The Sceptical Chymist | Page 8

Debates, if time would
permit, or else at our next meeting. And this being by him undertaken
in my name, though without my consent, the company would by no
means receive my Protestation against it, but casting, all at once, their

eyes on Carneades, they did by that and their unanimous silence, invite
him to begin; which (after a short pause, during which he turn'd himself
to Eleutherius and me) he did in this manner.
Notwithstanding the subtile reasonings I have met with in the books of
the Peripateticks, and the pretty experiments that have been shew'd me
in the Laboratories of Chymists, I am of so diffident, or dull a Nature,
as to think that if neither of them can bring more cogent arguments to
evince the truth of their assertion then are wont to be brought; a Man
may rationally enough retain some doubts concerning the very number
of those materiall Ingredients of mixt bodies, which some would have
us call Elements, and others principles. Indeed when I considered that
the Tenents concerning the Elements are as considerable amongst the
Doctrines of natural Philosophy as the Elements themselves are among
the bodies of the Universe, I expected to find those Opinions solidly
establish'd, upon which so many others are superstructed. But when I
took the pains impartially to examine the bodies themselves that are
said to result from the blended Elements, and to torture them into a
confession of their constituent Principles, I was quickly induc'd to think
that the number of the Elements has been contended about by
Philosophers with more earnestness then success. This unsatisfiedness
of mine has been much wonder'd at, by these two Gentlemen (at which
words he pointed at Themistius and Philoponus) who though they differ
almost as much betwixt themselves about the question we are to
consider, as I do from either of them, yet they both agree very well in
this, that there is a determinate number of such ingredients as I was just
now speaking of, and that what that number is, I say not, may be, (for
what may not such as they perswade?) but is wont to be clearly enough
demonstrated both by Reason and Experience. This has occasion'd our
present Conference. For our Discourse this afternoon, having fallen
from one subject to another, and at length setl'd on this, they proffer'd
to demonstrate to me, each of them the truth of his opinion, out of both
the Topicks that I have freshly nam'd. But on the former (that of
Reason strictly so taken) we declin'd insisting at the present, lest we
should not have time enough before supper to go thorough the Reasons
and Experiments too. The latter of which we unanimously thought the
most requisite to be seriously examin'd. I must desire you then to take

notice Gentlemen (continued Carneades) that my present business doth
not oblige me so to declare my own opinion on the Subject in question,
as to assert or deny the truth either of the Peripatetick, or the Chymical
Doctrine concerning the number of the Elements, but only to shew you
that neither of these Doctrines hath been satisfactorily proved by the
arguments commonly alledged on its behalfe. So that if I really discern
(as perhaps I think I do) that there may be a more rational account then
ordinary, given of one of these opinions, I am left free to declare my
self of it, notwithstanding my present engagement, it being obvious to
all your observation, that a solid truth may be generally maintained by
no other, then incompetent Arguments. And to this Declaration I hope
it will be needless to add, that my task obliges me not to answer the
Arguments that may be drawn either for Themistius or Philoponus's
Opinion from the Topick of reason, as opposed to experiments; since
'tis these only that I am to examine and not all these neither, but such of
them alone as either of them shall think fit to insist on, and as have
hitherto been wont to be brought either to prove that 'tis the four
Peripatetick Elements, or that 'tis the three Chymical Principles that all
compounded bodies consist of. These things (adds Carneades) I
thought my self obliged to premise, partly lest you should do these
Gentlemen (pointing at Themistius and Philoponus, and smiling on
them) the injury of measuring their parts by the arguments they are
ready to propose, the lawes of our Conference confining them to make
use of those that the vulgar of Philosophers (for even of them there is a
vulgar) has drawn up to their hands; and partly, that you should not
condemn me of presumption for disputing against persons over whom I
can hope for no advantage, that I must not derive from the nature,