To the Reader. 



pies Hpon xvhich they proceed fo divers '-, both may confiji 

 rp'tthoHt contradiElions and confutations \ or the in'vafioaf 

 upon their dijiinguijht riglits : and fo the propagation of 

 Knowledge, by the ajpjiance, of the Father of Lights,w^j? 

 be purfuedy with the refer'vation of the honour of Ancient 

 and Modern Authors^ and the Arts in ufe^ which refpeSi- 

 ing the*endvphereto they were injiituted^ 'DifpHtation, Ke- 

 dargution^ and the lih^ , are 'very conducent^ and in their 

 way of perfeBion highly exalted. And this.ifTfhc firU 

 motive of deliberating the publication of my Apologetic^ 

 the difficulty of the bujinefs. Another is this. Xhe titne? 

 into which we are fallen ^ are learned Times^ as ever were 

 ftnce the Grecian Philofophers, and^ their feconds^ the Ara^ 

 bian Writers .^ which alfo through the great advantages of 

 the experiments of later Ages, and the direBions of Anti- 

 quity ^in many particulars ha^e out-gone their Prede€eJfors^ 

 fo as he that dare adventure^ aSjfome do, to intrude wnfiudied 

 thoughts upon fo learned an Age as this is, neither reve^ 

 rences the age as he ought, nor wifely confults his own repu" 

 tation ia>ith Pofterity, And as the limes are learned, fo 

 ^ which too frequently falls out^ fomervhat con f dent. Great 

 Wits, and which have fortified their conceptions by books 

 andftudy, are Urongly prepojfefi with almoji impregnible an^ 

 ticipations ; and not fo eafily induced, as more inconcerned* 

 and dif engaged natures are -i tok^iow or nnknow any thing., 

 that either Jhould be farther inquired into , or fhould be for- 

 gotten. And much within thefe two Orbs our Apology moves} 

 in dtfcovery of Ignorance, and of Error , of what we k^now 

 not, and of what we Jhould not k^ow. For certainly much 

 hjtowledge remains yet conceaVd, and the way to this difco* 

 •very is by foregoing many unprofitable fubtilties '-, and by a 

 learn d ignorance fallin{> off from' many aery Jpeculations' 

 to the folid fimplicity of the Ancients. Were we to 

 compafs a Panegirick^ in praife of the perfeSiions of the 

 learning of our days , which indeed merits fuch a facri" 

 fice J the labour were but half what it is , for laudato- 

 ty hymns feldom come out of feafon ', they need no 

 preparations , and what might be wanting in the 

 height of fpeech, would be fupplied by an aptitude 

 to accept and believe. But in the bufinefs in hand, the 



mind 



