Artifice, in the ordering of the same Feathers into a thousand Varieties of Figures. I will not insist long on the Barbarousness of their Stile; though that too must justly be censur'd: For all the ancient Philosophers, though they labour'd not to be full and adorn'd in their Speech, yet they always strove to be easy, natural, and unaffected. Plato was allow'd by all to be the chief Master of Speaking, as well as of Thinking. And even Aristotle himself, whom alone these Men ador'd, however he has been since us'd by his Commentators, was so careful about his Words, that he was esteem'd one of the purest, and most polite Writers of his Time. But the want of good Language, not being the School-men's worst defect, I shall pass it over, and rather slop a little, to examine the Matter it self, and Order in which they proceeded.
The Subjects about which they were most conversant, were either some of those Arts, which Aristotle had drawn into Method, or the more speculative Parts of our Divinity. These they commonly handled after this Fashion. They began with some general Definitions of the Things themselves, according to their universal Natures, then divided them into their Parts, and drew them out into several Propositions, which they laid down as Problems: These they controverted on both sides; and by many Niceties of Arguments, and Citations of Authorities, confuted their Adversaries, and strengthned their own Dictates. But though this notional War had been carry'd on with far more Care, and Calmness amongst them, than it was: Yet it was never able to do any great Good towards the Enlargement of Knowledge; because it rely'd on general Terms,
