the first Foundation: But in things of probability only, it seldom or never happens, that after some little Progress, the main Subject is not left, and the Contenders fall not into other Matters, that are nothing to the Purpose: For if but one Link in the whole Chain be loose, they wander far away, and seldom or never recover their first Ground again. In brief, Disputing is a very good Instrument to sharpen Men's Wits, and to make them versatile, and wary Defenders of the Principles, which they already know: but it can never much augment the solid Substance of Science itself: And methinks compared to Experimenting, it is like Exercise to the Body in Companion of Meat: For Running, Walking, Wrestling, Shooting, and other such active Sports, will keep Men in Health, and Breath, and a vigorous Temper: but it must be a supply of new Food that must make them grow: so it is in this Case; much Contention, and Strife of Argument, will serve well to explain obscure things, and strengthen the weak, and give a good, sound, masculine Colour, to the whole Mass of Knowledge: But it must be a continued addition of Observations, which must nourish, and increase and give new Blood, and Flesh, to the Arts themselves.
But this has been only hitherto spoken, against the Method of the School-men in general; on supposition, that they took the best Course, that could be in that Kind. I shall now come to weigh that too. For it may easily be prov'd, that those very Theories, on which they built all their subtile Webs, were not at all collected, by a sufficient Information from the things themselves; which if it can be made out, I hope it will be granted, that the Force and Vigour of their Wit did more hurt, than good: and
