70 OF THE SYSTEM OF Des CaRTES.

was instituted, which was principally upheld bylogical quibbles and sophistical subtilties, thathad no relation to fact: or experiment, the onlysure foundations upon which any system of phy-sics can possibly be supported.

Instead of searching into nature, men retiredto contemplate their own notions; and, insteadof tracing her operations, gave their imagina-tions full play ; where they ought to have hesi-tated they decided; and where there was nodifficulty they doubted. What was simple theydivided, and defined what was plain; but inwhat was more intricate, the subterfuges of artwere set up in opposition to nature, and captiousscience against common reason.

A considerable party of old, adopted that mon-strous system, which, excluding the influenceof a Deity, attempted to explain the formationof the universe from the fortuitous concourseof atoms ; and derived tire ineffable beauty ofthings, and even life and thought itself, froma lucky hit in the blind uproar. One sect re-tained the passive and sluggish matter only,whilst others, more refined, admitted active aswell as passive principles, life as well as thought,and taught that every thing was governed by asupreme Mind. Some maintained, that therewas no stability of essence or knowledge anywhere to be found, but that man was the mea-sure of truth to himself in all things, and that

every