(7.) And indeed, from the Wit and Drollery of fome, others have taken the confidence to proceed to Arguments, but they are very far from being either ftrong or plausible; for I never in my life obferved fo much Difingenuity, fo vain an affectation of Learning, and fo groundless a pretence to Reason, as in these Men. The Extravagancies of Cardan are known to all that ever heard of him : The Luft, and Pride, and base Flattery of Vaninus, is every where vifible. Aut Deus eft, aut Vaninus, is fuch an expreffion, as no Man befides ever used in a Dialogue of himself. And Mr. Hobbs's love of Singularity, and Spirit of Contradiction, is evident from his own Confeffion; and my late Lord Clarendon, who knew him well, has acquainted the World both with the Temper and Defign of the Man, and with the Errors of his Writings. But I fhall come down lower, and examine a little the Arguments guments of later Writers, who would take it ill, if it should be thought that they have not retained and improved all the profound Reasonings of their Predeceffors in Irreligion, which we may expect to find abridged in a Book bearing the Title of The Oracles of Reafon, a Rhapsody of Letters, and fome fmall Tracts of divers Men. But here I need not much concern my felf with what is taken out of the Authors of Religio Medici, and of the Archeologia Philofophica; because thefe Authors, notwithstanding those Objedions, profefs an unfeigned Belief of Revealed Religion, in these very Books, though the Transcriber did not think fit to acquaint his Reader with fuch Profeffions, for fear of bringing an Antidote with his Poyfon: But fince thofe Objections were so far from having that effect upon the Authors themselves, all that they can ferve for, is to fhew, that they can make a Deift of none but a weak or an ill Man. * I referr the Reader to the Preface of Religio Medici, to fee how difinge nuous it is to quote any thing from that Book, as the fix'd and mature Thoughts of Sir Thomas Brown. But as if this had not been Difingenuity enough, we have him brought in, faying the quite contrary to what we find (a) Relig in his Book. (a) How all the Kinds §. 22. of Creatures, (fays Sir Thomas) not Med.par.1. only in their own Bulks, but with a competency of Food and Sustenance, might be preferved in one Ark, and within the extent of Three hundred Cubits, to a Reason that rightly examines it, will appear very feasible. Thus it is both in the Book it felf, and in the Annota(b)Oracles tions upon it; but our (b) Tranof Reafon, fcriber has made the Author fay quite P. 5. के contrary, that this will not appear very feasible. What is tranfcribed likewife from the fame Author's Book (c) Ibid. (c) of Vulgar Errors, is not fairly cited, and no notice is taken, that this learned Author has a whole Chap P. 9. ter, C. 4. .1. ter, in that very Work, concerning (d) the Temptation of Eve by the (d) Vulg. Serpent; where that is cleared, which Errors, was (e) before brought only as an Ob- (e) Ibid. jection, and transcribed by Mr.Blount. I. I. c. I. How the Tranflator has dealt with the Author of Archeologia Philofophica, I have not his Book by me to examine,he is living to vindicate himself. One thing I have obferved, that Mr. Blount affures us, that (f) this learned Author doth a foracles Strenuously affirm, as 'tis poffible, that of Reason, the World had a Beginning about Six thousand Years fince; whereas the Tranflation which this Gentleman fends Mr. Gildon with his Letter, fays, (g) That to prescribe the Divine Crea- (2) Ibid. tion fo fhort an Epocha as the limits of P. 73. Six thousand Years, 'tis what he never durft. Now, either Mr. Blount or the Tranflator are mistaken in their Author, and I rather think the latter must mistake him. For whenever the World had been created, there must have been a time when it had existed but (b) Ibi a. P. 160. but Six thousand Years; and then the Mr. Blount (b) will have the Prophecy of Jacob, concerning the Scepter's not being to depart from Judah, till the |