The Sceptical Chymist | Page 9

or
rules of our controversy, wherein I have but a negative to defend, and
wherein too I am like on several occasions to have the Assistance of
one of my disagreeing adversaries against the other.
Philoponus and Themistius soon returned this complement with
civilities of the like nature, in which Eleutherius perceiving them
engaged, to prevent the further loss of that time of which they were not
like to have very much to spare, he minded them that their present
businesse was not to exchange complements, but Arguments: and then
addressing his speech to Carneades, I esteem it no small happinesse

(saies he) that I am come here so luckily this Evening. For I have been
long disquieted with Doubts concerning this very subject which you are
now ready to debate. And since a Question of this importance is to be
now discussed by persons that maintain such variety of opinions
concerning it, and are both so able to enquire after truth, and so ready
to embrace it by whomsoever and on what occasion soever it is
presented them; I cannot but promise my self that I shall before we part
either lose my Doubts or the hopes of ever finding them resolved;
Eleutherius paused not here; but to prevent their answer, added almost
in the same breath; and I am not a little pleased to find that you are
resolved on this occasion to insist rather on Experiments then
Syllogismes. For I, and no doubt You, have long observed, that those
Dialectical subtleties, that the Schoolmen too often employ about
Physiological Mysteries, are wont much more to declare the wit of him
that uses them, then increase the knowledge or remove the doubts of
sober lovers of truth. And such captious subtleties do indeed often
puzzle and sometimes silence men, but rarely satisfy them. Being like
the tricks of Jugglers, whereby men doubt not but they are cheated,
though oftentimes they cannot declare by what slights they are imposed
on. And therefore I think you have done very wisely to make it your
businesse to consider the Phænomena relating to the present Question,
which have been afforded by experiments, especially since it might
seem injurious to our senses, by whose mediation we acquire so much
of the knowledge we have of things corporal, to have recourse to
far-fetched and abstracted Ratiocination [Errata: Ratiocinations], to
know what are the sensible ingredients of those sensible things that we
daily see and handle, and are supposed to have the liberty to untwist (if
I may so speak) into the primitive bodies they consist of. He annexed
that he wished therefore they would no longer delay his expected
satisfaction, if they had not, as he feared they had, forgotten something
preparatory to their debate; and that was to lay down what should be all
along understood by the word Principle or Element. Carneades thank'd
him for his admonition, but told him that they had not been unmindful
of so requisite a thing. But that being Gentlemen and very far from the
litigious humour of loving to wrangle about words or terms or notions
as empty; they had before his coming in, readily agreed promiscuously
to use when they pleased, Elements and Principles as terms equivalent:

and to understand both by the one and the other, those primitive and
simple Bodies of which the mixt ones are said to be composed, and into
which they are ultimately resolved. And upon the same account (he
added) we agreed to discourse of the opinions to be debated, as we
have found them maintained by the Generality of the assertors of the
four Elements of the one party, and of those that receive the three
Principles on the other, without tying our selves to enquire
scrupulously what notion either Aristotle or Paracelsus, or this or that
Interpreter, or follower of either of those great persons, framed of
Elements or Principles; our design being to examine, not what these or
those writers thought or taught, but what we find to be the obvious and
most general opinion of those, who are willing to be accounted
Favourers of the Peripatetick or Chymical Doctrine, concerning this
subject.
I see not (saies Eleutherius) why you might not immediately begin to
argue, if you were but agreed which of your two friendly Adversaries
shall be first heard. And it being quickly resolv'd on that Themistius
should first propose the Proofs for his Opinion, because it was the
antienter, and the more general, he made not the company expect long
before he thus addressed himself to Eleutherius, as to the Person least
interessed in the dispute.
If you have taken sufficient notice of the late Confession which was
made by Carneades, and which (though his Civility dressed it up in
complementall Expressions) was exacted of