Here (1) it is justly to be faulted,1 that he goes against all rules of art and reason, making up the chief part of his definition, of a negative, and so in issue tells us, what the thing is not, not what it is: For having said, that a cerem. must be in reference, the demand might be, what reference is that, he adds it is not a cause, or a part, And any may in reason still enquire, if it be not either if those two, what is it then, or what intend you by it, here he leaves himself not a muse or a hole to escape, but even a broad field to walk at liberty in, either to affirm, or deny what he will: For press him thus: If it be not the reference of a cause or part, is it then referred by way of comparison? No: Is it by way of opposition? No: And thus where shall we hold him, or make him stay, Nay ⟨p. 30⟩where will he himself find foothold to stand: Just for all the world, as if he should define a man to be a living creature, which is not a bird, nor a fish, nor a lamb, nor an ox, how senseless and sapless would such descriptions be, and yet this of the Rej. in this place is the like. And hence it is, that in stead of a clearer knowledge, and apprehension of the thing, which should be gained by a definition, I dare be bold to make it good (for I speak but what by experience I have found) that the most ordinary, yea judicious readers, when they thought they knew some thing of a Cerem. before: after they had read this definition, they knew, just nothing at all: Thus his defining is like flinging dust in the eyes of a mans understanding, to delude and deceive, at the least to dazzle and trouble his reason: I hope by the next return, the Rej. will be content to acknowledge this fault, and will tell us in plain English, what he means by this reference▪ which if he do, I am verily persuaded he will be forced to see, how far wide he was, when he minted and vented these feeble conceits. How ever we will see, what we can make of it, and in this our enquiry, it must not seem strange to the Drs learning, that being simple men, our dull capacities compass several ways that we may find out the foundation, upon which this assertion is built, In which we profess in a word of truth, our desire is not to pervert his meaning, but to understand it.
Here (1) it is justly to be faulted,1 that he goes against all rules of art and reason, making up the cheif part of his definition, of a negative, and so in yssue tells us, what the thing is not, not what it is: For having said, that a cerem. must be in reference, the demaund might be, what reference is that, he adds it is not a cause, or a part, And any may in reason still enquire, if it be not either if those two, what is it then, or what intend you by it, here he leaves himself not a muse or a hole to escape, but even a broad feild to walk at liberty in, either to affirme, or deny what he will: For presse him thus: If it be not the reference of a cause or part, is it then referred by way of comparison? No: Is it by way of opposition? No: And thus where shall we hould him, or make him stay, Nay ⟨p. 30⟩where will he himself fynd footehold to stand: Iust for all the world, as if he should defyne a man to be a living creature, which is not a byrd, nor a fish, nor a lambe, nor an oxe, how senselesse and sapplesse would such descriptions be, and yet this of the Rej. in this place is the like. And hence it is, that in stead of a clearer knowledge, and apprehension of the thing, which should be gayned by a definition, I dare be bould to make it good (for I speake but what by experience I have found) that the most ordinary, yea judicious readers, when they thought they knew some thing of a Cerem. before: after they had read this definition, they knew, just nothing at all: Thus his defining is like flinging dust in the eyes of a mans understanding, to delude and deceave, at the least to dazell and trouble his reason: I hope by the next returne, the Rej. will be content to acknowledge this fault, and will tell us in plaine English, what he meanes by this reference▪ which if he do, I am verily perswaded he will be forced to see, how far wyde he was, when he mynted and vented these feeble conceits. How ever we will see, what we can make of it, and in this our enquiry, it must not seeme strange to the Drs learning, that being simple men, our dull capacityes compasse severall wayes that we may fynd out the foundation, upon which this assertion is built, In which we professe in a word of truth, our desire is not to pervert his meaning, but to understand it.
- 1The second part of the definition examined and fo•nd faulty against all rules of art.The second part of the definition examined and fo•nd fa•lty against all rules of art.
