is bounded. Now, that the knowledge of God, and of those Mysteries of Theology, that are ignor'd by far the greatest part of Mankind, has more sublime and ex­cellent Objects, and is unattain'd to by much the greatest part even of Learned men, and nevertheless is of unvaluable Importance, and of no less Advantage towards the purifying and improving of us here, and the making us perfect and happy hereafter, the past Discourse has very much mis­carried if it have not evinc'd. Where­fore, as to be admitted into the P [...]i­vy-Council of some Great Monarch, [Page 160] and thereby be enabled to give a pro­bable ghess at those thoughts and designs of his, that Govern King­doms, and make the Fates of Nations, is judged preferrable to that clearer knowledge that a Notary can have of the dying thoughts and intentions of an ordinary Person whose Will he makes: And as the knowledge of a skilful Physician, whose Art is yet conjectural, is preferrable to that of a Cutler that makes his Dissecting Knives, though this man can more cer­tainly perform what he designs in his own profession, than the Physician can in his: And (in fine) as the skill of a Jeweller, that is conversant about Diamonds, Rubies, Saphires, and some other sorts of small Stones, which being for the most part brought us out of the Indies, we must take many things about them upon report, is, be­cause of the Nobleness of the Object, preferr'd to that of a Mason that deals in whole Quarries of common Stones, and may be sure upon his own Expe­rience of divers things concerning them, which as to Jewels we are allow­ed to know but upon Tradition: So a more dimm and imperfect knowledge [Page 161] of God, and the Mysteries of Religi­on, may be more desirable, and upon that account more delightful, than a clearer knowledge of those Inferior Truths that Physicks are wont to teach.

I must now mention one particular more, which may well be added to those that peculiarly indear Physicks to the Divine that is studious of them. For, as he contemplates the works of Nature not barely for themselves, but to be the better qualified and excited to admire and praise the Author of Nature; so his Contemplations are delightful to him, not barely as they afford a pleasing Exercise to his Rea­son, but as they procure him a more welcome approbation from his Con­science, these distinct satisfactions be­ing not at all inconsistent. And que­stionless, though Esau did at length miss of his aim, yet, while he was hunting Venison for the good old Pa­triark that desired it of him, besides the pleasure he was us'd to take in pursuing the Deer he chas'd, Gen. xxxvij. he took a great one in considering, that now he hunted to please his Father, and in order to obtain of him an inestimable [Page 162] Blessing. So, when David imployd his skilful Hand and Voice in praising God with Vocal and Instrumental Mu­sick, he receiv'd in one Act a double satisfaction, by exercising his Skill and his Devotion; and was no less pleas'd with those melodious sounds, as they were Hymns, than as they were Songs. And this Example prompts me to add, that as the devout Student of Na­ture we were speaking of, does Inten­tionally refer the knowledge he seeks of the Creatures to the glory of the Creator; so in his Discoveries, that which most contents him, is, that the Wonders he observes in Nature, heighten that Admiration he would fain raise to a less disproportion to the Wisdom of God; and furnish him with a nobler Holocaust for those Sa­crifices of Praise he is justly ambitious to offer up to the Deity. And as there is no doubt to be made, but that, when David invented (as the Scri­pture intimates that he did) new In­struments of Musick, Amos vj.5. there was nothing in that Invention that pleas'd him so much, as that they could assist him to praise God the more melodiously; go the pious Student of Nature finds [Page 163] nothing more welcome in the Disco­veries he makes of her Wonders, than the Rises and Helps they may afford him, the more worthily to celebrate and glorifie the Divine Attributes ad­umbrated in the Creatures. And as a Huntsman or a Fowler, if he meets with some strange Bird or Beast, or other Natural Rarity, thinks himself much the more fortunate if it happen to be near the Court, where he may have the King to present it to, than if he were to keep it but for himself or some of his Companions; So our De­vout Naturalist has his Discoveries of Natures Wonders indear'd to him, by having the Deity to present them to, in the Veneration they excite in the Finder, and which they inable him to ingage others to joyn in.

The fourth Section.

BUt I confess (Sir) I much fear, that That which makes your Friend have such detracting thoughts of Theology, is a certain secret Pride, grounded upon a Conceit, that the Attainments of Natural Phi­losophers are of so noble a kind, and argue so transcendant an Excellency of Parts in the Attainer, that he may justly undervalue all other Learning, without excepting Theology it self.

You will not, I suppose, expect, that a person, who has written so much in the praise of Physiques, and laboured so much for a little skill in it, should now here endeavour to depretiate that so useful part of Philosophy. But I do not conceive, that it will be at all in­jurious to it, to prefer the knowledge of Supernatural, to that of meer Na­tural things, and to think, that the Truths, which God indiscriminately exposes to the whole Race of Man­kind, and to the bad as well as to the good, are inferiour to those Mysterious [Page 165] ones, whose Disclosure he reckons among his peculiar Favours, and whose Contemplation employs the Curio­sity, and, in some points, exacts the wonder of the very Angels. That I may therefore repress a little the over­weening Opinion your Friend has of his Physical Attainments, give me leave to represent a few particulars con­ducive to that purpose.

And first, as for the Nobleness of the Truths taught by Theology and Physicks, those of the former sort have manifestly the Advantage, being not onely conversant about far nobler Objects, but discovering things that Humane Reason of it self can by no means reach unto; as has been suffici­ently declared in the foregoing part of this Letter.

Next, we may consider, that, whatever may be said to excuse Pride (if there were any) in Moscus the Phoenician, who is affirmed to have first Invented the Atomical Hypothesis, and in Democritus and Leucippus, (for Epicurus scarce deserves to be named with them,) that highly Advanc'd that Philosophy; and in Monsieur Des-Cartes, who either Improv'd, or at [Page 166] least much Innovated the Corpuscu­la [...]ian Hypothesis: Whatever (I say) may be alledged on the behalf of these Mens pride; I see no great Reason, why it should be allowed in such as your Friend; who, though Ingenious Men, are neither Inventors, nor emi­nent Promoters of the Philosophy they would be admir'd for, but con­tent themselves to Learn what others have Taught, or at least to make some little further Application of the Prin­ciples that others have Established, and the Discoveries they have made. And whereas your Friend is not a little proud of being able to confute se­veral Errours of Aristotle and the An­tients, it were not amiss if he consi­der'd, that many of the chief Truths that overthrow those Errours, were the Productions of Time and Chance, and not of his daring Ratiocinations: For, there needs no great Wit to dis­prove those that maintain the Unin­habitableness of the Torrid Zone, or deny the Antipodes, since Naviga­tors have found many Parts of the former well Peopl'd, and Sailing round the Earth, have found men living in Countreys Diametrically opposite to [Page 167] Ours. Nor will it warrant a man's Pride, that he believes not the Moon to be the onely Planet that shines with a borrowed Light, or the Galaxy to be a Meteor; since that now the Tele­scope shows us, that Venus has her Full and Wain like the Moon, and that the Milky way is made up of a vast multitude of little Stars, incon­spicuous to the naked Eye. And in­deed of those other Discoveries that overthrow the Astronomy of the An­tients, and much of their Philosophy about the Celestial Bodies, few or none have any cause to boast, but the excellent Galileus, who pretends to have been the Inventor of the Tele­scope: For that Instrument once dis­cover'd; to be able to reject the Sep­tenary number of the Planets by the Detection of the four Satellites of Ju­piter, or talk of the Mountains and Valleys in the Moon, requires not much more excellency in your Friend, than it would to descry in a Ship, where the naked Eye could discern but the Body of the Vessel, (to de­scry, I say) by the help of a Prospe­ctive Glass, the Masts, and Sails, and Deck, and perceive a Boat tow'd at [Page 186] her Stern: Though indeed Galileo himself had no great cause to boast of the Invention, though we are much oblig'd to him for the Improvement of the Telescope, since no less a Ma­ster of Dioptricks than Des-Cartes, does acknowledge with other Wri­ters, that Perspective-Glasses were not first found out by Mathematici­ans or Philosophers, but casually by one Metius, a Dutch Spectacle-maker. On which occasion I shall mind you, that to hide Pride from Man, divers others of the chief Discoveries that have been made in Physicks, have been the Productions, not of Philo­sophy, but Chance, by which Gun­powder, Glass, and, for ought we know, the Verticity of the Load-stone, (to which we owe both the Indies) came to be found in these later Ages; as (more recently) the Milky Vessels of the Mesentery, the new Recepta­cle of the Chyle, and that other sort of Vessels which most men call the Lymphae-ducts, were lighted on but by Chance, according to the Ingenious Confession of the Discoverers them­selves.

We may farther consider, that [Page 169] those very things which are justly are al­ledg'd in the praise of the Corpuscu­larian Philosophy it self, ought to les­sen the pride of those that but make use of it. For that Hypothesis, suppo­sing the whole Universe (the Soul of Man excepted) to be but a great Au­tomaton, or self-moving Engine, wherein all things are perform'd by the bare motion (or rest) the size, the shape, and the scituation or tex­ture of the parts of the Universal Matter it consists of; all the Phaeno­mena result from those few Principles, single or combin'd, (as the several Tunes or Chimes that are rung on five Bells,) and these fertile Principles be­ing already establish'd by the Inven­tors and Promoters of the Particula­rian Hypothesis; all that such Persons as your Friend, are wont farther to do, is but to investigate or guess, by what kind of Motions the three or four other Principles are varied. So that the World being but, as it were, a great piece of Clock-work, the Na­turalist as such, is but a Mechanitian; however the parts of the Engine, he considers, be some of them much lar­ger, and others much minuter, than [Page 170] those of Clocks or Watches. And for an ordinary Naturalist to despise those that study the Mysteries of Re­ligion, as much inferiour to Physical Truths, is no less unreasonable, than it were for a Watch-maker, because he understands his own Trade, to de­spise Privy-Counsellers, who are ac­quainted with the secrets of Mo­narchs, and Mysteries of State; or than it were for a Ship-carpenter, be­cause he understands more of the Fa­brick of the Vessel, to despise the Ad­miral, that is acquainted with the se­cret Designs of the Prince, and im­ploy'd about his most important af­fairs.

That great Restorer of Physicks, the illustrious Verulam, who has trac'd out a most useful way to make Disco­veries in the Intellectual Globe, as he calls it, confesses, that his work was (to speak in his own terms) partus temporis potius quám ingenii. And though I am not of his opinion, where he says in another place, that his way of Philosophizing does exaequare in­genia; yet I am apt to think, that the fertile Principles of the Mechanical Philosophy being once setled, the [Page 171] Methods of inquiring and experi­menting being found out, and the Physico-mechanical Instruments of working on Natures and Arts Produ­ctions being happily invented, the ma­king of several lesser improvements, especially by rectifying of some almost obvious or supine Errours▪ of the Schools, by the assistance of such fa­cilitating helps, may fall to the lot of persons not endow'd with any extra­ordinary Sagacity, or acuteness of parts. And though the Investigation and clear establishment of the true Principles of Philosophy, and the de­vising the Instruments of Knowledge, be things that may be allowed to be the proper work of sublimer Wits; yet, if a man be furnish'd with such as­sistances, 'tis not every Discourse that he makes, or thing which he does by the help of them, that is difficult enough to raise him to that illustrious rank. And indeed, divers of the vul­gar Errours, as well as of Scholars as other men, being mainly grounded upon the meer, and often mistaken, Authority of Aristotle, and perhaps some frivolous Reasons of his Schola­stic Interpreters of such precarious [Page 172] and ungrounded things, that to ruine them, does oftentimes require more of boldness than skill; it may perhaps be said of your Friend, in relation to his Philosophical Successes against such vulgar Errours, as I am speaking of, what a Roman said of Alexander's Triumph over the effeminate Asia­ticks, Quod nihil aliud quám bene au­sus sit Vana contemnere. And in some cases it happens, that, when once a grand Truth, or a happy way of Ex­perimenting has been found, divers Phaenomena of Nature, that had been left unexplain'd, or were left mis-ex­plain'd by the Schools, did, in my opinion, require a far less straining Ex­ercise of the mind to unriddle and explain them, than must have been requisite to dispel the darkness that attended divers Theological Truths that are now clear'd up, and perhaps than I have my self now and then im­ploy'd in some of those Attempts, to illustrate Theological Matters, that you may have met in some Papers that I have presum'd to write on such Sub­jects. And indeed the Improvements, that such Virtuosi as your Friend are wont to make of the fertile Theorems [Page 173] and Hints, that have been presented them by the Founders or prime Be­nefactors of true Natural Philosophy, are so poor and slender, and do so much oftner proceed from Industry and Chance, than they argue a tran­scendent sagacity, or a sublimity of Reason, that, though such persons may have cause enough to be Delighted with what they have done, yet they have none to be Proud of it; and their Performances may deserve our Thanks, and perhaps some of our Praise, but reach not so high as to me­rit our Admiration; which is to be reserv'd for Those, that have been either Framers, or Grand Promoters, of True and Comprehensive Hypo­theses, or (else) the Authors of other noble and useful Discoveries, many ways applicable.

It will not perhaps be improper to add on this occasion, that, as our know­ledge is not very deep, not reaching with any certainty to the bottom of Things, nor penetrating to their inti­mate or innermost Natures; so its Ex­tent is not very large, not being able to give us, with any Clearness and par­ticularity, an account of the Celestial [Page 174] and deeply Subterraneal parts of the World, of which all the others make but a very small (not to say contempti­ble) portion.

For, as to the very Globe that we inhabit, not to mention, how many Plants, Animals, and Minerals, we are as yet wholly ignorant of, and how many others we are but slenderly ac­quainted with; I consider, that the ob­jects about which our Experiments and Inquiries are conversant, do all be­long to the Superficial parts of the Terrestrial Globe, of which the Earth, known to us, seems to be but as it were the Crust or Scurf. But what the Internal part of this Globe is made up of, is no less disputable than of what Substance the remotest Stars we can descry, consist: For even among the modern Philosophers some think, the internal Portion of the Earth to be pure and Elementary Earth, which (say they) must be found there, or no where. Others imagine it to be Fiery, and the Receptacle either of Natural or Hellish Flames. Others will have the Body of the Terrestrial Globe to be a great and solid Magnet. And the Cartesians on the other side, (though [Page 175] they all admit store of Subterraneal Loadstones) teach, that the same Globe was once a Fix'd Star, and that, though it have since degenerated into a Planet, yet the Internal part of it is still of the same Nature that it was before; the change it has received proceeding onely from having had its outward parts quite cover'd over with thick spots (like those to be often observ'd about the Sun,) by whose Condensation the firm Earth we in­habit was form'd. And the mischief is, that each of these jarring Opinions is almost as difficult to be demonstra­tively prov'd False as True. For, where­as to the Centre of the Earth there is, according to the modestest account of our late Cosmographers, above three thousand and five hundred miles; my Inquiries among Navigators and Miners have not yet satisfi'd me, that mens Curiosity has actually reached above one mile or two at most down­wards, (and that not in above three or four places,) either into the Earth or into the Sea. So that as yet our Experience has scarce grated any thing deep upon the Husk, (if I may so speak) without at all reaching the [Page 176] Kernel of the Terraqueous Globe.

And alas! what is this Globe of ours, of which it self we know so little, in comparison of those vast and Lu­minous Globes that we call the Fix'd Stars, of which we know much less? For, though former Astronomers have been pleased to give us, with a seem­ing accurateness, their Distances and Bignesses, as if they had had certain ways of measuring them; yet Later and Better Mathematicians will (I know) allow me to doubt of what Those have deliver'd. For since 'tis confess'd, that we can observe no Pa­rallax in the Fix'd Stars (nor perhaps in the highest Planets,) men must be yet to seek for a Method to measure the distance of those Bodies. And not onely the Copernicans make it to be I know not how many hundred thou­sands of miles greater than the Ptolo­means, and very much greater than even Tycho; but Ricciolus himself, though a great Anti-Copernican, makes the distance of the Fix'd Stars vastly greater, than not onely Tycho, but (if I mis-remember not) than some of the Copernicans themselves. Nor do I wonder at these so great Discre­pances, [Page 177] (though some amount per­haps to some millions of miles,) when I consider, that Astronomers do not measure the distance of the Fix'd Stars by their Instruments, but ac­commodate it to their particular Hy­potheses. And by this uncertainty of the remoteness of the Fix'd Stars you will easily gather, that we are not very sure of their Bulk, no not so much as in reference to one another; since it remains doubtful, whether the dif­fering Sizes, they appear to us to be of, proceed from a real Inequality of Bulk, or onely from an Inequality of Distance, or partly from one of those causes, and partly from the other.

But 'tis not my design to take no­tice of those Things, which the famous Disputes among the Modern Astro­nomers manifest to be dubious. For I consider, that there are divers things relating to the Stars, which are so re­mote from our knowledge, that the Causes of them are not so much as disputed of, or inquired into, such as may be among others, Why the num­ber of the Stars is neither greater nor lesser than it is? Why so many of those Celestial Lights are so plac'd, as [Page 178] not to be visible to our naked eyes, nor even when they are help'd by or­dinary Telescopes? (which extraor­dinary good ones have assured me of.) Why among the familiarly visible Stars, there are so many in some parts of the Sky, and so few in others? Why their Sizes are so differing, and yet not more differing? Why they are not more orderly plac'd, so as to make up Constellations of regular or handsome Figures (of which the Tri­angle is, perhaps, the single Example) but seem to be scatter'd in the Skie as it were by Chance, and have as confus'd Configurations, as the Drops that fall upon ones Hat in a shower of Rain? To which divers other Questi­ons might be added, as about the Stars, so about the Interstellar part of Heaven, which several of the Modern Epicureans would have to be empty, save where the beams of Light (and perhaps some other Celestial Ef­fluvia) pass through it; and the Car­tesians on the contrary think to be full of an Aethereal matter, which some, that are otherwise favourers of their Philosophy, confess they are re­duc'd to take up but as an Hypothesis. [Page 179] So that our knowledge is much short of what many think, not onely if it be consider'd Intensively, but Extensive­ly, (as a Schoolman would express it.) For there being so great a dispropor­tion between the Heavens and the Earth, that some Moderns think the Earth to be little better than a Point in comparison even of the Orb of the Sun; and the Cartesians, with other Copernicans, think the great Orb it self, (which is equal to what the Pto­lomeans call'd the Sun's Orb) to be but a Point in respect of the Firma­ment; and all our Astronomers agree, that at least the Earth is but a Physi­cal Point in comparison of the Starry Heaven: Of how little extent must our knowledge be, which leaves us igno­rant of so many things, touching the vast Bodies that are above us, and pe­netrates so little a way even into the Earth that is beneath us, that it seems confin'd to but a small share of the superficial part of a Physical Point! Of which consideration the natural result will be, that, though what we call our Knowledge, may be allowed to pass for a high Gratification to our minds, it ought not to puff them up; [Page 180] and what we know of the System, and the Nature of things Corporeal▪ is not so perfect and satisfactory, as to justifie our despising the Discove­ries of Spiritual things.

One of the former parts of this Letter may furnish me with one thing more, to evince the Excellencies and Prerogatives of the knowledge of the Mysteries of Religion; and that One thing is such, that I hope I shall need to add nothing More, because it is not possible to add any thing Higher; and that is, That the Preeminence above other Knowledge, adjudg'd to that of Divine Truths by a Judge above all Exception, and above all Comparison, namely, by God him­self.

This having been but lately shown, I shall not now repeat it, but rather apply what hath been there evinc'd, by representing, that if He, who deter­mines in favour of Divine Truths, were such an one, as was less acquaint­ed, than our over-weening Natura­lists with the secrets of their Idoliz'd Physicks; or if he were, though an In­telligent, yet (like an Angel) a Bare Contemplator of what we call the [Page 181] Works of Nature, without having any Interest in their Productions, your Friends not acquiescing in his esti­mate of things might have, though not a fair Excuse, yet a stronger Tem­ptation.

But when he, by whose direction we prefer the higher Truths revealed in the Scripture, before those which Reason alone teaches us concerning those comparatively mean Subjects, things Corporeal, is the same God that not onely understands the whole Universe, and all its parts, far more perfectly, than a Watch-maker can understand one of his own Watches, (in which he can give an account one­ly of the Contrivance, and not of the Cause of the Spring, nor the Nature of the Gold, Steel, and other Bodies his Watch consists of,) but did make both this great Automaton, the World, and Man in it: We have no colour to imagine, that he should either be ig­norant of, or injuriously disparage, his own Workmanship, or impose upon his Favourite-Creature, Man, in di­recting him what sort of Knowledge he ought most to covet and prize. So that since 'tis He who fram'd the [Page 182] World, and all those things in it we most admire, that would have us pre­fer the knowledge he has vouchsafed us in his Word, before that which he has allow'd us of his Works, sure 'tis very unreasonable and unkind to make the Excellencies of the Workmanship a disparagement to the Author, and the Effects of his Wisdom a Motive against acquiescing in the Decisions of his Judgment; as if, because he is to be admir'd for his Visible Produ­ctions, he were not to be believ'd, when he tells us, that there are Disco­veries that contain Truths more va­luable than those which relate but to the Objects, that he has expos'd to all men's Eyes.

The fifth Section.

I Doubt, I should be guilty of a most important Omission, if I should here forget to consider One thing, which I fear has a main stroak in the Partiality your Friend expresseth in his preference of Physicks to The­ology; and that is, That he supposes [Page 183] he shall by the Former acquire a Fame, both more Certain and more Durable, than can be hop'd for from the Latter.

And I acknowledge, not onely with readiness, but with somewhat of Gratulation of the felicity of this Age, That there is scarce any sort of Knowledge more in request, than that which Natural Philosophy pre­tends to teach; and that among the awaken'd and inquisitive part of Man­kind, as much Reputation and Esteem may be gain'd by an insight into the Secrets of Nature, as by being intrusted with those of Princes, or dignifi'd with the splendid'st marks of their favour.

But though I readily confess thus much, and though perhaps I may be thought to have had, I know not by what fate, as great a share of that per­fum'd Smoak, Applause, as (at least) some of those, which among the Wri­ters that are now alive, your Friend seems most to Envy for it; yet I shall not scruple to tell you, partly from observation of what has happen'd to others, and partly too upon some little Experience of my own, that neither is it so easie as your Friend seems to [Page 184] believe it, to get by the study of Na­ture a sure and lasting Reputation, neither ought the Expectation of it, in reason, make men undervalue the study of Divinity. Nor would it here avail to object (by way of prevention) that the Difficulties and Impediments of acquiring and securing Reputation, lie as well in the way of Divines as Philosophers, since this Objection has been already consider'd at the begin­ning of this Second Part of our present Tract. Besides, that the progress of our Discourse will shew, that the Na­turalist, aspiring to fame, is liable to some Inconveniences, which are either not at all, or not near equally incident to the Divine. Wherefore without staying to take any further notice of this preventive Allegation, I shall pro­ceed to make good the first part of the Assertion that preceded it; which that I may the more fully do, give me leave (after having premised, That a man must either be a Writer, or forbear to Print what he knows;) to propose to you the following Considerations.

And first, if your Physeophilus should think to secure a great Reputation, by forbearing to couch any of his [Page 185] Thoughts or Experiments in Writ­ing, he may thereby find himself not a little mistaken. For if once he have gain'd a repute (upon what account soever) of knowing some things that may be useful to others, or of which studious men are wont to be very de­sirous, he will not avoid the Visits and Questions of the Curious. Or, if he should affect a Solitude, and be con­tent to hide himself, that he may hide the things he knows; yet he will not escape the sollicitations that will be made him by Letters. And if these ways of tempting him to dis­close himself, prevail not at all with him to do so, he will provoke the Per­sons that have employ'd them; who finding themselves disoblieg'd by be­ing defeated of their Desires, if not al­so their Expectations, will for the most part endeavour to revenge them­selves on him, by giving him the Cha­racter of an uncourteous and ill-na­tur'd person; and will endeavour, per­haps successfully enough, to decry his parts, by suggesting, That his affected Concealments proceed but from a Conscientiousness, that the things he is presum'd to possess, are but such, as, [Page 186] if they should begin to be known, would cease to be valu'd.

You will say (perchance,) that so much reservedness is a fault: Nor shall I dispute it with you, whether it be or not; but, if he be open and commu­nicative in Discourse to those Stran­gers that come to pump him, such is the disingenious temper of too too many, that he will be in great danger of having his Notions or Experiments arrogated by those to whom he im­parts them, or at least by others, to whom those may (though per­chance designlessly) happen to dis­course of them. And then, if either Physeophylus, or any of his Friends that know him to be Author of what is thus usurp'd, should mention him as such, the Usurpers and their Friends would presently become his Enemies; and, to secure their own Reputation, will be sollicitous to lessen and blemish his. And if you should now tell me, that your Friend might here take a Middle way, as that which in most cases is thought to be the best, by discoursing at such a rate of his Dis­coveries, as may somewhat gratifie those that have a Curiosity to learn [Page 187] them, and yet not speak so clearly as divest himself of his Propriety in them; I should reply, That neither is this Expedient a sure one, nor free from Inconveniences. For most men are so self-opinionated, that they will easily believe themselves Masters of things, if they do but half understand them. And however, though the Per­sons to whom the Discourse was im­mediately made, should not have too great an Opinion of themselves, no more than too great a Sagacity; yet they may easily, by repeating what they heard and observ'd, give some more piercing Wit a hint sufficient to enable him to make out the whole Notion, or the Discovery, which he will then without scruple, and without almost any possibility of being dis­prov'd, assume for his own. But if it happen, (as it often will in Extempo­raneous Discourse) that a Philosopher be not rightly understood; either be­cause he has not the leisure, no more than a design, to explain himself fully, or because the Persons he converses with bring not a competent Capacity and Attention, he then runs a grea­ter danger than before. For the vanity [Page 188] most men take in being known to have convers'd with eminent Philo­sophers, makes them very forward to repeat what they heard such a famous Wit say; and oftentimes being secure of not being contradicted, ignorantly to misrecite it, or wittingly to wrest it in favour of the Opinion they would countenance by it. So that, whereas by the formerly mention'd franckness of Discourse he is onely in danger to have the Truths he discover'd arro­gated by Others, this reservedness exposes him to have Opinions and Errours that he never dream'd of, fa­ther'd on Him. And when a man's Opinions or Discoveries come once to be publickly discours'd of, without being propos'd by himself, or some Friend well instructed by him, he knows not, what Errours or Extrava­gancies may be imputed to him (and that without a Moral possibility left to most men to discern them, (by the mistake of the Weak, or the disinge­nuity of the Partial, or the Artifices of the Malitious. And even the greatness of a mans Reputation does sometimes give such countenance to vain Reports and Surmises, as by degrees to shake, [Page 189] if not ruine, it. As we see, that Fryer Bacon, and Trithemius, and Paracelsus, who for their times were knowing as well as famous men, had such feats ascrib'd to them, as by appearing Fa­bulous to most of the Judicious, have tempted many to think, that all the great things that were said of them were so too.

These are some of the Inconve­niences that a Naturalist may be liable to, if he forbear the communicating of his Thoughts and Discoveries him­self: But if Physeophilus should, to shun these, aspire to Fame by the usual way of writing Books, he may indeed avoid these, but perhaps not without running into other inconveniences and hazards, very little inferiour to them.

First then, we may consider, that whether a man writes in a Systematical way, as they have done who have publish'd entire Bodies of Natural Philosophy, or Methodical Treatises of some considerable part of it, or whether he write in a more loose and unconfin'd way, of any particular Subject that belongs to Physicks; whichsoever, I say, of these two ways of writing Books he shall make choice [Page 190] of, he will find it liable to Inconveni­ence enough.

For if he write Systematically, first, he will be obliged (that he may leave nothing necessary undeliver'd) to say divers things that have been said (perhaps many times) by others al­ready, which cannot but be unplea­sant, not onely to the Reader, but (if he be Ingenious) to the Writer. Next, there are so many things in Nature, whereof we know little or Nothing, and so many more of which we do not know Enough, that our Systematical Writer, though we should grant him to be very Learned, must needs, either leave divers things that belong to his Theme untreated of, or discourse of them slightly, and oftentimes (in likelihood) Erroneously. So that in this kind of Books there is always much said that the Reader did know, and commonly not a little that the Writer does not know. And to this I must add in the third place, that Na­tural Philosophy, being so vast and pregnant a Subject, that (especially in so Inquisitive an Age as this) almost every day discovers some new thing or other about it, 'tis scarce possible [Page 191] for a Method, that is adapted but to what is Already known, to continue Long the most proper; as the same Clothes will not long fit a Child, whose Age will make him quickly out-grow them. And therefore suc­ceeding Writers will have a fair pre­tence to compile new Systems, that may be more adequate to Philosophy improv'd since the publication of the former. And though there were little of New to be added, and it were more easie to Alter than to Mend the Method of our supposed Authour; yet Novelty it self is a thing so plea­sing and inviting to the generality of men, that It often recommends things that have nothing else to recommend them; and we may apply to a great many other things, what I remember a famous Courtier of my acquain­tance used to say of Mistresses, That Another was preferable to a Better, (the Better being but the same.)

But now if, declining the Systema­tical way, one shall choose the other of writing loose Tracts and Dis­courses, he may indeed avoid some of the lately mention'd Inconveni­ences, but will scarce avoid the being [Page 192] plunder'd by Systematical Writers: For these will be apt to cull out those things that they like best, and insert them in their Methodical Books, (perhaps much curtal'd, or otherwise injur'd in the repeating,) and will place them, not as their own Au­thour did, where they may best con­firm or adorn his Discourse, and be illustrated or upheld by it; but where it may best serve the turn of the Com­piler: And these Methodical Books promise so much more Compendious a way than others to the Attainment of the Sciences they treat of, that though really for the most part they prove greater helps to the Memory, than the Understanding; yet most Readers, being, for want of Judgment or of Patience, of another mind, they are willing to take it for granted, that in former Writers, if there have been any thing considerable, it has been all carefully extracted, as well as or­derly digested by the later Compi­lers: And though I take this to be a very Erroneous and Prejudicial Con­ceit, yet it obtains so much, that as Gol [...]smiths that onely give shape and lustre to Gold are far more esteem'd, [Page 193] and in a better Condition, than Mi­ners, who find the Ore in the bowels of the Earth, and with great pains and industry dig it up, and refine it into Metall; so those that with great study and toil successfully penetrate into the hidden Recesses of Nature, and discover latent Truths, are usually less regarded or taken notice of by the Generality of Men, than those who by plausible Methods and a neat Style reduce the Truths, that others have found out, into Systems of a Taking Order and a Convenient Bulk.

I consider in the second place, That as the Method of the Books one writes, so the Bulk of them may prove prejudicial to the Naturalist that aspires to Fame: For if he write large Books, 'tis odds but that he will write in them many things unaccu­rate, if not impertinent, or that he will be oblig'd to repeat many things that others have said before; and if he write but small Tracts, as is the custome of the Judiciousest Authors, who have no mind to publish but what is New and Considerable, as their Excellency will make them to be [Page 194] the sooner dispers'd, so the smallness of the Bulk will endanger them to be quickly lost; as Experience shows us of divers Excellent little Tracts, which, though publish'd not many years ago, are already out of Print, (as they speak) and not to be met with, save by chance, in Stationers Shops. So that these Writings (which deserve a better fate) come, after a while, either to be lost, (which is the case of divers,) or to have their Me­mory preserv'd onely in the larger Volume of some Compiler, whose Industry is onely preferable to his Judgment; it being observable, that (by I know not what unlucky fate) very few (for I do not say, None) that addict themselves to make Colle­ctions out of others, have the Judg­ment to cull out the choisest things in them; and the small Tracts, we are speaking of, being preserv'd but in such a Quoter or Abridger, will run a very great danger of being convey'd to posterity but under such a Repre­sentation as it pleases the Compiler.

And This (that I may proceed to my third Consideration) may make the Naturalists Fame very uncertain, [Page 195] not onely because of the want of Judgment, that (as I newly said) is too often observable in Compilers, whereby they frequently leave far better things than they take, but for the want of skill to understand the Author they Cite and Epitomize, or Candor to do him right. For some­times mens Physical Opinions, and several Passages of their Writings, are so misrepresented by Mistake or De­sign, especially if those that recite their Opinions be not Of them, that men are made to teach or deliver things quite differing from their Sense, and perhaps quite contrary to it; of which, I my self have had some un­welcome Experience, a Learned Wri­ter pretending, I know not how often, that I asserted an Opinion, about which I did expressly [...]. And an­other noted Writer having (not out of design, but unacquaintedness with Mechanicks, and the Subject I writ of,) given me commendations for having, by a new Experiment, prov'd a thing, the quite contrary whereof I intended thereby to evince, and am not Alone mistaken, if I did not do it. Other Naturalists I have met with, [Page 196] whose Writings Compilers have tra­duc'd out of hatred to their Persons, or their Religion; as if Truth could in nothing be a Friend to one that is the Traducers's Enemy; or as if a man that falls into an Errour in Religion, could not light upon a good Notion in Philosophy, in spite of all the Truths we owe to Aristotle, Epicurus, and the other Heathen Philosophers. Nay, some there are, that will set them­selves to decry a man's Writings, not because they are directly His Ene­mies, but because He is esteem'd by Theirs; as you may remember an In­stance in a Servant of yours, who had divers things written against Him up­on this very Account. Nor is it onely by the Citations of profess'd Adver­saries or Opponents, that a worthy Writer's Reputation may be preju­dic'd, since 'tis not unfrequently so by those, that mention him with an Encomium, and seem dispos'd to ho­nour him. For I have observ'd it to be the Trick of certain Writers, to name an Author with much Complement, onely for some one or few of the least considerable things they borrow of Him; by which artifice they endea­vour [Page 197] to conceal their being Plagi­aries of more and better; which yet is more excusable than the Practise of some, who proceed to that pitch of disingenuity, that they will rail at an Author, to whom indeed they owe too much, that they may not be thought to be beholden to him.

But (4.) I must add, that besides these dangers that a Naturalists Repu­tation with posterity may run through the Ignorance or Perversness of men, it is liable to divers other hazards, from the very Nature both of Men, of Opinions, and of Things.

For, as men's Genius's and Inclina­tions are naturally various in reference to Studies, one man passionately af­fecting one sort of them, and another being fond of quite differing ones; so those Inclinations are oftentimes va­riously and generally determin'd by external and accidental Causes. As when some great Monarch happens to be a great Patron, or a Despiser, and perhaps Adversary, of this or that kind of Learning: And when some one man has gain'd much applause for this or that kind of Study; Imitation, or Emulation oftentimes makes many [Page 198] others addict themselves to it. Thus though Rome under the Consuls was inconsiderable for Learning, yet the Reputation of Cicero, and Favour of Augustus, brought Learning into re­quest there; where the small counte­nance it met with among most of the succeeding Emperours, kept it far in­feriour to what it had been among the Greeks about Alexander's Age. And the Age of the same Augustus was enobled with store of Poets, not onely by the countenance which He and Maecenas afforded them, but proba­bly also by the Examples they gave to, and the Emulation they excited in, one another. And after the decay of the Roman Empire, in the Fourth Century, Natural Philosophy and the Mathematicks being very little va­lued, and less understood, by reason that mens Studies were, by the Geni­us of those Ages apply'd to other Sub­jects, every hundred years scarce pro­duc'd One Improver, (not to say one Eminent Cultivator) either of Ma­thematicks or of Physicks: By which you may see, how little Certainty there is, that, because a man is skill'd in Na­tural Philosophy, and that Science is [Page 199] now in Request, his Reputation shall be as great as now, when perhaps the Science it self will be grown out of Repute.

But besides the Contingencies that may happen to a Naturalist's Fame upon this Account, That the Science He cultivates, is, as well as others, subject to Wanes and Eclipses in the general esteem of men; there is an­other uncertainty arising from the Vi­cissitudes that are to be met with in the Estimates men make of differing Hypotheses, Sects, and ways of Phi­losophizing about the same Science, and particularly about Natural Phi­losophy. For during those Learned Times, when Physicks first and most flourish'd among the Grecians, Demo­critus, Leucippus, Epicurus, Anaxa­goras, Plato, and almost all the Na­turalists that preceded Aristotle, were Corpuscularians, endeavouring, though not all by the same way, to give an account of the Phaenomena of Nature, and even of Qualities themselves, by the Bigness, Shape, Motion, &c. of Corpuscles, or the minutest active parts of Matter: Whereas Aristotle, having attempted to deduce the Phae­nomena [Page 200] from the four first Qualities, the four Elements, and some few other barren Hypotheses, ascribing what could not be explicated by them, (and consequently far the greatest part of Natures Phaenomena) to Substan­tial Forms and Occult Qualities; (Principles that are readily nam'd, but scarce so much as pretended to be un­derstood,) and having upon these slight and narrow Principles reduc'd Physicks into a kind of System, which the judicious Modesty of the Corpuscularians had made them back­ward to do; the Reputation that his great Pupil Alexander, as well as his Learning gave him; the Easiness of the way he propos'd to the attain­ment of Natural Philosophy; the good luck his Writings had to sur­vive those of Democritus, and almost all the rest of the Corpuscularians, when Charles the Great began to esta­blish Learning in Europe: These, I say, and some other lucky Accidents that concurr'd, did for about seven or eight hundred years together, make the Corpuscularian Philosophy not onely be Justled, but even Exploded out of the Schools by the Peripate­tick; [Page 201] which in our Times is, by very many, upon the Revival of the Cor­puscularian Philosophy, rejected, and, by more than a few, derided as preca­rious, unintelligible, and useless. And to give an instance in a particular thing, (which, though formerly na­med, deserves to be again mention'd to our present purpose,) Aristotle him­self somewhere confesses, (not to say brags) that the Greek Philosophers, his Predecessors did, unanimously teach, that the World was (I say not Created, but) Made, and yet He, almost by his single Authority, and the subtile Ar­guments (as some have been pleased to think them,) that he employ'd, (though divers of them were borrow'd of Ocellus Lucanus,) was able for ma­ny Ages to introduce into the Schools of Philosophers that Irreligious and Ill-grounded Opinion of the Eternity of the World, which afterwards the Christian Doctrine made men begin to question, and which now both that and Right Reason have perswaded most men to reject.

And this invites me to consider far­ther, That the present success of the Opinions that your Physeophilus be­friends, [Page 202] ought not to make him so sure as he thinks he is, that the same Opi­nions will be always in the same, or greater Vogue, and have the same Advantages, in point of General Esteem that they now have, over their Corrivals. For, Opinions seem to have their Fatal Seasons and Vicissitudes, as well as other things; as may appear, not onely by the Examples of it new­ly given, but also by the Hypothesis of the Earths Motion, which having been in great request before Pythago­ras, (who yet is commonly thought the Inventor of it,) had its Reputation much increas'd by the suffrage of the famous Sect of the Pythagoreans, (whom Aristotle himself takes notice of as the Patrons of that Opinion;) and yet afterwards for near 2000 years it was laugh'd at, as not onely false, but ridiculous. After all which time, this so long antiquated Opinion being re­viv'd by Copernicus, has in a little time made so great a progress among the modern Astronomers and Philoso­phers, that if it go on to prevail at the same rate, the Motion of the Earth will be acknowledg'd by all its Ma­thematical Inhabitants. But though [Page 203] it be often the Fate of an oppress'd Truth, to have at length a Resurrecti­on, yet 'tis not always its peculiar pri­viledge; for, Obsolete Errours are sometimes reviv'd, as well as discre­dited Truths: So that the general disrepute of an Opinion in one Age will not give us an absolute security, that 'twill not be in as general Re­quest in another, in which it may per­haps not onely Revive, but Reign.

Nor is it onely in the Credit of mens Opinions about Philosophical Matters, that we may observe an In­constancy and Vicissitude, but in the very Way and Method of Philoso­phizing; for Democritus, Plato, Py­thagoras, and others, who were of the more sincere and ingenious Cultiva­tors of Physicks among the Greeks, exercis'd themselves chiefly either in making particular Experiments and Observations, as Democritus did in his manifold Dissections of Animals; or else apply'd the Mathematicks to the Explicating of a particular Phaenome­non of Nature, as may appear (not to mention what Hero teaches in his Pneumaticks,) by the Accounts, De­mocritus, Plato, and others, give of [Page 204] Fire and other Elements, from the Fi­gure and Motion of the Corpuscles they consist of. And although this way of Philosophizing were so much in request before Aristotle, that (albeit he unluckily brought in another, yet) there are manifest and considerable footsteps of it to be met with in some of his Writings, (and particularly in his Books of Animals, and his Mecha­nical Questions;) yet the Scholastick followers of Aristotle did, for many Ages, neglect the way of Philosophi­zing of the Antients, and (to the great prejudice of Learning) introduc'd every where in stead of it a quite con­trary way of Writing. For, not onely they laid aside the Mathematicks, (of which they were for the most part very ignorant,) but instead of giving us Intelligible and Explicite (if not Accurate) Accounts of particular Sub­jects, grounded upon a distinct and heedful Consideration of them, they contented themselves with hotly dis­puting, in general, certain unnecessa­ry, or at least unimportant questions about the Objects of Physicks, about Materia Prima, Substantial Forms, Privation, Place, Generation, Cor­ruption, [Page 205] and other such general things, with which when they had quite tyr'd themselves and their Readers, they usually remain'd utter strangers to the particular Productions of that Nature, about which they had so much wran­gled, and were not able to give a man so much true and useful Information about Particular Bodies, as even the meanest Mechanicks, such as Mine­diggers, Butchers, Smiths, and even Dary-maids, could do. Which made their Philosophy appear so Imperfect and Useless, not onely to the Gene­rality of Men, but to the more Ele­vated and Philosophical Wits, that our great Verulam attempted with much Skill and Industry, (and not without some Indignation) to restore the more modest and useful way pra­ctis'd by the Antients, of Inquiring in­to particular Bodies, without hasten­ing to make Systems, into the Request it formerly had; wherein the admi­rable Industry of two of our London Physicians, Gilbert and Harvey, has not a little assisted him. And I need not tell you, that since Him, Des-Cartes, Gassendus, and others, having taken in the Application of Geome­trical [Page 206] Theorems, for the Explication of Physical Problems; He, and They, and Other Restorers of Natural Phi­losophy, have brought the Experi­mental and Mathematical way of In­quiring into Nature into at least as high and growing an Esteem, as ever it possess'd when it was most in Vogue among the Naturalists that preceded Aristotle.

To the Considerations I have hi­therto deduc'd, which (perhaps) might alone suffice for my purpose, I shall yet subjoyn one that I take to be of greater weight than any of them, for the manifesting how difficult it is to be sure, that the Physical Opini­ons, which at present procure a Cham­pion or Promoter of them Venerati­on, shall be still in request. For be­sides that inconstant Fate of applaud­ed Opinions, which may be imputed to the Inconstancy of Men, there is a greater danger that threatens the Aspi­rers Reputation from the very Nature of things: For the most general Prin­ciples of all, viz. the Figure, Bigness, Motion, and other Mechanical Affe­ctions of the small parts of Matter, being (as your Friend believes) suffi­ciently [Page 207] and clearly establish'd already; he must expect to raise his Reputa­tion from subordinate Hypotheses and Theories; and in these I shall not scruple to say, that 'tis extremely diffi­cult, even for those that are more ex­ercis'd than He, in framing Them and in making of Experiments to have so reaching and attentive a prospect of all things fit to be known, as not to be liable to have their Doctrine made doubtful, or disprov'd by some­thing that He did not discover, or that After-times may. This, I doubt not, but you would easily be prevail'd with to allow, if I had leisure and conve­niency to transmit to you my Scepti­cal Naturalist. And without having recourse to that Tract, it may possi­bly suffice, that we consider, that one of the Conditions of a good See the Requi­sites of a good Hy­pothesis. Hypothe­sis is, that It fairly comport not onely with all other Truths, but with all other Phaenomena of Nature, as well as those 'tis fram'd to explicate. For this being granted, (which cannot be deny'd,) He that establishes a Theory, which he expects shall be acquiesc'd in by all succeeding Times, and make Him famous in them, must not onely [Page 208] have a care, that none of the Phae­nomena of Nature, that are already taken notice of, do contradict his Hy­pothesis at the present, but that no Phaenomena that may be hereafter dis­cover'd, shall do it for the future. And I very much question, whether Physio­philus do know, or, upon no greater a number and variety of Experiments than most men build upon, can know, how incompleat the History of Na­ture we yet have, is, and how difficult it is to build an Accurate Hypothe­sis upon an Incompleat History of the Phaenomena 'tis to be fitted to; espe­cially considering that (as I was saying) many things may be discover'd in After-times by Industry or Chance, which are not now so much as dream'd of, and which may yet overthrow Do­ctrines speciously enough accommo­dated to the Observations that have been hitherto made.

Those Antient Philosophers, that thought the Torrid Zone to be un­inhabitable, did not establish their Opinion upon wild Reasonings; and as it continu'd uncontrol'd for many Ages, so perhaps it would have al­ways done, if the Discoveries made [Page 209] by Modern Navigations had not ma­nifested it to be Erroneous. The So­lidity of the Celestial Orbs was, for divers Centuries above 1000 years, the general opinion of Astronomers and Philosophers, and yet in the last Age and in Ours, the free Trajection, that has been observ'd in the Motion of some Comets from one of the sup­posed Orbs to another, and the In­tricate Motions in the Planet Mars, (observ'd by Kepler and others, to be sometimes nearer, as well as sometimes remoter from the Earth than is the Sun;) these, I say, and other Phenomena undiscover'd by the Antients, have made even Tycho, as well as most of the recent Astronomers, exchange the too long receiv'd Opinion of solid Orbs for the more warrantable belief of a Fluid Aether. And though the Celestial part of the World, by reason of its remoteness from us, be the most unlikely of any other to afford us the means of overthrowing old Theories by new Discoveries; yet even in that we may take notice of divers Instances to our present purpose, though I shall here name but this One, viz. That, af­ter the Ptolemaick Number and Order [Page 210] of the Planets had past uncontradicted for very many Ages; and even the Tychonians and Copernicans, (how­ever they did by their differing Hy­potheses dissent from the Ptolemaick System (as to the Order,) did (yet) acquiesce in it as to the number of the Planets; by the happy Discoveries, made by Galilaeo of the Satellites of Jupiter, and by the excellent Huge­nius, of the New Planet about Sa­turn, (which I think I had the luck to be the first that observ'd and shew'd Disbelievers of it in England,) the Astronomers of all perswasions are brought to add to the old Septenary number of the Planets, and take in Five others that their Predecessors did not dream of. That the Chyle pre­par'd in the Stomach pass'd through the Mesaraick Veins to the Liver, and so to the Heart, was for many Ages the unanimous Opinion, not onely of Physicians, but Anatomists, whose numerous Diffections did not tempt them to question it; and yet, since the casual, though lucky, Discoveries made of the Milky Vessels in the Tho­rax by the dextrous Pecquet, those that have had with you and I the cu­riosity [Page 211] to make the requisite Experi­ments, are generally convinc'd, that (at least) a good part of the Chyle goes from the Stomach to the Heart, without passing through the Mesaraick Veins, or coming at all to the Liver.

'Twere easie to multiply Instances of this kind, but I rather choose to add, that 'tis not onely about the Qualities, and other Attributes of things, but about their Causes also, that New and oftentimes Acciden­tal Discoveries may destroy the credit of Long and generally approv'd Opi­nions. That Quick-lime exceedingly heats the Water that is pour'd on to quench it, on the account of Antipe­ristasis, has been very long and univer­sally receiv'd by the School-Philoso­phers, where 'tis the grand and usual Argument, urg'd to Establish Anti­peristasis; and yet I presume you have taken notice, See this Subject handled at large in an Ap­pendix to the Au­thor's Ex [...]men of Anti­peristasis. that this Proof is made wholly Ineffectual in the judgment of many of the Virtuosi, by some contrary Experiments of mine, and particularly that of exciting in Quick-lime full as great an Effervescence by the Affusion of Hot water in stead of Cold▪ So it has been generally believ'd, that in the [Page 212] Congelation of Water, that Liquor is condens'd into a narrower room; whereas our late Experiments In the History of Cold. have satisfied most of the curious, that Ice is Water expanded, or (if you please) that Ice takes up more room than the Water did, whilst it remain'd unfro­zen. And whereas the Notion of Na­tures abhorrence of a Vacuum, has not onely ever since Aristotle's time made a great noise in the Schools, but seems to be Confirmable by a multitude of Phaenomena; the Experiments of Tor­ricellius, and some of Now publish'd in the Book of New Phy­sico-Me­chanical Experi­ments. Ours, evi­dencing, that the Air has a great Weight and a strong Spring, have, I think, perswaded almost all, that have impartially consider'd them, that, whether there be or be not such a thing as they call Fuga Vacui, yet Suction, and the Ascension of Water in Pumps, and those other Phaenomena that are generally ascrib'd to It, may be very well Explicated without it, and are indeed caus'd by the Weight of the Atmosphere, and the Elastical power of the Air.

And this puts me in mind to take notice, that even practical Inventions, where one would think the Matter of [Page 213] Fact to be Evident, may by un­dream'd of Discoveries be brought to lose the general Reputation they had for compleatness in their kind. For to endear the Invention of Sucking Pumps and of Syphons, it has been generally presum'd, that by means of either of these, Water and any other Liquor may, ob fugam vacui, be rais'd to what height one pleases; and ac­cordingly ways have been propos'd by famous Authors, to convey Wa­ter from one side of an high Mountain to the other: Whereas first the un­expected Disappointments that were met with by some Pump-makers, and afterwards Experiments purposely made, sufficiently evince, that neither a Pump nor a Syphon will raise Water to above 35 foot or thereabouts, nor Quicksilver to so many Inches.

And as to the Invention of Wea­ther-glasses, which has been so much and justly applauded and us'd, as it has been generally receiv'd for the truest Standard of the Heat and Cold of the Weather; so it seems to be lia­ble to no suspition of deceiving Us: For not onely 'tis evident, that in Win­ter, when the Air is very Cold, the [Page 214] Water rises much higher than in Summer and other Seasons, when 'tis not so; but if you but apply your warm hand to the Bubble at the top, the Water will be visibly depress'd by the rarifi'd Air, which upon the removal of the Hand returning to its former Coldness, the Water will forthwith as manifestly ascend again. And yet by finding, See a Tract on this Sub­ject, pre­mis'd by the Au­thour to his Book of Cold. that, as the At­mosphaere has a considerable weight, so this weight is not always the same, but varies much, and that, as far as I can yet discover, uncertainly enough; I have had the luck to satisfie many of the Curious, that these Open Ther­mometers are not to be safely rely'd on, since in them the Liquor is made to rise and fall, not onely, as men have hitherto suppos'd, by the Cold and Heat of the Ambient Air, but (as I have shewn by divers new Ex­periments) according to the varying Gravity of the Atmosphaere; which Variation has not onely a Sensible, but a very Considerable Influence up­on the Weather-glass. To these In­stances I shall annex onely one more, from which we may learn, that not­withstanding a very heedful survey of [Page 215] all that at present a man can take no­tice of, or well suspect that he ought to take into his Consideration, the Case may be such, that having devis'd an Instrument, He may use it many years with good success; and yet, unless he were able to live very many more, he shall not be sure to out-live the danger of finding the same Instrument (though to sense as well condition'd as ever) fallacious: As he that first appli'd a Magnetick Needle to the finding of the Meridian Line, might very probably conclude, that his Nee­dle pointing directly N. and S. or de­clining from it just two or three, or some other determinate number of Degrees, he had discover'd a certain and ready way, without the help of Sun or Stars, or Astronomical Instru­ments, to describe a Meridian Line, and if he liv'd but an ordinary number of years after his Observation, he might probably have found his Instru­ment not deceitful; which yet it may now be, the Magnetick Needle not onely declining in many places from the true points of N. and S. but (as later Discoveries inform us) varying in tract of time its Declination in the self same place.

[Page 216]The Considerations hitherto pro­pos'd might easily enough be en­creas'd by more of the same tendency, especially if I thought fit to borrow from a Discourse (of mine) purposely written about the Partiality and Uncer­tainty of Fame; but in stead of adding to their Number, I should think my self oblieged to excuse my having al­ready mention'd so many, and insisted so much upon them, if I did not vehe­mently suspect, that in your Physio­philus, (as well as in many other mo­dern Naturalists,) scarce any thing does more contribute to an Under­valuation of the study of Divinity, than that being eagerly ambitious of a Certain, as well as a Posthume Fame, he is confident that Physiologie will help to it; and therefore the design of his Discourse made me think it ex­pedient to spend some time to mani­fest, That 'tis far less easie than he thinks, to be as sure that he shall have the praises of Future Ages, as that (though he have them) he shall not hear them.

The past Considerations have, I presume, convinc'd you, that 'tis no such easie matter for a Naturalist to [Page 217] acquire a great reputation and be sure it will prove a lasting one. Where­fore, that I may also confirm the se­cond Part of what formerly I propos'd, I now proceed to show, that, though the case were otherwse, yet he would have no reason to slight the study of Divinity.

1. For, in the first place, nothing hinders, but that a man who values and inquires into the Mysteries of Re­ligion, may attain to an Eminent de­gree in the knowledge of those of Nature. For frequently men of great parts may successfully apply them­selves to more than one Study; and few of them have their thoughts and hours so much ingross'd by that one Subject or Imployment, but that, if they have great Inclinations as well as Fitness for the study of Nature, they will find time, not onely to Cul­tivate it, but to Excel in it. You need not be told, That Copernicus, to whom our late Philosophers owe so much, was a Churchman; That his Cham­pion Lansbergius was a Minister, and that Gassendus himself was a Doctor of Divinity. Among the Jesuites you know, that Clavius and divers others [Page 218] have as prosperously addicted them­selves to Mathematicks as Divinity. And as to Physicks, not onely Schei­ner, Aquilonius, Kircher, Schottus, Zucchius, and others, have very lau­dably cultivated the Optical and some other Parts of Philosophy; but Ricciolus himself, the Learned Com­piler of that Voluminous and Judici­ous Work of the Almagestum novum, wherein he has inserted divers accurate Observations of his own, is not onely a Divine, but a Professor of Divinity. And without going out of our own Countrey, I could, if I durst for fear of offending the modesty of those I should name, or injuring the merit of those I should omit; I could (I say) if it were not for this, among our Eng­lish Ecclesiasticks name you divers, who though they apply themselves so much to the study of the Scripture, as to be not onely solid Divines, but Excellent Preachers, have yet been so happily conversant with Nature, that, if they had liv'd in the Learned times of the Greeks, they would have rivall'd, if not eclips'd, some of them, Pythagoras and Euclid; others of them, Anaxagoras and Epicurus; and some [Page 219] of them, even Archimedes and Demo­critus themselves.

And certainly, provided there be Curiosity and Industry enough im­ploy'd in the study of Nature, it is not Necessary, that the knowledge of Nature should be the ultimate End of that Study; a Fondness of the Object being requir'd onely in order to the Engaging the mind to such a serious Application, as a higher aim May suf­ficiently invite us to; and Will ra­ther promote than discourage. David became no less skilful in Musick, Amos vj.5. than those that were addicted to it onely to please themselves in it; though we may reasonably suppose, that so pious an Authour of Psalms and Instru­ments aspired to an Excellency in that delightful Science, that he might Apply and Prefer it to the Service of the Temple, and promote the Cele­bration of God's Praises with it. And as Experience has manifested, that the Heathen Philosophers, that court­ed Moral Vertue for her self, did not raise it to that pitch, to which 'twas advanc'd by the Heroick Practises of those true Christians, that in the highest Exercise of Vertue had a Re­ligious [Page 220] aim at the pleasing and injoy­ing of God; so I see not, why Na­tural Knowledge must be more pro­sperously cultivated by those selfish Naturalists, that aim but at the plea­sing of themselves in the attainment of that Knowledge, than those Reli­gious Naturalists, who are invited to Attention and Industry, not onely by the pleasantness of the Knowledge it self, but by a higher and more in­gaging Consideration; namely, that by the Discoveries they make in the Book of Nature, both themselves and others may be excited and qualifi'd the better to admire and praise the Authour, whose Goodness does so well match the Wisdom they cele­brate, that he declares in his Word, That those that honour him, he will honour. 1 Sam. ij.30.

And as a man that is not in love with a fair Lady, but has onely a re­spect for her, may have as true and perfect, though not as discomposing an Idea of her face, as the most passi­onate Inamorato; so I see not, why a Religious and Inquisitive Contem­plator of Nature may not be able to give a good account of her, without [Page 221] preferring her so far to all other Ob­jects of his study, as to make her his Mistress, and perhaps too his Idol.

II. And now I proceed to consider in the second place, That matters of Divinity may, as well as those of Phi­losophy, afford a Reputation to Him that discovers, or illustrates them. For though the Fundamental Articles of Christian Religion be, as I have for­merly declar'd, little less Evident than Important; yet there are many other points in Divinity, and passages in the Scripture, which (for Reasons that I have elsewhere mention'd) are ex­ceeding hard to be clear'd, and do not onely pose ordinary Readers, and the common sort of Scholars, but will suf­ficiently exercise the Abilities of a Great Wit, and give him opportunity enough to manifest that He is One. For divers of the points I speak of are much benighted upon the score of the Sublimity of the Things they treat of; such as are the Nature, Attributes, and Decrees of God, which cannot be easie to the dimm understandings of Us that are but Men: And many other particulars that are not Abstruse in their own Nature, are yet made [Page 222] Obscure to us by our Ignorance, (or at least Imperfect Knowledge,) of the disus'd Languages wherein they are deliver'd, and the great remoteness of the Ages when, and the Countreys where, the things recorded were done or said. So that oftentimes a man may need and show as great Learning and Judgment to dispel the Darkness, wherein Time has involv'd Things, as that which Nature has cast on them: And in effect we see, that St. Augustine, St. Hierom, Origen, and others of the Fathers, have acquir'd no less a Reputation, than Empedo­cles, Anaxagoras, or Zeno; And Gro­tius, Salmasius, Mr. Mede, Dr. Ha­mond, and some other Critical Ex­pounders of difficult Texts of Scri­pture, have thereby got as much Cre­dit, as Fracastorius by his Book De Sympathia & Antipathia; Levinus Lemnius by his De Occultis rerum Mi­raculis; or Cardanus (and his Adver­sary Scaliger) by what they writ De Subtilitate; or even Fernelius himself by his Book De Abditis Rerum Causis. And it will contribute to the Credit which Theological Discoveries and Illustrations may procure a Man, that [Page 223] the Importance of the Subjects, and the earnestness wherewith men are wont to busie themselves about them, some upon the score of Piety, and others upon that of Interest, some to Learn Truths, and others to Defend what they have long or publickly taught for Truth, does make greater numbers of Men take notice of such Matters, and concern themselves far more about them, than about almost any other things, and especially far more, than about matters purely Phi­losophical, which but few are wont to think themselves fit to judge of, and concern'd to trouble themselves about. And accordingly we see, that the Writings of Socinus, Calvin, Bel­larmine, Padre Paulo, Arminius, &c. are more famous, and more studied, than those of Telesius, Campanella, Severinus Danus, Magnenus, and di­vers other Innovators in Natural Phi­losophy. And Erastus, though a very Learned Physician, is much less fa­mous for all his Elaborate Disputati­ons against Paracelsus, than for the little Tract against particular Forms of Church-Government. And I presume You have taken notice, as well as I, [Page 224] that there are scarce any Five new Controversies in all Physicks, that are known to, and hotly contended for by so many, as are the Five Articles of the Remonstrants.

III. My second Consideration be­ing thus dispatch'd, it remains, that I tell you in the Third place, that Supposing, but not Granting, that to prosecute the Study of Divinity, one must of necessity neglect the Acquist of Reputation; yet this Inconveni­ence it self ought not to deter us from the Duty it would disswade. For in all Deliberations, wherein any thing is propos'd to be quitted or declin'd, to obey or please God; me thinks, we may fitly apply that of the Pro­phet to the Jewish King, who being perswaded (to express his Concern for God's Glory) to decline the Assistance of an Idolatrous Army of Israelites, and objecting, that by complying with the Advice given Him, he should lose a Sum of Money, amount­ing to no less than the Hire of a Po­tent Army; receiv'd from the Pro­phet this brisk, but rational, Answer, The Lord is able to give thee far more than this. 2. Chron. xxv.9. The Apostle Paul, who [Page 225] had been traduc'd, revil'd, buffetted, scourg'd, imprison'd, shipwrack'd, and ston'd for his Zeal to propagate the Truths, whose study I plead for; af­ter He had once had a Glimpse of that great Recompense of Reward that is re­served for us in Heaven, scruples not to pronounce, Rom. viij.18. that he finds upon cast­ing up the Account (for He uses the Arithmetical term [...]) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be reveal'd in us. Luke xxiij.15. And if all that the Persecuted Christians of his time could suffer were not suita­ble (for so I remember the same Greek word to signifie elsewhere) or propor­tionable to that Glory; it will sure far out-weigh what we can now fore­go or decline for it. The loss of an Advantage, and much more the bare missing of it, being usually but a Ne­gative Affliction, in comparison of the Actual sufferance of Evil. Christ did not onely tell his Disciples, that He who should give the least of his Fol­lowers so much as a cup of cold water upon the score of their relation to Him, should not be unrewarded; but when the same persons asked Him, [Page 226] what should be done to Them, who had left All to follow Him; He pre­sently allots Them Thrones, as much outvaluing that All they had lost, as an ordinary Recompense may exceed a cup of cold water. And indeed God's Goodness is so Great, and his Trea­sures so Unexhausted, that as He is forward to recompence even the least Services that can be done Him, so He is able to give the Greatest a propor­tionable Reward. Solomon had an Op­portunity, such as never any Mortal had, (that we know of,) either before or since, of satisfying his Desires, whe­ther of Fame, or any other Thing that he could wish; [...] Kings iij.5. Ask what I shall give thee, was the proffer made him by Him, that could give All things worth Receiving; and yet the Wis­dom even of Solomon's choice, ap­prov'd by God Himself, consisted in declining the most ambition'd things of this Life, for those things that might the better qualifie him to serve and please God. And to give you an example in a Greater than Solomon, we may consider, Phil. ij.6. that He who being in the form of God, thought it not rob­bery to be equal with God; and who [Page 227] by leaving Heaven, did, to dwell on earth, quit more than any Inhabitant of the Earth can to gain Heaven, and deny'd more to become Capable of being tempted, than he did when he was tempted with an offer of All the Kingdoms of the world, and the Glory of them: This Saviour, I say, is said in Scripture to have, Heb. xij.2. for the joy that was set before him, endured the Cross, and despised the shame; as if Heaven had been a sufficient Recompence for even His Renouncing Honours, and Embracing Torments.

He that declines the Acquist of the Applause of men for the Contem­plation of the Truths of God, does but forbear to gather that whilst 'tis immature, which by waiting God's time he will more seasonably gather when 'tis full ripe, and wholesome, and sweet. That immarcescible Crown (as St. Peter calls it) which the Go­spel promises to them, Rom. ij.7. who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glo­ry and honour, will make a rich amends for the declining of a Fading Wreath here upon Earth, where Reputation is oftentimes as undeservedly acquir'd, as lost: Whereas in Heaven, the very [Page 228] having Celestial Honours argues a Ti­tle to them. And since 'tis our Savi­our's Reasoning, That His Disciples ought to rejoyce when their Reputa­tion is pursued by Calumny, as well as their Lives by Persecution, Matth. v.11, 12. because their reward is great in Heaven, we may justly infer, That the Grounded Expectation of so illustrious a Con­dition may bring us more Content, even when 'tis not attended with a present Applause, than this Applause can give those who want that comfor­table Expectation. So that, upon the whole matter, we have no reason to despond, or to complain of the Study of Theology, for but making Us de­cline an empty and transitory Fame for a solid and eternal Glory.

The Conclusion.

BY this time, Sir, I have said as much as I think fit (and therefore, I hope, more than upon your single account was necessary) to manifest, that Physeophilus had no just cause to undervalue the study of Divinity, nor our Friend the Doctor, for addicting himself to it. I hope you have not forgotten what I expressly enough de­clar'd at the beginning of this Letter, That both your Friend and you ad­mitting the holy Scriptures, I knew my self thereby to be warranted to draw Proofs from their Authority. And if I need not remind you of this, per­haps I need not tell you by way of Apo­logy, that I am not so unacquainted with the Laws of Discoursing, but that, if I had been to argue with Atheists or Scepticks, I should have forborn to make use of divers of the Arguments I have imploy'd, as fetch'd from un­conceded Topicks, and substituted others for such as yet I think it very allowable for me to urge, when I deal [Page 230] with a Person, that, as your Friend does onely undervalue the study of the Scriptures, not reject their Authority. And if the prolixity I have been guil­ty of already did forbid me to increase it by Apologies not absolutely neces­sary, I should perchance rather think my self obliged to excuse the plain­ness of the Style of this Discourse; which both upon the Subject's score, and yours, may seem to challenge a richer Dress. But the matter is very serious, and you are a Philosopher, and when the things we treat of are highly important, I think Truths clearly made out to be the most per­swasive pieces of Oratory. And a Dis­course of this Nature is more likely to prove Effectual on Intelligent Peru­sers, by having the Reasons it presents perspicuously propos'd, and unpreju­dic'dly entertain'd, than by their be­ing pathetically urg'd, or curiously adorn'd. And I have the rather for­born expressions that might seem more proper to move than to convince; because I foresee, I may very shortly have occasion to employ some of the former sort in another Letter to a Friend of yours and mine, who will, I [Page 231] doubt, make you a sharer in the trou­ble of reading it. But writing this for you and Physeophilus, I was far more sollicitous to give the Arguments I imploy a good temper, than a bright gloss. For even when we would ex­cite Devotion, if it be in rational men, the most effectual pieces of Oratory are those, which like Burning-glasses inflame by nothing but numerous and united Beams of Light. If this Let­ter prove so happy as to give you any satisfaction, it will thereby bring me a great one. For prizing you as I do, I cannot but wish to see you Esteem those things now, which I am confi­dent we shall always have cause to esteem; and then most, when the Light of Glory shall have made us better Judges of the true worth of things. And it would extremely trou­ble me to see you a Disesteemer of those Divine things, which as long as a man undervalues, the Possession of Heaven it self would not make him happy. And therefore, if the Blessing of Him whose Glory is aim'd at in it, make the Success of this Paper an­swerable to the Wishes, the Impor­tance [Page 232] of the Subject, will make the Service done you by it suitable to the Desires of,

SIR,
Your most Faithful, most Affectionate, and most Humble Servant.
FINIS.

ERRATA.

IN the Introduction, p. 2 l. 18. point thus; else; our. p. 51. l. 17. r. Corpuscularian. p. 114. l. 3. r. Theology for Philosophy. p. 133. l. 10. r. yet many of. ibid. l. 19. r. else do but. p. 201. l. 12. point thus, predecessors, did unanimously teach.

ABOUT THE EXCELLENCY …

ABOUT THE EXCELLENCY AND GROUNDS Of the MECHANICAL HYPOTHESIS, Some Considerations, Occasionally propos'd to a Friend.

By T. H. R. B. E. Fellow of the Royal Society.

LONDON, Printed by T. N. for Henry Herringman, at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange. 1674.

The Publisher's ADVERTISEMENT.

THe following Paper hav­ing been but occasionally and hastily pen'd, long after what the Author had written (by way of Dialogue) about the Requisites of a good Hypothesis, it was intended, that if it came forth at all, it should do so as an Appendix to that Discourse; because though one part of it does little more than name some of the Heads treated of in the Dialogue, yet, accor­ding to the exigency of the Occasion, the other part contains several things, either pretermitted, or but more lightly touched on in the Discourse. But, although the Author's design were to reserve these thoughts, as a kind of Paralipomena to his Dialogue; yet, since he is not willing to let that, at least quickly, come abroad, and these are fallen [Page] into my hands; I will make bold, with his good leave, to annex them to the fore-going Treatise, not onely to com­pleat the Bulk of the Book, but because o [...] some affinity between them, since both aim at manifesting the Excel­lency of the Studies they would recom­mend. And perhaps 'twill not be un­welcome to some of the Curious to find, that our Noble Author in the same Book, wherein he prefers the Study of Divine things to that of Natural ones, does him­self prefer the Mechanical Principles be­fore all other Hypotheses about Natural things; they being in their own Nature so accommodate to make considering men understand, rather than dispute of, the Effects of Nature.

Of the Excellency and Grounds Of the CORPUSCULAR Or MECHANICAL Philosophy.

THe importance of the Question, you propose, would oblige me to refer you to the Dialogue a­bout a good Hypothesis, and some other Papers of that kind, where you may find my thoughts about the advantages of the Mechanical Hypothesis somewhat amply set down, and discours'd of. But, since your desires confine me to deliver in few words, not what I be­lieve resolvedly, but what I think may be probably said for the Prefe­rence or the Preeminence of the [Page 2] Corpuscular Philosophy above Ari­stotles, or that of the Chymists, you must be content to receive from me, without any Preamble, or exact Me­thod, or ample Discourses, or any other thing that may cost many words, a succinct mention of some of the chief Advantages of the Hy­pothesis we incline to. And I the ra­ther comply, on this occasion, with your Curiosity, because I have often observ'd you to be allarm'd and dis­quieted, when you hear of any Book that pretends to uphold, or repair the decaying Philosophy of the Schools, or some bold Chymist, that arrogates to those of his Sect the Title of Philosophers, and pretends to build wholly upon Experience, to which he would have all other Naturalists thought strangers. That therefore you may not be so tempted to despond, by the Confidence or Re­putation of those Writers, that do some of them applaud, and others censure, what, I fear, they do not un­derstand, (as when the Peripateticks cry up, Substantial Forms, and the Chymists, Mechanical Explications) of Nature's Phaenomena, I will pro­pose [Page 3] some Considerations, that, I hope, will not onely keep you kind to the Philosophy you have embrac'd, but perhaps, (by some Considerations which you have not yet met with,) make you think it probable, that the new Attempts you hear of from time to time, will not overthrow the Cor­puscularian Philosophy, but either be foiled by it, or found reconcilable to it.

But when I speak of the Corpus­cular or Mechanical Philosophy, I am far from meaning with the Epi­cureans, that Atoms, meeting toge­ther by chance in an infinite Vacuum, are able of themselves to produce the World, and all its Phaenomena; nor with some Modern Philosophers, that, supposing God to have put into the whole Mass of Matter such an in­variable quantity of Motion, he needed do no more to make the World, the material parts being able by their own unguided Motions, to cast themselves into such a System (as we call by that name); But I plead onely for such a Philosophy, as reaches but to things purely Cor­poreal, and distinguishing between [Page 4] the first original of things, and the subsequent course of Nature, teaches, concerning the former, not onely that God gave Motion to Matter, but that in the beginning He so guided the various Motions of the parts of it, as to contrive them into the World he design'd they should compose, (furnish'd with the Seminal Principles and Structures or Models of Living Creatures,) and establish'd those Rules of Motion, and that order amongst things Corporeal, which we are wont to call the Laws of Nature. And having told this as to the former, it may be allowed as to the latter to teach, That the Universe being once fram'd by God, and the Laws of Mo­tion being setled and all upheld by His incessant concourse and general Providence; the Phaenomena of the World thus constituted, are Physi­cally produc'd by the Mechanical affections of the parts of Matter, and what they operate upon one another according to Me [...]hanical Laws. And now having shewn what kind of Cor­puscular Philosophy 'tis that I speak of I p [...]oceed to the particulars that I thought the most proper to recom­mend it.

[Page 5]I. The first thing that I shall men­tion to this purpose, is the Intelligi­bleness or Clearness of Mechanical Principles and Explications. I need not tell you, that among the Peri­pateticks, the Disputes are many and intricate about Matter, Privation, Substantial Forms, and their Educti­on, &c. And the Chymists are suffi­ciently puzled, (as I have elsewhere shewn,) to give such definitions and accounts of their Hypostatical Prin­ciples, as are reconcileable to one an­other, and even to some obvious Phaenomena. And much more dark and intricate are their Doctrines about the Archeus, Astral Beings, Gas, Blass, and other odd Notions, which per­haps have in part occasion'd the dark­ness and ambiguity of their expres­sions, that could not be very clear, when their Conceptions were far from being so. And if the Principles of the Aristotelians and Spagyrists are thus obscure, 'tis not to be expected, the Explications that are made by the help onely of such Principles should be clear. And indeed many of them are either so general and slight, or otherwise so unsatisfactory, that grant­ing [Page 6] their Principles, 'tis very hard to understand or admit their applications of them to particular Phaenomena. And even in some of the more ingenious and subtle of the Peripatetick Dis­courses upon their superficial and narrow Theories, me thinks, the Au­thors have better plaid the part of Painters than Philosophers, and have onely had the skill, like Drawers of Landskips, to make men fancy, they see Castles and Towns, and other Structures that appear solid and magnificent, and to reach to a large extent, when the whole Piece is su­perficial, and made up of Colours and Art, and compris'd within a Frame perhaps scarce a yard long. But to come now to the Corpuscular Philo­sophy, men do so easily understand one anothers meaning, when they talk of Local Motion, Rest, Bigness, Shape, Order, Situation, and Contexture of Material Substances; and these Prin­ciples do afford such clear accounts of those things, that are rightly deduc'd from them onely, that even those Pe­ripateticks or Chymists, that maintain other Principles, acquiesce in the Ex­plications made by these, when they [Page 7] can be had, and seek not any further, though perhaps the effect be so ad­mirable, as would make it pass for that of a hidden Form, or Occult Quality. Those very Aristotelians, that believe the Celestial Bodies to be mov'd by Intelligences, have no recourse to any peculiar agency of theirs to account for Eclipses. And we laugh at those East-Indians, that, to this day, go out in multitudes, with some Instruments that may relieve the distressed Luminary, whose loss of Light they fancy to proceed from some fainting fit, out of which it must be rouz'd. For no Intelligent man, whether Chymist or Peripatetic, flies to his peculiar Principles, after he is informed, that the Moon is E­clipsed by the interposition of the Earth betwixt her and it, and the Sun by that of the Moon betwixt him and the Earth. And when we see the Image of a Man cast into the Air by a Concave Spherical Looking-glass, though most men are amaz'd at it, and some suspect it to be no less than an effect of Witchcraft, yet he that is skill'd enough in Catoptricks, will, without consulting Aristotle, or Pa­racelsus, [Page 8] or flying to Hypostatical Principles and Substantial Forms, be satisfied, that the Phaenomenon is pro­duc'd by the beams of Light reflected, and thereby made convergent accor­ding to Optical, and consequently Mathematical Laws.

But I must not now repeat what I elsewhere say, to shew, that the Cor­puscular Principles have been de­clin'd by Philosophers of different Sects, not because they think not our Explications clear, if not much more so, than their own; but because they imagine, that the applications of them can be made but to few things, and consequently are insufficient.

II. In the next place I observe, that there cannot be fewer Principles than the two grand ones of Mechanical Philosophy, Matter and Motion. For, Matter alone, unless it be moved, is altogether unactive; and whilst all the parts of a Body continue in one state without any Motion at all, that Body will not exercise any action, nor suffer any alteration it self, though it may perhaps modifie the action of other Bodies that move against it.

III. Nor can we conceive any Prin­ciples [Page 9] more primary, than Matter and Motion. For, either both of them were immediately created by God, or, (to add that for their sakes that would have Matter to be unproduc'd,) if Matter be eternal, Motion must either be produc'd by some Immaterial Su­pernatural Agent, or it must imme­diately flow by way of Emanation from the nature of the matter it ap­pertains to.

IV. Neither can there be any Phy­sical Principles more simple than Matter and Motion; neither of them being resoluble into any things, where­of it may be truly, or so much as to­lerably, said to be compounded.

V. The next thing I shall name to recommend the Corpuscular Princi­ple, is their great Comprehensiveness. I consider then, that the genuine and necessary effect of the sufficiently strong Motion of one part of Matter against another, is, either to drive it on in its intire bulk, or else to break or divide it into particles of determinate Motion, Figure, Size, Posture, Rest, Order, or Texture. The two first of these, for instance, are each of them capable of numerous varieties. For [Page 10] the Figure of a portion of Matter may either be one of the five Regular Figures treated of by Geometricians, or some determinate Species of solid Figures, as that of a Cone, Cylinder, &c. or Irregular, though not perhaps Anonymous, as the Grains of Sand, Hoops, Feathers, Branches, Forks, Files, &c. And as the Figure, so the Motion of one of these particles may be exceedingly diversified, not onely by the determination to this or that part of the world, but by several other things, as particularly by the almost infinitely varying degrees of Celerity, by the manner of its progression with, or without, Rotation, and other modifying Circumstances; and more yet by the Line wherein it moves, as (besides Streight) Circular, Elli­ptical, Parabolical, Hyperbolical, Spiral, and I know not how many others. For, as later Geometricians have shewn, that those crooked Lines may be compounded of several Mo­tions, (that is, trac'd by a Body whose motion is mixt of, and results from, two or more simpler Motions,) so how many more curves may, or rather may not be made by new Compo­sitions [Page 11] and Decompositions of Mo­tion, is no easie task to determine.

Now, since a single particle of Matter, by vertue of two onely of the Mechanical affections, that be­long to it, be diversifiable so many ways; how vast a number of varia­tions may we suppose capable of be­ing produc'd by the Compositions and Decompositions of Myriads of single invisible Corpuscles, that may be contained and contex'd in one small Body, and each of them be imbued with more than two or three of the fertile Catholick Principles above mention'd? Especially since the aggregate of those Corpuscles may be farther diversifi'd by the Te­xture resulting from their Convention into a Body, which, as so made up, has its own Bigness, and Shape, and Pores, (perhaps very many, and va­rious) and has also many capacities of acting and suffering upon the score of the place it holds among other Bo­dies in a World constituted as ours is: So that, when I consider the almost innumerable diversifications, that Compositions and Decompositions may make of a small number, not [Page 12] perhaps exceeding twenty of distinct things, I am apt to look upon those, who think the Mechanical Principles may serve indeed to give an ac­count of the Phaenomena of this or that particular part of Natural Philo­sophy, as Staticks, Hydrostaticks, the Theory of the Planetary Motions, &c. but can never be applied to all the Phaenomena of things Corporeal; I am apt, I say, to look upon those, otherwise Learned, men, as I would do upon him, that should affirm, that by putting together the Letters of the Alphabet, one may indeed make up all the words to be found in one Book, as in Euclid, or Virgil; or in one Language, as Latine, or English; but that they can by no means suffice to supply words to all the Books of a great Library, much less to all the Languages in the world.

And whereas there is another sort of Philosophers, that, observing the great efficacy of the bigness, and shape, and situation, and motion, and connexion in Engines, are willing to allow, that those Mechanical Prin­ciples may have a great stroke in the Operations of Bodies of a sensible [Page 13] bulk, and manifest Mechanism, and therefore may be usefully imploy'd in accounting for the effects and Phae­nomena of such Bodies, who yet will not admit, that these Principles can be apply'd to the hidden Transacti­ons that pass among the minute Par­ticles of Bodies; and therefore think it necessary to refer these to what they call Nature, Substantial Forms, Real Qualities ▪ and the like Un-mechanical Principles and Agents.

But this is not necessary; for, both the Mechanical affections of Matter are to be found, and the Laws of Mo­tion take place, not onely in the great Masses, and the middle-siz'd Lumps, but in the smallest Fragments of Matter; and a lesser portion of it, be­ing as well a Body as a greater, must, as necessarily as it, have its determi­nate Bulk and Figure: And he that looks upon Sand in a good Microscope, will easily perceive, that each minute Grain of it has as well its own size and shape, as a Rock or Mountain. And when we let fall a great stone and a pibble from the top of a high Building, we find not but that the latter as well as the former moves con­formably [Page 14] to the Laws of accelera­tion in heavy Bodies descending. And the Rules of Motion are observ'd, not onely in Canon Bullets, but in Small Shot; and the one strikes down a Bird according to the same Laws, that the other batters down a Wall. And though Nature (or rather its Di­vine Author) be wont to work with much finer materials, and employ more curious contrivances than Art, (whence the Structure even of the rarest Watch is incomparably inferi­our to that of a Humane Body;) yet an Artist himself, according to the quantity of the matter he imploys, the exigency of the design he un­dertakes, and the bigness and shape of the Instruments he makes use of, is able to make pieces of work of the same nature or kind of extremely differing bulk, where yet the like, though not equal, Art and Contri­vance, and oftentimes Motion too, may be observ'd: As a Smith, who with a Hammer, and other large In­struments, can, out of masses of Iron, forge great Bars or Wedges, and make those strong and heavy Chains that were imploy'd to load Male­factors, [Page 15] and even to secure Streets and Gates, may, with lesser Instruments, make smaller Nails and Filings, al­most as minute as Dust; and may yet, with finer Tools, make Links of a strange Slenderness and Light­ness, insomuch that good Authors tell us of a Chain of divers Links that was fastned to a Flea, and could be mov'd by it; and, if I mis-remem­ber not, I saw something like this, besides other Instances that I beheld with pleasure of the Littleness that Art can give to such pieces of Work, as are usually made of a considerable bigness. And therefore to say, that, though in Natural Bodies, whose bulk is manifest and their structure visible, the Mechanical Principles may be usefully admitted, that are not to be extended to such portions of Matter, whose parts and Texture are invisible; may perhaps look to some, as if a man should allow, that the Laws of Mechanism may take place in a Town-Clock; but cannot in a Pocket-Watch; or (to give you an instance, mixt of Natural and Arti­ficial,) as if, because the Terraqueous Globe is a vast Magnetical Body of [Page 16] seven or eight thousand miles in Dia­meter, one should affirm, that Mag­netical Laws are not to be expected to be of force in a spherical piece of Loadstone that is not perhaps an inch long: And yet Experience shews us, that notwithstanding the inesti­mable disproportion betwixt these two Globes, the Terrella, as well as the Earth, hath its Poles, Aequator, and Meridians, and in divers other Magnetical Properties, emulates the Terrestrial Globe.

They that, to solve the Phaenomena of Nature, have recourse to Agents which, though they involve no self-repugnancy in their very Notions, as many of the Judicious think Substan­tial Forms and Real Qualities to do; yet are such that we conceive not, how they operate to bring effects to pass: These, I say, when they tell us of such indeterminate Agents, as the Soul of the World, the Universal Spirit, the Plastic Power, and the like; though they may in certain cases tell us some things, yet they tell us no­thing that will satisfie the Curiosity of an Inquisitive Person, who seeks not so much to know, what is the [Page 17] general Agent, that produces a Phe­nomenon, as, by what Means, and af­ter what Manner, the Phenomenon is produc'd. The famous Senner [...]us, and some other Learned Physicians, tell us of Diseases which proceed from Incantation; but sure 'tis but a very slight account, that a sober Physi­cian, that comes to visit a Patient reported to be bewitch'd, receives of the strange Symptoms he meets with, and would have an account of, if he be coldly answer'd, That 'tis a Witch or the Devil that produces them; and he will never sit down with so short an account, if he can by any means reduce those extrava­gant Symptoms to any more known and stated Diseases, as Epilepsies, Convulsions, Hysterical Fits, &c. and, if he can not, he will confess his knowledge of this Distemper to come far short of what might be expected and attain'd in other Diseases, where­in he thinks himself bound to search into the Nature of the Morbific Mat­ter, and will not be satisfi'd till he can, probably at least, deduce from that, and the structure of an Humane Body, and other concurring Physical [Page 18] Causes, the Phaenomena of the Ma­lady. And it would be but little sa­tisfaction to one, that desires to un­derstand the causes of what occurrs to observation in a Watch, and how it comes to point at, and strike, the hours, to be told, That 'twas such a Watch-maker that so contriv'd it: Or to him that would know the true cause of an Eccho, to be answer'd, That 'tis a Man, a Vault, or a Wood that makes it.

And now at length I come to con­sider that which I observe the most to alienate other Sects from the Me­chanical Philosophy; namely, that they think it pretends to have Prin­ciples so Universal and so Mathema­tical, that no other Physical Hypo­thesis can comport with it, or be to­lerated by it.

But this I look upon as an easie indeed, but an important, mistake; because by this very thing, that the Mechanical Principles are so univer­sal, and therefore applicable to so many things, they are rather fitted to include, than necessitated to ex­clude, any other Hypothesis that is founded in Nature, as far as it is so. [Page 19] And such Hypotheses, if prudently consider'd by a skilful and moderate person, who is rather dispos'd to unite Sects than multiply them, will be found, as far as they have Truth in them, to be either Legiti­mately, (though perhaps not imme­diately,) deducible from the Mecha­nical Principles, or fairly reconcilable to them. For, such Hypotheses will probably attempt to account for the Phaenomena of Nature, either by the help of a determinate number of ma­terial Ingredients, such as the Tria Prima of the Chymists, by participa­tion whereof other Bodies obtain their Qualities; or else by intro­ducing some general Agents, as the Platonic Soul of the World, or the Uni­versal Spirit, asserted by some Spagy­rists; or by both these ways together.

Now to dispatch first those, that I named in the second place; I con­sider, that the chief thing, that Inqui­sitive Naturalists should look after in the explicating of difficult Phaenomena, is not so much what the Agent is or does, as, what changes are made in the Patient, to bring it to exhibit the Phaenomena that are propos'd; and by [Page 20] what means, and after what manner, those changes are effected. So that the Mechanical Philosopher being sa­tisfied, that one part of Matter can act upon another but by vertue of Lo­cal Motion, or the effects and conse­quences of Local Motion, he con­siders, that as, if the propos'd Agent be not Intelligible and Physical, it can never Physically explain the Phae­nomena; so, if it be Intelligible and Physical, 'twill be reducible to Mat­ter, and some or other of those onely Catholick affections of Matter, alrea­dy often mentioned. And, the inde­finite divisibility of Matter, the won­derful efficacy of Motion, and the almost infinite variety of Coalitions and Structures, that may be made of minute and insensible Corpuscles, be­ing duly weighed, I see not why a Philosopher should think it impossi­ble, to make out by their help the Mechanical possibility of any corpo­real Agent, how subtil, or diffus'd, or active soever it be, that can be so­lidly proved to be really existent in Nature, by what name soever it be call'd or disguis'd. And though the Cartesians be Mechanical Philoso­phers, [Page 21] yet, according to them, their Materia Subtilis, which the very name declares to be a corporeal Sub­stance, is, for ought I know, little (if it be at all) less diffus'd through the Universe, or less active in it than the Universal Spirit of some Spagyrists, not to say, the Anima Mundi of the Platonists. But this upon the by; af­ter which I proceed, and shall venture to add, That whatever be the Phy­sical Agent, whether it be inanimate or living, purely Corporeal, or united to an Intellectual Substance, the above mention'd changes, that are wrought in the Body that is made to exhibit the Phaenomena, may be effected by the same or the like means, or after the same or the like manner; as, for instance, if Corn be reduc'd to Meal, the Materials and shape of the Mil­stones, and their peculiar Motion and Adaptation, will be much of the same kind, and (though they should not, yet) to be sure the grains of Corn will suffer a various contrition and comminution in their passage to the form of Meal; whether the Corn be ground by a Water-mill, or a Wind-mill, or a Horse-mill, or a [Page 22] Hand-mill; that is, by a Mill whose Stones are turned by Inanimate, by Brute, or by Rational, Agents. And, if an Angel himself should work a real change in the nature of a Body, 'tis scarce conceivable to us Men, how he could do it without the assi­stance of Local Motion; since, if no­thing were displac'd or otherwise mov'd than before, (the like hapning also to all external Bodies to which it related,) 'tis hardly conceivable, how it should be in it self other, than just what it was before.

But to come now to the other sort of Hypotheses formerly mention'd; if the Chymists, or others that would deduce a compleat Natural Philoso­phy from Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury, or any other set number of Ingredi­ents of things, would well consider what they undertake, they might easily discover, That the material parts of Bodies, as such, can reach but to a small part of the Phaenomena of Na­ture, whilst these Ingredients are con­sider'd but as Quiescent things, and therefore they would find themselves necessitated to suppose them to be active; and That things purely Cor­poreal [Page 23] cannot be but by means of Local Motion, and the effects that may result from that, accompanying variously shap'd, siz'd, and aggrega­ted parts of Matter: So that the Chy­mists and other Materialists, (if I may so call them,) must (as indeed they are wont to do) leave the greatest part of the Phaenomena of the Uni­verse unexplicated by the help of the Ingredients, (be they fewer or more than three,) of Bodies, without ta­king in the Mechanical and more comprehensive affections of Matter, especially Local Motion. I willingly grant, that Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury, or some Substances analogous to them, are to be obtain'd by the action of the Fire, from a very great many dissipable Bodies here below; nor would I deny, that, in explicating di­vers of the Phaenomena of such Bodies, it may be of use to a skilful Natura­list to know and consider, that this or that Ingredient, as Sulphur, for in­stance, does abound in the Body pro­pos'd, whence it may be probably argu'd, that the Qualities, that usually accompany that Principle when Pre­dominant, may be also, upon its score, [Page 24] found in the Body that so plentifully partakes of it. But not to mention, what I have elsewhere shown, that there are many Phaenomena, to whose explication this knowledge will con­tribute very little or nothing at all; I shall onely he [...]e observe, that, though Chymical Explications be some­times the most obvious and ready, yet they are not the most fundamental and satisfactory: For, the Chymical Ingredient it self, whether Sulphur or any other, must owe its nature and other qualities to the union of insen­sible particles in a convenient Size, Shape, Motion or Rest, and Con­texture; all which are but Mechani­cal Affections of convening Cor­puscles. And this may be illustrated by what happens in Artificial Fire­works. For, though in most of those many differing sorts that are made either for the use of War, or for Re­creation, Gunpowder be a main In­gredient, and divers of the Phaenomena may be deriv'd from the greater or lesser measure, wherein the Compo­sitions partake of it; yet, besides that there may be Fire-works made with­out Gun-powder, (as appears by those [Page 25] made of old by the Greeks and Ro­mans,) Gun-powder it self owes its aptness to be fir'd and exploded to the Mechanical Contexture of more simple portions of Matter, Nitre, Charcoal, and Sulphur; and Sulphur it self, though it be by many Chymists mistaken for an Hypostatical Princi­ple, owes its Inflammability to the convention of yet more simple and primary Corpuscles; since Chymists confess, that it has an inflammable In­gredient, and experience shews, that it very much abounds with an acid and uninflammable Salt, and is not quite devoide of Terrestreity. I know, it may be here alledg'd, that the pro­ductions of Chymical Analyses are simple Bodies, and upon that account irresoluble. But, that divers Sub­stances, which Chymists are pleased to call the Salts, or Sulphurs, or Mer­curies of the Bodies that afforded them, are not simple and homogene­ous, has elsewhere been sufficiently proved; nor is their not being easily dissipable or resoluble a clear proof of their not being made up of more pri­mitive portions of matter. For, com­pounded and even decompounded [Page 26] Bodies, may be as difficultly resoluble, as most of those that Chymists ob­tain by what they call their Analysis by the Fire; witness common green Glass, which is far more durable and irresoluble than many of those that pass for Hypostatical Substances. And we see, that some Amels will be seve­ral times even vitrified in the Fire, without losing their Nature, or often­times so much as their colour; and yet Amel is manifestly not onely a compounded, but a decompounded Body, consisting of Salt and Powder of Pebbles or Sand, and calcin'd Tinn, and, if the Amel be not white, usually of some tinging Metall or Mineral. But how indestructible soever the Chy­mical Principles be suppos'd, divers of the Operations ascrib'd to them will never be well made out, without the help of Local Motion, (and that diversified too;) without which, we can little better give an account of the Phaenomena of many Bodies, by know­ing what Ingredients compose them, than we can explain the Operations of a Watch, by knowing of how ma­ny and of what Metalls the Balance, the Wheels, the Chain, and other [Page 27] parts, are made; or than we can de­rive the Operations of a Wind-mill from the bare knowledge, that 'tis made up of Wood, and Stone; and Canvas, and Iron. And here let me add, that 'twould not at all overthrow the Corpuscularian Hypothesis, though either by more exquisite Pu­rifications, or by some other Operati­ons than the usual Analysis of the Fire, it should be made appear, that the Material Principles or Elements of mixt Bodies should not be the Tria Prima of the vulgar Chymists, but either Substances of another nature, or else fewer, or more in number; as would be, if that were true, which some Spagyrists affirm, (but I could never find,) that from all sorts of mixt Bodies, five, and but five, differ­ing similar Substances can be separa­ted: Or, as if it were true, that the Helmontians had such a resolving Men­struum as the Alkahest of their Master, by which he affirms, that he could reduce Stones into Salt of the same weight with the Mineral, and bring both that Salt and all other kind of mixt and tangible Bodies into insipid Water. For, what ever be the num­number [Page 28] or qualities of the Chymical Principles, if they be really existent in Nature, it may very possibly be shewn, that they may be made up of insensible Corpuscles of determinate bulks and shapes; and by the various Coalitions and Contextures of such Corpuscles, not onely three or five, but many more material Ingredients, may be compos'd or made to result: But, though the Alkahestical Redu­ctions newly mention'd should be ad­mitted, yet the Mechanical Principles might well be accommodated, even to them. For, the Solidity, Taste, &c. of Salt, may be fairly accounted for, by the Stifness, Sharpness, and other Mechanical Affections of the minute Particles, whereof Salts consist; and if, by a farther action of the Alkahest, the Salt or any other solid Body, be reduc'd into insipid Water, this also may be explicated by the same Principles, supposing a further Com­minution of the parts, and such an attrition, as wears off the edges and points that inabled them to strike briskly the Organ of Taste: For, as to Fluidity and Firmness, those mainly depend upon two of our grand Prin­ciples, [Page 29] Motion and Rest. And I have else-where shewn, by several proofs, that the Agitation or Rest, and the looser contact, or closer cohaesion, of the particles, is able to make the same portion of Matter, at one time a firm, and at another time, a fluid Body. So that, though the further Sagacity and Industry of Chymists (which I would by no means discourage) should be able to obtain from mixt Bodies homogeneous substances differing in number, or nature, or both, from their vulgar Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury; yet the Corpuscular Philosophy is so general and fertile, as to be fairly re­concilable to such a Discovery; and also so useful, that these new material Principles will, as well as the old Tria Prima, stand in need of the more Ca­tholick Principles of the Corpuscula­rians, especially Local Motion. And indeed, what ever Elements or Ingre­dients men have (that I know of) pitched upon, yet if they take not in the Mechanical Affections of Matter, their Principles have been so deficient, that I have usually observ'd, that the Materialists, without at all excepting the Chymists, do not onely, as I was [Page 30] saying, leave many things unex­plain [...]d, to which their narrow Prin­ciples will not extend; but, even in the particulars they presume to give an account of, they either content themselves to assign such common and indefinite Causes, as are too ge­neral to signifie much towards an in­quisitive mans satisfaction; or if they venture to give particular Causes, they assign precarious or false ones, and liable to be easily disproved by Circumstances, or Instances, whereto their Doctrine will not agree, as I have often elsewhere had occasion to shew. And yet the Chymists need not be frighted from acknowledging the Prerogative of the Mechanical Philosophy, since that may be re­concileable with the Truth of their own Principles, as far as these agree with the Phaenomena they are apply'd to. For these more confind Hypotheses may be subordinated to those more general and fertile Principles, and there can be no Ingredient assign'd, that has a real existence in Nature, that may not be deriv'd either imme­diately, or by a row of Decomposi­tions, from the Universal Matter, mo­difi'd [Page 31] by its Mechanical Affections▪ For, if with the same Bricks, diversly put together and rang'd, several Walls, Houses, Furnaces, and other Structures, as Vaults, Bridges, Pyra­mids, &c. may be built, meerely by a various contrivement of parts of the same kind; how much more may great variety of Ingredients be pro­duc'd by, or, according to the insti­tution of Nature, result from, the va­rious coalitions and contextures of Corpuscles, that need not be sup­pos'd, like Bricks, all of the same, or near the same, size and shape, but may have amongst them, both of the one and the other, as great a variety as need be wish'd for, and indeed a great­er than can easily be so much as imagin'd. And the primary and mi­nute Concretions that belong to these Ingredients, may, without Oppositi­on from the Mechanical Philosophy, be suppos'd to have their particles so minute and strongly coherent, that Nature of her self does scarce ever tear them asunder; as we see, that Mer­cury and Gold may be successively made to put on a multitude of dis­guises, and yet so retain their nature, [Page 32] as to be reducible to their pristine forms. And you know, I lately told you, that common Glass and good Amels, though both of them but fa­ctitious Bodies, and not onely mix'd, but decompounded Concretions, have yet their component parts so strictly united by the skill of illiterate Trades­men, as to maintain their union in the vitrifying violence of the Fire. Nor do we find, that common Glass will be wrought upon by Aqua fortis, or Aqua Regis, though the former of them will dissolve Mercury, and the later Gold.

From the fore-going Discourse it may (probably at least) result, That if, besides Rational Souls, there are any Immaterial Substances (such as the Heavenly Intelligences, and the Substantial Forms of the Aristotelians) that regularly are to be numbred among Natural Agents, their way of working being unknown to us, they can but help to constitute and effect things, but will very little help us to conceive how things are effected; so that, by what ever Principles Na­tural things be constituted, 'tis by the Mechanical Principles that their Phae­nomena [Page 33] must be clearly explicated. As for instance, though we should grant the Aristotelians, that the Pla­nets are made of a quintessential mat­ter, and moved by Angels, or Imma­terial Intelligences; yet, to explain the Stations, Progressions, and Re­trogradations, and other Phaenomena of the Planets, we must have recourse either to Eccentricks, Epicycles, &c. or to motions made in Elliptical or other peculiar Lines; and, in a word, to Theories, wherein the Motion, and Figure, Scituation, and other Mathe­matical or Mechanical Affections of Bodies are mainly employ'd. But if the Principles propos'd be corporeal things, they will be then fairly Re­ducible, or Reconcilable, to the Me­chanical Principles; these being so general and pregnant, that, among things corporeal, there is nothing real, (and I meddle not with Chymerical Beings, such as some of Paracelsus's,) that may not be deriv'd from, or be brought to, a subordination to such comprehensive Principles. And when the Chymists shall shew, that mix'd Bodies owe their qualities to the pre­dominancy of this or that of their [Page 34] three grand Ingredients, the Corpus­cularians will shew, that the very Qua­lities of this or that Ingredient flow from its peculiar Texture, and the Me­chanical affections of the Corpuscles 'tis made up of. And to affirm, that, be­cause the Furnaces of Chymists afford a great number of uncommon Pro­ductions and Phaenomena, there are Bodies or Operations amongst things purely Corporeal, that cannot be de­riv'd from, or reconcil'd to, the com­prehensive and pregnant Principles of the Mechanical Philosophy, is, as if, because there are a great number and variety of Anthems, Hymns, Pavins, Threnodies, Courants, Gavots, Bran­les, Sarabands, Jigs, and other (grave and sprightly) Tunes to be met with in the Books and Practises of Musi­tians, one should maintain, that there are in them a great many Tunes, or at least Notes, that have no depen­dence on the Scale of Music; or, as if, because, besides Rhombusses, Rhomboids, Trapeziums, Squares, Pentagons, Chiliagons, Myriagons, and innumerable other Polygons, Re­gular and Irregular, one should pre­sume to affirm, that there are among [Page 35] them some Rectilinear Figures, that are not reducible to Triangles, or have Affections that will overthrow what Euclid has taught of Triangles and Polygons.

To what has been said, I shall add but one thing more; That, as, ac­cording to what I formerly intimated, Mechanical Principles and Explica­tions are for their clearness preferr'd, even by Materialists themselves, to others in the cases where they can be had; so, the Sagacity and Industry of modern Naturalists and Mathemati­cians, having happily apply'd them to seueral of those difficult Phaenome­na, (in Hydrostaticks, the practical part of Opticks, Gunnery, &c.) that before were, or might be referr'd to [...] Qualities, 'tis probable, that, when this Philosophy is deeplier searched into, and farther improv'd, it will be found applicable to the so­lution of more and more of the Phae­nomena of Nature. And on this oc­casion let me observe, that 'tis not always necessary, though it be always desirable, that he that propounds an Hypothesis in Astronomy, Chymistry, Anatomy, or other part of Physicks, [Page 36] be able, à priori, to prove his Hypo­thesis to be true, or demonstratively to shew, that the other Hypotheses propos'd about the same subject must be false. For as, if I mistake not, Pla­to said, [...]. That the World was God's Epistle written to Mankind, & might have added, consonantly to another saying of his, 'twas written in Mathe­matical Letters: So, in the Physical Explications of the Parts and System of the World, me thinks, there is somewhat like what happens, when men conjecturally frame several Keys to enable us to understand a Letter written in Cyphers. For, though one man by his sagacity have found out the right Key, it will be very difficult for him, either to prove otherwise than by trial, that this or that word is not such as 'tis ghess'd to be by others according to their Keys; or to evince, à priori, that theirs are to be rejected, and his to be preferr'd; yet, if due trial being made, the Key he proposes, shall be found so agreeable to the Characters of the Letter, as to enable one to understand them, and make a coherent sense of them, its suitableness to what it should de­cipher, [Page 37] is, without either confutations, or extraneous positive proofs, suffici­ent to make it be accepted as the right Key of that Cypher. And so, in Physical Hypotheses, there are some, that, without noise, or falling foul upon others, peaceably obtain dis­cerning mens approbation onely by their fitness to solve the Phaenomena, for which they were devis'd, without crossing any known Observation or Law of Nature. And therefore, if the Mechanical Philosophy go on to ex­plicate things Corporeal at the rate it has of late years proceeded at, 'tis scarce to be doubted, but that in time unprejudic'd persons will think it sufficiently recommended by its consistency with it self, and its ap­plicableness to so many Phenomena of Nature.

A Recapitulation.

PErceiving, upon a review, of the foregoing Paper, that the difficul­ty and importance of the Subject, has seduc'd me to spend many more words about it that I at first design'd▪ twill not now be amiss to give you this short Summary of what came into my mind to recommend to you the Mechanical Phelosophy, and ob­viate your fears of seeing it supplant­ed; having first premis'd once for all, that presupposing the Creation and general Providence of God, I pretend to treat but of things Corporeal, and do abstract in this Paper from Imma­terial Beings, (which otherwise I very willingly admit,) and all Agents and Operations Miraculous or Superna­tural.

I. Of the Principles of things Cor­poreal, none can be more few, without being insufficient, or more primary than Matter and Motion.

II. The natural and genuine effect of variously determin'd Motion in por­tions [Page 39] of Matter, is, to divide it into parts of differing sizes, and shapes, and to put them into different Motions, and the Consequences, that flow from these, in a World fram'd as ours is, are, as to the separate fragments, posture, order, and situation, and, as to the Con­ventions of many of them, peculiar Compositions and Contextures.

III. The parts of Matter endow'd with these Catholick affections are by various associations reduc'd to Na­tural Bodies of several kinds, accor­ding to the plenty of the Matter, and the various Compositions and De­compositions of the Principles; which all suppose the common matter they diversifie: And these several kinds of Bodies, by vertue of their Motion, Rest, and other Mechanical Affecti­ons, which fit them to act on, and suffer from, one another, become in­dow'd with several kinds of Quali­ties, (whereof some are call'd Mani­fest, and some Occult,) and those that act upon the peculiarly fram'd Or­gans of Sense, whose Perceptions by the Animadversive faculty of the Soul are Sensations.

IV. These Principles, Matter, Mo­tion, [Page 40] (to which Rest is related) Big­ness, Shape, Posture, Order, Texture, being so simple, clear, and comprehen­sive, are applicable to all the real Phae­nomena of Nature, which seem not explicable by any other not consistent with ours. For, if recourse be had to an Immaterial Principle or Agent, it may be such an one, as is not intelli­gible; and however it will not enable us to explain the Phaenomena, because its way of working upon things Ma­terial would probably be more diffi­cult to be Physically made out, than a Mechanical account of the Phaeno­mena. And, notwithstanding the Im­materiality of a created Agent, we cannot conceive, how it should pro­duce changes in a Body, without the help of Mechanical Principles, espe­cially Local Motion; and accordingly we find not, that the Reasonable Soul in Man is able to produce what changes it pleases in the Body, but is confin'd to such, as it may produce by determining or guiding the Mo­tions of the Spirits, and other parts of the Body, subservient to voluntary Motion.

V. And if the Agents or active [Page 40] Principles resorted to, be not Imma­terial, but of a Corporeal Nature, they must either in effect be the same with the Corporeal Principles above-nam'd; or, because of the great Universality & Simplicity of ours, the new ones pro­pos'd must be less general than they, and consequently capable of being sub­ordinated or reduc'd to ours, which by various Compositions may afford mat­ter to several Hypotheses, and by several Coalitions afford minute Con­cretions exceedingly numerous and du­rable, and consequently fit to become the Elementary Ingredients of more compounded Bodies, being in most Trials Similar, and as it were the Ra­dical parts, which may, after several manners, be diversified; as in Latin, the Themes are by Prepositions, Ter­minations, &c. and in Hebrew, the Roots by the Haeemantic Letters▪ So that the fear, that so much of a New Physical Hypothesis, as is true, will overthrow or make useless the Mecha­nical Principles, is, as if one should fear, that there will be a Language pro­pos'd, that is discordant from, or not re­ducible to, the Letters of the Alphabet.

FINIS.

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