The Whole WORK Complete.
To which is Added The AUTHORS TREATISE OF Nature and Grace: BEING A Confequence of the PRINCIPLES contained in the S EARCK Together with / His Answer to the Animadversions upon the Firft Volume: His Defence againft the Accusations of Monfieur De la Ville, &>c.
Relating to the fame Subject.
All Translated by T. TAYLOR, M. A.
Late of Magdalen College in 0 X F 0 R D. The SECOND EDITION, Corre&ed with great ExaSinefs.
With the ADDITION, of A Short Difcourfe upon LIGHT and COLOURS, Communicated in Manufcrtyt to a Perfon of Quality in E NG LA N D; And never before Printed in any Language.
LONDON, Printed by W. Bowyer, for Thomas Benhet at the Half-Moon, and T. Leigh and I W. Midwinter at the Kofe and Crown, in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1700.
J\ohm SiXt'Y THE TH E Mind of Man is, as it were, by its Nature fituated between its Creator and Corpo- . real Creatures -, nothing, according to * St. Aujiin, being above it but GO D, nor be- ^nihW eft neath it but Body. But as the great Elevation it obtains above all Material Beings, is potentiu's no hindrance to its uniting with them, and even to its Depending, after a fort, upon ailIa creatit- Piece of Matter -, fo, notwithftanding the infinite diftance between the Sovereign Being and thera,.qu*j. • "Humane Mind, the latter is immediately and moft intimately united with the former. This laft ^r'rado-1" Union exalts the Mind above all things 5 'tis this which gives it Life and Light, and all its Hap- nalis, nihil pinefs: And of this Union it is St. Aujiin fpeaks in very many Places of his Works, as of that ef* fubIi-. which is moft Natural and Effential to it: On the contrary, the Union it has with the Body ex-mi-uris:9U]C" tremely debafes it, and is at this Day the Principal Caufe of all its Errburs and its Miferies. $am 3H* tor eft. fr. 23; in Joan. ' Quod rational!.anima melius eft, omnibus confcentientibus, Ceus eft. Aug.
I do not wonder that the vulgar part of Men, or that the Heathen Philofophers mould only confider in the Soul its Relation and Union with the Body, without acknowledging any Union or Relation that it has toGOD: But I admire that the Chrifiian Philofophers, who- ought to pre- fer the Spirit of GO D to the Mind of Man, Mofes to Ariftotle, St. Aujiin to any wretched Commentatour upon an Heathen Philofopher,ihould regard theSoul rather as the form of the Bo- dy, than as made in and for the t Image of GOD; that is, according to St. Aujiin, for Truth • f Ad i> to which alone She is immediately united.:Tis true, the Soul is united to the Body, and isfamimuii- naturally the Form of it •, but 'tis likewife true, that fhe is united to GO D in a much ftri£tef tudinem.. and more effential manner. The Relation fhe has to her Body might have not been i But her fafo^nr Relation to GOD is fo effential, that 'tis impoflible to conceive GOD fliould create a Spirit fed fola ' Without it. ' fubftantia t - ■ rationalis: quare omnia per ipfam, fed ad ipfam non, nifi anima rationalis. Itaque fubftantia rationalis & per ipfam fafta eft, & ad ipfam: non eft er im ulla narura tnrerpnfiiM ■ r ih. Tmp- tJe Ce*. *J ijtt. Reftiffime dicitur faftus ad Imaginem OC Similitudinem Dei, non eium alker incommutabilem veritatem poffetrmehteconfpicefe. Ve ver. ReJ.
It is evident that GOD can have no other End of acting than Himfelf; that He cannot create Spirits but to know and love Him; that he can neither give them any Knowledge, nor imprels upon them any Love, but what is for, and tends to Himfelf; but He might have refus'd to unite to Bodies thofe Spirits which He has united. Therefore the Relation of our Minds to G 0 D is Natural, Neceffary,- and abfolutely Indifpenfible: But their Relation to our Bodies, though AV rural, is not of abfolute Neceflity, nor of indifpenfible Obligation.
This is not a proper place to alledge all the Authorities and Arguments which might induce us to believe, That it's more, effential to the Mind to be united toOOD than to a Body. That would carry us out too far. Toexpofe this Truth in its juftLight,it would be neceffary to overthrow the principal Foundations of Pagan Philofophy -, to explain the Corruptions of Sin-, to encounter what is falfly named Experience-, and to argue againft the Prejudices and Delufions of the Sen- fes. So that to give the common fort of Men a perfeft Knowledge of it, is not fo eafie a Task as may be undertaken in a Preface.
However, 'tis not difficult to make it out to Attentive Perfons, and fuch as are skill'd in True Philofophy: For they need only be put in Mind, That fince the Will of GOD Regulates the Na- ture of all things, it is more congenial to the Nature of the Soul to be united to GOD by the Knowledge of Truth, and by the Love of Good, than to be united to the Body; fince 'tis certain, as is abovefaid, that GOD created Spirits more for the Knowledge and Love of Him than for the Informing Bodies. This Argument is inftantly able to ftartle Minds any whit enlightned, to render them attentive, and afterwards to convince them. But 'tis morally impofnble for Minds irmners'd in Flefh and Blood, whofe Knowledge goes no farther than their Senfes, to be ever convinc'd with fuch kind of Reafonings. No Proofs will ferve thele People, but fuch as may be zxzv.felt and handled, fince every thing feems Chimerical, that makes not fome ImpreiTion on their a The the PREFACE, a The the PREFACE, Mens quod The Firft Man's Sin has fo weakned the Union of our Mind with G 0 D, that none but thofe non fennc, whoie Hegrt js pur iff d, and Mind enlightned, can perceive it: For 'tis an imaginary Union in pur'iffima &e*r Opinions, who blindly follow the Judgments of the Scnfes and Motions of the PuJJbns. &beaafluna eft, nulli cohirec, nifi ipfi vericati, qua: fimilitudo & imago patris, & fapientia diritur. Augujl. lib. imp. de Gen. ad Hit.
On the contrary, it has fo ftrengthned the Soul's. Union with the Body, as to make us think thefe two parts of our felves but one fingle Subftance; or rather, has fo enflav'd us to cur Senies and Paffions, as to perfuade us our Body is the Principal of the Two Parts whereof we are com- posed.
If we confider the different Occupations of Men, we (hall have all the Reafon in the World to believe they have this fo mean and grofs a Notion of themfelves. For whereas they all love Fe- licity',. and the Perfection of their Being; and are conftantly labouring to grow happier, or more perreeF 5 could it be fuppos'd they fet not a greater value on the Body, and the Goods of it, than on the Mind, and the Goods of that, when we find them almoft always employ'd' about things relatingjtQ.the/0/mr, and feldom or never thinking on thofe that are abfolutely neceffary to the perfecTion of the latter?
The greateft part of Mankind lay themfelves out with fo much Induftry and Pains, merely for the Support of a wretched Life, and to leave their Children fome neceffary Suftenance for the Prefervation of their Bodies.
Such as by their good fortune, or Chance of Birth, are freed from that Neceffity, do no bet- ter manifeft by their Bufinefs-and Employments, that they look upon the SWas the Nobler pan of their Being: Hunting, Dancing, Gaming, Feafting, are their ordinary Occupations. Their Soul, grown the; Slave of their Body, efteems and cherifhes all thefe Divertifements, though wholly unworthy of Her. But becaufe their Body is related to all things fenfible, the Soul is not only the Slave of their Body, but through in means, and for its fake, of all things fenfible like- wife: For 'tis by the. Body that they are united to their Relations, their Friends, their City, their Office, and all fenfible Goods; the Prefervation of which feems as neceffary and valuable as that of their own Being. Thus the Care of their Fortunes, and the Dejire of increaling them their Paffion for Glory and Grandeur, bufies and imploys them infinitely more than the Perfe&ion of their Soul.
Even Men of Teaming, and Dealers in Wit, fpend more than one half of their Life in Anion's purely Animal, or fuch" as give us Reafon to think their Health, their Eftates, and Reputations are of dearer Concern than the Perfection of their Minds.
They iludy more to acquire a Chimerical Grandeur in the Imagination of others, than to give their Mind greater Force and Comprehenfion. They make a kind of Wardrobe of their Brain wherein they huddle, without Order or Tiflinttion, whatever bears a certain Character of Learn* ing j I mean, whatever can appear but Pare and Extraordinary, and provoke others to admire them. Their Ambition lies in refembling thofe Cabinets fill'd with Relicks and Curiofties, which . have nothing truly Rich or Valuable, but derive their Worth from Fancy, Pajfion, 01 Chance • and they rarely labour to make their Mind accurate, and to regulate the Motions -of their Heart.
Non ex- Yet it mould not be thought from hence, dial Men ajjc intiiely l&noru,re that they liave Z Sou! jgua homi- an(j that thjs their South the Principal part of their Being. They have too been again and again fed rotius*' convine'd, both by Reafon and Experience, that 'tis no fo confiderable an Advantage to live in?Re. humani putation, Affluence, and Health, the fpace of a few Years • and in general, that all Corporeal univerfira- Goods, all that are poffeis'd by Means, and for the fake of the Body, ate Imaginary and Corrup- ts fijbftan- titie Goods. They know 'tis better to be fufi than Rich, to be Reafonable than Teamed ■ to Mr 6 ^ave a Lively and Tenetramg Mind, than to have a Brisk and Mtve Body. Thefe are Truths Hexm'-j. indelibly imprinted on the Mind, and infallibly difcover'd whenever Men pleafe to attend to them. Homer, for Inftance, who extols his Hero for his Swiftnefs, might have perceiv'd, if he would that 'twas an Elogy fitter for a Race-Horfe, or a Greyhound. Alexander, fo celebrated in Hiftory for his ll/ujirious Robberies, heard fometimes from his moft Retired Reafon the fame Reproaches as Villains and Thieves, in fpightof the confus'd Noife of a furrounding Crowd of Flatterers.
And Ctefar, when he pafs'd the Rubicon, could not help manifefting how thefe inward Tafhes ter- rified him, when at. latt he. had refolv'd xofacrifice the Liberty of his Country to his Ambition. •} tlbiq-, t The Soul however united very ftricfly to the Body, is nevertheleis united to G 0 D -, and at veritasprs- that very time of her receiving by her Body the lively and confus'd Senfations her Paffions infpire fidcson™' into her, (lie receives from the Eternal Truth, prefiding over her Underftanding, the Knowledge kntibus te" °f ^er ^uty an(i ^rreglilarities' When her treacherous Body deceives her, GOD undeceives fimulque ' her. When it indulges, He wounds her. When it gives her Incenfe and Applaufes, He ftrikes refpondes her inward with fmarting Remorfes, and condemns her by the Manifestation of a more Pure omnibus.dn<\ Holy Law than that of the Flefh, which me has obey'd.
ctism diverfa confulentibus. Liquide tu refpondes, fed. non liquide omnes audiunc. Omnes unde volunt confulunt, fed non femper quod volunt audiunt. Conf. S. Aug. lib. 10. cap. 26., *v.p/mt. * Alexander needed not that the Scythians fhould have come to teach him his Duty in a ftrange Curt. hb.7. Language: He knew from Him who teaches the Scythians, and the moft Barbarous Nations^ the ta in domiciliq cogiytionis, ncc Hebraa, necGrsca, nee Lntina, nee Eaibara vcriME, fine oris & Jjngus organis, fire ftrepitu fylla- b.trum. Coufijf, £'. Aug, All. c. 3.
Rules Rules of Juftice which he ought to follow. The Light of Truth, which enlightens the World tnlightned him alfo 3 and the Voice of Nature, which fpeaks neither in Greek nor Scythian nor Barbarian Diafcfy fpoke to him, as to the reft of the World, in a moft clear and moft intelligi- ble Language. In vain did the Scythians upbraid him with his Condutt; their Words (truck no deeper than his Ears: And GOD not fpeaking home to his Hearty or rather, G OD fpeaking to his Heart, whilft he heard only the -Scythians, who but provok'd hisPaflions, and fo led him out of irfifWf, he heard not the yoke of Truth, though loud as Thunder, nor faw its Lighf, though it ier-c'd him through and through.
'Tis true, our Union with GOD dimmijhes and weakens proportionably, as our other with i.ings ihiRbte Jlrengthens and increafes •, but 'tis impoflible the former Union mould beabfolutely toll without the deftruclicn of our Being: For however thofe who are immersed in Vice, and drenclfd in Pleafures, are infenfible to Truth, they are notwithftanding united to it, * It *videtur level deferts them, 'tis they thatdefert it: Its Light mines in Darknefs, but does not always quafi ijpfc ifpell it; as the Light of the Sun furrounds the Blind, and thofe that wink, though it enlisht- a ceoccide- <:ns neither. b ■ rkcum.tu ab iplo cc- ddas. Aug. in?[al.2$. Nam etiam fol ifte & videncis faciem illuftrat & cseci; ambobus fol praefens eft, fed przfente fole unus abfens .ft. Sic & Sapientia Dei Dominus J. C. ubique pravfens eft, quia ubique eft Veritas, ubique fapientia. Aug. in pan. Trail. 35.
The cafe is the fame with the Union of our Mind with the Body. That Union decreafes as fall as the other we have with God increafes •, but it is never quite dilTolv'd, but by our Death: wbat I jjor though we were as enlightned, and as difingag'd from all things fenfible, as the Apoftles them- h3e'Jfy- °> felves, yet Adam's Fall would neceflitate us to a Dependence on the Body 4 and we mould feel0/f/JeJS a Law of our Fleili conftantly oppoiing and warring againft the Law of our Mind. with god, and with the Body, ought to be underftood according to our ordinary way of Conception: For indeed our Mind can be immediately united to GOD only; that is, cm truly depend on none but GOD. And if it be united to, or depend oh the Body, 'tis becaufe the Will of GOD makes that Vnion or Dependence efficacious. Which will eafily be conceiv'd in the Sequel of this Wor\.
Proportionably as the Mind increafes its Union with GOD, it grows purer, and more lumi- nous, ftronger, and more capacious; fince 'tis from this Union it derives all its Perfection. On the other fide, it becomes corrupt, blind, weak, and contracted, by the fame degrees, as its Uni-, Quis e- on with its Body corroborates and increafes •, becaufe this is the Source of all its Imperfection. 51?1 fb<F.e Thus a Man, v^ho judges of all things by his Senfes*, who on all accounts purfues the Motions of en^onex- his Paffions; who has no other than Sen/ible Perceptions, and loves only blattering Gratifications, perms eft, 3 in the moft wretched State of Mind imaginable -, as being infinitely remote from Truth and tanto fe a- from his Good. But when a Man judges of things but by the pure Ideas of the Mind, carefully ^jj^jfe" avoids the confus'd Noife of the Creatures, and retiring into himfelf, hears his SovereignTeacher {mcex-iUS m the calm Silence of the Senfes and PafTions, he cannot poflibly fall into Errour. quanto removere at- que fubducere intentionem mentis a corporis fenfibus potuit. Aug. de Immort. Anim. c. 10.
GOD never deceives thofe who interrogate Him by a ferious Application, and an entire Conver- n of Mind towards Him t, though He does not always make them hear His Anfwers. But len the Mind, by its Aver/ion from GOD, diffufes it felf abroad; when it confults only its ;dy, to be inftrufted in the Truth, and only liftens to its Senfes, Imaginations, and PaJJions, which talk to it everlaftingly, it muft inevitably be engag'd in Errour. Wifdom, Truth, Perfeili- , and Uappinefs, are not Goods to be hop'd for from the Body. There is none, except ONE that is above us, and from whom we receive our Being, who can make it perfect. This is what we are taught by thefe admirable Words of St. Aujiin: -Eternal Wifdom, fays he,, Princi- the Principle of all Intellectual Creatures, which perf fling immutably the fa?ne, never ceafes to P*"0* "crea* ipeak to the moflfecret and inward Re of on of his Creatures, to convert them towards their Princi- ™&\J&%\tt.
pie • Becaufe nothing but the Intuition of Eternal Wifdom, which gives Being to Spirits, can give sterna falem, as we may fay, the Accomplifhing Stroke, and the utmoft Perfection they are capable of pientia r quod prin- jinm manens in fe incommutabiliter, nullo modo ceffat occulta infpiratione yocationis loqui ei creature, cui principium eft, ut con- t tatur ad id ex quo eft, quod aliterformata ac perfefta efle non poflit. Lib. 1. de Gen. adLitter. Ch. 50.
When we fee GOD as He is, zve Jhall be like Him, fays the Apoftle St. John. By that Seimus Intuition of Eternal Truth, we mall be rais'd to that degree of Grandeur to which all Spiritu- qnoniam al Creatures tend by the Neceflity of their Nature. But whilft we live on Earth, the * Weight of |:u™it*p£a' the Body drags down the Mind, withdraws it continually from the Prefence of GOD, or that miles'ei Internal Light which illuminates it, makes perpetual Efiays to fortifie its Union with Senfible erimus, Yujetfs; and compells it to reprefent things, not as they are in themf elves, but according to the ^JJjjJJ, Relation they bear to the Prefervation of Life. eum fiCUt; . J oh. Ep. 1. ch. g. v. 2. * Corpus quod corrumpitur, aggravat animam. Sap. 9. 10. Terrena inhabkatio deprimit fenfum multa ogitantem, & difficile aiftimamus quae in terra funt, & quae in profpeftu funt invenimus cum labore. Sap. 9. 15.
The Body, according to the Wife Man, fills the Mind with fuch a multitude of Senfations, that it becomes unable to difcover the moft obvious things •, the Sight of the Body dazles and difxites that of the Mind; fo that the Eye of the Soul has great Difficulty diftinftly to perceive v Truth, whilft the Eye of the Body is imploy'd in the Difcovery; which evidences, that all Truths fbeus Truths are Found out, and all Sciences learn'd merely by the Attention of the Mind. This being inteffigibi- indeed its Return and Converfwn unto GOD, who is our only Tut our, who only can inftructus lis lux, in wit}l ali Truth, by the Manifeftation of Eis own Subflance, as St. Aiiftin t fpeaks. quo^ & per quern intelligibiliter lucent omnia. i.Sol. Infinuavit nobis [Chrijlus] animam humanam nonvegetari, non illuminari, ncnbeatiftcari, nifi ab ipfa fubftantia Dei. Augnft. in Job.
From ail which it is manifeft, that 'tis our Duty conftantly to withftand the Oppofition the Body makes againft the Mind; and to accuftom our felves by degrees to disbelieve the Reports our Senfes make concerning all circumambient Bodies, which they always reprefent, as worthy of our Application and Efteem, becaufe we muft never make Senfible things the Qbjeft of our Thoughts, or the Subject of our Employment: 'Tis one of the Truths which the Eternal Wifi illaauto- dom leems willing toteachusby His Incarnation. For, after having exalted a Senfible Body to ritas divina tne higheft Dignity poffible to be conceiv'd, He gave us to underftand, by the Ignominy He redicendaeft, ^^^ ^ fame £oiy. ^j. t^t ^ ty tne Ignominy of the Nobleft of all Senfible things, what SSL1"*! Contempt we ought to have for all Senfible Objects. 'Tis poflibly for the fame Reafon that St Paul fenfibffibus faid He knew not JESUS. C HRI ST after the flefh. For 'tis not the Flefh of CUR IS T fignis cran- we muft confider, but the Spirit vaiTd' under the Flefh. Caro vaffuit, quodhabebat attende, non fcendic quod erat, fays St. Auftin*. Whatever is a Vifible and Senfible Nature in our L O R D, merits himm not our Adoration; but becaufe of the Union with the WORD, which can only be the ObjeS faculcatem, of the Mind.
fiun hominem agens oftendit ei quoufque fe propter ipfum deprefferit, & non teneri fenfibus, quibus videntur ilia miranda; fed «d intelleftum jubet evolarej fimul demonilrans, & quanta hie poflit, & cur h#c faciat, & quam parvi pendat. Aug. 2. de Ord. j>» *\ Tratt, in Joan. 27. Et fi cognovimus fecundum carnem Chriftum, jam non fecundum carnem novimus. 2 adCor.
It is abfolutely necefTary for thofe who defire to become Wife and Happy, to be wholly co'n- vine'd, and as it were piere'd with what I have faid, 'Tis not enough that they believe me on my Word, or that they be contented by the glimpfe of a tranfitory Lights 'tis necefTary they mould know it by a thoufand Experiences, and as many undeniable Demonftrations. Thefe are Things to be engraven 'indelibly on their Mind, to be made prefent to their Thoughts in all their Studies,, and in all the Bulinefs and Employs of Life.
Such as will take the Pains to read the Work I here offer to the Publick with any Application of Thought, will, if Imiftake not, enter intq fuch a Frame and Temper of Mind: For we have feveral ways demonftrated, that our Senfes, Imagination, and Paffwns, are abfolutely ufelefs to the Difcovery of Truth and Happinefs; that on the contrary, they dazle and feduce us on all occafions ± and in general, that all the Notices the Mind receives through the Body, or by Means of fome Motions excited in the Body, are all falfe and confused, with reference to xheObjeth repre- fented by them; though they are extremely ufeful to the Prefervation of the Body, and the Goods that are related to it.
In this Work we encounter feveral Err ours, efpecially iiich as have been of longeft Growth, of univerfal Reception, and have caus'd the greateft DiJ order in the Mind; -and we fhew that they almoft all proceed from the Mind's Union with the Body. We offer in diverfe places to make the Mind fenfible of its Slavery and Dependence on all Senfible things, in order to awaken it from its Lethargy, and to put it upon attempting its Deliverance.
Nor do we reft fatisfy'd with a bare Expofition of our Ramblings •, but moreover explain the Nature of the Mind. We don't, for Inftance, infill upon a long Enumeration of all the parti- cular Errours of our Senfes and Imagination; but chiefly dwell upon the Caufes of thefe Err ours. And in the Explication of thefe faculties, and the General Errours we fall into, weexpofe all at one View an infinite Number of particular Errours whereunto we are obnoxious: So that the Sub- ject of this Treat ij e is the Whole Mind of Man. We confider it in itfelf, with its Relation to the Body, and with its Relation to GOT). We examine the Nature of all its Faculties; we point out the Ufes to be made of them for the avoiding Errour. In fine, we explain moft of the things we thought necefTary to our advancing in the Knowledge of MA N.
The finelr, the moft delightful, and moft necefTary Knoivledge, is undoubtedly that of Our Selves. Of all Humane Sciences, that concerning Man is the moft worthy of Man; and yet this is none of the moft improv'd and moft finifh'd Science that we have. The Vulgar part of Men negleft it wholly: Among the Pretenders to Science there are very few which apply to it, and much fewer whofe Application is fuccefsful. The generality even of thofe who go for Men of Parts, have but a confus'd Perception of the EfTential Difference between the Soul and Body. St. Auftin himfelf; who has fo admirably diftinguifh'd thefe two Beings, confeifes it was long before he could difcover it. And though it mutt be acknowledg'd he has better explain'd theP;v- pcrtics of the Soul and Body, than all that went before him, or have come after him, to our pre- ienr Age; yet it were to be wifh'd he had not attributed to the Bodies that are about us, all the Senjib/e Qualities we perceive by means of them: For, in brief, they are not clearly contain'd in the Idea which he had of Matter. Infomuch that we may pretty confidently fay, The Diffe- rence between the Mind and Body, till of late Years, was never fit ficiently and clearly known.
Some there are who fancy to themfelves they very well knoiv the Nature of the Mind. Many others are perfuaded, 'tis vnpojfible to know any thing of it. Laftly, the greateft Number of all lee not of what ufc that Knowledge could be, and therefore defpife it. But all thefe i'o com- mon Opinions are rather the Effects of the Imagination and Inclination of Men, than the Confequences The PREFACE.
quinces of a Gear and DiJiinffView of their Mind •, and proceed from their feeling an Uneafi- Deft and Regret to retire into themfelves, there to difcover their Weakneffes and Infirmities; and their being pleased with Curious Enquiries and gayer fort of Sciences. Being always Abroad, they are inlenfible of the Diforders that happen at Home within themfelves. They think all's right, becaufe there's a Stupor on their Soul, and rind fault with thofe who knowing their Diftemperi betake to Remedies, faying, they make themfelves fick, becaufe they try for Cure.
But thefe Great Genius, who pierce into the molt Myfierious Secret s of Nature, who lift themfelves in Opinion as high as Heaven, and defcend to the bottom of the Abyfs, ought to re- member what they are. Thefe great Obje&s, it may be, do but dazle them. The Mind muft needs depart out of it felf, to compafs fo many things; and this it can't do without fcattering its Force.
Men came not into the World to be Aftronomers, or Chymifs, to fpend their whole Life at the end of a Tele/cope; or labouring at a furnace, to deduce trilling Conferences from their painful Obfervations. Grant that an Aftronomer made the firft Difcoveries of Continent, and Sea, and Mountains in the Moon; that he firft obferv'd the Spots that circuit upon the Sun, and that he had exactly calculated their Motions: Suppofe that a Chymifi had found out, at length, the Secret of fixing Mercury, or of making the Alkaeji, wherewith van-helmont boafted to diffolve all Bodies: What are they the wifer or happier for all this? It, perhaps, has fet them up in Reputation with the World; but if they would reflect upon it, they would find that Reputa- tion did but increafe their Bondage.
Agronomy, Chymiftry, and molt of the other Sciences, may be look'd on as proper Divertife- ments ior a Gentleman. But Men mould never be enamour'd with their Gayety, nor prefer them before the Science of Humane ~Nature: For though the Imagination fixes a certain Idea of Great- nefs to Agronomy, by teafon of its considering Great and Glorious Objefts, and feated infinitely above all' other things, the Mind is not blindly to proftrate it felf to that Idea, hvxfit its Mafter, and its Judge, and fir if it of that Senfible Pomp which amazes Reafon. The Mind muft pro- nounce of all things, according to its Internal Light, without hearkening to the falfe and con- fus'd Verdiil of its Senfes and Imagination; and whilft it examines all Humane Sciences by the' Pure Light of Truth, which enlightens it, we doubt not to affirm it will difefteem molt of them, and fet a greater Price on;that which teaches us to know our/elves, than on all the other put together.
Therefore we choofe rather to advife fuch as wifh well to Truth, to judge of the Subject of this Treat ife by the Refponfes they (hall receive from the Sovereign InftruLlor of all Men, after having interrogated him by fome Serious Reflexions, than to foreltall them with a long anticipa- ting Difcourfe, which perhaps they might look on as Common-place Matter, or the vain Orna* ments of a Preface. If they are perluaded this is a Subject worthy their Study and Application, we defire them once more not to judge of the Things contain'd in it, by the good or ill Manner they are exprefs'd in, but ftill to retire into themfelves, and there to hear the Decifions they are to follow, and to judge by.
Being thus fully perfuaded, that Men cannot teach one another-, and that thofe who hear us Nolitepu-' learn not the Truths we fpeak to their Ears, unlefs at the fame time, He who taught them us, tare quen- manifeft them likewife to their Mind: We think our felves farther obliged to advertife the Read- ^m hoT. ers, that would profit by this., not to credit us on our Word, out of any Inclination, and Gwd^ 'j^difce- liking, nor withftand our Sentiments out of Prejudice or Averfion. For though we think no- re ab ho- ming be therein advanced, but what we learned at the Expence of Meditation, we fhould how- mine, ever be very forry that others fhould be contented with the Remembrance and Belief without the Ad™onere Knozvledge of our Notions $ and fall into Errour, for want of Underftanding us, or becaule we p°r Xepi- have Err'd before them.. turn vods noftrse, ft non fit intus qui doceat, inanis fit ftrepitus nofter. Aug. in Joan. " Auditus per me faftus, intelleftus per quern? Dixit aliquis & ad cor veftmm, fed non eum videtis. Si intellexiftis, fratres, diftum eft & cordi veftro. Munus Dei eft incelligentia. Auguft, Joban, Traft. 40.
That prefumptuous Pride of fome of the Learned, who demand our Belief Upon their Word, feems intolerable: They are angry with us for Interrogating GOD, When once they have fpoke to us, becaufe they Interrogate Him not themfelves. They grow warm upon every Oppcjition to their Opinions, 'requiring an abfolute Preference fhould be given to the -Mifis and Darknefs of their Imagination, before the Pure Light of Truth, which illuminates the Mind.
We are, Thanks to G O D, very remote from this way of proceeding, though it be often charged upon us. We demand indeed a Refignation to Matters of Pall, and the Experiments we' produce, becaufe thefe are things not learn' d by the Applying the Mind to Sovereign and Univer- sal Reafon. But as to Truths difcoverable in the True Ideas of things, which the Eternal Wif- dom fuggefts to us in our moft inward and fecret Reafon •, herein we exprefly caution againft NoIl.F?ta* refting upon what we have thought of them, as judging it no fmall Crime thus to equalize our effeVuxem! felves with GOD, by ufurping a Power over the Minds of Men. Aug.inPfJ<