their meaning, as 'tis for them to find their Elixir. And indeed
nothing has spread their Philosophy, but their great Brags and
undertakings; notwithstanding all which, (sayes _Themistius_ smiling)
I scarce know any thing they have performed worth wondering at, save
that they have been able to draw _Philoponus_ to their Party, and to
engage him to the Defence of an unintelligible _Hypothesis_, who
knowes so well as he does, that Principles ought to be like Diamonds,
as well very clear, as perfectly solid.
_Themistius_ having after these last words declared by his silence,
that he had finished his Discourse, _Carneades_ addressing himself, as
his Adversary had done, to _Eleutherius_, returned this Answer to it,
I hop'd for [Errata: for a] Demonstration, but I perceive _Themistius_
hopes to put me off with a Harangue, wherein he cannot have given me a
greater Opinion of his Parts, then he has given me Distrust for his
_Hypothesis_, since for it even a Man of such Learning can bring no
better Arguments. The Rhetorical part of his Discourse, though it make
not the least part of it, I shall say nothing to, designing to examine
only the Argumentative part, and leaving it to _Philoponus_ to answer
those passages wherein either _Paracelsus_ or _Chymists_ are
concern'd: I shall observe to You, that in what he has said besides,
he makes it his Business to do these two things. The one to propose
and make out an Experiment to demonstrate the common Opinion about the
four Elements; And the other, to insinuate divers things which he
thinks may repair the weakness of his Argument, from Experience, and
upon other Accounts bring some credit to the otherwise defenceless
Doctrine he maintains.
To begin then with his Experiment of the burning Wood, it seems to me
to be obnoxious to not a few considerable Exceptions.
And first, if I would now deal rigidly with my Adversary, I might here
make a great Question of the very way of Probation which he and others
employ, without the least scruple, to evince, that the Bodies commonly
call'd mixt, are made up of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, which they
are pleas'd also to call Elements; namely that upon the suppos'd
_Analysis_ made by the fire, of the former sort of _Concretes_, there
are wont to emerge Bodies resembling those which they take for the
Elements. For not to Anticipate here what I foresee I shall have
occasion to insist on, when I come to discourse with _Philoponus_
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