great Reading by publishing their common Places or Compilations besides what they say is often so much out of the way that it is of no use for the bettter Understanding of an Author But there are a great many other places which will put not only a young Beginner to a stand but also such as have made a greater Progress upon which they say nothing at all When the Text of an Author is clear they will often speak much and enlarge upon it but when it is difficult and obscure they say nothing at all There are some Criticks who think it beneath them to make such Notes they say that they are only good for young Men and that those who have made some Progress may easily be without 'em But neither of them is altogether true There are many grave Men who have nobler Employments and want good Notes upon the difficult Places of ancient Authors and would be very glad to find some They have not time enough to look in other Books for the Explications they want because they read those Authors only for their Recreation when their Business is over and not to weary themselves in turning over large Volumes to find the Explication of a Place they do not understand Besides 't is a more difficult thing to write such Notes than 't is commonly believed The Notes of Paul Manucius upon Cicero's Epistles which are such as I would have cost him much more Pains than the Critical Notes of many others tho' never so much esteem'd and it had been much better to put them under the Text rather than several others which are only about the true Reading Eight Readers in ten want Manucius's Notes but scarce look on what is said concerning the Various Readings 'T is to no purpose to say that it is an Abuse Such is Mens Humour and few have time enough to examine so many needless Punctilio's The most Curious are contented to have recourse to those Compilations when 't is necessary they should exactly understand the Sense of a Passage otherwise they would not look on them And indeed the Reader retains not much in his Memory when he has read them Short Notes well worded which contain nothing without a Proof for it or at least referr the Reader to a good Author for the Truth of what they say quoting exactly the place that it may be easily found such Notes I say are a great Treasure for most Readers But 't is not so easie to make 'em as to Quibble about some various Readings or to make some Digressions Some Men of Learning much inferiour to those I have mention'd have undertaken in our Age especially in Holland to supply that Defect and to collect several Notes out of several Criticks who had written upon the best Authors or explained them by the by in some other Works They go by the Name of Notes Variorum But the greatest part of the first Collections were very ill made because those who went about it were not qualified for it They have often pitched upon the worst have not alledged the Proofs of the Authors they abridged and have often misrepresented their Thoughts And to insert Notes every-where they have been as large on the clear as the obscure Passages and fill'd their Collections with useless or unseasonable Digressions Every Body complaining of the Notes Variorum some learned Men thought it necessary to make a Choice of the best Criticks and insert all their Notes together with some other good Remarks of other Authors Such are the Latter Editions Cum Notis Variorum and they are without doubt to be preferred before the former The Publick has been better pleased with them and all those who love Humane Learning have been extremely glad to have a compleat Collection out of all the best Criticks to consult it when there is an occasion for 't Notwithstanding they complain still of one thing and I think they have some Reason for it They wish that those who make such Collections would only put under the Text such Notes as may serve for the understanding of the Expressions Opinions Customs c. Supplying what is wanting in them as much as it can be done and that all the compleat and full Notes should be referr'd to the end of the Book to consult them upon occasion They wish besides that those Notes of several Authors were so disposed that one might find them all at once in one place whereas one must run over a whole Volume to find what each Author says which is too long and tedious We have two Editions of Caesar's Commentaries by Goth. Jungerâ—annus wherein all the Notes are at the end of the Book and 't is no easie thing to make use of them because every one of those Notes is by itself in â—ts order whereas if they were mixed one might see with a glance of the Eye whatever the Commentators say upon each Place They thought in France it were better if those who undertook to publish the Classick Authors for the Vse of the Dauphin should take out of the â—earned Men who wrote before them what they should think fit But if I may be allow'd to â—peak the Truth Most of those Interpreters have but indifferently perform'd their Part. First They made use of very bad Editions whereas â—hey should have followed the best which I â—hink is an unpardonable Fault Secondly One may see In their Notes the same Faults I have observed in the first Holland Editions Cum Notis â—ariorum However there is one thing in the Paris Editions which is wanting in the Holland Editions There are in the former some Index's of all the Words which may be of great Use to â—ind out the Passages wanted when one remembers but some Words of them But it must be confest that those Indexes would be better and shorter if laying aside all the trivial and common Words which no Body ever looks for as the Verb Sum with all its Tenses Conjunctions Adverbs and Prepositions when they contain no particular Signification that deserves to be taken notice of c. they had inserted not only the Words by themselves but also the Phrases The Reason of it is beause no Body looks in an Index for the Verb Sum for instance in its ordinary Signification and if any Body look'd for it in an uncommon sense it would perhaps take up a whole Day to find it in the Index unless one knew near at hand where to find it The same may be said of a great many other Words Whereas if the Phraeses were contain'd in the Index when they are not common one might presently find the Passage one looks for 'T is for this Reason we so much esteem the Indexes of Matthias Berneggerus and John Freinshemius who were learned Men and made exact and judiciouss Indexes of several good Authors tho' they inserted not all the Words But it may be that those who had the direction of the Editions For the Vse of the Dauphin did
respect for Truth in general and love a Philosophical Sincerity are obliged to use such a Method and they that are so disposed are better convinced than others of the narrowness of their Knowledge think more modestly of themselves and can more easily bear to be contradicted On the contrary those who distinguish not what is doubtful from what is certain fancy they know much more than they do and being proud of their pretended Knowledge they maintain with the same assurance the most uncertain Things and those which they are most sure of From thence arise a great many hot Disputes about Things which no body knows and wherein they are perhaps mistaken on both sides From thence also arise all the Evils which attend long Disputes Those who are used to distinguish their Conjectures from what they are able to prove may more easily attain to a solid and certain knowledge of Truth than those who believe they know what they know not and so give over the search of that which they think they have already found They substitute an imaginary Knowledge in the room of a real one and so rest satisfied with Phantoms instead of real Things and as they boldly take up Things that have but a slight probability so they are afraid on the contrary to be deceived by Demonstrations and shun them as carefully as they ought to shun Falshood But those who believe not that they know what they know not and are not conceited of their own Merits will be ready to embrace Truth which way soever it comes That which I most wonder at is That some Men are so Conceited that they speak as if they were persuaded that Truth depends not so much on Things themselves as on the manner of defending it One would think they believe That if they stoutly maintain an Opinion it acquires thereby a greater degree of certainty and at last happens to be true Should we grant say they That such a Thing is true we must then give up our Principles 'T is therefore better to argue against it without troubling our Selves whether it be true or not and never to give ground like the Man who being no longer able to reply to what was objected against his Opinion cried out with great Anger If what I say be not true it should be true Of Morery's Dictionary BUT to return to Mr. L. C.'s Studies at the very same time that his Philosophical Works were Composed Printed for the first time and Reprinted he was taken up with the tedious Revision of a Book which gave him a great deal of trouble Some Booksellers of Holland having a mind to Print Morery's Dictionary proposed to him in 1689. to Revise it which he undertook to do supposing That because that Dictionary had been Printed five times in France it wanted but few Corrections But having gone about that Work he soon perceived that he had had a better Opinion of Mr. Morery than he deserved He perceived too late that the Revision of that Dictionary would be a laborious Work of no great Honour and less Profit But he was obliged to go thro' when he had begun One may see what he said about it in the XIV Vol. of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle and in the Preface before the Holland Editions He has in three several Revisions corrected a prodigious number of Faults especially in the Articles which concern ancient History and after a frequent Perusing and a long Examination he found that Mr. Morery was a Man of so little Learning and Exactness that one cannot rely on any thing that he says He that would throughly examine his Dictionary should have almost all the Books which he made use of and it would take up as much time as would be sufficient to make a New one So that Mr. L. C. was forced to pass over a great many Things for want of Books and Time Besides to speak the Truth there are a great many Articles in that Dictionary which deserve not to be corrected by a Man who can spend his Time better Of what use would it be to make a laborious Enquiry concerning so many wretched Authors whom Morery mentions He that began that Work should have been Exact since he undertook it Nevertheless there has been Three Editions of that Dictionary in Holland from the Year 1690. to the Year 1698. and about Seven Thousand Copies have been Sold Perhaps so large a Book did never Sell so well before Indeed it is necessary to a great many People who cannot have Libraries nor read the Original Authors and are contented with a general Knowledge of Things The last Edition of Holland is much more Exact than the other but it is not true That the Publick can now rely upon it as the Booksellers have inserted in the Advertisement of this VIII Edition without Mr. L. C's Knowledge 'T is true That it is more accurate than the former but he that will know something exactly must necessarily have recourse to the Original Authors I hear in 1699. that there is a new Edition of it coming out at Paris and I doubt not but that they have corrected several Faults in the Articles which concern the Modern Authors because they have at Paris all the Books necessary for it the Tenth Part of which cannot be had in Holland because those Books Sell not very well there Of Mr. L. C.'s Commentary on the Pentateuch Mr. L. C. having applied himself chiefly to the Study of the Holy Scripture designed a great while ago to write a Commentary on the Old Testament but being not Master of his Time and Studies he could not do it before he left off writing the Bibliotheque Vniverselle To give a Specimen of his Design he published in 1690. in one Sheet in Quarto the Prophet Obadiah translated by him with a Paraphrase and a Critical Commentary He imparted that Specimen to his Friends and sent it every where to know what the Publick thought of such an Undertaking and having their Approbation he willingly undertook that Work which tho' very great and laborious did not frighten him because he always took great delight in that Study Besides he was persuaded that If he should succeed in his Design it would prove very useful to the Publick He published therefore his Commentary on Genesis in 1693. with a Paraphrase and Critical Notes as he had done the Prophet Obadiah And because he designed his Book for the use of all those who apply themselves to the Study of the Holy Scripture of what Sect or Party soever they be he abstained from all manner of Controversie and enquired only into the Literal Sense without drawing any Theological Consequences from it which might offend any Christian Society He searched Truth as impartially as if he had been the first who undertook such a Work He agrees in most Things with the most Learned Interpreters but he thinks he has made many new Discoveries concerning Things themselves and the manner
Mr. Vander Waeyen commends and is really a very Learned Work tho' it contains a Doctrin very different from his This being so Mr. L. C. says That by reason of that Ambiguity of Words it may be as Grotius thought that those who seem'd to agree were not of the same Opinion and that by degrees tho' they used the same Words they put another Signification upon them He adds That this might so much the more easily happen as to the Question concerning the Vnity of God because the Christians of the latter Times believed that the Fathers of the Church were of the same Opinion with the Jews who acknowledged a Numerical Vnity of the Divine Essence But as the Consubstantialists entertained a different Opinion under the cover of the same Words which the Jews used and they durst not part with So now our Divines make use of the Terms consecrated by the Fathers but they seem to put another Signification upon ' em Verùm uti Homoousiani sub iisdem verbis quibus Hebraei utebantur aliam abscondebant sententiam cùm non auderent ab iis discedere Ita nostri hodie Theologi à Patribus verba quidem consecrata retinent sed alias iis subjicere potestates videntur How does it appear now That Mr. L. C. grants that the ancient Jews meant by the Word the same thing that St. John did Nevertheless Mr. Vander Waeyen says so positively as if no Body but himself could read a Book whereof above Two thousand Copies have already been Sold. Who will believe him when he cites Books less known and accuses others of Disingenuity Our Cocceian Divine continues to find fault with Mr. L. C. in several places of his Rapsodies but there is no need I should lose my time in confuting him Let him read a Book of Episcopius which he wrote if I mistake not against a Professor of a neighbouring University and intituled Vedelius Rapsodus It contains very good Advice which Mr. Vander Waeyen should follow By what has been said one may judge of the remaining part of his Book and be satisfied that no Body can rely on what he says and believe him upon his word If any one will take the pains to read his Dissertation let him look for the Passages which he writes against and compare them with his Answers and then give his Judgment about it I should tire the Reader 's Patience and have an ill Opinion of him should I shew at large how many ill Reasonings and impertinent Quotations and how much Disingenuity there is in those Dissertations This has has been clearly made out in respect of several Points and those who know the long Disputes he has had with other Reformed Divines are well enough acquainted with his Genius and manner of Writing However I must say something still about the conclusion of his Dissertation concerning the Logos He says That he has done nothing out of Hatred or thro' any ill Passion But I cannot apprehend what might be the cause of so many passionate and angry Expressions Lies and Calumnies unless it were Hatred and some other like Passion Certainly these are not the Fruits of Christian Charity nor the Effects of any Zeal for Truth since Zeal for Truth has nothing to do with Lies and Calumnies He adds That he did not propose to himself as his chief Aim to reclaim Mr. L. C. I believe it for 't is manifest that his chief Aim is to Quarrel and give himself up to his prevailing Passion and then to prejudice Mr. L. C.'s Reputation by all the means he can think of 'T is in vain for him to deny it since God and Men judge of our Words by our Actions and not of our Actions by our Words However he says That he very much wishes he might reclaim Mr. L. C. and that he heartily prays that God would do it But what would he reclaim Mr. L. C. from Would he bring him to the State that he himself is in and of which he should make haste to get out by begging God's Pardon for having had so many Quarrels with so many honest Men without any reason for it and for having endeavoured to blemish their Reputation by his Calumnies He upbraids Mr. L. C. with His Prejudices his manner of Philosophizing and rejecting the true Key of Knowledge the Mystery of the Father and Son Let the Publick judge who of them two is more blinded with Prejudices and whose Method of Philosophizing is more agreeable to Piety and Reason I don't know what he means by the Mystery of the Father and Son but I guess he understands by it Cocceius's new Method of explaining the Covenant of Grace which Mr. L. C. does not believe no more than the other Reformed Divines He is very willing to leave that Key of Knowledge to Mr. Vander Waeyen and those who like it Other Christians believe that it is a proper Instrument to barr Men from the true Knowledge of Holy Scripture and Mr. L. C. is of that Opinion But if they mean by it the Divinity of the Son his Distinction from the Father and the Redemption of Mankind Mr. L. C. is better convinced of 'em than the most zealous Cocceians but he can't abide that any one should add to those Doctrines any thing that is not contained in Scripture Our Professor of Franeker seems to be angry because Mr. L. C.'s Writings are esteem'd and he says that the reason why they are valued is Because they favour Prophane Men that is to say those who laugh at Cocceianism for whoever despises it can expect no Quarter from Mr. Vander Waeyen as being a prophane and an impious Man c. Such is the Language of those godly conceited Divines who place Religion in Chimerical Speculations which they endeavour to confound with the Doctrines revealed in the Holy Scriptures as 't is practis'd by Mr. Vander Waeyen and Mr. Poiret who are good Friends when they are concern'd to defend Fanaticism in general for as soon as a Man abandons Reason he must necessarily fall into Fanaticism but will prove cruel Enemies when the Question shall be Whether John Cocceius's Fanaticism is to be preferr'd to that of Antoinette Bourignon or vice versâ 'T would be a good sport to hear 'em discourse together with their usual Moderation of their Explications of the Revelations Purgatory Predestination c Mr. Poiret would then cease to be clarissimus and would be obscurissimus Tenebrio to say no worse and God knows what noble Epithets he would in his turn bestow on the Doctor of Franeker The latter says That Mr. L. C. is one of those Men who reduce Religion to a few Heads concerning the Knowledge of God and some practical Moral Duties in order to live quietly in this World But Mr. L. C. neither lessens nor encreases the Articles of Faith he takes 'em out of Holy Scripture such as they are without making any alteration in them As for Morality he approves of no Remisness
small Treatise concerning the Inspiration of the Sacred Writers which Mr. L. C. published not as if he approved of it but with great caution and only to engage Learned Men to write on that Subject He said so positively in several places And 't is for this reason that several Divines have examined that Subject in Latin French and English Mr. L. C. thinks himself concerned in their Answers tho' he might have complained that some of 'em observed no Rules of Equity or Sincerity not only with respect to the Doctrin contained in the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. but also in reference to himself F. Simon who was warmly attackt in the Sentiments c. answered them with all the Passion and Animosity that could be expected from a Man who could alledge no good Reasons and he used all the injurious and unbecoming Words that he could think of on such an occasion He would also persuade the World that Dr. Allix heretofore Minister at Charenton and Mr. Aubert de Versé who is now in 1699. at Paris and has a Pension from the Clergy of France were the Authors of that Book and that Mr. Aubert in particular had written the Treatise concerning the Inspiration of the Sacred Authors A short time after in 1686. Mr. L. C. published a Defence of the Sentiments c. and throughly confuted F. Simon 's Chimerical Discoveries which have been laughed at since by every Body declaring to him That he would answer him no more tho' he should write never so many Books because he thought the Publick was so well acquainted with their Dispute as to be able to judge of it without being troubled any longer with F. Simon 's ill Reasonings and Disingenuity Indeed when a Man has said all that is necessary in order to clear and defend Truth he needs go no farther the Publick being not much concerned in the Reputation and personal Interests of private Men. 'T was in vain for F. Simon to cry out louder than he did before according to the custom of those who maintain a bad Cause Mr. L. C. despised alike his hard Words and his repeated Arguments In his Defence he says That what F. Simon publish'd concerning Dr. Allix and Mr. Aubert is a great Untruth They know very well that it is false and will not ascribe to themselves another Man's Work They have both written some Books whereby one may easily know that they have had no hand in the Sentiments c. nor in the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. Whatever one may think of their Books they have done nothing like this either as to the Style the Method or the Matter I do not say this to wrong them or to praise any body but to confute F. Simon the more effectually They who have read the other Works of Mr. L. C. will easily believe that he needs not borrow any thing of either of 'em and that the Author of the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. is quite another Person than those Gentlemen They would perhaps have done well to declare themselves that they have had no hand in that Book but since they have not done it I hope they will not take it ill if I do 't If they believe that their Reputation would be wrong'd by ascribing to them in part a Book wherein they have no hand they would be glad that I have said so here But if their Silence should arise from some other Cause which I will not dive into they cannot complain that the Publick should be informed of the truth of a Fact which might wrong Mr. L. C. who has as little need of them as they have of him Of the Judgment which some Divines have made of the Sentiments c. In the Year 1688. Matthias Honcamp Canon of Mentz published in Latin a Book Intituled An Examination of the Critical History of the Old Testament and of the Sentiments c. Mr. L. C. answered him in the X. Vol. of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle where he gives an ill Character of the Principles and Method of that Author who perhaps deserved to be treated more sharply In 1690. Mr. Maius Professor at Giessen published four Dissertations on the Holy Scripture wherein he undertook to refute F. Simon and the Author of the Sentiments c. The latter replied something in the XIX Vol. of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle where he shews That Mr. Maius ascribes to him some Opinions which he has not and that his Arguments are very weak and insignificant But because he writes chiefly against the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. Mr. L. C. did not think himself obliged to Dispute about it either with Mr. Maius or any body else He could only have wished that that Author had been able to treat that Subject well and refute his Antagonist with good Reasons and not with hard Words and Arguments which prove nothing Equity required also that he should ascribe nothing to Mr. L. C. but what he acknowledges and publish no Romance about the Authors of the Sentiments c. and the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. as he has done by bringing again Mr. Aubert upon the Stage This he may be sure of That Mr. L. C. has a greater and nobler Notion of the Divine Revelation than he himself seems to have as well as of Christian Charity and even natural Equity which he has very little observed in his Refutation He has also published some other Dissertations digested according to the Order of Common-Places wherein he likewise writes against Mr. L. C. after such a manner as will only impose upon some Young Students of Divinity in the Universities of Germany but will not please those who know what Charity and Equity require and are not Strangers to the Rules of Reasoning well Mr. L. C. might also complain that Mr. Maius took the pains to transcribe out of his Works the best Things he says concerning the Rolls of the ancient Hebrews against Dr. Isaac Vossius and F. Simon and concerning the Scribes against the latter He should at least have been just to Him of whose Labour he thought he could make a good use by ascribing to him only so much as he owns and drawing no odious Consequence against him I thought my self obliged to say thus much not to revenge Mr. L. C. for the wrong that Professor designed to do to his Reputation which must needs be very inconsiderable and only in Places where he would be ashamed to be very much Esteem'd knowing what sort of Men are Esteem'd there but to shew that he is with good Reason very little concern'd for what some German Divines have written against him 'T is their Duty to reflect on their own Conduct whereof they are not to give an account to some Divines of Wittemberg but to a Judge who has taught us other Rules of Equity by which we are to be judged by him Mr. L. C. beseeches that Supreme Judge that he would be
Author of the Letters in which it is inserted Some few Lines after he falsly accuses Mr. L. C. of having said that the Pentateuch was possibly compiled by a Priest of Bethlehem whereas he said Bethel not Bethlehem Mr. Vander Waeyen adds as it were by a Parenthesis that that Priest was certainly an Idolater as if he knew it by a Revelation and without intimating that the Author of that Conjecture was persuaded of the contrary as he plainly says in the beginning of the VII Letter of his Defence of the Sentiments p. 167. Lastly he says That Mr. L. C. did not scruple to affirm that the Works which go under the name of Moses and other inspired Authors were written by that Priest But there are two Falsifications in those Words It is not true that Mr. L. C. ascribed any thing to that Priest besides the care of collecting the Writings of Moses and some more ancient Histories of which the Pentateuch is made up and it is also false that he said that those Books were written Scripta esse by that Man as if he had been the Author of 'em He only said that he was possibly the Compiler of the Pentateuch Thus the Reader may see how faithfully Mr. Vander Waeyen relates Mr. L. C.'s Conjecture about the Compiler of the Pentateuch that he may brand it with the Name of Impiety and Prophaneness without intimating any where that the Author of the Sentiments c. said over and over again when he published that Conjecture that the Pentateuch contains nothing but what was approved of by the Priests of Jerusalem and all the Jews who worshipped the true God 'T is an easie thing to represent a harmless Conjecture as an impious and prophane Opinion by suppressing part of it at pleasure Mr. Vander Waeyen should know that Mr. L. C. is not fond of that Conjecture as I have already said and as it appears by his Latin Dissertation concerning Moses being the Author of the Pentateuch Equity required that he should say something of it in imitation of Mr. Witsius of whom he should have learn'd that every Body and especially a Divine ought to be a Lover of Sincerity That Professor of Leyden has been generally praised upon that account but the Professor of Franeker is not like to encrease his Reputation by taking a contrary course If he could be cured of his Prejudices and judge without Anger of the Opinions of a Man whom he has offended tho' he never was injured by him one should only Appeal from himself to himself and desire him to read again the Books against which he has so much exclaim'd He would then easily perceive that he has transgressed the Laws of Charity and Justice after a strange manner and is bound to beg God's Pardon for it I heartily pray God that he would forgive him He would also learn to forbear writing Romances about other Men as he has done in the very beginning of his Dissertation not considering that being evidently convinced of gross Fictions concerning the Opinions he ascribes to Mr. L. C. few People would believe him upon his Word Of the Bibliotheque Universelle To return to Mr. L. C.'s Works he undertook in 1686. to write a Journal in imitation of those which were published in several parts of Europe He entituled it as every Body knows Bibliotheque Vniverselle and endeavoured to do chiefly Two Things which are wanting in other Journals The one is to give larger and more exact Extracts of considerable Books than were to be found in other Journals And Secondly to insert into it several Pieces of his own such as are a Project of the Fabulous History in the I. Vol. an Explication of the Fable of Adonis in the III and of the Fable of Ceres in the VI an Essay concerning the Poetry of the Hebrews in the IX the Life of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea in the X the Lives of St. Cyprian and Prudentius in the XII and the Life of St. Gregory Nazianzen in the XVIII the Memoirs concerning the History of Jansenism in the XIV c. He wrote the VIII first Volumes together with Mr. de la Crose who followed his Advices till the VIII But in the IX he undertook to give his Judgment concerning some Books and Mr. L. C. approved not of his Extracts so that he was obliged to distinguish his own Extracts from those of Mr. de la Crose that he might not be answerable for them Mr. de la Crose put also his and Mr. L. C.'s Name to the IV Volume without his Knowledge and against his Will for he always designed that his Journal should be Anonymous as the Leipsick and the Paris Journals But his Name having been published in one of the Volumes he was obliged to publish it in the following Afterwards Mr. L. C. wrote the X Volume alone and Mr. de la Crose the XI as may be seen by the Prefaces The remaining Volumes to the XIX inclusively were written by Mr. L. C. excepting the XIII It was necessary to come to these Particulars not only to shew that Mr. L. C. spends his time better than those who lose theirs in writing Libels but because some Persons have unawares ascrib'd to him one Volume in which he had no Hand The first who committed that Fault is Mr. Meibom in his Additions to a Book of Valentinus Henricus Voglerus intituled Introductio Vniversalis in Notitiam cujuscunque generis bonorum Scriptorum c. In his Additions to the 29 Page wherein he speaks of Journals he complains of the Judgment which he says Mr. L. C. made of his Collection of Writers of the German History in the X Vol. of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle 'T is true that Mr. L. C. is the Author of that Volume but there is not one Word in it about Mr. Meibom's Collection which he never so much as perused Mr. Meibom meant the XI Vol. where there is a long Extract of his Collection but that Volume having been written by Mr. de la Crose as it appears by the Dedicatory Epistle it was not just to ascribe it to Mr. L. C. who had no Hand in it Mr. Meibom has formerly been told of it in a civil and obliging manner in the 2d part of the XXII Vol. of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle Art V. and again lately in the Nouvelles de la Republiques des Lettres May 1699. because it does not appear that he has retracted and others have of late committed the same Unjustice after him 'T is his Duty to acknowledge his fault if he does not do it one may with reason believe that he took delight in committing that Injustice and look upon him as a Man who commits such Faults a purpose and the Publick may be acquainted with it upon occasion Had he only ascribed that Volume to Mr. L. C. without complaining of him one might think it is a slip of Memory and overlook it But Mr. L. C. cannot be silent about it
because Mr. Meibom complains of him though he has no ground for 't Next to Mr. Meibom the Journalists of Leipsick have committed the same fault at the end of their Acta c. June 1691. Mr. Juncker has also translated the Fault in his Treatise of Journals published at Leipsick about the same time And here I cannot but take notice of a thing which the Journalists of Leipsick affect to do with respect to Mr. L. C. and several others If an angry Author uses any injurious or disobliging Words against him they never fail to observe it as if the design of a Journal was to preserve the Memory of injurious Words which those who have used them are often ashamed of However if those Gentlemen intend thereby to cry down Books full of injurious Words and create a dislike of 'em they do well to take notice of such Passages But if they do it because they are well pleased with them or think they are essential to the Subject or because they are moved with the same Passion they can never be too much blamed for it They may when they please inform the Publick about it lest they should give occasion to entertain an ill Opinion of ' em Dr. Cave Canon of if Windsor was without doubt very well pleased with a Passage of Mr. Meibom against Mr. L. C. since he has lately inserted it in his Dissertation concerning Eusebius supposing that Mr. L. C. had censured the Collection of the Authors Rerum Germanicarum in the X Vol. of his Bibliotheque Herein Dr. Cave has committed two Faults one of which consists in approving of Mr. Meibom's Injustice and the other in designing to wrong Mr. L. C.'s Reputation by publishing a Passage of that Author who if he is an honest Man will make him Satisfaction very soon in the Journal of Leipsick or somewhere else Another Author has committed the same Fault I mean the Author of the Remarks on the Confession of Sancy which have been lately printed at Amsterdam One may see those Remarks on the II Chapter It cannot be said that all the of Volumes the Bibliotheque wore ascribed to Mr. L. C. because Mr. de la Crose was not so well known as he since the Name of the latter is to be seen in all the Volumes in which he had a Hand except in the Three First which are Anonymous and at the end of the Dedicatory Epistle of the XI Volume in question He that will censure any one must take care not to mistake one Man for another lest the Innocent should suffer for the Guilty Among those who have injustly complained of the Bibliotheque I must also reckon Mr. Poiret a Follower of Antoinette Bourignon who being exasperated with a little Jest †In the V. Vol. of the Biblioth upon his Divine O Economy did very much inveigh against Mr. L.C. not only in an opposite Extract which he caused to be inserted in the Republique des Lettres in 1687. but also some Years after in along Letter full of Bitterness and Malice which he published in 1692. at the end of his Book de Eruditione Solida c. without giving notice of it to the Bookseller who was very sorry for 't Mr. L. C. did not think himself obliged to answer it because Mr. Poiret is so well known to be a Chimerical Man that what he says of any one can do him no wrong The only thing that Mr. L. C. might be blamed for on this occasion is to have been contented with a slight Jest upon a Book which deserved a very sharp Censure because it ridicules Religion from the beginning to the end by changing it into a meer Fanaticism Mr. Poiret fancies that all the Fooleries of Mystical Men and all the Chimeras he is pleased to add to them must pass for Oracles whereas he should be ashamed to make it his Business to seduce the Simple with his ridiculous spiritual Notions None is imposed upon by the Fanatical Outside of Mystical Men but those that are disposed to deceive themselves and to mistake Chimeras for Religion instead of Morality and good Works which are grounded on the hope of another Life which the Gospel teaches us As for those who know how necessary it is to love one's Neighbour they will not be imposed upon by Mr. Poiret's Extatical Devotion which is not inconsistent with the greatest Malice His taking care to make an Apology for St. Augustin is a great Instance of his want of Sincerity For tho' he is far from being of that Father's Opinion concerning absolute Predestination and irresistible Grace yet he will justify him to make Mr. L. C. odious if he can Such is again the Sense he puts upon St. Augustin's Epistle to Vincentius He maintains that St. Augustin did not say in that Letter that 't is lawful to Persecute as if no Body could read the Works of that Father but he If Mr. Poiret does not care for Critical Learning which he seems to despise he should not meddle with what he understands not He 'll judge this is too hard a Censure but he justly deserves it and he must not think that Mr. L. C. will enter into the Lists with him He has a mind to pick Quarrels to make if it were possible some noise in the World and so put People upon buying his Books which no Body reads But Mr. L. C. will not give him occasion to write many Books If any Body has any time to lose let him read Mr. Poiret's Letter and compare it with Mr. L. C.'s Opinions for he is resolved to make no other Reply to Mr. Poiret Of Mr. L. C.'s Philosophical Works WHILST Mr. L. C. was writing his Bibliotheque he translated into Latin the last Books of Thomas Stanley's Philosophical History which contain the History of the Eastern Philosophy whereof he had publish'd an Extract in the VII Vol. of the Bibliotheque which pleased several People That Book was printed in 1690. Mr. L. C. having left off the laborious Work of the Bibliotheque Vniverselle applied himself to his Commentary on the Pentateuch as I shall say hereafter and in the mean time published his Logick his Ontology and his Pneumatology which were reprinted in 1697. He dedicated his Logick to the late Mr. Boyle but the Person who was to present him with a Copy could not do it because Mr. Boyle died in the mean time This is the reason why Mr. L. C. in his second Edition dedicated it to Mr. Locke to whom he had also dedicated his Ontology and Pneumatology The second Edition is incomparably better than the first especially for the Style which the Author has very much corrected There is at the end of his Logick a Dissertation de Argumento Theologico ex Invidia ducto which angry and passionate Divines should read over and over to make 'em leave off the Custom of using base and shameful Artifices to make those odious who will not blindly submit to their
believe that they doubted of its Authority This Mr. Clark published a Book intituled Anti-Nicaenismus in 1694. and died soon after If to what I have said you add the Preface of the Notes on the beginning of St. John's Gospel you may know why Mr. L. C. published that little Book at that time Mr. Benoit a Minister at Delft thought sit to write against it in a Dissertation printed at Rotterdam in 1696. Mr. L. C. did not answer it and will not do it for the same Reason which hindred him from answering several others viz. because he believed that the Reader was able to judge of that Dispute by comparing those two Books without the help of a Reply I don't know whether Mr. Benoit took it ill for he desired that his Book should make a noise in the World However he thought fit to reflect upon Mr. L. C. a great while after in the Libels he wrote against Mr. Jaquelot and Mr. Le Vassor tho' Mr. L. C. was not concerned in that Quarrel Mr. Benoit was in hopes that Mr. L. C. would presently take up the Cudgel and that his Book which no Body would buy would by that means sell the better But he was mistaken and Mr. L. C. was as little moved with his Libels as he was with his Dissertation and would make no Reply out of Prudence and Contempt for such Disputes The first Reason he had for it is that 't is needless to write Books in order to explain what every Body understands 'T is true that Mr. Benoit speaks as if he understood it not but let him read again the Passage he wrote against and then he may answer himself Mr. L. C.'s second Reason for not answering him is that the Indignation which most French Refugees have expressed against his Libels and the Satisfaction he has been obliged to make after he had endeavoured to stir up the People against two of his Brethren have so humbled him that there is no need any Body else should do it Instead of writing against those who don't meddle with him he should answer the Complaints of several of his Country-men who openly charge him with want of Sincerity in his History which many People look upon as a Book fitter to Defame than Honour the Party His crying down People as Hereticks will not put an end to their Complaints On the contrary he will perhaps force some great Persons to publish what they heard him say some Years ago They remember very well that he profest himself at that time to be a moderate Man The next Year 1697. Mr. Vander Waeyen published his Dissertation concerning the Logos which I have already mention'd and that it might sell the better added to it a Book of Stephen Rittangelius who had been a Jew and turned Christian wherein he endeavours to prove that the Chaldee Paraphrasts meant by the Word of God the same thing that St. John did For my part I don't believe it and in my Opinion Rittangelius has very ill confuted his Adversary but this is not the Question in hand Mr. Vander Waeyen being not contented to confute Mr. L. C. omits nothing to make him odious He had a great while before acquainted the World that he was about a Dissertation wherein he would prove that Mr. L. C. had not faithfully cited Philo. Mr. Van Limborch Mr. L. C.'s Collegue hearing of it undertook to compare all the Passages of Philo quoted by Mr. L. C. in his Notes on the beginning of St. John's Gospel and finding that he had truly cited them he told some Body of it who acquainted Mr. Vander Waeyen with it Whereupon Mr. Vander Waeyen inveighed so furiously against him as to accuse him of a base Calumny Mr. L. C. was at that time so busy about a Book which is lately come out and of which I shall speak hereafter that he could not answer Mr. Vander Waeyen but Mr. Van Limborch did it with great moderation and so as to stop the mouth of any other Man but him A Cocceian Divine who for several Years has been used to Quarrel does not easily blush tho' he be clearly convinced or at least his inward Shame is not to be seen in his Writings But there is one thing in them which is very visible viz. a great Confusion whereby it plainly appears that he knows not what he says tho' he makes as great a bustle as he can This one may observe in Mr. Vander Waeyen's Reply intituled Responsionis Limborgianae Discussio which from the beginning to the end is an exact Picture of an Angry Man As for the matter of it it is a confused heap of usesless Quotations and pitiful Arguments without any Connexion and Order and sometimes the Reader is at a loss to find any sense in it His Dissertation concerning the Logos is no better but because he took a little more time to compose it he seems to be more sedate whereas he is quite out of his Senses in the other When a Man takes such a course the Dispute is at an end for to what purpose should any one answer him Were he convinced of Calumny a hundred times one after another he would go on still without minding what the Publick will think of it For Instance Mr. Vander Waeyen having accused Mr. Van Limborch of want of Sincerity and having been convinced of it himself as clearly as that two and two make four says notwithstanding with his wonted Boldness †Discus p. 48. that the Remostrants shew a greater moderation to I know not whom than to the Reformed as if the Books of the former were not full of Protestations whereby it appears that they are ready to live in the same Communion with the Reformed provided their Opinions be tolerated But whilst they require from the Remonstrants that they suppress or renounce their Opinions when at the same time they canonize and preach up such Doctrines as the Remonstrants believe to be erroneous how can the latter re-unite themselves with a good Conscience A re-union whereby a Man suppresses what he thinks to be true to give place to what he believes to be false if there was nothing else is unworthy of a pious Man and there is not one honest Man among the Reformed who would approve of such a Re-union with the Lutherans Mr. Vander Waeyen cannot be ignorant of the Sentiments of the Remonstrants on this Matter since they are known even to Children in the Vnited Provinces What signifies it to dispute with a Man who is positive and confident about the most uncertain things and scruples not to deny what is as clear as Noon-day Besides the Publick is not at all concern'd in personal Disputes and will not read Books that contain nothing else Mr. L. C. should therefore lose his time if he took the Pains to confute the Calumnies and injurious Words of that Professor of Franeker especially if it be considered that he has exprest in his Works a greater respect for
ought to represent him entire Let not his Respect for his Country hinder him from relating the Losses she has sustain'd or the Faults she has committed for an Historian no more than a Player is to be blamed for the Misfortunes he represents If it were in our power to repair Disorders by disguising them or passing them over in silence Thucydides had not been wanting to have raz'd with a stroke of his Pen the Fortifications of the Enemy and to have re-establsh'd the Affairs of his Country but even the Gods themselves are not able to change whatever is past Therefore 't is the Duty of an Historian to recount all Transactions just as they happen'd which 't is impossible for him to do when he is a Dependant upon any Prince or Republic from whom he has any thing to hope or fear When-ever he is obliged to speak of 'em he ought to have a greater regard for Truth than for his Interest or Passion For she is the only Divinity to whom he ought to Sacrifice without thinking of the rest In short he ought always to have before his Eyes the judgment of Posterity if he wou'd not rather wear the Character of a Flatterer than that of an Historian I wou'd have my Historian zealous to speak the Truth and that he lye under no Temptations to conceal it let him make no Allowances to Fear or Hope to Friendship or Hatred let him not be of any Country or Party and let him call every thing by its true Name without remembring either to offend or please And this continues he is the Method which Thucydides follow'd altho' he saw Herodotus was in so great Esteem that his Books had the Names of the Muses bestow'd upon them It is infinitely better for me said he to write something that will last for ever than only endeavour to please for the present I ought not to take in fabulous Stories but to transmit to Posterity the Truth as it happen'd See now what ought to be the Sentiments of a true Historian These are such evident Truths that 't is impossible to reject them however it may be convenient to enlarge upon them a little more to show the great Importance of them in a more sensible manner I say then that an Historian ought at first setting out to forget that he has any Friends Relations or any Country that he may be able to speak of them with the same disinteressed Freedom as if he had no manner of Engagements to them The Duties of a Friend of a Relation or of a Citizen are one thing and the Duty of an Historian another The former are confined to certain Persons and Places whose advantage we endeavour to procure but the latter concerns all Mankind in general that are able to read History in whatever place or time they are born As 't is but convenient that the Interests of our Friends and Relations shou'd give way to those of our Country because 't is much better to procure the Advantage of a great number of Persons or of a whole Society than that of some few of its Members so in the same manner the present Interest of one's Country ought to be less consider'd than that which is infinitely more extensive the Interest of all Mankind †Lib. I. p. 18. Edit Amstel Polybius speaking of some Historians who had been too favourable to their Country says admirably well That in other Duties of Life this Disposition was not to be blamed For 't is just that a good Man should be a Friend to his Friend and to his Country and bear a Hatred to their Enemies and a Friend to their Friends But so soon as he takes the Character of an Historian upon him that very moment he ought to forget all this An Historian is frequently obliged to speak well of his Enemies and to give them-great Commendations when their Actions deserve it He must often censure his nearest Relations and cover them with Infamy when they have committed such Faults that he cannot speak otherwise of them As a Creature which has lost its Eyes becomes unserviceable in the same manner if you take away Truth from History what remains is good for nothing For this Consideration he shou'd not make any difficulty to condemn his Friends and blame his Enemies He must not be afraid to censure the same Persons upon whom he has bestow'd Commendations since those that are in the Government cannot always succeed nor on the other hand commit Faults perpetually Without having any regard to the Persons he ought to relate things by themselves and to speak of them in his History as they deserve Some one will say perhaps that these are fine words and that they comprehend an excellent Lesson but a Man must be Master of a great deal of Courage and Resolution he must love Truth in an extraordinary manner to observe the Rules which this Historian has laid down These are Qualities that are not easily to be found and has he follow'd the same Precepts himself which he recommends to others But I ask the Gentlemen who start these Difficulties Whether they imagine that to Write a History be an Employment proper for every one that can express himself with Facility Whether they believe that a mean-spirited Wretch that a Flatterer that a covetous interessed Man is fit to instruct all Posterity A Man's Talents ought to answer the Greatness of such an Enterprize and if 't is a rare matter to find Persons that possess them all 't is equally as rare to find Histories that deserve to be read As for Polybius only those that never read him can possibly take him for a Philosopher or Preacher which People often do the quite contrary to what they recommend to others He shows all along that he had a very great Esteem for Aratus the General of the Achaeans However that does not hinder him from censuring in his Conduct with great freedom whatever he thought was amiss in it For instance He describes at length in the fourth Book of his History the Faults which Aratus committed in a Battel against the Aetolians that was purely lost by his means without dissembling any thing of and endeavouring to excuse what wou'd admit of no Apology He knew what difference there is between Pardoning and Justifying and altho' he was of opinion that the Achaeans ought to pardon Aratus for the Faults he had commited upon this Occasion in consideration of the great Services he had done their Republic and the Honesty of his Intentions yet he knew that 't was not an Historian's Business to endeavour to Justifie them But Polybius was by no means capable of betraying the Truth in favour of Aratus he who does in no manner conceal the Faults of Philopoemen nor those of Lycortas the latter of whom was his Father and the former his Friend and Protector This the Reader may easily remark in his †Excerpta Legat. 41. Narration of the Embassy of Lycortas
sudden and yield every-where to the Carelesness of those who mind only the present Time and care as little for the Time past as for the Time to come But a great many learned Men having embraced the Protestant Religion and proclaimed every-where That the Knowledge of Humane Learning had open'd a Way to the Understanding of Holy Scripture and Church-History so that the best Way to know the Errors and Abuses which wanted a Reformation was to Learn throughly the ancient Tongues the Party who had no mind to make any Alteration in the Practices or Opinions of the latter Ages began to suspect those who so much cried up Humane Learning and so by degrees neglected to promote it All Favours were only bestowed upon the zealous Defenders of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy and Learning which had been so much admired before was look'd upon by degrees as a thing which might do it more Harm than Good Thus Italy and Spain ceased almost to produce any thing of that kind and the Libraries became useless Ornaments for the Inhabitants of those Countries That Dislike of Humane Learning spread as a Contagion in the neighbouring Countries and even in those where they should be of quite another Opinion 'T is reported that a great Minister of State who was altogether a Stranger to Learning used to call those who profest it Seditious Persons in all likelyhood because they are the Men who have most insisted upon the Authority of the Laws Justice and Equity Indeed in the Countries where Machiavelism prevails the Notions of the Ancients concerning those things do not at all agree with the ungovernable Passions of a Supreme Power And this I think is one of the Reasons which are very Prejudicial to Learning in some Countries Thus the Defenders of the Supreme Authority of the Ecclesiastical Monarchy on the one side and the Defenders of the Arbitrary Power of Temporal Princes on the other have been of Opinion that the Reading of the ancient Heathen or Christian Writers was so far from being necessary that it was believed for some time it were much better on the contrary that the Republican Notions of the Grecians and Romans should be forgotten and that the Opinions of the ancient Christians both in the East and West which do not agree with the Modern Doctrine and Interests should be covered with the Vail of an unintelligible Language They have lookt for Men who would obey without any Reply and make it their Business to Maintain and Encrease the Spiritual and Temporal Power without any regard to the Notions which Men had in former Times Soldiers who have no Principles nor Sense of Virtue and Clergy-men who are blind Slaves to the present Power and examine nothing and execute with the utmost Rigour whatever Orders they receive are look'd upon as the most unmoveable Pillars of the Church and State and they who quote ancient Authors and whose Principles are independent on the Will of Princes can have no Hearing Some Reasons to cultivate Humane Learning anew BUT in the Countries where they make it their Business to have no Laws but such as are founded upon natural Equity they need not fear that the Republican Antiquity should contradict 'em and therefore they should encourage those who endeavour to give the Knowledge of it They who are not afraid to find any thing in the original Works of Ecclesiastical Writers that may be prejudicial to the Notions of Religion and Virtue which Holy Scripture affords should omit nothing to encnourage Men to enquire after Truth The better it is known the greater the Authority of the Laws will be and Justice more flourishing Tho' properly speaking Humane Learning includes only the Knowledge of ancient Languages and what is necessary to know Antiquity yet it puts us in a condition of knowing things themselves by furnishing us with the means of Conversing as it were with a great many learned Men both Heathen and Christians So that it has a strict Connexion with all the Knowledge we can get by the Reading of ancient Authors And the Desire of Knowing what they who lived before us believed said or did as much as it can be Known cannot be satisfied without such a Learning The Knowledge of Dead Languages is as it were an Interpreter whom we carry along with us to Travel if I may so say in an Intelligible World which exists only in Books written in Languages that are not spoken at present Without such an Interpreter 't is impossible to know what past in it And as great Princes have Interpreters of several Languages to treat with Strangers so we must keep up that Knowledge and make in as common as it can possibly be unless we give over the Thoughts of knowing what past in former Times These general Reasons and several particular ones which I pass by should engage Princes to encourage the Study of Humane Learning and they who apply themselves to it should use their utmost endeavours to make it Easie and Pleasant to those whose Favours can make it flourish again more than ever it did I do not pretend to have shewn all the ways that can be taken in order to it 'T is enough for me that I have pointed at some of the chief and given occasion to think of it to those whom it most concerns CHAP. V. Of the Decay of some States THERE are some States which do manifestly Decay in respect of Arts and Strength There is no need I should name them and shew their Weakness particularly Every Body knows it but every Body knows not how they come to be weakned The better to understand the Reasons of the Decay of a State it is necessary to know what can make it flourish since it falls to Decay because it wants that which could put it in a flouishing Condition There are chiefly three things which can make a State Happy at Home and Dreaded Abroad The first is a great number of Inhabitants The second The Revenues of the State which ought to be great without oppressing the People And the third is The Union of the several Members of the State who ought to contribute to the publick Good Where-ever those things are to be found it may be said there is Peace and Happiness unless a very violent Storm raised by a greater Power should fall upon such a State and where-ever they are wanting one may certainly affirm that the State will fall to Decay if the Disorder last never so little But I must come to Particulars and prove each of those three things at large First It cannot be doubted but that the number of the Inhabitants does so much contribute to the Greatness of a State that without it any State will be Poor Weak and in Danger if the Neighbouring-Countries are better stock'd with Inhabitants The better a Country is Peopled the more Industrious are the Inhabitants every one striving to Maintain himself as well as he can which very much encreases Trade brings in Money
Happily in this present World and be acceptable to Him who placed Men on Earth for a short time to make 'em Happy after Death if they will observe his Laws which are very beneficial to them during this Life If Divines understanding Revelation as they should and making a good use of Reason were besides so Skill'd in Human Learning as to be able to read all sorts of Ecclesiastical and Prophane Authors in the Original Languages so many Materials joyned together and rectified by the invariable Rules of Revelation and Reason and beautified with all the solid Ornaments of a true Eloquence so many Materials I say would have a great influence on the Hearts and Minds of Men. Solid Thoughts being attended with the Order and Light which Philosophy affords and set off with all the Ornaments which Reason allows of would insinuate themselves into the Minds of the most Obstinate Men and Charm those who have a good Judgment and an upright Heart I will not say That we see now the quite contrary because Things which should be inseparable are now divided This I leave to the Judgment of those who are skill'd in those Sciences Mr. L. C. believes That the Famous Hugo Grotius whose Writings are above Envy joyned together the three Sciences I have mention'd For if he did not fully understand the Art of thinking well because the Philosophy of his Time was still full of Darkness he supplied that defect in great measure by the strength of his Reason If he shewed so much Sense and Judgment without the help of Art what would he not have done if he had been throughly acquainted as we have been since with the Art of Reasoning and ranging one's Thoughts in a good Order Suppose there were now in Holland many such Men as Grotius or more Learned than he was a thing not impossible if Men studied as they should how great an influence would their Learning have not only in the Vnited Provinces but also over all Europe Then indeed we might hope for such a general Reformation of all Sciences as would be worthy of Him who has given us Knowledge to make a good use of it Mr. L. C. has intimated several times That so noble an Idea has often Charm'd him and afforded him a thousand agreeable Reveries If the World never sees any thing answerable to it they at least who are Skill'd in those Things may innocently busie themselves about Thoughts which fill the Mind with Admiration for God and the Christian Religion and inspire the desire of knowing and teaching Truth without Anger and Animosity against those who are ignorant of it If Philosophers were also Divines and well versed in Human Learning how solid and sublime would their Thoughts appear How useful should we find their Principles As they would take out of Revelation what is wanting to Reason so they would by degrees dispose the Minds of those who learn Philosophy to take the right side in Matters of Religion and would shew 'em on all occasions the Excellency of the Light of Reason And as the Philosophy of the Schools which succeeded the wretched Rhetorick of the foregoing Ages made an end of corrupting Men's Minds and disfiguring Religion so a sound Philosophy would kindle again the Light of Reason which was extinguished only to introduce a thousand Errors and would dispose Men to perceive all the Beauties of the Gospel If the Discourses of Philosophers were full of useful Examples taken out of Ecclesiastical and Prophane Authors to which the Rules of the Art of Reasoning should be applied such a Method of teaching would make one apprehend the use of Philosophy which is otherwise altogether confined within the Walls of an Auditory and so becomes Contemptible I confess That most Philosophical Matters are not very susceptible of Ornaments but it is certain that if they can be exprest in proper Terms and such as agree with the use of the Language they are exprest in as much as possible they become thereby much clearer and more pleasant to every Body and consequently more useful because Men are more attentive to what they understand and like than to such Things as can hardly be understood and have I know not what that displeases tho' they are good in themselves This has been observed in France since they began there to Philosophize in French Some Books full of the most abstruse Philosophical Enquiries have been read by many People with Delight and Profit because they are well written and are free from the barbarous Terms of the Schools One might have seen the happy Effects of it if the Inhabitants of that Country were not unwilling to be undeceived To come now to the Study of Languages and Human Learning it is certain That if those who apply themselves to it would Study Philosophy and Divinity at the same time they would be much more useful to the Publick That Study concerns Things of the greatest Moment since the knowledge of the Scripture and Ecclesiastical History depends as much on it as on the knowledge of the Things themselves A great many new Discoveries might be made still in those Sciences which would raise and enlighten one's Mind and inspire it with a greater respect for the Divine Revelation Instead of which most of our Criticks grow Old in the Study of Grammatical Trifles which are of very little use and wherein one may be mistaken without any danger If they were also Skill'd in Philosophy they would judge much better of the Ancients than they do and give us a more exact Notion of them whereby we might be enabled to imitate them in what is good and avoid what is not so They would order their Thoughts so as to avoid Error and enlighten the Minds of their Readers For want of such a Method they oftener admire the Faults of the Ancients than what deserves their Admiration because they seldom have any certain Criteriums whereby they may distinguish True from False and what deserves to be esteem'd from what does not When they have a mind to Communicate their Thoughts it proves often a confused heap of indigested Learning which can hardly be reduced into any Order and is full of False Reasonings This is partly the reason why that sort of Study is so much despised and why so many People fancy that it is almost inconsistent with good Sense and Reason Mr. Vander Waeyen who in all likelihood never troubled himself much with Philosophy and Human Learning having first of all applied himself to the common Divinity of the Reformed and then to that of Cocceius seems to be angry because others Study the Sciences I have been speaking of and calls Mr. L. C. as it were out of Contempt Critico-Philosophus tho' he Complements him sometimes Indeed it is much more easie to say any thing that comes into one's Mind concerning the Sense of the Prophecies as when they boldly affirm that the Reformed are meant by Juda and the Lutherans by Ephraim in the
Prophets than to prove every thing exactly by Critical and Philosophical Arguments If Mr. Vander Waeyen is very well contented to be ignorant of those Sciences no Body can help it but he must not take it ill if others value them If the use that is made of the knowledge of ancient Authors may be often justly blamed one might find out several ways of setting up again that Science by a better Method as I have already said here and elsewhere But 't is more proper here to Discourse of Mr. L. C's Works in particular after I have laid down his general Notions of the Method of Studying and of the use of the Sciences he applies himself to Of the Quaestiones Sacrae BEING arrived in Holland in the Year 1683. he published the Year following a Book Intituled Davidis Stephani Clerici Quaestiones Sacrae which are Critical Discourses on some Subjects taken for the most part out of the Scripture He added to them some Notes of his own wherein he scruples not to contradict his Uncle and Father when he thinks they are mistaken being of Opinion that Truth is to be preferred to the strictest Ties of Blood He published that Book not only to honour the Memory of his Uncle and Father who had a great Skill in the Eastern Languages and Human Learning and whose Lives he prefixed to that Book but also to serve the Publick which can never be done but by telling the Truth He did not think it inconsistent with the Respect he owed to the Memory of two Men so nearly related to him if he shewed that they were fallible like other Men. Notwithstanding most of his Remarks do only clear or confirm what is contained in those Dissertations Another Volume of those two Brothers was published in 1682. and printed by Wetstein in Octavo But Mr. L. C. added nothing of his own to it but a Preface It contains some Speeches on several Subjects and a Computus Ecclesiasticus of David le Clerc with some Poetical Pieces of the same and some Dissertations of Stephen le Clerc upon some Places of several Prophane Authors Of his Entretiens de Theologie TOWARDS the end of the same Year 1684. Mr. L. C. published a Book of a Friend of his Intituled Entretiens sur diverses matieres de Theologie in Twelves and because it was too small a Book he added a second Part to it made up of five Dialogues The three First treat of the Extent of our Metaphysical Knowledge and its use in Religion and contain several Examples whereby it clearly appears That Metaphysicians have often obscured Divinity and started a thousand Difficulties by reasoning about Things of which they had no Ideas The Authors thinks that we must not extend the use of the Faculties we have received of God beyond the Bounds he has prescribed to them unless we will fall into infinite Errors and believes that as our Senses teach us no more of Bodies than what is necessary for the Preservation of our Lives so the Light of Reason is of no farther use to us than to make us obey the Laws of God and to lead us to the Supream Felicity So that God having bestowed Knowledge on us only to that intent when we will launch out beyond the Bounds of that Knowledge and what necessarily depends on it we run the hazard of wandering and falling into many Doubts which we cannot resolve as the Author shews at large The Fourth Dialogue contains an Examination of several Places of Scripture which Metaphysicians make an ill use of Most of those Passages are taken out of the Writings of the Author of The Search after Truth but there are several Things which are common to him and other Metaphysicians The Design of those Four Dialogues is to shew that in Matters of Religion we must keep to Revelation and not fancy that we have compleat and adequate Ideas of the Things contained in it and that we may draw infinite Consequences from them If Divines had kept themselves within those Bounds without adding any Thing to the Doctrins contained in the Scripture and inventing New Terms as if they were more convenient than those which the Holy Writers made use of perhaps the World had not seen the Fourth Part of the Heresies which have been broach'd from the Apostles to this time and the Christian Theology would be much more Beautiful and more conducing to Piety The Fifth Dialogue contains an Explication of the IX X XI Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans taken chiefly out of the Paraphrase of Dr. Hammond who is now better known in Foreign Countries since Mr. L. C. published his Works in Latin as I shall say hereafter Those Dialogues are the First Book that he published in French and one may see in it the Three Sciences I have discoursed of Divinity Philosophy and Critical Learning concurring to inspire the Reader with Pious and Reasonable Opinions concerning Religion and Morality For he utterly dissents from those who cry down Reason that they may vent without being contradicted a thousand Things which really reflect on God and Religion One may see what he says about it towards the End of the Third Dialogue Reason and Revelation never quarrel with one another and if we see the contrary in School-Divinity 't is because what they call Reason or Revelation is often a meer Phantom substituted in their room as those who can consult the Scripture and who reason closely will easily perceive Of the Sentimens sur l'Histoire Critique c. IN the Year 1685. Mr. L. C. published another French Book in Octavo Entituled Sentimens de quelques Theologiens de Hollande sur l'Histoire Critique du Vieux Testament composée par R. Simon That Book is writ by way of Letters wherein Mr. L. C. sets down the Opinions of several Persons concerning the Critical History of the Old Testament by Father Simon and gives an Account of the Conversations of some Friends discoursing with great Freedom of Father Simon 's Book and some Subjects relating to it When we discourse with some Persons whom we do not mistrust we believe that we may boldly say what we think especially if we propose our Thoughts as meer Conjectures because we pretend not to maintain them as our settled Opinion and scruple not to give them up when after a more serious Consideration those Conjectures appear not to us probable enough to be defended This has been done by Mr. L. C. in that Book wherein he has advanced some Conjectures of his own and of his Friends without ever pretending to maintain them but as Conjectures which are not destitute of Probability and not as his settled Opinion as if he believed they could be clearly proved A Digression concerning Conjectures IT is certain that there are several degrees of Likelihood and Certainty in Men's Opinions It be confest that the Things we believe are not equally clear whatever the ancient Stoick Philosophers might say to the
contrary who believed that their Wise Man never conjectured and that whatever he believed could be demonstrated Neither yet is every thing uncertain as the Academians held and there is an infinite number of Things which can be demonstrated or rendred very likely as Mr. L. C. has shewn at large in the second Part of his Logick We ought to speak more or less affirmatively according to the several degrees of Likelihood or Certainty As it would be ridiculous to speak doubtfully of a clear Mathematical Proposition so it would not be less absurd to propose a Conjecture as a Demonstration Men have always been allowed to Conjecture and say what seem'd to them to be probable but upon condition that they should remember that their Conjectures were not certain Truths Reason therefore teaches a Man to act differently when any Body writes against a Conjecture which he has published or when he perceives that they write against a clear Truth out of Malice or Obstinacy If any one shews that a Conjecture may be false the Author of that Conjecture must not take it ill because a Conjecture is an Opinion wherein one may be mistaken And if after a more careful Examination he thinks that his Conjecture is less probable than it seem'd to be at first he ought to look upon it with greater Indifferency and even give it up if he finds out something better A Man must never be positive in Things which cannot at all be demonstrated so as to embrace or defend as certain what is only probable This Mr. L. C. thought he might very well do with respect to the Conjecture which is to be found in the VI. Letter of the Sentiments concerning the Compiler of the Pentateuch who as he thought might have been an Honest Israelite who collected all the Writings of Moses and added to them some other Facts taken out of some ancient and creditable Books for the use of the Samaritans about the time of the Captivity As he always call'd that Opinion a Conjecture so he never defended it but as such and thought not himself obliged to maintain it as a thing he was sure of against those who opposed it Nay he shewed some Years after as I shall say in its due place that tho' there are some Passages in the Pentateuch which are later than Moses yet that can be no reason against his being the Author of it He was so much the more willing to give up that Conjecture because it is one of those Complex Conjectures if I may so speak wherein too many uncertain Things are supposed every one of which being possibly false it follows from thence that such a Conjecture is not probable enough to serve as a Principle for the Explication of the Pentateuch For the more doubtful Things there are in a Conjecture the more uncertain it is and the more danger there is in supposing it to draw Consequences from it 'T is with Conjectures as 't is with Accounts made up of several Sums If you make an uncertain Supposition concerning the value of one of those Sums in case you mistake you mistake but in one particular but the more uncertain Suppositions you make the more doubtful will the Account be and liable to more Errors What must a Man therefore do in such a Case He must Conjecture as little as he can and draw few Consequences from what he has Conjectured that he may be mistaken as little as may be if he is in an Error If Learned Men had always done this we might have had a more real and solid knowledge of many Things than we have and could better distinguish what is certain from what is uncertain whereas when Conjectures are confounded with certainties we think we know many Things which we really know not For Example Joseph Scaliger who was a very Learned Man mixed so many Conjectures in his Book de Emendations Temporum with what he might have undeniably proved and drew so many Consequences from them that a great part of his Chronology is become thereby very suspicious if not false as the famous Dionysius Petavius pretends I know a Man of great Learning who has published several Learned Books about Ecclesiastical History and the Opinions of the ancient Christians but he is so full of Conjectures some of which are grounded upon ethers that his Arguments are seldom cogent and convince few judicious and attentive Readers 'T is much better to say nothing of doubtful Things or at least to draw no Consequences from them and run the hazard of appearing less knowing than to vent too many Uncertainties But it is a common Fault among Men of Parts After they have wearied themselves in searching after fugitive Truth they make to themselves a Phantom of their own Conjectures which they substitute in its place lest they should seem to have altogether lost their time Then to maintain that Phantom they make other Conjectures especially when they are hard put to it and so by degrees instead of solid Truths they vent only Dreams to those that hear them When they think they have much contributed to the discovery of Truths unknown before their time they often remove them farther from Men's sight like Turnus in Virgil's Aeneids who the more he followed Aeneas's Spectrum the farther he went from the place where the Enemies stood I think one might make a very useful Treatise concerning the Art of Conjecturing which would be reduced into Maxims the chief whereof are the following 1. Every Conjecture must be probable 2. It ought to be as simple as possible 3. No Consequences must be drawn from it 4. One must speak of it doubtfully as of a thing not certain 5. No Body should think himself obliged in Honour to defend it nor scruple to give it up 6. He who thinks himself obliged to maintain it must not have recourse to new Suppositions The usefulness of those Maxims might be shewn by very good Reasons and several Examples taken out of the Writings of Philosophers and Criticks who have neglected them and have therefore committed great Errors and maintained the most uncertain Things in the World with such a Heat and Confidence as is only to be used in the defence of a certain Truth Several People stand in need of these Remarks to learn to be less positive about Things they are not certain of and not to wonder if any one yields up a Conjecture which he never took for a certain Truth They who have little thought of the several degrees of Probability are wont to speak of every thing with an equal assurance and maintain with Obstinacy whatever they say without distinguishing what can be maintained from that which cannot But this ought not to be the practice of those who can reason well and who love the Truth to which they must consequently sacrifice all their Conjectures Of the Treatise concerning the Inspiration of the Sacred Writers THE XI and XII Letters of the Sentiments c. contain a
pleased to change their angry and passionate Temper and the Darkness wherewith they are surrounded into a Spirit of Charity and Peace and a Light which may bring them again into the right Way Mr. Witsius Professor at Vtrecht and since at Leyden has written against several Places of the Sentiments in his Miscellanea Sacra printed in the Year 1691. and Mr. L. C. acquainted the Publick why he would not answer him in one of the monthly Accounts of the Histoire des Ouvrages des savans of that Year where one may see what he thought fit to publish Having since printed a Dissertation wherein he shews that Moses is the Author of the Pentateuch and Mr. Witsius's Book having been Reprinted the latter congratulated Mr. L. C. in a Preface upon his not receeding from the common Opinion Because Mr. Witsius has behaved himself on this occasion with the Moderation and Equity which a Divine ought to shew towards those whom he refutes Mr. L. C. spoke no more of it They who will be allowed to Refute others must not take it ill if others Refute them As for the rest wherein he dissents from Mr. Witsius he leaves it to the Judgment of those who shall read their Writings and will be able to examine the Reasons on both sides They are so clear that whoever is only concern'd for the Truth may rightly judge of ' em There was no need that Mr. Vander Waeyen who is not at all to be compar'd with the Professor of Leyden for Learning or Wit should assault him again with meer hard Words without alledging any Reason and without having any regard to what had been written on this Subject All that can be observed in his Prefaces to the Books of Stephen Rittangelius which he has lately published wherein he writes against Mr. L. C. and in his Dissertation concerning the Logos mention'd by St. John written against the same which I shall speak of hereafter is that he has a vehement desire of Defaming Mr. L. C. and making him odious to every Body A desire very contrary to the Spirit of Christianity which allows a Man to write against such Opinions as he thinks to be false but will have him to spare those who entertain them In order to it a Man must only make use of Reasons to Refute the Doctrines which he believes to be Erroneous and must forbear imputing to others such Designs as they no where intimate and lay aside whatever will make 'em odious and not prove the falsity of their Opinions I am sorry that I am obliged to read a Lecture of Moderation to an old Divine but he is to blame for behaving himself as if he was ignorant of those Principles of Christian Morality For my part I don't apprehend the Reason of Mr. Vander Waeyen's Zeal or to speak more plainly of his excessive Anger against Mr. L. C. who never mention'd him in his Writings that I know of nor had any Quarrel with him If he has some Opinions which that Divine does not approve of let him Refute them in a civil way and without falsifying or dissembling any thing Since he exceeds Mr. L. C. in Reasons Learning number of Disciples Authority c. what is he afraid of Is he afraid that those who admire Cocceius should like Mr. L. C.'s Writings better than Mr. Vander Waeyen's Doctrine If he is not afraid of it why does he endeavour to stir up the World against a Man who is not at all to be feared It were much better for him to shew a greater Moderation for People are apt to think that angry Men are destitute of good Reasons because they who know their Strength in this respect are not wont to be angry with those whose Errors they may confound by the force of their Arguments They are more apt to laugh at or pity the Fooleries of those who oppose Truth than to be angry with Opinions which they know will never prevail as long as they are destitute of Reason and Humane Helps But let us see what Mr. Vander Waeyen says in particular of the Sentiments c. In his Preface to Rittangelius's Book intituled Libra veritatis to shew that he and some others of his Party are not the only Men angry with Mr. L. C.'s Works he quotes Mr. Maius and Mr. Etzard two Lutherans who are used to inveigh against all those who dissent from them and whom no Body durst compare in any respect with them that have asserted the same Opinions which they write against I mean Grotius and Erasmu◠who had more Sense Learning Piety and Virtue than all the German Professors together and whose Writings on the Bible are admired by every Body Besides were I willing to make use of Mr. Vander Waeyen's Method I could easily beat him at his own Weapon for he knows very well what Censures have been past upon him by some Reformed Divines with whom he has had many Quarrels One Letter of Mr. Spanheim Professor at Leyden would afford me more Matter than I should want But I need not take that course to defend Mr. L. C. who for the Reasons I have mention'd when I was discoursing of Praises and Censures ought not to trouble himself much with what some Lutherans think of him He is of opinion that one needs only read their Writings and his to condemn them and that there is no necessity for him to answer ' em The more they will inveigh against him and give him hard Words the less he will be persuaded to leave off his Studies to answer their wretched Books Mr. Vander Waeyen cannot say that I speak so because I am not well pleased with them seeing he himself would not vouchsafe to hear 'em Discourse concerning the Vbiquity of Christ's Humane Nature or his corporeal Presence in the Sacrament Would he take it well if I should cite them against him about absolute Predestination He would undoubtedly answer That their Authority is of no weight and he would be in the right Let him therefore use no Method of rendring his Neighbours odious which he would not that others should use against him Mr. Vander Waeyen has nevertheless pitched upon two Lutherans among Mr. L. C.'s Adversaries whom he believes upon their Word adding of his own what he thinks fit as if a Man needed only speak to persuade others †Pag. 3. Diss de vocabulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He says for instance That some of the Letters of which the Sentiments c. are made up bear the name of one De Versé but it is altogether false There is not one that bears any Name and the Author of the Treatise concerning the Inspiration c. who is not Mr. Aubert de Versé as I have already said is denoted by the Letter N. which has no Relation with his Name †Ead. pag. Neither is it true that Mr. L. C. owns himself to be the Author of that Treatise tho' he scruples not to say That he is the
quarrel abroad they will quarrel at home with their Collegues Mr. L. C. designs to write a Latin Dissertation wherein he 'll examine this Question When a Man must answer the Calumnies of Divines It is not less necessary than that which was printed at the end of his Logick De Argumento Theologico ex Invidia ducto Those who endeavour to encrease their Reputation by speaking ill of him will see what his Reasons are for not answering them In the mean time he must apply himself to the Search of Truth and publish it as carefully as he has done hitherto but with the Caution which Christian Prudence requires on such an occasion Who can be entrusted with the care of speaking and maintaining Truth Not those who don't enquire after it because they don't love it and stand not in need of it to raise themselves in the World Nor those who have not the necessary Qualifications to find it out and to publish it Nor those who know it but dare not speak it out for fear of exposing themselves For it must be confest that in several Christian Societies they have not the liberty necessary to explain Holy Scripture and Religion There is but one Christian Society in Holland that can do it and tho' it be inconsiderable it has already afforded several Great Men. In. all others they don't often think as they speak nor speak as they think Indeed many Learned Persons on this side of the Sea and beyond it among the Roman Catholicks and Protestants look a great while since upon the Writers of that small Party as the Interpreters of the Thoughts which they themselves dare not publish in Places where they live and as the Assertors of Truth and Liberty which are opprest almost every where else I will not make their Encomium but I shall only say that those who are in such Circumstances ought to speak freely whilst they can do it and want not People that will hear them Time will come when we shall reap the Fruits of the Seeds of Piety Charity and all other Christian Virtues which their Works spread over all Europe and hereafter it will be a Subject of Wonder how Men who so much deserved Thanks could be so traduced and ill spoken of They are the only Men to whom we are beholden for the Moderation which is every day more and more entertained by the most knowing and judicious Protestants and for a great many general and particular Truths which would not have been heard of yet or been well proved if those Authors had been silent There is no need I should insist longer on this Subject nor say that Mr. L. C. took care of the Edition of some Books written by other Hands Neither is it necessary that I should mention those which he wrote as it were to divert himself whilst he was composing some others which required more attention Such is his small French Treatise concerning the good or ill Luck of Lotteries which he published in 1696. when Lotteries were so much in vogue in the Vnited Provinces He also took care of the Edition of the Fathers of the Apostolick Age in 1698. in 2 Vol. in Folio and added some few Notes of his own as it appears by the Prefaces he prefixed to it If those who have more time a greater Genius more Learning and Conveniences than he as there are without doubt a great many in England and elsewhere would take as much Pains for the Publick as he has done the great number of good Books which would come out in a few Years would perhaps create a dislike of so many bad ones which are published every day But besides the above-mentioned Reasons they that could write more commodiously than others are not commonly so inclined to it as those who have less Conveniences
in it Mr. Vander Waeyen knows it very well and I pray God forgive him for having so wilfully transgrest his most sacred Laws Of some other Books of Mr. L. C. and of his Adversaries NEXT to the Books I have mention'd Mr. L. C. published a short Abridgment of Vniversal History in the Year 1697. in 8. and Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase and Notes on the New Testament in 1698. in Folio and a Harmony of the Gospels in Greek and Latin in 1699. Those who have seen these two last Books and will think of the other which I have spoken of cannot doubt whatever Judgment they make of his Opinions but that he spends his time as well as he can and they will grant that a Man who is so busy in expounding Holy Scripture and serving the Publick the best way he can think of should deserve at least to dive quietly It is a shameful thing to publish new Libels every Day against a Man who makes no answer and whose Opinions are now so well known that 't is in vain for any Body to mis-represent them Some Divines will say that they don't look upon 'em to be Orthodox but they know very well that none but God is a Supreme Judge of true Orthodoxy as to speculative Doctrines and that all Men being equal in this respect they have no other Right but that of answering one another Civilly and with good Reasons They should be ashamed to use Lies and Calumnies to defame those who don 't so much as think of ' em But perhaps some who are not acquainted with the way and humour of Divines will wonder how so many People came to inveigh against Mr. L. C. and may suspect that it is his fault and that he has given occasion for it But they will be soon undeceived if they consider what I am going to say First they ought to remember that some Divines will presently break out into a violent Anger if any one is not of their Mind in every thing and scruples not to say that some of their Arguments are not convincing They will have the liberty of exclaiming against the Pope who is a greater Man than they but they cannot abide that others should not look upon them as Popes that is to say Infallible Men. How many Censures did Erasmus and Grotius undergo two incomparable Men who do more Honour to Holland than all the Cocceians will ever do They were obliged to write great Volumes in Folio to make their Apology in few Words but they should have written twenty times more had they been willing to confute at large the Vander Waeyens and the Benoits of their time And if any one would undertake now to make their Apology in due Form and answer all the Impertinences and Calumnies that have been vented against 'em after their Death it would perhaps require as many Volumes as there are in the last Edition of the Bibliotheca Patrum Secondly Those who might wonder at the great number of Mr. L. C.'s Adversaries must know that they ought to reckon but one in every Society for those Men are like Jays or Mag-pies that know but one Tune that is one of the same System which they are not allow'd to examine but must follow to avoid their Punishments wherewith Church-men who change their Mind are commonly threaten'd Mr. Poiret is the only Man who being of no Society may safely vent his Chimerical Notions and is as good as a whole Batalion of Lutherans against whom he has often signalized himself Thirdly Mr. L. C. has written a considerable number of Books and consequently may be allowed to give his Judgment concerning several Subjects relating to Critical Learning Philosophy and Divinity about which Men of Letters are wont to dispute so that 't is no wonder if many will contradict him since there are so many of a passionate Temper and contradicting Humour Lastly If to what has been said you joyn Envy and Jealously which are very common among Men of Learning you may easily apprehend that some of 'em are out of Humour because Mr. L. C's Works are not slighted Mr. Vander Waeyen gives us to understand in several places of his Libels that he has no kindness for those who buy them especially for the English He bitterly complains that Arminianism is got among the English but the Arminians cannot complain that Cocceianism is entertained by them To speak the Truth Mr. L. C. sets a greater value upon the Judgment of that Free and Learned Nation than upon all the slavish and careless Divines of the rest of Europe However he could rest satisfied with the Testimony of his Conscience and the certain hopes that God will protect Truth and those who maintain it in such a manner as is agreeable to the Precepts of the Gospel Whether Mr. L. C. must leave off his Studies to answer those who write against him Hitherto I have given an Account of Mr. L. C.'s Studies since he came to Holland Some Men would divert him from them and put him upon writing another sort of Books They have assaulted him sometime since as violently as they could They have not been sparing of odious Terms Lies and Calumnies to exasperate him and force him to answer them But he is not so imprudent as to grant 'em their Desire and lay aside the useful Subjects he is upon to be at the trouble of laying open their Malice and Ignorance The Publick knows well enough what sort of Men they are Indeed 't is in vain for an Author to set up for a zealous Man and to vail his Anger or Malice with the most specious Pretences for discerning Men will soon find out his Passion and as for others 't is no great Matter whether they judge right or wrong of it 'T is no new thing to see Divines transported with Anger and their Hatred has occasion'd a Proverb 'T is well that they are now to be feared no where but in Places where they are both Judges and Parties It was well observed by Mr. Menage †Menagiana vol. 2. p. 236. That Some Men are never refuted unless they be alive and that they are not confider-able enough after their death to oblige any Body to be at that trouble But there are some who deserve not to be refuted whether they be dead or alive I mean those who pick Quarrels for quarreling-sake or to be spoken of and can make no solid Objections It would be too great a Pleasure and Honour for them to see their Satyrs or Declamations answered I know some among those that wrote against Mr. L. C. who heartily with that he would in his turn write large Volumes against ' em They are not afraid of good and solid Arguments as it appears by their way of Reasoning and they are not ashamed to publish the most palpable Absurdities with the greatest confidence in the World But they are vexed when an Author takes no notice of their Books and if they can't