A key to physic, and the occult sciences / [E. Sibly].

  • Ebenezer Sibly
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A key to physic, and the occult sciences / [E. Sibly]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that all perfons are capable of deriving great improvement from reading; and, that it is not fo much the want of natural ability, as of induftry and application, that fo many men difgrace the image of the Deity, and degrade the venerable pro- feffions of Divinity, Phyfic, and Law. It rarely happens that the want of intellect, or natural endowments of the mind, are the rocks on which men fplit in their profeffional character. Indocile and unapt indeed mull that man be, whom education, experience, obfervation, read- ing, or enquiry, will not fet generally right in his progrefs through life. Yet, without induftry, and an anxious defire of knowledge and improvement, neither education, nor all the advantages of natural ability, can fave us from the wreck of error, or the difgrace of ignorance. Obftinate men, though of the firft capacity in the world, are a forlorn hope, and often irrecoverably loft, by unadvifedly pur- fuing the phantom of their own brain; whilft others, enriched by dignity of fenfe, and qualified by depth of underftanding to form the brighteft characters amongft fociety, furrender up their talents for difcernment and enquiry, and content therri- felves with taking upon truft whatever they fee or hear; particularly in the prac- tice of phyfic, in the law, and in the church. The mifchiefs attendant on this ge- neral conduCt of mankind, are great and many ; for by thus implicitly fubfcribing to the vague notions, and falfe doCtrines, of others; by ihutting their eyes againft the light of reafon and enquiry, and refuting to receive the conviction of their own fenfes, they transfer error from one generation to another, until the unlettered multitude, dazzled by the fplendid ignorance of the learned few, become difciples to their miftakes, and make error and enthufiafm an hereditary difeale. Hence, then, we fee the neceftity of confulting our own reafon, and employing our own underftanding, in the difcrimination of all our temporal and eternal af- fairs; and of aCting and judging for ourfelves on all occalions which immediately regard our health, our happinefs, or our life; and under all thole afflictions and misfortunes wherewith we ftruggle in this world, in our paflage to a better; to one more glorious and permanent; the ultimate end and reward of ail our labours ! Our fenfes, on thefe occafions, are ever ready to fupport our endeavours, and per- form their office; and it is unqueftionably the duty of all men to exercife, to im- prove, and employ them. Yet it is aftoniffling in general to fee how diftruftful we are of thofe very faculties Nature has given us for our guide, and how fondly we fubmit to the opinions of others, whofe nerves cannot feel for us, and whofe judgment is often founded upon erroneous principles, and fometimes on no princi- ples at all. This, however, is a conduCt by no means fitted to the dignity and office aftigned to man; who, being placed at the head of all God’s works upon earth, walking
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