ADVERTISEMENT. XI 



The Reader will be, undoubtedly, very much 

 furprized, to find men, of fuch celebrity, falling 

 into contradiction fo unaccountable ; a contradic- 

 tion adopted on their affertion, and publicly 

 taught in all the Schools of Europe ; and that no 

 one (hould have appeared to refute the error, and 

 armed with fufficient courage to maintain the 

 truth. I was fo aftonifhed at it myfelf, that I re- 

 mained for fome time under the belief that I, and 

 not they, had, on this article, loft every fentiment 

 of evidence. I dared not even to difclofe my 

 thoughts to any perfon refpecling this, any more 

 than the other objedls of thefe Studies ; for fcarcely 

 have I met, in my progrefs through life, any but 

 men fold to the fyftems which have led to fortune, 

 or to thofe which promife to do fo. Accordingly, 

 the more I was in the right, being alone and not 

 backed by puffers, the more difadvantageous was 

 the ground on which I had to combat them. Be- 

 fides, how is it poffible to reafon with perfons, 

 who fhroud themfelves in the clouds of equa- 

 tions, or of metaphyfical diftindlions, if you prefs 

 them ever fo little by the fentiment of truth ? 

 When fuch refuges fail, they overwhelm you with 

 authorities innumerable, which have fubjugated 

 themfelves, without a procefs of reafoning ; and 

 by which they mean to fubdue, in their turn, the 

 man efpecially who has not joined himfelf to any 

 party. 



What 



