pass'd among Chymists for their Elements or Principles.
THE
SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.
_The Fourth Part._
And thus much (sayes _Carneades_) may suffice to be said of the
_Number_ of the Distinct substances separable from mixt Bodies by the
Fire: Wherefore I now proceed to consider the _nature_ of them, and
shew you, That though they seem _Homogeneous_ Bodies, yet have they
not the purity and simplicity that is requisite to Elements. And I
should immediately proceed to the proof of my Assertion, but that the
Confidence wherewith Chymists are wont to call each of the Substances
we speak of by the name of Sulphur or Mercury, or the other of the
Hypostaticall Principles, and the intollerabln [Errata: intolerable]
Ambiguity they allow themselves ie [Errata: in] their Writings and
Expressions, makes it necessary for me in Order to the Keeping you
either from mistaking me, or thinking I mistake the Controversie, to
take Notice to you and complain of the unreasonable Liberty they give
themselves of playing with Names at pleasure. And indeed if I were
oblig'd in this Dispute, to have such regard to the Phraseology of
each particular Chymist, as not to Write any thing which this or that
Author may not pretend, not to contradict this or that sence, which he
may give as Occasion serves to his Ambiguous Expressions, I should
scarce know how to dispute, nor which way to turn myself. For I find
that even Eminent Writers, (such as _Raymund Lully_, _Paracelsus_ and
others) do so abuse the termes they employ, that as they will now and
then give divers things, one name; so they will oftentimes give one
thing, many Names; and some of them (perhaps) such, as do much more
properly signifie some Distinct Body of another kind; nay even in
Technical Words or Termes of Art, they refrain not from this
Confounding Liberty; but will, as I have Observ'd, call the same
Substance, sometimes the Sulphur, and Sometimes the Mercury of a Body.
And now I speak of Mercury, I cannot but take Notice, that the
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