Page:The Sceptical Chymist.djvu/16

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A Preface Introductory.

ness of their Proofs, that have hitherto been wont to be brought for it, either Judicious Men shall henceforth he 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 civill and rationall 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 Himselfe 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;G. and F. and H. and others, in their books against one another. or lastly, shall write against them in a canting way; I mean, shall express himself in ambiguous or obscure terms, or argue from experiments not intelligibly enough Deliver’d, Carneades professes, That he values