7he Co?icIufion. 215 



*Tis no great Wonder that Difcoveries 

 contrary to old and eftabliftied Opinions 

 fhould not at firft be credited; but then, 

 neither fhould»they be abfolutely rejedted till 

 Experiment has been made whether they 

 are true or falfe. 



There Is a middle Way betweenOver-cre- 

 dulity and an abfolute Denial of the Poffibi- 

 lityof a Thing, which a Man of Senfe and a 

 Philofopher (hould always fteer in : for 'tis as 

 contrary to his Character rafhly to rejedt any 

 Thing, becaufeithas not come to his Know- 

 ledge, or that he can't account for it, as it is 

 to believe whatever is told him before he 

 has examined it. Experiment is the Teft of 

 Truth, and that Ihould always be made be- 

 fore we wholly aflent or diflent. But if 

 Fafts come well attefted by Perfons of Judg- 

 ment and Credit, however extraordinary they 

 may feem, they deferve civil Treatment till 

 they can be examined fully. Not many Ages 

 lince, the Belief of the Antipodes, and the 

 Motion of the Earth, was not only thought 

 ridiculous, but wicked: and feveral other 

 Realities have been as much difcreditcd 

 formerly as they are now eftabliihed. 



Thofe that know the moft, are mofl fen- 



fible how little they know in eomparifon of 



P 4 what 



