VOL. XVIII.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIOW8. 685 



preference to the latter ; because no principles of nature are there allowed, but 

 what are in themselves intelligible ; and the business of forming parties is now 

 in a manner out of doors, and mathematical reasonings are constantly urged as 

 valid ways of proof, in all physical inquiries where they can be brought in ; 

 hereupon he takes occasion to enlarge upon the design of the Royal Society, 

 and hints at the great things which its members have effected towards the com- 

 pleting of physical knowledge. (Chap. 26.) 



Having gone through those science which lie equally open to men of all ages 

 to make discoveries in, he goes on to those which have their whole foundation 

 in antiquity, wherein by consequence the moderns seem to have no pretence to 

 a comparison : such as philology and divinity. Yet he says, that if we consider 

 how much printing has altered the state of learning, how wide a thing antiquity 

 is in all its compass, how many things rarely meeting in one man, are requisite 

 to make a man a thorough critic; we ought to conclude, that though every age 

 of antiquity knew itself better than we can pretend to know it, yet in the gross, 

 the Scaligers, the Vossiuses, the Ushers, the Seldens, the Bocharts, and such 

 modern philologers, have had a greater extent of ancient learning than any 

 single man among the ancients could possibly have. (Chap. 27.) 



And as to divinity he says, that though the scriptures and the writings of the 

 ancient fathers be the foundations upon which every divine ought to build, yet 

 if we consider that the text of the Bible itself by a familiar conversation with 

 the Oriental languages is now better understood : that casuistical knowledge lie 

 as obvious now as ever it did : that the art of preaching is more methodical, 

 and by consequence more instructive ; that controversies have been managed 

 more nicely and more exactly, we must allow modern divines to have been the 

 better workmen, though the matter which both they and the ancients have 

 jointly wrought upon has been the same. (Chap. 28.) 



His last chapter is employed about answering some reasons which Sir W. T. 

 assigns for the decay of learning: such as, 1. Disputes in religion: which in his 

 opinion have rather increased knowledge than otherwise, since the spirit of 

 opposition, when once raised, will show itself in every thing as well as in those 

 matters which first gave it life. 2. Want of favour from great men, of which, 

 according to him, there is not so much reason to complain, considering that 

 the French king, Q. Christina, and several others whom he there mentions, 

 lived all of them in this age. 3. Pedantry, which also he pretends to be in a 

 manner quite banished out of the world. 



The whole book seems to be designed for a vindication of that sort of 

 learning, which it is the intention of the Royal Society to promote, for which 



