1 O V
REPLY
UNTO
THE LETTER
WRITTEN
TO HENRY STUBBE
IN DEFENSE OF THE HISTORY OF THE
ROYAL SOCIETY.
Whereunto is added a Preface againft Eceholim
Glanvill; and an anfwer to the Letter of
HENRY MORE,
Containing
A REPLY TO THE UNTRUTHES
. He hath publilh'd ,
AND A CENSURE OF THE
CABBALO-PYTHAGORICAL
Philofophy , by him promoted.
Spjfts tndigna theatrit
Scrtpta pudet rechare, ^ nugis addere pondus.
O X F O It D ,
Printed for Richard Davis, i 6 j i.
« -• •? •J' jj jg' ■ ■" , ■■-< .. . t
L E T T E R
T O
M^ HENRY STUBS
Concerning, his Cenfure upon certain paffageS'
contained, in the Hiftory of the
Royal Society.
t
SIR,
HEN J ma/i Clately J at Warwkh^, J purpof^J to have wait-
ed upon you, but I tom told by a Perfon of Quality and of
your acquaintance that you were gone to Oxford , with a
great carriage of Booki , to write againjl the Royal So^
ciety , and the reafon of this enterprixe was given to your
dsffwading Friends , that the Society did deftgn to bring
in Pcpery.
The accufationf j confejijjeemed to me very flrange, but what was more
wonderful, k fuch mighty Zeal for any one Religion and againfi That. This
calleth to my mind a difcourfe which you made one day at White-Hall to a
Chriji-Church Man and my felf immediatly after your return from Jamaica,
where you told us of a Provincial of the Dominican: , who being a Pr if oner
there^hadperfwaded you to go and live with him in the Spani/h Plantations,
as being a place , in wich you might very gainfully praflice Phyfick._\ and
Nothing , as you faid , hindredyour complyance with his oa'ertures , but
onty this , that you could not have carried away hereafter the Efeffs of
' your ejlate, but mufl have left if, if you had left the Country.
In all which account of the tranfaHions betwixt that Provincial Cwho w.ts
of the Inquifttiony and your felf, you pewed fo much gentle calmnefi of mind
in the afair of changing Religion, that I WlIs almofl ready to have pro-
nounced , that fame one had fioln your Name and put it to the Cenfure till
I was better informed that your quarrel to this Afembly is fo unappeafable,
that you would fall out with any Religion , which they favoured, and that
if they had of each kjnd amongft them, you would entertainnofort at all. I
I mufi profefi J always epeemed you C by your Printed Papers J a Man of
excellent contradiSling parts , and I thought you would in this bock., have
done as good fervice to Ariftotle , as a grave Dignitary of Canterbury hath
lately rerulred to him, when he very indufirioufly maintains that the Philo'
fopher in hh Ethicki did teach, wbMt is the awnmura bonum, as well a$
a David
\
DdVtJ could t token ke fet Hmfelf on purpofe to treat the fame Argument
in the firfl Tfal. or that you would have repeated fame of the leafl natural
experiments , laugbt at them j and then with very goodconduB of flile made
all the reft appear ridiculous. But you*I fay that may be done hereafter, hut
a prefent Religion, Religion is in danger , and therefore you muft fuccour
your Bear Mother the Church of England. It « done like a good Child: and
further 1 mufi commend you as a generous enemy in your cenfure of the Hifto-
rian. He h a Clergy-man, and herein you challenge him at hit own tVeapon:
And if you vanquijh him in this Encounter , you may eocpeEl to make both
your Reputation and his loft very conftderahle , being that in England a
Church-man fufers more for being Topiftly afehed ^then for being a favou-
rer of the New Philofophy. But i'le tell you what falls out very un-
luckily.
This Hiftory was not Licenfed C as could have been wifttj by the Trefl-
dent of the Royal .Society ; For then a Man might have charged eveiy im-
pious and pernicious Paragraph upon that large body of Men , but fo it is
that it comes abroad into the World with an Imprimatur from Secretary
Morrice, of whom we cannot perfwade the people to believe otherwife , but
that he ftands two or three removes of from Popery. But now at laft give
sne leave as a By-ftander to lock^ over your Game, and privately to advixe
you whet e the other ftde may efpy any advantage. As the firft inftance of a paffa-
ge in the Hiftory BeftruPlive to the Religion and Church of England ^
viz.
While the Bifhops of Rome did alTume an infallibility, and a Sovereign
Dominion over our Faith, the reformed Churches did not only juRly
refufe to grant them that, but fbme of them thought'themfelves obli-
ged to forbear all Communion , and would nor give them that refpeft,
v.'hichpoflTiblymight belong to fo Antient, and fo Famous a Church,
and which might ftill have been allowed it without any danger of Su-
perRiriori. If any one ftould undertake a defence againft your cenfure, it
is probable that he would fay fomewhat to this purpofe, that by Communion
there mentioned the Author did not mean , that the reformed Churches Jhould
joyn with them in all or the moft important afls of worft.ip^ being that here-
by they muft at all adventures yeild to the points of the controverfte, wich
the Roman infallibility would thruft upon them , for he tells us that our
Churches did juftly refufe to grant them that , but he explains what he in-
tends by CommuMon , when be doth immediately add that they refufed to
give them that refpeff 3 Sic. Now who cafi fay that Communion if takgn for
Divine Worftrip can be the fame with refpePl that it ft-.ewed to a Society of
Men and whereas you feem to argue from the notion of the word Commu-
anion, as if it were the fame with the Lords Supper, it may by reply ed, that
the one fence 3 wherein it may be underftood throughout the whole Scripture is,
a friendly and charitable aPlion , and from this we cannot except that verfe,
vohich you alledge 3andinthis feiKe it is^not impious to fay that we Jhouldnot
forbear all Communion, or deny to give that refpeff which poftibly might belong to
fo ancient 3. and fo famous a Church. Nor can I fee that thefe Titles beftoweJ
on Rome are fo faulty , ftnce there are methods of fpeech in our language fuitable
hereunto, whereby we call that antient and famous, not which is fo atprefent3 but
what was fuch a long time ago,and continued the fame for a great while.ButI will
gpain tbat tbk is not tbe necefary , but only tbepojfibk meaning of tbh Hiftorian\
• ret
(5)
Tefalleaftifthemtfary ititimotmbefohainous, godd-<tfatt^ 'ficul4%hHg9
to underfiand thephrafe in the mop-fnmourahle manner : hut fuppopng he thhi/gHi
that Rome even at the reformation of others , C though it felf voas not' amended)'
might neverthelefi be called a Church,he faid no more then vehat the mafi learned
amongfl the German Divines, though warm with difputes, did readily acknow'
ledge. It Wits ufual with them to fay that the Church of Rome wm truly a Church,
rotwithfianding that it abounded in maty and dangerous errours, feeing ihaVthey
retained the main DoUri nes of Chrifiian Religion, and they indeavoured to clear
their affertion by comparing it toadifeafed body, which yet k as truly a humane
body , as it k a dijeafed one.
And if it may be termed a Church , it k without doubt very antient and famous
too, for what it hath been of old as to the piety and learning of many Inhabitants •
of that City, and ftill k Famous for that precedency , which any Herauld would
aJTtgn to it in a free AfemblyoflFefternBi/bops.
Sothat from what hath been difcourfedin thk matter may be inferred, that
though the Authour meant not, that we mufi communicafe with them in the difiin-
guiping Offices of adoration, yet Cfor any thing I perceive) he needs not to account
them of that Church to be unto us as Heathens, or of fuch a Number of Men with
whom we may not fo much as eat, but that we may maintain a Communion of
friendjlip with the profefed of that Religion, whoje morals may aford ari exam-
ple,orwhofclearning might advance our knowledge. And the reformed mufifiill
keep the hearty charity for the Romanifl, that after fuccejilefi debates, though,
managed with reafon and temper , he fhould ftill indeavour to improve him
in all the uncontroverted inftances of goodneft and vertue •, fuch an exercife
of Friendjlip and Charity as this is a Noble and Religious Communion , it is
an exhorting one another in our moft Holy Faith , it is an exaH obedience ta
ihat command ; That as far as we have already attained we fliould walk
by the lame rule.
As to the next exception which you have againft the fame pafageyviz. His
miftake in making the Papal Infallibility to be the grand occafton of thediffe^
rences betwixt the reformed Religion and Papifl^ I muft tell you that he may
•well enough defend himjelf, though indeed you preJS clofer in this then in the
former objeffion againft all Communion with Rome. Tou fay that only Parafti^
cal Canonifts did afcribe to the Pope fuch a Sovereign Dominion over our
Faith : I fuppoft you mean at the reformation, though you cite many Authours
much later, and if fo I fhall only referr you to the report , which Callander
gives of thofe days, in his Judgement which he pafjes on the controverfteSf
viz. That then they made the Pope but little left then God j that they fet his
Authority not only above the Church, but above the Scriptures to , and made
his fentences equal to divine Oracles , and to be an infallible rule of Faith,
and Cits be further proceeds) though there was another fort of people in the
Church , yet they were fuch as were obfcure and concealed.
Again though it were granted that infallibility lay in a Councel, yet the
Tope bad thp executive power of thofe decrees and Canons , which paffted by
fo high an Authority , and hereupon might be troublefome with an Infallible
iity derived from others, and impofe little things as abfolutely necefary in
their own nature: and this praBice of the Bijhops of Rome C amongfl
others ) caufed. thofe of Germany to fland of from the Roman Church. • ■
But for a fuller proof againft the Authour of the Hiftory , you alledge,
that erronsous DoHrm obQUt indulgepces was the primary occafton of introdu-
a 3 cing,
titig Whatyeu fay ii fo far' trite i^tbtfirfl-wcafidn 'of Ltidier*
fublick.itrueBives againfi the Court of Rome, hut for a good while after he
maintained Communion as a member of that Church. This is manifefi to any
one , that is hut in a fmall meafure acquainted with the Hijiories of thofe
times *, but at lafl when he faw there was no hopes of Reformation in this
and other infiances of groJS abufe 3 he utterly leaves them as pafl all likg-
iyhood of recovery.
So that I have now prepared the caufe depending betwixt you and him, and
made it ready for a Tryal, and it may be determined by finding out the
true account of the Grand hinderance of a Reformation at. Rome. Your ad-
verfary might give a very fair proof, that it was mainly a'reputed infallibi-
iity. This is evident inthe impartial Hifiory of the Councel of "Trent, where we
read of a confutation held by FopeAdrian Vl.with fame Cardinals for an amend-
mevt of what was amifi, more particularly about the matter of Indulgences,
after that much had been faid by himfelf and another againfi the mifiakgs
and ill praflices in that a fair 3 and after that he had declared his Refo-
iution for the regulating thereof, he was Joon turned from his Former pur-
po e by Cardinal Soderinus an old Politician , and one who well underfiood
the Frame of that Church. This Man informs the Pope that any Reformation
was dangerous for Rome , becaufe that this would implicitelyyeild that fome-
what was amifi , and that pojfibly they might erre in more 3 whereas the
fuccefes of Rome, againfi fuch oppofers were obtained by vouching for wh.at
ever was blamed and by proceeding againfi them as Heretickl.
This made Adrian to bewail the unhappy condition of Popes, who might not
reform at home, if they would. And now at lafi you feem to make infalli-
hHityfo fmall a thing even in their own efteem , that ws you cite the words of
M late writer amon^ them , their Infallibility is limited to Tradition, and is
fpi) itually affified in the Faithful reporting of what hath been delivered. It
is eafie to fee thorough this harmlefi pretence of your judicious Authour.
For to be the fole and wuloubted witnefi in their own cauje on which fen-
Unce mufi follow in courfe is equally advantagious, as if they were taken far
infallible judges. Thus the Jews who did fo highly advance the credit of their
Rabbinical traditions as thereby to make void the Law ofGod3doe not Cos we
fee in Abravanel J own any more then only that they expound and fiew the
Articles of Faith-, yet that Jew , whofiall dejpife or jeer at the Teachers of
thofe traditions, jhall not C^ccording to their FundamentallsJ have a part in
the life to come. And at the fame rate may the Former fort of men denounce
Anathema's if you believe not their report, though in matters, which are not
only, not certain, but withall are unreajonable, ridiculous and impoffible.
Another pafjage in the Hifiory is brought in by you, and deaply charged tohe con-
trary to the Analogy of Faith and Scripture f to wit J He C the Natural aid
Experimental PhilofopkerJ will be led ro admire the Wonderful contri-
vance of the creation , and fo to apply and direft his praifes aright,
which, no doubt, when they are ofFer'd up to Heaven from the mouth
of one that hath well ftudied what he commends will be more fuitable
to the Divine nature , than the blind applaufes of the ignorant. This
(you fapmakgs the acceptablenefi of all mens Prayers to depend more or lefi
on the fiudy of natural Phylofophy. But the Authors words may by afferted by
the whole contexture of that SeSion, that he therein anfwers an objelfion,
and clearly {hews that the fiudy of exferimemal fbylofcfhy is not injurious to
the mr/hip of God ; he fuppofeth the per fort already a chrifian , and thed
he praifes God more heartily for fame examples of power and wifdem, which
he by inquiry hath found out^ but others have not ^ for when a mart praifeth
Cod with under/landing for what he difcovers particularly in the wonder-
ful works of Cods own band , his praifes -mujl needs be more fuita-
hie on the fame fubjeil , then are thoje general thanl^givings, wherein
a man that hath not meditated on the work$ of Creation, blefes Codjiill for them,
but cannot fay how far thefe exceed the utmofi produ&ions of art, or the improved
power of natural caufes. Thus the commendation of any workmanjhip, ifgiverihy
a great Majier in that Art, is more fatisfaHory to the Artificer, then the admi-
ring noije of the multitude, whoprobably may mijplace their greatefi wonder upon
th at wich is the leafl thing in it. And now (pray J what harm in all this , and yet
the Authour C as far as 1 can fee J [peaks noworfer, but much very well, in the
following claufes, againjl Atkeifm. But if / may ask_you to w hat end do you chan-
ge his words Praifes into Prayers ? was it, that you might prove Cos you do) that
Cbrifi is our Mediator ? he never diddery it.
But, methtnk^, this would be apritty Medium to prove the not-fuitablenefi of
experimental Fhilolophy to a Chrifian. Tou then proceed to make an apology for
Ignorance , becaufe that of thofe who were firj} called, there were not many wife
after the flejh. To which may by reply ed, that this will avail little, if it be con-
fidered, that by thepbrafe, wife after the fiefli, is meant fubtle and defigningper-
fons 3 who by their politickjnanagery of a caufe though not good , might propagate
and fpread it for felf ends, fo that it Jhould find a general entertainment in the
world. There was no fuch thing as this in thefirfl advancement of Chriftian Re-
ligion. But that the ignorance of the profeffors hereof was not acceptable to the
Authour of our Faith , is manifefi; for that he endowed his Scholars with the gift
ef tongues and fuch utterance,which their enemies were not able torefijl. Tou add
immediately after the Text, that it was intended of the Virtuofi, why fo i Is it,
becaufe they are wife i J am confidentyou will not fay that this is the reafon. They
have takgn that courfe, that will fcarce ever makg them appear wife to the half-
witted World, they are too timerous in what they affirm, they lay by much of that
wordy Phihfophy, which furnifi:es men with exprejjlons hard to be underfiood and
therefore is admirable, it makgs a brave found to the ear, ncq more then all this,
it fupplies one with fuch ufeful difiinflions that he may a firm plaufibly what-
foever hewill, but infiead hereof they praBice a plain Tradef-man liks Fro-
feJtoninPhilojophy , infiead of axiomes and good old fayings concerning nature
and matter and fubfiantial Forms , which have falved a thoufand difficul-
tieSfNothingwill jerve them for proof in Phyfickg, but experiments and fame
what that is obvious to the fences-, they mufl have new Ftfyi/onVTelefcopes
wherewith to gaxe upon the Heavens, and Glaffes invented to efpy Atomes,
and Furnaces for diffolution of bodies, and for other unheard of curiofities,and
yet though they do difolve the compofitum into its conftituting parts they
would never yet reveal to the Arijlotelian what kind of a thing their Jub-
fiantial Form is , which Cthey are well affured) is one principle in that bo-
dy. Whereas ( Sir) you have a nearer way to learning then that wherein
they go on. Tou became an excellent Afironomer by reading a Syfieme of
the Ptolomxan Hypothefis , and have no reafon to fufpeB or fearch
further as long as you believe nothing' about the DoBrine of the Sphere,
hut what you have learn'd from thofe infiitutions , you need not to pore with
a microfcope upon thofe mimte figuringt of bodies, thereby to gueji haw they
produce
Pp^l(ie,^^^ch :l£r fctu 4nf orJiPry '.queJ^hn . m va-
h li?"
bolrcalpji^f, the qUi^lHm^y naturef',4h^Drrericy \^'a vzoifitn., h/ the kqeen.
Affkite , \v}^XC^ the^fixji inatter'C'Qf,'-which we Jy?oK» i^ery' much. Negati-
Vky ^ towards 4 Form. [Nay- f^tbp ,, if arty man i.,p:aiild demand
a ^qlutm of the greatefi problems,of J^ie ^oadfiape'or thejike , you
ar[e,ytot:x(mjlram4pyfg\tni^ fficka.-^^^^ tnufi do,,
you f4« rect^iiy itjfctrm, -l^ejnythat kpher dottf'hy^Familiarity of ftibftan-
ces,which caufk fimiUr attrvt&i'on , or by. <1 fympatby, and that the. Load'
pom ', and tie Iron do .earn till they arrive at their mutual embraces ; but
if anyt^one^ be fo muA a Novelifi , m .to urge, that fuch affeHions m thefe
camqife foitnd^,-£Xcept there be in tbefe bodies at leafl a fenfitive Life,
you cayCbtd ihepi .tben tc^ Jbis anfwer for your lap , I fay it k perform-
ed by ^ occulX^ quality i,_ -TYxt ..
Therep yk akqtl^r pjec^e'of Jeafn'mg that .is Chymiflry , in which with
a little a'doeyou"can'eqitai their attainments had tbroupi a proceJS and te-
-dious courfe..-F>or., the whole of what they pretend in this drudging Art , is
no more then the folution and coagulation ,of bodies: by the firp of thefe they
with'a great dectLofxop indeavQur to feparate their three Elements , but
you CySirk mor.e ^kaply^^cdn p-.e'w your four Elements parting afunder at
the d'ljfolutioh^'ihk mioUpbdy. It is but laying pf a green pick, upon the
other fuetl already ihPamed, immediately the Element of Air comes away
in fm.cak,, that of pre in the warm blaxp , the Elementary water is that
hijpng juice at the end of the pick,, and the Element of the earth is the
remaning Apes , which if it be in the fir ate will by its own inward
pr-openfty C jf it can J flide away down to the. Hearth , becaufe the Hearth
•is Ttear^r tp.-the Center of. ife Earth thenfihefirate is', for it is wellknown
thdthevtery yceighfy^P^y. hlath a great afeliion to that. Center. So that I
tbif^mw yqu have outdfrw them at this trick,, and you will not be behind
them dttb"e other , to. wit , Coagulation. They are pleafed to fay that they
Coagulate d body when they bring it from a liquid or humid to a folid fub-
fiance. This fine fefijou fo well underfiand and itisfo much beneath you that you
leavs-ktoif^filpofhecariesbty, whpn youpt efcribe troches for colds,bepdes Rofe-
Wafer ahd$ugdr,.^ftp^maks this fqlid,)ou appoint White Starch q. s. and then
refer itto the difcretjon 'of the.lad to.bp made S. a. and here is fogood a Caagula-
tipn that you never defre to learn any other kind of it as long as you live, except it
be the fecret of making the bard Sea-biskgt, Ho more at prefent of the comparifon
betwixt your Fhijofophy and theirs. As I read on further in your cenfure I
faw yoikwke angry witf .ihis Autbqur, whom you have cbpfen for an Adver-
fiby.P'liepaufefhe faith Religion ought loot to be the rubjeftof difpu-
ia.iibn-',dn^t)>e^ fenfe wberejn he fpeaks'it, he is notpngular,nor left dlmop
alone,'he difcourfeth of thofe Divines, who have mixed and kyteaded into
Siie-limp the DoilyineS'of Chripian Religion , and the Notions of the Peri-
pateticl^Philofophy , and hq eby have twined into a difpute much of that which
p 'miti'yely w.is matter of pra&ical. Holinefi : yet on the other pde there is
a.'forf'of men , who would leJ3 regard ^Religion , if h were not the fubjeH of
difputdtipn, like Hums-tneri who are betferpleafed in folloxving then in catching
the Hare you further tax him-.with' introducing hereby a Popip implicite
faith ',- whereas a little obfervation wil^pfcover ,that this fort of Faith hath
grown, and a better hath decayed upon the general refpefl, which the Phi-
* ■ lofophy
hfofhy vva hlamed by him hath found amongfr thofe , Xfhom we call Divines
of the Schools , more ufually and properly then Doftors of the Church.
j4 man doth then implicitely believe, when he doth not cUerly and difinfUy
apprehend. So that he that [peaks not fo, <t5 to. be plainly underjlood,caufes
either that nothing which he faith flmuld be believed, or elfe that itf.ould
he received as true in the Topifh fajhion , that is he beflows his vote and
afent to be difpojed on by another at pleafure. So that hence you may judge
who it is, who draws on a novice in Religion the nearefl towards wrap-
ping his belief up within the faith of -another, whether be who contends for
fo much plainnefi , that the things propounded need not to be the fuh]ebl of
dijputation, or rather he who feems profound ami wife in h/s fsntences , yet
doth fo darkgn his wifedom with words, that the petfon to be inJlruEled bath
by this means no other way left but to believe that which he cannot underfcand.
You produce fome jacred tejiimonies to evince a neceffity of divine illumina-
ticn , yet do not apply them to the prefent difcourfe of the Authour , which
is concerning School Divinity., but had you meant it of this, I mufi have [aid
with you that the obfcurity of thofe writings would have made fuch a Reve~
lation neceffary, had not the jmalrefi of their worth rendred them almojl ufelefi.
Jt feems to me but reafonahle, that as all the Books of Chri/iian Religion hope
for acceptance, becaufe they profefi to be agreeable to the truths of Scriptures
fo further if they defgn public]f_ benefit, they fimuld imitate the perfpicuity
and openne/i of the EvangelickStyle. There is one argument againfi the Au-
thour not inconfiderable , to which you have fome reference, ( that is J the
Jludy of fuch contrmerfies, difrinnions, and terms are of great ufe when we
have to deal with a Tapifi difputant. Its very true , yet it proves not any
excellency in that knowledge of it felf, but meerly in relation to the ad-
verfary though we have f) ejh inflances of worthy perjons amongfi us, who
have with good advantage managed the debate in behalf of our Church againfi
that of Rome , without much help from thofe Schools: yet that fort of Learn-
ing, even for this reafon, may fill be maintained, in the fame manner as
tradefmen who lie on the Englifi borders towards'^a.\es, ufually kgep a fer*
vant to jabber V/elfi f though m learned language J to the Brittains their
cufiomers. The-next words of the Hifiory R. S, which receive a check., are
tbefe , The grounds whereon the Church of England proceeds, are
different from thofe of the Separatifts, andaffb of the Church of Rome:
and they are no other but the rights of the Civil power , the imitation
of the firft uncorruptChurches, and the Scriptures expounded by reafon.
Though 1 cannot find any fuch pafage in the page to which you fend theRea-
tier, yet J will take it upon trufi,feeing that you have not till now mifrecited
any thing out of his book.,, that which ofiends you is that, he would have
tbe Scripture expounded by reafon, This appears- to you like Socivianiftne, i/
tut I remember the Calvinifis direbl to as much' as this implies. They, fay
that we mufi expound particular paffages in Scripture by the. main ten-
tkncy of the whole difcourfe , that we mufi confider the phrafe , whether
literal or figurative , that we niufi dbferve all the circumfiances of perfon,
time , place , and what elfe is of any moment, And nowf pray J fay whe-
ther thefe directions can be praflifedi but by reafon , and if not , whether
he who expounds Scripture by theje rules j may not be truly [aid to expound
it by reafon : he doth not fay that a man Jhould not acknowledge Scripture,,
if it teach ary thing mere then thofe fentiments tvbich reafen had enter-
b tained
(lO)
Utned before it veas acquainted voith divine witings. Tou would have them to
expound the Scriptures by the authority of the ancient Fathers , when they fee
why they fhould do it , they at the fame time expound by reafon, if without
caufegiven, they t'akg up the Fathers fence in that implicite Faith againji
which ym did lately declaim. The lajl Objenion which you ofer againfi this
Hifeory , is about what be faith of wit, that it may by borrowed from theBi-
ble , that this wit is fas he reprefents it J magnificent, appears to the dili-
gent and judicious Reader: and that it may without offence be borrowed is
as m^nifefi to him , who gives himfelf the pleafure to perufe the Greek._and
Latine hivine Poems bath antient and modern, which fetch their ornaments
as well as materials from the Bible. But you'I fay however Scripture-expref-
fions ought not to be applyed f aa our authour would y to natural things. I fee
no reafon which hinders , efpecially when natural things become the occafton
of divine praifes, and furthermore rSohere.ts many Scripture- expreffions were by
way of accomodationtransferred higlier from things natural, they lofe not their
original fuitable lefi ^ and when they are brought back^ and lower in our
difcourfes, it may rather be faid of them , that they are repaid then that
they are borrowed-, nor doth the meanefi of the matter to which any faying
is fitted out of Scripture, Jlraightway makg it unlawfull to be lent for a while,
as for example the primitive Ignatius in one of his genuine Epiflles, which
was written f if J miftahf not J to the Tralliani applies otherwife thefe words
of our Saviour to his Difciples concerning tboje extraordinary afitfiances which
they needed to receive from bint : W irhouc ine ye can do nothing. And
affirms that as our Saviour fpakg thefe words to his difciples , fo a Biffiop
may fay to his Presbyters, without me ye can do nothing. Tet I mufi pro-
fefi that I am very fenfihle of the indignities and fcorns which the facred
word of God fuffers from a fort of per fans, whofe quality is better then their
converfe, they are fuch who are fcarce ever guilty of wit or raillery j:, but
when they are ingenioujly prophane or blafpemous. The intemperance of thefe
Jhould lay a refiraint upen the fober iy difcreet leaji by an innocent ufe
of a little liberty, they fhould unawares give any countenance to other mens
extravagancies. Tou tell us upon this argument , how fevere the Jews are
in this cafe. T be mojl that wee meet with neer this purpofe concerning them
difccvers not fo much a holy reverence, as a fiupid folly. They pronounce
Cm in a former infiance fo on this J that no Jew /hall have a part in the
world to come,,who fhail fpit out, when be names God , or /hall fpeak,tbe
Tetragrammaton in a ferreigrte tongue out of the SanSuary, There is
one thing at the end of your cenfure which is very unkind , and contrary to
the law of common humanity J fpeak^ of your /harp reflexion on an excellent
perfon deceafed Mr. Cowley, thefe younger fancies ought not after death to
becomes his reproach , efpecially fmce be left a charge, that what wm offen-
five in his Poems might be omitted; though it was fudged by others, that hs
had written nothing , but what Cwith his own fober correSion of himfelf, and
an equitable allowance of charity J might well pa/3 abroad inpublique, Toukjtow
that tbofe who weeded out the worfi of Beta's youthful verfes, and prefented
them in one bundle to the world, purchafd more /hame to themfelves then to the
Poet. It is mow time that I fhould put an. end to this tedious Letter, and I mufi re-
^uefithat you would excufemy plain dealing-, do not fufpeS thatCupon fomeac-
count of friend/kip or acquamtancej lam too inclinable to vindicate the Authour
ff this Hi/lory. I dare affure you I know bint not otherwife then by face, and
Printed
"9^ __ _ - -
■ . K :
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v.?
- A-.'X -
,"'vrv :•
(n)
trinfed hooks, one of which is againjl Sorhicve, whom Cthough a piece of a
VirtuofoJ he handles very fmartly , examining the condition of his life and
anions. What apprehen/ions then might you have , leaft if he Jhould happen
to have nothing elfe to doe , be fl:ould write the Hifiory of your life , and
herein (" oa is ufuall J defcrihe your perfon , and enquire into Phyfiognamy,
what temper of mind you mufi profefi , and give a Catalogue of Booki written
hy you, and pew in how many preji-warrs you have fetved m a volumeer.
But .'now that I have done , J have time to thinks, what a deal of needlefi
labour I have befiowed to write, more then what you will have patience t»
read. I therefore takg leave , and am, Tour\ &c.
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(i3)
A Defence of the Cenfure of the ITifory
of the Royal Societyagainft the
Reply of the Virtuofi.
c
AFter fo manj Moneth refpite, fo much deliberation^ in a cafe
nearly relating to the welfare of the Religion and good Learn-
ing of this Monarchy.^ and even of the Government it felf^ I
expefled at leaft from the Virtuofi fomething of fVit and Solidity in
their Reply; I knew the jufiice of my fide too well,and the grounds
I proceeded upon, to fear it might be raorjled ^ but I thought it nO'
mreafonable matter to promife my felf florid Language^ and a />/<?«-
fible^ though not fatlsfaBory, Apology. But though an entire Cabala
of the R. S. did confult upon th^ refflonfory Letter^ though a Learn-
ed Perfon of that Society did ferufle it, yet can I find nothing in it
that ftiould have deferved my ferious Animadverfions, except the
^^uality of thofe Perfons who revifed and allowed it: and 'tis my re-
fpedl to their dignity., that I put once more Pen to Paper about this
fubjeB. 'Tis out of a regard to their quality, not performances and
I more fufpeifed they would interpret my filence as a contempt, then
my anftver as arrogant. It had been more prudential for them not
to have entermedled a fecond time in this Conteft, but to have en-
joyed the benefit of that diUinBion which I made betwixt the Hono-
rary Members of the R. S. and the Comediants, then to mix with
fo infipid a Generation, whofe thoughts are not to be elevated by
indignation, and whom Learning it felf, ftiould it change Parties,
could not reficue, or proteB.
I muft renew thofe Protestations which their Ignorance hath made
me fo frequently to ufe, and avow, that 'tis a troublefome affair
to deal with Men that understand fo little ; they know neither hove
to fiate a Cafe, nor how to oppofe, or anfwer pertinently: I am affront-
ed with naked Afertions of Men that deferve no credit: my Con-
clufions are denyed, and the premifes not invalidated : and to con-
vincethe World how little I injure them herein, I Reprint the firft
Cenfure upon their Hifiory, their Defenfe, and my prefent Re'
joynder.
The Anonymous Author of the Letter begins with an Admiration,
that I fhould have fo mighty a Zeal for any one Religion •, and why
gainjt Popery ? But that I know wea^ Perfons are furprifed at fmall
Occurrents, tm6.tht3XthQ.\x afionijhment doth not proportion it felf to
the greatjtefs of thecaufe^ but the deficiencies oi their IntelleBuals
c ' " IprO'
(i4)
1 profefs it would trouble me, that having lived a life hitherto (as
the Age goes) not vtxv culpable^ and having always profeffed my
felf of the Reformed Religion^ and having united my felf to the
Church of England upon its reftauration (preferving alv^ays before
that a non-commmion with the feveral Schifmatickj and Se^ls of this
Nation) that it fhould ftili be wondered at^rehy I fljould be concerned
for any Religion^ or engage in oppojition to Popery ? But this furmife
argues onefy the vanity and folly of the ObjeQors ; for were it in
general indifferent unto me what Religion were National amongft
us J yet confidering our Circumftancesj and that difmal Revolution
which impends over my native Country^ upon the reftitution of that
Religion^ a Man who is concern'd for his on>n repofe and trancyuility^
and defires not to be involved in the Calamities of a Change^ can
not Vf3.nt prudential Afotives to induce him to oppofe fuch an Alte-
ration: Any Man that hath but refledled ferioufiy upon the Confe-
quences which have attended the Change of Religion^ cfpecially into
Popery,zny Man who is not unacquainted with our Englijh Hifiories,
or ignorant of the Politick^ Cautions which wife States-men have left
unto us upon Record, will juftifie my demeanour, without further
inrpe(fting into my Confcience. But to allow thefe Men off no read-
ing or conjideration, to allow them as ignorant of thefe things, as of
the Sweating Sicknefs : why (hould they wonder at my being con-
cern'd againft Popery, fmce I had united my felf to the Church of
England ? Is there any thing more repugnant to our Liturgy, Ar-
tides of Religion, and Homilies of our Church ? Was there ever any
adion of my life could give them ground for this Conjedure, that
I would openly adhere to any thing, and avow my doing fo, and
yet defert itraJUy'i I do not ufe to deliberate after Reffolutions takeUy
whatever I do before : It had better become thofe of the R. S. who
are under many Obligations to confront' the Romijb Religion, to have
aded my part in this Conteft, then to malign, diffcourage, and diff-
Thinp. 1.15, parage me, for a work which the ApoPtle would have congratulated
j<5,17,18. nie foj.^ though I had attempted it meerly out of envy, ftrife, or
pretence. Beyond this Reply I know not what to anfwer unto this
Paffage, becaufe I have to do with Adverffaries with whom Prote-
fiations. Appeals to God and Confcience, are ridiculous, and more
infignificant then a ffobriety of life, taken up neither out of affefla-
tion, nor defignof or honor.
The next Period relates an HiBory of what paflfed betwixt me
and a Dominican Provincial, and Inqmfitor, about my removal from
Jamaica to Mexico and Peru. I (hall not deny the general Truth
of the Narration ; but fmce the alteration of a word or two may
vary much the m truth Qf a Story, I muft remind this A^
X
(i5)
verfarj that theperfon I defign'd to accompany (but was hindred
with Sicklefs) was a Carmelite, not a Dominican : and that he ne-
ver fo much as propofed to me the change of my Religion; the
ftridnefs of the Spaniards there not being fuch as in Europe; and
I did, upon particular Inquiry from fome that had been there, re-
ceive ajfurances. That Phj/Jicians, Chirurgions, and Gunners, were
fo nece^ar) there, and fo welcome, that a prudent Perfon of thofe
qualifications, needed not to apprehend the danger of any Inaui'
ftor : indeed the ppwer of that fort of men is not the fame witnin
tht Patrimony of the King of Spain thoic Territories are called)
and in the Patrimony of S. Peter. Had I, as the Virtuofi, and others
do, propof'd a Voyage to Spain, or Italy, doth it infer a defign of
changing my Religion ? yet in all this Story, as it is reprefented by
themfelves, there is no more faid by me, then would have been con-
vincing in thofe other cafes, were the Argument good. Oh! that a
Cabinet of the Virtuofi fhould reafon thus pittifully 1 Surely Tgno-
ranee is infelHous j and 'tis poffible for Men to grow Fools by
contadf.
That which follows hereupon is fo ridiculom, that were my
Dreams but fo incoherent and impertinent^ would apprehend fome e-
minent DifiraUion, and caufe my felf to be let Blood : and I advife
my Adverfaries fpeedily to transfer themfelves from Arundelhoufe
to Bedlam, or convert the Appartments which they enjoy now in-
to convenient Receptacles for fuch Franticks. Should I grant the
truth of the Story, with all the advantages they could wifh to have
been added thereunto, doth it follow, that becaufe I might intend
to change my Religion at Mexico, that therefore I would alter it in
England, confidering the pofture of our Nation ? not at all, but
wini fuch as the Virtuofi, thofe prudent Per fans, that under Ft and
Men and reafons of State fo well. Nor are they more imprudent in
that fuggeftion. That my marrel to the R. S. was fo unappeafable,
that I would fall out with any Religion which they favored', and
that if they had of each kinde amongFt them, I would entertain no fort
at all: I fay this Suggeftion becomes not intelligent Perfons; for
how great foever my Quarrel were againft them, 'tis to be fuppofed
I would profecute it by befitting means, and fuch as were fubfe-rvi-
ent to my ends •, but to fall out with any Religion they fisould favor, if
it were not untrue, deftruflive to the Monarchy, Laws, and Nation,
were to defeat and overthrow my intentions : and consequently fuch
a procedure was not to be fixed on me, except they had firft proved
that I was a Member of the R. S. I adde, that if my animofity a-
gainft them had tranfported me fo far as they reprefent, if I were
refolute to oppofe whatfoever Religion any of theirs heldj I muft
c 2 con-
Ci6)
confequently renounce 'Atheifm^ and all trrellgm; thofe being, as
'tis to be fear'd, the important qualifications of fcmie of the Co-
wediants; and aflert Protefiancy, that being the Religion from
•which mafyy of them are aver ftand for which, as it is eftablilh-
ed in the Church of England^ others are not over-zealoufly con-
cem'd.
Tag. 2. That which enfnes hereupon, is very dull and flat : the courfe
how to attacque and overthrow thefe Jgnorants., was not to be yre-
fcrihcdmto me by them : and methinks 'tis great Impudence in them,
after that I have publifhed thefe other Pieces., befides the Cenfure,
to upbraid me as if they were not extant; and whatever relates
to their Experiments, their vanity, and falfljood, and Plagiarifme,
were ftill un-printed. It was not my defign to give precedence to
the Cenfure : but they having procured a ftop upon the promulga-
tion of the other Books, I inverted the Method, making them odiom
firft, and then ridiculous. But if I had done it voluntarily, am I
to be blamed for preferring the advancement or contimance of Pro-
tefiancy, before that of Natural Philofophy, though the laft were
better improved then thefe Comical wits can ever attempt ? I think
that Reverend Divine of Canterbury merits our good efteem for
his generous rcfpedls to deceafed Arifiotle; however his Age and
different Studies incapacitated him to carry on the Quarrel fo far,
as to over-throw totally thefe Innovators.: Yet fince it was not my
intent to defend the truth, but the utility of the Arifiotelian Phyjio-
logy; I (hall not fuffer my felf to be engaged beyond my firfi
thoughts, or permit that the Original and Primary Controverfies
link into oblivion by any excurfions and digreflive Contefts.
Tag. 3. ~ My Adverfaries confefs. That a Church-man in England fuffers
more for being Popifhly aff'ebled, then for being a favourer of the New
Philofophy. — It is my judgement therefore, that they ought to
be very follicitous how they incur any fuch fcandal, and endeavour
timely to remove it. I am not confcious to my felf at all, of ha-
ving mif-reprefented the Words of the Hifiorian, or having ii'U-
pofed on him other fenfe then the Words will, or do bear: I now
come to confider, what the Hifiory is unto the Virtuofi l and how
far I may conceive them interefted in its Tenets.
" My Adverfaries fay, That the Hiftory was not Licenfed
" by the Pref dent oi the Royal Society, for then a Man might have
charged every impious and pernicious Paragraph upon that large
** body of Men : but fo it is, that it comes abroad into the World
with an Imprimatur from Secretary Morrice, of whom we can-
not perfwade the People to believe otherwife, but that he Hands
two or three removes off from Popery, — If that the R. S. had
- """ made
made an authentick Declaration of this Point, it had been material:
but the profeffion of a namelejs Pamphlet concludes not the Body.
When Olaus Borrichim was at London^ and familiarly converfed
with the generality of the Vinuojt^ even the moft eminent of the
number, the Intelligence which that inquifitive Perfon gives to
BarthollfUiSyis thus expxcf^'ed.Sociorum nemo pofihac i^mcipmm in iucem TIi.Bartlio!in.
emittet^nifipriHS communi fuffragio approhatfim^ne aliomm prafertim vl-
tilitigatorum mgues reformidet. Ihis Lcttcv hesits date,1663. Atigjo.
Londini. and contains that account of the R. S. which he was,from
their ownmouthes, to communicate unto Foreigners ; and in con-
fidence of this promife of theirs (which is divulged every where in
Germany) certain Foreigners of great Learning have expoftulated
with me for avowing (and proving) them to be fo negligent. But
fmce my Adverfaries will here allow no other Book to be Entitled
unto the R. S. but rehat is Licenfed hy their Prejident^ I will di-
grefs a little to fhew their failure, even where the Authentick
BromckeTy P.R.S. is prefixed : and that is in Mr. Evelyns Book of
Forrcfi trees.\ think I may with confidence aver,from his own Cider-
makerydaz.1 the account of Sir P.iV's.Cider is not perfe€I,& right;!
am fure, that fundry Perfons of Quality have fpoileS much Cider
within this three Years, in following the directions of that Book,
which was read to the R. S. and publifhed by their fpecial Com-
mand: But whether it be exaEl now, I have not had leifure to en-
quire. There are alfo a multitude of Errors and Impertinencies in
that Book^, which I have not time topurfue, being continually in-
terrupted by the attendance upon my prefent Pradtice: yet to Ihew
how much they have fail'd in their mdertaking, I will inftance in the
fap of the Birch Tree, as a Liquor I have had the opportunity to
confider^ and frequently ufe thefe fourteen Years ; having tapped
feventy, and eighty, at one time. Though none be more communi-
cative naturally then wjf /f//, yet the R. S. having not merited any
Civilities from the hands of a Phyjician^ or a Protefiant, I hope I
Ihall be excufed from not divulging more then is pertinent to the
matter. Mr. Evelyn " he is credibly informed, That out of Bdit.
the aperture there will in twelve or fourteen days diftill fo much ^ '
"of the fap, as will preponderate and out-weigh the whole Tree
it felf, Bodjf and Roots.— I never faw any ground for an Opi-
nion approaching near to this j except you make the expofition to
be this. That if the collection of all that runs in many Fears be com-
puted together, it may amount to fo much ; which, I believe, may
he true; but this feems not the Genuine import of his mords : and
in no other fenfe are they to be verified. I have in large Trees in-
ferted tyo taps, yet did they not run twenty gullm. His account is
very
Ct8)
:very defe<fl:ive : the time he propoles to it, is' ahout the he-
■ginning of March : but I avo^\'•, that who flays fo long may feme-
times lofe his opportunity. I have known, in an early Spring,
when the beginning of February hath been warm, the Tree to run
on tht tenth of that Moneth, and ufually about the Twenty fourth
day 'tistimeto look after it: but in the Great Frofl, when I came
firil to the Lord Mordant's at Parfons-Green, I could not get them to
■run till the thaw and, warm weather prevail'd, which was in the
end of March, or beginning of Aprilthen the fap afcended fpcc-
dily, ran thicker, and in greater quantities; but lafted I think hut
ten days. The truth is, the afcent of the Sap, and its running, de-
pends much (when it runs) upon the Weather; it abates, intermits,
and multiplies, as that varies : of which, thefe Obfervators fpeak
. not a word. There is alfo (which is contrary to Mr. Evelyn) a
great difference inther<?/^, andco/oar, and conffence of the Sap
of feveralFxtts-, fome differs not from common water, and (what-
ever he fay) hath neither fmell nor tafle of the Tree: fome is a
little vinous; fome more milky, and refembling A^ua LaUis. His
73' Friend from ^homhe promifeth much, fays, he never met with the
^ Sap of any Tree, but what is very clear and fweet. As to other Trees,
I cannot tell j but as to this, 'tis certain he little underflands the
Birch Tree', for fome at firfl have run; all that ever I faw,
towards the latter end, rnn thick,, have a fracid or fowre fmell and
tafle •, and at lafl in a gelatinous Body, flop the tap : for the truth
hereof, I appeal to that Ingenious obferving Perfon, Mr. willoughby,
who feconded my Obfervations with his own, in the prefence of the
Lord Bifhop of Che her, at Afirop-wells. I adde, That this fVater
or J'aj>,contains in it fuch a faccharine effence, that if one evaporate
it, or confider the faces upon diflillation, they will appear in con-
fifience, and tafle as a mofl perfedl Syrup', and if you adde Feaf
to a quantity thereof, and fet it to work, it will cafl oflF a great deal
off black Barm, and come to an Alifh drink (and fometimes refem-
ble a little the Mum of Brunfwick) to be kept as other Ale in Bot-
' ties ; but 'tis no longer Saccharine, or like Metheglin, which I pur-
pofed to produce by this Experiment. This Saccharine quality de-
generating into an acidity, is that which renders the keeping of it
fo difficult, if not impoffible: to fet it in the Sun, whatever Mr. Eve-
lyns Friend fay, is the way to haflen its degeneratenefs; for I have
an hundred times fet it in the Sun in Bottles clofe flopped, and it
turns fowre, and fmells fracid fuddenly; and on the top there ga-
thers a concretion of the Birchy Particles, white, with which the
Liquor was impregnated,which I have known turn ligneous. I fhall
not give any account of what I have brought it to by long infolatkn,
nor
t
(ip)
nor what way may be propof'd to flop its degeneration into acidity
in order to its brewing (which is no difficultyj) nor by what ways
it may be brought to a Wine (without heterogenom mixtures^ by a
peculiar fermentation of its own in certain Veflels : 'tis enough
to have fhewed, that the prefixing of great Names cannot fecure
us, when a writes. I now entreat my Readers pardon for
this DigrefTion, which is very material to, the main Controverfie,
though not/o much to the Paragraph inftanced in : and I proceed
to examine the credit of this Hiftory.
In the Year 1664. in September^ Theodorus Jacohi a Sileftan^
writes to his Friends in German) from London^ where he had a great
familiarity with Theodor.HaakjiMt. Oldenhurgh^ixnd. many others of
the R.S.He having told his Friends much of this moft glorious Infti-
tution, addes, Interim lucem hrevi videbit traSlatus Anglice confcri- f>e:Sachf:Oani-
ptHS^ in <juo rationem inShituti fui Orbi literario reddere decreverunt. marolog.f^6^>
If any have a mind to entertain himfelf with the Fabulom Repre-
fentations by which they infmuated themfelves into the efteem of
Foreigners^ let him read the Paflages in Sachfifu, till any one can
oblige the World with the Original Letter of Theodorus faccbi^ that
abufed Silejian. This Tradlate which they promifed to him in
Englifh, was no other then this Hiftory j of which fuch expedta-
tion was raifed, and fuch Miracles fpoken, before it came out, as
all England knows. But to convince the World further about this
Biftory^ take the Authors own Words.
" They thought it neceflary to appoint » two Secretaries^ who H. KJ.prf^.94.
" are to Reply to all Addrefles from abroad, and at home, and to Rela-^
" publifh whatever fhall be agreed upon by the Society. Thefe are fpeakof
at prefent Dr. wilkins^ and Mr. Oldenbourgh, from whom I have Secretaries^
not ufurp'd thisfirft employment of thatkinde; for it is only with many other
my Hand that goes, the fubftance and direction came from one notorious un-
of them. How much one of thofe two were interefled in the
compiling of this Hifiorjy doth appear hence, and from that Cha-
radterwith which He recommended it to the World; of which
none but the deaf and infenfible can be ignorant. That the R. S.
not publickly^n^. perfonallyXQzA'ity I am apt to grant: The Co*
mediants had not patience to read it, or any Book^oi that bulh^-^ but,
as in other cafes, gave their aj^ent and applauds upon trufi. But
that the R. S. did own it, any man knows that was in London at its
publication: not to mention the Charadler which Mr. Glanvill and
the Tranfaclor fix on it. Moreover, when the firft brute of my de-
figning to write againft the R. S. did reach London.^ Sir R. M. writ
to the Lady E. P. to inform them of my intentions; adding,That
there was nothing in which the R. S. as a Body, could be concern'^d, /
ex-
(20)
excepting this Hlfiory: and if I would civilly rcprefent unto them
any defaults therein, they would take it kindly, and amend them.
Hereupon I writ unto Him, as a Perfon whom I greatly honor,
and who hath in all his undertakings and employments(which have
been neither mean nor facile) exprcfied a roityfrudence^ and conduEl
that is mcommcn : to which, if I adde thofe other Imbcllifhments,
which his Mathematical and other Natural Studies, have qualifyed
him with, this Age can hardly equal Him ; To Him I writ, com-
plaining of the Indignities put upon my faculty by Mr. Glanvill,
and their HiUory^ reprefenred the Pernicious tendency of thofe
Books, in reference to the Monarch]^ Religion^ and Learning of
this Kingdom : and DEMANDED that the R. S, fhould difclaim
both of them by fome authentick^ Declaration^ or I would not defilby
whatfoever might befall me : But no repeated or Sollidtati-
ens of mine could prevail with them to difclaim the Hiftory : the o-
ther they were lefs concerned for, faying, He was a Private Per-
fon, and that the fenfe of the R. S. was not to be colleded from
the Writings of every jingle Member. Thus could I not extort
from grandem- any Declaration whereby to fatisfie either
the Kingdom in general, or to oblige the PhjJicians in particular.
After that they had denyed me the returns of Common Equity,
I proceeded in that manner which I need not relate : The Concerns
they all along expreff'd, were more then a little tendernefs for a
Fellow of the R. S. The snenaces they made, and which were noi-
fed thorow Cotert and C/fy, fhewed that I had greater Opponents
then the Author of the Hiftory. What meant the Refolutiony (I do
not fay Vote) of the R. S. to give me no other anfwer ; but that three
or four of their ingenious young-men ftiould write my Life : How
comes this great concern for a Book in which they are not interefi-
ed ? When the Cenfure came outy why did feveral eminent Members
prefently report, and reprefcnt to the that I had thereby li-
belled His Majejly^ and prefled to have me whipped at a Carts-
tail through Lon^n ? That Cenfttre touches not the R. S. but only
reflefts on the Hifiorian, and that mdeitly, though feverelj. And
to what heightht^^ix exasperations and power might have carryed
things, I know not: but a generous Perfonage (altogether un-
known to me) being prefent, bravely and fran^y interpofed, fay-
ingtothis purpofe. That whatever I wasy I was a Roman; that
Englifti-men were not fo precipitoHjly to be condemned to fo exemplary a
pmifhmenty as to be whipped thorow London ; That the reprefenting of
that Book^to be a Libel againfi the King, was too remote, and too
prejudicial aconfequence to be admitted of in a Nation Free-born,
& governed by h'^^s^and tender of ill prefidents,Vxx& fpake that ex-
cellent
(21 )
cellcnt "Eftglljh ytiin^ the great ornament of this Age^ Nation, and
Houfe of Commons; He whofe fingle worth ballanceth much of the
Debaucheries, Follies and Impertinences of the Kingdomin
whofe breafi that GalUntrj is lodged, which the prevalence of the
Virtuofi made me fufpedt to have been extinguifhed amongft us.
After all this, who can judge that the R. S. is fo little engaged in
the Controverfie, as this Pamphlet fuggefts I But to fee to what a
period they have brought things ? The whole efFefts of the J'iHo-
rj/ are yielded unto me ; for the Defigti I purfued, and which I
faid / would mak§ them to doe^ was the difclaiming of
their Hiflory-: and having done thisy I am furel have per-
formed a confiderahle fervice to my Countiy; and all other Difputes
are but Circumftantial, and fuch as Conquerors often meet with,
after an entire Rout, to be encumbred with fome Parties of the
fcattered Enemy, and to be amufed with Retrenchments, and Pajfes,
But this Renunciation contents not me, becaufe it is not avowed,
nor folemn, and inflich form as to concUide't)l'^»» beyond their plea-
fure; I will mak§ them not only to difiwn theBcokiy
hut the Contents thereof as not containing
and to adde, that they condemn all fach, as under pretence of new and
ExperimentalPhilofophy, or any Mechanical Education, do
decry all Learning, and varp that breeding which is ahjolutely ne~
CefflTy to the welfare of our Monarchy, Religion and Kingdom. Let
Them but declare this ef equally, and I {hall impofe a Silence upon
my felf, and willingly link under their malice and obloquy for the^»^-
^lick^ utility.
Having thus acknowledged, that the R. are not concern'd to
avow the Hiflory, my Adverfaries proceed to give fome account of
the FafTages I had chofen to cenfure. In the firft Faffage I am to
complain, that fince the Author of the Hiftorjq and another emi-
nent Pcrfon, read over this Piece, yet the fence cf them whlch
writ the Hiflory'S not reprefented: the Qtieftion ftill remaining,
What the Authors meant ? 'Tis here faid, «I will grant that
*' this is not the neceffary, but the pojflble meaning of this Hiftorian:
*' yet at leaft, if the contrary intimation be fo hainous, good na-
" ture fhould oblige to underftand the Phrafe in the moft favor-
*' able meaning. If that the Hiftorian had not been of the cham-
d
fertjj this Paflage had been more plaujihle : but (Oh! Vtrtaojt hzvc
a care how jF(j» mention Gcod TlUtUTt it had been an excefs
of Charity, and culpable^ whil'ft that our fealoujles are fuch as
they are, and that the credit of the Hifiorj remained entire^to have
pafTed by thofe words which were fo inconfiftent with our Church,
and the Religion ejlablifljed, without demanding an Explication, or
renunciation of them,. I adde, That the/f»/e of my Adverfa-
ries is not conjlfbent with the words^ and therefore not pojfible: nor
could any Nature^ h\\t meer infenfihilitjy fubjeft a Man
to this co^firtiblion. If that by Communion may be meant (with-
out further import^ a Friendly and charitable ahdion,,
then by the dodtrine of E^uipollency^ if thofe words be fubftituted
inftead of the other^ the fenfe will be entire: but our Experimen-
tutors never ejfajed this: I will aflift them in this, as in other
cafes.
H. R.S. p. 47. It is natural to mens minds, when they perceive others to ar-
rogate more to themfelves, then is their ftiare; to deny them
even that which elfe they would confefs to be their right. And of
the truth of this, we have an inflance of far greater concernment
then that which is before us: And that is in Religion it felf. For
while the Sijhops of Rome did alTume an Infallibilitj, and a Sove-
raign dominion over our Faith: the Reformed Churches did tlQt only
«juilly refufe to grant them that, but fome of them thought them-
" felves obliged to forbear all friendly and charitable a6is
" towards them, and would not give them that reifeet which
** poflibly might belong to fo ancient, and fo famous a Church; and
, *' which might ftill have been allowed it, without any danger
*' perfiition.
I demand now of my Adverfaries, which of the Reformed
Churches ever did think^themfelves obliged to forbear all friend-
ly and charitable anions tcvpards the Pafi§ls ?
I have not read, to my knowledge, any fuch thing in the Barmony
of Confeffions: and'tis butjuft to e^'pe^X the judgement of Churches
Ihould be demonftrated out of C^urch-Aeis. 1 profefs it is- news
to me ■, and fo it is to hear, that one fenfe wherein the word Com-
munion may be underftood throughout the whole Scripture is, a
Tag. 4. friendly and charitable aSHon. — 1 defire him to try only thefe Texts,
I Cor. 10.16,18,20.2 Cor.6.i4.& he will abate of the generality of
his alTertion j which indeed is fuch, that 1 never heard of it before,
though
(^3)
though I have had feme acquaintance with the Scriptun, and
clepafiical Hifiory ; but if the iivord might bear any fuch Analogical
fenfe (as it does not, I think) yet, to fee the mifchief of OUY old
XjOgickji I did Analogum per fe poptum patpro famopore
Analogato. When our Virtuop henceforward talk of Cockj and
Bulls^ we know by this hovp to mderpand them.
I (hall not enlarge much upon the reft of this Difconrfe^ but re-
fer my felf to the judgement of my %eader j %epet':ttons are teii-
otis^ and here needlefsy if he have perufcd the Cenfure it felf. He
faith, that the Hiporian in calling the Church of Komc a true Church,
fa'id no more then -what the mop Learned amongp the German Divines,
though warm with Disputes, did readilj acknowledge. — I would he
hadinftanced in the Authors, that I might have taken their Words
and Learning into confideration. But Reader, take notice, that
\ tncmtxtnot whether the e^al>Uped%eUgion o/" Germany, hut that of
he here overthrown} I enquire whether the Author of the
Hiftory, or any elfe in Holy Orders, can avow fuch words with-
out violating their fuhfcription to om Articles tmd Homilies. *Tis
true, I was told by that he was not well verfed in the Homilies;
How did he fubfcribe them then } or. How can he prefs others to
fuhfcrihe to he knows not what ?
I will not expatiate beyond the ^ueflionin debate; H)c %hodus,
htcSaltHs. In the next Paragraph, where he ftiould have proved
againft me, That the InfaEihilitj afumed hj the Bifsops of Rome,
and their SoveraigntJ over our Faith, was the caufe of the %eformed
Churches feparating from the Dapifrs : I find not one word of fuch
proof offered •, and indeed it is notorious to any Man that hath but
a little infight into the Hiftory of thofc times, and the grounds of
the %omip) Religion. All he alledgeth is a faying of Cajfander (not
citing the Place and Words, andfol cannot well judge of them)
to this effedt. That then they made the Tope but little lefs then
God -, that they fet his Authority not onely above the Church, but
above the Scripture too; and made his Sentences equal to Divine
Oracles,'and an infallible rule of Faith, and (as he further pro-
ceeds) though there were another fort of People in the Church,
yet they were fuch as were obfcure and concealed. — I anfwer,
that this proves not. That the BiPsops of %ome ajjumed aU In-
fallibility and Soveraign Dominion over our Faith,
(which is the Point in queftion) but that fomc afCTlhedit untO
him ; Cajfander muft be underftood in relation to the Canonifts,
d 2 which
ra£. i.
>
(M)
which agrees with wT /fjfenion^ (yet were not all the Canonifts of
Guicciardln. thatminde, form the Council of'Pi/Q?, which began zt^rdUme,
liid. 1.9. cW. x!aciccThUiffmDec'tuSj and others, did defend the Superiority of a
h^Dec^^Cm- Council above the q'ope) or clfewhat Cajfmder fays is evidently
fil. 37. falfe : for the Superiority of the Council above the Topc^ and the
limited power of the ^a.pacjf were general Tenets^ and univer-
fally taught at the time when the "Bjformatlon began: and before it
immediately, as any Man that traceth the Hilfory of the Councils
de po- of Confianccy Baftly andTlf^y may inform him felt. Cajetan him-
ted; Papi. fu- ^ Cardinal, and Legate againft Lmher, though he
27dSretiam ^he dPope to a Council, yet teacheth this: %eJiBendnm efi
Fr,iiicifc, Fi- ergo in faciem T^apa puhlke Scclejiam dilam-antisj C^c. Nor do I find
reled.4. anyfijch Tenet avowed by Trancifcus ViUoriaj ProfefTor at Sala-
de Pa- fn^nca at the firft beginning of the %jforrKation. In Trance you will
pae 194"'^ ' ^ Power was afcnbed to the Tope there, as Caf.
fander fpeaks of ^ nor in Venice j no nor fo much as in Swizz^rlandy
ffottin^cr: me- as Hottimer avows. It can onely be thus far true whafc<?jffrnder fays,
that the tlanonifts, who at %ome fway in the execution of the Pa-
p. S43,'' pal Jurifdidion, might teach fo : but not that it was any way the
Tenet of the Divines: and there was then an oppofition betwixt
V thofe two forts of tMen^ as now with us betwixt the Courts Spiri-
tual and Temporal. And the Theologicians did not hold themfelves
concluded by the Sentiments of the Ca-
'7« leryohfervahk, That this Fope Adrian nonifts, northe People neither, further
fendwgto the Frincesof Germany <Jt the Diet thenwas requifite to peace and order of
This be4 thus HO, and
and doubted not to gi've Chevegit his Nuncio in- the relation of Pope Adrian impertinent
JdruBions to fay. In hJc fanda fede aliquot (for the Tapacjf is thereby COnfefs'd faili-
I52I ^
theguefrion of the Popes Infallibility.^ The nothing to addc further, then to defirc
fuejHon is mojl eafiiy demonfirated on my fide, my Adveffaries, whenfoever they write,
hy comparing the times of the Council Pifa, ^^fiion. It is an
which exalted a Councel abc-ve the Pope , ^ r t u.'- ■ 1 r, t ,
in 1512. ^diibeReforinationZ..y Luther, ie- ufefulway wch is praftifed in the Schools
gan in 1518. j4t what time the geiieraFity of of Oxford, foTthe%rIfondenttorcpe3ita.
Germany inclined to refer things to a Council, fecond time the Syllogifm of the Opponent.
to frame his Anfwer when hets
manifefi in the Hijlory of the Coundlof Trent, certain he Comprehends the Argument. I
pag. 683. -dwd Calvin inot to mention Zwin- could wifli my Adverfaries had been ufed
s.yius, in appeafd in 1536. Tis impof- littleto that cuftom in their Youth:their
if being to fnch a method, would
unimaginable MetamorphofisDivines, have qualified them better then their be-
which are contradijiinif from the Canonifts. loved Curiolities in Optlckj and Ullagne-
tifms
(25)
tlfifies for the managing of Controverfies: If it be too tedious t«
them to rcfume any Academick^findles., I muft recommend unto the
imitation of the R. S. what I have, read of as to the Sxche^Pter.
There is an Officer in the Sxchecjuer^ who though fitting with the
Barons on the Benchy hath no power to vote with them, nor inter-
pofeth his judgemenfus decijive in any canfe, but obferving filence in EphemerU Ear-
pleading, fpeakcth fometimes as to the rfof thet'imey how it liammtar:\n
rr\ J ' rhePi-ffarp
paffeth away. rnenerace.
W hat he fhould have faid concerning the %eligion of A daw in Ttt- j>cig. 9.
radlfe, and his mufter'mg of all creatures together^ I underftand well;
but what he doth fay, it is not fo eafie to comprehend how it is
much to the purpofe. The Queftion is, whether the acceptahlenefs
of our praifes to God (I added prayers alfo j but took notice of the
praijes~) depends upon the Authors being an Experimental Bhllofopher}
I fee not that he faith any thing againlt me therein, but that the Hi-
ftorian doth fuppofe that his Experlmentator is a ChrlfiiaUy and engraf-*
ted into chrlfi y and that the acceffionai of his metitsihaW fanSlife
his pralfesy yet ffiall the Praifes he fhali make be more fuitable to God,
being framed according to the genuine Texture of the Almighty Ar-
tift, then the more general ThanksglvingSyV/hetem a Man that hath
"not meditated on the Works of the Creation, bleffes Godftili
for them, but cannot fay how far thefe exceed the utmoft produ-
" dlions of Art, or the improved Power of Natural Caufes. I
am fure he changes much the odioufnejs of the words of the Hifto-
rian, who faith. That the praifes of God celebrated by an Sxperimen-
tator, Jhall be more fuitable to the divine T^tptrey then the bllnde ap-
plauds of the Igncrrant 5 that is, of fuch as are not Experimentators.
If it were poffible for us ever to come to that perfedion of difcern-
operations of l^turoy znd^e utmoFl produHions of Arty I fee
the Virtuofi will prove beneficial to the Church, and 'twill be necef-
fary the convocation dedxe them to alter the Te'DeuWy&c. and to
contrive ne-w Anthymns to render our church-pralfes more fuitable to
the Divine Nature: And Dr. Adorers Canto's will put down David's
Pfalms,as well as Hopkins & SternholdX wonder Chrlf & JlAofeSyhoih
faithful in their chargCy forgot fo important a recommendation as this of 2 Tim. 5. ij)
the Virtuofi: I fee now that the Scriptures cannot make a manperfe^y i?-
thorowly furnljhed unto all good rvorksy or compleatly wife unto falvatlouy
through Faith that is in chrlft fefus. All that follows upon this
Eibjed, hath no original from any thing I faid : If to write thu^ be
not a kinde of extravagance and madnefsy I know not what is. I
did not at all in the cenfure compare the new and old Fhilofophy: I no
where elfe avow the Truthy but the ufefulnefs of the Hippocratical
and Arlfiotelian Phylofophy in reference to Thyfick; The whole
digreffion is not only Impertinent, but filly : He tells me of ways
(26) ^
by which 1 attain*i which I never purfued; aiid of folvln^
difficulties J which I never ufed j being always more ready to profefs
Jgmrance, then to yield an unfatisfa<n:ory IRjafon, I muft renew
/ my Proteftations, that 'tis nothing to the furpofe of the cenfure^ be-
fore I digrefs againft this enfuing harangue; For my Exception a-
" ■ gainft them lies thus: the Apoftles did not enjoyn the Study of
Ulaturat-Experimental Thilofophy ; Chrift when he infplred the Di-
fciples with that which was neceilary to bring them into all know-
ledge, and when thej by Impofition of Hands did confer the Holy
GhofiyZnd thofe Spiritual Gifts by which fome were qualified with
Hymns and Spiritual fongs, they were not at all infpired with^ or di-
reded to this ftudy of Igature^ fo celebrated by the Virtuofi: there-
fore I fay it is not requifite to the making of our praifes more fmtable
to the nature of God^ that we go about to reform the Tfalmcs of
fDavid, or otherwife bufie our felves about Experimental Thilofophy,
thereby to render our Anthjmns and 'Praifes more fuitable and plea-
fing unto the Incomprehenfible God of Heaven : we may acquiefce
in Scripture-expreflions, though more conformable to vulgar Sen-
timents then the corpufcularian Hypothejts j Thofe Praifes fuit beft
with the Divine Nature, which are confonant to his Word, and
uttered with true Faith in fefns chrifi. Thus I oppofe the Letter of
the Hiftorian; and am repay'd with an Excurfion concerning the
their Pains and Induftry in comparifon of the Peripateticks.
Tag. 11. Virtuofi are timerOHs in what they affirm: This is not true;
But amnot Ifo too ? Do not I fcruple to fay any philofophy is true \ or
can be exaHly and fenfibly demonftrated ? Do I avow any more then
that the Hippocratical and peripatetick. Notions are ufefufi Why am I
upbraided with t\itPtolomaick,Syiieme'., and ridiculous determina-
tions of the caufe of Magnetick.Phanomena ? I am not obliged to
reply hereunto ; yet I fay that the Ptolomaick. Syfieme produceth us
true Predidions in Afirologjy and as good Almanacks as the other;
and our Ifavigathn is not improved by any new Hypothefis of the
nature of the Load-fione. He tells me what lean anfwer about fun-
dry Natural Occurrents : give me leave to reply for my felf, and I
x>k:ere nefck, aifure our Virtuoffi that I am always better content to profefs my
tfi tranquiilitas awn Ignorance, then to render an unfatisfaUory account of things., ex-
Pnwerb %)• exoterical and popular way, and where the Notions
fi^T^w'mner. of are as tifeful topraElife, as if true. He tells me I be-
proi/. 3-7. ' came an excellent Aftronomer, by reading a Syftcme of the Ptolo-
maan Hypothefis. This is news to me, and I profefs 1 learnt from
Hippocrates not to be follicitous much about thofe Enquiries: yet
they might have known I was not fo great a ftranger to Galileo,
%icciolm, as fome of the Virtuofi. He proceeds to upbraid me
with
C 47 )
with Chymiftry, but with fo much Incoherence of thoughts, that
I underftand not the Refledion. " There is yet another piece of
"Learning, that is ChjfW'firj^ in which, with little adoe, can
equal their attainments had through a lotig trocefs and tediopu courfe.
" For the whole that thej pretend unto in this ^rudfm^ Jrt, is no
more then the [olution and cougulat'm of Bodi .sy By the firft of
" thefe, they, with a great deal of cofi^ indeavour to feparate their
" three Elements : But you,Sir,more cheaply then thej^ can (hew your
four Elements parting afunder at the dillblution of the m'lxt BodyXt
" is but laying of 2. green/;r;^upon the other fuel all ready inflamed,
" immediately the Element of Air comes away in fmoke-y^iX of Fire,
in the'warm blaz.e: the Elementary Water, is that hiflTing fupce at
" the end of the fl\ck^\ and the Element of the Earth is the remain-
" ing Ajhes. Were I concern'd in the truth of the Elementary
Hypothecs (to the defence whereof I will not now be drawn) I would
tell them, that 'tis unjuft to upbraid a T'eripatetick. with an Argu-
ment of this nature, who will not avow that on Earth there is to
be found any fuch thing as any of the four Elements un-mixed, or
feparate and fmcere: and therefore he will never, in rigour of
Speech, make any fuch Aflertions a^ are here Ignorantly impofed
on him : 'tis true, that Gunter BiUichipu^ a Man well verfed in Chy-
miftry, doth endeavour rudely, by this'way of Argumentation,
to evince the Dodrine of Elements. Take notice, that
this Writer was an excellent Chymift, the Scholar of Angelus Sala j
and alfo that ^Imrcetan in the Anatomy of CelanSne, refolves it in-
to Water, Air, Earth and Fire: nor do the chjmlfis deny the four
'Elements. Moreover, Beguintts doth endeavour to demcaiftrate
the Chymical Principles by as facile and cheap an Operation, as our
V'trtuofi here impofe upon the 'Eeripateticky For he writes thus,
Exordiamur a lignis viridibus, tpua fi cremes, e^redietur prima aquo-
fum (juiddam^ ^uod ignis flamma concipienda plane inidoneum efiy S' in
fumum converfum ft colligatur.y in aquam refolv'itur^ diciturque Mercu-
rius : deinde exibit oleagimfum quiadam— vacatur que Sulphur: tandem
remanet Jiccum & terreSire— falifqj nomen obtinet.^nt I proceed to de.
mand of our Virtuoji^vihy do they fay. That All that the drudging
Art of Chymijlry aims at, is by Solution of Bodies, to feparate their
three Elements ) and by coagulation, to bring a liquid or humid Body
to a folid fubBance ? Is there no other operation in chymijlry., but
folution and coagulation of Bodies ? Enquire into the Chymical Ty-
rocinia, 'twill trouble you to reduce all their Operations of Calc'inO-
tionJEigeJllon, Fermentation, Dijlillation, Circulation, Sublimation, and
Fixation, to thefe two. Have thofe Artijls no other end but the
dif-
12.
Foi- I?.
</■ BiUich.
Thefal. Chym.
c, lo.feff.icS.
Quercttdn. l.de
med. Spagyr.
pre. feft. de
vegerab.
c. 2.
Begyinm Ty-
rocin. Chym.
1. I. c. 2.
m
Tai. 13.
C28)
dlfcovery of their three Elements in their hhrioiu proeejfes ? What
think you of the Opus ma-gnnm^ the preparation of Afedlcaments, &c.
about which they are very folicitous, without any fuch aim as this
Chpmical Anahfis ? What do ye mean when ye fpeak of only three
Elements of tne Chymifts ? do not they feparate an inutile inftpii.
phlegme, or alfo, ttn^.zl'erra damnata} And, what is more
then all this, have not I demonftrated, that chjmiFtrj owes its Ori-
ginal and Improvements to the Teripateticks ? I adde, *Tis notori-
oufly falfe that all Chymical coagulation is the reducing of an humid
and lujuid Body to a [olid fuhfiance : fmce there are coagulations in
Chymiftry, wherein the Body coagulated comes not to tt folidltj^ but
continues ftill liyuid j as any Man knows to appear upon the mix-
tures of Liquors in the making of Lac virgints^ &c. A cold Tof-
fet comes not to a folid confifience. But our Grangoufiers enlarge
themfelves upon Coagulation. This fine feat you fo well under-
"ftand, and it is fo much beneath thatj>'(j» leave it to the A-
pothecaries Boy, when you prefcribe troches for colds, befides
" Rofe-water and Sugar, &-c. to make this folid, you appoint rvhlte
"■fiarch, q. s. and then refer it to the Lad to be made S. a. and here
" is fo good a coagulation, that you never defire to learn any other
" kinde of it fo long as you live, except it be the fecret of making
'*■ thehz.t6. Sea-hisket. Is not this a moft excellentand
a good account of the three monethsfiudy of fo many eminent fvits
to contrive this harangue ? they are moft excellent Diviners:
They tell what I doe, andlwhat I acauiefce in, with as much
fiity and falpjood, as if 'twere one of their Experiments. Phy-
ficians do indeed put Starch into fome Troches for Coughs,
but 'tis not to coagulate it meerly, but as an operative part of
the cMeedcament; otherwife roe can boil the Sugar high enough
to coagulate without Starch, or ufe the mucilage of Gum Dragacanth,
&c. But that me underftand no other coagulation, or defire to know
mne elfe, is a Saying becoming the Virtuoji, and none elfe. How
many ways had the Ancients of feparating the cafeous part of the
cM'ilk^, and making of whey} Is there not any of us inquifitive
how to make a Sack-poflet, or Cheefe ? Could not we coagulate
Oyle tmdi %ed lead 'mto z Cere-cloth, nor give confifience to Plaifters
with Wax, before thefe Infolents} Did not we underftand the
making of Common Salt, Salt-petcr, and Alcalifate Salts, &c.
before thefe Pig miggin C^Ijrmidons appear'd ? To conclude, fince
Chymiftry and its feveral Operations were the difcovery of the
Teripateticks, as I have largely proved elfewherej 'tis not for the
R. S. to upbraid them with the ignorance thereof thus : nor for the
Virtuoji to pretend to any praife therefrom, till they difcover more
then
f 2^)
then have yet done in that Scuftce^ which my Adverfarles here,
you fee, UTlderfiand not at all, Pittiful Scfihlers; I am con-
cern'd for the Honour of our Nation, Icaft it fuffer more then ever
by fuch defenfes as thefe. I afTurc the Tlrtmfi, I could not wiflv a
(harper Revenge upon them then to publifh fuch Writings as thefe.
Whatever Folly and Ignorance I charge upon them, they furnifh mc
with new Arguments to prove it: I advife them hereafter to write a-
gainft me in the Vnherfal CharaBer^ that the Ignominy of our
Nation may be mre concealed: or to retire into fome Deferts (fit rece-
ptacles for fuch Plagiaries^ Cheats^'Snd Tories) leaft this fecond fort of
VPOrth-hfs Fanaticks^ thefe Alumbrado's in Religion and all
Sciences (for 'tis now manifeft, that they underftand Chymiftry as
little as the Languagesy %hetorlck^y Logic^axiA. Hifiorj) continue the
.Infamy of our Kingdoms. There needs no more to be faid to this
Paragraph; and as to the next, I defire onely that my Reader
would compare this Anfwery and my Cenfure, and fee how Ma-
terial the one is , and how Superficial the other: and let him
take notice of the great ufefulnefs which he afcribes to Do^OTS
of Divinity, " There is one Argument againft the Author not Tag.
" inconfiderable, to which you have fome reference, that is. The
" ftudy of fuch Controvcrfies, Diftindions, and Terms, is of
" great ufe when we have to deal with a Papifi-e&fputant. It's vc-
*' ry true, yet it proves not anj excellency in that knowledge of it
" but meerly in relation to the Adverfwj : though we have
" frefh Inftances of worthy Perfons amongft us, who have with
good advantage managed the debate in behalf of our Church a-
gainft that of Romey without much help from thofe Schools-: yet
jknow that fort of Learningy even for this reafon, may be ftill maintain-
H<'* ed in the fame mannery as Trades-men who lye on the Englijh
tofit «' Borders towards Walesy ufually keep a Servant to fabher Wellh
" (though no learned Language) to the Brittains their Cuftomers. —
This is the great acknowledgement our F)oElors have for dubbing
any of the Virtuojl: the Vniverfties (who are mainly in the Col-
leges defign'd for that fiudyy) are in a fair way to be foldy though at
prefent they may he continued. This defenfe is prettyy and I think
juftifies my Imputation that they are enemies to the Univerfities,
and would change the education of England. I am aftonifhed to
finde fuch a paflage as thisy in a juniture when the R. S. is under
fo great an odium.
The next paflage I have nothing to fay unto beyond the Cenfure: Tag.
e onely
onely he tel!s me, that tie'cakld not find any fuch pajpt^e in iho Pa£e
Jrefermto^ Thereafon is, bdcaiife he The truth is,
the Hiftory is there wrongly and there is twice 362. ^ and
that which I cite is the fecond ,362, following after 3 69. How
Accurate are thefe men^ not to know thus much in their own Books ?
I argue according to the Church of England j how they anfwer, and
. how pertinently, let others judge.
Ta^. 17. The laft paflage under debate, is the application of Scripture to
common raillery. Let any Man weigh the Words of the Hiftorian,
and the Form of my Cenfure, and he will find my reprehenfion
juft. I had excepted all Analogical fenfes., whenufedby the Fa-
thers and others upon weighty and pious occafions : he might have
tranfcribed out of the Cenfure^ paflages as much to the purpofe as
that out of Ignatius 3 and I granted the Fathers ufed it frequently :
but we muft^ diftinguifh betwixt the Anagogkal and AAyiiical ac-
commodations of Scripture to pious harangues, and the ufing of it
in raillery. The Queftion is, jvhether it be lawful and fitting to ac-
commodate scvipture-fentences and the [acred phrafe to the fuhjells of
" common and light dfcourfe ? fuch are Amorous Poems, or Dif
courksoi Natural Philofophy. I inftanced in Mr. Poems,
" ■" ' not to injure or upbraid the but becaufe he at his deceafe ha-
ving repented of fuch ojfenjlve Poems, defired the Author of the
Hiftory to difpunge them in the fecond Edition, which was recomr
mended to his care: and fince, notwithftanding this requeft of
his deceafed Friend, he thought fitting to continue them 31 expound-
ed him by himfelf, and fairly inftanced in thofe PalTages hs the
raillery, commended by himfelf, and conformable to what the An-
etent Poets pracftifedi« honour of their Gods and Religion. I ha,ve no
reafon to recede from my Cenfure yet: but much greater perfwa-
Fions then before, that I did a neccffhxy VPOfkf, and whatfo-
ever their Malice may create me of Trouble, or Inconvenience, I
never fhaU repent it.
— -The Conclufion of the Letter threatens me with the Hifiory of my
'I'ife, to be written after the manner that Dr. Sprat writ againft
Sorbier. I never pittyed that French man, becaufe he had fo flatter-
ed the R. S. and was himfelf a Member of it, and recorded for
fuch in their Hiflory. But when a greater Man then this Epilioler
- / made me the like Threat, I laugh'd thereat, .and faid, That as for
my whatfoever it was. He made and nOt
TPC OUT felves • and that I had obferved worfe Faces in their
Society
Hi)
Socletj'. and for any parage m 'tis not dogg'd Arkh thefe
Circumftances, That I took the Cov^^ant, or £ng^gemmf'y or was
a Viftor of Oxon j or GounceHor to Cromrrei and his \%on: I lhall
not have any Pindaricl^ Ode in the Prefs, dedicated to the happy fHc-
morj' of the mofi MeMwaed Prince OLIVER, Lord Protestor:
nothing to recommend the. facred Urn of that bleiTed^jBiiivV to the.
veneration of Poflerltyy as if ' ' , ,> ■
His like Men, thcd^y^^ grow.
Will of it ftlf turn n^mHSSoyKP
Without what needlefs Art can do. -—;
Tnever compared that %eglclde to (Jifofes, or his fon to fofjiia-\
When other Mens Flatteries did thus Exorbitate,you will find'my
Refentments for the church of England to have been of another na-
r«rr;and as I moft aflbciated my felf with the Epifcoparlans-^ fo in the
decpefi heats that engaged me for my Patron's fervice, I did not
decline to give them the Elogy of Judicious and Learned, and to
plead for their Toleration in thefe Words. "To conclude, I Defenfeofthe
" (honld here become an Humble fuppUant for thofe of the Ep[f- Good old
" copal lyivines^ who underftanding the Principles of that cWri;- Caufe, p. 131,
way which they profefs, have learned in all conditions to be con- ^3^*
tent: and in tneir Profperity were neither rafh in defining, nor
" forward in perfecuting foberly-tender confciences. It is certain,
"that we owe much to their Learned Defenfes of Trotefancy a-
" gainft the Papifisy and feveral other their Labours: and may
'1-reap much.more benefit thereby^ if riiey mayhavc zgreaterfe^-
" cttrlty (paying the refped which they ought to their Governors,
" and Praying for them, that they may live peaceably under them)
" then at prefent they enjoy in their walkings I did there (in
the Preface) ca§i my filf at their feet; and made my
timely Submiffions to the Right Reverend Father in God, the Lord
Biihop of fvinton-. I received from his Hands a Confirmation in
this church, and_never joyned-with any ddier in Communion: you
will never find me in a Tresbyterian-Pulpit, nor leagued with the Se-
Elaries : Whatever was offenfive in my Writings, I voluntarily
abandoned; and have done more in publick^ for the Church and
Religion of England, without any further intent then the glory of
God and welfare of the Ufat'm, then others to be Dignitaries: and
have not onely endeavored to fix others to the Prefervation of the
Monarchy, but fome ways fignalized my felf by Teftimonies of
particular Loyalty, well known to the principal Secretary of st'dte,
I fpeak not this to inodiate others; I would they had given me
happy Prefidents for doing fo much,ot been Exemplary that I might
perform more. But they (who perhaps are not fo much as confirm'
e 2 ed)
(JJ)
eJ) having attempted nathlngof this kind, nftiltlply difcourage-
mentsupon me ; and would deprefs a Son of the Ch/irchy becaufc
he once foiiowed a different party. Is it Thw that they would ex-
prefs their afFedtion to the prefent Government ? Is it Hhtts that they
imitate him who would not quench the fmoohing flax^ or breaks the
hruifed reed} Do they envj me the Gvace of God ? or
would they have me addee^^^rr to my ether failenrs ? Such pro-
cedures do not become^|||||||[p0^a^ Divine : and 1 dehre God
in his Mercy to prevent the Inconveniences^ which fo fcanddous and
unchriftian demeanour may occafion to the Churchy which muft
needs fuffer in. the puhlick, Mifcarriages of the CUrgj.
VP'! I ■ I'M ".MJfil'
t-'
¥ I N J S.
REPLY
A LETTER
OF
Dr. HENRY MORE
( printedinMr. ECEBOLIUS GLANVIL'S
Prajfatory Anfwer to HEN. STUB BE.) vith a
CENSURE uponthe PYTHAGORICaCAB-
BALISTICAL Philolbphy promoted by him.
WITH
A ^Preface a^inft EceboUus Glanvil\ Fellow
oithzRojAl Society^ and. chaplain to Mr. Roitfe
of Sato/ij late Member of the %ttmp T>arUment,
By Henry Stubhe Phyfician at Warwick,
Kj/r (um cpccyvi 'fin oiuag bti vjLpincpop'ftm
Oojov'fhazr^aztf ao] ^ StioySfica.
OXFORD^
Printed for Richard Davis, i6ji.
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APR EF ACE, ,
n:
.v
"^Ad the prefTe been fo much at my ^ifpofall as-1 could
^have wifhed , I had not fuffered Ecehlms GUn-vill to
lave enjoyed the triumph o£a/m weeks: Butfince it is impof-
iible to difpatch a particular Anfrver before the approaching
'Holy-dajes ^ I muftbegge pai^pn of the World for that
refpite^ It willnot,feera/r4/?^^ thatj; omit-tingiyfw, I har
Ben out a reply to Dr H. ii/orf, -jfor Uie other is but a Zany
to this Pythagorean,^ and the defamations oi fo ignominious
and fcanddous zw Algerine zs M.y,Glanvilf do not reach fo
far, as theafperfionsofhis Majleri^iyfh'ich hath/fw^leputc
for learningyZnd more for integrity.^ though hisdem.eancfur
befuch^^'jv, thati am. necelTitated to recant my judgment
of hm,y and fo not difoblige him by a fecond Elogy for
■Piety., The Prefatory Anfwer of Mr< Glanvill is no other
though feverall others could not believe it
poflible that any fuch Refolve could be taken or fuffer'd to
be put in execution. But thoxi^ ihtperformancedidnozh^-
feem a Chr'iftian ( much lefs a Divinejoithe Church of Eng-
land)Y&t I knew it would agree with ihtgeiiious of a Rencga-
do-preshyter turhd Latitudin.irian'^znd that fome of the Virtue
^7^ would doe what no Paynimor ancient Philofopher would
imagine: I had had frequent experience of this truthyixid had
learned by their defamations and menaces of an afafjination
oibajlinado ( not to mention the 4? whereunto
Dr. Ch,' M. was obliged by certain perfons of"—) that nei-
ther Generoftij Morality,^ o^ Religionhzd zny tye\s^on them
, fuperiour to tneir revenge. Not the relation that the vir-
tuofi pretend to have unto his Majefiy could reclaim my Ad-
verparies from violating that Amiie§fy., the indulgence
whereof fignalizeth him to. all'Ages, and the infcription
whereof he dignifieth with the honour of his Royall Motto:
Not
/
(is)
Not consciencef which is ftill engaged to an utter ohtivion hy
the Act, though the Penalty be determined: not Ctvill
frudence, which might have reprefented unto them how
fatdl this frefident might prove, by raifing jealoujies and
feeds ofdifcontent in the breafts ofothers who fe cafe might
be the fame erelong, and whofe crimes had tranfcen-
ded WW, as much as skit A^iions I had done to efface my of-
fences did exceed their ferformances, Twas ftrange to find
as it were S, Paul upbraided with what he had done at the
death of S. Stephenand to fee that I was upbraided not
only with what I hidSormerty writ ^ but blamed for
dicing my [elf, though the contradiction amounted to a
profeflion of Loyalty to the King^ obedience to the Churchy and
regard to the Univerjities. Was there ever Indifcretion
tranfported thus far ? ^lf that de'cijfion be true Q/i<iALrodius^
That tis in vain to pardon ofences, if the farfy fo gratified
may be upbraided therewith afterwards: May I not adde, that
tis in vain to expebt any compliance from the difcontented and
non-conformifis, if their Converfion jhali be reckoned to their
difparagement^ and their ignominy aggravated thereby. Thus
lludybras is come to Court } A wife objedion, & becoming
fuchas have tranfcended mee in their adings and Schifmati-
calnefs. To aggravate the malignity of my temper tis made
my fault that 1 defended M. H. in tome Grammatical
fii'ons againfl a member of the Royal Society, one much
more criminallthzn I could be. 1 am reviled with oppofing
Mr. ^.in his Holy Common-wealth and Key for Catholicks.-md
tofhew how barbarous my demeanour towards him was, af-
terthe Elogies of Reverend^ learned^ and ingenious.^ He is
faid to bee a perfon worthy of great refpcB: and om EceboHus
addes,that ^^hee can fcarce forbear affirming concerning him
fia phikfoph.-p. " a learned Dodor of our Church did, that He was the
only man that fpokefenft in an Age of non-fenfe.-—As may
be demonftrated out of the Evangelium armatum.. I fhall
not recriminate upon Mr. GlanvHl: there is a dijioyalty
which extends beyond writeing: it may be found in praying^
preachings
111. ii::
ESSSSi ■■
(■37J
f reaching^ and communicating with Rebellious Schifmatkis:
and if Education^ and the being bred in ill times may excufe
him^ what is it that deprives oiacceffional allevia-
tion? Butfince what 1 have faid, hath [dtisfa6lorjto
my Frince^ and is more than many of my Adverfariescan
pretend,Iihall^^^tvinfift upon No Oth er Excuse. After
our Impertinent hath fpent three parts of his book in this ttn-
chrifiian Satyre^ and which I had effectively prevented, that .
which hee faith to the controverfies in agitation is very little^
^ and his performances very meane. Hee gives no reparation
to the Phyjfcianshv thefe injurious words. " The moderne phu v.hu p.7.
" Experimenters think, ^at the Thilofophers of elder times, though 8*
their reits were excellent, yet the way they took was not like to
bring much advantage to kmwledge^ or any of the ufes of humane
life : being for the moft part that of notim and difputef which
ftill runnes round in a labyrinth of talkf^but ADVANCETH NO-
Thing• And the mfruitfulnefs of thofe ^Method'sof which
in fo many Centuries never brought the world fo much prafli-
cal, beneficial knowledge, as would help towards the cure of a
" CUT FINGERjis a palpable Argument,that they were fundamen-
tal mifiakes, and the way was not right. For, as my Lord Bacon
^'obferves well, 'Ehilofophy, as well tis faith, muflbefhown by its
works. And if the moderns cannot ftiew more of the workj of
their Thilofophy in fix yeers, then the Arifiotelians can produce
" of theirs in more than thrice fo many hundred, let them be loaded
" with all that contempt, which is ufually the reward of vain and
unprofitable pfojeflors. That this procedure hath effedfed more for
the information and advantage of Mankind, then all the Ages of
" 2^tm,xh.e records of tboRojal Society alone, are a fufficient evi-
dence, as the world will fee when they think fitting to unfold
their Trea/ure. 1
^ This paffian, as it gave firft occafion to the controverfy
in hand, fo the indignity therof ought alone to continue ir,
though no further incentives had been added. For what
Phyftcian can with patience endure to heare fo great a contu-
mely done to all ont Ancefiours fromHippocrates mdAriJlotle
down to the latter days.when our moft eminent Galenifts did
fiourilh in London? Of the Methods of Ancient Science there
f were
\
CjS)
ffere trvo^ the one conhfting of more general ^rlncifles^ oT
rules'^ the other making up a particular Syjleme or hjpothefis^
fuch as the Ariflotelian and Galenical philosophy ( with its
'variations and dtfcrepancies ) accommodated to Phyjick^ and
that part ofitefpecially which is called Materia Medica,. A-
mongft the move general ruleSy 1 doe comprehend the Art
efreafoning^md Method: ^iSziiotho^e ot\\ex preliminaries oi
Ari/lotle, and Galen: xhiiihe final determination ofphilo-
fophical truthes ( relating to material beings ) Sense.*
that tve ought never to relie fofar upon any pre]udicate reafons
cakn. Methscf. as to defert the convictions of our Se n s e s.- That Phyfick^zs
medM.<).c. 6. well as thtmore univerfalphilofophj of nature^ did fubfift
is tbtd, lib.6. , ^ J -n
C.2. upon twoleggs ovprops^vii. IK'S.hsovi and bxp eri encb:
that though inobfcure cafes Analogifmes had their place, yet
that twas always beft to relye on direCt experience, where it
was to be had. Now thisbelagHo ancient a Method of Set-
" mcey andfo received by the and which is agita-
ted in the difputesoi our writers^ Idoejufily complain that
our Virtuofo Ihould fay , that the way they took was
fo unfruitful, zudhxou^i^o\\it\e practical beneficial know-
ledge, as twould not help towards the Cure ot a Cut finger. For
they could from Things Exp e r i m e n t e d demonftrate
their abilities That Way.-As 1 evinced. As to theparti-
cular Uypothefis,cz\\Qd Arifiotelian or Galenical,thzt Qv^aThat
was of much more advantage than our Virtuofo allowed it,
I demonftrated hereby, DoCtrine of Elements, of the
fir ft, fecond, and third qualities, as they were explicated and
difputed, had been the occafion of wo/? of our compofitions,
be they plaifiers, or other Medicaments, that they were
vented at Hrft, or ufeA afterwards: that according wthofe
nlfr ^dTcm- Prittcipks of old, Galen, and afterwards his fucceflburs ge-
fofmedicam-tx- nerwilly ( till of late ) did regulate themfelves in their
and difcoveries: znd this continues ftill a-
cmpof medic, mougft thef Spanyardszud ltalians,x}\c.n whom the world
never produced better Phyficians: and in France till the
dayes
W9)
days of ^eueU'/t ani Mttjerne, the pradife was regirta-
ted by thele Principles,and in the conteft betwixt the Chy-
mids and Colledge at P/zr/y, upon the Notions ot Formes.,
<;^alities, and Galenical or Ariftotelian Temperament, was
the controverfy agitated: And upon the introdudion of any
new Medicament, as of ^^ickjilverto^thepox^ or ligmm
'vit/e^QXfafjaftas^ or the like, the Phyficians fortheuleof
them were ulually regulated by that Hjpothefis: from whence
lit is demonftrated, that fince not only but even
all Difeafes were cured by them (as well, or better then by
the Chymifis : as appeared upon publick tryals before die
Parlament at Paris) tis unjuft and intolerable for us to be
•upbraided with the fterility of that Philofophy, as if it had
-contributed nothing to Beneficial PradicalKnowlege, but
ranne round ip, a Labyrintli of nlk^advanceing nothings ,
-I evidenced, that notwithftanding the Rhodomontade of otfr
Ignoramus, mod of the Glorious Difcoveties afcribed to
our Moderns, did referre to the Peripateticks , and their
Philofophy. Thatfor^;?/rf<?;«y we were More obliged to
JriJlotle^'ErajiJlratifSy Herophilus^ Galen^ and the late Gal
lemcd prpjtdorSjthan to any of thefe new Corpufcularians.
That the natural riidory of Bathes, Plants, Minerals, had
been profecuted by them: and accommodated to ufe upon
thofe grounds .• they not having, or ' not relying upon any
other. And certainly Impudence never difcover'd it fejf
in a greater effort, then when M.Gkww/ writ his Plus Ul-
tra:andHeemudbe undeniably ignorant, that can fay
that eighteen centuries of Peripatetick Philofophei-s have
not produced fo much of Works, as thefe lad ftx yeers of
our^/rf«<?f/.Ifhewed that th^Arahians difputing follow-
ers of Ariflotk ^adCaleny and regulated their Speculations
by his Philofophy •• yet thefe Difputers invented much of i^on hakmus
Chymidry, fome part of it being known to Ariflotk. & his
r 11 L • L j-r r II mico,q»i^ichy-
followers .* that tis not the diicovery of any old aAigypttan mia mmu»-
Hermes^ but the name and original is of a much later date
than the Peripatetick foundations zt Alexandria: That the '
f 2 begin-
'C40)
beginnings of it there were cultivated by the Sarracens, and
fo Far improved by the Peripateticks downwards, that Para-
celfus invented little or nothing of it,but ftole all he had from
the Ariftotel'idns. The Dodrme of the Atmofpkre wis ad-^ '
vanced by Alhdzen: and the gravity of the Air ( howit"~
was only'comparatively light j aiTerted by Arifiotle^ and
Averroes^ and Claramontius: who weighed it in a bladder. I
ptm.Fin!'* Avicenm in his Fen^ and SanBoriu^ upon
him, doe maintain the fame tenet.* and this Sm^oriuswis
he who found out the Thermometer.px: Weather-glafs^ procee^
ding upon the Peripatetic k notions of elements, heat^ cold^ ra-
nfabfion^condenfation &c. To all this Mr. Glanvil anfwers.
" Doe I fpeak of the Methods of Phyfick, Chyrurgery, or any pra-
•"dtical Art? If I had fo done, Mr. had had reafon : But it
" was nothing thus, I had not to doe with any thing of that nature ,
"but was difcourfingof the infertility of the wa^of Notion and
" Difpute, concerning which I afhrmed, that it produced no pra-
" dficaljufeful knowledg. viz.; by its own proper native virtue:
" & my fenfe here was the fame as it was in that expreffion of my,
"Vanity of Dogmatizing 132 edit. fee. 3 I yoonld puz.le the
Net the Schooks " Schooles to point at any confderable TFfcoverj made by the DireEl file
efFhy/itians: ManttduSHom of Teripatetick^frinciples. So that I never dreamt of
'timntforlT "'l^iyiogjthat thofe Philofophers of elder times,that went that way,
ur^efucha "de- "bad Pracfical beneficial knowledg: yea,or that they were Difcove-
manduyon thofe " rers ofmany excellent and ufeful things: But that they learnt that
a/ theology, or « knowledg from the difputing Methods of Thyfiologypx made theit
logicki " difcoveries by them. Thefe were the things I denied ^ andl'havc
" the excellent Lord Bacon with me in the Negative. —- This is
The Nifiorianfays that the pe- dcfeufe of that innocetit fetitence:
npatetickj and their Siicctljours •>
ha-i.e beeaaiwayeswandrin^in vvhicH how falfc it IS, auy man may judgc by
Fhyfcks^-^f^^^ what I have faid, or by looking into our Her-
for the ufe of mankind. .And M. bals, wlieie the Natute and ufe of our Plants is
SSSyi" • explicated by the elementary qualities of hot, &
dry, cold, and moift .* and into our books de compojit. me-
dicament. where we are generally direded by no other prin-
ciples then thefe, and me like •, not to mention that the
foundation of our pradice was, ContrarU contrariis curmtur^
which contraries were explained Peripateticdlj, Nor would
our
<40
bur Schooks bee puzled to pint a1 anj confiderahle dif-
covery made the dire^ Jole Manudu^ion of Periptetick
principles: fincefo many Medicaments have beendifcove-
red thereby^ fince that the weighing of the Aire^ and the Ther-
mometer were a pure and entire refult of that M,inudn^ion-^ as
you may fee in SAn^orius. But Mr. cUnvil faith , hee
fpeaks not of the Methods of Phyfick and Chirurgery, or
any pradical Artf This is a Strange Evasion connder-
ing that the Arifloielians and Galenijls did not ad as pure
Empericks, but as men guided by a feries of principles ^ thoJo prcficifd -
and a Theory which they deemed Scientifical: and fo they
were in chirurgery alfo 5 for thofe two profeflions were com- huic tero ex—
monly united, andby fewfofeparated,3s that the Chirurgi- IZ'tTonmeUam
cal cures and Medicaments were not regulated by the fame fidm fubfcrik-
Principles.* as appeares from our Book of Chirurgery. I
I fliall not enter upon the difpute whether Phyfick (a branch 6. c. 2.
whereof is Chirurgery ) bee an A^^ or no: fome holding habitut
the Affirmative, fome the Negative : No Dogmatifts ever am rtBa ra-
held but that it was an Operative knowledge, or^an^rf
guided by certain rules and obfervationsto efebf its end.lihei:e
were the A^x''^s>iTovtx.oi of the Thyficians^ to whofe judgment
Ariflotle thinks fit Men fubmit: ,and the •m'mjSdipFoi^
orfuchasby continual and diligent ob[ervation and reading
had acquired the skill of Curing, not being devoid of the •
Dignofttcks^PrognoflicksjZ.n6.}Att\\Qd.QiQming^ and trycd
Medicines: but being abfolved from, or ignorant of any
Philofophica I Theory: and for thefe the Stagirite declareth
a Refped, The Galenijls and Difputing Ages adhered to
the former, and only reputed him a Phyfician who could
give aPERiPATETicAL account of the Caufe,and
Cure of the Difeafe.*and except M. G/4»^'/7candemonftrate
that the Phyficians have for eighteen centuries aded blindly
and Empirically ( without the guidance of Arijlotelian and
Galenic k principles) what he faith is Most False,
But to wave this difcourfe about Art and Science, which is
allone^ to overthrow the infolence of our hee faith
Hee was difcourfeing of the Infertility of the way of Notion
f4^)
it produced no pra(aical,nfeful knoWledg by
its own proper native virtue: this is the firft time I heard that
difi>utations fitttngl'i Wiinnged ( & I am not to luppofe men to
be wz<rrtf,or/(?<)/£'j, J produce no knowledge-, it the fubjedt
debated be as to retei Unto Use.- tis appa-
Ycntly falfe'm pointof as a man that reads a SpamjJ)
or Italian con(iiltation,wili fee.But it is not poflible tor me to
divine what this infupportakle Talker tnemshy Not ion.
For if it be the Penpatetkk Phyfiologie, what hee faith, is
untrue: ifHeemean or Metaphyjical d^fputes^ who
was obliged to underftand him about them, when the Que-
flion was about Natural phHo[ophy^ and praBical knowledge f
Hee might as well have laid, that Arithmetick, or Aftrono-
inyjor Grammer,or Mufickjdid not by their own proper native
vertue produce znypraBical ufeful knowledge^in order to the
Curing Of A Cut Finger. So that my Ex-
ception, and Indignation was juft againft this Infolent, and
all Phyficians ought to joyn with me in demanding Reparati-
onnor will my Lord Bacon's authority advantage our Fir"
tuofoy for Hi s Credit is valid perhaps in L a w, but not in
P H Ys I c Kjlam fure.
As the Phyficians have received no amends from our la-
I folent for the outrage hee and the .Bifiorian did us 5 fo nei-
« V ther doe I yet find any betterfentiments in my Adverfaries
for the Un ivers ixib s then they expreffed iieretofore.-yet
hath Mr. Glanvil the impudence to proteft their great re-
fpedsfor thofeilluftrious Nurferies of youth.- Have they
authentickly difclaimed the Bijlory ^ or any part thereof
that was piejudicial to the Church and Univerfities i have
not they rather added to theformer indignities by that new
contumely againft allthe i)»^T)rjand .Dm»^i initheUni-
verfities ? " There is one Argument againft the Author not
inconfidcrable, to which you have fome re-
ference, ( that is) the ftudy offuch con-
/ iiiory, ffoverfies, diftinftions, and termes is ohgreat
''ufe,. when we have to deal witha Papift dif-
putant
143)
*'putant. Its very true, yet? it proves not
excellency in that knowledge of it felfe, but
*''' merely in relation to the Adverfary : though
we havefrefb inftances of worthy perfons a-
C(.
ttiongft us,who have with good advantage;ma-
This can hehit^
naged the debate in behalfe of our Church a ~ HnJtrJioodof
" gainft that of Rome^ without much help from dilates againjt
Lt \ r n I J 1 r r T • Fapijrs; for
tJiole ochooles : yet that ort of Learning even many particular
CL C 1 * r r n -11 1 • • 1 • ottdgreat con^
lor this realon, MAY ftiil be maintained, in trowfus as
It 1. f r \ ^ 1 Tranfubflantiit-
the fame manner Tradefmen who lye on the
Lt T T n t ^ vrorfiip, impu~
Lngliftj borders towards Wales., ufually keep a tedrighteoufnefs
f ^ . J I merits (cyc.can-
' fervant to jabber welfld (though no learned Ian-
"guage) to the their cuftomers. »f the schofies.
Certainly the moft bitter Enemy that ever was to the U-
niverfities could hardly have expreffed himfelfworfe than
doth this Firtuofo : Hee doth not allow any excellency to,
or acknowledge controverfial Divinity to be a Learned
fludy., though it include fo much of reading, not only in
School-Di'vines^ but Ecclefiajlical Hifiory^ Canon and Civil
Larv.^ and Critical knowledge: and though the defenfe of '
our Religion againft more than Papifts, and the explication
thereof to our Jelves, depend ordinarily upon thofe ftudies,
yet the maintenance of fuch as arc eminent thereiOjis foun-
ded upon the fame reafon, that the Tradfmen near Wales
keep Brittijh [Qrvmts to talk and trade with the Cuftomers
of that nation. And For Such A Reason
the Lands of the Untverfity given to the educating fuch
Divines May be continuedito that Employment. May they
not alfo be S o L As for Ecebolius.^ hee referres us to what rraf. ansvo.
Hee hath writ in his Plus ultra.^ and his Letter againft Ari-
Jlotle^ there we may find the higheft expreflions of Love
and
( 44-^
and Zeal towards the Umverftties , that were within the
compafs of his pooreand narrow Invention. I will oblige
him fo far as to repeate his words, though I doubt the
verftties will fcarce afford him their manks for his kind
refpeds. "I have faid nothing to difcourage young Ac a-
demians from applying themfelves to thofe jlri? ftudies which are
"in Vfe in the Vniverfities. Statutes xtcmvcc Exercifes'va.
" that way of Learning \ and [o much knowlege of jV, as inables for
" thefe Duties, is requijite and fit. Nor doe I deny, but that thofe
" Speculations raife, quicken, and whet the underftanding, and on
" that account may not be altogether unprofitable , with refpecf
" to the more ufeful Inquifitions; provided it keep it felf from
" being Aiery, SLnd addidedtoo much to general notions.
" But this is the danger, and the greateft part run upon this Rock.
*' The hazard of which might in great part be avoided, if the cMa-
" thematicks and Igatural Hifiory were mingled with thofe other
" fludies, which would indeed be excellent preparatives and dif-
" pofitions to future Improvements. And I ^de farther, that the
young Philofophers mull take care of looking on their Syft-ema-
tick, lotions as the bounds and perfedions of knowledge^ nor
' "make account to fix eternally upon Theories, as eftablifhed
" and Infallible Certainties : But confider them in the modell
" fenfe of^Hypothefes, and as things they are to take in their paffage
" to others that are more valuable and important. I fay the Pm-
Studies thus tempered, wil not I fuppofe, be difallowed
" by the men of the pradical Method; and fo the Vniverfity ejla-
hlijhments can receive no prejudice from the fpirit that dillikes a
perpetual acyuiefcence in the Philofophy of the prefent Schooles.
This is the refulc of his mofl calme & temperate thoughts,
, after a repentance for having mtfpent his time in the Acade-
mick ftudies at OA'fo?*<l,"that exercife the brain in the niceties of 2^-
tion and D'fiinllions, and afford a great deal of idle imployment for
iiid. f. 123. *' the Tongue in the combates 0 f difputations,-I had fpent fome
yeers in thofe I(otional ftudies,perhaps with as good fnccefs as
" fome others, I began to think CVI BONO, & to confider what
thofe things would fignify in the world of Allion and Bupnefs : I
fay I thought-)i\xt could find no encouragement to proceed from the
"anfwer my thoughts made me:I ask'd my felf what account I could
"give of tneTror^jofCffisl by my philofophy, more then thofe that
. have none, and found that I could amaxce & aftonijh Ignorance with
" diWtnUions, and words of Art, but not fatisfy ingenious inqui-
" ry by any confiderable and material Refolutions. I confidered I
had
<45)
"had got nothittg all this while, but a certain ReadiHefs in talki
ing, and that about things I could not ufe abroad without being
PedaKticliand Ridiculous. I perceived that that Philofophy aim-
" ed at no more, than the inftrucRing men to Notion and Diffute;
"that its dcfigne was mean, and its principles at the bed iincer-
tain and precarious. "Thefe things then I pondered, and in the
" heat of my thoughts, and a Youthful indignation, I drew up the
"Charge, and gave in the full of thofe bold accounts to the pub-
lick in a Letter about Anftotle, which perhaps you will not doe
•'amifs to confider. Thus the great Impediment was removed, and
" the prejudice of Education overcome; when I tliought far-
ther. That Ufeful knowledg was to be looked for in Goais great
hookj.h.c Vnlverfe, and amongfh thofe Generous- men that had
converfed with Real nature, undifguifed with Art and Notion.
" And ftill I faw more of the Juftice of the excellent Toet* s Cenfure
" ofthe fonnes of Ariftotle, when heefayth,
The'j Hand
Lock!, d »p together hand in hand j '
Every one leads as he is leady
The fame bare path they tread y
jind dance like fairies a phantafiick^Romd;
And neither change their LMotion^ nor their ground.
, " From this Philofophy therefore,^and thefe men, I diverted my
^'eyes and hopes, and fixed them upon thefe Methods that I have
recommended, which I am furc are liable to none of thofe Imputa-
tions. I appeal to any perfon oicommon Intelleiiuals if this Vir-
tuafo hath not exprefied a wonderful Zow and for the Vni-
verfties. This is that ;»^andmoft jfwereefteem for thofe Vene-
rable Seats, and Fountaines ofLearnin g, which hee folemnly pro-
tefts to bear. Hee doth moft chearfully own, and is ready to cele-
brate the great Advantages they affoord for all Sorts of Know-
ledge, and Hee verily believes that the other Members of the
Royal Society have Like Sentiments of them. Surely
our Experimental Philofopher takes the Univerfity for Af-
femblies of an ignorant and ftupid fort of Men , that "were
to be amufed and deceived by Equivocations:He profelTes an
efteeme for the Venerable Se at e sj Arethey not highly
honoured < He ftyles them Fountains of Learning, but tells
ts not what thofe words import. Is itbecaufe that the firft
New philofophy was fo much promoted,and the R. S» as it
were embryonated there^ And from that fountaine iffued
' g thofe
Jhofe mterswlilch have fervedto quoddk our VirtttofofCtt"
tainly there is nothing but impdfture in this complement, &
they mufl: be very eafy rouls that are deluded therewith. The
Chafader he hath given of his First studyes,and the
abufes which under the perfon of Mr. Crofje^ are put upon all
Vniveriity-men ultra fag. 120. 3 are fo deteflable^
that he muft not expedtupon the profundities of the Phi-
lofophical courfe taught there, he Ihould retain any efteem
or regard for thofe Venerable Seats. He expatiates
you fee upon all theFiRsT Studyes, which contain Gram-
, mer, Rhetorick, Logick, Phyhcs, Ethics, Metaphyfics,
He recommends the Study hereof to the young Academi-
ans J not becaufe they are ufefull, but becaufe they are
required By The Statutes ^ andadvifeth themonely
to inable themfelves for the performance of their Exerci-
fes; this is Reqiusite, & Fit. But for any thing more,
if any man defigne that , tis ufeleffe abroad in the world
of Adlion, & renders the owner Pedantick& ridiculous: &
he muft, by example of our repent thereof. Doth not
this excellenly juftify thofe harangues of fundry Virtuofi who
every where diflwade the Nobility and Gentry from refort-
ing to the Univerfities, and mifpending their time in No-
tions, which affoord a great deale of Idle Emplox-
, went for the Tongue in Combates of difputation^ Have
not thefe Gentlemen the Same Sentiments with the
Rciftor of Bathz < If this Cenfure upon our Academick ftu-
dyes were true, who would refort thither except to gaine
a Scholanhip, or Fellowftiip < and fubmit to that Educa-
tipn, unlefle it were to Rise byit^ From that Philo-
Ibphy, and thefe men , who would not with Mr. Glan-
*vill, divert his eyes and hopes, and fix upon thofe Methods
whicK'pLttf & the Ficcundity of jhe Cartesian prin-
dplesdoe inftrudl us with ^ what Ihould any Noble man
doe,at Oxford or Cambridge i Thofe are not the refidence
of xhoTe generous men , mat have Converfed with Reai.
Natur^'jmnHirguifed^^^^ Notion : TheS,eats
3ii:6 mbre vai^erab t e then the prefent pofleflbrs. 'Did I
- injure
^47)
injure thefe perfons by repiefenting them as iuch, who
would overthrow the ancient and necefl'ary Education of
of thislfland t' CouM any thing be more feafonable , then
tliofe reafons 1 alledge in behalf of our Vniverfity-breed-
ing againft the Mechanical projeift < Twould be too te-
(hous an excurfion for rae now to confute this^ whole
refvery •, 1 defire onely that the Reader would take no-
tice how in the end of the Paragraph fiift cited, he
turns his difpleafure upon the AcademicJk Phyfiology onely,
and faith it may be ufed as an Hy-
pothefis, but not acquiefccd in:
and then he believes twill beAi- tcucks,Notions: ^ hang pnjfed to in-
loWED OP w us. Why^ will it
then ceale to be notional, and iteril Phyfidks, as. ifow liniverfities vatre fo em-
in the world of Adlion& Biifinelle^ Sarisburienfis.r/>ej;co'e
A I 1 n 1 cs ■ that Ya^XoiQipn^.doth not fit them for kikvon;
And Will he retradt his recradtation, and if you demand what Aftionj^/idt world
if we doe fot' 1 know none that not thmbypreparedfor: their reply only
look on their Syfletmuc Notions
as the bounds and perfcdions of, ,nickWef.An5::A«rationaJ[ly
knowledg; If Mr,. Glmiul wti^ o.f fl^t opinion ever, he
was not taught it in. his time' at Oxford, t V/ho did ever
tell him that there was any abfolute or .com pleat knowledg
to be acquired in. this life.if Or was fo impudent as to give
the lye unto the Apoftle teaching us, -That we fee here but
as in a glaflef and know but" in parti' There are intdeeT
fome Syftematick Notions that are of real ufeto guldens in'
our ratiocination, & regulate us in our inquiries that
we be not impofed on by the refemblances of things. The
diftindlions oi Materialiter, & Formaliter, fecundum quidSc
fimpliciter^ the eduction of formes out of the bofome of
matter-, the frimum incipens in motion^ the Logical tricks a-
bout fhuffling & ordering propofitions & forms of fyllogifm,
are Speculations that will feem Wonderful, Ufeful & Signi-
ficant, as long as there is any fenfe in this Nafiori, and that
weare not debauclfd into fuperlative Folly, by fuchillite-
rate, ignorant, and impertinent Virtuofi as Mr. Glanvill.^ and
his Adherents. Had he been fuch a Proficient as he infinu-
g 2 ates
C4S)
ates in Academick ftudies, he would never have argued as
he does, or concluded a Difcourfe of this Nature, with this
Epilogifm. "And so the University-estab lish-
MENTS CAN RECEIVE no PREJUDICE from THE SPI-
RIT THAT DISLIKES a PERPETUAL ACqUIESCENSE
in the Philosophy of the present Schools*.
Let us hereafter judge of thefe Men rather by their Act i-
on s, than Word s: orifwemuft lendanear to what they
say, let us efteeni of them by their serious discourse,
notby what they rally or flatter wlthcLetusbelieve
of them, as of fuchas Innovate the Education .y undermine
the Foundations of our Religion and Monarch-^y ftifplant the
Univerftties^ dejlroy Phyfck, endanger all Profejjions and
Trades: Let us place the Saddl e upon the right Hors e s
back5 and not be deluded with the ambling of the
Sadd l h, into a conceit that the Horfe doth not trot.
All the Digreflion about my Life and Writings, is but a
Demonftration that he could not juftifie himfelf againft the
imputation of ignorance j and therefore he amufeth his
Reader wUk matters impertinent. It had become him to
/hew which of thofe Inftruments, Microscope, Tele-
scope, Thermometer, and the Barometer, wasthe
fiusHitra.'fao. difcovery of the R. S. for he had told us, that fome of thofe
were frfl invented^ all of them exceedingly improved by the
Royal Society. He complains for want of time to do what
moft imported him, and yet waftes that he hath in frequent
fallys againft Mr. Cro^e. It is a Year and an half fince he
firft began to colledl my Books: he omitted to Preach at
Rathe for many Weeks, excufing himfelf by the pretext of
Writing againft me, and the reiukof all his induftry and
ft udy might have been included in two Sheets. All this de-
liberation could not qualifie him fo, as to underftand the
right ftate of the Queftion betwixt us: which is not, Whe-
ther Arijlotle did know all things ? Nor, whether the latter
Ages knew more then the precedent f But, Whether Anti-
quity was jhie and unacquainted with Anatomy ? Whether the
Creciatys
Up)
CrecUns^ difputittg Ages^and Se£fators of AnflotUj dtd know '
Any thing of Chymi fry ? In fine, Whether the Ancient Art'
fiotelian Philofophy hath Advanced loathing of Practical and
Benefcial Knowledge ? whether all the Inventions
, that he attributes to the Virtuosi, belong to them ? and
that the Modern s canjhewmore of the Work s of their Phi-
lofophy in SikYv. fthis reftrains the notion of theMo-
dernsto theR. SJ thenthe AKisror^LiMis can produce
o/Theirs in thrice fo many hundred? Thefe being the
Queftions, 'tis not enough for him that I grant this or that
Dilcoveiy to be Mod e rn , but he is to prove it the inventioa
of aNovelift, or New Philosopher, if not of a Fir-
tuofo. Thus, if Chymiftry defcend from the
Peripateticks and Arabians ^ If Anatomy, were the particu-
lar eminency of Erafijlratm and Herophilus 5 if Cafalpinus
or difcover the Circulation of the Blood, 'tis for
the credit of the Man of Stagyra, and this Glory appertains
unto the Arijlotelians^whom Mr. G/4;?x'i//reprefents as meer
Notionifts, who ftill run round in a Labyrinth of Talk,but
Advanc e nothing. 'Tis a hopeful Preface or Introdu-
dtion to his Anfwer, thus to miftakein the Beginning: But
he is irrecoverably loft as to all Learning •, all that he flou-,
riftieth with, is but the remains of a Treacherous Memory,
which fome years agoe ftudied fomething ^ or fome Colle-
dfions out oi Fojfus's Writings concerning the Hiftory of
Sciences^ or Tranflated out of PanciroUus and his Commen-
tator, without being able to judge of their Faileurs, by^
what others have cenfured in them. This new Book makes.
Eujl^ or Gothenbergj to have found out Printing: whereas p
he might have learned out of Hadrianus funius^ that 'twas
found out by another at Harlem. And that Flavius Goia Hadrian. Jmi-^
difcovercd theCompafs. Whereas I am confident that no
good Author ever ftyled him Flavius Goia^ but either Fla- Rkdoius hy-
vius a Seaman of Amalf^ or fohannes Goia^ or Gira of
Melfi: the Places are diftindt^and fome afcribe it to one,fome id. ibid, peri-
to the other. Some fay that Paulus Fenetus did bring it with
him from in 12 do. But moft certain it is, that Al- ^ '
• ' bettus
(5^)
^ihertui de hertusMagnus^ ^xAV'tncmtim Bellu/icenfis^ do fpeakof the
^ agnete. .i. polanty of the Load-jftone, and fay, That the Sea-men u-
caheusdt mag- fed T H E M in Navigation 5 and that the knowledge they had
of was derived from aTreatifeof Ari s r ot e e's De La-
pdibui^ which is loft, and perhaps was but the Writing of
an Ambian Peripatetick, I adde this to what 1 have already
publiftied, thereby tofatisfie all Men, that this arrogant
prating Virtuoso is not at all acquainted with Books, no
, not fuch asare of beft Note amongft the Modern Writers,
as my Margin lliews you •, and'tis by chance, not any folid
Learning he hath, if ever he uttereth any Truth about
fubjebfs of Difcourfe: And 1 appeal unto all ferious Men,
Whhtheritbe not for the bbnefitof ordina-
ry Conversation, that these kinde of Men
should either refrain to speak of Learn edsub-
jects, or premise always wh e n they interpose,
AS A FOOL MAY SAY,, or one that u maccpaintedwith
Hiforj and Books.
rnf. Anfsv, EceboUus doth find fault with zprotefiation of mine,& thus
P-14 • ^ defcants on it. " *Tis a that follows: Ifrotefim
" the prefence of Aimighty Gody that if there be not great care taketty
tve maybe in a little time reduced to thatpafs, as to believe the Story
0/ Tom Thumb. — p. i i-d Doth Mr. Stubbe ferioufly think this,
"or doth he not ? If fo, he is more ridiculous then one that be-
"Iieves,7'ow,T^«lKA already: If he be not ferious in what he faith,
"he is impious in. it: And if it were another Man, one might ask
" him how he durft in that manner ufe the Name of God, and pro-
teft a known and ridiculous Falfhood in his Prefence. I do
own the feriouhiefs of my Proteftation, and yet fear not the
inconvenience I am threatned with by this Dilemma. I have
lived to fee Dr. More credit the Miracles of Pythagoras^
TtfTr't fpeaking to a River, the River anfwered him again with
CabbAa, 'p.i^6 "'ind clear voyce, Uv.^a.yo^, Salve Tjthagora.
187. ' ' ' "That he Ihewed his Thigh to Ah arts the Prieft, and that he af-
" firmed it gliftened like Gold, and thence pronounced that he was
*' Apollo. That he was known to converfe with his Friends at A/tf-
" tappntiumsaa^ Tauromenium (the one a Town in Italy^ the other in.
" AktV/, and many days journey diftant) in one and the fame day.
You will find more to the fame purpofe there: audi men-
tion
(51';
tionthis, becaufe \J[^.GUn'vii's Patron admits of Miracles
in a falfe Religion: fo did another Virtuo[o in a Sermon well
known: So that I need not fay that what I writ is juftified
by both S. Aufiin and Cdvin^ and moft Proteftants that dif-
hd-vewnt Dejlgnis Scclcfi'e. The fame Dr. faith, that fignis Ec^''
" the moft Learned have already agreed, that all the whole Cre- clef.
"ation was made at once. As for example, the moft ratio- Ibid. .Ke 150.
" nal of all the fewlfi Dodlors , R. (JMofes Philo ,
" dtttUj 'procopiuj, Gazatu^ Cardinal cajetafi, S. Augufiine , and
the Schools of HUlel and Samntai^^s U^lanaffeh Ben Ijrael writes.
That Dodlor affords us in his Works an hundred Stories,
which who fo credits is fairly difpofed to credit the Fable of
Tom Thumb. And our Ignoramut would perfwade us that a
TertullianhhrntA a famous Phyficianof His time \_Herophi-
lui\ for diffedling Men 5 that the Romans held it unlawful
to behold the Entrails. That the Grecians, and difputing
Ages, were ignorant of Chymiftry; with many fuch un-
truths, which informe us of the dangers our approaching
Ignorance will betray us into. But my Animadverfions on
the Hijlory^ and PIns Ultra, will convince any Man of this
Affertion; fo that I need not tranfcribe the Difcourfe about
the Sweating Sicknefs, or what relates to theHero'S being
worfliipped with Temples and Altars. Let our Bravo boaft
as much as he pleafe of what Future Reply I may exped, I
Knoiv the Grand Queflions there Difcufled, are never to be
revived by Him, except he make fuch an empty flourifh as
this is. 'TismoreeafietotalkofFalfificationSjthento/'rtft'tf
them: S\i.ch Virtuofizs He couXddiO nothing, if they could
not talk: this pretended Experimental Philofophy is degene-
rated into Words, Lyes, or ftoln Experiments. That I may
give the World an inftance of that Impudence with which
Mr. demeans himfelf in this effort of a defpcratt
Ignorance, I fliall fet down what he replies to me about the
Deceitfulnefs of Telefcopes: the whicn Point I have fo de-
monHttiLted in oppofition to every particular affertion his, as
Tis undeny able. I added, that if Mr. Cro(je was in an error
there, that I was fure Mr. wasinthe fame: and I cited
the Place according to the Edition which I had then
onely
Fnf. y^nfve,
p. 176.
C52)
Oriely by me. " Let us fee upon what ground he built his conft.
" dence in thisif wfiancehy which he iinpugnes Telefcopes: Why
" M. Bojlc complains, that when he went about to examine thofe
" appearances in the Sun, called and Facula Solares^ he
"could not make the leaft difcovery of them in many Moneths,
and yet other Obfervators pretend to fee them every day; yet
" doth Mr. Boyle profeflTe that he neither wanted the cbnveniency
of excellent Telefcopes , nor omitted any circumftance requifite
to the Enquiry. Thus the Animadverter j and l;e»ce he is /ure
" that Mr. B. is in the fame Error with Mr. r. that Telefcopes are
fallachm. Let this be an inftance how this Swaggerer quotes An-
thors, and let the Reader look into the place cited from Mr.
Bojle: If he do he will fee that that Honorable Perfoii faith
" nothing there that tends to the proving the deceitfulnefs of Tele-
fcopes; much lefs that he believes xfiomfallacwtu. I have not the
Tranflation of thofe Bfajs^ but in the fecond Edition of
the Original Snglijh^ I find the Difcourfe to which Mr. Stuhhe re-
" fers, p. 103. Where the excellent Author imputes it mt to the
G/ajfes that he could not for feveral Moneths fee the (Jl facuU or
" FacuU Solares^ but feems a little to blame thofe ATironomers^^ftho
" have fo written of the Spots and more JlAning parts, as to make
" their Readers to prefame that at leafl fome of them are almoFt always
" to be feen there, which he conjectured was occafioned by their fo
often meeting fuch Phanomenain the Sm, ^ibidi\ B\xt thefe form?'
" ny Moneths our Learned Author could not difcover by his Ttij-
" fcopes-, not becaufe of thtit fallacmfnefs, but becaufe for fo m'any
" Moneths they appeared fo much feldomer then it feems they did before.
"Thefe are the Words of that Honorable Gentleman \_ubifup^
And now how doth it appear hence that Mr. Boyle is in the fame
Error about the deceitfulnefs of Telefcopes, with Mr. Crofs ? Is it
" fure that he thought thofe Giz&s fallacious, becaufe he could not
fee the JKacula and FacuU in the Sun, when they were not there ?
" What are we to expeCt from this Man in reference to the other
" Authors he cites, when he fo grofly and impudently mif-reports
*' fo known a one of our own, who is yet alive, and fees how ma-
licioufiy the Caviller perverts him ? I Ihall examine his carriage
to other Writers in my next Book j and in that, Ihew that moft
"of the Arguments he brings to argue the fallacioufnefs of Tele-
'■^fcopes, prove only the Diverfity and Changes of Mediums, and
of the Celeftial Phenomena, not the deceit of thofe Glafles.
- I have repeated Mr. Words at large, that the
folidity of my Anfwer may appear; for 'tis not my intention
to abufe the Reader with falfe Citations, or araufe him with
\ > great
(53)
great confidence grounded upon a bare Reference to an Au^
thor which he hath not at hand: thus thefe Firtuofi may pre-
poflfefs the unwary Into an ill Opinion of their A^:lverfar/es^
whereas they that know them as well as I do^ willfufpend
their AJJ'ent till more diligent enquiry convince them. Have-
ing intormed my Reader that this Book^ Ca[4finus^ Sir H.Sd-
fi/^Ledures, and many others, have no Index's, 1 proceed
to repeat the entire Difcourfe of Mr. Bojle out of the Edi-
tion my Antagonift follows, fag. 103,105. " Butto fay
" more of the contingent Obfeivations to be taken notice of ia
tryals Medical, I could tell you that I have obferved even Ma-
" thematical Writers themfelves to deliver fuch Obfervations as do
" not regularly hold true. For although it hath been looked upon
as their Priviledge and Glory to affirm nothing but what they can
" prove by no lefs than Demonftration 5 and though they ufe t*
be more attentive and exad then moft other Men, in making al-
" moft any kind of Philofophical Obfervations; yet the Certainty
" and Accuratenefs which is attributed to what they deliver, muft
*' be refiramed to vhat they teach concerning thofe furelj-Mathematical
*' Difciplines, Arithmetick^ and Geometry, where the affedions of
Qiiantity are AbftraCtedly confidered : But we muft notexpeCt
from Mathematicians the fame accuratenefs when they deliver
" Obfervations concerning fuch things wherein 'tis not only Quan-
" tity and Figure, but Matter and its other Affedions, that muft:
*'be confidered. And yet lefs muf this be expelled, when they
deliver fuch Obfervations as, being made by the help of material
Inftruments, framed by the Hands and Tooles of Men, cannot but
in divers cafes be fubjeB to fame, if not many Imperfellms upon their
" account. Divers of the Modern Aftronomers have fo written of
" the Spots and more fhining Parts, or (as they call them) Facula^
"thatappear upon or about the Sun, as to make their Reader,
" prefume, that at leaft fome of them are almoft always to be feen
"there. And I am willing to think, that it was their having fo
often met with fuch Phenomena in the Sun, that made them to
write as they did. And yet, when I firft applyed my felf to
*^the Contemplation of thefe late Difcoveries, though I wanted
" neither good Telefcopes, nor a dark Room to bring the Species of
the Sun into, yet it was not till after a great while, and a multi-
*'tudc of fruitlefs Obfervations made at feveral times, that I could
"dcted any of thofe Solar fpots, which having dured many
*' Moneths at leaft, appear'd fo much feldomer then it feems they
" did before, that i remember a moft Ingenious Frofeffor of A-
h ftronomy
"ftronoiny, excellently well furniflied with Dioptrical GlaiTes,
" did about that time complain to me, that for I know not how
" long he had not been able to fee the Sun fpotted. And as for the
" FacnU^ which are written of as fuch ordinary Ph<tmmena^ I mull
" profefs to you, Pyro^hllm, that a multitude of Obfervations made
with good Telefcopes at feveral places and times, whirH the Sun
was fpotted, has fcarce made me fee above once any of the fo
" look'd for BrightnelTes.
f " And as the nature of the Materia:! Objed wherewith the Ma-
^thematician is converfant, may thus deceive the Expedations
" grounded on what he delivers ; fo may the like happen by reafon
" of the imperfedion of the Inftruments, which he mull make
ufe of in the fenf.bie Obfervations whereon the mixt Mathema-
. ticks, (as Aftronomy, Geography, Opticks, &c.) are in great
" part built. This is but too manifeft in the difagreeing Supputa-
' Vtionsthat famous Writers, as well Modern as Ancient, have
' given us of the circuit of the Terreftrial Globe, of the diftance
and bignefs of the fixed Stars, and fome of the Planets, nay and
of - the heighth of Mountains : which difagreement, as it may
oftentimes proceed from the different Method, and unequal skill
" of the feveral Obfervers, fo it may in divers cafes be imputed to
the greater or lefs exadnefs and manageablenefs of the Inllru-
ments employed by them. And on this occafion I cannot omit
*' that fober Confeffion and Advertifement that I met with in the
" Noble T7c/?o,who having laid out, befides his Time and Induftry,
*' much greater fums of Money on Inftruments, then any Man we
have heard of in latter.Times, deferves to be liftr.ed toon this
Theam j concerning which, he hath (among other things) the
" following Faffage. Facile, faith he, lapfus aliquis pene infen-
•Jycha Brake, « fibilis in Inftrumentis etiam ntajoribus conficiendis fubrepit, q^ui
- ^ lib. 2. de Co- " inter obfervandum aliquot fcrupulorum primorum jaduram fa-
" ciat j infuper fi ipfe fitus & tradandi modus non tam abfoluta
" norma perficiatur ut nihil prorfus defideretur, intolerabilis nec
facile animadvertenda deviatio fefe infinuat. Adde quod inftru-
"mentaufu & aetate a prima perfedione degenerent. Nihil e-
" nim quod hominum manibus paratur ab omni mutatione immune
undiquaque exiftit. Organa enim ejufmodi nifi e folido metallo
" affabre elaborentur, mutationiaereae obnoxiae funt j & fi id quo-
" que datur ut e metaliica materia conftent,nifi ingentia fuerint, di-
vifiones minutiffimas graduum non fufficienter exhibent, dumque
# hoc praeftantj' fua magnitudine &, pondere feipfe ita aggravant,uf
facile turn extra planum debitumaut figuram competentem dum
circumducuntur declinent, turn etiam fui mole intradabflia
" red-
<c
xc
( 5«0 '
^ redduntui-. Q.uare magis requiritur in Inftrnmentis Aftronomi-
cis quae omni vitio careant conftrueiidis, artificium pari judicio
" conjundum, quam hadeniis a quamplurimis animadverfum eft.
Id quod nos ipfe ufus & longa docuit Experientiaj non parvo la-
bore nec mediocribus fumptibus comparata.
Out of this Difcourfe of Mr. Boyles, tis evident that He
doth believe that Mathematicians when they deale in thofe
Difciplines, which are not purely-Mathematical, but con-
fider Matter with its Figure, (^antity, & other AfFedi-
ens, are not fo accurate & certain in what they converfe
with, as in thofe other parts ofpure-Mathematicks; and
this is much leffe to be expedfed , when they deliver fueh
Obfervations as, being made by the help of Material Inftru-
ments framed by the hands and Tooles of men,Cannot
but in divers cafes be fubjed unto fome, if not many im-
perfedions upon their account. The AlTumption is eafyjViz.
But Opticks are a part of the mixt Mathematicks-, and the
Telefcopes are Material Inftruments framed by the hands
and Tooles of Men, andconfequently Cannot butindi-
vers cafes be fubjed unto Some , if not Many Imperfedi-
ons: Therfore in Opticks, and about Telefcopes, Mr,
Boyle doth not believe there is fuch a certainty as exempts
us from Fallacy; which is the thing now in C^effion. To
evince the deceitlulnclTe inmixt-Mathematicks, our ludi-
cious Author proceeds to inftance in the Spots and Bright-
neffes related by Scheiner, Galileo, & Zucchius &c. to be in
theSunne: of which thofe V/riters pretend to be foaffured
by reiterated Experiments, that they have defcribed their
Number, Figures, & determinate Motion, which they
moft regularly obferve. Mr. B. finds himfelf difappointed
upon inquiry, though made mw good Telefcopes, and all
other requifite circumftances obierv'd. And many fruitlefle
ElTayes paffed, before he effeded any part of his defigne.
He doth not fay. They W ere Not There: but
that Hee could not fee them of a long time; nor did the
PhcBnomenon then agree to the accounts of Scheiner,.
( Whom Zucchius doth juftify by modern obfervations. )
And to whatpurpofe was this difcourfe with Pyrophilus,
h z about.
'($6)
about the deceivablenefs of Optlcks, if he fuppofed his
glafles true,and that the fpots were abfent at that time f I
profefs I doe not underftand the coherence of the introdu-
dion with what follows, if he meant as Mr. Glanvilimpof-
ethonhim. What hath the variation of theobjed to doe
with this remafque of his^ Are mixt-Mathematicks & Op-
ticks deceitful, becaufe the Telefcopes fliew thofe MacuU &
facuU in the funne, when they are there, & omit them
when they are not there < Are our eyes fallacious when they
reprefent the objed accordingly as it alters ^ or would
not any man argue'hence for proof of their certainty.
I have fer. down the pafl'age faithfully, without chang-
ing an exprefllon, as Mr. Glanvil does.- and leave it to
every mans tryal, if he can impofe any other meaning
onthefe words, then that either the Telefcopesof thofe
fiLtia" 'u^"~ Aftronomers, or thofe of Mr. B. were fallacious. If
pZt'in schei- none can •, then is it true that He as well as Mr. Crojf'e
helieve that Opticks might deceive our judgements, &
turn ell"faUa- that Telefcopes were notfo certain as Mr. Chnvilhyts
cix. Riccioilis they are: As for what Mr. Glanvtl addes that he will
foiZ'c!"'iZ ^ that moft of my objedions to argue the fallaciouf-
^ IS* nefs of Telefcopes prove only the diverfity and changes of
the Mediums and ceieftialPhajnomena, not the deceit of
thofe Giafles, tis a vain Rhodomontade, and not to be
made good by one that is unacquainted with thofe ftudyes.
It is undenyably true, that Long Telefcopes lliew more
fpots then the morter: and that fome Telefcopes doe take
of thofe radiations which others doe continue: and tis no
leffe manifeft, that the moft judicious men doe complain
that the Telefcopes did deceive their Adverfaryes, as not
being good, whileft theirs did reprefent at the fame time
the fame objedt under a different phafis, 1 have demon-
ftrated this fo largely, that 1 need not purfue the difcourfe
farther: and whofoever reads what 1 have written, will
fee that Mr. Glanvil mikook himfelf in faying indefinitely.
That Telefcopes areas certain as our Eyes.- And that they
alter the objeds in nothing but their proportions. For this
Js falfe, except you limit the faying to fome Telefcopes
employ.
(m)
employed upon" fome objeds 5 nnd that here oti earth. And
if the ordinary Telefcopes ( againft which 1 have ailedged fo
many complaints) were as certain as our eyes, how comes
it to paiTe that fo many men differ about the celeftial phte-
nomena totally, betwixt whom there would be no dihlgree-
ment about terrene objedls. But if they were as certain as
our eyes (which I have demonftrated they are not hereon
earth) yet the employing of that only fenfe would never
affure us of what we fee. I remember not long agoe two
miles diftant from any town, in a dark ni^ht 1 obferved
fome thing on the ground that very mucli refembled a
glow-vvorme, but the light was not fo pale, and the
body feemed a little bigger. Being furprifed at this unu-
fual fight, 1 lighted from my horfe, and found the fup-
pofed glow-worme to be a piece of lighted Touch-wood,
which through the bedewed grafle had deluded me, a Baker
having fate down there to fmoak a pipe. 1 did then call
to mind that faying of Galileo, that notwithftandingall
our Telefcopes, twill be more eafy for us to conceive
tliat which is not in the Moon , then that which is. But
Heave the reader to compare both our writings, and judge
how fatisfadory his Anfwers are 5 and how foolifcly he now
defends the Letter of his ultra.
I will not anticipate my compleat anfwer by infifting upon
any more paflages of this nature; 1 addeonly that 1 did
long agoerequeft of Mr. clanvil^ that he would not give
me any trouble by multiplying of lies • for though 1 knew
that the refutation of them would be to my advantage a-
gainft him ,yet 1 .had too much bufynefs amidft my pradice
topurfueit. But neither his duty to God, nor regard to
the Miniftry (which fuffers in him ) could reftrain him from
thefe exorbitances. He hath promifed to be my Vassal p.
and VicTiME, if he doe not prove all hefayes againft
me: Yet 1 have demonftrated to the R. S. under a Not a-
ai E s HAND,that my Head is not Red*, thoughhe fay it. And
whereas he abufeth me for ftyling my felf in one book ,
Phyfitian to his Majefty in the Ifland of Jamaica j Iwas
honoured with that Title by the King, and as fuch receiv-
/ fapfofe he
means Old
Fool.
?38>
c4 i06^, at my goeing 'thither, Ms Majefty being graci-
oufly pleafed to fpecify in the warrant ( preferved in the
Signet-oflSce) that He Inte^jded Me For His Phy-
siTiAN There. 1 have colledled feveral more untruths
in my Anfwer, & intend to demand the performance of his
fo folemn promife •• If he fail not of his word, 1 will take
care he (hall live better, preach better, and write better.
One lye 1 muft now take notice of briefly, and tis this,
That Mr. Croj[e did hire me to oppofe our Eceboliusj
Pag. i8i'190. treating me at Bathe ^ and entertaining me divers
times at his Houfe with deare welcome, gain'd a perfon to
his refcue, who before contemned him. I doe profefs in
the firft place that my tongue was never guilty of thofe
expteflions he fets down. 1 never call'd him Old —nor
faid 1 would refcue the poor fellow. 1 did fay that 1 v^uld
refcue in great part the poor old man. And that he had.
been as it were afleep, orbujriedfor thefe 30 or 40 years
in the Country,and knew not the tranfadlions of the learn-
ed world. Neither doth He pretend thereto, as our igno-
rant Virtuofo does. But this doth not diminifli that rcfpedl
which is due to him as a Divine, and as fuch, not un-
learned, 1 have heard the B. of Chefter give him a much
greater charader then Mr. Glanvil allows him: and tis no-
torioufly known how eminent his repute was at Lincolne
College, and what efleem many honorable and under-
(landing perfons have for him. 1 adde, that He neither
hired me, nor treated me at Bathe^ except with one or
two bottles of wine ( for I did not Mne with him, ) nor
was lever but once at his houfe, where the entertainment
was fuch as the Village affoorded, and my unexpeded
, coming permitted; and then was the Book finiflied and
j almoft all printed. I never had the leaft Present from
him in my life; nor did 1 fee his Book till mine was all
finiflied,except what relates to the world in the Moon,
& a voyage thither, of which Mr. writes nothing
now, nor informs us where thofe wings are to be bought
that nwy fupply fo^uch as the flying poaches. 1 found
" " , ' that
'()
that moft of Mr. Crcfjes Book was perfonall ] and
I did not underftand what to conclude about fo different re-
forts as I met with about conference, till Hee, in whofe
houfe it was informed me, that all M-- Glanvill faid was not
true: and I am not yet convinced by the certificate, how if
was poflible for thofe to warrant the exa^nejfe & fincerity of
the relation, fince that the meeting was imfremeditated •, the ,
difcourfe without defigne , & defultory , & interrupted by
others that were there, and hath received much of inlar-^
gement in the writing beyond what was there fpoken. But I
leave that to their confidences , which if they beare any pro-
portion to that of M' , neither fliall M" Crofje^not
\ reputation that fuch perfons ut-
ter, or certify.
Upon occafion of what £cebolitts fayth 'concerning the
mercenarinefifie of my penne^ & that I was H i r fe d to this
performance; I /fhall fay in 'vindication of feverall others,
that I was neither at first put upom the work,
nor Hired thereunto by any. What Mr Glanvill fayth
Mr Croffe engaged me unto, Drji/^rrf?/-fayth the Ap o-
T H E C A R YES did BRiB E Me TO UNDERTAKE : bUC
there is as title truth in what that Virtuofio relates, as in the
reports of the Re it our of Bathe. Others of theR. S. have
told it publiquely, that I was incited unto it by feverajl Re-
'verend and Learned perfons in the Univerfityes. But neither
did any one there know |of it,'till I had undertaken the
worke, & writ fome of it. 1 /r)? acquainted the R.[S. and
after that, had printed & fliewed fome papers to their Rre-
fident, before I divulged them in either Uni'verfity : fo that
nothing of that report can bee true , except the Virtuoji doe
afrprehend jthat th^approhation & reception of my papers have
met with all are demonftrations that I was put upon i':
whereas this doth rather evince thegenerall odium they have
drawne upon themfiehesand !• could wifli theyf would
endeavour effedually to remove thofe umbrages ^ in which
I placed my cheifiefi firength 5 & I did prefume to finde all
intelligent perfons my abettours ^ but I^tooke my meafures
(6o)
from their common tntorefl not from any fpeciall affu--
ranees given unto me. There is another
unfortunate as to fuffer by their malicious intimations, as if
Hee had Hired me to the undertaking jbecaufehee was
io unhappy as upon another occafion to prefent me late-
LY with apiece of plate. There is not any courfe which I
fee thefe Firtuofi will not purfue thereby to mine me: twill
bee a confpiracy againft the R. S. fhortly for any one to em-
ploy me as a Phyfician and each Fee will be reported as a
Bribe, and the Donor efteemed as an enemy to the Experi-
mentall rhilofophers. Jhisis the Method they now take^fe
thereby imagine they Ihall deprive me of all commerce or
correfpondence with perfons of ^ality and interefi. How
generous & brave thefe contrivances are, how becoming the
name of a Roy all Society, how fuitable rather to a company
of Poltrons ^ I leave to the judgement of all mankinde.
It may not be amilTe here to profeffe that refped for the
Roy all Society which doth become me: I doe avow all jV/
ejleemeiox the Inptution-^ though I cannot rife fo high in
its commendation, as the Hijlorian: I think it might have
added to the glory of his Majejly, and beene of great advan-
tage to learning,hid the defigneso^ the Roy all Founder, and
tho^e perfons of Honour which joynM with it, been diligently
^prudently purfued. " Their purpofe being at firft, to make
*'faithfull records of all the works of Nature or which
" can come within their reach: that fo the prefent Age, and
pofterity, might be able to put a mark on the Errours,
which have beene ftrengthned by long prefcription: to re-
" ftore the Truthcs, that have laine negleded 5 to puHioii
"thofe which are already known, to more various ufes:
" and to make the way more paffable to whatremaines un-
"revealed. It was never my intention to detraH from the
laudable purpofes of my Prince, nor to derogate from thofe
of who were Honorary Members ofit:norto enter-
fere with any Learned men in it. But if a fort oi Comedians
under pretenfe thereof, doe overthrow that Education which
is neceflaiy to the Church & Monarchy, undermine the efta-
blifhed
()
bliflied Religion , and infuk over the Faculty of Phyfitians;
1 hope it will never Prejudice me in the favour of any Pa-
triot here to interpofe my felfe: nor will any ferious man
interpret the greateft teftimonies 1 can render of my Loy-
aky, conformity, and peaccablenefs, for fomany demon-
ftrations of the malignity of my temper, Hypocrify,and
finifter defignes. 1 have offered to defift feveral times,
would they but make fuch a declaration as the publication
of their Hiftory, and Mr. Glanvils books, hath made ne-
ceffary. If they will force me to extend the quarrel be-
yond feas, and acquaint forraigners with the abufes that
have been put upon ithem by a fabulous defcription of
the R. S. If 1 muft proteft againft this fort of Vtrt»oJi^
that the nation is not to be valued by their abilityes., or
performances: tis their default, not any contentionfnefs
in me. Would they be pleafed to contribute what they
ought to the repofe and tranquillity of theKingdome, lean
tell how to employ my idle minutes in more pleafingftu-
dyes-, and fuch as (hall have ieffe of perfonal hazard and
difquiet then what 1 now attend on, ^
1
A Letter
(^5)
A Letter to Dr, Henry More, i/t Anfrer to
that he Writ and ^Printed in
Mr, GhinwWs Bcokf ,
. e •
SIR,
Profefs that I read with a more than ufual furprife
Printed'LtXttr. I wondered at the Contents,and
I that yon fhould publifh any thing of that nature with-
out giving me notice of it: the long accjuaintance I
ISaSSSeeS have had with you, the wherewith I mention
you, and the place I hold in the efteem of a Family
which you honour, fhould have moved you to a more civil proce-
dure : and I muft reckon this deportment as a new Ethicks, which
if your Enchiridion teach, the World will not be much obliged by
the Author. When I was bufie in Animadverting upon the Hiftory
of the R. S, and Mr, Glanvil,yoxi happened to hf3X Ragley ■, and
upon fome incidental Difcourfe about the Virtuofi, I asked of you
How you could adhere to them, fince they had publiflied fuch
PafTages in their Writings as did overthrow our Religion ? That all
Ethicks would fignifie as little as thofe difputative ones of
Arifiotle o.nd the Stoicky, if that a. Mechanical would fup- ffiflor.R.
"ply in fome fart the ufual C^Loralitj, and have a ,furer efFedl in
the compofing and purifying of our thoughts, than all the rigid ' "
"Precepts of the Stoical, or empty diftindtions of Ferbate-
*' tick^ Moralifis ; That, if to pafs an hard Cenfure on the Religi-
" ons of all other Countries, be dijhonorahle ; certainly you were
cxtreamly to blame who had writ fo much, and fo feverely againffc
Fopery : That, if the Mechanical and Corpufcularian Hypothecs de-
ferve credit, all your late Documents about the World, tnat its Fha-
nomena were vital, and not CMechanical, muft be groily erroneous.
After the exchange of fome fuch rsords, you call'd for the Hiftory
it felf, and determined to read it more exadly over than you had
formerly : and as you perufed it, you affixed feveral marks (as 'tis
your cuftom) to the fides of the Book with your Leaden Pencil,
according as you approved, or difiiked them; the Book is yet to
be feen in the Library there, and the Paffages I animadvert upon
are there condemned by you ; You, your felf, was pkafed parti-
cularly to ftiew me the place, pag. 312. and to cenfure it, accord-
ing to what I fay, and indeed as became Erandfcm FaleopoUtanm
r<4)
to do. I told jdH that Mr. Glmvil did inform the World, that we
might ht fecure that the R.S. would no way endanger Religion, fince
fo many pious Clergy-men were Members of that Body •, amongfl:
which, Dr. Fl. More is recounted : But now it was apparent, that,
notwithftanding thofe venerable and worthy Ecclejiaflkks^ our fears
were not fo Panicky and caufelefs, as the Reilor of Bathe reputcth
of them. I urged you to renounce the R. S. and employ a Preface
of your next Edition of the Enchiridion Ethicum againft the Hi-
jiory : you e tpreflfed much of dif-fatisfadtion with the HiFlory,
and extenuated your admiilion into that SociHy,hy laying it on the
violent perfwafans of others j adding, that you fcldom came there,
though in London ; and did not pay any of thofe contributions ii'hich ■
are ufual in the UhHembers thereof.l confefs,! was fo vain after fuch
Difcourfes,as to think that you might be wrought upon to teftific in
Print your dijfent, and you muft pardon me if f expedled no lefs
from a Man who pretends to fuch an mintereffed piety and Zeal, as
Dr. H. LMore. But I now perceive the injuftice of that Opinion,
that/o« are, as other Men, deceivable : you will rather not be a
Chrifiian, then no Platonifi j you will abandon Truth, to gratifie
your Pafffon •, and to preferve your Zany, moft barbaroufly en-
deavour to deftroy your Friend. All I faid of you, is this, " Dr.
" Moor, albeit a tJhLmber -of this Society heretofore (for he allows
nothing to it now) yet a phtts one, profefleth. That this Mecha-
Agaiuft Ok}}- " Philofophy doth lead to Atheifm ; neither would he approve
-w7/. pag. 173. "of thofe dedu(flions as h\xt ridiculotts, when I upbraid-
" ed him lately with that non-fen (teal and illiterate Hifbory. — Thefe
are the Words that foexafperated you, and raifed in an Hjpochon-
diac fuch Fumes as to blinde his Reafon, I fay, that you were a
Member heretofore of the R. S. but alhw nothing to it now; mean-
ing thereby, that in declining the Weekly contributions, you feemed
to have relinquilhed it; but I fay not that you had formally left it.
And you had ftujc "P®" your thoughts, when you made
that harjh refleElion upon me ; yet with that Mental Rcfervation,
which would better have become a fefuit, you urge me with that
fenfcf which the Conclufion will feem to found unto all Men at the
FIRST reading. Was not this Candidly done, when your Me-
mory (not half fo treacherous as your Heart) could tell you what I
etherwife meant, and had difcourfed of unto you,and which was not
gro/lj fdfe.
' Kcither
(6?)
Neither is thit ^grtfs miFiahe in me, thattyou diarge me wlthall'
in thefecond place. "It is agrofsmiftake in hkn, that he looks
" upon that Mechattick^ PhUofophy which I oppofe, to be the Phikfo- ■
phjf which the Rojfai Society doth profess, or would fupport. '
Impudence it felf never uttered a greater Untruth, and it had bet-
ter become Mr. GUnvill, then Dr. More. I appeal to the Hifto-
ry,which Bore A^thentick^it I have elfewhere (hewed; & 'tis evi-
dent that the R. S, have not, nor mil be brought to renounce it ^ and
fince the Authors thereof may be prefumed to underftand the Prin-
ciplesof thtVirtuoJi, hetX.t'c Paetx Prancifcus PdaopolitmHs., liVid^xe
Secretaries of that Body., 'twere fo//y not to believe tk-w, but to en-
quire at or mthe Phllofophical Sorver, whdX the'^yal Society
profefs. " Dr. produced before the Society, an Inftrument Hift. R.S.
" toreprefentthe effedis of all forts of Impulfes, made between
two hard Globous Bodies, either of equal or of different bignefs,
and fwiftners,following or meeting each other j or the one moving,
" the other at reft. From thefe varieties arofe many unexpedled
" effeds •, of all which, he demonftrated the true Theories, after
they had been confirmed by many hundreds of Experiments in
" that Inftrument. Thefe he propofed as the Principles of all
nionfirations in Natural Thilofophy: Nor can it feem ftrange, that
thefe Elements ihouldbe of fuch UniverfalUfe; if we confider
*'that Generation, Corruption, Alteration, and all the viciffitudes
"of Nature.^ are nothing elfe but the effecftsarifing from the meet-
"ingof little Bodies, of differing Figures, Magnitudes, and Ve-
" locities This Paragraph doth not indeed confine Supernatu-
ral Producftions to the Rules of Mechanifm: But as for all the Or-
dinary Thanomena of the Univerfe, and particularly thofe of Gene-
ration, Corruption, Alteration, they are faid to be Tithing Elfe
butthe^jfe^f^arifing from the meeting of little Bodies, of differing-
Figures, Magnitudes, and Velocities j and the Principles of All De~
TKonfirations in T^tural Thilofophyy are recommended unto us to be
deduced from fuch Theories. Out of which it is manifeft, that they
fuppofe not onely that the Material part of every thing in the Cor-
poreal Univerfe is Body^ or Corpufcularian., but that the Viciffitudes
and Phanomena occurring therein, even in the Generation of Man^
are the refult of Corpufcles moving Mechanically: For if it be not
granted, that every part of the Corporeal Univerfe, or this great
Aggregate of Bodies, do move in certain Lines, according to the
determinate Figures thereof, and that without the Particular Con-
courfe of an Immaterial Incorporeal Being,putting fuch Corpufcles
into this or that Particular Motion, and continuing it therein Me-
ehanicallyf then doth the whole Syfteme of the Mechanical fPhilofo-
phy
I
(.66)
piy falls to the ground; and the Demonfirat'ms ceafe to be any long-
er fnch. The very Word Mechanlfm imports thus much ; it be-
ing an aliuuon to the conformation of Machines.^ wherein each part
contributes to the efFedt according to its Scituation, Size, and the
Geometrical Proportion it bears to the other Parts, of which the
Machine is compofed ; And if the Machine do not produce its ef-
fed entirely, by vertue of fuch a Geometrical frame^ we do not fay
th?itt\\zT>hanomenon\s Mechanical. Thus the Motion of a Water,
or Clock, when it arifethfrom its Fabrick purely, then it is Me-
ehanical; but when a Man doth wlnde it up-, 'tis not a Mechanical
motion, except it do alfo appear that Man is 2M0 Machine^ and
that what he operates at that tlme^ is purely Mechanical. 1 would
not infift upon this Argument from the denomlnat'on of the Thllofo-
■phy., if it were not manifeft that they that profefs it, did not defire
to be underftood fo : for the whole HjpotheJls of the Cartefians doth
depend hereon : and Sir K. Digby., in his Vegetation of 'Plants (a
Difcourfe made in the R. S.) as well as in his other Books, pro-
ceeds on thefe grounds: nor do thejy or any Mechanical' philofo-
fhers^ demand any more than that God fhould at firll create Mat'
ter in fuch a Quantity, fuch Parts, and fuch Motions, thereby to
folve all the gphanomena of Nature, without Specificating Forms,
Plaftick Virtues, or his particular Concourfe to the Adion, or Pro-
dudion in an Immaterial Way. Thus the floating Corpufcles of
Salt or TSfltrey are Mechanically., or by the Geometrical necefptj of
their own Figures and Motions, together with the impulfe of other
Corpufcles in the Air, Liquor, or VelTcI, ading in the fame Geome-
trical ffibordL-natlon of Caufes, precipitated and fized into their pecu-
liar Cryftals of Salt and Ti^hre: thus Plants arc faid to be Gene-
rated, and the adions of Animals produced, andaU the viciffitudcs
cf Nature to be NOTHING ELSE. And I am willing to allow
your Qiiibble, that this is the Mechanical Belief of credulh) ; bitt
you muft not go about to perfwade me, that .this is not alfo that
'Philofophy which is properly tjiiechanlcaf and which your Hifto-
rian doth aflert: You underftand not the ft ate of the G^eFtion., nor
what you have doncy or you prevaricate when you fay, that the Me-
chanical Philofophy you oppofe, is fuch a Mechanical one as pro-
fefieth. That matter having fuch a quantity of motion it haSy would
contrive it fe If into all the Phsenomena we fee in nature. For thefe Phi-
lofophers do not afcribe Prudence or Contrivance unto Matter, or
fay that Matter can Operate upon, or alter it felf, being both Agent
and Patient, butthat God hath fo altered the World, and fo con-
trived Matter and its Motions, that it runs into all thefe Thanomena
by
(<^7 ^ " .
by a Geometrical Keccfiity arifing from the Fabrick. Andupoa
this Philofophy you fpend your Arguments, and enlarge into this
Cenfure. "
Dr. Mo re'5 Cenfiire of the Cartefian and '
Mechanical Philofophy.
After he had exploded the Cartejlan T'hflofophj, by the name
of not onely pffietj/ L^techamcal, but of the Afechaml^ Phi-
lofophj^ which profefleth the Mechanical deducflion of Caufes
in the explication of the "phar.omena of the World, by an Hjpo-
thejis as clofe and nccefrary,as Mathematical Sequels : After he had
Charadiercd for a Perfon of thtgreatefi wh (for the ex-
traerdinary handfome femblance he makes of deducing all the Phx-
ncmena he has handled * neceflarily and Mechanically, and for hit- ® ^r. ytu flt^er
ting on the more immediate Material Caufes of things to an high
probability) arjd of the greateft Folly that ever yet trod the ftageQajfes,w/i€«
of this Earth; And he reputes him fo erreghm a Fool, becaufe he is yeufaid thu :
fo credulous, as not only to believe thathe nas necefTarily and pure- for miftook.
ly Mechanically folved all the "phammenci he has treated of in his "a
Philofophy and Meteors, but alfo that all things elfe may be fo /,« accomt of
folved, the Bodies of Plants and Animals not excepted. After he Tydes.
had pretended to have demonftrated not only that "Foj cartes mif-
took about Gravity, but that all Mechanical Solutions thereof are
impolLble, it being fo manifeftly repugnant to the confelTed Laws
of Mechanicks. The Dialogue is thus continued.
" Hjl. It is very true. vi'vine via-
" Cnph. That may feem aDemonftration forthe prefent, which
to Pofterity will appear a meer Sophiftical knot, and they will
-^'eafily feeto loofe it. ,
" Bath. I believe by the help of fome new-improved Micro-
^ fcopes.
" Fhilop. Nay, but in goodcarneft, O Cuphophron, (if you will
" excufe my freedom of fpeech) though I have not that competency
*'of judgement ia Philofophical Matters, yet I cannot but deem pr«-
you an over-partial Mechanift, that are fo devoted to the Caufe, ten/ions of foi-
as not to believe Demonftration againft if,till Mechanicks be farther
" improved by Pofterity. It is as if one would not believe the firft l\anica/iy,free-
" Book of Sticlid, till he had read him all over, and all other Ma- ly andjujliy ptr-
thematical Writers befides. For this Thammenon of Gravity \s firin£ed, ■
one'of the fimpleft that is, as the firft Book of Smlide one of the
eafieft.
Pror. 27.19.
(6S)
" eafieft. Not to adde what a blemifh it is to a Perfon otherwife fo
Moral and Virtuous, to feem to have a greater Zeal for the often-
" tation of the Mechanical Wit of Men, then for the maoifefta-
" tion of the Wifdom of God in Nature.
Sophr. Excellently well fpoken, O ThUopolis. As in 'yvater
^^face anfwers to face, fo the heart of man to man. You have fpoken
"according to themoft inward fenfe and touch of my very foul
" concerning this matter. For I have very much wondered at the
devotednefs of fome Mens Spirits to the pretenfe of pure Me-
"chanifm in the folving of the Phanomena of the Univerfe ,
who yet otherwife have not been of lefs pretenfions
to Piety andVertue. of which Mechanick pronity, I
do notfee any good tendency at all. For it looks more
" like an Itch of magnifying their own, or other Mens wit, then
" any defire of glorifying God in his wife and benign Contrivan-
" ces in the works of Nature; and cuts off the mojl powerful and mojt,
popular Arguments for the exiftence of a^T)e':tj, if the rude career
** of agitated Matter would at laft neceflarily fall into fuch a ftru-
(fture of things. Indeed, if fuch a Mechanical Neceftity in the
" Nature of Matter were really difcoverable, there were no help
" for it: And the Almighty feeks no honor from a Man's Lje. But
" their attempts being fo fruftraneous, and the Demonftrations to
the contrary fo perfpicuous, it is a mai'vel tO 77Ze, that
any men that are Virtuoujly and Pioufly difpofed.^
*'''Jhould be fo partially and zfciloufly affeSied.^
" in a Caufe that hath neither Truth, nor any hone ft 'Ufefulnefs in it.
Out of all which, as 'tis evident, that you undcrftood by Me-
chanical the fame thing that I do, viz. A Geometrical way of explain-
ing of the Phaenomena of Nature, according to matter and motion : So
k is nalefs evident, that you do abfolutely explode ft as having nei-
ther Truth, nor any Honejt Vfefulnefs in it. And it is no lefs ma-
nifeft, that yon do oppofe herelnihut Thilofophj which the R. S. do
profefs and would fupport: As appears by that Faftage I Animad-
verted upon in their HISTORY. Had not fome BASE ENDS, fome
particular indulgence to yom Zany, malice againft me, or inclinati-
ons to gratifie fome of the Virtuofi, tranfportedjoa, you would ne-
ver have writ as you do now. I fay, that you have refuted that Phi-
iofophy which ptoceeds upon pure t-Zfechanifm, in oppofltion tO
what
cc
dd
Viefl''
i-dd-
'fill
"or?
thoughi
place 0
of ah
battfiii
pififi, II
, piofeist
cxrrut
flotmuc
raiaJc
Ido.liii
liisAlkl
" tally c
' "greet
«T£C]
"eilf;
"er-ri
DOtklKI^
}MA
indeed,
lie is in
youre
Motio
ifftk
lor, in
& t]
Dtf*.
I ii^
CO®
ffiik'
foM
«lui
(«?)
wkafthe Rdjnl Sdcietji lays down iri their Hijiory,
View but your Antithefis, and blufhatyour Ignorance iu Logick,
It k a grojs miftakf in him^ that hee looks upon
that MechanickPhilofophy which loppofe.to be the
" Philofophy which the Royal Society doth profefs^
or would fuppcrt, it were happy for you, if the World
thought you Diftrafted, and that Bedlam^ not were the
place of your refidence. I fay, Touoppofe thjt Thilofophj-which the ^
%ojal Society lays dowrtin their HIAorj. You neither deny the Truth
of my Allegation out of the Hifiory^ nor that thej owned it ever:
but tell me. That 'tis not the Thilofophy which the%oyal Society doth
p-rofefs, rr would fupporf, If the uifiory be owned by them, they do '
profefs'r j If they do not, what 70a fayis not contradidory to my
averment. Lefs of "Blato^ lefs of Mathematicks (yet have you
not much and more of Logick, would have pre-
vented this,anda thoufand other miftakes in your Writings. What
I do Animadvert upon, is*the AlTertion at leaft of Dr. Sprat., and
his Afliftants; Your faith, that " fry is fofundamen- TlusHhray.
" tally ufeful a Science, that without it, we cannot in any good de-
"gree undenland the Artifice of the OMNIPOTENT; ARCHI-
"TECT inthe compofure of the great World, and our. Selves.
" 05ar was the excellent faying of Tlato-, and the V-
^ ^'-niverfe muft be known, by the y^rf. whereby it was made. I do
not know what can be more pofitive then this^ that God is an Omni-
potent ArchiteEl, and that he made the tVorld by Geometry. 'Tis News
indeed, that CREATION fhould.be a Geometrical procedure: but
he is inconfiderate in his Afiertions, and confequently the fitter for
your efteem. But.I adde, that Dr. p. wallis in his Difcourfe about d . Wallk,
Motion, gives this definition' of Afechanifm: MECHANICEN '"otu. p. i,
appello, Geometriam de motu, per JIAechanicen earn GeometrU par-
tern i-ntelligimHs, eyua MOTUM traClat, atyne Geometricis rationibtu,
d'7ro<tHKTtKa(, vnquirit, ^na, vi ejuifyue motm peragatw. This
Definition, as well as the Book, hath met with general approbation
in.the R. S. and agreeable thereunto, that Philofophy is Mechani-
cal, which proceeds to falve the Dhanomena hy a Geometrical dcdu-
dion of U^techanical caufesfuch 'tis that yoa oppofe -, but-that
whichyo« affert, and would infinuate for the R. S. as if it were al-
fo Mechanical, doth not deferve the name of Ltlfechanifm: you
equivocate therein, as you do in all this enterprife againft me: and
wnen you feem in fFits, you do deny the conduA of the world
' k ^ te
Thine Via- KMecloamcal. v\t. The TnmorS.ats of the World are not
" Mechanical, but Spermatical or Vital ^ not made by rubbing and
" filing, and turning and (having, as in a Turner's or Black-fmith's
" (hop, but from fome univerfal Principle of ^nwar^i Life and MO-
"TION, containing in it the femin'al Forms of all things, which
therefore the TIatonijls and Tjthagorems call the .great hly©-
"(rTt^f^arirtif of the World. Can any man read thefe Faf-
. fages , and imagine that Dr. More would be efteemed an abettor of
Mechanical Thilofophjf., and not an Oppofer of it. I think I may
' fecurely acquiefce in my Citations, fince they are fo well grounded:
but to (hew that there is nothing fecure from the attempts of Itn-
pudence, or the ignorance of fome of thefe give me leaVe to
reprefent unto you the following Words. " I believe indeed moft
of us, I am fure my felf docs conceive, that Generation, Cor-
" ruption, Alteration, and all the Viciffitudes of Corporeal Nature,
" are nothing elfe but Unions and Diflblutions (I will adde alfo.
Formations and Defonnations) of little Bodies or Particles of
" differing Figures, Magnitudes, and Velocities. But this thus
bounded is not the Mechanic!^ ^hilofojihy, but part of the old TJ-
^ thagoric^, or Mofaick^ "Phllofophj, fo far as I can fee by any Hijh-
*'>-7. So that 'tis very unskilfully done of your Antagonift, to
*' bring me in as oppofing, or clafhing with the Rojal Society in a
" thing of this great Confequence, and fo to make them Patrons
" of that, which neither Sound Philofophy, nor True Religion can
allow. — Dr. More, I have been heretofore Friendly unto you,
I fhall not give you now the advife of an Aderfary^ but hafte into
the fiate of filence, or henceforward crufl over the prefent vehicle of
our foul-with the habit of a Madman, and attire your felf in that
whenfoever 7o« come into company. I dare fwear not one
of eminence in the R. S. will oron this Thilofophy at all •, and not any,
ihzt'xxs Mechanical. Your Formations and Deformations are two
.canting terms, equal to any of the Teripateticky, and becoming Hip-
-pocrates, Tlato, or Severinpts Danm, and not a Virtuofo. Here is
notone Word to tell us wherein the Cffwetr; of the OMNIPO-
TENT ARCHITECT doth confift,nor how thofe Vnions and Dif-
folutions are performed. What will Dr. Wrens Hypothefis about
the rules and meafures of motion fignifie in your Syfieme ? What good-
ly Principles of Demonftrations in Natural Philofophy will there
be, when an Jmmaterial Deity, adingby the power of his will, or
a Spirit of Nature muft bear a part in the Deduhions ? But where is
my unskilfulnefs in bringing you in as oppojite to the R. S. you tell me
what you conceive, and what you believe they do: but fince, you do
not make the laft evident againft w/ prefumptms, and the Letter of
^ " the
^70
the Hiflorj; *tis unskilfulnefs in you to conclude toperemftorUj^ and
not to reminde that Caution I gave to fuch Finuofi as you, to for-
bear all Conjunfiions caufal, or illative. I now hafte to that Re-
mark with which/<?« conclude this PafTage, viz. That neither any
found philofophy, nor true %eligion can allow of that Hypothejisy,
which though it allow the Creation, folves all the fhanomena of Na-
twxt Mechanically. They are redevable to7<7« for this 5 and
vindication of them, fignifies as much as when/oa talk of the
Learning and Eloquence of Dr. Sprat-, or the Parts, Judgement and
Vertue of Mr. GlanvilL.
Your lall Exception againftme, is,,That I (hould fay, Tou did not
approve of thofe 'Deduilions of Dr. Sprat, as necejfary, but ridiculous.
I fhall recite your Words, becaufe as ferious as the Cafe is, l ean
afprovt of them Oi ridiculous. Which Dedudlions,.
" fays your Antagonift, I would not approve of as Necejfary,but ridi-^
culous: Truely, if I had faid fo, I fliould have made my felf W-
"dlculous -, for how could I approve of Dedudiions, efpeciallyin
" fo ferious a.Point, as, or ^uatenus RIDICULOUS for there is
"no man, let him be never fo Pious, unlefshe be a Fool, that can
approve of Dedudtions for their being ridiculous in fo ferious a
" Caufe. But it feems he having a mind to monopolize all the Wit
" in the World to him felf, is content to repute me for Pious, fo he;
"may remonftrate me to all the World to be a Fool, and fuch as.
" he may play the Fool withal, as. he has done in all this Page you
" have pointed unto me. — I might here excufe the Wording of"
tliat PafTage by my own hafte, and the diforders which happened
in the Printing, the fenfe intended by me, being, that you did not-
approve thofe DeduEHons to be necejfary, but efieemed them as ridicu-
lous; and that this was my purpofe, is fo manifeft, that all that you
fay is but the Cavil of an angry Hypocondriacks-, and who is alfo fo caius LC. de.fi-
ignorant, as not to know there is a fort of ZEUGMA, wherein the nit, ejl fubdola,
latter part of the Sentence is not conftrued, nor related.with the rati*,yum con-
preceding "Verb, but depends upon another, which is to be under-
ftood according asthc feufe TCquires. This, and much more di tamen caufd-
you will learn in Greeks and Latine, when you and fome others of
the R. S. are provided of an able Scbool-mafter. I meet with
very evil %etributions for all my kindnefs to fome of your Friends;
that motion for to fupply/fl^ with an able Antiquary and Gramma-
rian, might have become the beft of your Adherents'.,
had it been mentioned feonerj and the Propofal took effect, H.O.
k z an^.
(72)
and Mr, GlanvUl^ D^'Sprat ^ Dr Merret ^ had YOU, and not
committed fuch childifh errours, as you ninne mw into.
But, you grant " you might approve of thofe DediKfiions as
fnimh & plaujil?le , though not as neccflary, but foraething
of a luhnco'As and riodtfull afped : but you know very M^ell ,
you could not approve of them as ridicuiow. Here then , raoft
argute Hypochondriackj, lyes the Ojtefticn, whether it be pojflble
for a man to approve of any pajfage as ridiculous where the fubjebb
is feriom ? And for the proofe hereof I do referre my felfe
to all that have read Hudybras, whither ferious fubjeEls are not
debated by fuch deduHions ^ sxs xn2en will approve of
as ridiculous , but not as ferious. 1 have in the Cabbala, which
ffopfxriifcbim you fo .admire, read a ihoufand deductions which I could ap-
Bechinath.p-6-^. pj-Qve ^f as ridiculotts. Such is the Gematria of Shilo expounded
to be the tJ^Ieffiah , becaufe the letters of both- words make up the
fame numbers 358. fuch is that argument oPthe. worlds be-
ing created in September related in Schickard j That every mans
foule muii animate three bodjes , is prettily proved in that Adam's
name confifts of three letters in the Hebrew., viz. A. D. M. & from
thofe three Letters tis likcwifc dcmonfirated that the foul of y4dam
muft animate David, and the CMeJfiah^ becaufe that after A foL
lows D. and then A/. And A. Cyprian's rcaPon is no lefle pleafant,
when he proves that Adam was made up out of the four quarters
of the earth , becaufe the initial Letters of the foure quarters of
the world in Greeks doe make up his name ? AAdpL. AfaloKi,, f uV/?,
d^xjos, ixttrfsSfiu.. In your worfs. Dr. More, efpecially 3/our Cabbala
I can finde an infinity of paifages which upon no ether account
gain my approbation. They are pleafant inftances of folly difport-
ing in paralogifmes. You colleCt out of Des Cartes and other Dhilofo-
pdoers what your phanjy approves,^: this you reprefent for a Mofaical
Cabbala., and prove it thus, In the Expounding c/Mofes, J think^I
tfef of the Phi- this down for a fafe principle, that there is no confidera-
lof'clklala. ' in Efatureox divinity, that Mofes was ignorant of, and
p. 138. fo if it be found agreeable to this Text [^by any diftortion ]] J may
very well attribute it to him. At leaFt the Divine wifdowe wherewith
Mofes was infpir'd, prevents all the inventions of Men. Having laid
down this principle whatever chimaras the imagination of Des
Cartes furnifhed you with, or the myfterious non-fenfe of the Pla-
tonifis and Dythagoreans, you prefeiitly impofe upon the Sacred
Text, and demonltratc them thus—Hee that is but a little acquaint-
cd with French D.hilofophy underflands the bufinefs plainly. As in
138. cafe of the cre/e/yzWwrfrfe'r---"for the celeftial matter doth confift of
"two diftinguifhable parts, to wit the Element, and the
l^condjOr the Materia fubtilijjmajs. the rownd Farticles, as I have al-
ready
(75) _
*^-ready intimated.out of 1>es Cartes.— Thus for the 'ahov~e
*' which are mentioned in Genejis \ thefe are the feminal formes; the
^-'.^jthagoreans COLW^Athcm '^^^Ides ox 'rvater-njmphs.V^\\<ttcio-x the .y, ^ ^
*' water]/ powers ( as Porphyrists alfo calls thefe T^jmphs ) it is not at' " '
"all harfh to conceive, that they may be here indigitated by the
name of ZJpper-waters. See Porphyrins de antro Id.ympharum.
kxt not thefe goodly deduEims } All you fay there almoft )row »?£■<?
gaines no more then the approbation of Ridiculous. But I thinke it
highly concernes the Church and Mag'flrate to put a ftoppe to the
further publication of fuch extravagancies., whereby the authority of
the Scripture is difparaged, and only a Truth of appearance allowed
to the^mpr^r^, whileft the Platonickj and Pythagoreans tixc avow-
ed to retaincthe trueSenfe and Hypothefs of the Creation. Thys you
remove at once the credl-t of the Scripture and r.hole Church, and by
giving fo great advantages ta the Pythagoreans and Platonifis, en-
danger the rejedlion of the whole Bible in comparifon of that FhU
lojophy, which is the moft ridiculous of rf//, and the moft oppofite
to chriftianity. Inftead of the Law and the prophets, you alledge
Pythagoras, Tlotinus, Porphyrias, and I may'juftly retort upon
you , Hahes Pythagoram pre C^Pofe,pro prophetis Platonem, pro Paulo
Torphythm. Methinks the mention of porphyrias fhould fill you
withhorrour: No man ever writ fo bitterly'againft the Chriftlan
religion : Thirty Fathers, areliiidto have writ againft Him^ His
Books were every where deftroyed by Them, nor had this Antrum
CTjmpharumheen tranfmitted to us , but that an unhappy cafualtj
prefcrved it under the name of Makhus : The fathers, Eiifebius,
Theodoret, and S. ]ero7ne fpeak not of Him but with deteftation :
Ojuibus religio fuifevidetur mmen Porphyrii abjcyue execratione propo- Hoifen..
nere : And when the Chriftian Emperours would make the Arians .^itd
compleatly odious, they commanded them" to be called porphyriani. Script, porphy-',
He was either the Author or encourager of the perfecutions under
Diocletian and Decius\ that party were the Worft Adverfaries
that ever Chriftianity had : thofe names you reverence axe no other
then Hierocles, lamblicus, Amelias axidpl'otinas. Twas that Pytha-
gorical Philofophy which gave encouragement to the Ethnick Ido-
latry and Magick: twas that Philofophy whereby 'Julian the A-.
poftate did juftify Paganifme, and thofe of that fedl were princi--
pally carefied by Him above any Peripateticksor Stoicks, as Ma-
ximus, prifcus, and Chryfanthitfs. . "Eade caufa Platonicis va- cog.lHham"
" cabat \ulianus, quia ejufmodi philofophia faciebat ad ad c. 15.
facrifcia, artifpicinum , augur alia, quorum omnium fuit ftudio-
"/iffimus. That peftilent Pythagorifme produced thofe Seds of
$imonians, Yalcntinians, Marcionifts, Gnofticks, Maniches3 and
" . what
Cn>
• f , . .
wliafc tfoubfes Orl£eit did occafion in the Church, "ttrhat divifions
and Herdies ilTucd from Him, and his way of expounding Scri-
pturc, is a thing fo notorious upon record,, that f am amazed to fee
that Dr. More's works fliould meet with a Licencer, and not rather
the Author, and his Zany GLANVIL fmke under Ecclefiafiical
Cenfure^. The commendations by which You in the conclufion
of the Fhllofophick^Cabl'ala^Vi&zzxtTJthagorasa.wd.hxsfQWowtTS to
the eftcem or all men,are fuch as may betray the Unwary to believe
them True: though to afcertain you one thing, I believe never did
man more Abufe Hiftory, Argue Worfe, or le^e mderfiand what he
faid^ then Tm doe. And twas w^otxthat conjideration I gave you
the Elogy of PIOUS, but not of Learned ; This was the matter
that exafperated Youj To be PIOUS, was no Characfter for a
VirtHofo'j to undeceive the world herein you refolved to turne
Lyer JI did not without fome- fcruple give you that other Title ; I
doe now Recal it. You Wonder that any man of fiety and Virtue
Ihoufd owp the Mechanick.philofophy^it being fiich as no True re-
ligioncan allow of : yethave jaghtd in favou of them that d oe^ znd
endeavoured to oppofe Him that had with fo much peril contcfded
therewith. You mention with Praife for Virtu&and Learning thofe
that have AlTerted it.. I lhall here reprefent unto the world
your Harangue in behalf of Des-Cartes..
" The unmannerly Superftition of many is fuCh, that they wilt
" give more to an accuftoraed Opinion, which they ha\ e cither ta-
ken up themfelves, or hath been conveyed unto them by the confi-
" dence of fome Tpriva-tc Theologer, then to the Authority of either
Pwhago- " Churches, tVorkers of Miracles, or what is beft of all, the
rjs,tfw/Erape-" fohd Reafons that can ^ propounded j which if they were
docks, A-capable of, they could not take ofFenfe at my admittance of the
h^hdidMira-« Cartejian Philofophy into this prefent Cabbala. The Principles,
^ " and the more notorious Conclufions thereof, offering themfelves
" fo freely, and unafFe<fIedly, and fo aptly and fittingly taking their
" place in the Text^ that I knew not how with judgement and Cow-
" fcience to keep them out.
" For I cannot but furmife, that he has happily and unexpedfcd-
" ly light upon that,which will prove a true reftauration of that part
" of the Mofaical Philofophy, which is -ordinarily called Natural',
" and in which 'Pythagoras may be juftly deemed to have had no
" fmall infight. And that Des'Cartes may bear up in fome likely
" equipage, with the fore-named noble and Divine Spirits, though
" the unskilfulnefs of Men commonly acknowledge more of Su-
" pernatural Affiftance in hot unfetled Fancies, and perplexed M"e-
^lancholy, then in the cainaand diftintt ufe of Reafon j yet for
" mine
C75)
** mine own part (but not without fubmifllon to better judgements)
■" I fliould look upon Des-Cartes as a Man more truly infpired in the
knowledge of Nature^ then any that have profelTed themfelves fo
this Sixteen hundred Years: and being even ravilhed with admi-
ration of his tranfcendent Mechanical Inventions for the folving
tHae. fhanomena 0^ the World, I Ihould not ftick to compare him
." with Be^akel and Ahol'mb^ thofe skilful and cunning Workers of
abernaclewho, as Mofes teftifies, were filled with the J/Jt-
ritofGody and they were of an excellent underftanding to findc
" out all manner of curious Works.
" Nor is it any more Argument, that 'Des Canes was not Infpi-
" red, becaufe he did not fay he was, then that others are infpired,
"becaufe they fay they are : which to me is no Argument at all.
But the fupprefiion of what fo happened, would argue much
" more fobriety and modefty, when as the profefTiOn of it with fo-
ber Men, would be fufpecfted for fome fpice of Melancholy and
Diftra(ftion j efpecially in Natural Philodbphy, where the grand
" Pleafure is the evidence and exercife of Reafon j not a bare be-
lief, or an ineffable fenfe of life, in refpe(ft whereof, there is no
true Chriftian but he is Infpired.
I defire you would compare this PalTage with that Cenfure w"hich
you fix upon the whole Cartejlan Phtlofophj in your Divine Dla-
loguesy and tell me. How you will avoid the imputation of Levity
and Inftabilitie of Judgement ? How will you reconcile two J b dif-
ferent fentimentsi That He is in^lred in the knowledge of Nature y
And that He is a prodigy of Felly: That He hath not ^rmnfirated any
one Phaenomenon in Nature to be purely Mechanicaly but \v3.'Cn failed
every whe-re •. And, t)\zt He is to be compared (in your judgement) ro
Be^aliel and Aholiab , for his tranfcendent Mechanicall inventionSy vhine via-
whereby to folvethe Phacnomena p/ the World. I am confident the part, i.
World will condemn you with Blafphemy for that comparifon be-
twixt thofe infpired Artifans,and your Descartes: That they were
Infpired, the Scripture affures you; you have not fo much as pro-
bability to efteem fo of the other ; yet do you not flicks to compare
theMy and Him. Yon cannot but furmifethat Cartefianlfm will
prove a true reftauration of that part of Mofaical Philofophy,which
is ordinarily called You know not how, with Judgement
and Confciencey to exclude his Principles out of that Cabbala of
joursy which 7ou advance fo much'above the LettCT of thc
SacredtTord of God., as vVStf-ray/j tranfcendeth 'i!^9'o<rtfi/„troJu^sf.t0the
or Kjality exceeds Appearance. Confider Dr. M(wr, confider
whom ]9H thus celebrated; A manfo Infamops forj and Impudent 102,103,104.'
in
(1^)
in hisLufts, that he makes no other Apology for his Tranfgreffi-
ens of that kinde, then That he had Tiot vovpedChajlity?
So impious in his Metaphyficks, that he was condemn'd by
the Reformed Univerfities in Harderwick^ and Vtreck, as a
^PefUlcTlt Writer .* his whole philofophy prohibited to
be Taught or Defended in Le'jden dSid. Herhorne. Takenotke
what Chiradler you have impofed on the Papifts, and remember
Jac. du Bois withall, that Des Cartes your AlHmbrado^ is of that number. 1
m prafat. aAu muft proteft unto you, that the ferious Animadverfion upon thefe
Wittichmm. Pafiages of jows^ makes me fcrupnlous how to allow Dr. More the
Attribute of PIOUS: and my doubts multiply upon me, when I
obferve that you deduce your Cabbala from the Pythagoreans^ and
relie more on the myfteries of their members, then the plain Text,
and Authority of theUniverfal Church. You dignifie Tjthagoras
fo far as to afcribe unto him " a power of Working Mir a-
cleSf as Mofes and the fucceeding Prophets did; which skjJl
(dare yon to call it S.hill! ) Empedocles^ Syittrenides, and Abaris
having got, they grew fo famous, that Empedocles was fir-named
* *' Alexanemw 5 Ep'menides^ Cathartes ; and Abaris^ lEthrobates, from
" the power they had in fuppreffing Storms and Winds,in freeing
" Cities from the Plague, and in Walking aloft in the Air: which
^^skjUinahlcdT'/thagoras to vifit his Frieuds after that manner at
Metapontium, and TatiromeniHm in one and the fame day. You
reprefent Plato as a Divine man for Knowledge, and Vertue:
though it appear other wife in the Records of his Life: and Plotlnm
muft be Sainted, though he were a Magician, though he ftiici
Chriftianity BctfCxfov ToKy.YipLA, and blamed Origen for defending it.
Good God] How far doth prejudice tranfport you ? How different
• are your Sentiments concerning thofe men, from what the Fathers,
and the moft Authentick Records of Hiftory, relate about them ?
Thofe that jou alraoft Idolize, were no others then Idolaters- and
Sorcerers; and fidiantht Apoftate is redevable unto Ur.C^lore, for
aihgning them a better Qualification. Thus Ptotinus and Dr. More;
Tor-phjrttts and are.mutually ingratiated; and the Crea-
tion better explained by the Allegories of the Platenifis, then the
APofaical Writings in Genejts. T finde that S'mpMm denies the
Scripture to be of Divine Authority, becaufe it is Erroneous a-
bout the Original of the World^: *Tis granted by our C'abb.alips !
And if we extenuate the Affertions of Godis pvordj from concluding
us in matters of Natural Philofophy, and Aftronomy, How fhall
we any longer rejedl the Alcoran, and Talmud, for Errors therein ?
With what juftice fhall we deny thciu the benefit of that excufe,
which
(77)
wfiich we make ufeof our felves ? But I finde my felf to enlarge
beyond the defignes of a Letter: I befeech you, Sir, to follow that
advife I have heretofore fuggefted unto you j Confult Books, and
not your Phanfy *, enquire better into the Foundations of the Cab-
baUy and the repute you give to the Pphagorical Philofophy ; you
will finde after a better Scrutiny, then your narrow Reading as yet
qualifies you for, that your Confidence is but weakly fupported,
and that upon prejudicate Opinions you defert the Sacred Text,
and obtrude upon us your own Conceits for Mofdcal; and with
greater Impudence then any 7eTVy you obtrude for fuch what you
never Received as fuch; And lay down this, extravagant pofition: Defenft of the
" In the expounding of Mofesy I think I may lay down this for a fl^i^sfoph. Caki
" fafe Principle, that there is no confidei-able truth m Nature or F- ^38.
Divinity, that Mofes was ignorant of j and fo if it be agreeable
to his Text, I may attribute it unto hinii At leaft the
" Divine wifdom wherewith jWoyij was infpired, prevents all the In-'
" ventions of Men. — By this Rule, it is impoffibte fe>r any
thing confiderable to be newly invented: neither need We conteft
with the FiVfOT/ whether one of theTOOy or a Peripatetkk.were Aiu
thor of this or that j 'tis certain Mofes was acquainted with every
thing confiderable, and the Spirit of God, which infpired him, doth
prevent all the difiov-eries of Men. Thus you attri-
bute to Mofes the Opinion that the Earth k a Planet. Id.Ibid.p.131
*'For, as! have elfewhere intimated, jvft/ej' has been before-hand
" with Carte fins.- The Ancient Patriarchs having had Wit, and by
" reafon of 'their long lives leifure enough, to invent ascUrious
" and fubtile Theorems in Philofophy, as ever any of their poftc-
" rity could hit upon, befides what they might have had by Tradi-
"tion from Adam. — Moft excellently argued, a pojfe ad effe.
Thus you make the Three Elements of Des Cartes to be Plainly p. lo
Dijiingtdjhable parts in the Matter firfl: Created. And when you
Write again, the Elafticity of the Air, audits ponderoufnefs, will
at leaft become Ingredients in your Cabbala y and the Authors are
obliged unto youfti you do not attribute the BarometerfThermometery
and Air-pumpy &c. unto the firft Patriarchs, who had fo much wit
and leifure. Did ever Madnefs arife to fuch a heighth ? or was there
any man who more grofly transformed Scripture into a Nofe of
Wax. Sir, you will pardon me for being earneft with you in a cafe
of fuch importance : I vould believe joUy but that in fo doing, I
Ihould dilTent from God Almighty. I was inclined to believe you
were an Hypocondriacky and that your Opinions were not the refult
of'yowt judgment y but of your temperament y h'JXyou havenoPnter-
1 vals:
(7^)
vaU : and in the explication of your Preexlflence, you make the
Bible not your %rHe , but Fretence: and what you have ajferted and
eonfented unto in the CWcA, you regard not in comparifon of the
T^jthagorkal Tenets. Give me leave to tell you, that where the
Foundations of Government are diflToIved, there can be
no'B'ietj. Our Laws oblige you to the 39 Articles; a.TxdiTheyto
the Scripture : if fuch GloflTes be put upon them, 'tis in vain to
expeft that any thing can blnde^ or that the ABof ZJniformity c^n
take place : It is much better that fuch at you were call out of the
Churchy then continued in ; and an open enemy were better then fuch
a friend. It concerns the Parlament to look after fuch Latitudina-
riansy and if what your Apologift faith, may take place. That
men by no Frofejfwns or Suhfcripions are obliged
further., then not to contradihdthe Articles of Reli- '
gion • ah England will foon be Diftraded with variety of Dpi-
nions, fomc not crediting half fo much as others; and an Expla-
nation muft be made of the Words Affent and Confent.
Sir, Thefe Confiderations do allay very much the efteem I had
for your Piety; and I afeertain that if you will pardon me this
time, I will not give you a fecond caufe of that nature for Exce-
ptions. And I am the more refolute herein , becaufe I finde you
thus interpofing in the behalf of Men whom no Propofals or Sup-
plications of mine have been able to reduce unto a Declaration,
concerning thofe controverted Taints in the Hiflary : and you arc
pleafed fo to intereft your felf, as to maintain Untruths concerning
them, and to inodiate me moft malkiouflyy who threw my felf upon
the adlion without any other expectation then that of Certain Ru^
Had you had any fenfe of piety\ had the Divine life fixed in a
Divine body (and tranfcending dry Rjafon, in the guidance where-
of, a Man fhould either immediatly feel and fmell out by an holy
fagacity, what is and true, mdwhztfalfe a.ndperverfe ; or at
leaft, he fhall ufe his reafon aright to difcover it;) had this fwayed
in youy LMy Undertaking had became Dr. LMore: But fince your
Adiions are a greater evidence againft you, then any fpeciout JVords
can be for pu, fince Mr, GlanvUls honour is dearer unto you then
Truthy ^LXidtht Church of Snglandy I do conclude with this advife,
that inftead of a new Enchiridion Metaphyficumy you would write
a retraUion of your Printed Worksy and leave off to play, as it were,
at Boe-peep with Atheifm, by defending Chriftianity with ridiculous
Arguments. When the Mankhees, thofe Fythagorick, iXiid cdbalifii-
cal
T7P)
'(f<«^Chriftians did arifc and oppore Orthodoxy^ even ^lodetitm did
make a Law, Nequit religionem Chrifiianam deterioribtts religlonlbus
'impugnaret.
Sir, Your complyance with this Suggeftion, will
very much oblige me to be
jVarwick^ 2{ov. 3 0.
1670.
Your humble Servant,
Hen. Stfibbe.
lio
a-'
J
I'.'
'POSTSCRIPT.
A
y
, POSTSCRIPT/ ■
Sir
TO requite tlie intelligence give mebfthe
ridion Metaphyjicum, and ot your gallant performances^
and Experiments oit\\Q Virttiofi^ to be difcovered there-, I
fhall requite your kindnefs, with fomewhat you may impart
from me to your Correfpondents. liintend next terme to pub-
lifh my full A nfrver to your Ecebolm: & an Appendix con-
raining the Standard of Latine^Eloquenceor\ M. Glanvill'se-
piftle to the Clergy of Sommerfet.-Come papers of ^[.Henry o/-
denburgh ^ the Secretary & Vindicator of the i?. asalfo
fome. Letters of Ortuinus a renowned Virtuoso of Germa-
m J whofe epifiles were written a little before the time that
the Royal Society propofed firft the transfufton of blood:
There will be alfo the Travailesofanotherr/rr«i?/f5who paft
over the River Tanaiszx. Mentz,^ aud in a Gallery faw the
twelve CafarSy viz. jalipts Cxfar^ Aug'UjtUs^ Afiflides^ The-
miftocles ^c.He travail'd with my Lord Arundel to Vienna:
and 1 may as well reckon thefe for Virtuof, as T H E Y doe
others ior Lohe inventoursy and of the i?. 1 have alfo a
Treatife concerning F— and Fi—in agitation, like to my
Lord Bacons Hifioria 'ventorum: 'twil b^e of great improve-
ment to experimental Philofophy and Phyfick ^ but iome Try-
Mis in confort 1 muft recommend to ywj^/f^^Tjand fome ex-
periments about Belching to Dr. More. 1 have fome propo-
fals of imbodying thefe Meteors of the Microcofme into V E-
H1 C L E S, and to try if it will give any lightfor the pro-
ducing that divine temper of body, which is requifitefora
Pythagorean and Cabbalift: oblige me by putting this into
your Hint-box.
FINIS.