LV. As the audience before whom I propound this reflection, is composed chiefly of the followers of Aristotle, methinks I hear them exclaim, that if we were to collect the suffrages of the academic professors, we should find most votes in favour of his opinion. To this, I reply in the first place, that although a plurality of sectaries, gives greater extrinsic probability to an opinion, still it does not afford certainty, nor intrinsic probability; and the question here, is not whether Aristotle’s opinion is the most probable, but whether it is certain. I reply secondly, that it is doubtful, if we were to include the professors who teach physics in all nations, whether we should in reality find a majority of votes in favour of Aristotle; and unless we could prove by some authentic instrument, that God has limited the knowledge of philosophy to our nation only, and has excluded all others from inheriting the science, I do not know upon what pretension we can ground a right, of admitting none but Spaniards to vote in the question. Some of our antient professors say, that we should not regard the opinions of strangers, because they are novelists; but at the same time, strangers reply, that we should take no account of what the Spaniards assert, because they are obstinate and wrong-headed, and that there is no proof, be it ever so clear, that will make them depart from their old opinions; to which they add, that in Spain, they do not follow Aristotle from choice, but from necessity; for that it requires an heroic spirit, to contradict any thing that has been advanced by Aristotle in that kingdom, where whoever dares venture to oppose him, is instantly assailed by tempests of injuries, which fall on his head like violent hail storms. Nor is even an heroic spirit, sufficient to enable a man to support such an opposition, because the duty of obedience, obliges people not to depart from the line of their school; and this is also frequently the case, in other countries; and from hence, some Anti-Aristotelites have insisted, that the plurality of votes in favour of Aristotle should not prevail, because they cannot be supposed to be free.