The Sceptical Chymist | Page 2

among the first Treatises that I ventur'd long ago to write of
matters Philosophical, I had reason to desire, with the Painter, to latere
pone tabulam, and hear what men would say of them, before I own'd my
self to be their Author. But besides that now I find, 'tis not unknown to
many who it is that writ them, I am made to believe that 'tis not
inexpedient, they should be known to come from a Person not
altogether a stranger to Chymical Affairs. And I made the lesse scruple
to let them come abroad uncompleated, partly, because my affairs and
Præ-ingagements to publish divers other Treatises allow'd me small
hopes of being able in a great while to compleat these Dialogues. And
partly, because I am not unapt to think, that they may come abroad
seasonably enough, though not for the Authors reputation, yet for other
purposes. For I observe, that of late Chymistry begins, as indeed it
deserves, to be cultivated by Learned Men who before despis'd it; and
to be pretended to by many who never cultivated it, that they may be
thought not to ignore it: Whence it is come to passe, that divers
Chymical Notions about Matters Philosophical are taken for granted
and employ'd, and so adopted by very eminent Writers both Naturalists
and Physitians. Now this I fear may prove somewhat prejudicial to the
Advancement of solid Philosophy: For though I am a great Lover of
Chymical Experiments, and though I have no mean esteem of divers
Chymical Remedies, yet I distinguish these from their Notions about the
causes of things, and their manner of Generation. And for ought I can

hitherto discern, there are a thousand Phænomena in Nature, besides a
Multitude of Accidents relating to the humane Body, which will
scarcely be clearly & satisfactorily made out by them that confine
themselves to deduce things from Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, and the
other Notions peculiar to the Chymists, without taking much more
Notice than they are wont to do, of the Motions and Figures, of the
small Parts of Matter, and the other more Catholick and Fruitful
affections of Bodies. Wherefore it will not perhaps be now
unseasonable to let our Carneades warne Men, not to subscribe to the
grand Doctrine of the Chymists touching their three Hypostatical
Principles, till they have a little examin'd it, and consider'd, how they
can clear it from his Objections, divers of which 'tis like they may never
have thought on; since a Chymist scarce would, and none but a
Chymist could propose them. I hope also it will not be unacceptable to
several Ingenious Persons, who are unwilling to determine of any
important Controversie, without a previous consideration of what may
be said on both sides, and yet have greater desires to understand
Chymical Matters, than Opportunities of learning them, to find here
together, besides several Experiments of my own purposely made to
Illustrate the Doctrine of the Elements, divers others scarce to be met
with, otherwise then Scatter'd among many Chymical Books. And to
Find these Associated Experiments so Deliver'd as that an Ordinary
Reader, if he be but Acquainted with the usuall Chymical Termes, may
easily enough Understand Them; and even a wary One may safely rely
on Them. These Things I add, because a Person any Thing vers'd in the
Writings of Chymists cannot but Discern by their obscure, Ambiguous,
and almost Ænigmatical Way of expressing what they pretend to Teach,
that they have no Mind, to be understood at all, but by the Sons of Art
(as they call them) nor to be Understood even by these without
Difficulty And Hazardous Tryalls. Insomuch that some of Them Scarce
ever speak so candidly, as when they make use of that known Chymical
Sentence; Ubi palam locuti fumus, ibi nihil diximus. And as the
obscurity of what some Writers deliver makes it very difficult to be
understood; so the Unfaithfulness of too many others makes it unfit to
be reli'd on. For though unwillingly, Yet I must for the truths sake, and
the Readers, warne him not to be forward to believe Chymical
Experiments when they are set down only by way of Prescriptions, and

not of Relations; that is, unless he that delivers them mentions his
doing it upon his own particular knowledge, or upon the Relation of
some credible person, avowing it upon his own experience. For I am
troubled, I must complain, that even Eminent Writers, both Physitians
and Philosophers, whom I can easily name, if it be requir'd, have of
late suffer'd themselves to be so far impos'd upon, as to Publish and
Build upon Chymical Experiments, which questionless they never try'd;
for if they had, they would, as well as I, have found them not to be true.
And