Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/388

 same Author. And those ordinary Works themselves, they do almost raise to the height of Wonders, by the exact Discovery which they make of their Excellencies: While the Enthusiasts goes near to bring down the Price of the true and primitive Miracles, by such a vast, and such a negligent augmenting of their Number.

this I hope it appears, that this inquiring, this scrupulous, this incredulous Temper, is not the Disgrace, but the Honour of Experiments. And therefore I will declare them to be the most seasonable Study, for the present Temper of our Nation. This wild amusing Mens Minds with Prodigies, and Conceits of Providences, has been one of the most considerable Causes of those spiritual Distractions, of which our Country has long been the Theatre. This is a Vanity to which the English seem to have been always subject above others. There is scarce any Modern Historian, that relates our Foreign Wars, but he has this Objection against the Disposition of our Countrymen, that they us'd to order their Affairs of the greatest Importance, according to some obscure Omens, or Prædictions, that pass'd about amongst them, on little or no Foundations. And at this time, especially this last Year, this gloomy, and ill-boding humour has prevail'd. So that it is now the fittest Season for Experiments to arise, to teach us a Wisdom, which springs from the depths of Knowledge, to shake off the Shadows, and to scatter the Mists, which fill the Minds of Men with a vain Consternation. This is a Work well-becoming the most Christian Profession. For the most apparent Effect, which attended the Passion of Christ, was the putting of an eternal silence