ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 83 



tions any ancient author but to reprove him, nor opinion but 

 to confute it ; which is the ready way to procure fame and fol- 

 lowers. For certainly it happens in philosophical, as it does in 

 divine truth : " I came in the name of my Father, and ye re- 

 ceived me not; but if one came in his own name, ye would 

 receive him."a Which divine aphorism, as applied to Anti- 

 christ, the great deceiver, plainly shows us that a man's coming 

 in his own name, without regard to antiquity or paternity, is no 

 good sign of truth, though joined with the fortune and success 

 of being received. But for so excellent and sublime a genius 

 as Aristotle, one would think he caught this ambition from his 

 scholar, and affected to subdue all opinions, as Alexander did 

 all nations ; and thus erect himself a monarchy in his own con- 

 templation. Though for this, perhaps, he may not escape the 

 lash of some severe pen, no more than his pupil ; and be called 

 a successful ravager of learning, as the other was of countries. 

 Some are doubtless disposed to treat him with the same courtesy 

 as his scholar, in saying: 



"Fcelix doctrinae praedo, non utile mundo 

 Editus exemplum." Lucan.* 



But, on the other hand, desiring, by all possible means, to 

 cultivate and establish a free commerce betwixt ancient and 

 modern learning, we judge it best religiously to side with 

 antiquity, and therefore to retain ancient terms, though we fre- 

 quently alter their sense, according to that moderate and lauda- 

 ble usage in politics, of introducing a new state of things, 

 without changing the styles and titles of government.^ 



Thus when we distinguish metaphysics, as may appear by 

 what was above delivered, from primary philosophy, which has 

 hitherto been taken from it, making this the common parent 

 of the sciences, and that a part of natural philosophy. We have 

 assigned the common and promiscuous axioms of the sciences 

 to primitive philosophy ; and all relative and accidental condi- 

 tions of essences, which we call transcendent, as multitude, 

 paucity, identity, diversity, possible, impossible, and the like, 

 we have included in the same province, with this understanding, 

 that they be handled according to their effects in nature, and 

 not logically. We have referred the inquiry concerning God, 

 unity, goodness, angels, and spirits, to natural philosophy. But 

 to assign the proper office of metaphysics, as contradistin- 



