the same time, in the whole immense space between this and the firmament; it being certain, that in all this space, there is not a point, from which, by taking the view, you will not see the star. How also, contrary to the maxim of Aristotle, can many material species, differing only in number, exist or be seen, from the same point of space; it being certain, that you may from such an identical point, see distinctly, many stars at the same time? I shall omit many other objections, that are not inferior or less forcible to these I have urged, against the common opinion, that might be also urged, against the mode of reasoning of the modern philosophers. SECT. XXIII. LXXXVI. So that we see, our philosophy, from what we call first principles, down to our ultimate conclusions, is nothing but a fabrication, or weaving together of fallible conjectures; and that even these conjectures, terminate in nothing more than certain general notions; for the nature of all the specific things, and the greatest part of the causes respecting the lowest species, are so far removed from our penetration, that we can hardly arrive at attaining a doubtful idea of them. If we hit upon a truth, we owe the knowledge of it to experience, and this cannot be called scientific knowledge; for it is derived from self-evident principles, which may be comprehended by the most stupid of mankind; between whose manner of explaining the matter, if they attempt doing it, and ours, there is only this difference, that we define it in terms of art, and they in ordinary and common ones, which are better than the others, because they are more intelligible. This made the learned Jesuit Claudius Franciscus Dechales say, that our physics consisted of nothing but a particular idiom, which conveyed no certain knowledge of any thing. (Tom. I. tract. de Progressu Matheseos).