PREFACE. 1 1 



has opened it unto us. For all who before us have applied 

 themselves to the discovery of the arts, after casting their 

 eyes awhile upon things, instances, and experience, have 

 straightway invoked as it were some spirits of their own to 

 disclose their oracles, as if invention were nothing but a 

 species of thought. But we in our subdued and perpetual 

 intercourse with things, abstract our understanding no fur 

 ther from them than is necessary to prevent the confusion 

 of the images of things with their radiation, a confusion 

 similar to that we experience by our senses : and thus 

 but little is left for the powers and excellence of wit. And 

 we have in teaching continued to show forth the humility, 

 which we adopt in discovering. For we do not endeavour 

 to assume or acquire any majestic state for these our dis 

 coveries, by the triumphs of confutation, the citing of 

 antiquity, the usurpation of authority, or even the veil of 

 obscurity, which would easily suggest themselves to one 

 endeavouring to throw light upon his own name, rather 

 than the minds of others. We have not, I say, practised 

 either force or fraud on men s judgments, nor intend we so 

 to do ; but we conduct them to things themselves and the 

 real connexion of things, that they may themselves behold 

 what they possess, what they prove, what they add, and 

 what they contribute to the common stock. If, however, 

 we have in any matter given too easy credit, or slumbered 

 and been too inadvertent, or have mistaken our road, and 

 broken off inquiry, yet we exhibit things plainly and 

 openly so that our errors can be noted and separated 

 before they corrupt any further the mass of sciences, and 

 the continuation of our labours is rendered easy and unem 

 barrassed. And we think that by so doing we have estab 

 lished for ever the real and legitimate union of the empiric 

 and rational faculties, whose sullen and inauspicious di 

 vorces and repudiations have disturbed every thing in the 

 great family of mankind. 



Since, therefore, these matters are beyond our control, 

 we in the beginning of our work pour forth most humble 

 and ardent prayers to God the Father, God the Word, and 

 God the Spirit, that mindful of the cares of man, and of 

 his pilgrimage through this life, in which we wear out 

 some few and evil days, they would vouchsafe through our 

 hands to endow the family of mankind with these new 

 gifts ; and we moreover humbly pray that human knowledge 

 may not prejudice divine truth, and that no incredulity and 

 darkness in regard to the divine mysteries may arise in our 



