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Lethargy, neglecting all farther Improvements of Knowledge, and defpifing Reafon, 
Nature, and the Evidence of Senfe, 
Every one ought to attain to as high a Degree of natural Knowledge as he can, for 
a deep Knowledge in Nature has detected many falfe Pretenders to Infpir'ation, Pro - 
phefy, and the like, while the Ignorant in Nature and her Laws have been deluded by 
the meaneft and lowefi.Pretenders, fuch as diabolical Pcffefiions, fantafiical Apparitions, 
Dreams, good and bad Omens,, and the like , 
As Arts have been brought.by gradual Steps from one degree of Perfection to another , 
by joining the Knowledge of pafi Limes left us in the Writings of thofe that are gone 
before, with the Difcovcries and Experience of the prefent Limes ; fo even the know¬ 
ledge of Nature itfelf hath been multiply d by the various degrees of Conception, and 
different Powers of Penetration that have been given by God through paf Ages to 
Mankind, which have been handed down through the Records of Lime to us. Without 
this Knowledge of other Men joined to our own, our Knowledge would be like that of 
favage People who live together in fmall Lribes or Families, and have nothing but sneer 
mother Wit and pure natural Capacity, chiefly derived from the Senfes, to direct 
them, they not knowing what any of their Anceflors faid or thought before them for 
want of Characters to exprefs Words •, fo that each Mans Knowledge is his own, or 
has little ,Affiance from others: I do not mean that while we are fearching into Na¬ 
ture s Works, we Jhould negleCt the curious Arts and Inventions of Men ; for by being 
well skill'd in Arts we are enabled the better to make Difcoveries in Nature . Befldes, 
a fine Art lofl may never be recover'd, but Nature., tho' at prefent unknown by fearch¬ 
ing, may at one time or other be found, becaufe fhe always endureth and -continuet h the 
fame. Art and Nature, like two Siflers, Jhould always walk hand in hand, that J'o 
they may reciprocally aid and ajjifl each other.. 
He who goes into foreign Parts, in order to improve himfelf in natural Knowledge or 
other 'Sciences, Jhould Jirfl acquire all that may be learned in his oven Country, left he 
jhould expofe himfelf, as many have done, by going abroad, telling us at their return 
many fuch things as were already known, or might have been eaflly difeovered in our 
own Country . Lo produce an Infiance of this, let any one knowing in Birds turn over 
Cornelius 
