Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/123

Rh ; and commonly, the greater the Wit, the more has been the Danger: So many wary Steps ought to be trodden in this uncertain Path; such a Multitude of pleasing Errors, false Lights, disguised Lies, deceitful Fancies must be escap'd; so much Care must be taken to get into the right Way at first; so much, to continue in it; and at last, the greatest Caution still remaining to be us'd; left when the Treasure is in our View, we undo all, by catching at it too soon, with too greedy and rash a Hand. These and many more are the Difficulties to be pass'd; which I have here with less Apprehension reckon'd up, because the Remedy is so nigh. To this Work therefore the Society approaches, with as much Circumspection and Modesty, as human Counsels are capable of: They have been cautious, to shun the overweening Dogmatizing on Causes on the one Hand; and not to fall into a speculative Scepticism on the other; and whatever Causes they have with just Deliberation found to hold good they still make them increase their Benefits, by farther experimenting upon them; and will not permit them to rust or corrupt, for want of Use. If after all this, they shall not seem wholly to have removed the Mischiefs, that attend this hazardous Matter; they ought rather to be judg'd, by what they have done towards it above others, than by what they have not provided against; seeing the Thing itself is of that Nature, that it is impossible to place the Minds of Men beyond all Condition of erring about it.

The first Danger that I shall observe in this kind, is an over-hasty, and precipitant concluding upon the Causes before-the Effects have been enough search'd into; a finishing the Roof before the Foundation has been well laid. For this, I shall first alledge this Cure; 7