Vol. II. the Reflections upon Philosophy. 347 Tribe, and then fubjoyns his own Remarks upon them. I have here attempted the fame Method, the better to conform my felf to the Genius of an Age, which feems more affected with good Senfe, than profound Learning. And, as thefe Reflections contain in them a Cenfure of falfe Philofophy, and a juft Encomium of the True; I am fecure, by this means, of pleafing the most confiderable Clafs of Philofophers, which is that of honeft Men. It was indeed, with regard to them, that I entertain'd the firft Thoughts of this Defign, to rectifie their Notions of a Subject which is fo very liable to Mifapprehenfion. I have concluded this Piece with the Ufe of Philofophy in Religion; those who make the highest Pretenfions to the Former, being commonly lefs folicitous about the latter. The great Benefit that Chriftians ought to derive from Phlofophical Enquiries, is to fupport and confirm their Faith: But there's always a Decay of the true Chriftian, where there's an Over-balance of the vain Philofophers,

Vid. Diog. Laert. I. VIII.

Off. 2.

Quintil. 1.

XII. c. 1.

REFLECTIONS

UPON

PHILOSOPHY

T

in General.

HE Name of a Philofopher, in it felf compos'd of Modefty and Simplicity, appear'd fo fine, and fo glorious to the Cic de Learned in antient Times, that they prefer'd it to the proudest Titles, and the most illuftrious Characters of Honour. That Love of Wisdom, Plutarch and that Study of Nature which they profefs'd, in Symp. gave them fuch an Authority over the Spirits of Jamblich. Men, that their Example ferv'd for a publick in vit. Inftruction, and their Maxims were receiv'd as Pythag. Oracles in the World. Great Men and Governem Syra- nours, applied to them for Advice, in Affairs of cufium e- the laft Importance: Cities and Provinces fubrudivit. mitted to their Conduct; and Princes themselves Cic. Off. efteem'd it a Glory, to have been there DifLaert. in ciples. It was Philofophy which taught PythaPyth in goras that Integrity of Morals, and that fevere Einped. Course of Life, which drew after him fo nume

Plato Dio

Diog.

rous a Train of Followers. It was this that gave Empedocles the Honour of refusing a Crown, and of preferring a private and peaceable Life to all the Pomp of Greatnefs. By this,

Democritus

Democritus rais'd himself to the Contemplation Democriof natural Things, and renounced the Pleafures tus dicitur oculis fe of the Body, to enjoy thofe of the Mind with privaffe, ut greater Freedom and Tranquillity. It was this quam mithat enabled Socrates to die without Arrogance nimè anion the one Hand, or Weakness on the other. If mus à Cothere appear lefs Temper and lefs Modefty in itationbus abdu the Death of Cato, who feems to have over- ceretur. acted the Philofopher, yet we may obferve, in Cic.de fin. that, fome Strokes of gallantry and greatnefs of A Gell. 1. Soul, which could infpire him with fuch an utDiog. ter Contempt of Life, And fince there is fcarce Laert. in one Action of Bravery and Refolution recorded Socrat. in Pagan Story, but what was owing to the Spirit Socrates, of Philofophy, we may affirm this to have been, impiis fenin fome fort, the Motive and Principle of the damnatus, brightest Virtue that ever fhone among the dixit aCorruptions of Heathens.

10. C. 17.

quiffimo

animo fe

mori. Cic. de fin. Plut. in Cat. Cato Socratice vanitatis imitator, videtur caufam quæfiiffe moriendi, ut ftoicorum decretis obtemperaret, & nomen fuum grandi aliquo faci nore clarificaret, Lact, 1. 3.

II.

The Egyptians, who were the firft Philofophers of the World, gave their Doctrine an Air of fo mysterious Obfcurity, as to make it pass with the People for a confiderable Part of their Religion. By this means, it seem'd to be invested with publick Authority, and obtained Honour and Credit among the Learned. It was the Design of their Priests, in veiling their Obfervations under Figures and Hieroglyphicks, to surpass the vulgar Capacity, and distinguish themselves from the Multitude. Having no other Method of Teaching but by Tradition, and being very uncommunicative to Strangers, Juguet as Strabo affures us, they will afford us but fen- fors

der Remains of their avow'd Tenets. Indeed, whatever is faid of Philofophy, before it's Reception in Greece, is built upon fo little Foundation; and all the Difcourfes that we meet with upon the Subject, in the Fragments of Sotion, Hermippus and Hermodorus, mentioned by Diogenes Laertius, as well as in Lucian's Dialogue of the Fugitives, are fo very fabulous, that, in relation to its firft Originals, I chose to confine my self to plain Fact and Hiftory, as the only certain Informations. Befides, this myfterious Plut. in Philofophy of the Egyptians is fo nearly Allied I. & O- to that of Pythagoras, that the Method and Prinfir. ciples of the one and the other are in a good Diis fyris. Measure the fame: As is obferv'd by Plutarch in Kircher feveral Places of his Works, by Jamblichus in in Egypt. his Life of Pythagoras, by Selden de Diis Syris, and other Authors.

Selden de

veritatis

omnis ex

III.

Incredibile The Greeks, who fhew'd the greatest Passion eft quanto for the Search of Truth, applied themselves Studio in- with fo much Zeal to the Contemplation of quirende Nature, that there were more real Difcoveries Gracia made in Phyficks, from the Time of Thales, to that of Plato, than in many Ages that follow'd. arferit. And it must be confefs'd, that Philofophy in its Lactant. infant State, produced fo many extraordinary Genitis's, and difplay'd fo much Reafon in its very Lifpings of Speech, that its first Beginnings afforded a happy Ground - Work and Model to After-times. It was by the Force of long and fevere Study, that Men attain'd to apprehend in fome Degree the most confiderable MoAnaxitions of the Heavenly Bodies, to distinguish mander their Periods and Revolutions, and to form the traditur firft Draught of an univerfal Syftem; to difcern primus figniferi ob the Obliquity of the Zodiack, to lay open the liquitatem intellexisse, hoc eft rerum fores aperuiffe, Plin. N. H.

Secrets

Secrets of natural Things, and to take a way that Veil which was drawn over most of the Works of Providence, fo as to render them the Subject of human Meditation and Enquiry. Among those who engaged in this Attempt, Thales, Anaximander, Anaxagoras, Heraclitus, Hippocrates, Democritus, Empedocles, Archelaus, efpecially fignaliz'd themselves. Plutarch, who has given the History of their Opinions, has indeed, testify'd the Contradictions and Abfurdities, into which the greatest Part of them were betray'd. Yet it is their just Commendation, to have made the first Steps in fo difficult a Path, and to have clear'd and trac'd out, the unknown Ways for Mundum thofe that come after them; and by thus giving tradidit Birth to Arts and Sciences, they have made them- difputatiselves venerable to all Pofterity. Juftin the Hifto- Eccl. III. rian obferves, that while Learning and Appli- Prorfus ut cation made Philofophers in Greece, bare unaf- admirabile fifted Nature made others in Scythia, among the videatur, Barbarians; as appears from the Example of Abaris and Anacharfis, mentioned by Apuleius, turam, who, without the Help of Rules or Difcipline, quod Graobtain'd the Character of Wisdom.

que Philofophorum confequi nequibant. Juft. 1. 2.

IV.

Thales and Pythagoras were, properly speaking,

oni eorum.

boc illis

dare na

ci longâ fapientia præceptif

runt?

the two great Founders of Philofophy among Quando the Ancients; the one in Greece, the other in Philofophi effe Italy. In the School of Pythagoras, we find De pefomewhat more regular aud folid, than in that Thales, oof Thales, and his Succeffors. Pythagoras's whole pinor, priDoctrine being conceiv'd as a Myftery, the mus. Cic. chief Character of his Scholars was Submif- ex Morten apud fion; and that religious Silence, to which he Lactant.

A a 4

fo