Tenents; besides that those_ Aristotelians, _(at Least, those he met
with,) that have written against the Chymists, seem to have had so
little Experimental Knowledge in Chymical Matters, that by their
frequent Mistakes and unskilfull Way of Oppugning, they have too often
expos'd Themselves to the Derision of their Adversaries, for writing
so Confidently against what they appear so little to understand._
_And Lastly_, Carneades _hopes, he shall doe the Ingenious this Piece
of service, that by having Thus drawn the Chymists Doctrine out of
their Dark and Smoakie Laboratories, and both brought it into the open
light, and shewn the weakness of their Proofs, that have hitherto
been wont to be brought for it, either Judicious Men shall henceforth
be allowed calmly and after due information to disbelieve it, or those
abler Chymists, that are zealous for the reputation of it, will be
oblig'd to speak plainer then hitherto has been done, and maintain it
by better Experiments and Arguments then Those_ Carneades _hath
examin'd: so That he hopes, the Curious will one Way or other Derive
either satisfaction or instruction from his endeavours. And as he is
ready to make good the profession he makes in the close of his
Discourse, he being ready to be better inform'd, so he expects either
to be indeed inform'd, or to be let alone. For Though if any Truly
knowing Chymists shall Think fit in a civil and rational way to shew
him any truth touching the matter in Dispute That he yet discernes
not,_ Carneades _will not refuse either to admit, or to own a
Conviction: yet if any impertinent Person shall, either to get Himself
a Name, or for what other end soever, wilfully or carelesly mistake
the State of the Controversie, or the sence of his Arguments, or shall
rail instead of arguing, as hath been done of Late in Print by divers
Chymists;_[1] _or lastly, shall write against them in a canting way; I
mean, shall express himself in ambiguous or obscure termes, or argue
from experiments not intelligibly enough Deliver'd_, Carneades
_professes, That he values his time so much, as not to think the
answering such Trifles worth the loss of it._
[Footnote 1: G. and F. and H. and others, in their books against one
another.]
_And now having said thus much for_ Carneades, _I hope the Reader will
give me leave to say something too for my self._
8