( ro8 ) 
If we can difcover what Truth and Falfehood are really, we then have Grounds 
to refled upon, and may form our Refledions into Reafonings j but what right Rea- 
fon is, we fliall find more difficult to difcover, than what is fimple Truth and Falfe¬ 
hood ; For our Conceptions of Matter, being only what enter by the dark Doors of 
our Senfes, are, when entered, to one Man one Thing, and to another quite a 
different Thing, which maketh human Reafon fo fallacious and various j for our 
Reafon proceeding from Senfe, and Senfe being different, or receiving different Ideas 
from the fame Objed by different Men, it follows of Neceffity, that there is no fuch 
Thing abfolutely as a general human Reafon, which is right and the fame, the Stan¬ 
dard of which to be conveyed by Writing, or Tradition, from one Age to another; 
but that every Man hath his own particular Reafon, which is different in Men, ac¬ 
cording as God hath given them Strength, or Weaknefs in their Underfianding, to 
judge of fuch Things as enter by the Senfes. It fecmeth to me, that in various 
Men the Senfes differ infinitely; for that Colour, which is a Favourite in the Eyes of 
one, is indifferent, or difagreeable, to another, which perhaps may proceed from 
different Tindures in the Chryflralline Humour ; and fome Sounds are indifferent, 
or perhaps difpleafing to fome, tho’ they fill others with the highefl Rapture. Men 
vary in the fame Manner in the Senfes of Touching, Tailing, and Smelling : Human 
Reafon alfo receives other Impreffions (which generally cleave too fafl to it) fuch as 
proceed from the different Educations, Religions, and Cuftoms of different Times 
and Places. For all, who have feen but a little of the World, know how very 
different the general Reafonings of one Country are from thofe of another; and he 
who has been flightly converfant in Hiflory but a few Ages backward, will find, that 
the Opinions and Reafonings of the fame Place and People, in an Age or two, are 
quite transformed and changed ; fo that I cannot fee that we have, in our imperfed 
State, any fuch Thing as right Reafon founded on Demonflration, except in fome 
few Mathematical Cafes, which muft conftrain the Affent of all Men. Therefore, 
feeing we can certainly conclude on hardly any Thing without Controverfy, we mufi 
fleer the befl Courfe we can, fetting before our Eyes Truth as the Port we endeavour 
to gain, which otlght always to be our Diredor in Opinions and Adions, in Rela¬ 
tion to God and Man, as well as in our general Pradices and Speculations in the 
World. 
He that would write any Thing in General on Nature, or on any particular na¬ 
tural Subjed, ought, fo far as his Faculties will permit him, to penetrate into its 
Sources, and trace it backward, if polfible, to find out the firfl: Caufe and Mover of 
all Things. If we confider ourfelves, and the Animal Beings that inhabit the Face 
of this Globe, we mufl; wonder, at firfl, how they came to be; but, when we think 
of the infcrutable Springs of Life and Motion, we muft be afloniflied to the highefl: 
Degree, not knowing from whence thefe Things fpring : And we can folve thele in¬ 
conceivable Things no other Way, than by fuppoling there muft exifl: fome great, 
invifible, inconceivable, all-wife, and all-powerful Creator; Since the vifible Crea¬ 
tion is fuflained always, producing, the fame Forms of natural Things, which fucceed 
from one Generation to another, through the Courfe of Time; which could not be, 
if fenfelefs Chaos prevailed, as fome have taught; for were the immenfe Mafs of Mat¬ 
ter without a living, all-powerful Being to animate it, it mufl; refl without Motion, 
3 . or 
