his' Preface, 2 1 



either by the flacits and SeBs of Philofophcrs; or by de- 

 ■praitedlaws of Demonjii-atjons. But the Innate mh^TQm 

 the nature of the InteDcft, which is found to be far 

 more liable to error, than jenfe. For however men may 

 pleafe thtmfelves, and be raviHit into admiration, and al- 

 moft adoration of the mind of man, this is moft certain : 

 as an inequal lookjng-glafs., changes the rays of objccr?, 

 according to its own figure , and cutting i even fo the 

 mind, when it fufFers imprefllon from things by fcnfc, in 

 encogitating and difcharging her notions, doth not fo 

 faithfully infinuate and incorporate her nature, with the 

 nature of things. And thofe two Rift kinds of Idolaes 

 can very hardly j but thofe latter, by no means be extir- 

 pate. It remains only that they be difclofcd ; and that 

 fame treacherous faculty of the mind be noted and con- , 

 vinced i left from the un found comple(5?ion of the mind, 

 upon the extermination of ancient, perchance new Oioots 

 of Errors fpringin their place ; and the bufinefs be brought 

 only to this iffue , that errors be not extingui/lit, but 

 changed: but on the contrary, nowatlaft, it be forever 

 decreed and ratified^T/j^t the intelle^ catmot vial^e a judge- 

 ment but by indnBion, and by a legittimate form thereof. 

 Wherefore the DoSirine of purifying the Z^nderjianding , 

 that it may become receptive of truth, is perfe<^ed by 

 three Keprehenfions ; Keprehenfion of Philofophy •, Kepre- 

 henfion of Demonfirations \ znd Keprehenfion of Nat I've hu- 

 mane Keafon. Thefe explicated, and then the cafe clear- 

 ed, what the nature of things, what the nature of the 

 mind is capable off; we prefume (the Divine goodnefs 

 being Prefident at the Rites) that we have prepared and 

 adorned, the Bride-chamber of the Mind and of the Z^ni- ■ 

 'verfe. Now may the vote of the Martiage-fong be, that 

 from this conjuaBion^ Humane Aids, and a Race of Inven- 

 tions may be procreated^ as may in fome part <vanq.Hifh and 

 fubdue mans miferies andnecejjities. And this is the fecond 

 Part of the Work. 



^ But our purpofe is not only to point out and mu- p jjr 

 nite the way •■, but to enterprife it : U'herefore the third 

 Tart of the IVork^comprifeth^ Phaenomena LTnivcrfi , as to 

 fay, all kjnd of Experience , and Natural Hijiory, of fuch 



kjnd 



